Market Place Archives - Page 3 of 5

Design Trends for 2014

Posted on January 9, 2014March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

It’s a new year and everyone seems to be talking about what is ahead. Here are some design trends to watch for in 2014.

Brass
After having been one of the top items on homeowners lists to remove or change for years, brass is making its way back into the home again. We saw this one coming and wrote about it in a previous post. What makes this trend fun and interesting in our field of renovation is seeing brass or warmer metals as accents. A faucet here, a light fixture there is the name of the game. It’s all about the mix of metals and finishes, not so much about the complete matching suites we have seen for years. So if you have been plagued with 80’s brass knobs, you may want to look at them with new eyes and a bit more love.

Color Palettes
Color in homes is always a trendy and fickle topic. The design world seems to be featuring interiors in a few camps. Dark, mysterious dining rooms and libraries painted in rich greens, inky blues, or deep slates and eggplants. Woodwork is painted these saturated colors and the finish is glossy. At the other end of the spectrum is the frequently seen all white palette. Airy and ethereal, these rooms provide a soft background for mixed fabric textures and wood finishes.

Knotty Woods
For years, high end wood grains have ruled the day. Walnut, maple, and cherry have been the wood species of choice with looking at cabinetry or stained paneling. In the future we will be seeing more rustic woods applied in sleeker modern spaces. Wood always provides a warmth that many modern spaces need as a counterpoint to their sharp edges and clean lines. Think about Belgian pickled oaks and cypresses. Rustic, live edge shelving applied to a clean, tiled backsplash is a trend to watch.

Serenity
People are still looking for relaxation and serene master suites and baths are the hot item. Soothing colors, soft textures, and natural materials are the choice when creating s space to forget about the work day or stresses of everyday life. Spa culture has seeped into the design world and we are frequently asked to help transform a master bath or suite into one’s favorite spa. A few clean lines, soft lighting, organized towel storage and a touch of teak can get you there.

Versatility
Homeowners today are ready to transform their homes after several years of waiting but value is still a focus. We strive to create the best spaces to use today and well into tomorrow. This need for versatility is a trend we see in our design department when working with clients as well as the interior design world. Furniture and spaces need to offer several functions. The family room may be a spot to watch a family movie or relax but it also needs to provide ample storage and a place to pull out a laptop and she dome emails. Kitchens need to be a place to cook meals, organize bill paying and paperwork, serve as mudrooms and homework stations. Everything needs to earn it’s place in the home. Superfluous square footage and empty rooms are out. Smart design, multi purpose space and furniture is in.

Posted in Baths, Current Projects, Design/Showroom, Kitchens, Market Place Leave a comment

Radiant Floor Heating

Posted on December 20, 2013November 29, 2016 by Matt Brooke

Radiant heating for flooring has moved from an over-the-top luxury item to something that is now frequently installed and has enegry efficiency advocates smiling. Not much can beat the feel of a heated floor. Just an even blanket of heat, right where you want it.

That’s the appeal of radiant floor heating, says This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, who has long been a fan. “It’s truly invisible,” he says. But a radiant floor system has more than just aesthetics going for it. It’s also a highly efficient way to heat a house, increasing comfort as it reduces energy costs.

In a radiant setup, the warmth is supplied by hot-water tubes or electric wires buried underneath the floor. As the invisible waves of thermal radiation rise from below, they warm up any objects they strike, which radiate that captured heat in turn. Though the air temperature remains relatively constant, you stay comfortable because the surrounding surfaces aren’t stealing warmth from your body.

Contrast that with what happens in a conventional forced-air heating system, the kind found in most American homes. Air blows out of the registers at a well-baked 120 degrees, rises to the top of the room where it quickly sheds heat, then drops back down as it cools. The air in the room becomes uncomfortably stratified: Your head can be bathed in warmth while your toes lie in the frozen zone. Then there’s the problem of cycling. “You turn on the furnace, it quickly takes you to 68 or 70, and then shuts off,” says Richard. The result is a phenomenon he calls “the cold 70,” which is what you feel right after the hot air stops pumping from the registers. Those jarring ups and downs are absent with radiant floors, which may reach 85 degrees, tops, on a frigid day. The warm air still rises, but it does so evenly over the entire floor, so the coolest air stays up at the ceiling. “You’re heating where the people are,” Richard says.

There are two basic ways to supply this gentle, even warmth: hot water or electricity. Electric radiant, which uses zigzagging loops of resistance wire, is generally retrofitted to a single room, such as a bathroom or kitchen. Hot-water “hydronic” systems—the most popular and cost effective way to heat an entire house—circulate water from a boiler or water heater through loops of 1/2-inch polyethylene tubing. The flexible tubes can be installed in a variety of ways: on top of the subfloor in grooved panels or snap-in grids; clipped into aluminum strips on the underside of the floor; or embedded in poured concrete. Once the system is in place, you can cover it with most types of finish flooring, including hardwood and tile. Carpet, however, can be tricky, especially if it has thick padding underneath. “If the floor is too well insulated, radiant heating really doesn’t make sense,” Richard says. “It’s like putting a sweater over a radiator.”

Hot-water radiant costs more to install than other types of heating systems—from $6 to $15 per square foot depending on the method, whether you’re starting from scratch or retrofitting, and where you live. New builds where the tubes are buried in concrete slab tend to be the least expensive. And you’ll still need a separate air-conditioning system for cooling. But if the price tag puts you off, consider this: Once it’s up and running, a radiant system can be up to 30 percent more efficient than forced-air heating, depending on how well insulated a house is. And there’s no comparison when it comes to comfort. In that category, radiant always wins, feet down.

Posted in Market Place, Technical Leave a comment

The Internet and Home Design

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

Home ReBuilders has been in business for over 30 years. One can imagine how taste and style has changed since the mid-eighties. In the early days, homeowners were interest in a new bathroom or some more space for their family. Design decisions seemed to focus on brass and crystal doorknobs, stepped coffered ceilings, floral wallpaper, and pressure treated angled decks. People also had a vague or hazy vision of what they would like to see their home look like, often shaped by what they may have seen in a friend’s home. People would talk, Bill and the designers would talk, and we produced a lot of great projects for happy clients.

Shelter magazines, things that had been around for years, seemed to be everywhere in the late-nineties. The market for remodeling and home improvement was hot and publications took notice. Grocery check out lines started populating their shelves with home magazine focusing on renovation. As designers, this was a help. We could suggest clients start really looking at what appealed to them and their focus became more detailed. Homeowners would come to meetings with clippings and tear sheets of things they liked and products they could envision in their space.

Today, Pinterest and Houzz and a multitude of blogs are shaping the industry and people’s tastes. The days of a person coming to a kitchen design meeting with a folder overflowing with ripped magazine pages seems to be over. A laptop or Ipad is pulled out today and a digital file is opened. Again, the result is the same. Clients are educated and opinionated. It’s our job to bring these digital fantasies about what their home can be to life. Successful design starts with communication and these internet sites can be a launch pad for discussion. Be sure to explore them if you are looking for ideas for your next renovation.

Posted in Baths, Design/Showroom, Kitchens, Market Place Leave a comment

Bath Design Trends

Posted on October 10, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

Bathroom remodels will always be popular and will always be complicated and sometime expensive to renovate. A bath can have some of the most costly building materials and products squeezed into one of the smallest spaces in your home. If you are thinking about embarking on a bath project, the investment can provide one of the largest returns to your home’s value. This type of renovation can also improve the quality of your life on a daily basis. All that being said, when renovating a bath, it is important to spend your money wisely and choose materials well. The fruits of your labor are going to be around for awhile and you want to make sure they have staying power. If you make a miss-step on a curtain selection, it can often be changed. Poor finishes or layout in a bath renovation can be there to stay. We have compiled a few design trends and renovation tips to consider.

large showers

Today, showers seem to be one of the things homeowners are looking for and responding to. Often a tub/shower combination is removed and replaced with a large rectangular shower. People are looking for multiple shower heads, possibly hand held sprays, and spacious shelves for shampoos and bottles. Shower doors with frameless glass have been the gold standard for years. Today people are exploring showers without any doors by creating a “wet zone” in a bath. Luxurious showers have taken the spotlight from the once wildly popular garden tub.

soaking tubs

The days of the jetted tub with multiple functions and pulsating streams of forced air seem to be over. They have developed a reputation for being loud and difficult to clean, two things not condusive to relaxation. The large tiled decks that these tubs sat in are also being left in the past. Too much square footage and often dangerous to get in and out of. Today people are interested in deep, soaking tubs, a place you can restfully float in, up to your ears in hot water.

private toilet rooms

This has been popular for a while now and certainly appears to be here to stay. The enclosure of the toilet into its own closet-like space has enabled the bath to be used by multiple family members, comfortably and with privacy. If space allows, this can be a fantastic feature in a bath renovation.

cabinetry function

Today’s hot buttons in cabinetry seem to be about function. Deep drawers for taller bottles and easier access are popular. Divided drawers, similar to silverware inserts, also provide organization for makeup. The placement of outlets in medicine cabinets and drawers also create permanent homes for electric toothbrushes, shavers, hair dryers and the like. Finding a home for everything, off the vanity counter, seems to be the mantra for creating that clean, spa-like feel.

universal design

Even younger generations seem to be open to thinking about how a bath will be used later in life. Grab bars are appearing in more and more baths and the manufacturers have taken notice. Today they appear much more like towel bars and can do double duty. Showers are being designed without thresholds to step over and smooth, linear shower drains are seen everywhere.

neutral finishes

You may love patterned Mexican tiles, but you may want to think twice about making a large investment in something specific and hard to replace. The wisest course in bathroom materials can often be the neutral one. Natural materials and stones can have a longer shelf like and appeal to more people, should you ever try to sell your home. Save the patterns for the artwork or towel.

Posted in Baths, Current Projects, Design/Showroom, Green Practices, Market Place Leave a comment

Moving Out During Renovation

Posted on October 4, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

So you are thinking about a large scale home renovation? Fantastic. Transforming your house into the home of your dreams can be incredibly rewarding and a great investment. The process can be challenging of course and construction can feel traumatic. Many homeowners, particularly if their renovation is encompassing areas of their entire home, decide living elsewhere for the construction is the way to go. If you are debating adding the potential cost of a rental onto your renovation, ask yourself a few questions. How tolerant am I of a mess? Does anyone in my family have allergies? Do I have high strung pets? Will I have either a kitchen or a bathroom to use? Although, our professional staff does an incredible job of making your home livable and trying to keep dust and debri down, renovation can be an ugly business. So if you decide moving out is best, here are a few things to think about.

Renting can be costly. Do you have friends or family that can take you in? Don’t ask your best friend to house your family of five plus dog. Those things never work out. But sometimes people can be creative. Know anyone with a lake house? In-laws going to Florida for the winter? Tread lightly, this could be fraught with danger.

If your renovation is going to be messy for a smaller period of time you can think about a holiday. Confirm you have open communication, wifi, and cell service wherever you head so you are available for questions that may come up back on the job site.

It can be a huge help and benefit to all to pack away as much as possible from areas that will be effected by renovation. And this is where some help will be of use to you – you can ask movers to come and pack professionally. Packing should also include anything of significant value, and sentimental value counts as well.

Moving out is not just about finding an affordable place. You also need to think about what you will do with your subscriptions, will you be changing your address, will you terminating the phone and internet providers and transferring to your rental?

Plan ahead, have realistic expectations and keep your eyes on the prize!

Posted in Market Place Leave a comment

Kitchen Design Trends- things to look for and things to avoid

Posted on September 27, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

A granite counter here, new custom cabinets there. Anyone who’s ever undertaken a kitchen remodeling project knows those costs can add up quickly. According to the Remodeling Magazine 2012-13 Cost vs. Value Report, the national average cost for a high-end kitchen makeover is now $53,931.

Because they’re such a large investment, most homeowners hope to end up with a finished product that looks fresh as long as possible. What’s hot and trendy today may be out of vogue in a year, making your kitchen look outdated before you’ve had a chance to break it in. One important question to ask yourself before renovation begins is “who is this remodel for?”

Is this project for you and your family to enjoy forever? Is this a long term house? Or is your kitchen only your “Mr Right for right now”? Do you have plans to sell your home in a few years? Is there a good chance your family size, dynamics, job situation may change relatively soon?

“Is this something the homeowners are doing for themselves, for their own enjoyment?” he said. “Or, do they need to update to be able to sell their house?” The answers to these questions can help drive design choices for the kitchen and beyond.

If you remodel falls into the somewhat temporary catagory, you need to make design decisions that will lead to getting the highest return on your investment and which will appeal to the largest number of people. For example, a white painted kitchen has a draw in the current marketplace and it has for some time.

If, however, you have no plans to move anytime soon, you don’t want to completely throw caution to the wind, but you can make more personal design decisions. In total honesty, most kitchen remodels are begun, not because the current kitchen is completely unfunctioning, but because the finishes and materials become tired and worn out looking. As you look to the future in your new space, find ways to add personality without completely committing to trendy phases.

While no one can say for sure which kitchen features will stand the test of time, here are a few trends you may want to avoid to keep your remodel looking relevant for years to come.

Keeping small appliances behind closed doors was a notion that gained a lot of fans in the 1980s and ‘90s. Unfortunately, these garages ate up a lot of valuable counter space. Today’s homeowners generally choose to keep often-used appliances right on the counter, and pull-out drawers are terrific hideaways for blenders, mixers and more.

A decade ago, desk areas in kitchens were a desired feature. Today many people find these spots were never used to sit down and plan a meal or take a phone call. Instead they became drop zones for papers and mail and every other thing. With wifi networks and cell phone use being the constant in today’s homes, a drawer that accomodates plugs for cell chargers, laptop docking station, or family electronics may be the smarter way to go.

Farmhouse sinks have long been on the wish list for homeowners. For several years, nothing said I got a new kitchen and paid a fair amount of money for it quite like the apron front sink. This slowly may be making way for a more practical return to the workhorse, stainless undermount sink. Time will tell when this trend fades.

These appliances were especially popular in the 1970s and ‘80s but not so anymore. Oh, they still have their fans, but they tend to get stinky as they fill up with garbage, they can malfunction and many homeowners simply don’t want to hassle with keeping them clean.

The most current kitchens have a space for the microwave — and it’s not on the counter or in a niche built into the upper cabinets. Under-counter microwave drawers fit in seamlessly with the rest of your cabinets, free up valuable kitchen real estate and make sense ergonomically. Marketed toward families on the go, they’re installed at an accessible height for children and equipped with safety locks for homes with toddlers.

All the rage in 2009, ’10 and ’11, decorative range hoods haven’t completely disappeared from the scene, but their popularity is waning. Ditto pot racks. Hanging pots tend to detract from the open kitchen concept. Today’s homeowners generally prefer storing their pot collections in deep drawers that roll out for accessibility.

Posted in Design/Showroom, Kitchens, Market Place Leave a comment

3 Questions: Bill Bartlett

Posted on September 20, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

This is the first in our new blog series, 3 Questions. We are interviewing folks related to all things “home” here in Atlanta. We will be speaking with designers, suppliers, realtors, building inspectors, neighborhood leaders, and maybe even a few past clients. So to kick it off we are starting close to home with the president and owner of Home ReBuilders and DogGoneHandy, Bill Bartlett.

1.WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING YOU EVER BUILT?

Well, I certainly was an active fort builder as a child. I remember one underground fort quite well. I also started my construction career as a teenager doing manual labor for an uncle’s construction firm.

2. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE?

I probably am most drawn to the Arts and Crafts and Craftsman style. I grew up around older homes in Toronto and will always be attracted to thick trimwork and substantial wooden details. But most recently, I’ve been keen on some more contemporary styles. Things that combine the textures of wood but are interpreted in a cleaner, more industrial way.

3. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST REWARDING PROJECT

Although the completion and sale of my first spec house in the early 90’s was incredibly thrilling, I think I have enjoyed the projects my wife and I have done together. She’s a talented interior designer and it has been very rewarding building a few homes together and creating spaces for us to work and live in.

Posted in Design/Showroom, Market Place Leave a comment

Ranch Conversions- Updating Your Ranch for Today’s Living

Posted on September 10, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

The ranch home has long been a symbol for American suburban expansion and represents a period of economic growth after WWII. Young soldiers were home, starting families, and looking for housing. The ranch provided an affordable entry into suburbia and became a staple in the architectural landscape of America. The humble ranch had a lot going for it, an open floor plan, large building lots, access to yards, an affordable price tag, and typicaly well built.

For Atlantans, these ranches built in the 1950s are often found in desirable neighborhoods that have grown and changed around the ranch. The large lot remains and can provide a fantastic setting to build upon. The simple structures of the first floor of a ranch makes an easy “foundation” for a future two story home so many growing families now desire. The neutral nature of the ranch is another selling point for renovation. This blank palette can become a stately tudor, traditional Georgian, or contemporary stunner. At Home ReBuilders, we have designed and built them all and have helped clients take their basic ranch in a beloved neighborhood, and turn it into the home of their dreams-whatever the style may be.

If you are thinking of adding to your family, or just need some more room to grow, consider adding up on your ranch home. It is economical and proves to be one of the best returns on renovation investments of any project we know. By adding up on the home, you keep the first floor structure, basement, landscaping and hardsacpes. Even if we take the exisiting ranch down to the first floor, the saving in a ranch conversion verse removing the home completely and building new is substantial. Tpicaly at least $100k. This can go a long way towards furniture, the kitchen and baths or college. So if you own a ranch or are perhaps looking to buy one, remember this style has a lot going for it!

If you would like to explore your ranch conversion in more detail, please call Karen King or Bill Bartlett at 404-876-3000.

Posted in Current Projects, Design/Showroom, Market Place Leave a comment

Home Renovation- Back to School Makeover

Posted on September 5, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

Did anyone have a room made vacant by a young adult who has headed off to university? Although we always want to encourange visits home, this recent vacancy could provide the opportunity to create the home office or guest room you have been looking for. Have you craved a craft space or man zone to watch the game, undisturbed? This could be the moment you have waited 18 years for. A few simple changes can create a room that can welcome your collegiate offspring home and still accomodate the needs you may have as well. Often a young adult heads off to college and their old room becames a large storage locker- items not cool enough to take to university but perhaps a bit too sentimental to drop at the local Goodwill. With some storage boxes or plastic bins, clearly labeled, and then housed on some garage or basement shelves, you can eliminate the storage unit feel. These boxes can be saved for a later date-archived or ready to move along when the time is right.

With your blank slate cleared and ready, paint is always a great transformer at minimal cost. Is the carpet old and stained from science projects and late night snacks? Removing the carpet, although an expense, can provide a tremendous reward. FLOR carpet tiles are a product worth looking into if you want a flexible carpet replacement. Swapping out light fixtures or ceiling fans can be a stylistic improvement as well as a functional upgrade. A sewing or craft room may need focused task lighting where a yoga studio or guest room may require soft lighting on a dimmer. It would be recommended to keep the room gender neutral. It may not be as fun for Joe College to come home to Janet’s quilting corner. But on the other hand, your young one has made it to university-you deserve it!

Posted in Current Projects, Design/Showroom, Market Place Leave a comment

Aging In Place, Shaping Your Home for Your Future

Posted on September 5, 2013March 24, 2015 by Matt Brooke

According to US Census, the 65 and older population now totals 38.6 million and is expected to grow as “baby boomers” reach retirement age. Housing trends have shown that this boomer group has started small with their first homes and then consistently “traded up” to larger homes. With today’s housing situation, many people find themselves ready to sell their larger homes as they age and their family size shrinks, but the market has prevented sales. This leaves many charting their next move and often their path leads them to the Aging in Place concept. Through design and renovation, many people are modifying their current homes to accomodate their needs as their mobility diminishes. This enables people to retain the value and equity they have in their homes as well as stay in a neighborhood they may have deep ties to. If you are thinking about renovating a home you are currently in, thinking ahead to the future can be valuable. Do you see this as perhaps a “forever home”? Careful planning with a designer or architect can open the options for your later years.

There are many modifications one can make to one’s home to make it more user friendly to someone of advanced age. Bathrooms can sometimes pose the largest challenge but can often yield the largest return. Nothing can be more dangerous or curb one’s independance, like a slippery tub and less than agile legs or compromised balance. The study of universal design, made popular as a concept in the 1990’s, allows for the user’s changing needs. Instead of a shower/tub combination, a roll-in style shower may be used. A bathroom can be designed to accomodate not just the usual towel bars but stable grab bars as well. The traditional vanity may not be the best choice for someone who may need to use a walker or wheelchair. Lever handles on doors or cabinetry can assist someone with difficulty gripping. Light switches can be automatic and on motion sensors. The automatic soap dispensers often found in commercial applications, are available and can be installed in the home. The available aids are truly limitless. The challenge is only to think and plan ahead and have your design and renovation reflect this advanced planning. At Home ReBuilders, we have a staff well versed in the Aging in Place movement. We’d love to talk to you about your changing needs.

Posted in Baths, Current Projects, Design/Showroom, Kitchens, Market Place Leave a comment