Home Design: August 2013

Residential Interior Design - A Disaster Waiting to Happen?

Everyone wants their home to be a place where they feel comfortable and which looks beautiful. That is why they call it 'home'. In order to achieve this feeling of well being, they undertake some form of residential interior design.

The choices available to the consumer or home owner is to employ a professional or to use the resources at their disposal, decide on what they want and go it alone. Some people decide to go this way and there are online interior design courses available enabling them to fit this training into a busy schedule. Either way is fine if they are successful in creating an environment which supports their happiness and well being.

This article will attempt to briefly examine these choices of residential interior design with the end result in mind.

Home Decorating

Nowadays with the advancement of technology and an ever expanding economy, some people are fortunate enough to earn a living from home while others spend many hours at work and cannot wait to arrive home to relax. In either case, they must 'feel' comfortable where they live. People need to be in touch with the psychology of the design elements which they choose. Rather than decorating to impress anyone, it is important to choose the color, specific lighting, sounds, furnishings, patterns and other design elements of residential interior design that will provide security and happiness in a homeowner.

Home Design Software

There are software packages today that can do just about everything except tie your shoes. As one might expect, there is software that gives the homeowner the freedom to play the residential interior designer. They can start anywhere in the house using editable templates, customize the dimensions and move through every room in the house. Most programs have several built in features with easy to use interface to help with the design process. They can examine two and three dimensional views which offer daytime and night time walk through, cutaway and multiple camera views.

This gives the homeowner a 'feel' for the design but can they handle the whole project?

Home Decor

The homeowner now has the ideas but is a little hesitant about where to start in their implementation and whether the ideas will work. They have items of furniture, paintings and accessories and they are not sure whether they will fit into the room or match the color combination, fabric, proportions and style. There is major work to be done that must meet building codes. The cost of the work must all meet a budget. At what stage does the homeowner call in the professional?

Residential Interior Designers

Residential interior designers are creative, licensed, professional business people who are qualified by education, training and experience. They encourage their clients to express their own individual personalities as this is considered the most important design ingredient. They pay attention to the wants and needs of the people in the house and ensure a successful residential interior design.

Conclusion

More people are undertaking residential interior design projects. They are considering the traditional elements of design and are including the psychology of design in the planning stage. Some are utilizing software that is available and if required employing the services of a licensed interior designer. In the end, it is all a personal preference with end harmonious result of happiness and well being of the homeowner in mind.

Tags: cylinder, Classes, Services, laser, solder, river, lessons, hollywood, Hotels, Vacations, Accidents, Celtic, portrait, Sailing, laser, lessons, Bathroom, photography, interior design, dental,
tennis, scandinavian, Liquidations, massage, Box, Rentals, bathroom, Planning, tools, flood damage, fast cash, structured settlement, web hosting, trailers, repair, interior, lessons, Mississippi,
bridge, copyright, License, lawyer, Gourmet, bad credit, Repair, custody, therapist, obedience, staffing, investigator, Therapy, Beach, dentist, precision, wedding, critical thinking, Plumbing
business, drug addiction treatment centers, bail, relationship issues, read more, unsecured personal loans, Photography, taxi, heavy equipment, pens, resistor, dental, veterinarian, anti
microbial, fishing, boarding, software, antenna, advertising, printing, sports, boarding, fishing, golf balls, flight, bullying, used car, Films, Adventure, Twitter
Follower, shower stalls, nursery plants, ford dealer, homeowners insurance, air jordan, casino,relationship issues, read more, unsecured personal loans, Photography, taxi, heavy equipment,
pens, resistor, dental, veterinarian, anti
microbial, fishing, boarding, software, antenna, advertising, printing, sports, boarding, fishing, golf balls, flight, bullying, used car, Films, Adventure, news, SEO, las vegas, Pregnancy, feed
hoppers, time, caregiver, boat, cartilage, autos, Vacations, organic

Considerations For Recession Home Improvement Projects

If you are a do-it-yourselfer, your next home improvement project might need some scaling down so that you save cash in the recession. Actually, the economic recession is an ideal time to decide what is really essential to a project before spending at the home improvement store. This article provides five considerations for do-it-yourself project planning. Your bottom line is to tailor a home improvement project to affordable and manageable proportions.

A Wealth of Materials

Your first consideration concerns the materials needed for the project. For example, if you are planning new wallpaper for the kitchen, you need wallpaper, adhesive or glue, utensils for wallpapering, and borders. One idea is to buy the store brand for each material. Another idea is to go on the Internet and find cost-saving alternatives. For example, you can find hundreds of ways to use recycled materials for your wallpaper project. Then you only have to buy the adhesive and utensils.

Design With Your Mind

Some projects involve more elements of design than others. For example, planning a new brick walkway takes more planning than painting one accent wall in your home. This project may also require a lot of tools you lack. One suggestion for saving money during the planning process is to find a neighbor or friend who has completed a similar project and arrange to borrow all of his or her tools. Your money will be spent entirely on materials from the home improvement store.

It's all in the Timing

Another consideration for planning home improvement is the timing. When you can plan far enough into the future, you can make trips to the home improvement stores in your area and watch for various materials and supplies to go on sale. You can also watch retailer web sites for coupons and special offers. Finding the right time to complete your project can save you a lot of money.

Do You Need Some Assistance?

Do you need help with this project? In a recession, labor is abundantly available. People in your community are trying to meet basic needs. They will work for you at a lower hourly wage because they need work. Without exploiting workers, you can solicit labor estimates for large or highly-skilled projects. Next, you can build a budget and timeline for the project's completion. Be careful because your success with this project might just turn you into a home improvement entrepreneur.

Think of it this way. Until you can afford your planned project, there are dozens of other tasks related to cleaning, maintenance, and cosmetics that can keep you busy. Think about cosmetic improvements like cleaning grout, retouching paint, weeding gardens and planters, pressure cleaning the exterior of the home, detailing windows, and cleaning air vents. In a recession, a little bit of home improvement planning saves a lot of money. Who doesn't like saving money?

Modern Interior Design Ideas - Making Your Home More Eco-Friendly

When you consider hiring an interior designer to re-do your living space, you can easily make your home more eco-friendly without having to compromise your lifestyle preferences and furniture quality. Planning to include a green or environmental footprint in your home is possible without spending exorbitant amounts of money for a full renovation.

Choosing fabrics for your rooms

The fabrics you choose for your rooms play a major environmental part in keeping with your modern interior design ideas since natural elements such as wool, cotton, and silk are the more likely choices. In years past, when designers weren't as concerned with saving the environment, many homeowners would choose synthetic fabrics such as polyester or nylon which added to our global waste predicament and did a lot of harm to the environment.

Choosing flooring materials for your home

When you enter a room, one of the first things you'll notice are the floors, especially if they're hardwoods or covered with rugs or wall-to-wall carpeting. Although homeowners have a wide variety of flooring to choose from, the floors that are the most eco-friendly are cork, natural stone and materials. When you talk with your interior designer, he can also suggest other environmentally-safe materials or options to suit the size and location of your rooms.

Selecting new furniture

Although you might assume that wood furniture is environmentally desirable, you would do well to know that not every type of wood is suited for a "green" home (eco-friendly). For example, certain types of rare hardwoods, although natural looking, could take ten years of more to grow before they are cut from the land. Thus, if you want to keep the furniture in your home aligned with the new trend toward environmentally-friendly, you might wish to choose leather, bamboo, or rattan.

Determine which accessories will add character to your rooms

Interior designers have always said that accessories make the room, and give it the character that reflects your tastes, lifestyle and decorating preferences. To accessorize your rooms, look for items that were made from recycled materials, such as seashells, broken glass, scraps of fabrics, leftover wood or bark from trees, or lamps that are made of various objects that carry out the theme of your room. Accessories are one area where you can use your creativity to accentuate those things you truly like.

By choosing from this list of eco-friendly items to decorate your home, you will utilize modern interior design ideas that not only look good, but are safe for the environment.

Home Improvement Loan

Home Improvement Loans: The Types and the Advantages

While taking a look around your home, you noticed that it needs some repair or improvement. The problem is that once you get to notice these things, you might also realize that you are out of budget as well. If you are thinking of making improvements for your home and you may find yourself lacking money for it, you can opt to go for home loans to refinance your property.

A home improvement loan may be used for repairs, renovations, extensions and other similar things that you would like to do to your home. Aside from improving the home itself, it can also be used in building swimming pools, landscapes and any other additions to your home.

Improving the home will not just be for the purpose of maintaining it. It can also increase your property's value; thus, if ever you would decide one day to sell it, it can be sold in the market for a higher price.

Home improvement loans can be classified into four (4) types and they are as follows:

First Mortgage

This is a type of loan which will be given to you by your present lender alongside your first mortgage. It can be extended depending on the outstanding balance in your original mortgage. If you will be interested in this, you can discuss the terms and condition with your lender. However; it is advisable to get other quotes as well so that you would be able to compare each one and make a decision on which option would be best for you. The amount of the loan will usually be based on the proportion of the work; which means, you will be allowed to loan the amount that you had spent for the project. This is the reason why some first mortgage loans are given only after the work is completed.

Second Mortgage Loans

If you would need additional money to further your home improvement, purchase another home or simply consolidate your existing debts, you might want to consider a second mortgage loan. It simply means one more mortgage added to your existing home or borrowing money where in you will use your home again as your guarantee.

Home Mortgage Refinancing

If you need money to pay a secured loan, you may apply for a home mortgage refinancing. It is a secured loan which you can get under the same property. It also has a lower interest rate which will make payment easier for you.
Unsecured Loan

This is one type of loan that will not require you to have a home equity. You won't need to present a collateral in order to get approved. This is the reason why it is called "unsecured". You can back up your home improvement development with it.

Home Improvement Grants

The government sometimes carry out programs where in families with small incomes are given the chance to rehabilitate. It will usually team up with housing agencies. The project will be done with their help.

Home Improvement Loans - How to Get a No Doc Home Improvement Loan

Are you struggling to find a good mortgage loan to help you make some home improvements? Are you self employed or struggle to prove your income? If so, then you can use what is known as a no doc loan to get the money you need. Home improvement loans are great for adding value and sometimes you have to go the no doc way, but that is alright if you have no other choice.

A no doc home improvement loan will allow you to get the cash you need to improve your home. You can finish your basement, add new siding, replace your roof, or a number of other things that will add value to your home. Here is what to expect with this type of mortgage.

First, you will need to make sure you really need a no doc home loan. These were designed as programs for the self employed and independent contractors. They also work very well for tipped employees since they rarely claim all their income. If you have had the same job for 2 years or longer and you get a paycheck that is about the same each time, then a no doc loan is not for you.

Second, you should expect your rate and fees to be a bit higher than a normal mortgage. The lender is going to consider you more of a risk because you are not proving income so they will want to balance that out by charging you more in fees and in the interest rate.

Last, always make sure to shop your mortgage around, especially with no doc home improvement loans. There are many different programs and lenders out there so you need to make sure you get the best deal possible. Get quotes from brokers and lenders until you believe you have the loan you are after.

Interior Design Makes a House a Home

Making a house into a home is simultaneously one of the most fun and most overwhelming tasks that many people face. Interior design is the key to transforming a space from walls, floors, and lights into a place to call home, filled with comfort and memories. By following some simple design tips, even novice decorators can make their house a place that anyone can be proud to call home. That may sound expensive, but this does not have to be the case. By shopping and planning carefully, it is fully possible to do such on a limited budget.

One of the most important pieces of any interior design scheme is the color palette. Different colors can invoke different feelings and should be carefully chosen based on the size, lighting, look, and feel of the room. For example, a dark color in a small room will give the room a comfortable, cozy feel. (In these rooms, it is imperative to provide adequate lighting to offset the darkening effect of the color choices). A dark color in a large room may feel overwhelming. Using contrasting colors adds to the overall drama and intrigue of a room, while a monochromatic color palette makes for a relaxing room that is easy to look at (and easy to decorate).

Beyond color, scale is also important to a room. In smaller rooms, smaller furniture generally looks best from an interior design perspective. You may love that over-sized couch and big screen television, but in a small living room, a loveseat and a smaller television set will make the room look much better. You will also want to pay attention to focal points in your rooms. Each room should have at least one focal point. Some will have two; in these cases, do not try to make them compete; instead, let each serve its own purpose. Focal points include artwork, views, and media centers. Group seating around the focal points, and perhaps use lighting to highlight them.

Budgeting is crucial to making your house a home. Interior design does not have to be expensive or high class. You can design with thrift store items! The first key to budget design is to shop at sales. Watch stores for coupons, sales, and other great deals. Scoop them up when they are offered! Another trick is to buy secondhand. That used patio furniture can take on new life when it's repainted. You can also make several items yourself in order to decorate with; this is usually less expensive than buying pre-made items.

Government Home Improvement Grants - How to Apply and Qualify For HUD's Home Improvement Grants

The US Federal Government has appointed Housing & Urban Development Department (HUD) as the executioners of the grants they have allotted in the 2009 Stimulus Package. The package has come with lot of relief to the home owners in the form of loan modifications. Also the first time home owners can enjoy special tax credits & grants. A less known fact is that there are also grants for the renovation of the home or so to say home improvement.

Government Home Improvement Grants

Here are some pointers that would help you get the home improvement grants allotted by HUD:

· You must research on the loans as much as possible on the internet. The best place to check out is the official websites of the HUD department.

· The HUD department never gives the loans directly to any individual for any purpose. You should look for the local government office of your area. They shall give you the details of the loan requirement.

· Further they shall require the documents to prove that you can not actually afford the home improvement by your self. Here the documentation of your monthly incomes & duplicates of the credit card bills would help.

· Then they would need to know in detail the kind or home improvement you are considering.

· They might also require the quote of some professional that how much money would be required in the work.

· Usually the grants come easily for the necessary job works like adding a room in the house or repairing the roof & windows.

· All these inquiries are done to ensure that the grant is not misused by any chance so you must cooperate with them as much as possible.

· It is always better to have all the documents ready before hand. That makes your work faster.

Home Design