I have dogs. I’ve always had dogs. Right now, I just have one. There was a period of my adult life when my family had three dogs, two cats, and a pony. Admittedly, the pony did not live with us inside the house. Nevertheless, its hair was a regular factor to be dealt with. Over my husband’s adamant protests, for years I persisted in bringing from the barn horse sheets and blankets and saddle pads to launder in our clothes washer.
As a dedicated reader of bath design magazines (temptingly displayed by the check-out of my usual grocery store, I can’t resist), I can easily rattle off at any time the latest news in bath trends. The current experts are touting larger-than-life vanities, strategic mirror placement (to maximize reflection, place your mirrors near a window or other light source), and nature-inspired accents like getting a plant! So, to move beyond design magazines, I spoke with Paul, a pro from HomeSquare.
I had a friend (she’s since moved to Florida) who lived in a beautiful, three story, narrow antique house in a historic hamlet.The house, which is well over a hundred years old, had been renovated a few times, but it was small and some of the ceilings were a bit low, and it was on a busy street that was hardly tranquil.
I know I’m not alone when I say the prospect of hosting the holidays is a little anxiety-producing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Scrooge and I love having friends and family over if only to remind me how lucky we are, and that I should count my blessings. But every year, and it is precisely this time of year, I start feeling anxious. Besides the usual concerns, like do we actually have enough toilet paper, I always question the readiness of the house. Will it function the way it’s supposed to when it’s not “just us”?
When we moved into our first house as a married couple, I thought everything was perfect. Prior to completing our purchase, we had a full home inspection and an hour before the actual closing we did a walk through. Everything seemed great. So when a skylight dripped rain onto the hardwood floor during a heavy downpour the first week we moved in, and I began noticing some cabinet doors were askew and the stairs squeaked a lot, I was dismayed.
Renovating a house is an exciting experience. You have the opportunity to reinvent your living space by changing the look and functionality. But when is the right time to do it? And how to do it smartly? Here are five tips that can help you.
All summer you’ve enjoyed your outdoor space as a place to relax and entertain. Thanks to a gloriously extended season of warmth, your porch, deck or yard have been well used and loved. But the days are getting shorter, the light is fading, and evenings are downright cold. Layers of flannel shirts and collection of lap robes aside, it’s undeniable; autumn is closing in and it’s time to move inside. But just because you’ve shifted your life back inside the house doesn’t mean you have to close the door on that outdoor atmosphere. Here are 5 ways you can bring the outdoors inside.
I won’t soon forget the day my teenage son was taking a shower in one of the three bathrooms of our 70’s built high ranch house when he suddenly started shouting and cussing, using language he’d been advised not to use.
When I tell people about my profession as an interior designer, I often get responses like “oh my gosh, that’s SO cool. I would love to do that!” Well, I’ll tell you first hand, this industry is not all that it seems. It’s not really like “reality” TV shows or the numerous channels dedicated to decorating and remodeling. One of the very first important lessons I learned on the job after college was “You always need to manage client expectations.” Now, more than ever, that sentence rings true.
When remodeling your home, there are two places where you really start to see a bigger return on your investment – the kitchen and the master bathroom/suite. Sometimes your bathroom may just require an update of new fixtures, fresh tile and paint.