Choosing a Faucet Finish for Your Bathroom
Whether you are building a new home or simply renovating your bathroom, one thing that seems to stump people is choosing a finish for their bathroom faucet.
Designing a Kitchen Island
Designing a Kitchen Island What do I need to think about? One of the most complicated spaces in your home is the kitchen. And when you decide to add a kitchen island to the mix? Well, it’s not surprising that homeowners get confused. Even though there is not a set formula for figuring out how to decide on an island size, there are some basic measurement guidelines that can help. Here are some basic questions to ask yourself when planning your new kitchen island. What will the function of your island be? Before thinking about storage solutions and countertop material, you first need to decide on what the main function of your island is going to be. Most islands have one side that is dedicated to cooking and another side dedicated to eating. If you want appliances and a sink in your island, then you will need more space. But, if you want to use the island for casual meals, then seating should be your priority. What will your emphasis be? Prep Work Cooking Cleaning Eating Entertaining What appliances are you going to need in your kitchen island? If you decide that you want to include appliances into your kitchen island, then you will need to plan for function as well as for spacing. If you decide to include the main sink of your kitchen in your island, then you will need to place a dishwasher to the right or left of your sink. If, on the other hand, you are using your island for the main prep area of your kitchen, then you’ll need to...
What is a Parade of Homes?
October 3-4 and October 10-11, Greystone will be featuring a home located on Alderberry Court here in Midland, Michigan. So come on out and enjoy the fun!
Cozy up Your Kitchen
We have all heard the saying that the kitchen is the heart of the home. So why not make this room a cozy space rather than austere and rigid?
Creating a Modern Nursery
Creating a Modern Nursery There is no other time more joyous than when welcoming a new baby into the family. And when you are getting ready for the newest addition, you should have fun creating a nursery for your little bundle. There are several advantages to creating a modern nursery. They are gender neutral, add pops of bright colors and are quite versatile, among others. Keep reading to discover how you can create a safe haven for your infant. Keep Things Simple Keep lines clean and basic. Modern designs are extremely appropriate in an infant’s room. A simple backdrop is perfect for the revolving door of toys, art and other decorative items that are on display. Here’s how to start: · Choose a pared-down look along with quiet colors for the walls, floor and major pieces of furniture. · Select geometric and organic shapes while keeping unimportant items like bedskirts and elaborate furniture to a minimum. · Remember that serenity is the key. Bright Pops of Color Now that you have chosen a neutral backdrop for the room, think about adding a bright flash of color. Items like the bedding, wall art, rugs, window coverings or accessories are a great place to add brightness into the room. Keep these pops of color modern without being too boyish, girly or babyish. Select colors such as orange, bright red, citrusy yellow and lime green to convey a sense of fun. Gender Neutrality The typical decorations in pink and blue are outdated and old-fashioned. Plus, keeping the room gender neutral allows for a flare of modernity as well as...
Design a Better Shower
Design a Better Shower Are you thinking of remodeling your bathroom? Have you given much thought to the shower design? Well, if not, then here’s the time to start doing so! With a little foresight you can have a well-designed shower that is beneficial to your life style and tastes. Size Matters There is nothing worse than a cramped and tiny shower, especially if you are claustrophobic! So how can you decide what the right size is for you? Well, a good rule of thumb if you have the space is to go with a shower that is a minimum of 60” by 36”. If spacing is an issue, stand with your arms outstretched and turn in a circle. The circle is the bottom line for minimum sizing you should go with. Easily Accessible Water Controls Nothing wakes you up quicker than a jolt of cold water! And if the shower controls are placed in such a way that you must enter the shower in order to turn the water on, then that is what you are going to get. So make sure that the shower controls are placed in a location that can be easily accessed from outside the shower and save yourself that rude morning wake up call. Install a Bench Installing a bench inside your shower will allow you to soak up the invigorating pellets of warm water that trickle from the shower head. And if a steam shower is in your future plans, a bench will be a heavenly addition. A bench will also enhance the everyday, mundane tasks (such as shaving...
Improve Your Outdoor Living
Improve Your Outdoor Living Flower Gardens… Barbeque… Family gatherings… Solitude… Outdoor living in Michigan only reigns for a short period of time each year, so why not make the most of it? Here are a variety of ways in which to enhance your time outdoors. Create a Focal Point Your home living area is built around one focal point, whether it’s a sofa or a piece of art. This allows your eye something to focus on. Everything else in the room become accent pieces that lend support. The same idea applies to your outdoor living space. Here the focal point may be a pond or flower garden. Once your focal point has been established, it is time to build around it. Form Traffic Patterns Whether the size of your yard is large or small, your outdoor living space will come together better if you have established paths for traffic. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways such as creating a formal walkway, generating shifts in the hardscape or simply by planting trees or shrubs to designate corners and borders. This provides a solution to paths of unwanted traffic. Furniture Arrangement Matters In order to establish the different variety of outdoor activities, shrewdly arrange the furniture to differentiate these zones. Think about placing a bench and dining table in the corner of a smaller area. This still allows enough space for movement. For larger areas, you may even consider selecting an outdoor rug to break the sitting and dining areas apart. Encase Yourself in Privacy If you discover that you like privacy and solitude while outdoors, you...
Exterior Siding Options
Exterior Siding Options A very important decision when designing a new house is deciding on what materials to use for the exterior. There are so many materials to choose from; brick, stucco, fiber cement, and metal just to name a few. Deciding on a material to side your house is kind of like choosing clothing to wear. When choosing what to wear, we go with clothes that fit our location or the weather. We most certainly would not choose to wear flip flops in Michigan’s winter. But we also think about what fashion statement we want to make with our clothing, too. And how much money we have to spend also helps in determining what we purchase to wear. But, we cannot change the siding materials on our house as easily as we can our clothes! Therefore, most of us choose a material and stick with it. We are not planning on repainting, restaining or anything of that nature. We will choose something that will look as good on day one as it does twenty years down the road. So when you are choosing a siding material, you should choose something that will go the distance for you and your home. Horizontal Lap Siding Probably the most universal choice in siding material would be horizontal lap siding. This type of siding comes in a variety of finishes such as wood, aluminum, vinyl or fiber cement. It also comes in a wide range of colors so you are sure to find a finish that is you. It also looks great on a colonial or traditional style homes as...
The Much Needed Porch Makeover
Keep reading for some tips on making over your porch!
