By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If remodeling your home this spring is on your New Year’s resolution list, there are a few things you should know. We hate to dash your hopes for a quick remodel, but it isn’t
Affordable snowmelt solutions
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Snowmelt systems are designed to take the sting out of Utah winters. Last week we discussed a permanent system to keep snow and ice off your driveway. The system, which can be expensive, features
Driveway Heaters: Tired of shoveling driveway?
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Did you ever hear your dad say, “Shut that door! Are you trying to heat the whole outdoors?” Well, today a whole industry has sprung up with just that goal in mind. Several factors
Fireplace remodels add charm
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We hang stockings from it, roast chestnuts in it, and cuddle in front of it. With so many reasons bringing us to the fireplace, we thought we would discuss options to remodel yours. Fireplaces
How to carve out a better kitchen
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Thanksgiving wins as the holiday with the most time spent in the kitchen. The celebration centers on a wonderful, home-cooked meal. How did your kitchen handle the four extra cooks, the turkey, rolls, mashed
Green Design & Building: Remodeling offers plenty of ways to go green
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Global warming, green building, energy efficient. These buzzwords have people thinking green. And the green-building movement, which has picked up speed over the past 10 years, is at your doorstep in the form of
Great rooms are great places for gatherings
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Fall is the kickoff season of gathering. Just think of all the times you gather your friends and family together this time of year — college football in front of the big screen, Thanksgiving
Go downstairs for extra space
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon One of our clients came to us wanting to keep her Sugar House bungalow looking like a bungalow, but with twice the livable space. Without destroying the classic style or eating into her flower
Go for luxury in shower
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon The day of the shower has arrived. What used to be the most purely functional space in a home is now the center of attention in modern bathroom design. Shower designs are more elaborate
Remodel, move both have costs
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Chances are you aren’t living in your dream home just yet. But don’t worry — you’re in the majority. Usually, a home is missing that extra bedroom or perfect kitchen, bathroom or master suite.
More space lurking in basement
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Many clients who come to us for help with renovations are craving more space. The good news is that most Utah homes already have potentially livable space lurking in the basement. Finishing your basement
Mudrooms make sense
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon It is more than just the calendar that marks the beginning of fall. The trail of coats, books, backpacks and dirty footprints across the floor gives it away. The kids have barely been back
Elevator can keep home livable
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon As baby boomers age, most have plans to keep living in the homes they have now. And as baby boomers prepare for the future, there has been a rise in the demand for home
Detailed planning keeps remodeling on track
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Most clients come to us ready to remodel, but rarely do they come with the project planned. Two years ago, we met a couple who were ready to start the redesign process on their
Safeguard home with seismic upgrades
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Remember there is no practical way to completely “earthquake-proof” your house. But engineers have developed some extreme and expensive methods to equip a building to ride out an earthquake. One of these techniques, which
Understand the dangers of home’s structure
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If an earthquake hits, damage to public structures and infrastructure will be beyond the control of the average citizen, but you do have some control over your individual circumstances in relation to your own
Protect yourself with seismic safety
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Northern Utahns know California is not the only earthquake country in the western United States. Even though we are not confronted with catastrophic earthquakes every day here in the Wasatch Front, we know the
Rearranging interior may be best
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon When you are talking home renovation sometimes bigger isn’t better. Sometimes the biggest impacts are the small projects that rearrange existing space. Often times, clients think they have to have a new addition but
Create stunning views inside home
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Most of us have been in homes with fantastic views. We remember homes with majestic panoramas of beautiful mountains or breathtaking vistas with city lights twinkling in the distance. Of course, these views usually
Lofts are on the rise in downtown S.L.
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon The dynamics of downtown Salt Lake are really changing these days. Everyone seems to be moving to the heart of the city. Well really, we are just following the trend set decades ago by
Extra storage makes life easier
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon There is an old adage that says “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” But what if everything doesn’t have a place in your home? Then you need better storage or less
Modernism brought radical new look
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We need to spend one more week on house styles because we cannot ignore the modernist movement. The very concept of “modern” houses gives some people indigestion. Some feel that this design approach results
Spain, Italy influence Eclectic homes
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We are continuing our discussion of the Eclectic movement in residential design. The influence of European design is readily seen in many American homes. Today we will see how architecture from Spain and Italy
Eclectic style came after Victorian
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon In our continuing discussion of residential architectural styles, today we will look at the Eclectic movement. Spanning from the late 19th century through about 1940, this was the phase that followed the Victorian period.
Victorian homes charming, popular
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Queen Victoria reigned over England from 1837 to 1901. Besides political influences, Queen Victoria’s reign influenced literature, clothing, furniture and, yes, architecture. Even today, more than a hundred years later, you still see homes
Tradition marks colonial home
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon A year or so ago, we spotlighted several home types: the craftsman bungalow, the Tudor, the Cape Cod, and the California ranch. Of course there are more than just four styles, so we thought
Master plan can ease remodel
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon When you ask Donna Bates about their own efforts to remodel their 1940s-built home, she likens it to a 1980s craze: a Rubik’s Cube. “It’s like that Rubik’s Cube puzzle. We’d work on one
Buying a home? Do homework
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Not many things are more exciting or more terrifying than buying a new house. It’s a big decision that requires lots of forethought and even lots of afterthought to make sure you ultimately get
Get porch ready for summer
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon It’s spring and our thoughts turn to outdoor living. We long for the days soon to come where we can sit on our back porch and relax outside. And our mouths are already watering
Color is a huge design element
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Have you ever walked into a room and thought, “Wow, the colors in this room are perfect!” Or maybe you’ve thought, “Wow, the colors in this room are awful!” Color is a huge design
New materials liven up a home
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you’re working on or thinking about a remodel, you’ll find there is no end to the choices of materials you can use to finish off your project. Here are some new options for
Remodel to add gathering space
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Pat and Kathie Debenham had a problem we see again and again in our business: not enough gathering space. And just like so many others, their gathering centered around the kitchen. So this week
Rain gutters whisk water away
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Last week we may have made you nervous with a discussion about mold. Of course, one of the biggest causes of mold — and many other woes — is too much water around your
Keep house dry to avoid mold
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you didn’t have any sleepless nights after we talked about lead paint, let’s see if a discussion of mold will do the trick! We have all heard horror stories about mold taking over
Find best contractor for the job
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Spring is just around the corner, and we all know that in spring a young man’s (or woman’s) fancy turns to thoughts of … remodeling. Some remodeling you can do yourself, but some projects
Banish lead paint from home
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon You’ve all heard about the dangers of lead paint, but what do you do if you discover lead paint in your home? It’s a very serious problem that will take time, effort and money
Craftsman Bungalow House re-Design: Home remodeling results in new old home
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We’ve decided to periodically highlight homeowners and their projects to give you a better feel for real-world remodeling experiences. We realize you will never really know what it’s like until you’ve experienced it yourself,
Tubular skylights are bright idea
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon A skylight is pretty simply defined: a hole in the roof that lets in light. The “light” part is great; the “hole in the roof” part is not so great. You might have heard
Types of smoke detectors, fire alarms: Pros and Cons
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Fire is the third leading cause of accidental death in the United States, and four out of five people who die in a fire die in a home. Fortunately, we have access to devices
Engineered wood offers ease, style
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Who doesn’t love the look of a charming New England cape home, replete with natural wood clapboard or shingle siding and plenty of well-detailed wood trim? You can just imagine a cozy family nestled