"THE Survival Guide: Home Remodeling" book to help you!
"Today's Home" offers Inspired Ideas For Your Home and Lifestyle, every Sunday at 4:00 pm (PT), on Today's Home.
Tips + Trends
Bitter Surprise for DIY Home Remodelers
Rounding the corner to Halloween. The title of this post is seasonal, but unfortunately, this kind of home remodeling “Trick or Treat” happens year ’round. The “treat” is homemade. If you follow the “… Continue reading
How To Make A New Room Using Leftover Space
Classic, time-tested recipe to convert and remodel a leftover basement area, approximately 280 square feet, to be a multi-purpose bonus room for the entire family to enjoy. One corner of the… Continue reading
Fall is in the air; Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hannukah and New Year’s Eve are around the corner. Every year, there are news reports about home fires, personal injuries, and deaths that shouldn’t have happened. People don’t think about potential dangers because they’re caught up in all of the holiday activities. Following are hints and tips that I have (and will) talk about on Today’s Home:
HEALTH TIPS:
So Many Products! What’s the Best for You?
Selecting countertops for your new or remodeled bathroom can be an overwhelming challenge, because there are so many different products available, and your investment in countertops can vary by thousands of dollars.… Continue reading
Make Great Countertop Decisions With Great Information
There’s more to selecting bathroom countertops than comparing price. To make an informed decision and guarantee years of satisfaction from your investment, this article details the pros and cons for each material, so… Continue reading
Great Decisions Begin with Great Information
In the first installment about bathroom (and kitchen) countertops, we shared pros and cons about laminate, tile, and solid-surface materials. This segment will talk about quartz (aka engineered stone), wood, composite materials (glass, metal,… Continue reading
Get Great Information, and Make Great Decisions
We conclude this pros and cons discussion about bathroom (and kitchen) countertops, talking about concrete, stone, stainless steel, and lavastone. This information, combined with my previous article about your countertop investment will help… Continue reading
Great Bathroom Design Finds Balance
Your bathroom can be any style that blends with your home and makes you feel good. Great bathroom design incorporates comfort and safety principles before anything is selected, during the planning stage. Here are four bathroom design ideas for lighting, showers, tubs, and floors that will guarantee your comfort and safety, so you can really enjoy your new or remodeled bathroom: Continue reading
3 Recommendations to Help You
Have you heard remodeling nightmare stories shared by family, friends, and neighbors? Was your reaction a vow to never remodel your home? Time has passed, and now you’re considering a major bathroom renovation. Your new… Continue reading
“Rules are not necessarily sacred, principles are.” (Franklin D. Roosevelt)
“Form Follows Function.” (Louis Sullivan)
(FUNCTION, SAFETY AND APPEARANCE)
Did you know that Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the first architects to use the work triangle in his… Continue reading
Are you planning to remodel a bathroom that’s used daily by your family and occasionally by guests? To achieve the multi-use function you need and the traditional appearance you desire, plan carefully and choose durable products that are easy to… Continue reading
Santa Claus or Grinch?
History Before 2008: Homeowners called design and remodeling professionals because they needed and wanted to renovate their home, or build a new home. They had high expectations and positive anticipation about finding someone to help them,… Continue reading
Change Orders — The LAST Thing You Want During Construction!
You’re surprised, and feel betrayed. Just when everything seemed to be going well, your contractor says, “We’ve run into a problem,” or, “If you want it, you’re going to have to pay more.” There are (sometimes) valid reasons for Change Orders, but most of the time, they can be avoided. You do not want to feel like your home is being held hostage. Here are five ways to avoid Change Orders:
How to Avoid Change Orders
Change Orders during a building or remodeling project should be an exception, not the rule. Here are ways that you can avoid them:
Concerns for Homeowners and Consumers
On our internet radio program, “Today’s Home” we’ve talked many times about microwave ovens, expressing concern about microwave-hood combinations and drawer microwaves. Both appliances are potentially dangerous. You’ve got someone on your side, to help you make informed decisions about products that can affect your safety.
Major Remodeling Problems Do Happen — Unfortunately
Every time I meet homeowners who share their story about a bad home remodeling project, I feel sick. Most of the time, problems that homeowners had could have been easily avoided, if they… Continue reading
“Warm” Colors: Red, Orange, and Yellow
Colors affect everything we do, because they’re part of light’s energy. We cannot see the colors of light rays, but we see colors because of light’s spectrum. When the atmosphere intervenes, becoming a prism, we can see light in the form of a rainbow. Rainbows are meaningful because they contain seven colors that evoke emotional responses: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. This article, Part 1 of 2, will discuss only the warm colors.
During a heavy spring shower, traffic slowed to a crawl. “Smart drivers” was my second thought, after the usual thought (you get the drift!). But people weren’t slowing down for just the raindrops. They were slowing down to look at a very bright double rainbow! The colors were glorious! How do you feel when you see a rainbow?
We use colors to describe our moods, “In the pink,” or “Green with envy,” or “feeling blue.” We say, “I’m seeing red” when we’re angry, or “He/she is yellow-bellied” when we think someone is cowardly.
3 Easy Steps To Help You
There has not been one homeowner in 28 years of my experience who didn’t feel anxious and overwhelmed about their project before we met. Not one! Hundreds of homeowners, with different lifestyles, different needs, and different budgets. Pretty amazing.
During a meeting four months ago, I was reminded how overwhelming the remodeling process can be, even if someone has been through a renovation before. Five years ago, my client remodeled her kitchen. Her contractor did a wonderful job, but she didn’t have a designer. When she talked about choosing the material for her kitchen countertops, that long ago, it’s easy to see (and feel) the terror she’s reliving.
Have you ever been through a remodeling project? A home addition? An updated bathroom? A new kitchen?
Have you ever known anyone who’s really creative, who also has a negative attitude? Probably not. But many creative people are plagued with doubt and fear, which limits their ability to visualize possibilities and achieve the best results.
My dear friend, Katya, was planning her June wedding, and asked me to help with the flowers. Okay, no problem. I’ve been arranging flowers most of my life, since my godmother introduced me to this wonderful hobby around the age of seven. Proud to say that I’ve won many blue ribbons for my floral creations over the years, including several “Best of Show” ribbons. So making arrangements for the reception tables wouldn’t be a problem. I agreed, before I learned of several challenges:
Yes — When You Hire The Right Designer
The right designer knows where to find the right products that reflect your personal taste, that are compatible with your home, and with each other. The designer can help you fit each… Continue reading
