23
April
2006
Many people can afford to spend a lot on interior decor, but are choosing not to. These people don’t have thousand dollar antiques, but prefer the custom look of handmade and yard sale type decorations.
There are many places to get great buys on interior decorations that include yard sales, flea markets, auctions, and even estate sales.
One of the biggest aspects of interior design and bargain hunting is to know what you want before you go shopping. You don’t have to know the exact item, but you should know the style. Or you should be able to see the design coming together with the item you are considering purchasing.
Keep those tips in mind while going on a bargain hunting interior decoration shopping trip.
Posted: Bathroom, Bedroom, Decorating, Design, Furnishings, Interior, Kitchen
18
April
2006
The bathroom is no longer just for showering and using the facilities. Modern bathrooms have become works of art and are often the centerpiece of a new home.
If your home is in need of a bathroom remodel, keep these simple tips in mind before you break the first tile.
1. Have a plan.
For most people, a written set of instructions would be perfect. For others, you might want to sketch it out on a few pieces of paper. For the artists among us, you may prefer to paint or draw a large size (8″ x 10″) scale drawing so you can visualize the colors and places you will put that huge corner jacuzzi.
2. Identify the necessities.
If the main reason you are upgrading your bathroom is because you want a larger shower, pick that out first. Go down to Lowe’s Home Improvement store and find the exact shower you want. Then plan the rest of the bathroom around that shower. Many people want to upgrade the shower or tub. If you are looking for a jacuzzi (spa, hot tub, whatever), the find the model you want, get the dimensions, and figure out how you can get it to fit.
3. Identify the non-essentials.
These are the things like double sinks, a nicer toilet, more cabinet storage space, a larger window, etc. After you know what the focus of the bathroom will be, see what your budget and physical space constraints will allow for the non-essentials that you would like, but aren’t mandatory.
4. Identify your budget and can it be modified?
For many people a budget is a great idea. You know how much money you have to spend and what you want to spend it on. Others really don’t have a budget, you just want your bathroom the way you want it, regardless of price. For both people, looking at the total cost is a good idea. Factor in the essentials and non-essentials and come up with an approximate price that you think the entire project will cost. Is it worth spending that money?
5. Can you do all of the work?
If you are like me, you can do most of the work yourself. The work you can’t do you can learn out of a book or manual. However, I usually don’t like to mess with electrical. When installing the corner jacuzzi in my bathroom, I had an electrical contractor finish the new electrical in the bathroom. This is a definite cost that needs to be considered. If you don’t know how much this should cost, get a few estimates from different companies and you should be in the ballpark.
If you follow these 5 steps before you start your bathroom remodel, you’ll be on your way to a bathroom that you will never want to leave!
Here are a few links to bathroom remodels you might want to check out:
FoldedSpace.org has some great pictures of a bathroom remodel with before and after pics.
BusinessWeek.com has an article about when and how to update an old bathroom.
TheRealEstateBloggers also discuss when to remodel a bathroom.
Posted: Bathroom, Design, Remodel, Spa's & Hot Tubs
