Custom Homes | The Ultimate Guide to Curtains

Custom Homes | Perking up a plain, undecorated space doesn’t have to be a big job. A beautifully hung curtain can transform any room into a brighter, more cohesive space (with extra privacy to boot). If you’re thinking about buying and installing new curtains, you’ll want to make sure you do your prep work ahead of time. Dimensions, rod types and required tools are all things to keep in mind before hanging curtains. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help with everything from choosing curtains to actually installing them.

1. Choose Your Curtains

Generally, you have three types of curtains to choose from:

• Valances
• Grommet or tab top curtains
• Café curtains

Custom Homes | Turn Your Deck Into an Outdoor Oasis

Custom Homes | Your home is your castle, your escape from the noise and chaos of the rest of life. That’s why so many of us invest our dreams – and dollars – into the features that not only add value to our homes but our quality of life. For the money, a wood deck is a great investment for a homeowner to make. Not only will you see an average 80.5 percent return on your investment, you’ll also benefit from expressing your personal style with one of the most versatile fixtures on a home’s exterior.

Though a redwood deck is beautiful on its own, it’s also ready to project whatever postcard-perfect image you have in mind. Combine the growing popularity of both outdoor living rooms and the “staycation” concept, and you have the perfect start to creating your own outdoor oasis.

Whether you’re building a new deck or refinishing an existing one, there are a number of small touches and design elements that can help transform the look and feel of your outdoor deck space with minimal investment or effort. What’s more, defining your outdoor oasis with redwood will give you lasting beauty and unparalleled durability that can change with your own tastes and needs over time.

Here are five easy tips to turn your deck into an outdoor oasis:

Custom Homes | 10 Laundry Room Ideas for Organization and Decoration

Custom Homes | No one likes doing laundry, especially if the laundry room is messy, bland and uninspiring. But there’s no need to fear cleaning your clothes, because you can turn a chore into a pleasure with these laundry room ideas that will add to your decor and organization.

1. Give it a paint job

Bring new life to your laundry room by giving it a coat of paint. Make a room bright and cheery with light colors, like the white cabinets in this sunny laundry room, or warm and peaceful, using darker or more earthy tones. Create the atmosphere you want, and make laundry time enjoyable.

Custom Homes | Building a Smart Home

Custom Homes | Imagine: Your weekly dinner with friends goes later than expected. Instead of coming home to a dark, unwelcoming home, you simply pull out your cell phone and, with the touch of a button, your home’s unique lighting system turns on, preparing your house for your arrival.

Perhaps you’re having weekly dinner with friends at your house. With the click of a switch you can change the lighting and music to create a wonderful ambiance that takes guests from an upbeat appetizer hour to a relaxing dinner mood.

All of this and more is possible with a home automation system.

What is Home Automation?

Aside from being a modern-day luxury, home automation is essentially one or two computers that are used to control unique home functions and features. The computers can be controlled automatically or remotely. Also known as smart homes these automation systems link several devices and appliances throughout the house and program them to work in tandem through a controlled, user-friendly interface such as a smartphone, tablet or wall computer.

Custom Homes | Hire a Contractor or Do it Yourself

 

Custom Homes | Popular interior design and renovation shows have convinced many of us that home repairs, DIYs and renovations are a walk in the park. Sadly, that’s often not the case. For those of us who aren’t used to wielding tools, home projects can be stressful! They disrupt our schedules, and often cost a chunk of change. Unfortunately, it can be equally difficult (and expensive) to find a trustworthy contractor for the job. So what do you do? Hire a contractor or do it yourself? Here are some things I recommend considering:

Custom Homes | How to Brighten Your Home!

Custom Homes | Chances are, you’re timid with colors. That’s alright – most people are! But it’s a new year now, which means a new you, and a chance to get a little wild with your color palette. Who knows? You might realize that bright mustard or rich amethyst is the decor touch you’ve been missing all along. One thing’s for sure – you’ll never know unless you try! Choose one of the colorful decor ideas below and welcome the new year with a bang!

1. Add a loud pop to a neutral palette

Going colorful does not mean spray painting everything you own! In fact, one of the best ways to really get the full kick of color from your bold palette choice is to layer it over a neutral base. Give any neutral room a pop of color with some choice bold details in bright, eye-catching hues!

Custom Homes | The Latest Bathroom Design Trends

Custom Homes | Ceramic subway tile has been popular since 1904, when the durable, long-lasting tile was used to decorate subway stations throughout New York. The tiles are designed to stay in place for decades, with some manufacturers insisting that the grout and adhesives will need to be replaced before the ceramic tile wears out. That means that when you use subway tile to decorate your bathroom, you can be rest assured that you’re getting a quality product that will last for a lifetime. If you plan to remodel your home with subway tile, you can purchase it in hardware stores and online on sites like . The selection of subway tiles that some stores offer is almost endless, and so are the design options.

Custom Homes | Cooling Your Home Without AC

Custom Homes | Want to keep your home cool without turning on the A/C this summer? There are plenty of alternatives that can lower both the cost of your utility bills and the temperature in your house. Consider these ideas when you’re looking to cool your house without air conditioning:

1. Check the ceiling fan.

During the spring and summer, your ceiling fan should be set to turn counterclockwise to push cool air down and pull hot air up. If your fan was set to turn clockwise during the winter — pulling cold air up and pushing hot air down — change the rotation now. This way, your room feels cooler. And you spend less on electricity to run the ceiling fan than you do to run your HVAC system.

Custom Homes | 8 Creative Lighting Ideas

Custom Homes | For your guests to get maximum enjoyment, check that you have comfortable seating, a curtain or screen to keep out bugs and reliable lighting. Every outdoor activity depends on your yard being well-lit. If you want to pep up your space with creative and unique DIY outdoor lighting, check out these eight ideas!

1. Folded Paper Lanterns

How to Make Star Lanterns via Debbie @Me and My DIY

Perfect for hanging from branches or arranging along your porch banister, these whimsical little lanterns are an inexpensive and fun way of adding some light to your night.

Custom Homes | 12 Home Staging Tips

Custom Homes | One of the most common questions I get from clients who are planning to sell their home is how much work they should put into making the home look perfect. As a general rule of thumb, aside from renovating a severely outdated kitchen or bathroom, any home improvement that doesn’t add square footage isn’t worth it.

That said, I do recommend staging a home so that it makes a positive first impression when prospective buyers tour it. Here are 12 tried-and-true home staging tips that won’t cost a lot but will make a big difference!

1. Less is more.

Rent storage to help de-clutter. Remove enough stuff so that closets and storage spaces are half empty.

Unique Products for Custom Homes

Custom Homes | Dwell on Design is one part turbo-powered home show, one part industry conference and one part Hollywood extravaganza with funky sets and design celebrities.

This energetic 11-year-old event gets bigger every year and has expanded to New York, as well as continuing in its Los Angeles flagship location, Dwell on Design, Los Angeles (DODLA).

Produced by Dwell Magazine, DODLA offers a unique blend of funky jewelry, fabulous furnishings, upscale appliances and offbeat accessories. These are some of the best new products for those building or living in a new home.

Custom Homes | All About Customized Cabinets

Cabinets are increasingly becoming more simple, yet more high-tech.

Custom Homes | While we’ve all had to adjust in the last few years thanks to the economy, the good news is that the kitchen is still holding its primary importance within the home.

In fact, consumers have been willing to take down walls, combine rooms or steal space from the dining room or home office to make their kitchen a great space for family get-togethers and, often, for multiple work stations that include informal office spaces and various food prep areas.

Cabinetry remains a major functional and architectural consideration in kitchen design. Moreover, the use of cabinetry beyond the kitchen is growing, including installations as entertainment centers, butler pantries, laundry rooms, home offices, bars and even outdoor entertainment or kitchen areas. Another growing cabinet market is in master bath suites. More than just a bath vanity, these can include whole wardrobe storage systems.

Custom Homes | A Different Way to Live, Agricultural Communities

Custom Homes | Swimming pool. Clubhouse. Golf course. Hiking trail. Farm. These are among the many amenities new homebuilders offer buyersin today’s new communities.

Wait a minute. Farm? Yes, you read that right.

Whether it’s a working farm, vegetable gardening plots, farm stands, participatory cooking classes or Happy Farmer family nights, builders are finding ways to introduce community agriculture, or so-called agrihoods, into new-home developments.

The Agrihood Craze

Offering homebuyers both practical and emotional benefits, the agrihood trend builds on such themes as health, wellness, slow food, whole food and hyperlocal food production, says Brent Herrington.

Custom Homes: The Top Bedrooms of the Week

GET INSPIRED WITH THESE SERENE MASTER BEDROOMS

Custom Homes | Hey! Wake up! It’s time for another Greatest Hits from our Home of the Week. This time it’s no slideshow to snooze about — or perhaps it is, because we’re highlighting master bedrooms. Have a look at some of the bedrooms that we haven’t been able to stop dreaming about since we stumbled upon them.


CLASSIC ELEGANCE
Classic paneled walls, numerous ceiling-high draperies and a subtle color theme to create a bedroom in their Stanton 6701 Plan that can only be described as elegant.

Unique Custom Homes | Check Out the Catio!

Custom Homes | Anyone interested in feline enrichment knows how much cats love the outdoors. They also know how risky it is for cats to be free-roaming — they can be hit by cars, trapped in garages and just plain lost. Then there are the birds they kill (although windows also do major damage to bird populations).

Some of the world’s most forward-thinking cat owners have devised a solution: the catio.

It’s the animal-lover’s answer to the man cave, a space set aside to keep our feline companions safe and happy.

Custom Homes | A Wood Lovers Dream

Custom Homes | Log homes, timberframe and post-and-beam homes represent a tradition of craftsmanship that goes back thousands of years.

They’re still winning the hearts of people who have a strong affinity for the look and feel of wood.

Today, there are a multitude of choices as far as size, floor plan, architectural style and finish. Even though most manufacturers prefabricate the shells of the homes in a factory, the finished product is almost always one of a kind.

What’s the Difference?

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Log and Timber Homes Council, the fundamental difference between log and timberframe construction is in how the solid wood components are used. In a log home, the logs are typically stacked horizontally and are the primary building material that comprises the load-bearing walls.

Custom Homes: What Makes a Perfect Vacation Home?

Custom Homes | Are you looking for a vacation home?

According to the National Association of Realtors, vacation home sales rose strongly in 2013, jumping 29.7 percent to an estimated 717,000 from 553,000 in 2012.

Whether you’re shopping for the perfect spot for your own family to vacation or for an investment property you plan to rent out to others, it’s essential to do your due diligence to ensure that you spend your money wisely. 

Opportunities Abound 

According to Christine Hrib Karpinski, author of How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner: The Complete Guide to Buy, Manage, Furnish, Rent, Maintain and Advertise Your Vacation Rental Investment, values in many popular vacation-home resorts have not fully recovered since the market correction. As a result, they may present opportunities for both new-homebuyers seeking a vacation home, as well as for investors. Karpinski cites the Smoky Mountains, Las Vegas, Florida’s Gulf Coast and South Florida as markets in which buyers may find opportunities. 

Custom Homes: Designing a Custom Room for Your Pet

You could say some open houses are going to the dogs.

At least that was the case for Standard Pacific Homes’ grand opening of a new community in Brea, Calif., where canines, as well as their humans, lined up to preview pet suites being offered as an option in the homes. 

Consumers want homes that facilitate lifestyle, that make the everyday easier and better and this vision likely includes the family dog or cat. “It’s something buyers take into consideration now,” says Rhona Sutter, a Naples, Fla., real estate agent who founded the Pet Realty Network in 2007. “Whatever people want for their pets, they are going to get.”

Custom Homes: Unusual Materials to Use in Your New Home

The more unusual the material, the more personal a space can be. Unique materials aren't just fun — they can help a home become a personal expression of its owner.

Some of these products have been around for ages but were previously used in different contexts or environments; today's production techniques have helped simple materials achieve sophisticated designs. Other products are newcomers, still on the cusp of recognition.

Learn about the options below so you can make well-educated design decisions.

Custom Homes | Custom Furnishings in Your New Home

Custom Homes | Creating a custom piece of furniture for a client is many designers’ dream, but it can sound more like a nightmare for homeowners. The cost, time, imagination and decisions required can make choosing a custom piece seem overwhelming compared to simply dropping by a store and walking away with a new find.

But I’m finding that more and more people are seeing the benefits of custom options, and I think you should too. Read on for some of my top areas of the home to consider for custom furniture, finishes and upholstery. Sometimes just a little change goes a beautifully long way.

Custom Essentials

Upholstery. Custom upholstering an entire piece of furniture, such as an armchair or a sofa, can quickly add up. But focusing on something simple, like the seats of dining chairs, can be a small investment with a big payoff.