Thursday, March 22, 2012

Things to Consider During Kitchen Renovation


They say that your kitchen is the heart of your house. This is the very place where you work for the adage, “the way to anybody’s heart is through his/her stomach”. But what if one day you realize that your kitchen is a disaster zone? Then, you feel that you can’t even boil an egg without causing a mess. Now, it’s confirmed! You badly need kitchen renovation to bring back the beauty of your cooking areawhile spending within the budget. The following are known best kitchen renovation tips that may help you improve your home value while you live your ultimate-chef-dream. 



Identify your needs and plan smart

Are your kitchen cabinets falling apart? Is your dishwasher ugly and noisy? How big do youwant your kitchen to be? How will you use the space? These and other questions are very important considerations in starting your kitchen renovation. When you start with an effective plan, you can definitely save a great deal of your budget. You should prepare your kitchen sketch ahead of time so you’ll be guided accordingly. With this, you can also avoid waste of time, effort and money in going through trial and error. You may start upgrading your lightings while doing the electrical works. You’re electrical connection is very important for your appliances to work well. Otherwise, you may end blowing your toaster when your refrigerator kicks. Do you think you’re a handyman? Well, you can do the work on your own orask the help of an electrician and for sure you’ll not be able to cut kitchen renovation cost. Experts advise homeowners to avoid moving sink or stove to a different location. Studies show that moving plumbing, moving gas and drain lines is very expensive.

Add new kitchen work station and build pantry

Do you cook alone in the kitchen? Isn’t it more enjoyable if you have a partner in preparing meals? Yes, it is more romantic if you and your husband work in the kitchen together. For some families, both husbands and wives prefer to share the work with each person needing a dedicated work station. Therefore, you can consider setting up a second station by adding in a free-standing island. You can also extend a counter but see to it that its design will blend the interior of your kitchen. Moreover, you may not have enough room to store all of your food. You may find a closet in the corner that can be used to do the work. Therefore, you can covert that closet into a pantry then add shelves and lighting as needed. 

Keep appliances updated and replace flooring

Do you have troubles with your energy bills? Then, you should choose energy-efficient appliances that can effectively help you defray some of the cost. You may think that replacing your stove, dishwasher and refrigerator is impractical and seem price prohibitive. Then, you’re wrong because you can actually save from new energy-saving appliances. On the other end, you can create vibrant designs in your kitchen by changing your flooring. Choose different color to update your kitchen with ceramic or wood floors that cost the same and are equally attractive. 

Cooking has never been this fun and enjoyable if you put personal touch on your kitchen! Enjoy cooking in your dream kitchen!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Home Renovation Tips and Techniques


You’re already living in your dream house but you think you still have to make some changes. A lot of renovation ideas are boggling your mind and you know that not all projects are practically pursuing you. How then will you start the home renovation? What part of your house must be prioritized? Will the changes add value to your house in case you sell them someday? These and other questions must be considered in starting your home improvement. Here are home renovation projects you should not miss in making changes in your family’s haven of safety and comfort.



Kitchen make-over

Does your kitchen turn your ultimate-chef-dream into reality? Then, it is just rewarding to add more personal touch to your kitchen. Repainting your kitchen cabinets is one of the inexpensive ways to give your kitchen a new look. You can either incorporate lighter paint colours to your kitchen or re-varnish furniture. If you have the luxury of greater renovation budget, you can replace cabinet doors and re-paint the whole cabinets. But then, if your kitchen cabinets are still in good condition, you can just change old knobs and handles into new ones with artistic designs for newer and fresher look. Taking the worthy-investment perspective, you can replace old and chipped kitchen tiles. Granite, cultured marble and stainless steel can beautify any kitchen. Inexpensive alternatives include ceramic tiles and wood. You need not to spend more in giving your kitchen a make-over. A smaller job in replacing counter tops, cabinet faces, appliances and flooring can still make your kitchen look newly furnished.

Replacement windows and new sidings

Are your aged and leaky windows causing you troubles? Don’t you think these are turn-offs? It is high time to mind your windows and replace them with new ones. Leaky windows can even increase your energy bills. New windows, whether vinyl or wood, can definitely exude comfort and new look while adding value to your house. Furthermore, instead of spending more on repainting your home, you can simply install quality sidings. Choose sidings that match the character of your home. Vinyl or brick face can be part of your options. These renovation ideas can help you decrease maintenance cost and can even lower your utility bills.
Project pleasing ambience with lightings

Can you feel the dullness of your rooms? Does your home reflect a melancholic ambience? You must have bad lightings in your home. Lighting is an essential element of home renovation. You must install yellow or warm white light inside the house as a rule of thumb. With this, people’s complexion looks better, food in the dining table appears more appetizing and help project pleasing ambience. White and yellow lights combined in the same room will be very pleasing to the eyes. Nonetheless, you must take note that this will not work better in workplaces such as in the kitchen.

Enjoy luxury of space

A house with enough storage space will surely minimize clutter. Do you have an attic in your house? You can definitely use this space for new rooms and you’ll end up providing much-needed room for your teens. You can build extensions to your home but don’t forget that this should blend the design, roofing and exterior finish of your house structure.

You can do these renovation on your own or let Ottawa renovation experts to do these for you. Visit Ottawa renovation companies’ website now!


Monday, March 5, 2012

Bathroom Renovation Ideas For A More Appealing Bathroom


Would you agree that your bathroom’s appearance reflect your personality? Does your bathroom give you rejuvenating aura every morning or ruin your entire day? For sure, you can’t begin and end your usual day without visiting your bathroom. You and your family need the comfort that it provides every day of your lives. Therefore, a bathroom must be designed as thoroughly as the rest of the home. Most of homeowners consider bathroom renovation only if the shower becomes slippery, water stains all over the walls and floors or tiles fade away. Other aesthetic householders would want to remodel or renovate a bathroom to look modern and attractive. How about you? Get inspired with the following tips and bathroom renovation ideas. 

Elegant and durable fixtures 

As you open your bathroom door, isn’t it heartwarming to see attractive and elegant bathroom sculptures? A classic claw-foot tub will address this need. Instead of installing blocky cabinet vanity, your bathroom will be more attractive when it has a pedestal sink with graceful lines. In choosing your bathtub, a 60-inch tub will do for most people because it can offer enough room to stretch out and can provide a secure foothold. It is also advised to assess angled back and look for comfort and neck support. Compared to many surfaces covered with mirror, a beautifully framed mirror over a sink is more attractive. This can be supplemented with a wall-mounted makeup mirror as well as mirrored shaving area in your shower stall. On the other hand, a good lighting for your bathroom is very essential. For enhanced ambience, you can combine halogen pot lights with wall sconces for lighting with no shadows. It is also imperative to install dimmers. 

Enjoy a modern shower area and quality toilet

A cool shower will definitely keep you refreshed and prepared throughout the day.For your shower area, build an open-concept shower area that is less confining than standard shower stall and doesn’t need a curtain or door. You must secure your bathroom with well-designed drainage. Install a rain showerhead mounted in the ceiling or preferably high wall-mounted showerhead to keep the areas outside the shower drier. On the other end, your toilet need not be expensive while you don’t want to crimp too much also. Toilets with elongated bowls and seats are tested to be most comfortable. 

Maximize space and go for excellent flooring

For some, more bathroom space is a luxury. Don’t you think so? Take advantage of free areas between wall studs and use this extra space to maximize vertical storage while saving floor space. How about durable and sturdy bathroom floor? For sure, you need one. Then, go for ceramic, marble and stone tiles for quality floor and water-resistant choices. You can also install subfloor heating coils to make surfaces warm. For natural warmth, well-sealed hardwood floors will do and can act as foil for cold surfaces. 



An ideal bathroom design should answer all your needs both physical and spiritual. You can try do-it-yourself methods or seek the expertise of Ottawa bathroom renovation services. Professionals in the field of interior design and renovation can even help you incorporate luxury in your bathroom turning it into spa-like haven. You can choose from an array of services that they offer in improving your bathroom. Amazing, isn’t it? Start planning now.