Now that fall is upon us and the weather is changing the house may seem to be a little more cluttered. Our sweaters and coats a spilling out of closets and dressers. Our boots and book bags seem to have taken up permanent residence on our floors in the hall and around doorways. These seemingly minute issues do have a tenancy to pile up into one nasty mess by mid December. Before the weather takes a serious turn for the colder it’s pretty smart to get things organized, stowed and put into place now.

Winter coats and jackets are much more bulky and intrusive than those lighter jackets we use in the spring and summer. So in order to preserve your sanity in searching for the correct coat for the correct person consider utilizing coat hangers. These can be installed in closets or in the open of an entryway. By installing coat hangers and shelves in an entry or hallway, a little more character can be added to a space. This also helps keep the coats aired out and easily accessible. Shelving units can be utilized with racks and hangers to help keep our book bags, gloves and hats off the floors and organized. This can also contribute to a cleaner household by not remaining in a smelly sodden heap on the floor.

Another issue that comes up during the colder months is boot and shoe storage. While it may be fine to walk on into the house with your shoes on your feet during a dry, clear spring day, but the opposite is true for a blustering winter snow storm. Shoe racks and cubbyhole shelves can help keep footwear stored, organized and can also serve as a way to keep the wet grime from sitting on your floors and destroying them. These racks can be utilized in closets, entries and mud rooms effectively all year round. It keeps things tidy, organized, cleaner and contributes to a more efficient layout of home spaces.

Winter also brings with it gusty, low temperature winds. Doors can be blown in suddenly while the family is getting ready to go out. Checking and replacing doorstops can hep to prevent damage. Old and worn out door hardware can also let in drafts and contribute to higher heating costs. Check and repair or replace any door hinges or handles that may not work properly.

Weather stripping is particularly important in preventing drafts. Be sure to check that your doors have a good seal to prevent serious drafts. Inspect all your windows to ensure they close, seal and secure properly. Some repairs or replacements may be very helpful in keeping your house warmer and cleaner during the colder months.

Remember that winter is a time when we close our doors and windows effectively sealing ourselves off from the outside. The best way to retain heat is to ensure that those seals are effective and in good condition. As a side effect of closing ourselves in, we tend to collect both moisture and clutter from extra necessities. To prevent this from turning into a serious issue by spring, organization and proper space management can go a long way.

Water conservation starts at home. We all know this, but do we really know what that means? Of course turn off the water while brushing your teeth, and don’t let the water run to long in the shower are the first things that pop into our minds. But we can build upon our responsible habits of water conservation by utilizing efficient fixtures as well.

These include low volume toilets, efficient faucets and shower heads, and energy star high efficiency appliances like dishwashers and washing machines. Any of these items, if installed during your next remodeling project can save hundreds of dollars a year. Not to mention the environmentally responsible aspects of greater efforts at water conservation. Our pocket books like the environment can be severely depleted by our irresponsibility regarding water conservation.

In addition to financial and environmental responsibility, our new fixtures and appliances can be quite attractive. No one likes using a tarnished and crusted over sink faucet. Make your bathroom look good and work even better with low volume fixtures. The benefits of replacing your fixtures with low volume replacements can prevent future problems and expenses. If your current faucet or shower head is crusted over with hard water deposits the reliability of good seals is reduced. Water damage can become quite extensive from a very small leak. Thus by replacing a faucet and a shower head at around $50.00 each, you could be saving costly tile, flooring and carpentry work in the future. Your toilet too, can use up a lot of water, and if there is a leak nothing pleasant can be expected in the repairs. Replacing with a new low volume toilet cuts down your water usage by up to three gallons a flush. The replacement with also provide you the opportunity to inspect the seating flange and valve for any necessary repairs.

Get your clothes and dishes clean with high efficiency, low volume appliances. You can expect a better cleaning of your wardrobe and dishes from these newer washers then even those ten years old. This is the result of cleaner water being used in lower quantity which results in fewer hard water deposits and more efficient cleaning technologies. Each high efficiency appliance include a water filtration system that removes extra particles from the water. This in turn, requires less water for soaking and rinsing. Thus your clothes and dishes come out cleaner with fewer minerals dried in the the fibers or onto the surface. All this is done with less water and energy, saving your money in the interim.

Be sure to look at your plumbing lines to assess if additional repairs may be needed. Early detection of issues can prevent serious problems down the line. Besides repairs and replacements to water and drain lines are much more easily done during the initial replacement rather than after. Repairs after may also have lead to damage which could cost more money, time and effort than the initial replacement of an old and crusted valve.

Ever walk into a room and trip over something on the floor while tracing the wall with you fingertips looking for the switch? If your like most people today, this has happened to you more than once. Not only do we all struggle with those illusive light switches, but out of reach ceiling fans can be a pain to switch settings or turn on and off as well. There are many different solutions to these problems and a few handy household electrical gadgets that can make life so much easier.

Lighted or glowing switch plates and switches can make the locating those troublesome switches much less of a bother. Plates can glow by utilization of phosphorescent coatings that absorb light during the day and glow with a pale light in the dark that is easily seen. The switches themselves can be treated with the same phosphorescent coating. Although in many cases the switch itself is equipped with a bulb that automatically turns on when the switch is turned to the off position. This light stands out distinctly in the dark and makes finding the light switch more convenient.

For less obvious solutions to the run away light-switch problem, many people have turned to the use of remotes. These remotes can come in many forms and perform many handy functions. The simplest is a key fob remote, which can turn on your lights inside from a distance of up to 50 ft away and around corners in many cases. This gives a little added security by being able to actually turn on the lights inside the house from the outside. Other types of remotes can be set for more than one light or set of lights. These tend to take on the more traditional appearance of a remote and can vary in size. For example, a universal lighting and component remote can change the settings of your fan, turn on specific lights, and turn down the volume on your home electronics.

Before considering a particular remote for your home consider first, your particular needs. It can be frustrating to have a highly technical remote that would be able to control lighting, home entertainment components, open garage doors, and engage security systems if all that was needed as a simple remote to turn on the lights inside the house while carrying an armload of groceries to the kitchen. Likewise it can be discouraging to have a remote that performs only part of what you may need it to do.

Once you have an idea of what you may be in need of, consider your current lighting and component arrangement. While many lights will work wonderfully with a remote, many may not. Consult your electrician about any additional equipment that may be needed for the best suited remote set up. It may be necessary too, for you to invest in more than one remote. If there are multiple family members or more than one major entry point of your house, a second remote could be a very good idea.

When planning out a remodeling or renovation project the design can be the most fun and sometimes one of the most frustrating aspects. Rarely is the initial designing taxing or irritating in any way. In fact selecting the finishes for your walls, floors, and surfaces can be an exciting game. But when it comes down to the actual installation improper preparation can thwart a gorgeous design into a hobbled version of itself. By carefully planning out any obstacles that may come up, including code requirements, product ratings, electrical and plumbing capacities, we can be more confident that the final product will closely resemble the original image we were hoping for.

Measure twice and cut once is a mantra heard echoing on any job site. The same can be said, with slight modification, to designing. Measure twice, design once. Proper measurements of the existing space and layout of all fixtures and lines is imperative in planning out a new space, particularly if the new space will not keep its original dimensions. Knowing precisely how the original was laid out down to a fraction of an inch, can help with properly laying out the new floor, electrical, plumbing, and in some cases structural plans. Note also in your original layout where the electrical and plumbing mains are in relation to the project area.

The placement of the mains can have a dramatic effect on the cost of a remodel. If your kitchen sink and dishwasher were at one end of the kitchen, directly above the main water lines to the water heater, it is going to cost more to move them to the opposite side of the kitchen than to reinstall them in a position close to the original location. Likewise, electrical feeds must be run for new appliances or lighting. Sometimes the projected scope of work calls for more than the capacity of the existing electrical panel can carry. If this is the case, a sub panel must be installed, this is no small matter. Is it becoming clear why planning and careful attention to detail must be paid while still in the designing phase?

Another issue to pay close attention to is your actual fixture and finish product selection. For instance if you are replacing an electric stove for a gas one, be sure to plan for running gas lines and the appropriate electrical to accommodate. Not all appliances can just be plugged in. Another example would be counter tops. Marble is beautiful and costly, thus making it a much desired and sought after surface. Be sure to ask about it’s rating and maintenance. Travertine has been sealed with a resin to make the surface of the marble less absorbent, while a natural quarry marble has not. The effects of both can be quite different, but one is prone to staining and needs sealing in order to preserve its beauty more so than the other. Speak with your supplier about ratings for any and all finishes you plan on using, and what to expect from them in your particular installation. This can head off extra work, expense, and headache down the road.

Be mindful as you prepare for your project and remember that proper planning will give you the best result which will closely mirror the image you have set for the final. While poor planning will often result in frustration and extra cost. Enjoy the game of designing your remodel or renovation from start to finish by heading off problems before they have a chance to become one.

In times of tightened economies, such as we are now experiencing, our budgets get smaller and our projects get put on hold or downsized. Sometimes, however, we are faced with a situation that demands our attention and become full fledged remodeling projects. But how to afford them becomes a real trouble for many of us. There are ways of keeping a project within budget and of controlling cost over runs.

Be sure to have more than one estimate done on your project before moving forward. No one person or company will be the end all, be all of remodeling projects. Besides, you must be comfortable and confident in their skills if this is going to be a successful working relationship. Write your questions down and be sure to ask all of them. There is no silly question and having all your concerns addressed up front and honestly is the best way to proceed. It will also be noted by the builder that you will be involved in this project and honesty begets honesty.

Once you have decided on who is going to be doing the work, consider how much you will want to be involved in the actual labor and installation. You may have quite a few skills to draw upon. Any work you are able and willing to do yourself will help drive the costs down on your project. Keep in mind though, that this may affect the schedule of your project. Be sure that if you are providing some of your own labor in the project that you will be working within the projected time frame set up with your builder. This will help to avoid problems that may arise in the future.

The materials used in your remodeling project are a large part of the overall cost. Be sure to research your final selections carefully. Speak with your suppliers and your builder about options for economical and ecological options available to you. Your order may be placed in tandem with others in order to make use of bulk rates or reduced shipping costs. On line dealers are often very cost effective, but careful attention must be paid to the dimensions. Local dealers too, are an effective way of keeping costs down and quality up. They also help support the local economy in your area.

Plan out your floor plans carefully and make the most efficient use of all areas and surfaces. Often a less expensive answer can be found in modifying a floor plan or product selection. You may find that you like the look of one brand of cabinets, but they wont’ work with your floor plan without expensive modifications and extra time. By looking at alternatives you may be surprised to find a simpler, more cost effective way of accomplishing the very effect you were looking for through another manufacturer.

Above all, take the time to carefully reflect upon the parameters of the projects and your needs. A well planned decision rarely leads to expensive alterations or repairs in the future. Speak often with your builder about the project as it moves forward. This way you will be sure to be informed of potential issues before they become real problems. Above all else, do not commit yourself to physically working on the project unless you are able to work within the time constrains and posses the skills necessary to complete the task you have set yourself to. Taking on to much can lead to higher costs and many headaches. Careful planning can head much of this off and keep your project well within your original budget.

Cabinets are the first thing one notices when they enter a kitchen. Sleek cherry cabinets with elegant under lighting create quite an impression. But did you know that you can further this impression with the proper choice of cabinet knobs and pulls? A cabinet can be made even more elegant with a sleek low-profile handles, playful with a brightly colored clay or porcelain knobs, or more efficient with a sensible handles chosen to enhance the wood and finish of the cabinets.

By installing a handle, knob, or pull on your cabinets and drawers you are adding to the life of your cabinets as well. After years of gripping a drawer face with fingertips or nails, the finish can chip and peel off. Not to mention, by hanging on the cabinet doors with a strong hand grip we tend to put undue pressure on the hinges, which can pull loose from the door itself or the supporting style on the face of the cabinet. Preventing this problem, and the costs associated with, is easily done with good quality knobs or pulls.

By installing the door pulls up from the bottom corner and more in the center of the door style, pressure will be dispersed more evenly and prevent pulling the hinges free. Similarly, by installing the drawer pulls in the center of the drawer face, you can prevent the face from being pulled away from the body of the drawer where the fingers tend to grip. Also, by using handles and knobs, our hands do not damage the finish of our cabinets, thus giving them a longer lasting finish and life. No one likes ugly, chipped, or damaged cabinet faces.

If you are looking to spruce up your kitchen without getting into a major remodeling project, knobs and door handles may be your solution. The price of a handle can be very inexpensive and create a very pleasing visual effect. Your kitchen can be made to feel quite different and more efficient too.

Suppliers carry such variety of options for knobs, pulls, and handles that anyone would be able to find something that suits them and the needs of their kitchen. When it comes to style you may find that you are drawn in a number of directions as well. Do not limit yourself to a single style or type of handle for your entire kitchen. Try mixing and matching different types of pulls. Use one kind for your glass mullioned cabinets and another for your solid faced cabinets. Then use another for your drawers or island cabinets. Play around with your tastes and the selections available. The end product is always interesting and your kitchen may be made to feel new with out the new kitchen price tag.

Bathroom remodels are one of the quickest and easiest ways of increasing our home’s value. Simple things like new faucets, nice tile, new sink and toilets, and a little paint can make the bathroom feel completely new and valuable. Not only does it increase the value of a home, but a new bathroom makes for a more pleasant feeling for those who live in the home. A quiet and peaceful room to indulge in a aromatherapy bath, or even a secluded location for some light “reading”.

Before starting your bathroom remodel take stock of your current bathroom fixtures, layout, and condition. Get an idea of what is working for the room and what is not. It is not always necessary to completely gut and redo the bathroom in order to achieve the results you’re after. There are times when light remodel work will do the trick quite nicely.

Examine your walls and look for any soft spots, holes and areas where the tile may be coming off the wall. This may be an indicator of rot. Moisture and poor ventilation are most likely the cause, and patching the walls may be necessary. Consider replacing or installing a good quality bathroom fan to prevent this problem in the future. Similarly, your floors should be inspected. Look for discoloration, soft spots, or areas where the flooring may be coming loose from the substrate.

Examine all of your lighting and plumbing fixtures for sings of corrosion or faulty parts. If the thing is just plain ugly, you will probably be replacing it anyway. Still, it is a good idea to look for signs of trouble regardless of whether or not it is going to be replaced. Knowing ahead of time if there is a plumbing leak or bad wiring may prevent frustration down the road.

Once you know what kind of issues you are looking at, it is time to consider the fun stuff. The selection of finish product, this means, vanities, light fixtures, tile, toilets, faucets, and paint. Be sure to measure the old fixtures in case you want to reuse the exiting wiring or plumbing lines. These measurements can be crucial. Take samples of tile and paint back home so you can get an idea of what the final result will look in the setting.

Be sure, when choosing tile, that the selections you make for floor, wall, and perhaps counter tops are rated appropriately. Some tiles work wonderfully in shower surrounds, but lacking in a floor installation, and vice verse. Paint too, should be carefully considered. The bathroom is the most heavily used room in the house, and is expected to handle lots and lots of moisture for extended periods of time. Many interior paints are lovely and provide wonderful options, but not all will not stand up to this kind of use. It would be a shame if all that hard work you put into your bathroom was completely negated when your paint did not hold a good seal against the moisture. Thereby letting your walls begin to rot again. Ask your paint supplier for information on how to be sure your paint selection will hold up well in a high use area.

Above all else, explore your creativity and have fun with your project. Play with fixture styles and tile designs. It is your bathroom and you are going to be using it often. So be sure that you do not settle on something that doesn’t quite suit you. Constipation caused from poor tile selections is never pleasant, and you want to be proud of your work. So, have fun.

Home lighting has come a long way from the glass domes spaced directly in the middle of each room, with perhaps a fancy ceiling fan in the bedrooms. Now we have such a multitude of lighting options that we can almost turn to lighting as an art from in itself. Lights can be used to wash a particular wall in just such a way as to imply more space or height. Light can be installed to provide subtle mood lighting or can illuminate a room to the point of hospital sterility. It can be a difficult task to design and layout the perfect lighting plan that is more than just light to see by in the evening hours.

So how does one go about working with lighting in order to produce an artistic effect while still providing a functional home setting? By playing with it of course. Look into different lighting options by reading magazines on home remodeling. Look through the uncatalogued and on line inventory of your provider. Consider what kind of options they have. Then imagine new uses for those lights and setting in which you may want to have them installed.

Options for lighting uses come in a variety of styles. Small low voltage lights can be hidden behind molding or in niches built into walls and ceilings. This kind of back lighting washes the surface behind with a soft glow and makes a room feel phosphorescent rather than lit. Recessed lighting provides direct light that can be controlled to the point of almost pinprick. They can illuminate an area directly below, above or off to one side. Lenses harness the light and direct it in a specified manner. Hanging or pendant lights can be stylish and provide setting to a room.

Color of shades, lenses, and other kind of diffusion’s or bulbs can alter the effect of a light fixture dramatically. A red lit room make a much different statement than a yellow lit room. Using color diffusion or bulb is a good way of defining areas in wider spaces as well. A seating area lit with a low hanging overhead red tinged light in a larger room, feels private, almost intimate. A blue light set in the floor almost makes the are look smoky, and implies an ambiance of mellow shared space. Playful rope lighting hidden behind a boxed in raised ceiling, defines an area terrifically for games or home movie viewing.

A room is simply a room, until the proper ambiance is assigned to it. An underused and effective tool in doing this is lighting. By exploring the available products and playing with the setting, any room can be dramatically altered with the proper attention given to the lighting. Take time with your installer to talk about your ideas, and see what they suggest. You supplier will often have ideas and examples in their inventory catalogs that may help with this too.

Well done! You new remodel project turned out fantastic. You put so much effort into choosing just the right tile, fixtures and lighting. Your cabinetry compliments the angles of your plumbing fixtures and your window treatments. What, you think something is missing? Could it be perhaps that you chose a white or off white color for your wall paint? Maybe a little color kick would finish your room off just the way you like it.

A little dose of color, or kick in the color pants is quite appropriate in many cases. A room’s mood, and feeling can be affected by the color chosen for the walls. Wall color can influence those present in the room to more tender moods, more formal attitudes, a casual and familiar feeling, and any other emotion one wishes to influence. Bright colors can make a room feel like it’s full of sunflowers. The sea and the beach can be brought in with the right color combination’s. Even seasons can be evoked with careful consideration of color and coordination.

It only takes a little planning, and a day or so to paint. With paint you can have an almost entirely new room. You new remodeling project can be finished off and generate an even more enthusiastic response from you, and those you show the room to, than you anticipated. Painting is not something that you necessarily have to hire out either. You can take pride in having had a hand in the final result of the project and show it off to your friends and family. They will be impressed with your bold color strategy, even if it’s not exactly the color scheme they would have chosen for themselves.

You can’t go wrong if you play with wall color options. If you don’t like the color you’ve chosen, simply chose another. Purchase sample cans of different paint colors. Paint swatches of the colors in different areas in the room and watch how the light plays with it. By watching the color change in the fading light you will see such a range of color that you may not have expected. Compare the colors to your furniture, window treatments and fixtures in the room. Do this throughout the day, and see how different light affects it. Make it a game and enjoy yourself. When relaxed and curious about wall color, selection becomes easier and more bold. One may find particular shades that would have been over looked when settling for white, beige or cream.

Enlist the help and opinions of others too. Insight and from people who are walking into a room without a preset notion of what is to be expected or desired, can often provide just the right angel from which to regard the choices. The perfect color for your room may be a shade in between two colors you have sampled on your walls, and that one stray comment from your neighbor may be just what you need to bring that to your attention.

Kitchen remodeling includes selection of cabinets, appliances, flooring, counter top surfaces, paint color and all manner of accents. But did you know that the layout of your kitchen can be changed to suit your very particular needs, tastes and to maximize the space available to you. This includes moving appliance locations, rerouting plumbing and electrical. In larger projects, walls can even be moved or removed completely.

The layout of your work stations is very important when designing your new kitchen layout. Reflect upon what kind or surfaces would work best for your use. Counter tops can be built to include cutting boards for those who use a lot of fresh vegetables. Raised bar tops are convenient for those breakfast bar fans, and for those of us who are neat freaks, over sized sinks or built in dish drainers are appealing. Islands too, can be utilized to expand particular work areas. Avid cooks find a center island stove with plenty of surrounding counter space is very useful and convenient.

In any kitchen the work stations are divided up into three main work areas, the stove, the sink, and the fridge. These work stations make up the primary working triangle of the kitchen. All other work and storage areas are arranged within and around the primary working triangle. Each of the main stations should be arranged with in nine feet and no less than three feet of each other. This will allow for enough room for more than one person to work within the triangle without impeding upon each other. By keeping the distances within nine feet, nothing will take more than a few steps to reach. Excessive travel between stations makes food preparation more tedious and less enjoyable. Efficiency and effectiveness are well accommodated within these guidelines.

Some people can easily envision a proposed space and others have a considerable amount of trouble seeing a 3d result in an empty room. To help with understanding what to expect from your space take a chalk line or tape into your empty kitchen and mark out where you are thinking of putting your new cabinets and appliances. This will assist greatly in ensuring the proper materials have been ordered, and you will have a clearer understanding of what you can really do with your space.

In addition to floor plan of workstations all kitchen remodel projects must contend with storage needs and appropriate aesthetics. Evaluate your food storage needs as well as you cookware and dishes. Would you like to display your dishes in glass cupboards? Do you have a lot of pots and pans that need big lower cabinets or drawers? Also consider your households food storage needs. Would a large pantry benefit you more or would a side by side refrigerator? Any and all of these choices can lead to a dramatically different end result in laying out your kitchen. Speak with a cabinet supplier about your needs. Have a sketch drawn up so you can have an idea of what it is your kitchen will look like with your selections. It is best to do as much research as you can before hand in order to ensure your new kitchen layout meets your needs and matches your tastes. Be adventurous and look into options that may seem a little different than you have had in the past, it may turn out that you have stumbled upon your dream kitchen.