Entertainment Weekly Update

There are things about our homes that drive us crazy.  N o matter what makes us long for a change eventually we decide to do something about it.  And so we fire up our computers and we become ensnared in the endless array of images, ads and blogs.  We become overwhelmed at the possibilities. Don't be discouraged.  There is an online resource designed for homeowners who want to find inspiration, images or a trusted local professional to lead them on their way.  This place is called Houzz.com .  Houzz features the largest residential design database in the world, articles written by design experts, product recommendations, a vibrant community powered by social tools, and information on more than 1.5 million remodeling and design professionals worldwide who can help turn ideas into reality. I use houzz.com for inspiration.  I use it to share images with my clients, to provide visual examples of proposed design elements and to showcase my own professional designs.  In fact, I recen

Master Bathroom 'AFTER' Master Bath 'BEFORE' In the ebb and flow of home design trends, what was old becomes new and what was new becomes old.   Gone are the days of 1960�s space-age designs, 1970�s shag carpet, 1980�s pastel color schemes and 1990�s shabby chic.   Today residential design is headed into what has been dubbed the �transitional� style.   This style integrates both traditional and modern design elements in an eclectic and sophisticated manner.   This design trend is gaining immense popularity especially in the area of bathroom design where vintage hardware and lighting fixtures are intertwined with smooth linear tiles and sleek glass finishes. Master Bathroom 'BEFORE'  Take for example this master bathroom renovation completed in November of 2012.   The bathroom remained mostly as it was originally designed in the 1960�s with some wall color, linen and lighting adaptations.   The floor plan was a common 5�-0� wide galley style bathroom with a tub/

Each year when families across the country retire their old scribbled and marked upon calendars with fresh new ones full of promise and empty spaces to be filled, they begin to dream of ways to improve the way they live and increase the pleasure they receive.   One of the most obvious places they turn to is their own home, the place where they spend the majority of their time. So it is that we look back at 2012 and ahead to 2013.   Looking back, it is easy to see that remodeling trends continue to evolve and that homeowners are gaining renewed confidence and channeling that energy back into their homes.   According to the National Association of Home Builders (NHAB) there were many projects homeowners chose to undertake, but there were a few common project types that were repeated time and again.   Below is a ranking of the Top Ten Remodeling Projects in descending order: #10       SIDING   Improvements to or replacement of exterior siding was the 10 th most common renovation proj