True or false: We've reached the bottom of the home remodeling decline?
Harvard says it's true, so it must be, right?
2010 is the Year of the Hammer, particularly by the second quarter, the study (released by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University) suggests. Despite unstable housing market prices and roof-shattering foreclosure rates, potential remodelers may see "favorable financing costs" and increased home sales as reasons for taking on some nonessential improvement projects.
If the prognosticators in Crimson Country are correct, this is great news for contractors, remodelers and homeowners alike. It's still too soon to pop the champagne, but tell us, what's the first project you'll hire-out?
How are you decorating for Halloween? Show us your creepy crawly creations in our My Projects area. Our favorite submissions will be featured after Halloween. Good luck!
Every new president is allotted $100,000 plus an allowance from the White House Historical Association to revamp the estate. According to New York magazine, Laura Bush spent $74,000 from the White House Historical Association funds on a set of china during her residency in the presidential abode. The Obamas recently announced that all their renovation plans will be paid for not from taxpayers' money or from private funds but from their own wallets.
Camille Johnston, director of communications for the First Lady, said that the Obamas “are not using public funds or accepting donations of goods for redecorating their private quarters.” Instead, they've hired Hollywood decorator Michael S. Smith whose clientele includes media mogul Rupert Murdoch and star director Steven Spielberg to do the job.
The White House has declined to comment about the expenses out of courtesy of preserving the privacy of the Obamas' budget, but it's transparent that the first family is taking fiscal responsibility during a tough time in the economy.
Quick quiz: How long would your home stand if you walked away from it tomorrow? According to Alan Weisman, author of The World Without Us, a wood-framed home will stand approximately 125 years before it did not exist anymore. This animation presents how the home would be destroyed by time, the elements and insects.
Bamboo, coconut and wenge. Sounds like ingredients to some spicy tropical dish, right? They're actually some of the materials the comprise Holiday Kitchens' Robin Wilson Home eco-friendly cabinets.
Holiday Kitchens Home cabinets focus on a sustainable manufacturing process; it uses computerized cutting methods to minimize wastes and excess wood to make cutting boards, sawdust for animal bedding and landscape materials. These cabinets are designed so that they have over 10 percent more usable space and are finished with low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint, which is healthier for homeowners and the environment. Another great feature is the fact that these cabinets are frameless, which makes them easier to clean.
Robin Wilson eco-friendly cabinets are scheduled to be sold by 400 Holiday Kitchens dealers nationwide starting this month, so take your pick: bamboo, coconut or wenge?
"Why shouldn't a sink be the knockout in the room?," asks author of Real Life Kitchens, Lyn Peterson. Since sinks are the foundational element to preparing any meal, it's no surprise that Native Trails has implemented unique styles and designs to their sinks, which could easily become the centerpiece of your kitchen.
Made of copper, hammered nickel, oil-rubbed bronze and even recycled aluminum, these metal eye-catchers are fantastic if you want one jewel for your kitchen or a great opportunity if you're planning to install an additional sink. A way to impress the in-laws: bring them into the kitchen and let them help prepare that feast on your new island with the brushed nickel-finished Luna Sink.
Kitchen designer Pat Gaylor says, “A sink with a bit of artistry makes a kitchen design a very personal thing, and individual style is what savvy clients want.”
Living "off the grid," or building a home that is completely sustainable without any outside power requirements, is a dream for many. Now you can get inspiration and direction with this Treehugger article. The homes profiled are located in Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, the UK and Toronto and most are indistinguishable from ordinary houses. And living off the grid does not necessarily mean living smaller as the 3,200-square-foot home in Vermont shows.
