S Interior Design is often asked to host guest blog articles. Our standard criteria for accepting a guest post is that it will provide useful information for our readers. The guest posting below is from a writer in Australia (I always get a kick out of the different terminology used in countries other than the U.S. :)). It contains some very basic information about cabinetry types that can be used throughout a home. An analogy I have used is that you cannot successfully play a sport without the proper equipment, and you cannot be organized in your home without the proper spaces to store your things. CABINETS are the key ingredient to having an organized home.
Kitchen Remodel-Big Investment, Big Pay Off
Below is an article published by Pulte Homes on the subject of 5 Kitchen Design Trends that home buyers are interested in. The article shares some great ideas to think about if you are planning a kitchen remodel. S Interior Design likes that their design is not only focused on the look, but also the functionality aspects. Your kitchen is the most functional area in your home and if it doesn’t work well, it doesn’t matter how beautiful it looks.
Kitchen Design Trends that Improves a Kitchen’s Beauty and Functionality
A kitchen is the heartbeat of a home so it’s no wonder that the kitchen is the number one consideration in choosing their next home.
Pulte Group’s Interior Designs Team will merchandise about 425 homes in 2016 and the models they decorate reflect the hottest design trends and interior innovations.
“Today’s home buyers are willing to spend more in the kitchen – from energy-efficient appliances to quartz countertops,” says Janice Jones, PulteGroup’s national vice president of interior design, which effectively acts as one of the largest design shops in the nation with 33 design professionals. “We continuously conduct consumer focus groups to best understand what they want in their kitchens and are constantly refining our kitchen designs and its elements to ensure it delivers on functionality, creative design and easy maintenance across all our buyer groups.”
Jones says that in 2016, five kitchen trends are emerging as must-haves when consumers are planning a kitchen renovation project or if they are looking for some easy kitchen updates. These design trends can already be seen today in new Pulte homes being built throughout the country.
The “Wow” Factor: Bold and oversized lighting choices add drama to the completed space. Decorative lighting is key in the kitchen and adds dramatic flair as well as functionality to the kitchen, especially over the kitchen island.
Transparency: Consumers love to personalize a space. By switching out some cabinet doors with glass doors, you extend visual boundaries while displaying “a few of my favorite things.”
Bridging the Gap: Consumers say you can never have enough storage, especially in the kitchen. Double stacked cabinets extend to the ceiling, which maximize storage space for those special occasion items.
More drawers, less doors: The functionality of drawers outweighs doors. These designs are emphasized through the use of bold hardware.
Mixed marbles and metals highlight gray wood tones. Materials are being mixed, colors contrasted, and styles interchanged to create a unique and personalized point of view.
To see more kitchen designs, visit www.pulte.com.
9 Tips To Create A Home Office You’ll Actually Want To Work In
When I saw the title to this post we were being asked to share with our readers I thought ‘Wow, great timing, I could use a bit of inspiration in my own home office right about now!”
Home offices can be a blessing and a curse. You get to work at home, avoid a stressful commute and really work in a space that you make your own.
At the same time, I think that if you don’t have a space that you enjoy working in, it can make you unproductive or leave you unmotivated.
So, if you are looking for some home office design ideas to make your office a dream to work in, take a look at some of my easy and fun tips to achieve a home office you will actually look forward to working in.
1. Use a Theme
I know what you might be thinking, that themes are tacky are won’t work for a home office. But let me just tell you, it’s not true. Themes can work well for an office space and give you easy design rules to follow for a beautifully put together space.
One of my personal favorite themes to use is a coastal theme. This one works particularly well in a home office because it focuses on lots of white furniture, lots of light and wooden accents.
2. Decorate functionally
I know that looking at Pinterest is good for inspiration but don’t forget that the room needs to be workable as well.
Of course you can still choose a well-designed space but don’t forget to include practical items like a filing cabinet or lots of desk space.
3. Embrace natural light
I think we all know that no-one wants to work in a dark and depressing space so make sure you are making the most of the natural light that you have in the room. Use white curtains or blinds to let the light through. If you want to, you could get rid of the curtains completely to make sure that you get as much light in the room as possible.
I know that this might not be possible for everyone, and if your home office is lacking in natural or direct sunlight, you can achieve a similar effect if you add lamps to your home office. It’s not quite the same as the real thing, but goes a long way to helping you create a bright and airy home office.
Image source
4. Add comfortable elements
Adding a lounge chair or armchair can be a great way to relax when you need to read over some papers or simply just want a break from your desk.This is particularly important because it means that when you want to sit somewhere comfortable you don’t need to leave your office and you remain in work mode.
5. Optimize Storage
When it comes to storage you need to really make the most of the space you have with an organized and efficient storage system. Make sure that you have a place for everything and that everything goes back into its place.
Before you take on this task I would recommend making sure you have all the files, boxes and storage items you need to efficiently organize your office.
6. Green Touches
This is one of my favorite tips, as not only does adding plants improve the air quality of the room, it also gives the room a fresher and more alive feeling.
If you want to keep your home office closed on the weekends, keep in mind that you need to choose plants that don’t need watering all the time.
7. Personalize
I love to personalize my house with photos of friends and family, and a home office should be no exception. Use photos and mementos of friends, family and good times to personalize your office space and add a familiar touch.
Don’t forget to rotate them so they don’t get too boring and familiar.
Image source
8. Keep it clutter free
This might seem like one of the most obvious tips for creating a home office that you actually want to work in, but I think it’s one of the most important.
Keeping it organized and tidy can really help you work better but also keeps your motivated to work there, no one wants to work in a messy office.
9. Stock up
This one is an easy one to follow but makes all the difference. Making sure you have all the things when you need makes sure that you are efficient use of your time and you aren’t having to run out to the store all the time.
This also has the added advantage of being able to make use of bulk discounts, ultimately saving you money which is never a bad thing!
Image source
So there you have it, some easy tips to make the most of your home office space. If you are looking for ways to create a home office that you actually want to work in, give one of these ideas a go and I promise you will be loving your home office in no time.
Hannah Hutchinson
Being passionate about beautiful interiors and architecture, I also have recently begun to write and contribute to this knowledge ecosystem. I strongly believe that the place we create around us has a strong influence on our personal well-being. Follow me for my inspirations and musings at @hannahhutch5 and Pinterest.
5 Ideas for “Modern Kitchens”
Below is a guest post on the subject of design ideas for a modern kitchen. In this case the word modern is perhaps a misnomer. I would characterize the ideas as creative. In today’s world we are spending more time in the kitchen area of our homes with family and friends so it is definitely a room in which you want to maximize function, and optimize the look and feel.
S Interior Design has added comments to the post below (shown in italic font).
What Every Home Buyer Wants
Below is a guest post that discusses what a new home buyer may be looking for in terms of features or upgrades. S Interior Design has added commentary (shown in italics ) throughout the posting.
What Every Home Buyer Wants
Every new home buyer, has some wishes that he/she looks for before making a step towards buying or owning a home. Different features and factors which include home location, the size of the home and also interior features are mostly common in any buyers wish lists. This determines how willing/interested a buyer will be when it comes to purchasing the home.
Many buyers are willing to spend more money above the price of the home to have certain interior and exterior features put in place. Some of the wishes that every home buyer will look for when buying a home (and something you might want to consider when remodeling or doing home improvements) will include the following:
Stainless steel appliances
Most home buyers prefer having stainless appliances fitted in their homes ranging from doors and other indoor appliances. This is because stainless steel is more attractive and makes the house have an elegant view.
While stainless steel appliances are still desirable, black, slate and even white appliances are becoming more popular.
Security
A well secured home with quality doors and locks will be mostly preferred by home buyers. Good quality and affordable doors can be found with barn door hardware. The hardware offers better quality doors in different designs. They also offer track systems and other door accessories to make sure that your home is well guarded against break-ins. In some homes, break-ins are inevitable and home buyers are looking for homes where a warranty is given in cases of break-ins or wear out. A home warranty is considered as a major component before buying a home.
Key pad entry pads and even wireless entry is now available .
More Bedrooms
Privacy is key in any bedroom and home buyers will prefer a home with more bedrooms which can accommodate more people in case there are visitors. Anyone should feel comfortable sleeping in a bedroom in which there is privacy. A walk-in closet in the bedroom is also a status symbol since most people want to have more clothes, be more organized and on top of that, look presentable.
You can add privacy door sets to any room in which you desire extra privacy. Every home buyer/home owner has distinct needs. More is not always better!
More Bathrooms
It’s no doubt that washrooms are a very sensitive area of the house. To maintain hygiene and a healthy lifestyle, washrooms should not be shared among every person who lives in a house. Therefore, most home buyers will prefer having more bathrooms in their house to maintain hygiene.
Keep in mind more bathrooms mean more bathrooms to clean!
Laundry Room
A place where people can wash, fold clothes and store other laundry materials will be a key factor to anyone who wants to own a home. Laundry rooms help people to keep the mess out of their living room keeping it tidy and homey.
Older homes may have a laundry area or space versus an acutual room. You need to think about where you will fold your laundry and iron in the house if there is not a dedicated room for that purpose.
More Exterior Lighting
A well designed exterior lighting captures customers’ attention on the first sight. Be it wall lanterns and landscape lights above the ground provides a scenic view which attracts potential buyers before they even get inside a house. The light illuminates paths at night.
Good Kitchen Design (Eat-In Kitchens)
For home buyers, especially those with families, an eat-in kitchen is a must have. This helps people interact during breakfast or dinner since they congregate in the kitchen for their meals. The kitchen should be spacious enough to accommodate a large number of people.
Your specific lifestyle and family make up will help to determine your needs in terms of how large of a space and eating table / area is needed.
A Fireplace
One or more fireplaces may become more popular as speculated. This is because many people spend less time watching TV. A fireplace will be an ideal place where home owners can relax or just share highlights from their day with family or friends.
We have not witnessed this trend. Our clients are fully committed to having televisions in multiple rooms of their homes. Fireplaces in dining rooms and bedrooms are are great option along with the more standard living room or great room spaces.
Spacious Garage and Storage Room
The increase in resources results in home buyers looking for spacious storage to accommodate equipment used in homes. For buyers with families, a spacious garage is most likely to have an upper hand since a family may have a number of cars to accommodate in a garage. A seller should ensure garage and other storage rooms are spacious.
Good storage spaces are definitely a plus especially in areas such as Arizona where basements and storage areas in basements are less commonly available.
Floors /Design
Though carpets are considered to conserve energy and offer a comfortable feeling, they may be hard to clean. Most home buyers who host guests often, prefer hardwood floors, which are durable and easy to clean.
Other hard floor surfaces to consider are laminate, luxury vinyl planks, cork and porcelain tile.
Home Office
Most people take office work home so that they can work on it either in the evening or during weekends. Buyers may prefer to have a place in the house where work-related documents are kept (e.g. books, laptops and more). Home offices make your work more manageable.
Overwhelming desire for the majority of home owners! Most newly built homes will offer 1 or more options for home office space.
Though the list is endless depending on people’s tastes and preferences, most home buyers are willing to cough up extra money to have their homes customized. In this digital era, a good home should therefore contain modern facilities which are not only attractive, but also act as a status symbol to many.