Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Traditional family room photo by david hugh bragdon

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Decorating styles have certainly changed with time. In the days when only a few interior styles were recognized, you could surely pin down a style that suited your taste. Traditional, modern or contemporary were your choices. Today when the question is asked, "what's your style," the answer may still be traditional or contemporary but most often it's "I don't know."

In today's world of ever-changing styles it's easy to be confused. Having a decorating identity crisis is normal. Style terms such as shabby chic or rustic modern, coastal and industrial could confuse anyone. These are newer more recent styles that have emerged in the design world in the last 10 to 15 years.

Traditional style today describes a more dressed-down look, more casual.

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Shabby chic is one style that has overtaken the decor world when decorating on a budget. This style was made popular by decorator Rachel Ashwell at a time in her life when she was starting over and wanted to create a comfortable home for her and her children; that meant decorating on a budget. Flea market finds of repurposed furnishings, painted tables, pictures and lamps all add charm to a room's look.

Rustic modern is a style that may turn historic designers over in their graves. A popular style mostly found in kitchen design, it's a combination of modern style paired with rustic furnishings. Salvage wood is used in cabinets or installed on an island base. Modern accessories, fine lines, mid-century furnishings such as bar stools with iron legs, combine to help create this look. Lighting with a contemporary feel and clean sparse walls would describe this decorating style.

Coastal style is easy-breezy. Whites, off whites, soft blues and greens make up this style, along with neutral slipcovers, and textured area rugs of sisal or seagrass. Add some painted or driftwood tables and completing this look is an easy one.

Industrial is a style prominent for city dwellers and loft lovers. It's found more often in old mill buildings transformed into loft living spaces. Exposed beams, high wood ceilings with wood floors and brick walls add warmth to these unique spaces. Iron support columns and vintage mill artifacts are a feature that can be found in most of these transformed buildings.

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Defining the terms of home decor can help you choose what suits you

EVANSTON, Ill. - An 1890s Tudor mansion with an interior decorator for an owner isn't the first place you'd picture a Ms. Pac-Man arcade game blinking in the living room and kids whizzing through the oak-paneled foyer on skateboards.

"We have a very casual lifestyle, and we have a lot of kids here constantly," Jodi Morton said. "It's organized chaos, and I kind of like it that way."

To just about anyone, the Space Invaders arcade game (next to Ms. Pac-Man) and the drum kit (next to the grand piano) would be an improvement over what preceded them: Pigeons roosting in the fireplace and mice scampering throughout the dark interior.

"The house was in very sad disrepair when we bought it," Morton said. "There were no electrical outlets and the entire first floor was covered by pea-green shag carpeting. Millions of animals were residing in the house because it had been vacant for over a year and a half. It would have been a tear-down if it wasn't in a historic preservation district."

Her husband, David Morton, co-owner of DMK Restaurants, saw past the water damage on the first floor and the fire damage on the second, where the four bedrooms had been fitted with locks for boarders at some point.

He admired the lead glass windows, the open vistas from dining room to foyer to living room, and the second-floor library with beamed ceiling, a hallmark of architect Ernest Mayo, who designed many homes in Evanston, Ill., north of Chicago.

For years, the Mortons had been designing their own restaurant interiors and buying and fixing up homes, a hobby that launched their business, 2to5design.

This edifice presented unprecedented challenges.

They bought it anyway.

Selling their north suburban Northfield home, they moved into an Evanston hotel with their three children, ages 9 months to 5 years. They spent the next six months there while crews stripped out asbestos, brought the wiring up to code, laid new wood floors and made the 8,000-square-foot house partially habitable.

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Reviving a Tudor, their way

ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) Squint as you walk by a decomposing Douglas fir structure on a residential street in Ashland and you'll see patches of peeling paint, called Southern Pacific yellow, peeking out through glassless windows. Stop. There's more to the story.

Barricaded behind weather-beaten boards and, until recently, shrouded by towering cottonwood trees and 10-foot-tall blackberry bushes is the city's first train depot. This significant piece of the state's past has been missing for a half century.

It was built in 1884. Charles Crocker, one of the Big Four of the Central Pacific Railroad, stood by Ashland's train depot three years later as he drove a symbolic golden spike into the last section of tracks circumnavigating the U.S, finally linking Oregon to California, and transforming Oregon's economy.

Fast forward to the landmark today: Inch by inch, a congregation of volunteers is unearthing the Queen Anne-style building and piecing together the curious story of how the decommissioned train depot was moved stealthily in the 1960s from the rail yard to this nondescript lot about three miles away.

The structure's survival remained a secret until this summer, when the property was sold by representatives of the third generation of the family that lived inside it. As word of the discovery slowly reaches city officials and historians, the reaction is the same: Who knew?

"I rode by this house for years," says Amy Gunter, a city employee who serves on the Ashland Historic Commission, "and never had a clue what was behind the walls."

The long-lost train depot was "hiding in plain sight," says historian Victoria Law, who operated the Ashland Railroad Museum and maintains an archive of railroad memorabilia.

Finding the gabled depot was a surprise, but it's not uncommon for homeowners to stumble upon vintage architectural elements hidden in their houses, especially during renovations.

Just as classic car collectors speak in hushed tones about "garage finds" long-forgotten gems camouflaged by dust or tarps there could be a bonanza of Victorian hardware, Arts & Crafts tile, vintage light fixtures and other valuables holed up in your home.

A number of Pioneer Era houses are "buried" inside later additions, says Peggy Moretti, executive director of the preservation group Restore Oregon.

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Old house surprise: Missing Ashland depot

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Laguna Beach Flooring Installation Contractor
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) With a wide variety of colors and finishes, wood tiles are giving real wood floors a run for their money.

The high definition that the manufacturers have been printing on these tiles give the grain a natural look. And then, like I said, the feel. You can feel the grain in it so it seems real, said flooring expert Cory Steenbergen.

So real, even savvy homeowners are usually fooled.

When they look at them, they actually dont believe that theyre actual tiles, said Steenbergen.

In addition to their realistic look, you dont have to worry about the wear and tear that frustrates many homeowners with solid hardwood flooring.

This is way more durable, said Steenbergen. You will never have fading, scratches, chips, nicks, the fading of the finish, doesnt need to be sealed. Its super easy to clean. Theres no warpage, so you dont have to worry about water being on it.

Wood-look tile is one of the latest trends these days for anywhere you might have a chance in getting water in your home, said Angie Hicks of Angies List. So, your kitchen, your bathroom, laundry room, even your basement.

While these tile planks are slightly more expensive than your typical tiles, flooring experts say theyre a smart investment.

They can range from $2 to $5 more than your 1212 porcelain, but the quality that you get from them and the longevity of the tile, you cant beat it and its going to give a nice warm, modern look to a remodel, said Steenbergen.

The downside? Tiles may help keep your home cooler in the summer, but they may not be so comfortable in the winter if you live in a cold climate. Installation also needs to be perfect. Angies List says flaws will show.

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Angies List: Wood Tile Vs. Real Wood Floors

1983 Mercedes-Benz 240D - part 133: carpet installation
In this video, I begin installing the carpeting in my 1983 Mercedes-Benz 240D. check out my blog: http://mercedesdieselguy.blogspot.com.

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January 2, 2015 Updated Jan 2, 2015 at 1:31 PM CST

Duluth, MN (NNCNOW.com) --- With the New Year finally here and resolutions being made left and right, consider conserving energy to cut down on your utility bill.

Many assume there is little, if nothing, they can do to significantly reduce their energy use and increase the efficiency of their homes.

There are multiple ways people can significantly reduce their energy use and increase the efficiency of their homes.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce strongly recommends having an advanced home energy assessment, or home energy audit, before embarking on home energy improvements or remodeling.

An assessment of how your house is functioning can help decide what needs fixing, upgrading or replacing.

Energy audits will vary by price and the level of detail and types of tests provided. The most comprehensive energy assessment would include the following:

A review of energy bills to help assess home performance and identify opportunities for savings.

A blowerdoor test to determine air leakage.

Infrared scans of walls, attic, and foundation to assess insulation levels and locate sources of air leaks.

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Energy saving tips

Please subscribe! This is a indoor lighting video to inform other sneaker lovers.
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Home Lighting Solutions
Home Lighting Solutions , , , ,ighting in your home - Philips - Lighting Home http://www.lighting.philips.co.in/application_areas/home/ The right lighting fixtures can work wonders for your home...

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