To Dos: Your February Home Checklist

This February think about getting cozy, gathering with friends, enjoying more time for your hobbies and planning changes both big (like the sale of your home) and small (new paint colors). It may still be cold out there, but there’s plenty to do indoors. Here are 10 ideas to make the most of your month.

Supple Homes, Inc

1. Plan for a spring or summer home sale. With warmer weather and kids out of school, summer is a popular time to sell or buy a home. If you are considering putting your home on the market this year, it’s a good idea to start planning now. Interview real estate agents, make a list of home projects that need to get done to help your home look its best, and line up work so any major projects will be completed in time.

15 Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Real Estate Agent

Betsy Bassett interiors

2. Clean road salt from entrances. Road salt, melting snow, mud and grime can give the floors around entrances a beating this time of year. Clear away the clutter and give your floors a thorough cleaning. Then set up shelving or a tray to store boots near the door, and protect your floors with waterproof mats. Stash a few old towels in a basket near the door to quickly wipe up messes.

Charlie & Co. Design, Ltd

3. Clean interior windows. It may be too cold and icy to clean windows outside, but cleaning interior windows can still help boost light — something we could all use a bit more of during the winter.

4. Conserve energy and stay warm. Block drafts coming through cracks around doors with door sweeps or good old-fashioned door snakes. Keep doors shut to rooms you’re not using, and warm up with cozy rugs, throws and duvets.

Neat Method San Diego

5. Organize the craft area. If you enjoy crafting as a hobby, you probably find yourself doing more of it in the winter. And more crafting usually means more mess. Get a handle on your craft stash by sorting through your supplies and storing them in labeled bins, baskets and jars.

Nanette Wong

6. Clean the air. Treat your home to a few new houseplants this month to help boost interior air quality and add life to your home. Even if it’s cold where you live, try cracking open a window or two each day (even if only for a moment) to bring in some fresh air. Clean or replace furnace filters as needed. And if you have allergies or are concerned about the quality of air where you live, look into getting an air purifier as well.

Clear the Air: A Guide to Indoor Air Purifiers

C+M Studio

7. Give your bath a spa-inspired makeover. Details can make a big impact in a small space like the bathroom. Bring in fresh white towels, a new shower curtain and liner, and a few organic accents, like potted plants and a wooden stool. Then be sure to make time for a relaxing soak in your refreshed bathroom!

Atypical Type A

8. Pick up some paint swatches. Fight off winter doldrums by focusing on ways to enhance your home with color. Visit a paint store and scoop up swatches. Play around with potential color combinations by pinning your favorites to a bulletin board. By the time spring rolls around, you’ll be ready to break out the paintbrushes.

Nest Architects

9. Invite friends into the kitchen for “freezer cooking.” Make lighter work for all by inviting friends to participate in a day of cooking, with the express purpose of making dinners that can be stored in the freezer. Go in on ingredients and make a really big batch of chili, pans of lasagna or whatever strikes your fancy — just remind guests to bring their own containers to take food home.

10. Treat your home (and yourself) to fresh flowers. With Valentine’s Day this month, the markets are bound to be bursting with blooms — and often at good prices. Why not treat yourself to a weekly bouquet?

-Laura Gaskill

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6 Roof Top Hangouts we Love

With forethought and engineering, a rooftop can be a very valuable bit of real estate. Here are six cool roofs that not only work overhead, but underfoot.

1. 

“We sought to create a house that would not damage the environment and not be too visible,” says architect Tina Gregorič of the cliff top house she and partner Aljoša Dekleva built for a couple in Maui. A single zigzagging roof stretches over 5,380 square feet, doubling the area of the interior spaces and serving as an ideal spot for sunset cocktails and whale-watching.

Photo by Cristóbal Palma 

2.  

Architect Jonathan Feldman helped Rian and Melissa Jorgensen create a rooftop paradise for their home in Northern California. Photo by Joe Fletcher.

  Photo by Joe Fletcher.

3.  

A69 Architects were called upon to integrate into the neighborhood this family home in Prague, whose roof is flush with the plane above. Photo by Jens Passoth 

  Photo by Jens Passoth.

4. 

Located in the Bronx, the Brook occupies what had, for years, been a vacant lot. Its rooftop garden serves all the residents of the 198-unit building. 

  Photo by Jake Stangel.

5. 

n southwest Poland, architect Robert Konieczny of KWK Promes raises the roof—with sod intact—on Jacek Perkowski’s modernist rural getaway. 

6. 

On Austin’s outskirts, where urban, industrial, and rural collide, lawyer and science-fiction author Chris Brown’s bunker-style home redefines modern city living. The living roof, which cascades down to the stair connecting the levels, is home to its own ecosystem. 

  Photo by Dave Mead.

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How to Add a Skylight or Light Tube

In the gloom of winter, seeing a bit of the sky from inside your home can often be quite soothing. Daylight not only can do wonders for our psychological comfort, but can also be used as part of an integrated design strategy for efficient and passive heat gain. That’s why a skylight can be invaluable.

To help you decide whether or not this is a good project for you to tackle this year, here are some considerations, along with how to get it done. 

David Churchill - Architectural Photographer

Project: Add a skylight or light tube.

There are some important things to consider before selecting a skylight or light tube. Access to more sunlight can have profound effects on the efficiency of your home’s building envelope, or skin. It’s always best to assess your house from a whole-building design approach (read more about this concept on the National Institute of Building Sciences website).

In new constructions we have the liberty to consider daylighting from the initial design stages. Skylights can be an integrated part of the design of a house, allowing the interior to feel as though it’s connected with the exterior. The proportion of glass compared to the rest of the house can be calculated to reach certain energy-efficiency goals.

yamamar design

In a renovation, on the other hand, we have to consider what effect a new skylight will have on the efficiency of the existing building.

In some cases the additional sunlight (and therefore heat) can help reduce the amount of energy needed to heat the house. It depends greatly on the local climate, but also on the design of the building envelope of the house.

Sullivan Building & Design Group

Differences Between a Skylight and a Light Tube

A skylight is like a window on your roof. Simple skylights can be used to bring extra light to a room as a substitute for artificial lighting throughout the day.

Betternest

More complex skylights can even offer an access point for roof maintenance (ideal for checking up on a green roof, for example).

Fenstermann LLC

Skylights can be fixed, vented, tinted or even combined with an automated shutter system, and can include a fly screen. 

Brighter Concepts Ltd

A light tube, on the other hand, is good for rooms that don’t have a ceiling at roof level. It’s basically a reflective pipe that bounces the daylight down to the room where it is needed. 

Woodbourne Builders Inc

Light tubes can be combined with lighting fixtures, so the same area that lets in daylight during the day can double as a light for the evening.

See more on tubular daylighting devices

Kenneth/Davis, Inc.

Why install a skylight: For some people it’s as simple as wanting to get more light in the dark corners of the house without paying for electricity to illuminate them. For others skylights can also offer another way to get some fresh air in and let hot air escape in the summer.

It’s a good project for you if: You are working on your roof anyway or if you are adding on to your home. It’s also a great project for homes with zero lot lines or particularly close neighbors. It’s a way to let light in without sacrificing privacy.

mark pinkerton - vi360 photography

Who to hire: If the energy efficiency of your home is important to you, you should start by hiring a green building professional to calculate the effect a skylight will have on your overall building envelope. If you want to skip right to installation, you’ll need a general contractor or roofer to give you a quote.

Whereas windows are usually sized individually as per the project and installed by the window company, a skylight is usually selected from a range of options, delivered in a box and installed by your general contractor. Most roofing companies also offer skylight and light tube installation as part of the package when they’re working on your roof.

Solar Light

Cost: Light tubes are on the cheaper end of the spectrum, starting at a few hundred dollars with installation. The more complex and the more energy efficient and high quality the skylight, the more expensive it will be. Fixed and manually operable skylights with installation can cost a couple of thousand dollars each; automated systems can cost up to $5,000 installed.

Much of the cost depends on the type of glazing and the type of frame. For example, skylights that are suitable for highly energy-efficient homes like Passive Houses are wood framed, certified for efficiency and triple glazed, and can even be clad in copper (as opposed to aluminum) on the exterior.

The cost for a light tube, on the other hand, is relative to the amount of piping and whether or not a combined electrical light system is being installed as well.

Nunley Custom Homes

Typical project length: A skylight or light tube on its own doesn’t take too long to buy and install; you could make a nice little weeklong project out of it. If you are doing it as a part of a roof retrofit, however, it will be scheduled appropriately by the roofer as part of the overall work.

Best time to do this project: As a favor to your contractor, you should probably do it when the weather is nice, since he or she will have to be on the roof during installation.

WoodWorks INC.

Important notes: Any opening is a weak point in a home’s thermal envelope, and skylights and light tubes can be especially tricky because they are on the roof. While the glass itself can be selected to meet high energy-efficiency standards, it is much more difficult to find frames that have good insulating qualities. And, of course, any opening must be installed with super attention to detail, so you don’t end up with a big leak where heat can escape or cold can enter.

Kyle Hunt & Partners, Incorporated

If you live in a particularly warm climate, you should be aware of creating a greenhouse effect in summer. Consider skylights with shading systems or openings to allow hot air to escape.

My House Design Build Team

Keep in mind: Skylights aren’t just for use inside. They can also bring light to a covered patio outdoors. In this case concerns about energy efficiency are not necessary.

Calgary Skylights

Velux Skylights Calgary 

First steps: If you’re not sure what kind of natural light you’d like to bring into your space, you may want to try out the Velux Daylight Visualizer. It’s free software that is very easy to use, and allows you to simply render a space with various Velux skylights to get a better understanding of what kinds of light they create.

-Jen Dalley

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Before & After: The Obler Family Deck

It took a lot of time and work to get all the permits required but in the end it was all worth it. David and Sheri Obler are more than pleased with their results. What was an old rotting wooden eyesore attached to their lovely Scaggsville home is now a beautiful, white, common space that makes them want to spend more time outdoors. See the photos below of this beautiful transformation. 

BEFORE

Before (steps view)

Before (Yard View 1)

Before (Yard View 2)

Before (Side View)

AFTER

After (steps view)

After (Side view)

After (Gazebo View)

SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON

Contact us today for your free estimate on Deck Refurbishment or New Deck Build.

301-209-700

410-519-9000

703-242-5000

http://www.americanhomecontractors.com

11 Pretty Sweet Decorating Ideas Using Pastels

Pastels often get a bad rap for being too sugary sweet, frivolous or girly. But don’t be too quick to fall into this mind-set and immediately pass over pastel shades when choosing which hues to incorporate into your home. The secret to making soft, chalky colors work is to balance them with cool whites, moody black, gray and other neutral tones. Introducing clean, contemporary lines and modern design elements as well as raw, sleek or edgy materials will also cut through the cuteness and ensure that your design looks fresh, grown-up and chic, rather than childish or overly feminine.

Whether you’re a longtime lover of pastels or a newfound fan of the versatile pale palette, the spaces below will provide plenty of design inspiration and show how soft, muted shades can be woven into your home’s decorating scheme with great success. 

Portal Design Inc

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1. Take it outside. Love the idea of adding a splash of color to the exterior of your home, but not a fan of bright, bold hues? Pastel shades, such as the muted yellow-green on the exterior walls of this striking home, are a great alternative, as they offer subtle color and style without being overwhelming.

Take note of how the two sections of gray-toned cladding on either side of the front door help offset the cheerful yellow-green panels and give the exterior scheme a modern edge. The material palette of concrete, steel and timber also offers contrast and adds to the dwelling’s cool, contemporary look.

Tip: If you want to decorate your home (either indoors or out) with a pastel hue, but cheerful colors — such as sunny yellow, fresh mint and powder pink — aren’t your thing, opt for shades with smoky, slightly dirty undertones, such as pale mustard, moss green or dusty rose, instead.

Rikki Snyder

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2. Strive for a cool, contemporary look. Sure, some pastel tones, including frosty pink and lilac, do look cutesy and sweet on their own, but introduce them in a sleek, ultramodern space (like the showstopping living room here) and the colors instantly take on a cool, grown-up and seriously chic vibe.

Here powder-pink curtains and a lilac geometric sofa add a dash of subtle yet statement-making color to this stark monochromatic scheme — I love how the graphic design of the sofa makes the pinky-purple hue take on an edgier appearance, despite its dreamy color.

Thanks to their soft, chalky tone and smooth texture, the rosy accents also help balance the sharp lines, exaggerated angles and glossy surfaces used heavily throughout the room, resulting in a space that oozes modern sophistication, layered with a hint of refined, ladylike style. 

Mindful Designs, Inc.

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3. Create drama with a single pastel accent. An unexpected burst of bright color in an otherwise neutral or monochromatic space never fails to make a dramatic statement … and the same goes when you add a single pop of a pastel shade to a similar scheme, even though pale tones are generally less bold and vibrant.

This contemporary cooking zone shows this idea in action. Here the soft sea-green-tinged concrete island commands all the attention, thanks to its striking sorbet color, which pops against the room’s moody palette and instantly brightens up the space. Its angular design makes the freestanding piece a standout too.

Tip: Not quite ready to commit to using a pastel hue on a permanent fixture in your kitchen or another area in your home? Rather than choosing a pastel color for the island, another permanent structure (such as cabinetry) or a big-ticket item (such as furniture), introduce a single splash of color in the form of smaller or removable items or design features, such as a pendant light, artwork, a rug, curtains or a painted feature wall, that will be easy to replace or alter once your love affair with your pastel of choice is over.

Benjamin Moore

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4. Pair it with gray. An easy way to give a frothy pastel that you’d expect to see in an elegant, traditional-style space a modern update is to pair it with a splash (or two) of moody gray.

This striking scheme shows how it’s done. The charcoal-gray door and dove-gray floor anchor this warm, airy space and give the pale peach wall a fresh, hip and contemporary vibe.

The breath of white (in the form of a peg coatrack) also helps cut through the color and adds to the entry’s cool, modern feel.

Wall paint: Peach Parfait, Benjamin Moore

Le Michelle Nguyen

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5. Use chalky shades in place of classic neutrals. Tired of classic neutrals such as beige or cream? Choose a base with a hint of barely there color instead — it will be soft and inviting, and will add visual interest and character. Plus, like versatile neutral tones, supersubtle pastels work well with pretty much any hue, so you won’t be limited for choice when selecting furniture and decor to complete your scheme.

Pale lemon is an ideal substitute for cream, as you can see here, while powder pink and soft peach are other great alternatives to warm, neutral tones.

Tip: Pastels are great go-to colors if you wish to add color and a dash of personality to a compact room. While more vibrant hues do pack a stylish punch, they can look too overwhelming in a tight space and make the area appear smaller. Pale shades add character and a hint of color while keeping things light and airy.

Smart Design Studio

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Desire a pastel base that borders on gray, rather than beige? Opt for an ashy blue or a cool, dusty lavender, like the paint color seen on the wall here.

Jessica Gersten Interiors

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6. Pair pastels with an eye-popping, clashing color. Want to add a playful, energetic vibe to a restrained pastel palette? Break up the pretty scheme by injecting a shot of bold, clashing color. Here a fire-engine-red accent chair does the job nicely and instantly awakens this lovely lavender kids’ zone.

Sarah Phipps Design

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7. Try pastel-toned appliances … Want to make a bold style statement in your kitchen? Rather than letting your cabinetry have all the fun by dressing it in a cheery pastel color, opt for a neutral scheme and inject pops of sorbet hues in the form of colored appliances instead. I love this retro-style powder-pink fridge. Notice how planks in a similar hue have been incorporated into the rustic-style reclaimed-timber backsplash to tie the scheme together.

Tip: For a dramatic, high-impact look, select a complete suite of appliances (including countertop gadgets) in the same pastel shade.

Refrigerator: ’50s Retro Style in pink, Smeg

Austin Patterson Disston Architects

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8. … or bath fixtures. While you’re at it, why not try a similar look in your bathroom? Obviously you won’t be using appliances in the space, but incorporating pastel-tinged bathware into your bathing area will also result in statement-making style.

Tip: Pastel blues and greens are great color choices for rooms where you like to rest and relax (such as the bathroom, bedrooms and living areas), as they can help create a calming, serene atmosphere. Warm tones, such as sunny yellow, are an ideal choice for the hub of the home — the kitchen — as they create a sense of coziness, plus they’re cheerful and inviting.

Tub: Astonian Luxor Cast Iron Freestanding Bathtub in Periwinkle, Aston Matthews

Nest Designs

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9. Mix and match different sorbet shades … Don’t be afraid to bring multiple pastels into your decorating scheme to create an eye-catching and dynamic look. However, be mindful to use them sparingly and balance them with white, neutrals and natural materials to avoid a sweetness overload.

In this colorful, eclectic bedroom, an abstract artwork dressed in both vibrant and muted shades serves as a reference point for the room’s light, airy color scheme. Notice how pastel hues seen in the painting (such as pale orange, green and yellow) are echoed in the quilt cover, soft furnishings and vase. The crisp white walls and sheets, as well as the wood flooring and furnishings, also help dial down the cuteness factor.

Eric Roseff Designs

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10. … or pepper your space with a single sorbet hue. For a more cohesive look, stick with furniture, accents and design features in the same chalky color. This fresh, inviting bedroom shows how to pull off this look like a pro — pops of mint green have been scattered around the room to create a balanced, harmonious feel. Hearty doses of crisp white and warm neutrals have been introduced to add contrast and ensure that the space doesn’t look too pastel-heavy.

Tip: Add a few accents in a more saturated version of the same color for another layer of interest and contrast.

Leicht Westchester Kitchens

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11. Give pretty pastels some tough love. An easy way to toughen up soft pastels is to throw some raw, edgy materials into the mix — think industrial finishes such as concrete, steel, exposed brick and timber. For a look that’s more sophisticated, pair powder hues with sleek materials such as natural stone, glass and gleaming metallic surfaces, while rustic touches such as distressed leather, cowhide and reclaimed wood will infuse any space decorated in pale tones with a cool, earthy and eclectic vibe. - Natasha Saroca

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