Category: Home Builders Guide

Country Living, Home & Garden, Country Life; there are many glossy magazines that sell us the hope that one day, we will also retreat to a tiny village where we will potter about and make jam and watch our children play in the mud without a care in the world. For those of us who have the reality of a mortgage and full-time job, we simply get to create a country-style theme in our homes, and where better to express yourself than in your kitchen? Here’s how we use accessories to create a country style kitchens theme:

Wooden Worktops – Use natural materials to help bring the outside in. You can find competitively priced solid block-wood worktops at mainstream DIY stores and kitchen cabinet suppliers. They will take a bit of care and will need sanding and treating from time to time, but that’s part of the fun. Alternatively, you can leave knife and burn marks on the wood as part of the overall feel of the kitchen. Do stick to wooden chopping boards, rather than white plastic ones, if you want to protect your worktop.

Open Racks- They aren’t the most practical option nowadays, but they look fabulous. If you want to go the whole hog to create a country themed kitchen, then include wooden wall-hung plate racks and hanging saucepan racks. The great thing about wood is that it can be painted to match your wall colour. If you prefer to leave your plate racks in a natural wood tone, you will find that all the oils and heat in the kitchen will eventually mellow the colour of the wood.

Wicker Vegetable Racks- When you are growing your own fruit and vegetables, you have to eat what’s in season, when it’s in season. That may explain why most country kitchens have large fruit bowls and vegetables in open racks. Look for wicker drawers and fruit baskets and try to avoid any material that would make the food sweat and go off quickly.

Cast Iron Saucepans & Stands – Made to last a lifetime, cast iron cookware is heavy but functional. You can buy the pans individually as it is rare that you would need to replace an entire set. Remember, country living is about spending money where is counts, so choose your saucepan colours carefully, as randomly changing the set because you no longer like blue isn’t the name of the game. Also select a pretty shaped cast iron saucepan stand to avoid marking your fabulous new worktop with hot pans.

Enamelware- No country kitchen is complete without enamelware. Luckily, it is very on-trend, so you can find it everywhere. Treat yourself to an enamel jug to use on the dining table for water, or to display your fabulous garden lavender in. Or, store your daily food waste in a trendy enamel Compost bin and decant your washing powder into an enamel Laundry Tin. Whether you want pristine un-marked enamelware, or rugged, chipped enamelware, it all looks great.

Storage Jars -As a conscientious recycler, you will have perfectly good jam and pasta sauce jars going through your hands into your recycling bin. If you truly want to live the country kitchen theme, then one should see some recycled jars storing anything from sugar and tea-bags, to tea-light candles and buttons in some of your cupboards. Remove any previous labels and make pretty lid covers by using serrated edged scissors to cut squares out of old material and fix them onto the jars with string or elastic bands.

Kitchen Utensils – Stainless steel kitchen utensils may last longer and be more hygienic than their wooden counterparts, but the wooden versions are more appropriate to a country kitchen scheme. It might make sense to have a mix of both types of utensil depending on what you are cooking and the types of pans you are using.

Cake Stands – It’s not a country kitchen unless you’re baking in it! Treat yourself to the cake stand of your choice, and then spend an afternoon filling it. You then have permission to empty it immediately with your friends and family.

Crockery -Choosing a pretty floral, gingham, or outdoor themed dinner service is an easy way to add to your country kitchen scheme. Whether you provide paper or cloth napkins, choose colours that occur in nature, or in your favourite flower.

Tea-Towels – Sadly, we do have to clean up at some point, so bring bursts of colour into your kitchen with bright floral patterns, or fresh gingham designs on the products you use every day. Pretty wiping up cloths and tea towels are available everywhere and even pound shops stock brightly coloured scrubbing brushes and dust-pan and brush sets to cheer up your day. You can even buy pretty hooks to hang your tea towels and cloths on.

Wall Art- Keep to botanical or natural themes for any wall art or photographs. A beautiful painting or print of flowers, birds, or cooking herbs are appropriate. Images of Lavender seem to be popular. If you want to get involved, then go into your garden or garden centre and take photos of herbs in full bloom. Take care to choose tones to match your overall colour scheme, unless you particularly want them to stand out.

Plant Life – In the kitchen, unless someone has treated you to some fabulous fresh-cut flowers, we suggest that you stick to functional plants such as Basil, Parsley, Thyme or Mint. It is so much cheaper to grow your own herbs than buy a sprig from your local supermarket. They can either be in decorative pots, or grown in one of your old glass recycling jars.

Incorporating a country living theme into your home is easy. Think more great-grandmother, than Ikea, and you’ll be on the right track in no time.

Loretta Cotterell is passionate about creating a beautiful home and runs a fabulous online store selling new and pre-loved vintage-style gifts and home accessories. Visit us at: http://www.lorettacotterell.co.uk and follow us on Twitter @LorettaCotterel

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If you have decided to make some renovations to your home or investment property there are a few steps I would suggest, even prior to calling a contractor:

Define Scope

Firstly, renovations have a way of getting out of control once they have started, so it is imperative that you layout the scope of the work to be completed. If a bathroom renovation is your plan, ensure you list all areas that are to affected – new toilet and wall tiles or a complete over-hall including: plumbing, fixtures, lighting, cabinets, tub and flooring.

Just a quick note based on my experience; once one area of a room has been newly renovated it will make the other areas appear more “tired” than they had previously looked. Consider doing as much renovation in one room as your budget will allow. This approach will be less expensive and less time-consuming than having to return to re-renovate the same room several times.

Floor Plan

Take the time to create a drawing of your new floor plan. This does not have to be a professional illustration, just a sketch showing your basic ideas. For example, if you are finishing your basement, show the location of interior walls, appliances, fireplaces, lighting, bar, shelving or furniture built-ins, bathrooms and closets.

If you have decided to include a bathroom, kitchenette or wet bar consider the location of the plumbing rough-ins. It can be very time-consuming and expensive if you decide to put your toilet across the room from where the builder has placed the sewer access.

This floor plan may take a little time; however, it will definitely make things easier when it’s time to explain to your contractors what your plan is.

Create Budget

You must set a budget and try to work within it. I have heard the old phrase “money is no object” a few times in my 25 years in the renovation business, however, nine times out of ten; it is an object – and a big object.

Only you can decide what budget you are comfortable with. Having said that, after speaking to several contractors you may find that what you want and what your budget allows for, are miles apart. So, your budget may not be flexible but your plans will need to be flexible.

Set Time Frame

The time frame, in some people’s opinion, is the most important aspect. When setting a time frame for your renovation work to be completed, keep in mind that unless you are hiring one of the T.V. renovation teams that could build the Taj Mahal in 3 days with a crew of 500 workers; you may have to be a little more realistic.

After you meet with several contractors be sure to ask each of them how long they think the job should take and when they would have the time to focus on your project. It is my experience you should increase this estimate by 30%.

If this is a large renovation it may be necessary to make living arrangements elsewhere. Regardless, you should still ensure the contractors are given exclusive use of the area and services that they will need. There is nothing more frustrating than a plumber trying to install a new kitchen sink while you are making your family breakfast. Give the professionals room to work.

Now that you have a defined the scope, sketched a floor plan and set a budget, it is now time to get a few estimates. I recommend that you avoid uninsured renovation companies for obvious reasons. There are many reputable renovation companies out there and there are many ways to find them, today the most popular ways are: internet web sites, yellow pages, trade magazines and of course personal referrals/word of mouth.

When meeting with a renovator be sure to show them your drawing of the floor plan and discuss in detail what you want done, do a walk through with the renovator of the area to be renovated and don’t forget to ask about the time frame. I would suggest that you not mention your budget at this time. You should first get yourself 3 estimates.

When a renovator is pricing an estimate they have many variables to deal with such as material quality and it turn material prices and hardware and fixture prices, for example a set of sink taps can vary from $30.00 up to $3,000.00 the same rule applies to all material, hardware and fixtures. So in my professional opinion ask the renovator to price the estimate using basic builder grade material and fixture costs. Asking for an estimate based solely on base price materials will help you adjust pricing for items you wish to upgrade and hopefully still stay within your budget.

Summary

If you have followed the above suggestions: outlined your project scope, sketched a floor plan, set a budget, considered a time frame and contacted several (3-5) contractors for estimates and referrals then you should now be in a position to comfortably make your decision and get started on your renovation.

Martin Power:

After working as a real estate agent and home renovation company owner, for over 20 tears, Martin became a full-time web developer and marketing expert/author for the real estate and home renovation industry. Check out further articles and educational materials at [http://www.buyrealestatehelper.com].

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Custom homes stand out from the crowd. They are one-of-a-kind, upscale creations that come with luxury upgrades and unique architectural design.

In addition to flexibility in home design and architecture, buyers typically choose their ideal location and environment. As a result, custom home design often incorporates elements of the local landscape, whether that is a view of the ocean, a natural stream, or the distinct colors and plants of a desert landscape.

While production builders build communities by restricting design to a group of preselected home types on lots they have picked and purchased themselves, custom builders tend to build on land owned by the customer and start fresh with each design.

Production builders typically construct a large number of homes throughout the year; these may offer a variety of options, but production builders generally do not use construction plans other than the ones selected by the building firm. Custom builders spend more time on each project and often work on fewer than 10 homes a year.

Architect Joel Turkel of Turkel Design and the building team at My House Design created the Gambier Island House, using a design from Lindal Cedar Homes. Perched on a hill overlooking the waterfront in British Columbia’s Gulf Islands, the custom builders used careful planning to integrate the home with its lush forest atmosphere. The home’s sleek design, use of green building techniques and connection to nature earned the home a spot as a finalist in the 2012 Best in American Living Awards.

Concern for the environment is growing among U.S. households—and so are energy costs. Because of this, many custom builders are embracing green building techniques. Features like solar panels, water-saving appliances, insulation to improve heating efficiency and the use of renewable or recycled building materials are all popular techniques to improve a home’s efficiency. Custom builders allow buyers to include a wide range of green products and give them the opportunity to weigh each cost and benefit to create a home that is stylish, comfortable, but also eco-friendly.

Today, home owners like to see features that will improve their lifestyle through health, entertainment or comfort. In this way, custom homes really set themselves apart from the competition. Yoga studios, resistance pools and fitness rooms can be added to encourage healthy living; game rooms, theaters and even a bowling alley can be added for fun; and for comfort, breezy, screened-in porches or warm hearths can make your home feel cozy and welcoming.

Custom amenities are also taking a turn to the world of tech. In a world where there’s an app for everything, buyers are beginning to expect a custom home to do more and be “smarter.” Nowadays you can control many features in your home using a phone, including energy usage, security systems, lighting and even the music playing in each room.

Whether it’s aging parents moving in with their adult children or young adults living back with mom and dad, multigenerational households have specific needs when it comes to a home.

Custom builders are seeing an increasing need to tailor homes to this lifestyle. A recent Pew Research Center study shows that 39% of adults ages 18 to 34 have had to move in with their parents. In the same year, the U.S. Census reported that 4.3 out of 76 million households were made up of at least three generations.

Multigenerational families often build homes that include the traditional mother-in-law suite or even feature a locked-off living space within the home. These apartment-style spaces can have their own kitchenette, full bathroom and living areas to provide a sense of privacy and independence.

As the country grows older and many baby boomers look to retirement, Universal Design (UD) features are an ever-growing priority for many custom buyers and builders. UD is used to ensure that features like wider doors, lower countertops and fewer stairs are used to create a home that everyone can enjoy comfortably. An accessible home allows owners to age in place, prolonging their ability to stay in the house independently and can also increase value by opening the market to any future buyer, despite age, stature or ability.

TheAtkinson Residencein Berlin, Md. won a silver award in the 2012 Best in American Living Awards for its use of layered balconies and porches that make the most of the home’s spectacular view of the water. This nook is an example of the unique architectural details often included in custom homes.