DIY Quiz - Should you really do it yourself or hire a professional?

Great resource from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry -NARI. Should you save money by doing the job yourself? Do-it-yourself (DIY) jobs are a popular trend in the home improvement industry; however, before you grab a hammer and start swinging, you should know that this is a trend with a few potential problems. Before you decide to do-it-yourself, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) recommends taking this...

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Color Match Phone App from Benjamin Moore

Thanks to Ben Color Capture you can save yourself a headache when choosing the perfect color match for your home design projects. Whether you need to match an existing color on your walls or you want your living room to resemble a fresh picked melon in your fridge you can use this app to match the exact color for you from the 3,000 Benjamin Moore paint colors! All you do is snap the photo, tap the screen on the color area you want to match,...

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Room Envy: 2010 Home of the year

Well this edition of Room Envy is actually more like Home Envy because I just want the whole thing! Found this gem in Mountain Living and I drool over it every time I see the pictures. This is truly my ideal home and it's here in Vail, Colorado.... It combines a very sleek and modern look with rustic and raw mountain finishes, the result is truly breathtaking. 5280 L...

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First Time Buyers: How to Shop for your First Home

Great article over at AOL Real Estate on tips for buying your first home. There's more to think about than square footage when you're debating about moving into a home, especially in this market. Here's a good gameplan to follow. It's tempting to just go out and start shopping. After all, that's the ultimate goal and the most fun part. But doing your homework first will pay off in less stress and more savings. If you're house-hunting, whether for...

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Re-Designing a Space? How to Create a Design Board

One of the most important things you can do when thinking of re-designing a space is to create a Design Board. This will allow you to get all of your ideas in one place and make sure that all of the elements will be cohesive. The process is relatively simple and Ikea has created a nice article to walk you through the process. They also point out the difference between a design board and an inspiration board. You have two options when creating your...

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10 Cities with Fast Growing Home Buyer Interest

So a little bit of real estate info here thanks to CNBC Florida seemed to sweep the list with several locations but taking the #1 spot was Fort Lauderdale with a nearly 100% increase in home sales over last year. Surprisingly, Beverly Hills took second place which is quite interesting given the economic recession. The average home sale price in the ritzy city is mere $1,350,000. There were other unexpected cities that made the list. Detroit...

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Easy tips for winterizing your home

Check your furnace, make sure filters are fresh and clean. If you have an older furnace, consider having  it inspected and tuned to make sure it is in proper working order and running as efficiently as possible. If it is more than 10 years old you may be wasting a lot of energy and money than it's worth, consider upgrading to a new furnace. Clean your gutters. Clogged gutters allow rain and snow to pool up on your roof creating a...

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Home Gadget Fest: Gizmos and goodies for your home!

A few of the latest and greatest gadgets for your home! Some for simplicity, some for convenience, and some just because they're cool, which ones will you add to your wish list? Hidden flat screen tv's. Very 'Sherlock Homes' yet functional if you like a more tailored and sophisticated living space. Slide the art in place until you're ready for some tv time. Toe kick vacuum. By far the most useful of new home gizmos, this 'vacuum' is mounted...

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Room Envy: Master Bedroom

Whether you go with a classic, romantic, or modern design, the master bedroom should be a retreat. This is a place that you recharge and relax so take care when designing this space for yourself. Consider things like lighting both natural and artificial, paint color, window treatments, and furniture placement and keep them all conducive to sleeping. ...

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Money Saver: Xeriscaping the alternative landscape

Another money saving idea for you, Xeriscaping. Heard of it? Basically it's landscaping that is specifically designed to save water aka save money. But the other huge benefit is that it typically requires far less maintenance. It's very common here in the Denver area, we apparently coined the term back in 1978. So what is it and what does it look like? Well it can be a complex process if you take it to the extreme. There's the plan and...

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Live in your hobby... the Airpark Residence

In case you own an airplane that you need to house you don't need to bother renting a hangar... just pull up your runway driveway and park it! This is one of the most innovative designs I've seen in the architectural world in a while and it's right here in our backyard in Colorado. The Airpark Residence belongs to a spinal surgeon from Boulder, she's (yes I said SHE, go girl!) a pilot and decided that she wanted to live and breathe airplanes,...

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Room Envy: Patio edition

With summer coming to an end it's time to get ready for Fall and in Colorado that means a lot of opportunities to enjoy your patio. The moderate temperatures and cool breezes make it a perfect time to head outside without the scorching summer sun and before the chilly winter arrives. ...

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Get financing for your home & renovation: FHA 203k Loan

Purchasing a home in need of renovation can seem like a daunting task for a lot of reasons. One of which is the idea of financing the renovation costs. It's hard enough these days to qualify for the mortgage alone but tack on an additional loan to renovate and it can appear impossible. Well there's no need to worry about that anymore! The latest thing to hit the mortgage world is called a 203k loan which allows you to incorporate the cost...

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Room Envy: Wine Cellar edition

Bring on the VINO! Whether you're looking for function or design or both the options are endless with wine cellars... like accessing it through a trap door in the floor like this one......

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Room Envy, Kitchen edition

Light bright and airy these are perfect examples of a dream for anyone who loves to cook and entertain... ...

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Luxury Homes in Disney World!

According to the Wall Street Journal, it's the latest idea from Disney, creating a development of luxury homes allowing for a new way to experience "Disney" and the Orlando area. The Golden Oak housing development will offer homes from $1.5 to $8 million. It is expected to hold 450 homes and a new Four Seasons hotel. There are plans for a clubhouse, parks, walkways, and a wet lands conservation all of which is expected to be completed in 8-10...

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Planet Reuse: Reclaimed & Salvaged Materials for your project!

Stumbled onto a fantastic website today thanks to the NAHB. Planet Reuse is an excellent resource for builders, designers, and homeowners looking to find salvaged and reclaimed materials for their projects. I am a big fan of antiques and vintage goods. I love the idea of repurposing an old and unusual item or material and turning it into something new and relevant. Pair that with the green attitude of the country and you end up with...

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What does $258 Million buy you?

Well here in the Denver area it buys you an outstanding new judicial complex to house our Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Attorney Generals office! There was a massive demolition today of the previous building. The previous building was the victim of outdated and shoddy building practice from years ago and was therefore destroyed to lend way to a new complex that will be up to date and up to the standards that Denverites expect, especially in a goverment building that our precious tax dollars are funding! It just goes to show that...

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Less Is More: a new approach in home trends

Here's a great video from the Today Show. It's a good take on the changes we're seeing in home construction. Less is more seems to be the new approach. Plus some great insight from Barbara Corcoran on what home improvements will add value vs the ones that wont. Does It Add Value? Home Improvement Tips & Insi...

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A change in the tide: Renovation & Remodeling trends 2010-2011

As a result of the times people are changing the way they do things in their every day lives and those changes have now translated into the home improvement realm. There is an overall change in the tide with construction these days... One of the biggest trends we've seen this past year has been the green movement. It started as a catch phrase but has grown into an actual movement since the downturn of the economy and job market. People...

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Room Envy: Cozy Great Room

I saw this picture and fell in love with the design and architecture. My favorite parts are the wood clad windows, the architectural beams, and the grand yet subtle fireplace. I love the simple color pallet, it allows for the room to stand alone without overdoing it. It feels cozy and bright and very homey! Courtesy of Keith Waters & Associates, Inc. ~5280 L...

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Building for Energy Savings: 9 great tips

So I have to say thank you to Stewart Perry over at Planting Acorns for this list. He attended a U.S. Green Building Council and listened to a lecture from architect Norbert Lechner. Lechner is an energy expert who discussed energy efficiency and green building with the audience. Here's the 9 tips he gave to save energy straight from the building process. Now before I go into the list I think it's important to realize here that it...

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