ABC’s of Fine Design

With home theaters becoming more and more popular there has been an increased interest in furnishings and decor for those rooms. Things like home theater carpet and home theater seating are words that 10 years ago you only heard Hollywood elite saying. Now though everyone is into a home theater and I understand why.

Not only does it make entertaining your teens easier it’s also very easy to work from home and have people over for presentations. Think about it, usually a home theater is sound proof, has great seating and a large TV screen. what more do you need to do home presentations. So not only can a home theater add entertainment value to your home, but it could help you with business too.

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Right now with the riseing cost of energy and people looking to lower thier heating bills it is the perfect time to think about adding one or more fireplaces to your home. If you live in the north areas of the US or in Canada or Europe then you really want to start thinking about adding a fireplace if you dont’ already have one.

Fireplaces are nice because they can be an very inexpencive form of heat, if you install a wood burning fireplace you can use it when the electricity goes out and not have to worry about heating your home. From a design perspective fireplaces make a great focal point and are considered a luxury to have. So they really will compliment any design.

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One thing about design that is always fun is finding good reliable plumbing contractors. I have heard many horror stories from homeowners, designers and my teachers about plumbers that don’t do there job. They either say it can’t be done, because they themselves cant do it or they do the job badly and expect you to pay them to come back and fix it.

One story that I’ve heard from my favorite teacher about 20 times is the story about the toilet from Europe. The plumber she hired kept telling her that it can’t be installed. When she asked why he told her that the toilet was broken and would not fit the pipe. Of course having been in the industry for a while she went over to look at the toilet. It was fine, the only problem was it was from Europe and needed a special hookup. The plumber still insisted that it could not be done and was fired. She hired another plumber the next day and it was completed by the end of the day.

The moral of the story? Ask questions before you hire someone, do some research and find out if they can actually do the job you want them to. There are many websites where you can find this information. One being plumbing networks, they have a huge database of plumbers in almost any area you can imagine. They even came up with some in my small, small town. They came up with many many more when I searched for plumbers in Ann Arbor MI.

This is a huge problem in design as you don’t always get to work with the same people you have worked with before, sometimes your across the country or in another country altogether.  Sometimes you just have no idea who your hiring but if you do some research you should be fine.

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Resale value is not the only thing you should think about when looking into the future of your home. If you plan on living out your days there you should start thinking about how you are going to get around that wonderful home of yours.

Now that people are living longer there are many things that have now started to effect our aging population. Many things that before either never happened or you didn’t have to live with the problem for that long. Now you may have to live with a disability for 20 years before you pass away.

Using Universal Design is the best way to keep your home working for you as you age. Install different heights for your counters so that you can still use them if your in a wheelchair. Install stair lifts if your home has two stories, of course you don’t have to do this until you need it, but save for it as it can cost a great deal of money.

If your building a home and it’s a two or more story. Design it so there is a bedroom type room downstairs. That way if you can’t get up the stairs you don’t have to worry about it, you just move your room down. Also second story laundry rooms are a big thing, but if you also put hookups on the main floor it will make your life easier later on.

I know that most people don’t want to even think about getting old and dying, but it is a fact of life. If you plan for it the process will be much easier and you won’t be a frustrated old man or women who yells at everyone. Of course if your trying to get back at your kids maybe you want to be one of those people.

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I am always on the lookout for new green design products. I found this wonderful roofing product while looking for alternative building materials for my class today. I had to share it with you as it’s really a cool product.

The product is called EcoStar and it’s a US based company that supplies sustainable tiles for your roof. The best part is that they also have a 50 year warranty. Check out there products page and take a look at what there different products look like. I have decided that I really want the house on the main product page, but thats not for this blog.  I love the look of wood shingles, they just stand out and complete the look of the home.

 Excerpt from website:

This site also has other types of tile, not just the wood looking kind. I loved there selection, I just wish they had one’s that looked like clay tiles. Those are my favorite and I want to use them on my own home if I can ever build it.

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Basements are a big deal right now, many people love the idea of a finished basement, they want that extra space not for storage, but for living. They make great family or entertainment rooms or if you have outside access you can even stick some bedrooms down there, but before you do all of that finish work you want to make sure you have all those cracks filled in so they don’t leak on you and ruin your hard work.

Basement contractors are easy to find, but you need to know what your doing when looking for one. Check around and do some research, many contractors will do more then just seal cracks, some will waterproof the entire basement, fix imperfection’s in the basement walls so that your job is easier or they may even help with bowing walls. Since these effect how your drywall goes up, make sure they do check this.

You can find many of these contractors online. You can even read reviews about there products and services. Again do your research before deciding on any contractor or service for your home. Make sure they offer what you want and have a warranty too.

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Have you ever been standing in your home and felt a draft, do you pay way to much for your heating bill. I know I use to, but there are ways to change both of these things. One of the mist important is to use good insulation in your home. Insulation will keep you warm and lower your heating cost. Insulation is the cheapest way to improve the heating and cooling of your home.

If your looking for sound proofing insulation is also what you want it will keep the noise from your neighbors away. It will also help you keep your privacy in areas you may want it most like bathrooms, bed rooms and possibly an entertainment or game room. Use it in these areas and you wont be kept up by the big game or wake up to your significant other’s shower noises when you want to sleep in.

So help keep your sanity and your money, by making sure your home is well insulated for a cold winter or hot summer and enjoy your home and the time you spend in it.

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