Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

BRADY TOWNSHIP, CLEARFIELD COUNTY - Salem United Methodist Church decided to build theirnew church further away fromRoute 219than where it sat for over 80 years out of a fear it would be destroyed again.

April 25, 2011 the church came off of its foundation when a log truck skidded of the road and logs slammed into the structure.

After a year of planning, the Church hired Hallstrom Construction to demolish their current church and build new.

They, along with Hallstrom, decided to build further off of the road and Tuesday afternoon they realized what a good decision that was.

"The first thing they said to me was it happened again. A car had veered off of the road and into a utility pole. It is a good thing the church is not where the old one was because the car would have landed in the fifth or sixth pew of the old church" said Chris Satterlee of Hallstrom Construction.

No one, including the 18 year old driver, was hurt in the accident, but it definitely made the workers decide never to park their cars in harms way again.

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A Dangerous Coincidence

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND There was a disagreement among members of the Port Madison Lutheran Church when it came time to start work on their first sanctuary 100 years ago.

Some in the congregation wanted to build it small. Others wanted a larger space. Eventually, proponents of the small church prevailed and staked out the corners of a modestly-sized structure.

But according to island lore, a few congregants sneaked onto the construction site on the night before the groundbreaking and moved the corner stakes out wider. When work began the next day, no one noticed the change and a more spacious church was built.

It was probably for the best.

The congregation grew to fill its new space and remained strong through a century of change.

The health of the church was evident Sunday as Pastor Lori Hoyum welcomed 98 congregants to a special worship service marking the 100-year anniversary of the chapel on Madison Avenue NE.

Also joining the celebration was Bishop John Bradosky, who visited from the newly-established North American Lutheran Church in Ohio. Port Madison Lutheran opted to join NALC earlier this year.

Bradosky said the 100th anniversary of the sanctuary was an impressive milestone for the island church.

"It's another opportunity for the congregation to rejoice," Bradosky said before the service. "Their faithfulness has spread over a century."

Minnie Sorenson O'Brien, the first baby baptized in the sanctuary, wasn't able to attend the service as planned. But congregation members say the 100-year-old Yelm resident remains "a firecracker."

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Bainbridge Island church marks 100 years

Yesterday at Maker Faire Bay Area 2012 we visited the Electric Imp booth to chat with the startup's founders and get some hands-on time with the tiny wireless computer. What is the Electric Imp? It's a module containing an ARM Cortex M3 SoC with embedded WiFi that's built into an SD card form factor. While the device looks just like and SD card, it's not pin-compatible with the standard -- the idea is to leverage a reliable and affordable connector for the Electric Imp. The module is not very useful on its own -- it only comes to life when inserted into one of several boards, which provide the Electric Imp with power and access to the real world. In turn the device gives these boards a brain and an Internet connection. Eventually the company hopes that appliance manufacturers will incorporate Electric Imp slots into products to make them network aware.

We talked with CEO Hugo Fiennes (formerly with Apple) about the past, present and future of the Electric Imp so hit the break to read more and to watch our hands-on video.

What can you do with the Electric Imp? You can control almost anything wirelessly over the Internet -- better yet, you can access each module using a simple web-based interface which combines Planner, a graphical way to interconnect the devices and Squirrel, a Java / C-like scripting language to program each Electric Imp. When you insert a module into a board or appliance, it powers up, receives a unique ID, connects via WiFi to the startup's servers and downloads / runs the program that's assigned to that specific board or appliance -- as such any Electric Imp can be used. Since there's no physical interface on the device to configure WiFi, the company's developed Blinkup, a way to enter SSID and password information on any iOS and Android smartphone and beam it to the Electric Imp's light sensor by rapidly pulsing the handset's screen on and off.

We saw a number of Electric Imp demos and appliance ideas at the booth including a simple hand-held "detonator" toggle switch with LED, seven-segment counter, water level sensor, servo-controlled gauge, RGB light, power socket, Christmas light, power monitor, toy washing machine, 16x16 LED display and receipt printer (the latter two being combined to show the avatars and tweets of anyone mentioning the Electric Imp) -- all Internet aware. The startup's servers provide simple access to web services like Twitter and even text messaging (via Twillo) -- letting developers focus on core appliance functionality rather than the intricacies of HTTP requests, WiFi APIs and network sockets.

The Electric Imp will be shipping for $25 at the "end of next month" (late June) along with three developer boards:

A mailing list is available on the company's website with an ordering system coming soon.

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Hands-on with the Electric Imp at Maker Faire (video)

Many companies are taking the initiative in finding ways to curb power use this summer now that the government has proposed voluntary saving targets for firms and households in many parts of the nation because of the Fukushima crisis.

The toughest target, 15 percent, was set for the Kansai region, which is served by Kansai Electric Power Co.

Major toiletry maker Lion Corp. is considering suspending washing powder production at its factory in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, and increasing production at its factory in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, instead. Chiba is served by Tokyo Electric Power Co.

Iwatani Corp. is looking at temporarily halting its Sakai plant for liquefied hydrogen, the largest such facility in the country, while carrying out full production at its other factories.

Kyushu Electric Power Co. customers will be asked to cut electricity use by 10 percent, but many electronics makers and automakers have production bases in the region.

Among them, Toshiba Corp. is jittery about the target because large amounts of electricity are needed for air conditioning clean rooms at its semiconductor plant in Oita Prefecture.

"Production there will be difficult unless nuclear plants restart operations," Toshiba President Norio Sasaki said.

By contrast, Nippon Paper Group Inc. plans to transfer self-generated power at a plant in Kyushu Electric's area to four plants in Kepco's service area using the utilities' lines because the Kyushu plant is expected to have surplus power.

Elsewhere, Toyota Motor Corp. plans to boost capacity at the power generation facilities at its plants in Aichi Prefecture, which is served by Chubu Electric Power Co.

Imuraya Co., based in Tsu, Mie Prefecture, is looking at suspending frozen dessert production during daily peak hours between noon and 2 p.m.

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Industries hunt ideas to meet new power-saving goals

When it seemed like everyone was outfitting their kitchens with granite countertops and Sub-Zero refrigerators, Pam Kueber was on the hunt for steel cabinets.

Ten years ago, Kueber and her husband bought a 1951 ranch house in Lenox, Mass., with ugly plastic tiles in the bathroom and a 1970s kitchen that was showing its age.

But rather than bringing the house up to date, she wanted to take it back to its mid-20th-Century character.

A communications professional with a degree in journalism, she put her reporting skills to work on ferreting out sources of vintage materials to renovate her midcentury home.

Five years into her search, she struck gold: a set of aquamarine Geneva steel cabinets in what was once a cooking school run by nuns in New York City.

Her experience prompted her to start a blog to share her research with like-minded souls. Today her Retro Renovation blog, retrorenovation.com, attracts about 220,000 readers a month and is the go-to site for homeowners with a passion for restoring midcentury homes.

Kueber shares resources and tips on great finds, like the stash of 1960s tile a guy in Mansfield, Ohio, found recently when he was cleaning out a contractor's house.

"It's like Whac-A-Mole," she said of the constant chase of the latest bonanza.

The blog celebrates what Kueber calls "midcentury modest" homes, houses like hers that sprang up across the U.S. in the wake of World War II.

Unlike the chic, glass-walled atomic ranches that are revered as the epitome of midcentury modern style, these are the simpler Colonials, ranches and split-levels that housed a much larger segment of the postwar population.

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Blog writer helps owners restore their midcentury homes

An interior designer is tasked with creating usable and aesthetically pleasing architectural spaces inside a physical structure. Interior design professionals typically study the behaviors and movements of individuals in the working and living environment in order to create spaces that are both attractive and functional.

Interior designers may also perform the interior decorating work on the spaces they design. An interior decorator, by contrast, does not design the space in which he or she works. Instead, interior decorators focus on the furnishings, wall and floor treatments and artistic touches that provide ambience and atmosphere to the interior space.

Differences Between Hiring A Designer Vs. A Decorator

Most interior design professionals are employed by construction or architectural firms and work in conjunction with builders and architects to design usable spaces for a variety of human activities. In other cases, interior designers may be called upon to create a functional and beautiful set of interior spaces for a private home. Generally, however, interior design experts work for builders and contractors rather than directly for private individuals.

Interior decorators are typically hired by homeowners to improve the aesthetic appeal of an existing space. These interior decor experts usually specialize in commercial or residential spaces and may use lighting, wall treatments, flooring, furnishings and accessories to create a look pleasing to the owner or manager of the space in question.

Benefits Of Hiring A Decorator Or Designer

The services of a qualified interior designer are crucial in order to create usable spaces for working and living. Contractors and builders depend on these professionals to provide advice on a variety of ergonomic and acoustic issues and to help in the design of lighting and traffic flow patterns that make sense in the specific interior environment.

Homeowners can benefit significantly by enlisting the help of an interior decorator when remodeling or revamping their living and working areas. Interior decorators are knowledgeable about the effects of color and the right use of accessories to create an illusion of greater space or to provide a cozy, comfortable environment for everyday living.

________________________________

This article originally appeared onAngies List.

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The Benefits Of Hiring An Interior Designer

Sock Development has opened another park to enhance the lifestyle at Paseo, the 2011 Community of the Year.

According to Tim Clark, vice president of sales for Paseo, the new park is located on the east side amid Paseo's multifamily homes.

"These are simply the latest additions we've made to our award-winning lifestyle," said Clark. "There are four chickee huts with seating for shade, a sand volleyball court, horseshoe pits, grilling areas, a grass play area and two pickle ball courts."

The park is open to all Paseo residents. It joins a lakefront park with a chickee hut, seating and hammocks on the west side of Phase I.

"Residents love the first passive park," said Clark. "They gather in the evenings to relax and watch the sunset over the lake and Six Mile Cypress Preserve. This is an active, sporty park. These amenities make Paseo a special place."

Paseo's village center has won numerous Pinnacle Awards from the Lee Building Industry Association for Best Clubhouse Exterior, Best Clubhouse Interior and Best Pool Design. The community has won six consecutive Community of the Year honors, as well as Developer of the Year honors. Prices begin in the $170s.

The Paseo Village Center includes a full-service concierge, a bistro, an ice cream parlor, a pub, an internet caf, a coffee shop, a 4,000 square foot fitness center, a business center and library, as well as spa services and a 90-seat theatre with a projection room and comfortable elevated seating.

The free-form pool includes waterfalls and rockscapes, as well as a poolside gazebo serving refreshments. Adjacent to the main pool is a spa, a fitness-oriented lap pool and a children's water playground. There is also a sports complex with six Har-Tru tennis courts, bocce ball courts, a basketball court, a fishing pier and restrooms.

The private, gated 444-acre community of Paseo is surrounded by the environment of the Six Mile Cypress Slough.

Flats and town homes, including two- and three-story designs, are available in 14 floor plans with two, three or four bedrooms and two or three baths. These homes range from 1,227 to 2,084 square feet under air and include a one- or two-car garage. Paseo also offers six casita floor plans ranging from 1,531 to 2,080 square feet under air. Each casita features two or three bedrooms, two-and-a-half or three baths and two floors of living space.

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New lifestyle park opens at Paseo

Phil Fernandes helps people design new houses from the ground up, but for his own dream home, he's going with South Walkerville vintage.

"An investment into a house, in a neighbourhood with that much character, just seems to be a lot more rewarding," he said.

Phil and his wife Amanda, who works for a civil engineering firm, have been living on Lincoln Road in the Lincoln in the Woods area for about 10 years. They were looking for an upgrade and knew they wanted to stay in the neighbourhood, with its mature trees, big lots and unique architecture.

When the owners of 2450 Lincoln Rd. decided to put their house on the market after living there since the mid-1940s, Phil and Amanda pounced. But it needed a lot of work - about $200,000 worth of work - or about as much as the price of the house itself.

Phil was up to the challenge. He drew up plans for an ambitious renovation that brings the house up to date while keeping its character, with additions above the garage and off the back, an expanded kitchen and three small bedrooms converted to four.

"It was a good project, because it was very challenging, to me, anyway, to make a floor plan for a house that wasn't really working for the modern family and revise it so that it could be utilized, reused, re-adapted to what we need today."

Phil said the most difficult part has been keeping the house's original charm. The couple has gone to great lengths to do so, salvaging and cleaning the original bricks to use on the additions and moving the hardwood floors from the first floor to the second.

Phil said the previous owner of the house is particularly pleased with a plan take the original etched glass from a vestibule and use it for the laundry room. "She loved that. It's really fun meeting somebody who loves their home so much," he said.

The couple is on track to finish the project in July, about eight months after buying the house on Nov. 25. They've done some of the work themselves, with Phil's experience as a contractor for Paul Davis Systems coming in handy.

They've also received a lot of help from Phil's father, who often comes all the way from Wallaceburg on weekends, and Tony Martell of Roofing With Integrity, who helped with demolition as well as the roof. Amanda is blogging about the project as she goes, keeping track with posts and pictures at pfernandesdesigns.com/blog.

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Challenge, charm

Just as a rising tide floats all boats, positive housing reports lift not only homebuilders' stocks, but those of companies that are less visibly involved in a rebounding housing market, such as cabinet and flooring installers and roofing contractors. If you are still unconvinced that housing is making a comeback, read on for some uplifting news from some companies that can be counted on to perk up right alongside a brightening housing picture.

Masco (NYSE: MAS) is a global manufacturer of home products such as cabinets and plumbing products, as well as installation services. The company recently produced an improved first-quarter report after three years of depressed business activity. Importantly, the increase in revenue represents more business from an uptick in housing starts, particularly in North America, where the majority of the company's business is generated. Another good sign is that Masco was able to nearly double its operating profit margins year over year, from 3.3% to 6%.

Every new house needs flooring, and two companies have been nailing down some improving numbers so far this year. Mohawk Industries (NYSE: MHK) produces a large variety of flooring products for homes and businesses in the U.S., as well as covering the European residential market. Its recent earnings report showed a profit increase, rather than a decrease, for the first time in nearly a year. Although at least some of the profit increase was due to price increases, management reported increased sales in its Dal-Tile division.

Similarly, Interface (NYSE: IFSIA) , a carpet tile manufacturer, has also seen its business pick up this year, as it slowly claws its way back from a lackluster year. Although the company didn't make huge strides in the sales and revenue departments, it did report some very good news: Orders outstripped sales in the first quarter, resulting in a $13 million backlog for that time period.

To top it all off, Beacon Roofing (NYSE: BECN) has been doing pretty well, having enjoyed a lift from the especially warm winter. The ability to increase prices helped bump up the company's profit margins, and cash flow increased by 14% from this time last year.

Fool's takeFor Masco and Interface, a rebound in housing has had a direct effect upon their sunnier financial profiles already, and they should continue to experience an improving business climate as long as housing data remains positive. A better housing picture can only help Mohawk and Beacon, too, both of which will certainly be beneficiaries of new housing starts. If the recent auction of bundled foreclosure properties by Fannie Mae to large investor groups works out well, there should be plenty of work to go around in the renovation field, as well. When it comes to playing the housing investment market, these four companies are well worth keeping an eye on.

Housing-related stocks are not the only ones that are benefiting from a rebounding economy. Check out some investment ideas that may not have crossed your radar screen in our free report today!

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4 Stocks Being Buoyed by Good Housing News

COLUMBUS The 175 students at Shell Creek Elementary School werent the only ones excited when classes were dismissed for the semester last week.

Construction crews who have spent the past 10 months remodeling the K-6 school will use the summer break to make the final push toward completion of a $5.12 million expansion project there.

It will make things a lot easier, said Jeff Keating of Bierman Contracting Inc., the projects construction manager.

Although Keating said things went surprisingly well with classes in session, the absence of students will allow for unimpeded progress on the new wings and renovations planned in the old building.

Keating expects the project to be wrapped up around July 15.

Schedule-wise, were right where we need to be, he said.

The school, located just north of Columbus at 16786 280th St., will be a double-track facility with two classrooms for each of the seven grades when classes resume this August.

Students and staff began using five of the seven new classrooms a few weeks ago after the majority of work on the east addition was complete.

They were pretty excited that they got to be in the new classrooms, said Principal John Mlinar.

And thats just a portion of the benefits adding about 30,000 square feet to the school will bring.

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Shell Creek school project to be done in July