This is a post we created a year ago. Interesting read and these design trends just seem to be hotter.

We’ve been in the home renovation and design business for quite a while and we’ve see trends come and go. In fact we’ve been around long enough to see a few things start coming back in fashion. Brass plumbing fixtures? Big news in the 80’s and then they were the first things to go and be replaced by chrome and nickel fixtures. Well, they are making an appearance again, this time with a bit of an aged patina.

One of the latest trends that we have seen over the last few years is shiplap siding as an interior wall treatment. We installed this treatment in a display project we did at Phipps Plaza a year or so ago. It seems to be in all of the shelter magazines now and we’re big fans. The wood can read as warm and farmhouse with a nod to vintage style. It can also be a fantastic almost sculptural element to a clean lined contemporary space. The wood isn’t cheap and there are a few installation methods to consider but nothing creates a sense of permanence and stability in a home design like wood. Most typically we see this treatment painted out in a crisp white but we’ve seen a few bold choices painted in inky saturated hues creating the ultimate moody space. A classic installation is done in mudrooms and kitchens or breakfast spaces but the element is beginning to pop up in more formal spots as well. Start looking, it’s soon to be everywhere.

Want the next trend? Concrete and patterned tile. We typically have advised big ticket renovation materials to stay on the neutral side. You don’t want something expensive and hard to replace to be something you tire of and want to replace when the trend isn’t so fresh. However, we are smitten with these and it seems as though a lot of designers are as well. Now we wait for the bold clients.

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 mess 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. Sheetrock repair alone can be messy business. 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!

When you are undertaking a renovation, whether large or small, there are so many decisions and details to attend to. One of the design selections clients often defer until the very end of a renovation is paint colors. Choosing just the right color for your home can make all the difference in your final result. A misstep on paint can make a terrific renovation and space look less than its best. Here are some tips on paint selection. Our designers are always available for consultation.

It’s difficult to tell what a color is going to look like on your wall from a small paint chip, so many manufacturers offer sample containers of their colors. Depending on the manufacturer, you can buy sample containers in quarts, pints or even smaller sizes, and they range in price from $3 to $8. They’re a wise investment that will prevent you from wasting money on a color that isn’t right. And because colors can change dramatically under different lighting conditions, instead of rolling the sample onto the wall, roll it onto white bristol or tagboard. You’ll be able to move the sample around and view it under all the different lighting conditions in your home.

Paint companies have gone to a lot of trouble grouping colors into “families” and “collections” and “concepts” and “schemes.” Basically, these are combinations of complementary colors that may not occur to you until you see how well they work together. Take advantage of all the research already done for you by color experts. Find brochures at paint stores and go online to paint manufacturer websites, houzz.com and Pinterest, where you’ll find hundreds of examples of interior and exterior paint color combinations.

Base your color choice on the permanent furnishings in the room or the features on the exterior of your home. Inside, the flooring, rugs, artwork, blinds and upholstery will suggest a color direction. Outside, factory-finished materials like the roof, gutters, fascia, soffits and brickwork are existing elements whose colors rarely change but should play a role in determining your paint colors. The landscaping is another important factor. Select colors that fit in with the surrounding palette. If you have brilliant-colored spring-blooming trees or a sea of green foundation plantings, choose colors that will complement them.

Because ceilings are seen in shadow, the color often appears darker than the same paint on walls. If you want the ceiling to match the wall color, buy ceiling paint one or two shades lighter than the wall color. Or instead of buying another gallon of a lighter shade, save money by diluting the wall color you have with 50 percent white paint.

When you choose a color, you have to choose its sheen, too. Most paint companies offer flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss and gloss as options. Glossier finishes offer greater durability and are easier to clean, but they emphasize any wall imperfections. Flat paint will do a much better job of hiding imperfections, but it’s easier to damage than high-gloss. Flat finishes are generally best for ceilings and low-traffic areas like living and dining rooms. Glossier finishes can withstand moisture and grease so they’re good for trim and cabinets and high-traffic rooms like kitchens and bathrooms. If you love the way flat wall paint looks but you wish it were more durable, try mixing it 50/50 with eggshell paint. The paint will still offer a non-reflective look, but the eggshell will add some durability to the finish.

For the best results, spend at least $40 to $50 per gallon of paint. Paint is made of solvents, pigments and resins. Better-quality paint will be more concentrated with finer pigments and higher-grade resins, so the final product will have a more even color and durable finish. It’s tempting to try to save money up front, but better coverage ultimately means fewer coats and less paint to buy. Even reputable brands have a range of paint qualities within their product lines, so do your homework and buy the best you can afford.

Thinking of getting rid of a bedroom to expand another? Make your choice carefully.

Removing a bedroom is one of those home-improvement blunders that can ding a home’s worth, even if it creates a larger bedroom — or other living space — in its place.

The reasoning is simple: The more bedrooms a home has, the higher the price it can usually command.

Listing prices are set by looking at what comparable homes are selling for in the same market, and the number of bedrooms is an important characteristic used to compare two properties. “When you start eliminating bedroom space, you’ve completely changed the comparable value of your home in the neighborhood,” said David Pekel, president of Pekel Construction and Remodeling, in Wauwatosa, Wis.

Reducing the number of bedrooms also means fewer potential buyers interested in your home. “There are people who won’t look at two-bedroom or three-bedroom [homes],” said Brendon DeSimone, a real-estate agent in New York and author of the book “Next Generation Real Estate.” The typical home purchased over the last year was a single-family home with three bedrooms and two baths, and a total of 1,870 square feet, according to the National Association of Realtors’ annual Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers — just something to consider for your Atlanta bathroom remodel or your home renovation.

There’s a good chance that not even a sprawling master will get them to change their minds.

Big master bedrooms that resemble luxury hotel suites were once a popular home feature, Pekel said. And while there are certainly some buyers who will be wowed by that, the trend is waning, he said. Homeowners with these big bedrooms often find that the extra furniture are places for clothes to collect and they have no desire to work at their bedroom desks, he said. (The exception: families that take in a relative who wants their own private space, removed from the rest of the home.)

Pekel has come into contact with more homeowners who want to break a big bedroom up into two rooms instead of the other way around, he said.

If you’re lucky enough to have a master bedroom on the first floor without having to deal with stairs, you’ll most likely want to keep it intact, said Michele Silverman Bedell, chief executive of Silversons, a residential agency based in Westchester, N.Y. Baby boomers, foreseeing a day when they can’t get up and down stairs as easily, will pay a premium for this feature, Bedell said. She sold a home in White Plains this summer with a first-floor master that was listed for $1.385 million and sold for $1.5 million after 19 days on the market and multiple bids.

All that said, the impact of removing a bedroom will differ depending on how many bedrooms you start out with. If you have a five- or six-bedroom home, you might have a bedroom to spare without too much of a financial impact, Bedell said. If you have several bedrooms but they’re small (say, less than 8 feet by 10 feet), you also might justify combining two, she added. But keep in mind that a lot of buyers typically want separate rooms for their children, along with a guest room, she said.

Of course, if resale value isn’t a concern, none of this matters at all. “Everything is relative to what the homeowner’s long-range intent is,” Pekel said. Those who plan on staying in the house until they die — and there are a growing number of people who intend on aging in place — might not care at all about what the next buyer will want, he added. But if you’re at all concerned about your home’s value, you’ll probably want to discuss the potential financial impact of a renovation with your remodeler or real-estate agent first.

Other improvements that can have a detrimental effect on a home’s value:

Removing closets

Several years ago, Bedell had a client who took the closet out of the master bedroom and made a huge master bath. Big mistake. This change made the home much harder to sell. “People need closets,” she said. “They’ll walk in and count the number of closets per room.”

Turning the garage into living space

Most people have cars they’d like to put a roof over, DeSimone said, so getting rid of a garage makes a home less appealing to a lot of people. This renovation also will remove valuable storage space for many homeowners. While the importance of a garage may vary by location, 74% of recent buyers said that having a garage is extremely or very important, according to a recent survey of 7,500 people throughout the country by Crescent Communities, a real-estate investment and operating firm. Bedell’s advice: If you’re going to turn a garage into a family room, office or extra bedroom, leave the garage doors on the outside. When you go to sell, a buyer can easily turn the space back into a garage without too much trouble.

An overabundance of wallpaper

Yes, wallpaper can be removed, but it can be a difficult endeavor — especially if there’s a lot of it throughout the home, Bedell said. And this goes for overdoing just about any finish. She recalled a home that had an entrance hall covered with mirrors; it would have cost thousands of dollars just to remove them, she said.

All of this isn’t to say you shouldn’t take on any of these improvements. But if you do, if possible, “do it in a way that you can put it back when you go to sell,” DeSimone said.

You know the house in your neighborhood, the one with the perfect entry, warm lighting, tidy landscaping. It has that certain something known as curb appeal. Here is our secret recipe for becoming the best looking face on the block.

The front door is a great starting point and can provide a huge change with minimal disruption. If you have the time and budget, a new front door with welcoming glass and substantial hardware can’t be beat. Need to work with what you have? Paint cures all and if your existing door is plain Jane, try a bold color. Black and red are classics but how about pumpkin, canary yellow, minty green, Tiffany box blue?  Hardware can provide the jewelry for your mini makeover and door numbers, mail slots, and door knockers can add to the accessories. Think about your nearby lighting. Are these fixtures you would like to keep? Do you want the door hardware to match? There’s no rule that says it needs to. Oil rubbed bronze or black light fixtures look beautiful with an aged brass door knob.

Exterior features like window boxes and shutters can add character and charm to your exterior elevation.  Details like these don’t need to be traditional in style. A modern cement planter with sculptural plantings can soften a home’s contemporary edges.

Lighting can be an often overlooked feature when renovating. Running electrical outside for a sconce or landscape light is an easy add on when the electricians are working elsewhere in your home. Don’t let the opportunity get away to subtly light a beautiful maple or cast a warm glow over an entrance.

Stone or slate steps, a shelter or covering over a door, a small patio area or porch are all features that can be added without huge expense. Green grass and well maintained plantings of course contribute to your home’s appeal.

Atlanta has a climate that makes a perfect partner for a screened porch. Spaces like these can be used for at least three seasons. With the addition of a fireplace or heater, the heartiest among us can use them into winter. We have done many screened porches over the years and they remain one of our favorite types of projects.

With any project, we like to let the architecture of the home lead the way. We can retain design elements found in the house or we can create a space that is a true departure from the rest.

If your screened porch is coming off a first floor that is raised off the ground, we typically use a wood floor product designed for exterior porch applications. A tile bluestone or slate tile is also an option. We are careful to create the correct slope for water to escape and prevent pooling and then rot. If your porch is meeting the home on a ground floor level, we can employ a greater variation of materials on the floor. Maybe a reclaimed brick laid in a herringbone pattern?

The wall elements of a screened porch can incorporate some elements of nature. We often add cedar shake to the gable ends or maybe add some stained wood brackets. The ceiling can also be exposed creating a rustic and casual feeling. Maybe your tastes run to the more classic cottage style? Beaded board or paneling painted and treated to repel the elements are terrific additions.

Screened porches can be a true extension of the home and the comforts we find there. Clients are interested in electrical outlets, lighting, ceiling fans, and even television mounts. A screened porch can house outdoor rated pool tables or ping pong tables transforming what had once been just a spot to sit away from some bug to a full family room experience.

Give us a call and we’d be happy to walk you through our portfolio of projects and see how we can help bring some fresh air into your home.

Renovation is hot in Atlanta once again and people are looking to increase the size and living space of their homes. We are often asked whether additional space is best acquired by building on with an addition or building up with a second story.
The answer, like just about all things relating to renovation, has some complicated variables. The answer may depend on the goals of the addition, style of the house, access to the new space and the land around the existing home. Often in Atlanta’s Intown neighborhoods where the lot size can be smaller and city demanded yard setbacks strict, building up is the way to go. Building up onto or creating a second floor maintains the yard around a home, often a premium. Also, when designed with care, a second floor addition can create an added charm to curb appeal and often provide a better resale value.

The next question to consider is cost effectiveness. The trickiest part and often the deciding factor in the up or out debate can fall to the stairs. If the stairway to the new space can be worked out without having to reverse the basement stairs and moving too many walls then building up often saves the cost of foundations and landscape disturbance. One must keep in mind that most second story additions require the reframing of the old ceiling joists to allow for floor loads. This is something typically done with a separate diaphragm system for ceiling and floor joists and has the added benefit of sound proofing, reduction of overall second floor addition height and minimizes the potential of plaster cracks.

In the end, our design staff is experienced with both vehicles to increase the size of your home in a way that is both practical financially and pleasing aesthetically.

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 typically 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 structure 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 hardscapes. Even if we take the existing ranch down to the first floor, the savings in a ranch conversion verse removing the home completely and building new is substantial, typically 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!

Many of us have a dream house we have always envisioned. Maybe we look around our current home and wonder if there is more potential in its walls to unlock; bath renovation, and extra bedroom, a larger family space? Remodeling a home you currently own in a neighborhood you love is always a good consideration. If you find your “renovation list” becomes heavier than your “don’t touch” list you may want to consider a new custom home. There are several factors to put on the table and discuss.

How do you feel about the neighborhood you are in now? What are home values like? In so many of our in-town neighborhoods, the value of an older home is in the land and the location. If your neighbors have spent significant amounts on renovation, if home prices for renovated or newer homes on your street far exceed the value of your home, if you purchased an older home and have paid down a large portion of your mortgage, you might start thinking about tearing your home down and starting over. This time with your dream home in mind. This can feel like a drastic solution but often renovation costs on an older home with less than ideal foundations and infrastructure can start to exceed the cost to start from scratch.

After doing the math, we often find that starting from scratch for a custom home will add $150,000, give or take, to the equation.  A fully renovated older home may be around  $150,000 less than that new custom home. Then it is up to you whether the additional debt burden is worth the investment.

Maybe you have a neighborhood in mind, next to a great school, walking distance to parks and restaurants. Again the key is to closely evaluate neighborhood home values. Often small, original homes can be picked up at a price that equals the cost of the lot. Occasionally, lots are also available in sought after neighborhoods. This can be a bit of a quest to find the right spot, but with the valuable opinion of a builder and a real estate agent, you can find something.

Another great spot to start is to create a file of images of homes you love and features you feel are important in the interior. What is the style of architecture that interests you? Do you want a new home in keeping with original architecture of the area or are you drawn to clean, contemporary line? The more homework you can do to provide your architect and builder with a clear vision of your dream home, the more successful your project will be.

Bathroom renovations don’t have to be big, messy, expensive and painful. If you have a standard bathroom that has seen better days, a renovation can be easily within your reach. The key to a smooth bath remodel is planning. When a wise person said “the devil is in the details” one wonders if they were talking about home renovation!

The first step is to think about what doesn’t work in your space. That’s probably the easiest part and on the forefront of your mind. But maybe think a bit deeper. If lack of storage is something you struggle with, identify which specific items you can’t find homes for. Pill bottles, make up and small toiletries are best stored in medicine cabinets or drawers. If piles of clothes and stacks of towels are something you trip over, look to robe hooks, hamper storage or additional shelving.

Often a bathroom’s function is not the problem but the dated wallpaper and ancient accessories make getting ready in the morning a drag. Cosmetic changes can be a snap with the right experience and tools. If all of your plumbing locations and major fixtures are good enough to stay, fresh “make up” is easy. Small changes like paint color, new lighting fixtures, towel bars, shower curtains and window treatments can make a huge difference without huge upset to your home.

Now if tile needs to be replaced and your plumbing fixtures need to be replaced, start looking for brands, models and styles you like and are in your price range. It’s easy to say, “Replace my toilet” but it is always smoother if you have a clear idea of the model you like and its price tag. Is it in stock and available? Does the lavatory faucet that you have your heart set on have a coordinating shower set? Does it matter to you if all of your plumbing fixtures are the same? Information for home renovation has never been easier to access. All major plumbing brands have good websites with model numbers and specification. Big box stores can be a good source of ideas for materials either in person or on line. Internet sites such as Pinterest can provide endless inspiration for renovation.

Probably the biggest key to success in a bath renovation is your contractor or handyman. Find someone reputable with a good reputation and who has plenty of experience. And make sure you like them. They’ll be in your home, working on some intimate areas!