Interior doors are the unsung heroes of our homes. It’s true they play many functional roles – they offer privacy, provide sound dampening, and (maybe most importantly!) hide messes. But, they are also a design element that allows you to augment your personal style. Often they are chosen by the contractor when he builds the home – sometimes with little forethought other than cost. If you are lucky enough to have a say in door selection – perhaps you are building a custom home or remodeling – read on to learn how to choose interior doors.
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In my job I see a lot of fantastic new construction homes and one trend that I’ve been eyeing is the shiplap fireplace. It comes in a lot of flavors: with a traditional mantel or with just a mantel shelf, full height shiplap or only on top, and so on. So, after seeing a fireplace in a model home that I just loved, my mind started to envision what this might look like in my house – so I searched for some additional shiplap fireplace inspiration to prepare for the redo.
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You’ve decided to remodel your kitchen – congratulations! In a few months you will be rewarded with your new culinary oasis. But, until the big reveal, you’ll be living through a kitchen remodel and you’ll need some strategies and tips for getting through it unscathed. (more…)
I have a huge case of mudroom envy. I live in a Colonial house built in the pre-mudroom era. It has one small hall closet that houses our family of five’s winter jackets and not much more. With three school age boys dropping coats, backpacks and shoes all over my kitchen every day, I’ve been desperate for a solution. This year I finally decided to solve my issue by creating a mudroom “area” in our front hallway – the main thoroughfare for entering and leaving our house. I appealed to my husband, showing him my ideas and inspiration. He was skeptical, knowing that building something would mean a new honey-do list for him, but reluctantly signed on for this DIY Ikea mudroom hack!
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Have you seen Citibank’s hilarious advertising campaign featuring a contractor chatting with his homeowner clients in their kitchen? (If not you can check it out here.) I chuckle every time I see it, not just because it is so funny, but because it confirms everything homeowners (and contractors!) fear about the home improvement process.
But the reality is, if those scenarios played out in your life, you wouldn’t be laughing. Because for most of us, our home is not just where we spend the majority of our lives, it also represents our single biggest investment. So, it makes sense to make sure the folks you have working on that investment are reputable and the right fit for you.
Here are our top five recommendations of things to ask when choosing a contractor for your kitchen remodel or any home improvement job: (more…)
