House Design News

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• Investing in Your Home – Four Major Home Repairs That are Worth the Money
• 5 Big Questions To Think About Before You Buy A Swimming Pool
• Inspiring Flooring Design for Your New Home
• Discovering creative conservatory with stunning interior designing
• CBD Apartment by Maddison Architects

Investing in Your Home – Four Major Home Repairs That are Worth the Money Posted: 12 Nov 2013 04:16 PM PST For many people a home is not just a place to sleep and eat. A home is also a place where one can they can relax in a comfortable and safe environment. A home can also be a vehicle for investment. Many people will invest more money in their home than in anything else. Some people may also decide to buy houses as an additional source of income. Owning a home also usually means making home repairs. A house must be kept in good order if it is to function properly. Some repairs can be put off. Others will definitely pay themselves off once you sell. Heating and Cooling Repairs Many homes, especially those built more than 20 years ago have old inefficient furnaces and air conditioners.  The cost of running these older models can be nearly twice as high as a newer, more efficient model. Replacing your older model might seem expensive, but a new furnace replacement could pay for itself within a year.  If a full replacement is outside of your price range, look into having your older model cleaned and maintained. Waterproof That Basement A home should be protected against water seepage. Flooding of any sort can do a great deal of damage. If you have a basement and a wet climate, water can easily get in. Water in the basement can ruin the basement’s value as well as hurt the foundations of the house. Another reason to seal and repair cracks in the basement or foundation is to prevent dangerous radon gas from seeping into your home.  It is common practice to include a radon test in home inspections now, and a home tainted by radon will not pass. Manage Your Land Caring the land your home sits on is just as important as improving the interior. Unless you pay an association fee for landscaping, and yard care, or live in a home without a yard, this can be a great way to improve the look and value of your home. Make sure trees are well trimmed and are a safe distance from the roof and power lines, in case of a storm or wind damage.  Landscaping should fit the surrounding climate, and compliment the colors and styles of the home. Broken Roofing Materials It may have been a while since you thought about your roof, but it is an important part of your home. A roof must be maintained in good working order to prevent damage to the interior of the home. If you see any loose or broken shingles, these should be immediately repaired to avoid water damage and mold. As much as it may cost to have them replaced, it will be much cheaper than repairs you would have to do on your home if they were to cause a leak.   Owning a home (or more than one home) is a great way to build equity and save for the future. Make sure that your home is in good working condition so you can protect your investment.

5 Big Questions To Think About Before You Buy A Swimming Pool Posted: 12 Nov 2013 03:14 PM PST If you decide to buy a swimming pool for your back garden, you have to remember it’s an investment; swimming pools aren’t exactly cheap. When your pool is complete, you want to be dancing around with joy all the time. You definitely don’t want to be upset because you didn’t get what you wanted, but some people do get upset because they didn’t plan everything properly. You wouldn’t spend a huge amount of money on a car without having a plan, so don’t do the same thing with your swimming pool either. We’re going to look at some of the big questions you need to ask yourself. Obviously, there are thousands of different questions and we can’t touch on them all. However, think very carefully about these ones and then use them as a springboard to go on and think about the others. Decide what shape you want You don’t need to go with a basic option if you don’t want to. So, look around at all the wonderful variations there are out there. Hopefully, your garden is big enough, otherwise you might be left with no choice; anyone with a large enough garden is free to do whatever they want. If you’re someone who wants to stay in shape by swimming lengths every morning, you will definitely need a long pool, but other than that you might just want one that looks cool. Don’t slip around the outside When you get out of the pool and you’re soaking wet, it’s easy to slip and fall. When you choose what material you will lay around the pool, it must be something that won’t get really slippery when wet. Liquid limestone is popular and there are a few others you can use too. It’s essential your children can’t fall and bang their head because anything could happen and if you’re not there and drowning is a possible hazard. It’s all about the features This is probably the most exciting choice you have to make because there are a lot of cool features you can have built into your swimming pool. If it’s deep enough, you could have a diving board, your children might love having a big slide to play on, and you could even have a cascading waterfall running into the pool. Some features are hard to install after your pool has been built, so think carefully about them now. Do you want to go green? Some people are into saving the environment through any means necessary. If they were to have a pool, building it would have to be an eco-friendly process. If you’re one of those people, you might decide to have a salt water pool because you wouldn’t need to use all those nasty chemicals. If you wanted to keep your pool warm, you would use solar heaters and harness all your energy from our lovely sun. Consider the weather where you live We’re not all going to live in beautiful places with lovely warm climates. What happens if you live somewhere that is sometimes cold? Do you just forget about building a swimming pool, or do you build it in some kind of enclosure? If you live somewhere with a lot of wind do you plant trees and hedges around the pool to stop the worst of the wind getting through? The weather will definitely dictate what you do. Five steps forward After you have worked through everything we’ve talked about, you will be much closer to being ready. I’m sure you will agree it’s not as easy as driving down to a swimming pool supplier and picking one out. No matter which one you choose, I’m sure you will love it because you’ve planned everything carefully. The author of this post, Leslie Kramer, is a freelance blogger who is currently writing for B-Rod Pools, which is a renowned name among swimming pool companies in New Canaan. Since she is a fitness enthusiast, she is fond of boxing and swimming

Inspiring Flooring Design for Your New Home Posted: 12 Nov 2013 11:34 AM PST Building a home, buying new, or even updating an older home can be an enjoyable undertaking that will leave you with a beautiful place to live for years and years. Being able to customize everything to your liking will ensure that you will really love the place you call home, and if you are in the market for building or remodeling then surely you've been researching the best kitchen cabinets, appliances, bathroom tiles, and lighting fixtures to adorn your new abode. Something you shouldn't forget, however, is flooring. One of the best ways to create visual impact and really complete a room is to choose a floor that you love. No matter what look you're going for, there are plenty of options of durable, inspiring floor design that can help add an overall sense of beauty in your house. Let's look at a few. Come up with a plan There are several things you'll want to consider before you settle on flooring material. Think about the primary use of the room, and whether or not it will be a high-traffic area. Some flooring types, like pine wood, are better suited to areas with low traffic because they are softer and, although gorgeous, can't always stand up to constant barrages of feet and can dent if furniture is moved across them. Also, think about utility. How often will you have to clean the area? For example, if you're looking to tile a kitchen floor, consider that kitchens can get very messy. Do you want to be putting new coats of grout sealer on the floor year after year? Do you mind getting down on your hands and knees to dig out crumbs that have been ground into the grout? Keep your answers in mind as you search for flooring. The Traditional Look With some ideas in tow, you can begin to look at new floor designs. If your home is going to be somewhat traditional, hardwood is always a good choice. It comes in a variety of woods and options, and truly looks great in any style of home, not just something traditional. A great alternative to hardwood is EcoTimber, which is a recycled wood product that is very durable and looks just like hardwood flooring. This is a great choice if you want something a little more socially responsible. The Modern Look For a more modern look, try bamboo flooring. This type consists of planks that are fashioned out of compressed bamboo (which is actually a rapidly growing grass). Floors made of bamboo are typically made in very eco-friendly ways, and don't release VOCs or formaldehyde into your living environment. Bamboo will add warmth to any room, and it comes in a variety of colors to suit your decorating scheme. It adds a little bit more visual interest than regular hardwood because it has naturally occurring detailed patterns that can be seen through wood color stains. If you want something really unique, cork flooring might be a good option for you. Cork is made from bark of the cork tree, and is considered a renewable resource. It has great thermal qualities, meaning that it will keep your home insulated at whatever temperature you want. It won't let heat slip away and it'll stay cooling when you have your air conditioner running. As an added bonus, cork is hypoallergenic, and also insect and fire resistant. That means no termites and an extra layer of protection. You definitely don't want your new home to succumb to bugs or fire. A More Natural Look Looking for another natural choice? You might like Marmoleum. It is a natural form of linoleum made from linseed oil, wood flour, rosin, limestone, and jute, and is much more earth-friendly than typical vinyl or linoleum flooring. The great thing about Marmoleum is that it's available in almost any color and pattern that you can imagine. This is a great way to customize your home with a very durable material. Marmoleum makes it a little easier to add some fun with a pop of color. It's also a prudent option for bathrooms. Where hardwood would rot and tiles might become grimy, Marmoleum is antimicrobial so it won't harbor mold and dirt. It's exceptionally easy to clean as well. Above are some of the most beautiful, cost-effective flooring options available on the market today. They all meet different needs, so consider your own wish list, style, and the floor's future location in your new home before you settle on which type you want. It's easy these days to be inspired by beautiful flooring, and you can preserve the environment as well. Time to get shopping! Author Bio: Jason Phillips wrote this article. He is very much popular in interior designing articles. His designs for flooring are highly appreciated. You can also check more of his designs online at cobaeurope.com.

Discovering creative conservatory with stunning interior designing Posted: 12 Nov 2013 02:00 AM PST Building a conservatory is the smartest way to increase your living space as well as increase the use of natural light. Conservatory is one of the most popular ways to enjoy the outside views all year round without being worried about temperatures or harsh weather and climatic conditions. As we construct conservatory, we need to think about its style, its interior designing and many more things. An attractive conservatory with good interior design will give you relaxation and mental peace. In the following section we are presenting some of the common conservatory styles and some popular interior designing styles as specified by conservatory company Southampton: • Garden style conservatory is one of the most common choices of conservatory builders, which gives classy look to your conservatory with best applicable interior designing. Furniture painted with soothing colors like white or light green will give classic garden feel to any conservatory. Planting plenty of plants will keep temperature of conservatory mild and will provide a cozy atmosphere with a feeling of small garden. If you are opting for an English garden theme, you can use oak furniture to furnish your conservatory and can avoid white furniture theme. For giving more attractive look to your bird cages can be used. • Another popular style of conservatory is Mediterranean style conservatory. To give Mediterranean look to your conservatory, you can start with terracotta floor and then apply some ceramic pottery over it. Setting up indoor fountains will give your conservatory an authentic Mediterranean feel as you can get from wooden furniture. • Giving your conservatory a modern look, you can opt for modern style which includes sticking with simple clean lines without any excess ornaments. This type of conservatory is well-suited with those homes that are already decorated and designed in a modern style. Opt for Swedish furniture to give modern look to your conservatory as it is the only one that is best suited in modern houses. Applying different themes to your conservatory and clashing them together is not a good idea, instead you should opt a theme which is well-suited to your conservatory and go with the designing style of your home. • A typical conservatory is a link between the house and its exterior and so it is required that proper furnishing and a quality interior designing should be done so that it reflects proper connection between conservatory and your house. Well-designed garden furniture along with combination of softened table cloths, cushions and well-furnished seats will help to dissipate the line between your home as well as your conservatory. • You have to make an extra effort to adjust for proper lighting of your conservatory as it will contribute greatly towards providing stunning look to conservatory. Electrical points have to be well positioned as well as there should be sufficient sockets available for free-standing fittings. Ceiling mounted as well as wall mounted lanterns and lamps along with discreet spotlights give fantastic look to your conservatory. These are some of the major interior designing tips that can be followed while building a conservatory. To reflect appropriate connection of conservatory with your house, its interior designing should be done creatively in a perfect manner. Author Bio: William Mitchell, manager of conservatory company Southampton, is having expertise on different kinds of conservatories. He has clear idea of different kinds of conservatories and its related interior designing along with various different styles of conservatories. He is sharing some of the stunning interior designing tips of a conservatory for guiding conservatory builders.

CBD Apartment by Maddison Architects Posted: 11 Nov 2013 11:34 PM PST Here are pictures of CBD Apartment, designed by Maddison Architects. Located at the north end of Melbourne, this apartment has 360 degrees views of CBD. The design focused on using local materials, artisan and manufacturers.

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