Guide to Giving Your Interior Doors a Makeover

Picture courtesy of http://eleanorbusing.com/still-swooning-painted-interior-doors/

Gone are the days where doors were just gateways to a different room; now they can be beautiful, elegant, quirky or unique pieces of art that can brighten an otherwise dull room. Need some ideas of current trends and styles to help you create your own designer door? These creative ideas should help you get started.

• First, you’ll need to properly prep your door before you start painting, especially if you plan on using darker paints. If you are unsure what to use to prep, ask a professional who may be able to recommend types depending on your design.

When you start painting your door always brush in the direction of the grain, starting from the top of the door painting your way down as you do.

• Looking for a fun quirky designs but change your mind all the time? Try using blackboard paint to make a blackboard door! You can design a new door everyday if you feel like it! Not only is it fun and different, but it can be really useful! Do you tend to forget your keys, wallet or umbrella? Writing a reminder at eye level means you’ll never forget them as you walk out the door. Blackboard doors are great for homes with children; it doesn’t matter as much if they draw on this door.

• Using dark, deep colours on your door? Lift them out with a lighter colour as a trim. This works really well if the walls of your room match with the shades of colour on the door, creating a dramatic

but not distracting design. This can work really well reversed as well, with the dark colour as the trim and the lighter shade on the

door. Dark colours like brown or black also help to make a room look contemporary and chic as well as giving a room a warm, cozy atmosphere. How about if the colour scheme in your room is made up of neutral tones? In rooms like those, the colour black really makes

the door stand out.

• Caught in a dilemma? One side of your door is a dark, bold colour and the other side is a light,

bright shade; so which colour do you paint the edge? Most experts say paint the edge the same colour as the side of the door that opens inwards into a room. As long as you avoid painting it both colours, this just looks messy and unprofessional.

• Light colours like soft greys, beiges or creams worked with a distressed effect really give a room a vintage and feminine vibe especially if your door has moulding on it. These colours also work really well with a slight gloss coat; giving a room a more modern feel and also helping a room feel light and airy.

Picture courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/blessedlittlenest/

• Is your door in an awkward spot or is the room particularly small? Create the illusion of space and make your door ‘disappear’ by painting it the same colour as the rest of your walls.

Making over your doors is a great, low cost way of giving your home a face lift. It can give a plain room a focal point or a touch of elegance depending on what you choose to do with it. And don’t think that you have to just paint your doors one neutral colour. Try a design or colour that pushes you a little outside your comfort zone and you may be surprised with the results.

This article was written by Amy Elliott on behalf of UK Oak Doors, suppliers of authentic cottage doors.

This article was written by Amy Elliott on behalf of UK Oak Doors, suppliers of authentic cottage doors.

Guide to Giving Your Interior Doors a Makeover

Green Home Improvements Add Value To Your Home

Green home improvements that can make a real difference in home value:

What your home is worth to you is one thing; what it’s worth to someone else may be totally different. If you want to boost the value of your home for yourself and in the eyes of others, one of the best ways to do that in today’s real estate market is to make green home improvements.

Going green can mean a lot of things, and it’s easy to start with small changes like switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs and unplugging appliances when they’re not in use. Not only will you be doing good for the environment, you might end up saving on utility bills and, ultimately, increasing your home’s value when the time comes to sell.-

Green projects aren’t all necessarily in the do-it-yourself category, and making an investment to have the bigger jobs done right will pay off in the long run.

Getting started now – even if that just means planning – is a good idea, particularly if you’re thinking about selling in a few months’ time. Talk to a real estate agent about what improvements are popular among potential homebuyers, and consider these ideas:

* Insulation: Regulating the hot air your home lets in during the summer and lets out in the winter can have a short-term impact on your heating and cooling bills. To find out whether you need additional insulation in your attic or walls, order an energy audit. Perhaps you could benefit from adding blown-in insulation to your walls. If your attic is unfinished, it’s particularly important to make sure that it’s appropriately insulated to avoid wasting energy.

* Windows: Caulking and putting up energy-saving window film is a great start, but a more dramatic change might make a world of difference if you want to make a sale. Replacing your existing windows with high-efficiency versions can be an expensive proposition, but the return on your investment can be dramatic, particularly if you’re hoping to attract buyers.

* Landscaping: While planting isn’t always possible in the coldest months of the year, putting together a plan for energy-conscious plantings is a great idea. Consider adding trees that will bring shade to the sunniest spots, like the west side of your home, to cut summertime electric bills. Trees that lose their leaves in the fall will let light in during the winter, as opposed to evergreens which will block it throughout the year.

* Water: Take the first step by turning down the temperature setting on your water heater. For more savings, consider replacing older heaters with energy-efficient models or even solar water heaters. Adding insulation to your pipes can also make a difference in how much energy is used to heat water.

Most homeowners put a lot of effort into making their homes attractive, welcoming spaces. With green updates, you can make your home not only more comfortable and more energy-efficient, but also more appealing to buyers. Add the potential energy savings and the possible boost in home value and you have even more reasons to bring your home into the green age.

Ready to bring your home into the green age?  Give us a call at 914-576-2572 to discuss the many options available to you when it comes to window replacement and other home greening projects.

Green Home Improvements Add Value To Your Home

Tips To Refresh Your Home For Spring

Three stress-free tricks to refresh your home from floor to ceiling

Spring is the time of year for renewal. So, it’s no surprise that springtime finds most people planning to rejuvenate their spaces. Four out of five Americans have a room in their home in need of redecorating, according to a 2013 study by Homegoods. Unfortunately, all too often the decorating process is a source of stress and anxiety for homeowners. How will you ever afford new furniture in your living room? How can you be on-trend without dating your home?

Follow these three tips to give your home a stress-free, springtime makeover:

Reclaiming your home’s foundation

Chances are your floors took a beating during the winter. Spring is the ideal time to install new flooring and revamp one of your home’s most important components. As the foundation of your home, your flooring needs to complement your personal taste, while living up to your lifestyle in terms of traffic, household members and pets, exposure to moisture and maintenance required. With the countless color and design options, the wide range of flooring materials and your own budgetary considerations, you may find selecting flooring to be particularly stressful.

Tapping into the customer-focused trends of high-end and online retailers, Tarkett empowers customers as they shop for flooring. Tarkett’s iSelect system delivers exactly what the name promises. It lessens the unknowns, simplifies the choices and introduces an interactive, multi-faceted shopping experience. The system begins with sorting multiple flooring options into six inspirational color families: Champagne Celebrations, Cool Conversations, Earthy Connections, Evening Receptions, Fireside Chats and Warm Gatherings – each offering its own feel and color space to help you find the perfect floor to coordinate with your existing furnishings and adjoining floors. Visit www.tarkettna.com/Inspiration/iSelectStory to walk through the iSelect process and find the perfect, customized floor for your taste, lifestyle, budget and even health.  Once you’ve used the iSelect flooring system to decide what flooring works best for you, feel free to head on over to your local home improvement store where you might find similar flooring at cheaper prices!

Sweat the small stuff

Instead of worrying about the new armoire you can’t afford, focus your energy on the finishing touches which can revitalize a space quickly and inexpensively. Paying attention to the details is a cost-effective and fun way to express yourself in spaces throughout your home, while also making each space feel complete.

Mirrors have a magical effect on a room by making a space feel larger, reflecting light throughout and adding a touch of panache. You can find a wide variety of hanging mirrors to fit your taste at discount retailers or you can purchase a mirror at an estate sale or secondhand store and “upcycle” it with a textured coat of spray paint.

The sky’s the limit

If you really want to embrace the warm weather and revitalize a room, it may be time to look up. One of the most popular design trends of 2013 is painting your ceiling. This blank and all-too-often-overlooked canvas has tremendous potential to transform a bedroom, living room or dining room. It can be as simple as repainting a white ceiling a very pale blue or gray to create the illusion that there is no ceiling. Or if you’re feeling bolder, you can make your ceiling a major accent element that gives a dull room a bright or daring splash of color. Be sure to contact us or give us a call at 914-576-2572 so that we can schedule a free in home design consultation!

Spring decorating should be an enriching experience, rather than a stressful one. Whether it’s budget, time or simply choosing among the vast number of options available, the usual redecorating stress triggers can be eliminated by focusing on simpler, cost-effective and empowering decor solutions.

Tips To Refresh Your Home For Spring

Creating the perfect sleep environment this spring

Everyone, including moms and doctors, can agree that a good night of sleep is necessary for good health, high energy, and an individual’s overall well-being. Not getting enough good sleep – or rapid eye movement sleep – can affect the mind and body’s ability to react appropriately to outside factors, the National Sleep Foundation reports.

Creating the perfect sleep environment is the first step toward ensuring a good night of sleep. March, the first month of spring, is also National Sleep Awareness Month, and it aims to remind everyone why a good night of zzz’s is so important. One in four adults in the United States experience occasional sleepiness, difficulty falling asleep, or waking up feeling un-refreshed at least a few times per week, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Fortunately, you can implement these tips this spring, and create a comfortable sleeping environment in your home for both you and your family.

* Eliminate distractions – Electronics. Noises. Lights. Many items, such as laptops, TVs and cellphones, commonly found in bedrooms can cause distractions and prevent a person from entering REM sleep. Remove these items from the room. Also, consider running a fan or white noise machine to create a soft sound barrier, which will help muffle unexpected sounds like a person flushing the toilet or an engine rumbling loudly on the street outside.

* Establish comfort – Creating a sleep-conducive environment is an important factor in making the most out of every minute you sleep. Cuddle up each night with soft linens and create a calming atmosphere in the bedroom.

* Be routine – The human body reacts favorably to familiar and repeated movements. So consider following a routine every night, whether it’s taking a warm bath, reading a chapter in a book or journaling. The National Sleep Foundation advises against watching TV or using electronics as part of this routine because electronics can hinder quality sleep.

* Stay active – Sleep is needed to give the body energy to get through its daily activities. Conversely, daily activities are needed to tire the body out for a good night of sleep. Consider adding physical activities into your daily schedule so you can settle into bed between the covers each night, tired and ready for a good night of sleep.

Nobody enjoys walking around in a mental fog or having no energy during the day, so be sure to create the perfect sleep environment in your home for you and your family this spring. It will help you get the most out of every minute of your zzz’s.

Creating the perfect sleep environment this spring

DIY Projects to Avoid

Should You Tackle A DIY Project Or Hire A Professional?

DIY projects can be a lot of fun and, when you do a good job of one, it gives you a huge sense of accomplishment. Many homeowners make their first forays into the world of DIY in an attempt to save money and, while there are a lot of basic jobs that everyone should learn to do, there are some tasks that are best left to the experts.  Here is a quick look at some of the most dangerous DIY projects  and why you should give them a wide berth.

Major Plumbing Jobs

There’s a big difference between fixing a leaking tap and moving some pipes.  As plumbing jobs increase in complexity, they become massively more risky.  Not only does moving or changing pipes often require cutting out parts of your wall, it also requires a good knowledge of how your plumbing works and how to safely install the new pipes so that you don’t end up with a leak a few months down the line. To do the job well, you will need specialist equipment.

When plumbing goes wrong it can get messy and, if you end up with a leak that comes into contact with your electrical wiring, it can also become very dangerous. It will be faster, cheaper and safer to let an expert do the job.

Electrical Work

Electricity may seem like a safe and familiar thing – after all, it powers the devices you use every single day. However, if it’s not handled correctly it can be lethal.

Everyone should learn how to change a fuse and re-wire a plug (and even these tasks carry risks), but major wiring changes are a different matter. Building regulations require most home wiring jobs to be carried out by a qualified, licensed electrician. If you attempt any major works you could well be breaking the law and end up with a property that you cannot sell until the work is checked by a qualified person.  Get the work done right the first time to avoid any potential problems.

Bricklaying

It’s one thing to raise a flower bed with a few bricks or even lay your own patio, but tackling a bigger building project, or something that can be clearly seen from the street is another matter.  Building a wall out of bricks might seem like a simple job, but if you don’t know what you’re doing that wall could come tumbling down after a few days of bad weather.

Even if you do manage to build a structurally sound wall, are you sure it will look good?  How long will the project take you?  Why spend an entire week on a project that a professional could do in a day or two?  If you can afford the materials it makes sense to spend a little extra to ensure that they are used to create something attractive that will last for many years.

Knocking Down Walls

When remodeling our homes it can be very tempting to skip steps especially when it comes to knocking down walls. Why pay for a professional when all you need is a sledge hammer? How wrong can you go destroying a wall? The answer is: very wrong. And in the end it might be more than the wall you destroy. It’s important to get a professional in who understands the structure of the building and can remodel your home without making it unsafe. After all, you don’t want to go knocking down any load-bearing walls for the sake of saving a little money.

Cutting Down Trees

This is probably one of the most dangerous tasks that you could do yourself. Chainsaws are powerful tools and, in the wrong hands, can be deadly weapons. Not being trained to use one or having the right experience puts you and others in great danger. Additionally, there is the risk of the tree falling on you, someone else, a building or a car.

Most people take on these jobs with the belief that they are going to save money. Unfortunately, mistakes, damage and sometimes injury and even death prove quite the opposite. If every job could be easily done by anyone there would be no need for qualified professionals.

Guest Post By:


Article written by A. Elliott; a writer with an interest in interior design and home improvement, she occasionally writes for Vibrant Doors, suppliers of internal and external doors.

Amy makes a lot of good points in this article.  There are lots of DIY Projects that homeowners can easily complete.  The ones listed above are really best handled by professionals.  We agree that they CAN be dangerous and not worth the risk.  What are your thoughts about these DIY Projects?

Gary B.

DIY Projects to Avoid

Renovation Planning

Every project needs a plan and this is especially important in the case of home renovations. It is not only recommended but mandatory since reconstruction requires you to juggle many details and, without a good plan, you will likely get lost in the process and forget the essentials. Without a detailed plan in mind, chaos may ensue and cause you stress and possible damage to your property.

Although planning may sound like a daunting task, you can easily deal with all the small details with some careful and deliberate preparation.

While you are wondering what to do, you can start with the concept of what you want to see as the final result and how many people you may need for this project. Try to separate your renovation efforts into smaller stages and decide if it is necessary to hire people for each of the tasks. Alternately, depending on the scale of the project, you can do some of the tasks yourself. The best way is to combine the help of your construction workers and anyone assisting you with things you can only do by yourself. It is necessary to deal with small aspects of the reconstruction. Small details of a personal nature are something only you can see better than than the rest of your helpers or workforce.

Once you have the full vision of your renovation, you may start planning the budget for it. You will probably have part of the money already, but for significant reconstructions a bank loan will be likely required to fund it completely. Make sure you use common sense when you plan the magnitude of what you have in mind as you may need to pay off a loan over a period of a few years.

If you are planning to use the help of a project manager and designer, now is the time to interview and hire one. Be sure you have signed a contract with the staff you will use for your home renovations. Read every part of it carefully and make sure it doesn’t have any particular conditions that you are not happy with. It is strongly recommended to include insurance in the papers you will be signing for your project.

Once the construction begins and you have hired a man for every job, you should keep in mind your part is not over yet. You may have to visit the spot occasionally so you can check on the progress and quality of the work. It is also good to keep an eye on individual tasks. If something has to be changed, it should be addressed on time before the completion of the project.

When the project is complete, you should do the final inspection yourself. Be there and be very careful as you accept the renovated place or section of your house. Be sure you have received all documents and that all work has been done in compliance with the law.

Guest Post By:

Bio: Ella Andrews is passionate about home renovation and home organizing. She’s been writing about and researching similar topics for the past few years. Ella is always on the lookout for new trends in decoration, renovation and all things domestic.

Renovation Planning

Home Improvement Projects For Spring

Outdoor DIY Projects For Spring

As temperatures warm, many of us can’t wait to get outside and rediscover the joys of our outdoor spaces. One of the best ways to ensure the enjoyment of your space all season long is with some spring cleaning and upkeep of your yard and outdoor living spaces.

There are a few spring cleaning projects that benefit every homeowner and make spaces much more inviting for the hours you’ll spend enjoying the summer sun.

* Take the time to prune. Before the season heats up and the first leaves start to appear, it’s the perfect time to shape up your trees and shrubs. Doing so before the growing season is less stressful for your plants, easier to clean up and will promote the type of growth you envision to keep your greenery looking great all season. Make sure your tools are sharp, as cleaner cuts are easier on plants.

* Clean up leftover leaves. While you probably spent much of the fall raking and mulching fallen leaves, stragglers collect throughout winter, clogging gutters and drains. In addition to cleaning areas of your yard blanketed with leaves, rake your lawn to rid it of matted leaves that can inhibit healthy growth. Break these chores into separate days so you don’t have to do it all at once. Using a blower also helps you clean up your yard in short order.

* Bring out the power washer. Winter tends to leave its mark, and the exterior of your house, deck, sidewalks and driveway can all show grime once spring rolls around. A pressure washer is a convenient way to clean these surfaces.

* Check in on your deck. Once it’s been pressure washed, it’s time to see if you need to re-seal it. If you drizzle water on your deck boards and it beads up, your seal is still effective. If not, it’s time to apply another coat of sealant. Pleasant spring days are ideal for re-sealing and staining and once you’re done, you can enjoy the whole season without worry.

* Design your dream outdoor room. Once you’ve cleaned up your space, you might realize there’s more that could be done to enhance it. Perhaps you’d like to add a Gazebo, Patio or screened in outdoor room for entertaining. We’d be happy to provide you with a free home consultation to help you design the backyard of your dreams!  It’s also the perfect time to consider a new patio set, or even a patio extension using decorative pavers. Dress up existing patio furniture by staining wood furniture or buying fresh new covers or cushions. This is also the perfect time to buy that new and improved grill you’ve had your eye on.

Spring is an exciting time to get back outside and take care of some of the improvements you’ve been dreaming of all winter.

Give us a call at 914-576-2572 or send us an email to bruzzesehomeimprovements.com and let us help you design your dream outdoor living space!

Home Improvement Projects For Spring