Hidden flatscreen (done well!)



One of the most common challenges I faced in 2012 with home renovations was how to
hide the flat screen TV.  Disguising one's flat screen is becoming more and more popular as conventional television stands are going out of the style and hanging an exposed flat screen on your wall is losing the allure it once had.  Though concealing a flat screen on your wall may sound like an easy task, many methods haven proven to be tacky and tasteless.  The project featured above illustrates, by far, the best method of hiding a flat screen I have seen to date.  Thorsen Construction simply removed the existing fireplace mantel and surround, then padded out the fireplace wall with new 2"x4"s; leaving a recessed area in the wall for the flat screen.  After constructing a new mantel and installing a new fireplace surround and hearth, the rest was left up to the interior designer, Beverly Broun Interiors.  Beverly provided a beautiful, operable piece of art that not only hides the television but is also quite attractive and fitting for the room when closed.  Job well done!

HGTV, please go away.

HGTV has haunted me since day one of it's existence.  Never before had people thought they could get a master bathroom renovated for $5,000 or a full basement remodeled for $10,000 until HGTV came along.  HGTV inaccurately portrays the renovation process as being something that almost anybody can afford.  I watched a show last night where the couple had a $35,000 budget to completely remodel their full basement (roughly 600 square feet) AND renovate their existing master bathroom which required knocking down a few walls and moving plumbing locations!  Not only that, but they were able to paint the entire 2nd level of the house and add more closet space!  Folks, please don't take these shows seriously.  Before you give your hopes up and plan a kitchen renovation with a $7,500 budget, call a trustworthy contractor and have them give you an accurate representation of the total cost.  Call 3 or 4 contractors and I guarantee you their prices will be astronomically higher than anything you've seen on HGTV.  Plus, weren't you ever told not to believe everything you watch on television anyways?

The importance of an architect

Hire a design-build company or an architect? This has become a very hot topic over the past decade.  Even more so today, design-build companies are flooding the construction industry, promising to clients a turn-key, all-inclusive construction experience.  The design-build approach has proven to be somewhat successful, just not in high-end construction.  If you value your home and value the design and construction of your home, you will hire a professional who specializes in architecture and you will hire a seperate professional who specializes in building.  Thinking you can mix the two and come up with similiar results and quality on high-end construction is purely being naive. An architect on-staff with a contractor that is pitching their "design-build" firm is not going to have the same insight, creativeness and efficiency as one who works for an architectural firm.  The same is true if you were to switch the roles around:  a contractor who was been hired by an architectural firm to pitch their, "one-stop-shop" design-build company will not be nearly as effective and professional as a contractor who works on his own.  Bottom line: for best results on any construction project, it is important to hire an architect who will focus solely on your design and hire a builder who will focus solely on his craftsmanship and building your home.

A message from cupid

Although it may be a drive for some, Helen Olivia in Old Town Alexandria is THE florist for any special occasion and is well worth the drive.  Men, don't wait until the morning of to order the last batch of roses for your significant other; start planning now, and be the hero on Valentines Day when she is awestruck by Helen's beautiful arrangement of red roses.

www.helenolivia.com

Want that new kitchen before the holidays? Better get to work!

It is so easy for us to get caught up in our daily tasks that we neglect to think ahead and plan for the future. I run into homeowners all the time in late July/August who approach me wanting their kitchens remodeled in time for the holidays. On each and every occasion I have bad news for them: can’t be done in time.

Planning a kitchen remodel takes a lot more time and effort than many think. First, you need to find a kitchen designer. This can be fairly difficult in Washington, D.C. given the long work hours, making an appointment, traffic, and overall layout of the entire region. Secondly, once you lock-in with a kitchen designer, you need to come up with a kitchen design for your space. This entails selecting a cabinet line, cabinet style, cabinet hardware, etc., which takes a normal client at least one month to do - I would allow two months. Thirdly, once you have finalized your new kitchen design, it’s time to place the order on the cabinets. Standard custom kitchen cabinets take 8 weeks to be manufactured and delivered to the jobsite. That process alone is 2 months! Lastly – depending on the complexity of the kitchen, a contractor will need about 5-7 weeks to complete the kitchen renovation from the day the cabinets arrive to the day he is complete. At best, you’ll have your kitchen renovation complete 6 months after you first started planning for it.

I advise all who are seriously considering having a kitchen renovation done in time for the 2012 holidays to start planning now! With more time allocated towards planning the renovation, you will have a greater chance of achieving a better finished product, than had you been rushed to make the decisions.

Going green or greenbacks? What is more important to you?

   

                                                                 
It seems as though everywhere you look, more and more people are "going green," or at least talking about it...


The "green" phenomenon has been very interesting to watch.  While alot of people consider going green quite often, very few realize the cost of going green is not cheap, especially in this economy.  Adapting to a greener lifestyle is something I believe all individuals should embark on but going all-out with a green mindset is simply not affordable.  Take a few green building methods for instance:

- sprayfoam insulation
- geothermal heating and cooling
- low VOC paints
- Ecostar synthetic slate roofing
- LED lighting
- solar shades
- tankless water heaters

All of these green options are great ideas and certainly better for the enviroment than standard building methods but are they all really worth the extra cost?  Sprayfoam insulation, geothermal and tankless water heaters are all easily triple the cost of their convential methods and the others are much more expensive than their counterparts as well.  In theory, going green is fantastic but in reality it is a major financial committment.  My best advice to anyone who is considering going green with their next building project is to balance the green methods out with the conventional methods.  Perhaps you'll use sprayfoam insulation, tankless water heaters and low VOC paints in your project along with a convential HVAC system, conventional roofing materials and standard paints.  This way you'll have the satisfaction and self-gratification of knowing you are helping the enviromnent but you'll also have the comfort of knowing you didn't completely break the bank to "go green".  With the current cost of "going green" there is very little chance you will ever recoup the money you spent on your project.  While I encourage everyone to live a greener life, I also remind people to be smart about it too.

Get exposed in 2012!

Everything exposed:  It's a trending interior design feature that is becoming widely popular for 2012.  The following list is where the exposed look is being seen the most:


- Exposed spiral duct work in a commerical space or loft condominium
- Exposing an existing brick wall; many times leading up a staircase
- Adding exposed antique beams to a great room or den 


Exposing these archtiectural elements is a creative way of making a space feel more unique, warm and tasteful.  Not only is it a great look, it is also very cost efficient.  When exposing an existing brick wall or deciding to not cover some existing beams/ductwork, you are saving money on the cost of drywall, interior trim and painting!  Next time you're out and about -- whether it be a friend's house or at your favorite local restaurant -- take a look to see if they've incorporated any of these exposed features into their space.  If they did, you know they're up to speed!