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Defining space with ceiling design
Read More: Defining space with ceiling designOne of the main goals of architecture is to clearly and beautifully define and differentiate space in a home. While adding a wall is one way to do that, it is not the only way. Today’s families want houses that accommodate their lifestyles, which tend to be less formal than they were in the past.…
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Renovation Solutions: Wall thickness can be used as design tool
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Wall thickness can be used as design toolLast week we discussed interior views — the views we see from room to room inside our homes. One important aspect of these views is the wall in the rooms themselves. Wall thickness actually impacts the look and feel of the house. Many people associate thicker walls with sturdiness, permanence and a time when homes…
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How to create better interior views
Read More: How to create better interior viewsRemoving a section of wall and adding a window in the wall behind it made this space feel much more open and inviting. (David Price, Renovation Design Group) Architecture is often associated with how the home is viewed from the exterior, but there are far more opportunities to impact the lives of those who…
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Tips for designing a welcoming home
Read More: Tips for designing a welcoming homeIt is difficult to put into words what it feels like to come home. “Home” looks and feels different for everyone. However, there are similarities in the elements of architecture that create that welcoming feeling of “Ahh, we’re home.” Before: while tiling an entry area helps, it is still awkward to walk directly into a…
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Designing the perfect ‘away room’
Read More: Designing the perfect ‘away room’Because our homes are filled with electronics, televisions, computers, appliances and people, our homes are filled with noise. When a majority of the public space in a home is open, it is helpful to maintain a small space that can be closed off to contain or seal out noise. (Brent Murray, Renovation Design Group) Noise…
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Remodeling should focus on comfort, not size
Read More: Remodeling should focus on comfort, not sizeSo many times, clients come to us asking for more space. However, most of the time it is not more space that they actually need. It is better space. Do you use every room of your house every day? How are you using those rooms? Are feeling cramped in your current house? Is there wasted…
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Busy families choose mudrooms for entrances
Read More: Busy families choose mudrooms for entrancesBusy families with school-age children have most likely spent the last few weeks buying school clothes and supplies to prepare for the new school year. As we say goodbye to summer, it is time for us to gear up for the busy fall season. Now that everyone is finished vacationing, many will again be thinking…
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Renovation Solutions: Three home design elements to better your home
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Three home design elements to better your homeIn our last column, we started the discussion on design elements that affect our lives and our relationships in our homes. We talked about three key design elements: light, interior views and shelter around activity. This five-foot opening between a basement family room and guest room helps the spaces feel larger and more connected. (Brent…
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Using design elements in your home can renew life : By Annie Schwemmer and Ann Robinson For the Deseret News
Read More: Using design elements in your home can renew life : By Annie Schwemmer and Ann Robinson For the Deseret NewsArchitects have numerous design tools at their disposal to evoke positive emotions. Good architects know when to use each one and can expertly apply combinations of them to change the lives of their clients. There are three general areas of impact to a client’s life: The natural light from the window and the skylight…
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Renovation Solutions: How to survive a renovation
Read More: Renovation Solutions: How to survive a renovationMany of those who remodel choose to stay in their home while it is being renovated. In terms of saving money, this isn’t a bad idea. It is definitely more cost-effective than renting a place for the few months your house will be torn up. However, this decision is not an easy one to live…
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Tips on making remodeling less stressful
Read More: Tips on making remodeling less stressfulAs difficult as remodeling is under the best of circumstances, imagine trying to complete a project on a house in a different city or state. For instance, a Utah family was transferred to Arizona. The family flew to the new city for a few days and found a house that would do, but with some…
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Renovation Solutions: Remodeling lessons learned from office renovation
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Remodeling lessons learned from office renovationWe recently renovated a space and moved our office. This has been a good experience in the same way that a surgeon should occasionally have an operation. We are in the business of uprooting people’s lives, temporarily, and telling them that the pain and stress are all worth it. We assure them that they will…
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The key to successful remodeling, even if you do it yourself; Simple secret to a successful home remodel
Read More: The key to successful remodeling, even if you do it yourself; Simple secret to a successful home remodelWe would like to preface this column by saying that we are not automatically opposed to do-it-yourself remodels. We have seen some beautiful homes remodeled by homeowners as the contractor and/or laborer. Granted, the homeowner who successfully does it himself is usually experienced with construction or handier than the average homeowner, but putting some sweat…
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How architecture can change lives
Read More: How architecture can change livesHappy clients are the measure of our success. We enjoy having our work published and earning design awards, but we get our most direct rewards from our happy clients. Nothing is more rewarding than to hear how our work has truly improved our clients’ lives. Before: In this project, we removed a wall to open…
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Bringing light inside the home with skylights
Read More: Bringing light inside the home with skylightsStudies show that when people live and work in a well-lit environment, they are happier, healthier and more productive. Natural lighting can also be another way to save on electricity, since it provides free light and warmth. This design technique is called daylighting. A solar tube skylight was added in a mudroom as part of…
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Renovation Solutions: Truth about updating kitchen without a full-scale remodel
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Truth about updating kitchen without a full-scale remodelA full kitchen replacement consists of demolishing and removing everything in the room, including the sheetrock, so that the walls are open and the plumbing piping and the electrical wiring are exposed. When the work crews cut into the wall for a new pantry door, above, in this small-scale kitchen remodel, they found pipes,…
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Doing a kitchen remodel in phases takes planning
Read More: Doing a kitchen remodel in phases takes planningLast week, we began a discussion of how to tackle a major kitchen overhaul in several stages to try to defray some of the cost of such a major undertaking. As we noted, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2011 Cost vs. Value Report, a major, 200-square-foot kitchen remodel costs about $58,000, with a 65 percent return…
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Adding central vacuum system to the home
Read More: Adding central vacuum system to the homeWhile we often think about the aesthetics of our dream houses, we may not spend enough time researching some of the more technical/mechanical elements that could contribute to making our daily lives easier. No matter how beautiful a home is, it still needs to be cleaned. A built-in central vacuum system will make the not-so-glamorous…
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Renovation Solutions: Navigating technical aspects of a remodel
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Navigating technical aspects of a remodelLast week we discussed what is involved in removing structural walls. But there are more aspects of construction that you need to deal with in a more major remodel. Believe it or not, the technical aspects of the remodel impact the final look, flow, function and design of your project. These aspects fall into three…
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Removing a structural wall is tricky but not impossible
Read More: Removing a structural wall is tricky but not impossibleOne of the most common requests we hear these days is to create an open floor concept to create a kitchen/great room. This request requires removing walls. How simple this process is depends on whether or not the wall is “structural,” which means it is part of the structural design of the home and is…
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Renovation Solutions: Repurposing a home’s underused space
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Repurposing a home’s underused spaceYour house has a finite number of square feet, and it is incumbent upon each of us to make sure we are using that space to our greatest advantage. A spare bedroom was an underused space that has been transformed into a music room. (Annie V. Schwemmer) Many people come to us thinking they…
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Finding a design style is a revealing process
Read More: Finding a design style is a revealing processA person’s design style is as unique as his or her own personality. It may not be what is advertised on the billboards or what you grew up with, but rest assured that you have a style — you just have to find it. The trick is to shut out the loud trends and prevalent…
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Renovation Solutions: Expert advice on creatively maximizing your space
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Expert advice on creatively maximizing your spaceMultitasking: the performance of multiple tasks at one time, describes a lot of our lives. From the dubious practice of talking on our cellphones while driving to the mom trying to feed the baby while getting the other children out the door to school, we are trying to accomplish more in one day than the…
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Spring is the perfect time to give your ugly patio a face-lift
Read More: Spring is the perfect time to give your ugly patio a face-liftBy Ann Robinson and Annie V. Schwemmer Published: Saturday, March 17 2012 4:00 p.m. MDT Today we are going to talk about patios. We are sure your spring project priority list is filling up fast. No doubt many of your lists include some overhaul to or addition of an outdoor space. ‘Tis the season for…
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Tips to designing seamless outdoor spaces
Read More: Tips to designing seamless outdoor spacesIs it spring yet? Well, the technical answer is no, but psychologically some of us need to push the issue a bit. One way to endure the winter doldrums is to focus on spring gardening. We’ll bet some of you are spending time with your Burpee catalog or wandering around your favorite garden center, watching…
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Ways do-it-yourselfers can save even more
Read More: Ways do-it-yourselfers can save even moreThe cost of labor is the largest portion of a remodeling budget. If you are a do-it-yourselfer with the time, energy, resources and know-how to do the construction yourself, then you can save thousands on labor costs. In preparation for a remodel, this homeowner sold almost everything shown in this photo — from the hardwood…
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Tips to cut remodeling costs without cutting any corners
Read More: Tips to cut remodeling costs without cutting any cornersBusting the budget is everyone’s biggest fear when it comes to home renovation, and with good reason. If funds are tight, consider hiring a contractor to build just the exterior “shell” of your addition and then you can complete the interior finishes as funds become available. (Brent Murray) Even if you follow the essential advice…
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Heated floors are making a comeback
Read More: Heated floors are making a comebackHeated floors are becoming one of the top must-have features in modern homes — both in new home construction and in retrofits. With a growing range of designs to choose from, homeowners are discovering what people around the world have known for thousands of years — radiant floor heating is clean, quiet and comfortable. The…
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Renovation Solutions: Specify products for remodeling project
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Specify products for remodeling projectThe decision to take the plunge into home remodeling may be difficult, but it will be just the first of many decisions you will have to make. Even after the majority of all the design decisions have been made, the average home remodel requires hundreds of additional decisions, ranging from small ones (selecting cabinet hardware)…
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Kitchen remodeling trends for 2012
Read More: Kitchen remodeling trends for 2012Last week we discussed design trends for the whole house. This week we will focus on the 2012 trends for the kitchen. Before and after photos of a recent kitchen remodel. Major kitchen remodels have a 68.7 percent return on investment. (Annie V. Schwemmer) Kitchen updates rank among the most popular home improvements. The reason:…
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Renovation Solutions: Top home-improvement trends of 2012
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Top home-improvement trends of 2012At this time of year the design community starts the trend talk, discussing home-remodeling trends they foresee for the coming year. Most trends are dictated by consumer priorities, lifestyles and the economy — in other words: demand. Other trends are more about the aesthetics of a home. These trends are usually more short-lived and somewhat…
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Renovation Solutions: Removing chimney opens up myriad design possibilities
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Removing chimney opens up myriad design possibilitiesLast week we discussed adding fireplaces and fireplace remodels. Well, sometimes a fireplace needs to be relocated or removed all together in order to accomplish your design goals. Removing a masonry chimney can be done by a homeowner, but it can be an exhausting – as well as dirty – job. (Annie V. Schwemmer) If…
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You, too, can enjoy the ambiance of a well-designed fireplace
Read More: You, too, can enjoy the ambiance of a well-designed fireplaceEven though this winter has been unseasonably warm and the snow limited, it is still “sit by the fireplace” season. We may not ever light the fire but at least we can enjoy the ambiance of a well designed fireplace and mantel. If you don’t have a fireplace or your existing fireplace is less than…
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Renovation Solutions: Fireplaces add warmth and ambiance to homes
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Fireplaces add warmth and ambiance to homesThere is nothing that makes a home feel cozier in the winter than a fireplace. All year round a fireplace adds beauty, dimension and a focal point to the room. Most people, especially this time of year, understand the value of having a fireplace. However, many are not so lucky as to have one in…
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Updating your old furnace will pay you back in savings
Read More: Updating your old furnace will pay you back in savingsIf your furnace looks like this, it may be time to consider an upgrade. Annie V. Schwemmer Heating and cooling account for about 56 percent of the energy used in a typical U.S. home, making it the largest energy expense for most households. A wide variety of technology is available for heating and cooling your…
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Renovation Solutions: Sealing drafts can save a bundle on energy costs
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Sealing drafts can save a bundle on energy costsWith all the joys of a Utah winter, there is a lot to be happy about. A through-the-roof heating bill is not one of them. When contemplating any project, begin by analyzing your home in terms of what is not working. Next, do your homework and determine ways to solve or minimize the problems. In…
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Renovation Solutions: Changing ceiling gives feeling of more space in your home
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Changing ceiling gives feeling of more space in your homeWhen designing a room, don’t forget to look up. The tray ceiling in this master bedroom makes the room feel more spacious while adding drama to the room. (David T. Price) The ceiling represents a substantial portion of the finished area of a room and offers a lot of opportunity to add design and definition…
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Renovation Solutions: Be prepared for remodeling ‘unknowns’
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Be prepared for remodeling ‘unknowns’One of the common challenges in remodeling is to control the mentality of adding projects in the “while we are at it” category. These additions can quickly add up and scuttle a project budget. On the other hand, there is a logical sequence to many construction scenarios which can save money. The two main rooms…
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Renovation Solutions: Survival tips for living while remodeling
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Survival tips for living while remodelingLast week we introduced you to the Smiths, a family of eight that just survived a fairly extensive renovation while living in their split-level home throughout the construction process. Their remodel included an addition of 400 square feet to both the main and lower levels, adding a great room (family room, dining area and kitchen)…
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Renovation Solutions: Split-level home updated for a more gathering space
Read More: Renovation Solutions: Split-level home updated for a more gathering spaceWhen the Smith’s bought their home in 1995, they had three children and one on the way. They loved the neighborhood and liked the house. It was in fairly good condition, though it had not been updated since it was built in 1973. The home before the remodel. (Daniel Barton) They fell in love with…