Home Interior 000: May 2010

How Much Does It Cost To Build a House in Massachusetts

Good afternoon Carl, I have to admit, I love the posts you have up here as they are very informative to me. My wife and I have selected a house plan to build from Don Gardner plans. The plan is The Manchester - House Plan# W-718. Would you be able to use this as one of your examples?Thanks!MichaelHi Michael,Sure, I’d be glad to.You chose an attractive “Traditional”

Pollen Clouds Hazing Up the Memorial Day Weekend Skyline

Pollen Clouds Blanketing New HampshireBy Mark J. DonovanI looked out my front windows late this morning and saw this thick haze over Lake Winnipesaukee. It was as if it was late July with 90 degree temps and equal humidity levels. The only difference was that this haze had a yellow tint. It was pollen.We've had very little rain in central New Hampshire for the past several weeks and the pollen

Cleaning Your Deck

By Mark J. DonovanIf you want to keep your deck looking like new then you should plan on cleaning your deck a few times a year. On top of that you should at least sweep or hose it down once every few weeks depending upon the time of the year. In the spring, for example, when the pollen is blowing off of the trees you should plan on hosing down your deck once a week. Otherwise you'll find yourself

Cost to Build a House in Utah

This compact yet spacious house from houseplansandmore.com (House Plan #592-007D-0086) is open and airy. There is an L-shaped front porch that leads to a spacious entrance foyer.A super-sized great room enjoys a vaulted ceiling, fireplace and opens to the breakfast room with snack bar and an ideal kitchen that has an abundance of cabinet storage.A luxurious first floor master bedroom has an

Solar Cooling - Air Conditioning From the Sun

by: Hans DekkerAt first glance, solar cooling looks like an oxymoron. However, the same energy that can provide heat in the wintertime can also provide cooling during the summer.Several passive cooling systems have been developed and tested. At their simplest, they rely on a coolant that absorbs and dissipates heat from the house. This could be a pool of water on the rooftop which absorbs seat

Modern Bedroom Design Furniture with Cherrywood in Orange by Arredamentidiotti

Orange and white color combination become a beautiful theme in a modern bedroom, see these beautiful bedroom furniture set, designed by Arredamentidiotti, a company that create several modern bedroom furniture set. They Selling world-famous and less reknowned brands is complemented by direct production in their artistically laboratory, thus allowing a winning fusion among customization needs,

Beautiful Oak Floor and Wall Paneling Design Ideas

What blogs like ours look out for when browsing through websites of furniture makers and suppliers to feature on our site are a great collection of visuals that show product realisations. Unfortunately very few makers seem to get this. Just to be clear, we are not really into flashy UIs, intro animations or doorway pages. What we are looking for is images(in decent resolution) of how your product looks in an actual home environment.

Oak furniture maker Harper and Sandilands scores a perfect 10 on this. Their website sports a great collection of visuals of oak floorings and they have been gracious enough to provide separate images for each finish of hardwood floorings. What particularly caught our attention are rooms that have used oak for roofs. At first glance the room looks upside down!

Deck Maintenance

How to Properly Maintain a DeckBy Mark J. DonovanRegular deck maintenance is a necessity, face it or not. So the main question to ask yourself is do you prefer to perform minor deck maintenance work regularly, or wait and deal with more significant and expensive deck maintenance problems down the road. I prefer the former, as I like to save money and I like my decks looking like new as much as

Resale Value

We are building our own home that we may resell.Can we expect more money from installing natural gas utilities or by just pointing out that natural gas is available?HenryHenry,No, you can’t expect more money for installing natural gas utilities (utilities = heating, hot water, & cooking, etc.). Nor can you expect more money for installing electric utilities.Utilities of one kind or the other are

Going Bananas For Bamboo

Bamboo is everywhere these days, whether its products made from bamboo or decor that displays bamboo. There are hundreds of different species of this fast growing, tropical plant. Not only is bamboo appreciated by many for its beauty and visual appeal, bamboo is also a valuable material for creating home decor and even textiles because of how sustainable it is. Bamboo is known as an eco-friendly

10 Amazing Bedrooms Design with a Panoramic View of the Ocean

Beachfront properties are very desirable for a lot of people because they’re regarded as a rare commodity. Not everyone will have the privilege of owning a piece of property that’s close to the beach because of how limited and expensive such types of properties are. Although properties so close to the Ocean are among the most expensive, they still remain one of the best investments one can make. The property almost always retains its value and is rarely affected by recession or other economic factors. Many people are nervous about buying beach front property because of the frequently high initial cost and the out of the way location.

However the current foreclosure crisis has made now the perfect time to invest in a beautiful piece of beach front property. In today post I don’t want to suggest you to buy a beachfront propriety, but I would like to show you a collection of amazing bedrooms that provide a panoramic view of the ocean, images of clear blue skies and beautiful tropical blue beaches. Some are fortunate enough to live by the ocean and get to enjoy it’s beauty year around, but for those of you who don’t have this privilege here are some amazing bedrooms and of course some amazing panoramic ocean views.

Amazing Bedrooms Designs Ideas

Bedrooms Designs Ideas

Amazing Bedrooms Designs Ideas

Seyfarth Shaw LLP Modern Office Interior Design with Natural Daylight, New York

A modern office interior design, these beautiful office is the office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, designed by Gensler, a law firm's office with 100,000 square feet on three floors of The New York Times Building. Gensler’s design accentuates transparency, capitalizing on the building’s glass curtain wall to maximize natural daylight and frame skyline views. Perimeter private offices feature clear glass

Planning to Build a House

Carl,My wife and I have a goal to build a home in 5 years in northern Utah.We're hoping that gives us some time to save up some cash to have on hand. We know what land we'd like, but don't have the money to do it now. In any case, how early is too early to start planning things? I know material, land, and labor costs change over time so what I find out now, may not be what I get closer to

Virtual Windows Technology

Waking up in the same place every morning is boring. Thankfully, there’s a solution in the form of Winscape virtual windows.The idea is fairly simple: take two 46 inch full-HD TVs, put them on their side, and then bolt them to the wall. Add a façade over the front, some window frames, and you’ve got yourself a pair of embedded displays that appear to be windows. The system is smart enough to

White-Beige Airy Interior Design with French Furniture

This spacious loft space in SE London is designed to be used as photo shooting location. Its interior is done in white-beige color theme which looks very light and airy. White walls and white painted floorboards highlight beauties of classic distressed French furniture with beige colored elements. The space features 24 foot ceiling and 12 foot windows that bring a huge amount of daylight in the interior. Even though it isn’t always possible to create such interior in real life its airy design is a great example of what you could achieve with using of similar color theme.

White-Beige Interior Design Ideas

White-Beige Airy Interior Design Ideas

White-Beige Airy Interior Design

French Furniture Interior Designs

French Furniture

French Furniture Designs Ideas

French Furniture Designs

Arches

I wanted to know the advantages and disadvantages of arches in architecture.When are they "needed", and could you give some examples?I would really appreciate that.Thanks,BatoolBatool,Arches were originally developed to span openings with masonry units such as bricks or stone blocks, and they are still widely used for this purpose. As building technology developed, arches were also formed from

Amalia Hotel Cafe and Restaurant Lighting Design, Simple, Elegant and Modern

Lighting is an important thing in room arrangement, a simple, luxury or modern lighting system will affect in to the perform of the room, here are several sample of lighting design of Amalia Hotel cafe and restaurant. Amalia's decadent 7,000-square-foot bi-level layout is comprised of multiple distinctive rooms each with its own flair and unique vibe. The Portrait Gallery boasts intimate and

Prevent Water Damage in the Laundry Room

by: Terry AllenThe washer and drier are usually located in the laundry room and create heat and moisture. Simple maintenance is required to help avoiding water problems and mold.The WasherThe washer is connected to both cold and hot water lines. Check them frequently. Start with the joints and fix a leak if you find it. Be sure to check both ends of the water lines. Clean or replace the filters

Cost of Stucco Repair

Mr. Heldmann,I live in Phoenix, Arizona and I just got a quote of $400.00 to repair the stucco and repaint it for approximately 30 sq ft of my front wall. The scope of the job includes removing, re-applying, and repainting the stucco. I just wanted to know if this is a reasonable price for this scope of work. Your opinion is appreciated.Thank you,Kim W.Hi Kim,According to U.S. Inspect ,

New Asian Decor

It's no wonder why Asian decor is so popular here in America. Especially Oriental style Asian decor and art from places such as China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. These countries are rich with culture, beautiful natural scenery and distinctive architecture. Its a perfect way to add an exotic, colorful touch to your home. With thousands of years worth of history and culture, Chinese art and decor

Pink Color in Apartment Interior Design Ideas by Tribeca Lofts

Ghislaine Viñas is an interior designer who really enjoy pink and green colors. Even her website shows that. Among her works there are two loft designs in Tribeca, New York, which interiors also could show that. Even though these interiors are quite neutral they features several places, where pink accents add life in them. The best thing about using the way the designer does is that these rooms with pink touches don’t look like they are designed for young girls. Cheerful pink highlights not only make rooms cozy but also make them more modern. Pink is always goes hand by hand with fashion

Pink Color in Apartment Interior Design

Apartment Interior Design

Pink Color in Apartment Interior Design Ideas

Budget Spreadsheet

Carl,Where do I go to purchase the spreadsheet?NickiHi Nicki,I have two spreadsheet available and they are both free.Note: If you are not familiar with using a spreadsheet it's NO big deal. Click here for my free instructions on cost estimating and using a spreadsheet. One of the free spreadsheets requires you to have Microsoft Excel software installed.The other, and better one (I feel) comes "

Concrete Block and Stucco - CBS Homes

Hi Carl, I enjoy your web site a great deal.I’m in carpentry school (in Seattle) because I would like to build my own house. The problem I am concerned about is that carpentry school teaches wood framing. Will my skills as a carpenter be applicable in Port St. Lucie, Florida, an area where CBS is the standard method of construction?Thanks much, BarryNote to Readers: CBS Stands for Concrete

CSN Store Review

Last June, I did a great giveaway with my sponsor, CSN Stores. They have over 200 online stores with great products for home decorating, including stylish bathroom vanities, bedroom furniture, wall clocks, mirrors and much, much more. My winner last year was Michelle Underwood and she chose the Monkey Table Lamp with Twig Shade. You can read about my 2009 CNS Store Tropical Lamp Givaway here.This

Lounge and Bar Interior Design at Salzburg, The Coffe-In

Restaurant bar interior design - the bar in the Coffe-In is planned with wonderful color contrast and material-mixes became a tendencyful center of the entire restaurant cycle ' ' coffe-In '' in Salzburg.Restaurant bar interior design - the Lounge is the maintenance area, bar and restaurant offers a really good feeling for the visitors.this special Bardesk is the functional and visual center in

Summer Quilt Sale & Quilt Care

With summer approaching, the time to store your heavy winter comforter is here. Lightweight quilts are a great choice for bedding during the warm months. If your quilt has been stored and needs a wash to freshen it up, follow these tips for cleaning and caring for all of your quilts. And don't miss the coupon code at the end of this post to get an extra 10% off on my adult Country

Advantages of Buying Land in a Development

Hello Carl!Thank you for all your wonderful resources! We are in the process of buying a lot to build our first home on so it's nice to have a resource like this where all my questions can be answered in one place!I have one question regarding a boring test. I read the response you gave Rob C. in the question titled "Buying Land Tips - Soil Analysis."You mentioned that you need a boring test if

Post Frame Construction

Carl,I am considering building a home using Post Frame construction on a basement, similar to what Morton Buildings uses. The vertical posts are attached to the top of the foundation wall using metal anchor brackets. What are the drawbacks, if any, to this type of construction?Thank you, AhrensHi Ahrens,For those unfamiliar with the term Post Frame Construction, Post Frame, or Timber framed,

House Prices Rebounded Last Quarter in Hardest hit Housing Markets

By Mark J. DonovanThe housing market continues to show small signs of improvement according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Housing prices actually increased in the past 3 months in 91 cities across the United States. Hardest hit communities saw home sale prices increase dramatically. Saginaw, Michigan, for example, saw home sale prices double over the past quarter to an average

Cost to Build a Home in Florida

Hi Carl:I want to build my home in Florida; any idea what cost would be to build small two level home in Sebring Florida on the lake?Also, any idea of a combo to buy land to build and financing?Thanks for your input,AdelaHi Adela,Here’s a neat Florida lake house from HousePlansandMore.com (HAD, Inc) with only 1,484 sq ft of heated area. With the porch, daylight walkout basement and lots of glass

Cost to Build a House in Alabama

Carl, what will a 2,400 Ranch with 800 sq ft of non living area cost to build per sq. ft. in Birmingham AL.?Thanks,BarryHi Barry,800 sq ft of non living space is a big area that will add considerable construction cost unless you utilize an area in an unfinished basement or attic.Since you are interested in a ranch (one level) if you build it with a basement, you will have a huge area of non

Pending Existing Home Sales Highest in 5 Months but Will it Last?

By Mark J. DonovanPending sales on existing homes hit a 5 month high in March according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Much of this was surely due to the home purchasing tax credit expiring on May 1. So it begs the question, is this positive housing statistic a trend or a flash in the pan? Only time will tell.I wouldn’t be surprised, however, if it is the latter, at least for the

5 Qualities to Look for When Choosing a Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home

By Mark J. DonovanSelling a home in a rough real estate market is a big challenge. Selling a home in a rough real estate market means thinking lower for the asking price and making sure the home is in good to excellent shape. Selling a home also requires a savvy and hard working real estate agent. Summarized below are 5 qualities to look for when choosing a real estate agent.1) Confirm that the

Amazing Luxury Minimalist House with Spectacular Swimming Pool by A-Cero

19 Housing is one of the latest works by A-Cero, an architecture studio that designs truly amazing contemporary houses, located near Madrid, Spain. The house’s front is made of marble travertino and there are many windows in it. In addition to simple shapes and straight lines that make the 1,600 square meter structure looks light and simple. There are three floors in the house: the basement, the ground floor and the second floor. The garage and service spaces are in the basement, while the most public spaces are in the first floor. Bedrooms and more private rooms are in the high floor. Besides truly amazing landcape there are a 80 square meter spectacular swimming pool near the house. The finished project is a great example of luxury that comes hand by hand with minimalism.

Luxury Minimalist House Design with Swimming Pool

Luxury Minimalist House Design

Luxury Minimalist House Design with Swimming Pool

Luxury Minimalist House Design