Matt Brooke, Author at Home Rebuilders

Master Suites

Posted on April 30, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

In a master suite, the goal is always to create a space that is part of a home, yet separated in some way to provide that sense of oasis and calm. The standard for a true master suite is an attached en suite bathroom and closet, all accessible to the master bedroom. Beyond that, plans can include morning bars or small kitchenettes where one can enjoy a cup of coffee before leaving the bedroom. Sitting or dressing rooms are always an attraction. Custom or detailed cabinetry in a closet can take a space from simply clothes storage to something spectacular. A homeowner can wake each day with a boutique shopping experience by simply strolling into a new closet fitted with custom shelving, superb lighting, and comfortable seating. Often a sitting room, even if it is just designated by a pair of comfortable chairs, is a priority for homeowners. A desk or a small table and chair where one can to send a few emails, check a calendar for the coming day, or charge laptops and phones can be a consideration.

It is always advisable to consider storage carefully in a master suite. It doesn’t matter how lovely the space or attractive the finishes, if there is not enough room for clothing and personal items, you will have a mess on your hands. Nothing detracts from a master suite experience, like piles of clothes or stacks of books teetering near a bed. Design a home for your things and have the bedroom be place for order and calm.

Evaluate carefully what your specific needs are. How does your space work for you now and what would you like for the future. Address closet and storage needs in detail. If you have four legged family members that are underfoot, consider them in the design. Lighting is also an easy thing to miss during design but so valuable to the master suite experience. Consider task lighting like sconces next to the bed for reading but also table lamps or floor lamps throughout the space. A few low voltage spot lights, set on dimmers, can provide soft background lighting or highlight artwork. It is also good to consider how two people use the space. Do you have lighting that accommodate one person getting up and starting their day, while another may sleep longer?

Most people look to the master suite as an opportunity close the doors on a busy professional schedule or active family life and create something peaceful and special. Give Home Rebuilders a call if you are ready to add some calm to your life.

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Built-In Bookcases

Posted on April 30, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

Traditionally, built-in bookcases are made with solid wood boards, carefully routed to make tight grooves that accept each shelf. But sawn lumber is expensive – enough oak for a 8-foot bookcase, for example, could run into thousands of dollars. Plywood that has a hardwood veneer is not only less expensive but in many cases stronger than solid softwoods like pine. Most lumberyards stock the basics: birch, maple, and oak veneer plywoods. Birch is the best wood to use if you plan to paint your bookcase, and maple lends itself to a variety of stains. But there are also special-order lumberyards that make veneer plywood from any kind of wood, including mahogany, teak, cherry, or walnut. For these, it’s best to use a clear finish and let the beauty of the wood shine through.

For the strongest frame, we like to suggest oak plywood and doubled its thickness for the bookcase sides, or legs, by gluing and nailing plywood shelf supports onto longer boards. (Cutting grooves in a single board would compromise its strength.) The rough ply edges are hidden by solid-wood finish trim.

The tricky part of working with plywood is ripping down the 4-foot-wide boards to the widths needed for the frame and shelves. Making a straight cut along an entire 8-foot sheet with a circular saw is difficult, and running plywood through a portable table saw is dangerous. Your best bet is to find out if your lumberyard has a commercial table saw to make clean, straight rips. Most yards will make the cuts for a dollar or so each. Calculate how deep you want the bookcase frame and the shelves to be, subtract 11/16 inches to account for the added depth of the 5/4 solid-wood trim, then have the lumberyard rip all your sheets into boards of that width. Once you get home, you can use a circular saw to cut these narrower pieces to length.

Have the lumberyard rip your plywood into boards to the width that matches your bookcase depth. Before you cut and assemble any parts, sand all the wood. Stain or prime it and allow it to dry.

Measure the height of the space where the bookcase will go. Cut two bookcase legs to this measurement from the ripped-down plywood

Measure the width of your space in three places. Subtract 1½ inches from the smallest measurement. Cut the shelves to this length from the plywood. (Make sure you also cut a piece for the top.)

If you want your shelves to be different heights to accommodate different sizes of books, you must mark the legs where the supports will be. Hold one leg against the wall and mark where you’d like the bottom of each shelf to fall. Try to line up the shelves with nearby architectural details, such as baseboards, windowsills, and mantels.

Lay both legs on a table, butted evenly next to each other. Use a framing square to transfer the shelf marks from one board to the other. Then place a plywood scrap on edge at each line and mark the width of each shelf.

Other considerations are joining the new bookcase to your existing space. Do you want to match the existing baseboard? Ideally this runs across any built ins. The finish and profile can sometimes pose a problem, stain or paint, but a good craftsman can help you along.

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Bath Time

Posted on April 29, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

Home ReBuiders has been asked to design and construct a bath display for the fourth annual Luxury Living Show at Phipps Plaza. We have been working furiously with Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine to secure some amazing products and our design staff has created a dynamic space to showcase them. Our display will be highlighting the “luxury living” concept. We have taken a portion of the bath and created a relaxing retreat for dressing in front of a fireplace with a cup of coffee (or glass of wine) from the morning bar. This has been a fun project to stretch the concept of a tradional bath and although many of us may not have the space allowance or budget for some of these ideas, it helps create a dialog about what it means to have luxury in a home.

Sometimes a designated counter for makeup or a built-in outlet in a drawer for hair dryers and curling irons creates luxury. Some of us have strong and committed relationships with our single serving coffee makers. A spot designed specifically for this, even if only 12″ of counterspace with a plug and a beautiful basket housing coffee pods, can make the differance between a morning ritual and a morning retreat. A piece of upholstery in a hard surface bath can bring an element of luxury to a space. A simple chair or bench can provide a spot to get dressed or chat with a partner in the morning.

When embarking on a renovation it is important to think of your household rituals and design a space to celebrate them. Now that is luxury.

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All cool in the pool (house)

Posted on March 22, 2013June 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

Spring in Atlanta can’t be beat. However, there’s nothing like a sweltering summer season in the South to make one long for a cool dip in a refreshing pool. We have been fortunate enough to help several homeowners realize their visions of a backyard oasis-complete with pool house.

A pool house, or any outbuilding for that matter, be it a doghouse or tool shed, can be a great design opportunity. Our first architectural questions typically start with space programming. What will this space be used for? What function does it play for the homeowners and family? What are the storage needs associated with the building? What are the zoning requirements for the building lot or neighborhood? Do you need a simple spot to change into a suit and store some sunscreen? Or are you interested in a complete vacation experience in your own yard-complete with sound system, kitchen space, bath, hot tub and furniture. Our next challenge is creating a space that meets these needs but also adds value to your current property. Our goal is always to enhance your yard or home with a tasteful structure that blends in with the existing house. Architectural details are considered and we try to incorporate elements from the home into the outbuilding, be it stone, shingle, window style or roof pitch. We have been fortunate enough to design some wonderful projects that blend seamlessly with the architecture of the home and compliment the landscape of the property.

All that being said, not all outbuildings or pool houses need to mimic the architecture of the main home. Some of the projects that have been the most fun to design, are the ones that toss the rule book out the window-or into the pool. We have designed for clients who would like their new structure to be a complete departure from their current space, creating a true retreat in their yard. We have created Asian inspired screened pagodas and Alpine influenced buildings with stone and logs.

The beauty of a pool house is it is there for fun! Give Home ReBuilders a call if you want to explore a private getaway for your own back yard.

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Updates on Mortgage Rates

Posted on March 14, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

Our friend, Laura Joines from Sun Trust has provided us with a timely update on mortgage rates. Take a look, jumbo loans are back!

Please see attached for latest Rates Update for purchase transactions, assuming a 30 day lock and 1% origination fee . Note that rates are up about 1/8-1/4% over last week’s update. Today was a rough day for mortgage bonds based on a better than expected Jobs Report today. Hopefully rates will settle back down a bit early next week. Here are some of the highlights:

n 30 fixed conforming 3.60%

n 7 Yr ARM conforming 2.49%

n 30 fixed FHA/VA 3.25%

n 30 fixed KEY JUMBO 3.625%*

n 7 Yr ARM KEY JUMBO 2.55%*

n 30 fixed SELECT JUMBO 3.35%* WOW!!! (min income/reserve requirements must be met)

n 7 Yr ARM SELECT JUMBO 2.24%* WOW!!! (min income/reserve requirements must be met)

n DR Loan 30 Fixed JUMBO 3.625%* for 100% financing up to $650k!

n DR Loan 7 Yr ARM JUMBO 2.49%* for 100% financing up to $650k!

*with mortgage autodraft from SunTrust checking

Please let me know if I may be of assistance. I am available this weekend!

Laura Joines

Vice President, Senior Loan Officer

SunTrust Mortgage, Inc.

404.983.2848

404.962.3914 efax

laura.joines@suntrust.com

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You bet your brass it’s back

Posted on March 8, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

Just as fashion runs in a cyclical pattern, home design trends also tend to repeat themselves. The neon colors of the eighties, something that seemed so outdated in the nineties, are popping up everywhere today. The brass fixtures, hardware and plumbing that we in the industry have been pulling out and replacing for clients for the last 20 years, well get ready, they are coming back. Not necessarily in the same way. The shiny builder brass will hopefully never return. But after decades of cool polished chrome and satin nickels, the trend is shifting to warmer metals. A brass with a slightly matte finish, maybe a bit of age is showing its face in cabinet harware, lighting fixtures, and plumbing. The key to this look, like most things, is keeping the trend minimal. A simple light fixture or perhalps a bar sink adds interest and is trendy, a whole houseful is dated. And the old rule of thumb, that the faucet should match the cabinet hardware, forget it. Mixing is just fine. So keep your eyes open for the trend. We promise, it’s out there!

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Spreading love with FREE design time!

Posted on February 28, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

Our first attempt at this giveaway appearently didn’t make the facebook requirements, so we’re modifying the venue but the prize is the same-FREE DESIGN TIME!

At Home ReBuilders, we have worked with people for over thirty years to help them create homes they love. As February is the month of love, we’d like to share the good feelings by giving away four free hours of design time, valued at almost $400.

Please leave a comment below about what you love about your home or what you’d love to change. Once you comment, you are in for the drawing which will be held March 6th. It’s hard not to love something that easy!

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Down the Drain

Posted on February 22, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

A bathroom renovation can involve an incredible number of design and material choices, tile, plumbing, shower door styles, lighting, countertops and cabinetry. Shower drains are one element that used to be an after thought but thanks to some new products and design, are becoming a strong feature in the design and function of a bath renovation. Today, shower drains can work into the tile layout of the shower floor and can come in longer rectangular versions for a sleek look or blend in seamlessly with the flooring and tile. Inspired by the trench drain, linear drain systems are available in multiple lengths and styles. These linear systems eliminate the traditional center drain that requires pitching the floor in four directions, allowing you to pitch your surface in one direction resulting in no limitation on tile size or slab material. One more thing to add to the fabulous list!

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Screen Time

Posted on February 21, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

Of all the many projects we do at Home ReBuilders, screened porches are one of our favorites. Atlanta’s mild climate (and plentiful bugs) make a screened porch a valuable addition to any home. Some porches can be an extension of the front entry making a welcoming spot to watch the neighborhood and greet friends. Other porches provide a location to watch a football game on a flat screen tv or enjoy the warmth of an outdoor fireplace.

Some factors to consider when thinking about a porch addition concern the current style of your home. Is your roof pitch in the style of a peaked Tudor home? Are Craftsman elements existing on your exterior facade? When adding an exterior feature to your home, consider the style and how to best capitalize and improve on it. At Home Rebuilders, we think a lot about these details. Exposed rafters, beaded board ceilings, timber framing, and custom brackets are all details we can deploy to create a thoughtful addition to your home. The list of material choices and selections can be infinite, from salvaged brick flooring installed in a herringbone pattern, painted wood deck flooring, or fieldstone to variations on screening to be used. Home ReBuilders can walk you through the design and construction and get you into an screen porch, ready for some warm weather.

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Peace in the Pantry

Posted on February 11, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

One of the largest considerations that can challenge kitchen renovations is food storage. And sometimes food storage can include a whole lot more than food, large bags of pet food, bulk paper products, shelves of water bottles and lunch boxes, the odd Tupperware, cookbooks as well as the soup cans and cereal boxes. A pantry is often a dream list item for a kitchen that can tackle storage needs.

Now an ideal pantry can be a small room outfitted with shelving and its own door. A ceiling light that provides ample illumination is a terrific addition. Wood shelving or wire shelves can run from floor to ceiling and provide a home for a multitude of things. Not all kitchen footprints can accommodate this much designated square footage and a built-in cabinet can provide the answer. Cabinet companies, both custom and stock, typically offer several pantry cabinets in their lines. Some considerations may be rolling shelves to access items in the back of the cabinet. Another feature may be to design a wider cabinet, but one that is not so deep-preventing those lost items in the back.

Some spaces and budgets don’t really allow any of these options. But with some creative thinking, this need not hold you back. Sometimes an unexpected piece of furniture can provide the storage you need. Maybe there is an old armoire or bookcase hiding somewhere that can be repurposed with some baskets and attractive glass jars with handmade labels. Serenity in organization can be just around the corner!

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