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Sink can greatly add to beauty of the bathroom
Read More: Sink can greatly add to beauty of the bathroomBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Last week we reported some encouraging news about adding a bathroom to your home. The National Association of Home Builders has estimated that adding a bath can increase your home’s value by up to 19 percent. Of course, the increase in value will depend on several factors — from…
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Adding bathroom adds value
Read More: Adding bathroom adds valueBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Studies show adding a bathroom is one of the best ways to add value to a home. The cost of a new bath varies depending on the size and the materials. (See This Master Bathroom) Thinking about adding an extra bathroom? With school started, isn’t everybody thinking about that?…
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Updated home may require updated insurance
Read More: Updated home may require updated insuranceBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon There is a step in the remodeling process that homeowners often neglect: insurance. Yes, we know it’s a very boring detail and just one more thing that might cost you money at a time when you already feel bled dry. But it would be tragic for something to happen…
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Attention to details is important outside, too
Read More: Attention to details is important outside, tooBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you checked in with us last week, you’ll have read about some of the many details to consider inside your home as you remodel. As you may have guessed, the details don’t stop there. There are plenty of things to consider outside your home as well. And as…
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Practical or aesthetic, design details can be devilish
Read More: Practical or aesthetic, design details can be devilishBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Architect Mies van der Rohe said, “God is in the details.” Others have said, “The devil is in the details.” We suppose it’s all in the perspective. Certainly when it comes to a home renovation, you can feel very inspired or very tormented by all the details to which…
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Cabinetry is key component of kitchen remodel
Read More: Cabinetry is key component of kitchen remodelBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Nothing impacts the look of your kitchen like the cabinetry, and nothing impacts the budget of your remodel like the cabinetry. Understanding your options will help you choose wisely, so you get cabinets you’ll love for years to come on a budget you can handle today. Cabinets come in…
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Blend inside, outside spaces
Read More: Blend inside, outside spacesBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We’ve run into an interesting design situation quite a lot recently. When a home has multiple stories, like a basement, main floor and second floor, they are typically stacked on top of each other with a roof on top. Sometimes you will find second stories that are smaller than…
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Former fraternity house gets new guts in remodel
Read More: Former fraternity house gets new guts in remodelBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon The wiring of a new or remodeled home can look like spaghetti to the untrained eye, like the wires in this former fraternity house remodel – but it will be hidden later. Proper wiring is essential for functionality and safety. Over the past several months we’ve kept you posted…
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Options for Replacement. Replacing windows in your home
Read More: Options for Replacement. Replacing windows in your homeBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Older homes have interesting architecture and quaint styles, but they can also have old, drafty, inefficient windows, above. Can you stand one more week on windows? If you’ve followed the past couple of columns, we did a two-part series about window styles and material choices. But we decided to…
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Tips on window frames and glass
Read More: Tips on window frames and glassBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Last week we started a two-part look at windows. Windows are an important part of your remodel. You may be adding windows to capitalize on natural light or a particular view. You may be replacing old, inefficient windows to save energy costs. Or you may be looking to change…
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Windows add natural light, style to home
Read More: Windows add natural light, style to homeBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We get this one a lot: “We want more natural light in our home.” There is just something about natural light that brightens and cheers up a room. There are various ways to draw light into your home, but the biggest way is through windows. Windows have a huge…
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Radiant heat: a way to warm the tootsies
Read More: Radiant heat: a way to warm the tootsiesBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We’ve all had the experience. You wake up early and stumble to the shower. The carpeted bedroom and hallway are fine, but one step on the tile bathroom floor and you shock your tootsies wide awake. That floor is cold! It may be a welcome feeling in summer, but…
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Home takes form with foundation, framing
Read More: Home takes form with foundation, framingBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We’ve checked in on our former-fraternity-house project several times now. The permits are in place, demolition has happened, and the reconstruction is moving along nicely. Currently two major phases are under way: concrete and framing. These are exciting phases in any project because what you’ve only seen on paper…
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Make your home fire-resistant
Read More: Make your home fire-resistantBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon This is a beautiful time of year. The mountains and foothills are awash in green grasses and vegetation and for a brief moment it feels more like the lush Northwest than the arid Great Basin. But already the desert heat is turning the first greens of spring to the…
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Plan remodeling around trees
Read More: Plan remodeling around treesBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We’ve mentioned several times that your landscaping can take a beating during remodeling. At best you’ll lose a few flowers and at worst you’ll have to start from scratch. But there is one aspect of your landscaping you should seriously consider and even plan around when remodeling: mature trees.…
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Remodeling: pain before gain
Read More: Remodeling: pain before gainBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you’ve followed our columns recently, you’ll know that we’ve been tracking an interesting project: the complete remodel of a former fraternity house. As you can imagine, it is quite an undertaking. Former fraternity house has been through several updates and remodels over the years. The last time we…
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Built-in seating expands your kitchen
Read More: Built-in seating expands your kitchenBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon You know how it is these days. The kitchen has become command central. The kitchen is not only a place to store and prepare food, but it has become a place to gather, visit, eat, do homework, sort mail, pay bills, you name it. More and more activities are…
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Split Level. Embrace your split-level’s personality
Read More: Split Level. Embrace your split-level’s personalityBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Split-level homes have made a comeback in recent years. Drive around some of the new “starter home” neighborhoods around the Wasatch Front and you’ll find many variations on the split-level theme. A split-entry home is a two-story house with a twist. You enter and a half-flight of stairs takes…
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Sink some time into planning kitchen
Read More: Sink some time into planning kitchenBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Designing your kitchen is most definitely the time to include the kitchen sink. In your “kitchen triangle” — the stove, refrigerator and sink — you will spend the most time at the sink. So it is important to choose wisely for this very functional aspect of your kitchen. Sinks…
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Get it in writing before work begins
Read More: Get it in writing before work beginsBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Before you fall asleep or turn the page, let us assure you that ignoring it will only make it worse. When it comes to remodeling, the fun parts are dreaming of the possibilities, getting the architectural drawings, choosing the colors, and buying furniture. The fun parts are not reading…
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Consider ‘green’ building ideas
Read More: Consider ‘green’ building ideasBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon It is all the rage to talk about “green building” and “sustainable design,” but what do these buzz words really mean and what difference does it make to you? They essentially mean the same thing: design and construction that are sensitive to the environment today and in the future.…
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Extend ‘remodel’ to the outside
Read More: Extend ‘remodel’ to the outsideBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Happy National Landscape Architecture Month! You might not have known that April is the month we celebrate landscape architecture, but with a few warm days sneaking in between our April showers, it’s a great time to stop and think about your yard. Remodeling can do a number on your…
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Interior designer is worth money
Read More: Interior designer is worth moneyBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Remodeling is generally a big undertaking that requires a great deal of planning and a concerted effort by many people to bring the project to a successful conclusion. Under ideal circumstances, a strong team will be assembled with each person taking responsibility for a portion of the work. Obviously,…
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Get right permit before demolition
Read More: Get right permit before demolitionBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon About a month ago we introduced you to a project we’re working on. It is an old frat house that the new owners want to convert back into a single-family residence. It’s time for an update on the project and a peek into the paperwork that accompanies construction. When…
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Decks add value and fun to a home
Read More: Decks add value and fun to a homeBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon With the weather we’ve had lately, you may doubt if spring will ever come. But it always does, and it’s never too early to start planning for a spring and summer of outdoor living. Last week we talked about how to prep your existing deck for a summer of…
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Spruce up your deck for spring
Read More: Spruce up your deck for springBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon You can’t have a 60-degree day in March and not become seriously ill with spring fever. The weather is warming and snow is turning to rain, giving us hope that we will survive another winter. Spring and summer means outdoor living for many of us, so it is time…
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Universal design just makes sense
Read More: Universal design just makes senseBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Look around your house. Check out the front porch, the hallways, the bathrooms, the doorways. If someone who uses a wheelchair or a walker or even a cane came to your home, how easy would it be for him or her to get around? Whether you call it accessible…
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Phasing a project can make cents
Read More: Phasing a project can make centsBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon By remodeling one bath at a time, the family in this home was able to balance their desire for two beautiful new bathrooms with their need for at least one functioning bath throughout the construction process. We’ve talked before about the wisdom of having a master plan. Specifically, we…
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Old frat house getting makeover
Read More: Old frat house getting makeoverBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We have enjoyed writing this column for several months now and hope some of our ramblings have been useful and educational. For those of you still wondering if you have the time, interest, or fortitude to pursue a project as challenging as a home remodel, we thought it might…
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Be active part of neighborhood
Read More: Be active part of neighborhoodBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Think about the neighborhood you live in. We’ll bet that as soon as you did, a wide variety of characteristics instantly sprang to mind. A neighborhood is a neighborhood because of its distinctive characteristics. You probably chose the neighborhood you live in because certain attributes appealed to you. Some…
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Programming key to good design
Read More: Programming key to good designBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Last week we gave you a homework assignment. Have you spent the week browsing magazines, checking out books and setting your TiVo to record home design shows? Hopefully you are filling your mind with ideas while you fill your files with photos and articles. This week’s assignment will take…
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Do homework before renovating
Read More: Do homework before renovatingBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Would you ever walk up to a Nordstrom sales associate, and say, “I want a new wardrobe. Please create one for me, and I’ll pick it up next week”? Or would you sit down with your hair stylist and say, “I need a new hair style. Please cut my…
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How to fund your home remodeling jobs
Read More: How to fund your home remodeling jobsBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Happy New Year! The holiday rush is over, and the time for resolutions is here. So what are some of yours? Get your body back in shape? Get your budget back in shape? What about getting your home in shape? Is this the year of the remodel? If so,…
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Enhance home with new garage
Read More: Enhance home with new garageBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Garages are a typical problem in older Salt Lake neighborhoods. You’ll find garages too small for modern vehicles; garages built for one car when the family has two; garages with ceilings too low for today’s cars; garages that are structurally unsound and deteriorating; and garages placed too close to…
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Help garage fulfill its potential
Read More: Help garage fulfill its potentialBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon With a narrow driveway, a one-car carport and no parking on the street, parking was always an issue for the Smith family. For some, garages are among the least exciting home renovation projects. But for others, the garage is the only exciting home renovation project. The truth is, because…
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Storage needs vary for each family
Read More: Storage needs vary for each familyBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Food is a major category of storage. Shelving that takes advantage of space all the way to the ceiling, plastic storage bins and good organization are keys to storing food or a variety of other household items. There is an old adage that says “A place for everything, and…
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Bathrooms can make big splash
Read More: Bathrooms can make big splashBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon A well-designed family bath goes a long way toward helping your home function better for your family. Nice finishes and fixtures can add an extra splash to a very practical room. Many feature two sinks. If you are honest, you would probably rather die than allow a guest to…
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Kitchen Design: Blending function & aesthetics to design kitchen remodeling project
Read More: Kitchen Design: Blending function & aesthetics to design kitchen remodeling projectBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Well, how did it go? Was the meal fabulous, the company charming, and your home the perfect setting for a family gathering? Did your kitchen handle the four extra cooks as well as the turkey, rolls, mashed potatoes, and yams? As long as we’re dreaming, were the children on…
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Master Bathrooms: Master bedroom designs, a luxurious getaway
Read More: Master Bathrooms: Master bedroom designs, a luxurious getawayBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Besides the bedroom, a private bathroom is an essential part of a master suite. The use of luxurious finishes adds to the sense of escape from the pressures of daily life — a sanctum where adults can relax. (See Pictures of this Master Bedroom Remodel) One of the most…
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Ceilings: the lowdown on what’s up
Read More: Ceilings: the lowdown on what’s upBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you’ve read our columns, you might be getting the picture that we believe in defining the spaces of a home — from public and private spaces to circulating paths to gathering space. Defining spaces in usable and beautiful ways is the heart of architectural design. Last week we…