Design

August 5, 2020 by freelancer

Best Places to Add Custom Decorative Millwork

Pond House Interior decorated — Prefab Pond House interior on display at a Flower and Garden Show.

Custom decorative millwork is an excellent choice when you want to go vintage with your home improvement and interior remodeling projects. Nothing can come even remotely close to the aesthetic appeal of real wood.

This is especially true if the wood was crafted by an experienced, skilled, and seasoned contractor with deep knowledge of the material. For this reason, millwork will increase your home’s beauty and add real value to your property.

Custom cabinetry, antiqued bookshelves, closets, candle holders, and so on, can significantly increase the price of your home and add to its functionality. Custom crafted millwork makes your property more usable by giving you more storage space. The range of options is endless. Whether you are into gorgeous staircase banisters or decorative crown molding, custom millwork is a fantastic addition to your property.

Since placing matters considerably, we’re going to mention the best places to add millwork design and the most common custom millwork options and ideas for your home.

Custom Decorative Millwork for Your Property

If you are a homeowner, you are about to face the challenge of making several essential choices regarding custom millwork in your home. The process can range from quite tedious to exciting and fun, but with the right guidelines, it is doable. It is all about the level of quality and type of wood in the end.

Types of wood greatly matter when making a choice about adding millwork wood. You must take softness, color, grain, rot resistance, and strength into consideration. These are vital characteristics that ensure your millwork is attractive and durable enough.

Consider the following wood types:

White oak – oak is known as hardwood. It’s durable, reliable, and heavy, which is why it’s most commonly used for furniture and cabinetry. Its wide grain is a property that most appreciate. White oak means reasonable prices and high quality.
Walnut – also known as hardwood, walnut is well-known for its heavy grain and attractive deep brown color. The price is a bit higher, though.
Fir – depending on the client’s needs, fir can be made light or dark by adding a variety of different stains. Fir is one of the most flexible wood types around.
Birch – birch is an outstanding medium to hardwood with a light reddish color and fine grain, most commonly used with custom decorative millwork.
Cherry – medium weight, deep reddish-brown wood, perfect for adding a nice finish with a fine grain.

Level of Detail

Now, aside from the type of wood, there is also the level of detail to consider. It all depends on your budget, the style of your home, and the type of project. Some homes demand highly detailed millwork while other homes need something less conspicuous. Traditional millwork almost always includes more details, while the contemporary style is more about minimalist appearance. If you can’t make up your mind between the two, talk to your contractor.

Custom Decorative Millwork Ideas

Here are a couple of custom millwork project ideas for your home:

Wainscoting and crown molding
Custom millwork creations for your kitchen
Storage and media centers for your living room
Elegant bathroom vanities
Custom home library and office

Let’s delve deeper into the best places to add decorative custom millwork.

Top Places to Add Custom Decorative Millwork

If you want to add decorative millwork to your home, but you’re having second thoughts on where to put them, here are a couple of ideas to help you manage.

The Ceiling

The first place you should look into is the ceiling, particularly the place where the ceiling and the wall meet. This is simply a perfect and most visible place for molding. It will cover the seam where the ceiling and wall meet.

The best type of millwork for this purpose is a cornice, the most common type of molding. It comes in a wide range of design patterns and sizes to match your home’s architectural style and give your property some stylish edging.

The coffered ceiling is currently one of the most popular solutions simply because it adds just enough elegance to pretty much any décor. You can also add a ceiling medallion around your light fixture in the center to give your room a nice dressing up.

Make Your Windows Stand Out by Bringing Some Character

The surrounding area of your windows is an excellent place to add some decoration. You can top off windows in the interior by adding a pediment above the surrounding. Both window surrounds and casings are a fantastic frame to view the exterior and the outdoors. You also make your windows more durable that way.

The best thing about bringing some character to your windows is that the window casings can be detailed or extremely simple. That is up to you. If the installation of your windows left you with unwanted gaps, this is how you can solve that problem with ease.

Well Dressed Walls

You can add a great accent to any room by simply adding some decoration to a chair rail. This goes particularly well with dining rooms and kitchens. That aside, this is also a great way to protect your walls from furniture scratching.

Interior of mansion in Newport Rhode Island — It can be fun to take ornate elements from mansions and apply them to your tiny house.

Place your millwork at about 36 inches from the floor. The appeal of paneling and wainscoting is also quite popular among stylish homeowners. Both paneling and wainscoting sit well between the baseboard and chair rail, complementing the room’s furniture, wall coverings, and millwork.

Along the Floor

Every home has some sort of baseboard or base to hide any gaps where the floor and wall meet. It’s also one of the best ways to protect the wall finish. If we take a look at the tradition, this baseboard or base is commonly composed of 3 separate elements: the cap, the baseboard, and a shoe.

A bit of a more modern approach led to baseboards coming in as a single piece for a cleaner look. The best way to address any preference is to use a decorative baseboard, ranging from 2 to 8 inches.

Conclusion

A custom decorative millwork design is one of the best ways to add architectural appeal and value to your property, home, etc.

No matter what millwork you choose, a casing or a crown molding, you should remember that millwork adds a visual presence that can turn your average home into a luxurious mansion without forcing you to break a budget or invest huge amounts of time and effort. If you want to achieve such an effect, adding your custom decorative millwork to the right place greatly matters.

Natalie Hutchins has been an avid blogger for 5 years, with particular interests in Engineering and related technologies. She has consistently contributed articles to top AEC and industrial publications. Her other interests are in blogging, movies and photography.

July 22, 2020 by freelancer

Enhancing Your Jamaica Cottage’s Backyard

We know how special your Jamaica Cottage is; each one is different and speaks to the owner’s tastes and lifestyle. If you are hoping to make the most of the appearance of your backyard and cottage, then you’re in the right place. We have some backyard improvement ideas that will take your outdoor space from bland to brilliant!

1. Create a Botanical Garden

Writer's Haven Garden — This small wood cabin includes a triangle shaped covered porch.

Just about everyone loves gardens, though there’s a common misconception that they’re difficult to create and/or maintain. This couldn’t be further from the truth! On top of that, they’re quite budget-friendly if you do it right. While a bit of preparation is needed along with knowing where the sunlight and shade are in your backyard, you could realistically finish in a day.

You can choose what you’d like in your garden. Are you a fan of flowers and plants? There are endless possibilities. If you want to eat fresh veggies, while saving money, try planting your own. Cherry tomatoes are famously easy to grow if you don’t have much experience, and they taste delicious!

Desert-type gardens are typically the easiest to maintain if you don’t have a lot of time to put into maintenance. Rocks, plants, and cacti all give a unique look and don’t need a lot of watering. However, with a Jamaica Cottage, you may prefer a more lush or aquatic landscape.

2. Add a Fire Pit

Fire pits are wonderful to have, great for entertaining, and can instantly change the vibe of your backyard. You also have quite the array of options, depending on the size of available space you can dedicate to the pit as well as your budget. If you want to go the quick and easy route, you can simply purchase one. However, a more custom look is another option, choosing the materials and making it yourself.

There are countless plans and tutorials online that will show you exactly how to set up a fire pit area. Not only that but building it yourself will give you a sense of satisfaction when you’re done!

3. Add a Gazebo or Screen House

10x10 Florida Room with Tudor Brown Roof — 10×14 Florida Room – This design is often used as a screen house or shelter for a hot tub.

This is another option where you can build your own or buy one. In this case, we recommend purchasing one. Backyard gazebos instantly offer a shady, protected space for you to hang out in, entertain guests in, and more.

We all know the annoyance of sitting down to enjoy a nice barbecue or simply socializing with loved ones when mosquitos crash the party. With gazebos, you can simply close the sides and keep the unwanted guests out! The very popular Florida Room design easily solves this problem. During the daytime, they protect you and your guests from harmful UV rays while offering a cool retreat for you to lounge under.

Colors and materials are endless, so you are sure to be able to find one that perfectly matches the existing décor or style of your backyard.

4. Create a Path

8x12 Saltbox storage shed with red roof — This 8×12 Saltbox shed has an Autumn Red corrugated metal roof upgrade. The floor system can be upgraded to pressure treated skids, joists and decking for added protection.

Paths are great ways to add a bit of organization to your backyard, separating the sitting area from the rest of the yard, for example. On the other hand, you can use a path to tie all separate parts of your yard together, such as your shed/cottage, your lounge space, garden, etc. Paths also require planning, as you don’t want to just do guesswork as you’ll probably end up wasting time and having to start over at some point.

You can select the exact materials you want to work with, which lets you select the color, texture, thickness, and more. If you’re on a tight budget, simply pick up a roll of landscaping fabric, a couple of bags of mulch, and you’re in business! It’s something that anyone can do, too — even if they’re not particularly experienced in the DIY world!

Summary

Now that you have some of the best ideas out there to improve your Jamaica Cottage’s backyard, which ones are you going to do first? No matter what your budget or timeframe is, you can easily incorporate all of these if you’d like to! However, even if you just finish one project, it can greatly improve the look of your yard to be more inviting for you and any of your future guests. We hope that you enjoyed these DIY backyard renovation ideas, and we want to thank you for staying tuned!

March 30, 2020 by Mindy Fisher

Home Design: A Step-By-Step Guide to Designing Your Dream Home

Description: Home design can be a difficult process on the face of it, but we are here to take you through it. This article provides a step-by-step guide for you to design your dream home.

If you’re planning to design your own home, there are so many things to consider: what kind of roofing, what shower systems you’re going to implement, and so much more. We admit that this is a very demanding process, as well as a challenging one. Fortunately for you, we’re going to take you through a step-by-step guide on how to design your dream home. Let’s dive straight into it!

Fitting Your Draft

Before a single brick is laid, you’ll want to simply think, “why?”. What is the reason to build your home instead of buying one which is ready built? Every person has a different reason. Some people want to create a joyful environment for their children, whereas others may want to build houses that they can then sell on for profit. Which is yours?

Your Home Design Project

The first thing you need to mention in your draft is room size and basic room information. It is very helpful to use measurements of your current home, as long as they meet your requirements and expectations. After this, you can start thinking about building the structure and layout of every single room. It is vital to make sure that you and your family’s vision coincide. As an example, if there are five of you living under one roof, perhaps an open plan kitchen and dining room will allow you to spend time together while entertaining others.

Architectural Style

The next part of your dream plan home design is to think about architectural style. Do you want to go for a contemporary look or a more traditional one? Is there some landscape close by that you would like to see from your windows? Maybe you would like to locate your house in a way to get as much sunlight as you possibly can? The architecture needs to reflect your heating strategy as well, so you will want to pay attention to how energy-efficient your home will be.

Thinking About the Budget

This is something that a lot of novices tend to overlook, but it is one of the most important parts of your plan. People often have far-fetched beliefs that make them stretch well beyond their budget; however, you should be very honest with yourself and know what you can afford.

The Timescale

Last but not least, you’ll want to consider the timescale of your home design project. We would advise putting more focus on the start date of your project rather than looking at the deadline. Also, don’t set the deadline prior to someone’s birthday or bank holiday! Draw up a complex Gantt chart because you want to stay organized and consistent in making decisions. This is not going to be a walk in the park by any means!

Conclusion: Building a house from scratch can be a demanding and challenging task. People usually have some vision but may get sidetracked, so it is crucial that you stay the course. We wish you all the best!

Have you got any ideas on how to design your dream home? Tell us in our comments section below.

Author’s bio: Archie Adams is a freelance copyrighter with so many home design ideas in his mind. Max used to work for a design agency and specialized in designing kitchens. He has written for several different magazines and publications on interior design.

March 11, 2020 by freelancer

How To Transform Your Garden into Horticultural Heaven

Even in winter, heading outside into the garden can be a wonderful way to relax, get some fresh air and even a little physical activity, too. However, beautiful backyards don’t just happen by themselves – even the simplest of gardens requires some level of upkeep, but that’s all part of the fun (mostly)!

If you’re new to the world of gardening and looking to embrace your green-fingered side, this post has plenty of gardening inspiration to help you get started on the road to creating a horticultural haven. Offering actionable tips and yard improvement ideas for simple gardening projects, we’ll show you how to optimize your outdoor space even if this is the first time you’ve ever picked up a trowel.

Clear the decks

Photo by Nagesh Badu on Unsplash

Whether you’re focusing on just one small part of your garden or tackling the whole area, just like inside your home, it’s important to clear and prepare the space before you start.

Whatever grand designs you have for your backyard, always take the time to cut back overgrown trees and bushes and remove as many pesky weeds as you can. While this isn’t the most enviable job, the rigorous workout will be worth it when you’re left with a clear space and the knowledge that your new garden won’t be overrun by fast-growing weeds within weeks.

Late winter and early spring are good times to start this type of project as most plants won’t have begun blooming yet and any hardy weeds will still be in their infant phases. For plant growing areas like vegetable patches and flower beds, add a good layer of mulch once you’ve de-weeded to ensure they don’t come back. With the right preparation, you’ll be ready to get creative in the garden.

Get tooled up and organized

When you’re starting out, you may find you don’t need a whole lot of high-tech tools to tackle your gardening projects – but a few essentials will definitely stand you in good stead. Top of your list should be some sturdy gardening gloves to keep your hands protected, as well as some sharp pruning shears and some small secateurs for trimming back bushes, trees and even trimming the lawn edges if you want to go that far. You should also invest in a decent trowel, shovel, fork and rake, as well as a lawnmower if you have any grass to keep maintained. Finally, make sure you have a hose or at least a large watering can so you can keep those thirsty plants well fed.

With a sizable amount of tools, it also pays to keep things organized from the start. There’s nothing more frustrating than going to do a quick job and having to spend more time finding what you need than doing it. Investing in a summer house or a small garden shed is the way to go here, as everything will be outdoors and close to hand. Of course, you don’t want your summer house to feel cramped and cluttered, so keep things tidy and secure with storage lockers for your gardening equipment. Whether you’re stowing away trowels, seeds or planting pots, you’ll have a compact gardening station with everything ready to go when you are.

Keep things simple

It’s easy to get carried away with big DIY backyard landscaping ideas on how you want your garden to look, but in the early stages of developing your outdoor area it’s often advisable to start with simple and smaller projects. As your confidence and knowledge grows, so too can your garden projects.

One effective starting project to transform a dull, bland garden into a horticultural paradise is to add some flower beds, vegetable growing areas or a combination of the two. For a low-maintenance option that looks professional and striking we’d suggest opting for raised beds that work for flowers, shrubbery and vegetables.

These can be stand-alone features in the middle of the lawn or border-hugging designs. Either way, the height aspect makes planting and the inevitable weeding easier, while also giving your garden added dimensions and some low-level seating. From recycled railway sleepers to brick or stone, you can use all kinds of materials to create your raised beds, then simply line them and fill with topsoil ready for planting.

If space is an issue, using pot plants is also a great way to add color and character even for inexperienced gardeners, but just remember they will need more water than ground-based beds, so keep your watering can at the ready!

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

The key to achieving the garden of your dreams starts with preparation and a clear vision of how you want it to look. With these elements in place, you can begin the exciting journey of transforming your backyard into a beautiful haven to enjoy for years to come, whatever designs you have in mind.

Author bio:

Tom Brialey adopts his philosophy that, in addition to the highest quality products, you must also provide the highest standard of service to your customers in order to succeed. That’s why it’s Tom’s mission to provide expert support 100% of the way.