The Craftsman-style Home – Reflecting Madison’s Heritage
Updating this Craftsman-style residence helps it to reflect the welcoming, cozy existence it was designed to represent.
A small cozy home appeals to would-be homeowners in 2020. Combining decades of tradition with modern amenities a Craftsman-style home has earned its place in Madison WI history. Throughout the area you can find hundreds of these unique designs in older neighborhoods. In addition, the styling has renewed interest among custom builders.
What is a Craftsman house design? With their roots in the 1920s signature features include an inviting front porch supported by heavy pillars, a low-slung roof with a dormer or two and the use of natural materials and colors inside and out. There’s a lot of wood trim – or in a modern renovation, wood-look materials. Typical Craftsman colors include browns, greens and other earth tones. Continue reading
Plan Every Kitchen Remodel Detail
This dated kitchen is a candidate for a total makeover – what will it take?
A kitchen remodel is one of the most rewarding home improvement projects you can undertake in your Madison WI home. It is also one of the most complexed. And, it can be one of the most frustrating.
Family activities center in the kitchen. The day’s events are planned and the day recapped. Creating an efficient, welcoming kitchen is a lofty goal, but one well worth the effort. Tearing out the heart of family organization requires planning and foresight. It disrupts all aspects of daily life. Is your family ready to do without the kitchen for weeks, maybe months? Now’s the time to think about it. Continue reading
Kitchen Cabinet Trends – Put Your Style On Display
Custom installations of all kinds are available to meet your needs. Design a kitchen that fits your style.
Many aspects of your kitchen are subject to the whims of fads and fashions. Fortunately, kitchen cabinet trends are more stable than most. No matter what you want for your Madison WI home, there’s a cabinet style to fit your personal taste. Trends in countertops, tile selections and overall floor plans come and go – look the rise and decline of the “farmhouse kitchen” in recent years. Fortunately, kitchen cabinet selections are a steadying influence.
Consider these common threads in kitchen design: Continue reading
The Bump-out – Small Additions Add Big Value
Adding great space to the inside doesn’t mean detracting from the outside of your home.
When you need a few extra square feet of living area without the rigors of a major remodeling plan, a bump-out addition is just the thing. Many Madison WI area homeowners want a more space but their lot size and budget won’t permit it. Adding a small addition that “bumps out” from the existing structure adds usable floor space anywhere in the house.
Consider adding space to your kitchen without knocking down interior walls. Or would you like to expand your master bath for a spa-like walk-in shower? Maybe your children are growing and need more closet space in bedrooms? Would extra space for an office or laundry room be worthwhile? Continue reading
Prepare To Remodel – Advanced Planning Guides The Process
Be prepared – your home life will be disrupted by noise, dust and people coming and going for weeks, maybe months. The results are worth it… if you can hang on.
So, you think it’s time to renovate your home. Do you know what it takes to remodel a single room much less an entire floor? When you prepare to remodel your Madison WI area home, be ready for a significant disruption in your daily routine. The first thing to understand is: Reality TV is NOT REAL. The wonderful remodeling programs compress weeks and months of intense work into 60-minute episodes. Don’t create a remodeling plan expecting a quick fix.
Homeowners planning for their new dream kitchen or bathroom have a short, but detailed list of expectations: Continue reading
An Open Floorplan Design Is Not For Everyone
This older home has incorporated an open floorplan but is it making the best use of valuable space?
In all the popular places – TV, video and magazines – the concept of an open floorplan is a hot topic. Before you plan to knock down a wall in your Madison WI home, consider how – and if – it will really work in your daily routine.
Home buyers, especially first-time buyers, put the “open concept” high on their must have list. At the same time, owners of older homes consider opening up the floorplan a way to modernize. With the wide variety of architectural styles available throughout the Madison area there are plenty of options. Continue reading
Create Your Dream Home With A Home Addition
An addition turned this traditional farm house into a larger more family-friendly home.
As families mature the definition of a “dream home” changes. Fortunately, you don’t always have to move to live the dream. A home addition offers a solution to a wide variety of challenges. There are as many renovation options as there are architectural styles in Madison WI – and that’s a lot.
When your family loves its community, the local schools and neighbors, an addition to your home can breathe new life into existing space. The decision to explore a new addition can be based on many factors, including: Continue reading
Estimates vs Bids – Quotes From A Remodeling Contractor
Adding a sunroom to your home is an ideal renovation for Madison WI. It’s another example of how detailed project planning creates exceptional results.
How much does a remodeling project cost? That’s the first big question homeowners have for a remodeling contractor. It’s a question with as many different answers as Madison WI has home styles. When homeowners meet with a contractor they want three things: ideas, a plan and a quote. In today’s remodeling market the old saying, “you get what you pay for” applies more than ever.
The building industry is constantly evolving thanks to advances in technology and materials. These changes, plus the cost of skilled labor keeps remodeling professionals on their toes. It also puts a strain on their resources. In today’s environment they cannot provide free services that were once common. Free estimates or free quotes on potential jobs are now fee for service options. Continue reading
Using Texture Adds Visual Interest, Personality To Any Room
Different shades of brick on the walls, a massive wall clock, whicker tables and area rugs over wood-look tile all project different textures in this contemporary space.
There are dozens of ways to make a home renovation unique and personal. Using texture as a design element is increasingly popular. Textures add to the liveliness of any space and make you Madison WI home remodel stand out.
There are times when even the most complete renovation plan just doesn’t “pop.” All the creative components are there – color scheme, décor items, furnishings, cabinetry, lighting. Yet the combination feels “flat.” What can add the sizzle? Applying texture to the walls, ceiling of floor. Continue reading
Undercabinet Lighting Boosts Kitchen Efficiency
Hardwired LED fixtures illuminate backsplash and countertops.
When light in the kitchen is at a premium, undercabinet lighting makes a huge difference. Seldom does a Madison WI homeowner say “I have too much light on my kitchen counters.” More likely it’s “I hate working in the shadows. Overhead cabinets, shelves and kitchen helpers all cast shadows on the work space. Traditional light fixtures don’t cover all the nooks.
Kitchen lights come in three basic categories: task lighting, accent lights and decorative fixtures. Continue reading
