The House Plan Shop Blog

Decorating all of the rooms in your new house can be a bit overwhelming. Should you start with a color scheme, a piece of artwork that you love or choose the furniture pieces first? With so many different decorating styles, themes and personal tastes, there really is no specific flow when it comes to decorating an entire room from start to finish. However, these decorating tips and ideas will help get you started.

·         If the room has a focal point such as a fireplace, flat screen TV or array of windows with a fantastic backyard view, start with the focal point. Determine the key pieces of furniture you will need and how you will arrange them to complement or take advantage of the focal point.

·         If the room does not have a focal point, you should start with the main furniture pieces you’ll need for the room. Consider each piece’s form and how you need it to function.

·         When picking out furniture, keep in mind that it will be a lot easier and less expensive to freshen up or update the room by swapping out accent pieces rather than buying all new furniture so you may want to choose furniture pieces that can mix and match with various styles.

·         Your furniture will set the style and mood of the room. The fabric, wood finishes and chrome/metal/glass accents will help you determine a color scheme.

·         If you have a particular accessory that you want to include in a room, the accessory may help determine what style of furniture you choose. A modern painting might lend itself to a black leather couch while an antique vase might lend itself to a pair of elegant armchairs with wooden legs. Maybe you have a brightly colored ceramic bowl that you’d like to display in the dining room. Look for a dining set that offers seat covers in a color that complements the bowl.

·         There is an endless supply of paint colors available to complement the fabric and wood finishes of your furniture, so think about your furniture style, colors and finishes when selecting paint.

·         There are no rules about what pieces of furniture should match in a room. This is truly personal preference. If you prefer your end tables match the coffee table and sofa table that is your choice. If you like how a skirted couch looks with a club chair put them in the room together. Often mix matched furniture pieces make a room look lively and inviting.

·         Be aware of the size of your room and the size of the furniture you choose. If you have a big room or an open floor plan with plenty of walking space, an overstuffed sofa might fit in well. However, is you have a small room, stay away from the stuffed couches and chairs. Instead, try to include a smaller loveseat with a streamlined look that shows off your tastes.

·         Give a room character with windows treatments. If you want a rich, lush and elegant look, long heavy drapes will do the trick. For a light and airy feel, white or pastel color sheers will be just the right touch.

·         Incorporate lighting. How many lamps do you need? Do you need a floor lamp or table lamp? Will track lighting work? Consider recessed lighting or a spotlight to highlight the focal point of the room. Will a ceiling fan with lighting be practical and complement your decorating style?

·         Add accent pieces to the room. Incorporate various textures and patterns. Consider a woven rug and a wooden end table, floral print and solid throw pillows, wicker baskets, pillar candles resting on small round or square mirrors, silk or beaded lampshades, etc.

These helpful decorating hints will help get you started decorating your new home. But before you make any purchases, you may want to consult an interior designer or browse some decorating magazines and websites for more ideas.

Tags: Home Decorating, interior decorating

When it comes to building a new home, there are many benefits to gain by using green building methods. From choosing earth-friendly materials to following environmentally-friendly practices there are several things you and your builder can do to make your new home green. So why build GREEN? Green building and living is the way of the future. With every choice we make we have the option to protect our environment and planet or endanger them. Building a home makes a huge impact on the environment and landscape. Making responsible choices and decisions throughout the construction process helps protect the environment, our resources and our health. It is important that we do our part.

Carbon Footprint

Making an effort to use green materials will help lesson your carbon footprint. (A carbon footprint in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by an individual, organization or an event such as building a home.) Choosing local materials to finish your home will have less of an impact on the environment than selecting materials that must be shipped from far locations. Also, when clearing your lot, only clear the space that is necessary to build the home. Leave as many mature trees and as much shrubbery undisturbed as possible. This will leave the established ecosystem in place providing homes to resident animals and insects, allowing trees and greenery to produce oxygen and provide shade reducing your summer cooling bills.

Protecting Resources

Plan to use sustainable materials when building your home such as bamboo flooring. Bamboo grows much more quickly than other timber allowing it to replenish itself in a fraction of the time it takes for hardwoods and exotic timber to reproduce. Choosing sustainable materials prevents exploitation of natural resources.

Energy Efficiency

Using green or recycled materials can help increase the overall efficiency of your home and eliminate landfill wastes. Consider recycled paper or denim products to insulate your home. Choose countertops made of recycled glass instead of purchasing a granite countertop. Install high quality thermal windows cutting down on heating and cooling bills. Consider a geothermal heating and cooling system. Incorporate solar panels. Take advantage of your lot and position your home to make the best of natural lighting. Choose and install Energy Star rated appliances. All of these things help eliminate waste and reduce energy consumption (and your utility bills.)

Water-Use Reduction

Select and install water-conserving appliances and fixtures such as low-flow toilets and shower heads. Purchase a water-conserving washing machine and dishwasher. Not only will these choices help protect our water supply, but they will also reduce your water bill.

Heath Benefits 

Choose green products to finish the interior of your home such as formaldehyde-free building materials and low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints. These healthy alternatives help prevent respiratory problems that can arise when using traditional building materials.

So, before you build your new home, talk with your builder about these green building practices and other things you can do to make earth-friendly choices throughout the construction process.

For more information, check out these articles about green building.

Tags: energy effiecient, green building, green homes, green house plans, resources

Summer has past and fall is here. With winter is just around the corner, autumn is the perfect time to take care of a few things inside and outside your home before winter weather arrives. The home maintenance checklist below will help you complete all the necessary tasks that might otherwise be forgotten without this little reminder.

·         Inspect weatherstripping around exterior doors and windows for signs of deterioration and replace it or make necessary repairs.

·         Keep an eye out for sales and deals on close out items left over from summer. Purchase and/or replace any lawn and garden tools. You’ll be ready for next spring at half the price.

·         Shampoo carpets and paint interior rooms while it is still warm enough outside to leave the windows open.

·         Check your heating system and make sure it is functioning properly. Check filters and pilot lights. Schedule an appointment to have your heating system service by a professional.

·         Vacuum and clean dust from vents, ducts, cold air returns and baseboard heaters.

·         Remove and store window air conditioning units. Units that cannot be removed should be covered with plastic for protection throughout the winter.

·         Detach hoses in case of freezing temperatures and store them in the garage or garden shed.

·         Clean gutters after all the leaves have fallen and make sure downspouts are functioning properly.

·         Set automatic sprinklers for winter.

Tags: fall home maintenance, maintenance checklist, prepare for winter

As a follow up to last week’s post, Space Savers for Children’s Rooms, the tips and ideas suggested in Organizing Children’s Rooms found on Kay’s Country Cottage blog, are worth reading. If you’ve gone to the trouble of choosing all the right furniture and accessories for your kids’ rooms in your new home, you’ll surely want to keep their bedrooms tidy and organized. This means taking time every few months to go through each child’s room and purge, clean, reorganize, etc. Follow Kay’s advice…she offers many good ideas. Sort everything in the room. Throw away broken toys. Give toys away that are no longer played with but in good condition. Pass down clothing and shoes the child has outgrown. The list goes on.

If you take time to clear out unnecessary items occasionally, those space saving pieces of furniture and accessories that made each child’s room perfect when you moved in, will be able to better maintain order and serve their intended purposes. There is no sense in trying to maintain an orderly room if you are running out of space due to unwanted and no longer needed items. It is time to start getting organized.

Tags: cleaning, kid's rooms, organizating

When you decided to build your new home, there is no doubt you considered your child or future child(ren), their needs and all their STUFF when choosing a house plan. No matter what their age, kids have all the furniture adults have. They also have plenty of extras like toys, game systems, sporting equipment, stuffed animals, arts and craft supplies, and all those special treasures they stash in the closet and under the bed. You probably know it is important to maximize each child’s space in your new home, so when shopping for furniture keep this rule in mind: If it’s not practical, don’t buy it.

Consider these space savers when buying furniture and accessories for your child’s new room.

Multi-Purpose Furniture – Multi-purpose furniture should be attractive, functional and satisfy more than one need. Toy boxes and hinged ottomans are ideal space savers because they offer out-of-sight storage and a place to sit. Desks with drawers offer storage for school and craft supplies and a work surface for writing and working. Finally, consider pieces of furniture that will grow with your child and make a smart financial purchase.

Loft Bed – For older children, a loft bed is a great way to expand usable space while maintaining floor space. A loft bed is similar to a bunk bed because it sits up off the floor. But instead of having a lower bunk, there is room for something else like a play area or a study space. Many loft beds come with built in shelving units, dresser drawers or a desk underneath the bed.

Convertible Crib/Bed - Consider purchasing a convertible crib if you are expecting a baby or have an infant or toddler. Convertible cribs grow with your child from infancy through their teens and beyond depending on your/their preferences as they grow. These kinds of beds convert from a crib to a toddler bed and then to a day bed, twin or full size bed depending on the brand and style. Usually the conversions are easy and only require adding or removing side boards, the foot board, or rails and swapping out the crib/toddler mattress for a twin/full size mattress. Most furniture stores and baby stores sell these kinds of beds and they are usually available with matching furniture pieces such as dresser, night stand, changing table etc. Purchasing a convertible crib or bed saves space because you won’t have to buy new furniture as you child progresses though life. This also means you won’t need to find a place to store the old stuff until you can use it again or find another use for it.

Under-the-Bed Storage – Free up closet, shelf and floor space with organizers that fit under the bed. There is a wide variety of storage containers, bins and boxes available all designed to neatly slide underneath a bed. Using various totes to store out of season clothing and bedding under the bed keeps it out of the closet when it isn’t needed and keeps it out of sight. You might even consider giving your child one organizer of their own to store their “special things”.

Shelving – Both bookshelves or wall shelves are a necessity for saving space. Rather than having piles of toys, books, games and collectibles on the floor, shelving provides a place to organize, store or display your child’s favorite things while keeping the floor space clear for walking or playing.

Wall Pegs or Hooks – It is no secret that children typically leave things on the floor. Free up floor space and teach your child to take care of his or her belongings by installing several wall pegs or hooks near the bedroom door. This will give your child a place to put all their personal items such as jackets, backpacks, hats, belts, coats and more. This will free up floor space keeping your child from stepping on his hoodie or ball cap and keep him organized. If he get into a habit of always hanging his things at the door, he’ll know right where to find things when he needs them.

Take some time to consider which of these space savers will work in your child’s room.

Tags: kid's rooms, organizing, space savers