Archive for the ‘Windows’ Category

Part 2: Major Dining Room Remodeling Ideas

On Monday I talked about some quick fixes for your dining room. Today, some of my major overhaul ideas if you’re dining room just can’t be revived with small changes. 

1. Knock Down Walls: One of the best ways to makeover your dining room, is to create the illusion of more space. My favorite way of doing this is creating “open plans,” which allow for direct flow of traffic between the kitchen living room and dining room. Open plans will make your home feel bigger since you’re eliminating some of the things that take up space, and confine your space, namely, your walls.  Check out these examples of an open plan home and how convenient and beautiful it looks to merge your kitchen, dining and often living room spaces.

(Photo Credits: StyleFiles)

2. Add windows: Let in the light! Nothing opens up a room and makes it like new more than natural light. Adding windows or making windows in a room bigger can make your space more inviting.

(Photo Credit: Remodelista)

2. New Flooring: New flooring in any room makes it feel brand new. Replace carpet with hardwood, or maybe a new varnish to your hardwoods to give them a new look. This picture is a perfect example of what new flooring, and new windows can do to your dining room.

(Photo Credit: Remodelista)

Check back on our previous post for smaller dining room projects.

It’s starting to get colder, and there might be less sunshine, but it’s still a great time for remodeling projects. Here are my top picks for Fall Home Improvement and Remodeling Projects.

1. Window Replacement
Do you know how old your windows are? Old windows can be a big energy waster in your home. In the fall and winter, when keeping warm air in is important, having old windows that don’t do their job can cause your home to be less than efficient, and definitely not as warm. So why not update your windows before the cold really comes in this winter and keep your house cozy all year long.

2. Kitchen Remodel
With all the cooking and baking that goes on during the holidays, why not spend some time sprucing your kitchen space up. No matter your budget, there are options for making your kitchen feel warmer and more inviting. Try installing new countertops, refacing your cabinets, or adding a kitchen island to create more workspace.

3. Roof Replacement
Fall maintenance is an important part of the season. Having your roof inspected should be one of your top maintenance priorities. The last thing you want going into the colder months is a roof that’s not in perfect shape. If your roof is older, you may find that it lets cold air, or worse, the other elements, leak into your home. If this is the case, it might be time to start a roof replacement before you encounter bigger roofing problems in the winter.

4. Window Seat Addition
One of my favorite ways of enjoying the sun in winter, is to enjoy it from the indoors. Adding a window seat in front of a window that gets lots of sunshine is a great way to still get some sun while staying warm. Any carpenter should be able to create an area for you however you imagine it. Perhaps a bench with built in storage would fit perfectly in your living room.

5. Fireplace Remodel
If you have a fireplace, you’ll likely start using it this winter. Using your fireplace creates warmth, and encourages the family to gather around it. To get your fireplace spruced up for winter, think about giving it a little love this fall. Add a new coat of paint, hire a carpenter to create a custom mantle, or maybe install some interesting tile work around your fireplace. Whatever you choose, adding new life to your fireplace will make it a space to enjoy all winter.

Does anyone else have any winter projects lined up?

I would have a hard time objecting to becoming the owner of this bathroom:

Photo Credit: Sunset

Or this one:

Both are exquisite bathrooms, but the windows are maybe my favorite part.  I started thinking about this practically though, and who honestly has a private enough home that you could pull off those kinds of windows in the bathroom with out shocking the neighbors?  Especially if you live in an urban area, it would be quite a challenge. 

Unless you want to get a little bit creative:

While I’m not a huge fan of frosted glass, I think it can be excused in the bathroom.  Especially if you pair it with clear glass, you could get virtually the same effect while maintaining your privacy.  In my mind you can never have enough natural light in a space, so anything you can do to get it there is acceptable. 

You could also get a similar effect using some lattice.  Either transplant established plants onto your lattice piece, or grow some specifically for the job, and place them strategically outside your bathroom windows.  I like this approach especially because it has the potential to make your bathroom feel like a lush, leafy hideaway.

Looking toward fall, we’re closing the windows more often and putting down the weather stripping.  Among the other emotions that come with preparing for the colder seasons, what you don’t want to be experiencing is the negative effects from VOCs lurking in your home as you’re sealing it up tight to keep out the cold. 

We’re making the effort to make our homes more energy efficient and to save on our heating and cooling bills.  However, this can sometimes have some unintended consequences.  We’re talking VOCs: Volatile Organic Compounds, and not only can they damage your home’s indoor air quality, they can make you and your family sick. 

How-to’s for Healthy Homes

Photo Credit: Healthy Building Consultants

Homeowners tend to experience the effects of VOCs more often as a result of sealing up their homes, because keeping the cold out often means keeping the fresh air out as well.   Where do VOCs come from? Well, if you’ve recently had carpets installed, bought new furniture, or happen to be an enthusiastic user of household cleaning products; you’re going to want to pay attention:

In addition to carpets and cleaning products, VOCs can come from new beds.  Mattresses can be big contributors to decline in indoor air quality as most are treated with chemical fire retardants.  Good for your bed’s chances of surviving a blaze, not so good for your lungs.  Carpets are big culprits for similar reasons, fibers trap and store chemicals, and synthetic carpet pads can off-gas harmful chemicals, mainly polybrominated diphenylethers, (PBDEs) that can cause illness and respiratory problems like asthma in high concentrations.  Eeek.  New furniture can also add to the problem for the same reasons. 

Another big contributor? Paint.  We all know it smells, and there’s a reason.  Traditional paint is packed full of VOCs whose effects can linger long after the paint has dried. 

Get the VOCs Out

So, what’s a homeowner to do?  Short of freezing out your home in the dead of winter, there are a lot more practical options you can take to make your home’s air a bit safer: 

Step 1: Replace all vinyl shower liners in favor of non-toxic nylon ones.  Your vinyl liner releases chemicals (toluene and methylene chloride to name a few) that can cause allergic reactions.

Step 2: Use low or no VOC paint. (Available from most major paint suppliers)

Step 3: Stop chemically cleaning carpets and furniture- look for organic cleaning solutions that don’t use harsh, highly concentrated chemicals.  Try to ditch home chemical cleaners entirely in favor of more organic options like vinegar, baking soda, etc.

Step 4: Stop dry cleaning.  Not only is it expensive, but evidence suggests that the chemicals used in the process are carcinogenic and can accumulate in your home whenever you bring your comforters, bedspreads, drapes, rugs and clothes back from the cleaners.

Step 5: Cut down on carpet.  If you’ve got the option, switch it out for hardwood or tile flooring options that don’t require chemical rich mats or stain treatments. If you can’t kick your carpet habit, clean it thoroughly with an organic cleaner and air out extensively afterwards.  You can also opt for organic fiber rugs to keep the soft under your feet.

Step 6: Invest in solid wood furniture.  Believe it or not, manufactured and pressed wood products can off-gas chemicals like formaldehyde over time as well, leading to decline in your home’s environment.  Make sure you air out rooms where you’ve got a lot of particle board products frequently, and if you’ve just bought a similar product, set up a fan to vent fumes out of your home.

All right, all right. I knew it would come.

I’ve been avoiding it like every other sun worshipping summer lover, but after all the ‘fall this’, ‘autumn that,’ I suppose it’s in our best interests to concede that maybe it might be time for another season’s transition, possibly… maybe.

What the onslaught of back to school sales and plaid scarves does not have to mean however, is that we have to sacrifice our time outside.  Not only do I refuse, but with a few cleverly crafted home ideas, you can eek out every last drop of valuable sunshine before you have to say good bye to it until spring or your next trip to a tropical location.

Get More From Every Ray

One of the best ways we know how to enjoy natural light all year long is by taking advantage of a sunroom addition or an enclosed patio.  Not only are you gaining some livable square footage, you’re gaining it in an area that’s sure to qualify for some quality time.  Think of barbeques long into October, cozying up with hot cocoa to watch the snow fall in 360 degrees. As much as I hate the thought now, when the season’s in full swing, I want to be as much a part of it as I can.  After all, if you’ve got the space, why not use it as much as possible right?         Photo Credit: Lindal Additions

Your options can also be as versatile as the climate.  If you want your enclosure to be modifiable during the summer months to regulate heat, there are many options for modular enclosures that can change along with the seasons. 

Factor in Some Sun Strategies

After a more budget friendly way to get your daily dose of vitamin D during the coming winter cold?  Bay windows are a great place to soak in the December sunshine.  Just make sure you choose well insulated and efficient windows to keep your home’s heating costs down. 

As for me, I’m not letting fall get me down just yet.  There’s still plenty of sunshine left, and I plan on making every bit count until it absolutely gets too crisp.  And then I’ll just have to console myself with some time on the slopes or some pumpkin pie.  (I suppose every season has its perks!)

So, whats in a window? Maybe more than you think.  What sunny days do for your mood, windows can do for your house.  I’m a huge proponent of natural light.  Not only will it cut down on your electricity bill, it can lift your spirits as well.  Especially if you live in an area that can be sunlight challenged (my fellow Portlanders may be able to relate) and you’re looking for ways to feel better in your house during those long winter montsh (and who isn’t?) new windows may be just what you need. 

Are you after some more UV rays, but nervous about the privacy factor?  Not only can draperies be a fun and creative option, you can cut down on potential peepers entirely by going the skylight route, an especially appealing option for bathrooms.  Bathrooms are the places you need the most privacy so it makes sense that these tend to be spaces that end up windowless more often than others.  The skylight is a great example of a way you can get the best of both worlds for your bathroom design. 

Wake Things up With Windows

I also tend to think that windows belong everywhere, big ones.  This trend seems to be popping up more and more in eco-friendly buildings, and it’s a great way to brighten up your home and take advantage of the natural resources right in your own backyard:

Photo Credit: Neil Kelly

If you’re worried about how adding windows would fit into a more urban lifestyle, this is where looking into different options for window treatments will come in handy.  Drapes and shades offer an incredibly flexible way to chose how much light you allow in, and how much, or little, the neighbors will be able to check out your digs.