Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Enhancing the appeal of downtown Marietta is the goal of Build Up Marietta, a new facade improvement program from Marietta Main Street and the Marietta Community Foundation.

This program is due in part to the hard work of our Design Committee and their focus on beautifying downtown, Cristie Thomas, executive director of Marietta Main Street said in a recent news release.

Through the Build Up Marietta program business and property owners in Mariettas downtown C4 district can apply for a matching grant of up to $3,000 to upgrade the front facades of their buildings.

Those improvements may include exterior painting, brick maintenance, new or replacement awnings and signage, lighting, door and window repair, or other upgrades that increase property value.

We hope that Build Up Marietta opens the door to new partnerships with property owners and business owners, as well as new opportunities for property maintenance through quality design by helping offset some of the financial burden, Thomas added.

Support for the grant funding comes from the Marietta Community Foundation.

The submission date for the first round of 2017 grant applications is no later than July 1. A second round of grant applications this year must be submitted by Oct. 1.

Applications for grant-funded projects will be taken on a quarterly basis and all submissions will be reviewed by a group with working knowledge of construction, design, historic preservation, and community development, according to Thomas.

Build Up Marietta is reminiscent of a similar facade improvement program that was funded through the citys annual Community Development Block Grant. But the city has not offered that program for the last several years.

We used to do that every year during my first administration, said Mayor Joe Matthews. And we would present plaques thanking those who took advantage of the program. Im glad Marietta Main Street is going to do something now.

Andy Coleman, the citys development director, said the CDBG-funded facade program was successful for the first few years, but interest in the program began to wane.

Anytime you use federal (CDBG) dollars for a project, you had to pay the prevailing wage, which apparently made it too expensive for those who wanted to do a facade project, he said.

Coleman noted the project cost was covered 50 percent by the city and 50 percent by the property owner. But having to pay prevailing wage for the work, under the federal Davis-Bacon Act, proved to be too costly for property owners.

Because the Build Up Marietta program is being funded with Marietta Community Foundation dollars matched by the property owner, the federal prevailing wage stipulation is not expected to apply to those projects.

Coleman said CDBG monies once used to fund the citys facade program now support projects like Paint Marietta and the Emergency Repair Program, aimed at improving housing within the city and preventing blighted properties.

Projects that qualify for both of those programs are 100 percent funded out of the grant, he said.

About the

Build Up

program:

Owners may apply for a matching grant of up to $3,000 to improve the facades of their properties, including painting, brick maintenance, awnings, lighting, signage, door and window repair, or other facade projects.

Grant applications from business and property owners in Mariettas C4 downtown district must be filed no later than July1 to qualify for the next award cycle. Applications will also be taken no later than Oct. 1 for a second grant cycle this year.

For more information contact Cristie Thomas at info@mariettamainstreet.org, or call 740-885-8194. Or visit the Web site at mariettamainstreet.org/build-up-marietta

Source: Marietta Main Street

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'Build Up' and beautify the city - Marietta Times

FAIRFIELD, Conn. PCB-containing paint has been discovered at Fairfield Ludlowe High School and the town plans a forum on the topic for July 11.

Those working on the window replacement project of the schools Building Committee discovered the paint, which has been encapsulated by years of repainting in the schools interior.

Environmental testing showed there are no air quality issues or health risks posed by the paint.

The Fairfield Ludlowe High School Building Committee, Fairfield Health Department, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency are working closely with the town and its environmental consultants to determine details of the abatement plan for these areas as part of the building committees work.

Work on the window replacement project is not affected by the encapsulated paint.

School and town officials know the community will have questions about the issue, so a forum will be held at 7 p.m., July 11, at the Board of Education board room, 501 Kings Highway East. Experts from the town Health Department and the projects environmental consulting firm will be on hand to offer details and answer questions.

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PCB Paint Found At Fairfield Ludlowe High School, Forum Planned ... - Fairfield Daily Voice

The season of pansies is about over, but what a glorious one it turned out to be.

So, we can say both thanks and good-bye to pansies and their smaller cousins, the violas, and prepare to replace them with something great for the hot months ahead.

Since most people use pansies as edging for beds or in pots, window boxes and hanging baskets, this is not a huge, expensive job. But it is one you should get going on so that the plants get settled down and growing before the real heat clamps down on us in a few weeks.

The choices are amazingly varied, particularly among color, size and texture. There are also choices to be made governing the form of the plant, whether it is tallish and upright, wide and spreading or trailing. All three are useful, particularly for container gardens.

WHAT TO PLANT

This time of year offers a huge range of possibilities that allow gardeners to enjoy more variety and even experiment a bit. For example, a 12-inch pot that held eight or nine pansies can take on a completely different look with a mix of several different kinds of annual flowers. I find these combinations, such as petunias, trailing verbena, celosia or torenia, rich in color and texture and a delight to select and plant.

Before you choose, however, it is essential to know the environment. Spots, such as a flower bed or porch steps that get full sun through the winter and into April may turn quite shady once the trees are in full leaf. Without trees, this sunny spot may turn very hot for plants at midsummer.

Shady spots call for plants such as impatiens, begonias and torenia. Impatiens can grow quite large and should go solo in smaller baskets and containers. They can easily make a good edging for a flower bed and you would need fewer plants than you did with pansies because impatiens grow larger.

Begonias are another top choice for shady containers and edges because they bloom almost constantly, grow rather fast and cause no problems. For the shadiest spots, choose begonias with green foliage, for brighter, sunnier spots, the bronze-leaved ones perform better in partly sunny spots.

An edge of pansies in a hot, sunny spot can be readily replaced with scarlet sage, a wonderful summer flower. The bright red form is one of the best choices and makes a nice change, especially if the bed was filled with pastel colors through the winter.

When selecting annuals for mixed containers, take care to choose a variety of forms. This actually expands the space you have with vertical plants rising above the others and trailing plants that spill over the sides, creating a larger effect.

Q: The foliage on my daffodils is yellow now. Can I get rid of it and plant something else there?

A: The foliage should come up easily now. You can plant annuals over them, but great care must be taken to avoid hurting the resting bulb. Dont use a shovel to dig the soil. Just use a trowel and very gently to set out small plants that wont require deep digging. Even if the bulbs were set 7 or 8 inches deep, the top of the bulbs would be a few inches higher. A really safe choice would be a spreading annual such as lantana or verbena. They could add the color you want, and you would set the new plants just outside the area where the bulbs grow.

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Still got pansies? It's time to replace them with hot-weather flowers - Arizona Daily Sun

Speedtown Comfort Heating and Cooling joined other local contractors and Building Homes for Heroes at a Welcome Home ceremony in Avon, Ind. for Army Sergeant First Class Gary Pearson on May 25. The ceremony was held at 689 Weeping Way Lane, Avon, Ind. 46123 and was open to the public. Johnson Controls donated a complete YORK heating and cooling system and Speedtown Comfort Heating and Cooling provided installation of the system for the veterans new home.

The support of companies like Johnson Controls and its high-quality YORK heating equipment contractors like Speedtown Comfort Heating and Cooling enable our organization to reach more injured veterans in need and help them begin to rebuild their lives, said Chad Gottlieb, director of construction development, Building Homes for Heroes.

Building Homes for Heroes is a national organization that recognizes the tremendous sacrifices of men and women of the United States Armed Forces by supporting the needs of severely wounded or disabled soldiers and their families. The organization strives to build or renovate quality homes and gift the homes to severely injured veterans nationwide, mortgage free.

Speedtown Comfort was overjoyed when asked to help on this project. When we got the call, there was no hesitation to help one of our brave veterans who give us the freedom to live in a great country, said Tony Wilson, vice president, Speedtown Comfort Heating and Cooling.

Building Homes for Heroes invites anyone wishing to volunteer or make a donation to the organization to contact Building Homes for Heroes at [emailprotected]

To learn more about the Building Homes for Heroes organization or to donate, visit http://www.buildinghomesforheroes.org.

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JCI York and Contractor Provide Comfort System to Veteran Support Organization - Contracting Business

If youve come back to Campus Construction Update longing for more of the high anticipation and drama that surrounded last summers residential transformations: Sorry!

Nevertheless, while summer 2017s facilities work is low key by comparison, it sings of compelling things: academics, human comforts, technological renewal.

For the academic angle, tune in to Campus Construction Update again next week. Todays installment focuses, instead, on human comforts and a question of pressing importance to those of us who spend the summer at Bates:

Why is the Bobcat Den, Bates beloved subterranean caf in Chase Hall, closed?

Acckk! The Dens closed until August! Here, booths have been moved away from the wall and given a protective cover. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

The good news is that the closure is only until mid-August, and in the meantime Dining Services is throwing hard-core Den-izens a lifeline in the form of special meal and beverage offers in Commons.

And, of course, the closure is for a good cause: the replacement of heating and air-conditioning infrastructure in the Den, and the extension of air conditioning into the high-ceiling area of Memorial Commons, above the Den.

Shown on June 14, 2017, the Chase Hall mechanical room awaits a major installation of steam heat-exchange and hydronic equipment. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

The Dens had air conditioning, but the upstairs hasnt, explains Bates energy manager John Rasmussen, Facility Services project manager for the Chase Hall undertaking. So the Events Office people are pretty happy to be able to air-condition that space better than just opening up the windows.

What sparked the project was the need to replace two heat exchangers that have heated the Den since the rear section of Chase Hall opened in 1950. Those units distributed air warmed by the campus-wide steam system.

One of two obsolescent heat exchangers in the Den that are being replaced during summer 2017. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

Air conditioning in the Den was driven by cold water from a chiller that serves several buildings. The AC pumped chilled air above the acoustic ceiling tiles, apparently following a sort of HVAC trickle-down theory that was about as effective as its economic equivalent.

With the heat exchangers at the end of their useful lives, it made sense not just to replace them, but to upgrade the whole system in fact, to a different heating method.

Even though the central steam plant heats most of campus, steam is not the point source of heat in many Bates buildings. Instead, those buildings use so-called hydronic heating, which circulates hot water to warm interior spaces. Central steam heats the water for the hydronic system.

Most of Chase Hall is already hydronically heated, and this summers project will bring in the Den and the high-ceiling commons into the system.

Ceiling tiles have been removed or pushed aside in the Den to make way for pipes that will supply heating and cooling water to new overhead climate-control units. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

Its very difficult to control steam systems, because theyre massive and they tend to hold the heat, says Rasmussen. Henceforth, only Lane, Pettigrew, and Schaeffer halls will be warmed by radiators clanking with steam from the central plant.

With a budget of $600,000, what does the Chase Hall project entail specifically? A new steam-to-hot-water heat exchanger will be installed in the Chase mechanical room.

New pipes will connect that exchanger, as well as the existing chiller, to new fan-coil units that will push air of the desired temperature to the desired locations. HVAC contractor Damon Mechanical, as Rasmussen points out, is running new pipework clear across the buildings footprint, from the mechanical room in the southeast corner to the Den in the northwest. Its a disruptive work involving the removal of ceiling tiles, lots of pipefitting and soldering, and plenty of noisy drilling through masonry.

Its a wrap: Booths in the Den are protected with plastic sheeting as new heating and air conditioning equipment is installed. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

New air handlers, occupying the closets in the Den where the 1950-vintage units once labored, will pull in outside air for ventilation. And new digital controls will tie all of Chase into the centralized network that regulates interior heating all over campus.

Five fan-coil cabinet units will go into Memorial Commons. Four ceiling units in the Den will heat or cool both their immediate surroundings and, via ductwork, areas never before blessed with AC, such as the Den servery, the adjacent prep kitchen, and the tiny staff lounge.

So its not just we customers wholl have something to look forward to when the Den reopens, on Aug. 22.

Can we talk? Campus Construction Update welcomes your questions and comments about current, past, and future construction at Bates. Write to dhubley@bates.edu, putting Campus Construction or Have you tried hydronically grown tomatoes? in the subject line. Or use the 21st-century commenting system below.

Pipe sections in the Chase Hall mechanical room awaiting incorporation into a new heating system for the rear of the building. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

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Campus Construction Update: June 23, 2017 - Bates News

Tips to Keep Your Air Conditioner...

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Suzanne Marshall spent her Friday searching for a portable air conditioning unit to cool down her living room. She has lived in an East Beach apartment complex for more than 30 years without a cooling system.

"The weather has been changing, really been changing," said Suzanne Marshall.

She visited the Santa Barbara Home Improvement Center to check out her options after seeing her neighbor install a portable air conditioner.

The center currently has many fans and air conditioners for sale. A section manager tells us customers are constantly calling asking for more details on what's available, but sales typically pick up during August or September.

Once a unit is installed, routine maintenance and cleaning is required in order to keep the unit working properly.

"Rarely once they have them in, they rarely check the operation of the system. They change the filter when they need to or if a problem arises due to filter not being changed and then it creates a problem with a system," said JohnMcCormack, president and CEO of Heating & Air Conditioning in Santa Barbara.

McCormack says people should clear the area around your air conditioner unit within 3 feet of the condenser unit of weeds, sticks, and other debris, clean and replace the filters often.

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Tips to Keep Your Air Conditioner Running Smoothly - KEYT

Plumbing Services

With Jessup Service, Inc., you have peace of mind knowing that you are working with a state licensed plumbing company that has an established reputation and is only interested in doing the best job possible. We offer a very wide variety of services covering all your light commercial & residential plumbing needs. We are ready to serve you in service, repair and renovations.

Plumbing Maintenance agreements Tankless Water Heaters Bathroom Renovations Kitchen Faucets Toilet Replacements & Repair Sewer Lines Drain Cleaning Backflow Testing Broken or Frozen Pipes

Heating Services and Cooling Services

Our Complete System Tune Up is a professional cleaning; adjustment and safety check we perform on all types of air conditioning and heating equipment to help maintain peak performance, safety and reliable operation. Cooling and heating systems require routine maintenance to maximize performance, maintain efficiency and to insure safety. In the past, systems were simple by design and had less moving parts but they have become more complex due to safety and efficiency standards. Take the example of automobiles. Cars made in the 60's were relatively easy to work on, and didn't take a lot of complex tools and knowledge to fix. In the 70's due to the gasoline crisis, vehicles were mandated to become more efficient, and they also increased safety standards. Try working on a car today with the complexity of computerized controls and systems. The same thing has happened to heating and air conditioning systems. The government has mandated that they be more efficient and safer than the units of the past. As of January 2009, Gas furnaces must be at least 95% rating (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) in order to meet the tax rebate standards - which is a lot like miles per gallon. The higher the rating, the more efficient the system. Cooling and heating systems are thebiggestexpenses in a home. Maintain your system to assure a long reliable life.

Electrical Services

Your home is important, and your safety is important to us! We provide electrical system safety inspections. We can also upgrade the electrical safety devices in your home or increase your electric panel and service size so you can add new electrical devices to your home. Our licensed electricians commonly install, repair and provide electrical system changes, maintenance for fuse boxes, smoke detectors and lighting receptacles, home automation wiring and design. Are you remodeling? Jessup Service is the first to call for home improvements when you want to install new lighting, change your light switches or upgrade your electric panel to handle today's new electric components and accessories.

That's why we say... Jessup Service, Installing the Best and Servicing the Rest, for 62 Years.

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Jessup Service - Greensboro News & Record

After 20 years of column-writing, I needed a fresh source of humor, so I decided to have the kitchen remodeled.

Doing it myself would have been the richest source of material, but actuarial tables predict I will live only another 18 years, which wouldnt have been nearly enough time to get it done.

So I turned over the remodeling to a professional, confident that merely disassembling the existing kitchen would be plenty inspirational. It was.

Do you know what an appliance garage is? Its a countertop enclosure meant to hide toasters and blenders.

I found that if I lay on my back on the countertop, with my feet supported by a ladder and my head and shoulders inside the appliance garage, I could gain access to the screws that stubbornly prevented me from removing it.

And because those screws were, oh, Id say2 feet long, I had plenty of time, while twisting, to ponder why we need to hide appliances behind a door anyway. Were talking about toasters here, not a countertop toilet.

Having removed the garage, I turned, with my sons help, to moving the refrigerator. I thought sliding it across the floor would be the hard part, but no. The hard part was disconnecting the water line for the ice-maker.

As we headed to the basement to turn off the water to that line, my wife said, Dont break the valve.So we gently twisted it. Then we roughly twisted it. Then we took a wrench to it. And then we broke it.

We arrived breathless at a hardware store just minutes later. Yes, said a clerk, we have what you need to cap that flowing water line. "Good," I replied. "Because this means I wont have to get divorced."

Not until I had demolished the kitchen did I fully realize how central it was to life. It wasnt just a food storehouse. It also held utility bills, pizza coupons, Lipitor, pliers, wind chimes, school photos, wedding invitations and the Worthington trash pickup schedule.

I still find myself instinctively heading for the familiar locale, then circling aimlessly like a migratory bird searching for recognizable geography in a barren wasteland. Occasionally, I forlornly cheep something like, Where is the cheese grater?

Of course, the wasteland will soon be replaced by a new kitchen, which will shift the challenge to forming a new mental map, a slow process for me.

I can pretty much guarantee that I will put yogurt in the oven for at least a few years before the refrigerators new location is firmly imprinted on my brain.

In fact, for humor purposes, I'm counting on it.

Joe Blundo is a Dispatch columnist.

jblundo@dispatch.com

@joeblundo

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Joe Blundo: Kitchen remodeling job is already cooking up some ... - Columbus Alive

A kitchen makeover in a three-level town house has won a Washington area Contractor of the Year (COTY) award for Michael Nash Kitchens and Homes.

The design solution in which the primary living area of a 17-year-old townhome has been reconfigured and upgraded was executed in the residence of Christina Gee and Ryan Watkins. The home is located in Merrifield's Mosaic District.

The project has been named a best-in-category Grand winner for Kitchen Remodeling in the $30,000 to $60,000 range by the metro DC chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

In accepting the prize, Michael Nash president and founder Sonny Nazemian praised his company's innovative design culture which contended with difficult space planning and interior design challenges while staying entirely within the envelope of the home's 800-square-foot second floor.

Increasing usable living space in a town home is always a tricky, especially when there are structural issues, Nazemian observed. To meet the owners requirements, we had to remove a bearing wall on the second floor of a three-level townhouse. Other contractors declined to even bid on this assignment, so we're pleased with the highly functional new space plan and the exceptional interior design.

For the owners Gee and Watkins (who are both professors at George Washington University), the search for improvements began almost three years ago with a simple assessment of goals and priorities.

The house is appropriately-size for our family, and the easy commute to work via the metro made our decision to remodel an attractive consideration. Watkins says. Our main goal was to make better use of existing space. We wanted functional improvements, but also a comfortable in-kitchen dining area and a warm, distinctive interior design.

Early on, the couple began researching ideas online always keeping an eye out for the building professional who got their vision.

Ironically, the Michael Nash showroom was only a few miles away, Christina Gee says. I had been researching on Houzz (online) for quite a while, but Michael Nash offers a significant display of finish-work ideas. The staff designers gave us relevant insights whenever we asked. Also, we were attracted to the fixed price policy.

Price became a particular advantage as other remodelers competing for the bid learned that the couple's plan would entail structural changes.

Two other contractors wouldn't commit to a fixed price arrangement because of the structural change we wanted, Ryan recalls. A friend had told me that the lack of a fixed price contract on his kitchen upgrade several years ago ended up coming in at 20 percent higher than the original quote... so we were pleased with the cost transparency we were offered.

Sonny Nazemian adds:

Effectively managing the budget on our client's behalf has always been a critical part of our process. We offer a portfolio of finish-work options at-cost, but we also only use our own workers, and our design team stays ahead of trends.

One of the project's earliest phases focused on what remodelers call discovery i.e., assessing existing systems and how well they function, or don't.

We looked closely at how the primary activity zones on the second level were built-out. Nazemian recalls. Not surprisingly, we found a lot of misallocated space, and the consequences of that.

For instance:

A comparatively small part of the kitchen allocated as a family room contradicted the larger call for an open, kitchen-centric floor plan where everyone could get involved in cooking;

The wall separating the kitchen from the dining room/living room completely blocked the flow of natural light from the east-facing rear of the house to the living room in the front, making both rooms feel smaller;

Despite the need for more storage, ceiling-flush bulk heading in the kitchen wasn't necessary and severely restricted cabinet height;

Because the second floor lacked front-to-back visual continuum, it didn't work well when entertaining a distinct problem when one invites 20 to 30 students and colleagues over to socialize.

To create an open plan in the middle of a three-level townhouse, designers deleted a bearing wall between the kitchen and a formal dining area, insinuating an I-beam supported by concealed vertical shafts to bear the weight of the floors above.

The opening made way for a counter surface and three-seat dining counter that faces in towards the kitchen. The counter is especially well-situated for clean-up and service but is also a convenient dining and gathering spot.

Better yet, the change invites more natural light and visual continuum from front to back.

To gain kitchen floor space, the team removed a pantry and oven stack, and relocated the refrigerator to the newly surfaced south wall.

Owing to strict building codes, the possibilities for an open plan in a townhouse are still being discovered, Nazemian adds, yet the change can significantly improve quality of life without changing the basic footprint.

On a similar note, deleting unnecessary bulk heading allowed for taller cabinets and custom cubbies. Roll-out shelving proved to be a handy space-saver.

There are custom cubbies for favorite pots, dishes and glassware, a special drawer for fruits and vegetables, and a drawer for exotic teas. At the stove, an under-cabinet pull-down shelf with light is a perfect place to mount a cookbook while preparing a meal.

The built-in efficiencies make the room feel larger. Because of the two counter-height surfaces, the whole family can participate in kitchen duties at the same time.

Notably, Gee and Watkins were especially conscientious in pursuing finish-work choices. The couple visited four or five granite shops recommended by designer Oliver Nazemian, eventually choosing river rock granite they specified for two surfaces in the kitchen and a new fireplace surround. To keep the shine down, the river rock has been leathered. Overall, the couple explored a range of offsetting colors and textures that would make the room lively, yet balanced.

We had always appreciated the natural beauty of the rocks we had seen in Hawaii when we were first married, Watkins recalls. The dark granite reminded us of this, and the warm wood tones are a perfect complement. Also, the curved wood of the Kichler Grandbank chandelier provides an effective mid-room element.

The new space has worked particularly well when entertaining.

Six can dine on the deck; another eight to 10 at the counter-height kitchen table, Christina says, The front-to-back sightlines make it easy to stay connected to anyone in the room. It's a really pleasant place to spend time with others. We're very happy with it.

For information, call (703) 641-9800 or go to MichaelNashKitchens.com

John Byrd has been writing about home improvement for 30 years. He can be reached at (703)715-8006, http://www.HomeFrontsNews.com or byrdmatx@gmail.com

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Townhouse kitchen renovation wins grand 'Contractor of the Year' honors - Fairfaxtimes.com

Mader Designs

Bright Green

Interiors experts predict that a cheery shade of green will be present in home dcor, fashion and interior design this year. Named the 2017 Pantone Color of the Year, Greenery is meant to embody refreshment and revitalization.

Jewel Tones

Not to be outdone, Benjamin Moore named a rich, deep amethyst called Shadow their color of the year. Jewel tones such as ruby and emerald are included on the 22-color palette they recommend pairing with this hue.

A New Navy

Whether you want to paint an accent wall in a living room or add a dramatic new color to kitchen cabinets, navy blue is the new black. Pairing well with both traditional and modern dcor, navy complements almost any color scheme.

The Perfect Non-Color

Chalky white and bone white are the counterpoints of choice, with an organic, natural look that is anything but flat.

Subways and Sofas

Subway tile, which has dominated trendy kitchen and bathroom remodels for several years, is still going strong. Classic, durable and affordable, its also a versatile design medium that can be accented with different colors of grout, or applied in elaborate graphic patterns. Regarding sofas, overstuffed furniture is out; right-sized pieces that dont dominate an entire room are preferred.

Accent Butterflies

Believe it or not, butterfly patterns are appearing more and more as a home design motif. Symbolizing grace and optimism, the butterfly is a whimsical addition to rooms via wallpaper, prints and art pieces.

Craftsmanship Returns

In the era of Pinterest and an explosion of instructional videos, TV shows and magazines, trend makers are moving back towards artisan-crafted items in home dcor rather than rough hewn, do-it-yourself projects. Think more refined, less rustic.

Fashionably Faux

Homeowners and designers increasingly use faux materials to replace wood, marble, leathereven foliage. Not only are these alternatives more budget-friendly, they are often more durable, and its getting harder to tell the difference between a fabulous faux and the real thing.

Dane County Designer Experts

If youd like to work with a local interior design professional, there are some talented experts in the area who specialize in making spaces both functional and beautiful.

Located in Middleton, Mader Designs creates complementary environments for clients while enhancing the charm and usability of their spaces. Owner Stephanie Mader says, We handle all aspects of commercial and residential design projects from start to finish, including installation. Our relationships with manufacturers give Mader Designs the buying power to be a purchasing agent, which is a big benefit for our clients. And whether theyre interested in historical or contemporary styles, or something in between, we can craft a look that will appeal to any client.

Mader says she is seeing a lot of brass and gold finishes, and a mix of metals paired with marble, in current designs for the home. She echoes the current enthusiasm for green. Green is definitely an it color right now, she says. It works well with neutral and wood tones, while adding zest. Bright, vibrant greens also help bring a touch of nature inside. For wall coverings and accessories, she recommends continuing with the green theme by adding a tropical print to the room.

Her business also includes flooring. Herringbone or chevron patterns are on trend, in wood, tile or luxury vinyl, she says. Other popular products include wood-look ceramic tiles, reclaimed wood floors, concrete floors, and large-format tile. To really make a space sing, Mader is all about embellishments. I love lacquer, fur, velvet, iridescent metallics, silk, lace, mirrors and embroidery, she says. These elements bring shine and texture to any space. And lighting is my favorite part of the room. I like to say its the jewelry of the home.

Heading into 2018, Mader predicts that jewel tones will continue to gain popularity. These tones include dark teal, midnight blue, black, peacock and emerald. Along with pops of color, were going to see a lot of neutralswhites, grays, camel, blush pink and copper, she says.

When Mader works with a new client, she typically begins the design conversation with a phone call to get an overview of the project. Then I meet with them in the space and its really about asking lots of questions, she says. I learn about the clients style and needs, and really try to understand how they think. I listen and observe and get a clear understanding of the scope of the project, along with the timeline and budget.

A currentif unexpectedremodeling trend can be found in the part of a home that has typically been ignored. Remodeling is just hot right now in general, but jazzing up laundry rooms and adding high style to them is so popular, Mader says. People are carrying the same high-end finishes from the rest of their home into the laundry area. Im seeing granite, marble, glass tile, and custom built-ins to add functionality. Clients are even adding chandeliers!

Office spaces, by necessity, demand a different aesthetic, and Mader Designs is experienced in making those spaces both functional and beautiful. With our commercial background, we are able to provide project management skills, reliable subcontractors, and competitive product pricing, Mader says. I also like to push the envelope with each space I work on, to create a unique look using products from vendors around the world.

In office design, Mader predicts that millennials will continue to influence design direction, with emphasis on brand colors and faceted architectural features, combined with a bold planning concept for vibrant spaces, she says. Raw loft-like spaces with open ceilings, low-wall cubicles and standing desks continue to be very popular, along with upscale break rooms. Employers are realizing that offering staff a place to relax and socialize in the workplace actually enhances productivity and job satisfaction, she says. I am seeing phone booths, game rooms, meditation rooms, coffee and snack bars, beer coolers and wine fridges, casual rooms for congregating and watching sports, and even napping rooms in workplaces, she says. Building owners are also adding fitness rooms as perks for their tenants. Environmentally speaking, Mader says LEED and the WELL Building Standard certifications are also a priority for companies.

Mader worked in the fashion industry for more than a decade before opening her own business, Mader Designs. When her family relocated to Madison from Milwaukee, she decided it was time for a change. I was already using my design background to help my husband with commercial real estate projects, she says, and I had flipped several homes over the years. So we took a two-week vacation and I called all my contacts from the beach and announced my new venture.

Mader says the variety and creative challenges inherent in her work are the best parts of the job. Every morning is something new. I get to experiment, grow, take risks, break rules, and have fun, she says. Sometimes I make mistakes, but in the end I am waging war against ugliness, one space at a time!

Jerry Schmidt describes his familys business, DreamHouse DreamKitchens, as a complete design, selection and remodeling firm headquartered in Madison. Schmidt, a sales representative with the company, notes that DreamHouse DreamKitchens offers an enormous selection of cabinets, countertops, sinks, faucets, and many other finishes. Experts work with clients to build the kitchens, bathrooms, lower levels, entertainment rooms, and master suites of their dreams. Were a one-stop shop, Schmidt says, from full 3-D colored renderings to our staff carpenters on site, we have all the products youll needplus all the experience and expertise in-house to get the work done right.

Currently, the design team at DreamHouse Dream Kitchens is busy with updates to kitchens, bathrooms, and the lower levels. We are also working on building-out several condos in the Madison area, Schmidt adds.

In terms of ongoing trends, Schmidt sees many of his clients choosing wood flooring, both sand-in-place and pre-finished. Using wood flooring through several areas of the home consistently makes the spaces feel bigger, rather than breaking it up from room to room, he says. People are also tiling entire walls of their bathrooms, which makes the room feel bigger and more like a spa. Textured tile is also fun to work with. People like the feel of something a little different and the products give the space depth. Schmidt also notes that polished brass is on the way out in fixtures, while brushed brass is in.

From an interior design perspective, Schmidt says concrete countertops are making a comeback in kitchens, but quartz is also gaining popularity, since there are so many new color options available. Theres also strength and consistency of pattern in quartz, since it is an engineered material. The color gray is still very big in cabinetry, for both painted and stained wood, although white remains timeless. In addition, large islands are still in high demand since they allow for in-kitchen seating that lets everyone hang out while dinner is being prepared. In other parts of the home, barn doors remain popular, although Schmidts team often advises clients to get the barn-door look, while using more timeless materials like a stained wood or glass panels.

When potential clients come to DreamHouse DreamKitchens, they are encouraged to think big. We really focus on complete projects, says Schmidt. We want to form a relationship with the customer and create something special. We have a comprehensive dream team that can take your project from start to finish. When people want something special, we want them to think of Dream.

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