My Home Inspire Ideas

Guest author, Joe Ahmann, owner of Ahmann Design Inc, has kindly written this article to help you in your house plan search. So you’ve bought your home lot and you’re ready to by the perfect house plan, but you don’t know where to start. There are important questions that you should ask your designer before buying that house plan, and I can help. I have been designing custom home plans and stock house plans for 20 years, and I have compiled a list of questions you should ask your home designer before buying. 1. How long have you been designing house plans? The more experience your home plan designer has, the more detailed his or her plans are likely to be. Stock house plans experience is also important because with all of the competition for online house plan exposure, there are plenty of home designers out there with little or no experience. 2. Do you design custom house plans? You think you’ve found the perfect house plan, but you want to make a few “tweaks”, and before you know it, your revision bill is 2-3 times the cost of the original home plan. A good designer will recognize the fine line between designing a custom home plan for you and spending too much time on revising a stock house plan. 3. Can I return my house plan if I decide not to build it? Most stock plan brokers online have an “all sales are final” policy, so make sure you check it out BEFORE you click the “buy” button. But there are some house plan companies and home plan designers WILL allow you to return your house plan with a minimal restocking fee, so be sure to ask. 4. Why can’t I return my house plan? Because there are so many house plans sold online to different parts of the world, it is hard to police theft. Bottom line is that there are many people out there buying a house plan and building it more than one time, which is a copyright infringement unless agreed to by the house plan owner. Home designers have limited resources to check to see if you are telling the truth or not, so most have adopted the “no returns” policy. 5. Will I need to have my house plan reviewed by a local architect? House plans sold through the large brokers online are required to be 2006 IRC compliant at a minimum, but some areas of the country require special additions to the plan that are specific to that area. It’s best to check with your local building official before buying a house plan. 6. Do you have references I can talk with? Most home plan designers will not have a problem giving you names of past clients, and if they do, reconsider using them! 7. What is your timeframe for completing my house plan? If you are hiring a home plan designer to draw a custom home, or modify an existing stock house plan, ask up front how long it will take so there are no surprises later. Many home designers who sell their house plans online are a “one man shop” and may require more time to complete the work. 8. Do you have photos of the house plan I like? Many times the house plan designer will have photos of a stock plan that’s already been built, so it’ always good to ask. 9. Who owns my house plan when it’s finished and paid for? The original designer is the owner of the copyright of your house plan, even if you’ve made changes to a stock plan. What are your payment terms? Some home plan designers will require an up-front deposit to begin the project, and it’s always a good idea to find out ahead of time how payment will be handled. (more…)

As a professional London Interior Designer, I meet with clients all the time who simply crave more originality and personality in their interior spaces. It is such a delight for the interior designer to be able to transform a house into a home by judicious use of lighting, stencils, photo frames, rugs and frames, to name just a few. Each of the different classes of accessories allows the professional interior designer to lean into a certain style, emotion or personality framework in order to create stunning results. In this article, I will draw on my experience in London’s design community to suggest a few great options if you’re looking to spruce up your home this winter with some interior designer magic. LIGHTING. If there are nooks and crannies that just don’t get enough light, interior designers may recommend low-voltage illumination to make your interiors look larger and more welcoming. This can also boost your mood – perfect for the gloomy and overcast London skies that are all too common this time of year. Some professional interior designers will recommend theatrical lighting moods, so that you can flip between settings to choose either relaxed, or atmospheric and edgy, or task-orientated, all according to your needs. COLOUR. The hue of the lighting system can substantially impact the overall look of a room. Incandescent filaments are now being phased out across the European Union, and London interior designers are having to rely instead on compact fluorescents or halogens to create custom effects. SCONCES. Wall-mounted sconces slide over lightbulbs to give a gentle fuzzy glow to a room. Interior designers sometimes combine glass outer sheaths with paper diffusers to create unique effects and soften the overall feel. ARTWORK. Art is great, but well-lit artwork is even better – and interior designers are often specially-trained in how to perfectly illuminate choice pieces of art. Recessed lighting can be a great solution for both photographs and paintings. For sculptures, some interior designers love to use spotlights or feature lighting for more of a museum showcase feel. INTERIOR DESIGNERS DO OUTSIDE, TOO! Exterior lighting is a great way to make a fabulous first impression for evening dinner guests or invitees to a luxury London soiree at your designer home. Exterior lighting solutions can even cast light indoors, as well . . . some interior designers like to be really creative and hide exterior lights in bushes or under trees to create natural diffusion before the light trickles in through the windows and makes fabulous patterns on the ceiling or wall. This bring to an end my mini-series on how London interior designers use accessories, styles and history to create astonishing results. (more…)

Home staging is the proven way to sell your house quicker and at a better price. . . even in today’s poor market. Home staging makes your house more competitive by presenting the house as “ready-to-move-in” to prospective buyer’s. And; home staging can be a way to get more organized and de-cluttered. This applies to both inside and out of the home. Staging can be simple or more work and could require the help of a professional home stager. But; in some cases you can do it yourself if it is a simple project. The first step is to look around each room. Bring a note pad with you if you are serious about doing this. Make notes about any problem items; such as broken doors, light switches. Yes; the ‘honey do’ type list, but it gets much more detailed as you go. Now look inside the closets. Yes; buyers look in closets to see if there is enough room. Mark in your pad whether the closet is neat or packed and needs some thinning out. Bathroom is the next stop. Any broken tiles, dripping faucets, etc? Also is there any areas that need to really be cleaned? Look at this as though you were buying. The kitchen is an important area. Is it cluttered with items all over the counters? Are the cabinets messy and over flowing? Clear out the items you don’t use on a regular basis. Store them where you can get to them; but not clutter a cabinet in doing so. Look around the living and dining rooms. Clean up as much clutter and items you don’t use daily. Clean out he display case of any items that are not “display casable”. The garage is another place that gets cluttered very quickly. If you get a hold on it before it gets too cluttered you will be ahead of the game. If you are beyond that you may want to do a little at a time to make it easier on yourself. A cluttered garage can create an issue for buyers. You want to have the garage clear so they can determine what vehicle(s) will fit and how much room they have for their belongings. Curb appeal is just as it sounds. An appeal of your house from the curb view. What do you see when you look at your house from the curb? Peeling pain, a broken mailbox, dead plants, etc? You will be surprised at how different the house will look once you make the effort to clean up the yard. Take a drive past your house and see what needs to be changed or repaired. And; don’t forget the back yard. This is a particular area where buyer’s like to see how they will use it – especially if they have children. So this area needs a special cleaning. Staging is just making your home more presentable to yourself and/or prospective buyers. To make it easier on yourself; just make a list of the items that need to be fixed, repaired or cleaned and do it a little at a time. Ask yourself this question: Would you buy a house that needed a lot of work; unless you were a handyman? (more…)

There are 2 common redecorating approaches that you may wish to get acquainted with. The first method is all about consistency. That means the entire design of the house will be of the same look and feel. For instance, you can choose to have a classical or a modern look, but it’s the same throughout. However, you may face fierce protest from your family members. If you have any kids, they probably won’t let you design their rooms for them. But for small families, this method can work quite well. It will save you the hassle of having to think of a new design for each and every room. At times, when resources and time is scarce, this is the best approach to adopt. But if things don’t go well, you will have to adopt a completely different approach. The next approach is the complete opposite of the first one. Each room will have its own unique design. Each room will have a completely different look and feel. The benefit of adopting this approach is that no one needs to fight over the style of the home. Everyone will be happy. You are the master of the kitchen and the living room. Kids will have no interest whatsoever in the designs of these rooms. The living room is a huge room. Thus, it is more difficult to work on the living room. You may have to think about how to fill up the larger space. So your living room will take up more of your time. First, think about the larger set pieces for the living room. There are set pieces that make a huge difference in the living room. For example, the sofa set or the dining set. After you decide on the center pieces, you will find it easier to furnish the rest of the room. The kitchen is another important room that you need to focus on. A lot of time will be spent in this special room, making and consuming meals. So put in more effort to create the dream kitchen you are looking for. The design you decide on depends on various factors. Think about how you can make good use of every inch in the kitchen. After installing the cabinets, cupboards, etc. , there should still be lots of room for you to move around as you work. Kitchen designs can range from simple to luxurious. Luxurious designs cost a lot more than contemporary designs. Be prepared to spend more on elegant designs. Last but not least, be reminded that redesigning and redecorating a home can be hard work. Cut up your plan into smaller pieces so that it’s easier to work on them. That way, the amount of work is minimized and you can keep your focus on just one room. You may even get better results! (more…)

Here are some tips that you should consider before building a new Home: Make certain that you know how the software works. Have a few minutes to read the attached instructions and try to practice utilizing the software until you turn out to be comfortable with all the tools and any other options, which are offered in the program. Get one or two books about house design, to ensure that you’re designing all things so that it’ll work and flow correctly in the new house. Do not make your hall ways too big and the bedrooms very small. Do not design a house that has engineering problems. Your house may look wonderful when seen on the computer, but encompass engineering troubles. If you have a good design, you need to ensure that all the plumbing, electrical, air-conditioning and heating systems will function and work well with your home design. It would not be a bad plan to know how homes are constructed, prior to designing one. I cannot tell you how many architects I already have worked with, who do not know how homes are in fact built. When you have that house design software, try designing different buildings, before calling an engineer or architect. A good architect or engineer and even a good general contractor could look at a home design and mention problems with it. Here is a list of online home designer services and free home designer software that could improve your ability to make beautiful home designs that reproduce the chains of your budget while adding up your personal touches into each design. Besides that, these tools make it fun to plan and in fact foresee changes to your house’s design. Online home design software that draw design for home plan/floor plan online: Floor Planner – Website that offers Floor Plan Design Services Gliffy – Website that offers Floor Plan Drawing Services Free Home Design software that will assist you design your own ideal house: Envisioneer Express – Offers Free Software for Residential House Designing SmartDraw Floor Plan – Offers Free Software for Floor Plan Design Sweet Home 3D – Offers Software for Open Source Free Home Designing (more…)

Nowdays the computer age is making software for a dazzling array of uses. One such genre is house floor plan software. With this type of program, you can quite literally be your own architect! Whether you’re a home hobbyist or a trained professional, anyone can now use software to do everything from create house floor plans to landscaping the back yard of your dreams. Home design software ideas can go from dreams to reality with the touch of a button.
Creating house floor plans from home design software can be accomplished in just a few easy steps. Most programs have a number of notable features.
1. Design, publish and print completed designs in 3D for yourself, family and customers.
2. Customize the home’s exterior by adding dormer windows, skylights, sun decks, balconies, terraces, and patios. Door styles and window types can also be customized.
3. Calculate and manage the cost of materials. This feature makes it easy to keep your house floor plan design withing you housing budget.
4. Lighting effects and shifting patterns of sunlight and moonlight can be created in order to see what effect the placement of windows will have on a room via 3D movies.
5. A built-in interior design program and furniture gallery can be used to create different themes before money is spent on interior decor.
6. Some software programs offer an optional landscape and garden program which allows the user to create a detailed design of yard desired right down to the flowers and ornaments. The landscape created can then be viewed through the change of seasons in order to create a colorful landscape year round. Most programs offer drag-and-drop capabilities that make designing your dream yard easy and fun.
Because most house floor plan design software runs on the local hard drive of your computer, you should keep the software system requirements in mind when making a selection. The system capabilities of your home computer should always meet or exceed the system requirements of the software you intend to purchase in order to properly execute the program. Knowing these facts will save time and frustration. (more…)

Drawing custom house plans is an expansive industry, but finding a quality designer with construction experience can be more difficult.   Although many individuals claim to be qualified custom home designers, you can determine these qualifications by examining their finished product and verifying satisfaction with their former clients.   Quality designs, highly detailed house plans and customer satisfaction are all attributes of an experienced custom home designer. Integrating many different concepts and functions is necessary to draw a good set of custom house plans.   Many designers can come up with interesting ideas, but they are unable to convey these ideas with detailed construction drawings to the home builders.   They can draw a nice conceptual picture, but these individuals have little or no construction knowledge to translate these ideas into a detailed set of house plans in which the builder can understand.   It is necessary to not only have a keen eye for design, but also a strong understanding of what can be built and how it can be built affordably. Having been in the home design and construction industry for 20 years, Design Alternatives has seen a large number of house plans which appeared complete at first glance.   Although further examination sometimes revealed that these so called custom house plans lacked large amounts of pertinent information.   If a set of construction drawings is not easy to read or thoroughly detailed, the builder is left to make his own interpretation which inevitably leads to guesswork.   This ultimately means increased building costs since he will have to inflate his bid to make sure he covers any unknown construction costs. When evaluating the quality level of house plans, certain items to check are the amount of pertinent dimensions, notes and details.   Highly detailed sets of custom house plans will always include the necessary information to build the house in a productive and affordable way.   You will find many home plans available today are incomplete while only showing the design concept rather than the detail.   Any time your builder is left to guess at how something will be built, it will obviously add cost to your home construction project.   Not all designers go the extra mile to create a quality and useful finished set of house plans, so make sure the custom home designer you select has design as well as construction knowledge. Design Alternatives Custom Home Design takes pride in offering its clients quality custom house plans which comes from the vast experience received during its 20 years in the custom home design and construction industry.   This experience along with the long list of satisfied clients has proven to be the driving force of success for Design Alternatives. (more…)

Your home may have a good working space and but be unattractive. Remodeling is your choice to create a better and attractive house and garden. Remodeling a home can be a complex and costly process. People who lead a busy professional lifestyle, requires a modern integrated feel and look. Remodeling the garden and kitchen is tailored to suit you and your needs, and it reflects your desire. When you think of remodeling your home, kitchen plays a very important role as kitchen is the heart of a home and is in fact the family meeting ground. Your kitchen style can be traditional, modern or contemporary. There are many elements to consider while remodeling kitchen. Remodeling your kitchen adds extra style and light to your kitchen. Just changing the cabinets, countertops and flooring of your kitchen can do a lot while you think of remodeling your kitchen. A fresh coat of paint, new wallpaper or changing the window treatments can refresh the style of your kitchen. Splashy tile, fancy floors, sizable range hoods, bright kitchen cabinets, and busy countertop patterns give eye-catching look. The cabinets in a kitchen are like the furniture of the room. Whether they’re of natural wood or have a painted finish, the cabinets must be decorative. Use soft shades on kitchen cabinets. Custom kitchen cabinets are a boon to small kitchens because they can be made deeper than standard cupboards. The type of countertops you choose may be tile, granite, wood, and molded resin, and your choice must depend on the look you want and the sort of work to be done there. Add stylish barstools or counter stools to your kitchen. Storage space is often at a premium in a kitchen. Large deep drawers make it easy to find and grab pans, and pull-out shelves offer easy access. Creating the look of a parquet wood floor with the help of a decorative painter can be much cheaper than real parquet. Upgraded faucet provides extra convenience besides providing a richer look. If you are keen in modernizing your cooking area, install Energy Star appliances, which use less energy than the standard models. New stainless-steel appliances provide fresh look and energy efficiency to the kitchen. Dress up your kitchen windows with curtains, shades, and valances to add extra style. Changing the old window with energy-efficient window offers breathtaking views of the garden outside. Remodeling may be a chance to create an ultimate kitchen. If you’re really planning for remodeling your kitchen, you may contact a professional specialized in this area of interior design, or you could find someone to guide you. Select a design professional to assist you to manage your remodel, estimate your cost, and to choose kitchen items in order to update your kitchen with a new look. You have to decide what to change and what to keep. But, your budget has to determine how much you can do. Selections of counter tops, flooring, lighting and windows of your kitchen must suit your family’s taste. You can also make eco-friendly alternatives in your home, including your kitchen. . Make your kitchen both friendly and functional with creative decorating ideas. Remodeling your kitchen with new appliances, flooring, lighting, fixtures, cabinets and counters will probably take time. But in the end, the results will be very satisfying and you are sure to enjoy the value added to your home. samehta is a Copywriter of http://www. allphaserenovations. com – Houston home remodeling</a>. She written many articles in various topics such as <a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker. _trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www. allphaserenovations. com”>Houston kitchen remodeling</a>, <a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker. _trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www. allphaserenovations. com”>Houston flooring remodeling</a>Home Remodeling in Houston. For more information visit: www. allphaserenovations. com. Contact her at <a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker. _trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”mailto:allphase. articles@gmail. com”>allphase. articles@gmail. com</a> (more…)

Kitchens – Designed for Functionality and Fun Historically, frontier kitchens were austere affairs with relatively sparse lighting and cabinet space. Appliances were limited to a large fireplace that served in duality as central heating and cooking. In manor houses and mansions of the wealthy, the kitchen was relegated as a station for service rather than a gathering place for meals. Thankfully, contemporary kitchens are designed for functionality as well as fun. Designer Kitchen or Useful Kitchen? Designer kitchens look wonderful. But, getting down to the daily nitty-gritty of baking, frying, steaming and refrigerating, an attractive kitchen has eye appeal, not appetite appeal. When designing today’s kitchen, determine how much use it will get. If pot pies and TV dinners are the only use for the kitchen, it can be designed for eye appeal to the max. If it’s to be a gathering place for family evening meals, it will need to be serviceable, easy to maintain and ergonomic. Don’t overdo the appliance gadgetry either. Many kitchen designs take up space with appliance gadgetry that would be better served as open space or as a kitchen library. Cooks Adore Kitchens All cooks adore kitchens. But, most professionals prefer simplicity rather than complexity. That which saves the cook time is also the cook’s best ally in the most attractive presentations of meals. Most professional chefs prefer easy access to pots, pans, utensils, stove, oven, sink, cutting board and refrigerator. This is the key to kitchen design. A kitchen should be designed no less gracefully than a choreographed ballet. The simplicity of moving from stove to refrigerator should be significant. Saving extra steps from the supply cupboard to the preparation area makes the job easier. Consider Maintenance and Clean-up When designing a kitchen, surfaces should be hygienic and easy to clean. This means avoiding food surfaces that will absorb food odors or other moisture that can be transferred during preparation to foods and preventing contamination. Keep in mind also that different types of foods require different types of preparation surfaces. Doughs and candy require a cold surface like marble, while bread doughs prefer a preparation surface that remains room temperature. Cooking is an art. Maintaining a clean kitchen is too. Therefore, it’s expedient to choose appliances with surfaces that can be easily cleaned and flooring that retains an attractive appearance with daily use. A Fluid Design Can Be A Pretty Design If the kitchen area is to be “Eat In”, placement of cabinetry and dining set is important. The design for “Eat In” kitchens should be roomy and comfortable. Place the dining set near a window if possible. This gives an airy feel to the room. Lighting is also an important part of kitchen design. Cooking areas should always be well lighted, with the dining area less so. Creating a pleasing dining area means choosing comfortable furniture with lots of “elbow room”. If possible, allow for a small nearby area of the kitchen where a “side board” can double as a quick “buffet table” as well as for serving meals. The kitchen should have a fluid design in order to achieve maximum comfort and functionality. Kitchen Accessories For “Eat In” kitchens, the accessories often set the mood for dining in. Choose curtains, napery and tableware that is attractive, yet inviting to the senses in colors that make the meal a stellar event. (more…)

Over the years, the kitchen has developed into the most popular room in the house. Where else can you snack, eat, talk, gather, and drink? We have to eat three times a day and so the kitchen has always gotten a lot of use.
In the last 20 or so years, realizing how many things kitchens are used for and how much use they get, builders started making houses with larger kitchens. Gone are the small kitchens that have only the basics and only enough room for a couple people at a time to stand in. They have been replaced with much larger kitchens with such amenities as kitchen islands, bars, multiple sinks, fancy lighting, and very large refregerators.
The new modern kitchen is designed to be the central gathering place in the house, if need be. A house with a beautiful large kitchen is so much easier to sell than a house with a small kitchen. Everything is being made larger now and that includes everying that goes in a kitchen. Some kitchens have dual dishwashing units as though one wasn’t enough. Refrigerators have developed into huge units that come in extra wide and tall sizes. Kitchen sinks can have as many as one, two, or three bowel for multiple uses. Kitchen islands, once unheard of, continue to get bigger and bigger. Many kitchen islands now include the stove and/or the kitchen sink.
Because of this increase in popularity, kitchen design has become big business. There are huge sections in home improvement stores just devoted to the kitchen. Large varieties of kitchen cabinets, kitchen blinds, kitchen sinks, kitchen stoves, and kitchen islands can be designed and bought. You can hire companies to come in and evaluate your kitchen and give you ideas on how to upgrade it.
Kitchen lighting also plays a big pert in the overall feel and style of your kichten. Many new kitchens come with fancey track lighting that is used to highlight certain areas and make the kitchen seem bigger than it is. The right use of kitchen lighting can go a long way in modernizing your kitchen.
When people look at a new home, the most important room seems to be the kitchen. The kitchen was once just another room in the house and all it had to do was function properly. Now, however, the kitchen has to work and look great at the same time. Is it time to take another look at what can be improved in your kitchen? (more…)