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Monthly Archives: January 2016

Kitchen Remodeling Fairfax VA Northern VirginiaArchives

Kitchen Remodeling Trends of 2016

28.01.2016 usaexpo Kitchen news

Not interested in doing a complete kitchen remodel but want to update your kitchen to the twenty-first century? Consider these tips to take your kitchen remodel to the next level with just a few simple steps.

Color is a big part of a kitchen remodel. In 2016, the top color choices are again turning minimalistic, with a heightened focus on the nude and classic colors. For example, traditional whitewashed walls? They’re so out of focus. Instead, the new white is actually various shades of gray, from light to dark. Grey is definitely a top trending color, in fact designers are predicting that gray countertops and cabinetry will upstage the traditional white looks.

Another kitchen remodel design trend in 2016 is instead of designing a kitchen based around style and appeal, to redesign one that is centered around functionality. Easy to close doors, access to storage and reliable appliances are the best choices for a kitchen remodel in terms of 2016.

In addition to seeing a rise in popularity of gray countertops and cabinets, there has also been a rise in the appeal of black and white design palettes. This type of classic design has been considered an ageless design, one that is not foreseen to ever go totally out of style, which makes it a good option for a kitchen remodel in 2016. But what is coming into style this year is fresh hues and colors that revitalize your kitchen sink. Think about an eye-catching green or blue sink finish to draw attention to the sink in your new kitchen. Just a small pop of color in a black and white classic kitchen can really make your new design pop.

Yet another way to make your kitchen remodel pop is to install bold fixtures in your new design. Try installing oversized light fixtures in unique stains or finishes or perhaps a luxurious wood cabinet that make a strong statement in your kitchen design. You can alternatively do this by using the natural light in your kitchen to contrast light and shadow.  Metal range hoods are also making a comeback in kitchen remodels in 2016.

Another trending kitchen remodel design feature for 2016 is increased functionality and storage. Using up all possible areas of storage are must in creating a kitchen that is neat, organized and clutter-free. Consider installing corner cabinets or pullout storage cabinets to clear away more counter space in your kitchen. An alternative suggestion for clearing even more counter space is to install a pull out knife block in a cabinet, thus getting rid of the unsightly block from your countertops.

So when you are considering a kitchen remodel to update the feel and look of your space, consider one with a slightly cleaner feel with bold lines and less fussy details. It will not only let you enjoy your kitchen space, have plenty of storage available and provide a kitchen style that is more compatible with the style of the rest of your home.

 

 

 

Kitchen Remodeling Details

25.01.2016 usaexpo Kitchen news

The kitchen has eventually dethroned the living room as the heart of any home for a good reason. Other than its essential functions which mainly involve cooking, food preparation and eating, its uses have evolved into much, much more. Today, the modern kitchen is the place where families gather, guests are entertained, and kids do their homework, along with a whole lot of extras. This makes kitchen remodeling a must to bring about the most appealing and functional result for a good boost in your home’s value and your quality of living.

In New York and other big cities, the hectic living soon causes people to crave for some splash of change, especially in their homes which ought to be where comfort soothes stress away. Being the most frequented area, any kitchen remodeling changes made would surely create an impact to the household. When kitchen remodeling, there are key essential points to focus on to achieve success.

Kitchen Cabinets

The cabinetry is considered as the building blocks as well as the visual focal point of the kitchen. In your kitchen remodeling project, you can either choose to reface or totally replace your kitchen cabinets. Your choice of material will not only affect how luxurious the cabinets would look but the length working years as well. The design should also be done in such a way that storage is maximized to avoid clutter in the area.

Countertops

Stone countertops, especially granite, are now in demand. This may come in natural stone form or engineered. But either way, these options can create the most beautiful and durable options. When thinking about replacing countertops, you might as well shop for a matching sink.

Flooring

The heavy-duty use of the kitchen flooring asks for a flooring type to withstand all the scratches, stains, spills and traffic. The options for your kitchen remodeling from which to choose from are many with hardwood, ceramic tiles, laminate, and vinyl; as the more popular choices. Recently, the ‘Green Movement’ which has taken not only New York but the whole country as well by storm has made famous alternatives of bamboo, linoleum, and even cork.

Lighting

Because of the many important purposes that the kitchen serves, lighting is a very important element in your kitchen remodeling project that you need to use optimally. Lighting fixtures should be present in key areas, wherever specific tasks are done. Your choice of lighting can bring out not only efficiency in the tasks at hand but the drama in the kitchen as well.

Certain kitchen remodeling trends are popular as of the moment. One benefit of going with the trend is that pricing of even the most expensive materials or features will fall due to the high demand and growing number of businesses catering to them. So in choosing your designs, you can either go for timeless ones or a trend that will stay for a while. But whatever idea you have in mind, just make sure that both aesthetic appeal and functionality is implemented. And always remember, craftsmanship and product selection are keys to your project success.

 

Going Green with Your Bathroom Remodel

19.01.2016 usaexpo Bathroom news

Whenever you plan to remodel your bathroom, always make it a point that it radically diminishes water and energy usage and yet comes out in a more attractive, comfortable and a pretty way.  Green bathrooms are the need of the hour and many have sworn to make things go green, be it house or bathroom.

Your bathroom can now turn eco-friendly, once you get a chance to remodel it.  From start to finish you can select options that give you an edge over and make your bathing a pleasurable experience.   However, here are a few tips that may help you go green in your bathroom solutions.

 Save water

Water wise fixtures are one thing everyone can choose to make their bathroom experience a heavenly one.  The toilets and shower heads do not have extreme water pressure in original, however getting timers installed at shower heads, sink faucets can reduce water usage considerably.  Old toilet flushes use more water than new ones.  Hence replacing the old ones can help save you a great deal of H2o.

Environment friendly products.

When you have decided on the fixtures and other replacements to be made, you can choose certain things or materials that can be recycled.     Usage of shower enclosure wall, harvested wood for cabinetry, skipping of toxic material like PVC and low VOC paint can help you keep your oasis green.

Lighting.

When it comes to lighting up your bathroom always use fluorescent bulbs, install solar lights or increase natural lighting, replace the old water heater with a more efficient new one which may help keep the bathroom eco-friendly.

Reuse things

You always stand an option of reusing and recycling things by repainting of the existing vanity and by choosing recycled building materials.  You can always opt for recycled glass tiles that are biodegradable than ceramic tiles without compromising on the outcome.

Installation of exhaust fan

Exhaust fans in a controlled way pushes out moisture and odour and helps save the walls and tiles from getting eroded by moisture.  You can always forget to turn these fans off, hence always fix new exhausts that get switched off automatically with its inbuilt censors.

Using low adhesives, low VOC paints.

The components of paint, sealers and adhesive usually continue emitting volatile organic compounds for years after being applied, Low VOC paints and grouts help maintain high air quality inside the bathroom.

Using curtains

It is a good idea to always replace doors with fabric curtains.  If your bathroom is spacious and provides you opportunity to fix up a curtain in the shower area, go for it.

Conclusion

Going green with your bathroom needs not only is friendly with your budget, but also gives you higher quality bathroom experience.  Besides energy cost it also gives you a healthy environment to breath.    You can always talk to your architect or contractor and share your views of going green and ask them to help implement your ideas in the right way, direction and course. They help you take the right decision for a green world.

 

Cost Effective Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

18.01.2016 usaexpo Bathroom news

When the time comes to remodel your bathroom one of the first things you may have done is look into how much it costs and think that you have to put it off until finances pick up, but that is not necessarily the case. With cost effective bathroom remodeling ideas, you could have the bathroom you have always wanted without having to take out hefty loans or go without. Depending on how much of the bathroom you want to make changes to you could save yourself thousands and even make thousands if/when you choose to sell in the future.

Reduce tiling

Instead of worrying about tiling the whole bathroom, especially if you need someone to come in and do it for you reduce the area you need to cover. Modern ways of doing this are to create a strip of pattern rather than a whole wall. The rest of the wall can be painted instead and it could work out as more of a feature. If you have found a tile that is expensive and you don’t want to compromise on a cheaper kind then why not incorporate it and use it around the edges of a cheaper tile instead for an effect that no one else will have?

Find budget counter tops

When looking for counter tops people look for perfection, forgetting that a lot of the area will be taken up by their sink. Looking for imperfections could get you a discount especially if you are looking to use a granite slab or similar.

You could make something new out of something old by using an old dresser as a pedestal for your sink. All you will have to do is take out any drawers that will get in the way internally, make holes for plumbing and decorate it to your color scheme. If you look in retail stores or online you will see how much similar styles are being sold for and realize how much you could save by making one yourself from an old piece of furniture.

Little things make a difference!

Even if you are looking for a totally overhaul, you could be surprised at how much of a difference changing just the fixtures can make. With an array of different paints and grouting colors on the market, you could totally update your bathroom without having to spend a fortune. Changing the taps, light fixtures and even draw pulls could make it all look totally new.

Reline the tub

If your bath tub or shower tray is looking worse for wear, you can have it relined instead of replacing the whole thing which is a lot cheaper!

Second hand rather than vintage replica

Replicas of old style fixtures and fittings can be expensive, where as you could have the real thing and do it up. Lots of people throw out old items and put them up for sale for a lot less than they are worth on websites and even restoration shops. Second hand doesn’t have to mean substandard. Just look around for a bargain.

 

 

Common Bathroom Design Mistakes to Avoid.

15.01.2016 usaexpo Bathroom news

Redesigning or adding elements to a house can be a cumbersome task for a home maker. In order to remould your bathroom interiors into something flashy and attractive, you need to invest more patience and decision making power. Other than the rest of the elements of a house, a bathroom is also important and needs utmost care and precision.

When remodelling your bathroom designs from something old to something classy, you should make sure that it does not demand much of your money and time. Some mistakes that you make while designing your bathroom can be fixed, but there are some that cannot be amended. You need to make sure that your bathroom is also a place that most of your guests would use and take a look at. So it should be equally alluring for at least a decade or so.

While redesigning your bathroom, there are a few mistakes that you need to avoid.

  • The first and the foremost thing that you need to make sure does not turn into a big mistake are your bathroom walls. The most terrible thing about a bathroom is leaking walls or fungus laden walls. Many a times, seepage problems can take place which further lead to fungus filled walls. In order to avoid this, you should ask your architect to use a waterproof adhesive for bathroom tiles. Architects design fitted walls thinking that water cannot percolate through it. But, this is the biggest bathroom designing mistake, because water and condensation can pass through the minutest amount of space.
  • The second most commonly made mistake while designing bathrooms is the placement of doors. People seldom design their bathroom seats close to the door, and this poses a problem for them. You should make sure that the placement of sink and toilet seat should either be a far corner or a centre. When talking about allowing space for a door, you should make sure that your bathroom door should be able to have a full swing. People install bathroom seats and sinks close to the door, which leads to constant hit and friction, in case you have a small bathroom, you can use a door that opens outwards.
  • People seldom use in trend colours that are bright and patterned for their bathrooms. But, these dark colours and patterns go out of fashion very soon. So you should use constant colours for your bathroom. This would also be less money consuming.
  • People many a times do not pay heed to the cleanliness of their bathroom. So in order to avoid a messy look into your bathroom you can install and shower tray or a corner in your bathroom. This tray or corner can hold all your vanity items, such as shampoo and other things. Thus your bathroom would look cleaner.
  • People do not take bathroom interiors very seriously. And there are incidents where they make their bathrooms congested and claustrophobic. So, you should install windows in your bathroom so that there is room for sunlight and air.

These bathroom mistakes should be avoided, so that your bathroom experience is hassle free.

Bathroom Remodeling in Tysons

DESIGING YOUR COZY BATHROOM

15.01.2016 usaexpo Bathroom

One of the most frequently used portions of your home is always going to be your bathroom. Irrespective of the age and gender of your family members, everyone will spend some amount of time in the bathroom daily. This makes a bathroom the busiest corner of your room. So what if the size of your bathroom is not equivalent to a king sized bathroom? Certain designing ideas can help you open up the small bathroom and help it look bigger and brighter.

  • CHOICE OF COLOR

It is a well known fact that darker colours make surroundings appear smaller while softer colours has the opposite impact on the surroundings. In order to create a perception of large size, it is recommended that you use softer colours with neutral touch. If you feel that they may make your bathroom dull think again. It is the neutral colours that not only make your bathroom look bigger but also makes it more classy and elegant. You may add the extra spark to your bathroom but accessorizing it with products that come in brighter shades.

  • LIGHTENING

Another aspect that needs to be taken care of here is lightening. In order to make your small bathroom appear bigger, choice of lights is very crucial. You need to ensure that the lights that you use do not occupy a lot of space themselves otherwise the lights will make the room look really small. Small and recessed lights are better options if you want to make your room more spacious. Further you may also put big windows in place. The windows will not only allow a lot of natural light in but will also make the bathroom look bigger.

  • USE OF MIRRORS

No bathroom is complete without a mirror. However, it is a lesser known fact that a mirror can contribute to the size of the bathroom as well. When put in a right combination with lights and background colour, mirrors help in making the bathroom look more spacious. So if you want to make your bathroom appear huge, go for as big mirror as can be fit in your bathroom. It is advisable to use separate mirrors than mirrors on a medicine cabinet. Medicine cabinets occupy more space hence contribute in making the bathroom more congested.

  • GO FOR A SMALLER SINK

Another thing without which a bathroom is incomplete is a sink or a washbasin. Even though there are numerous ideas that are available as far as a sink goes, sink size contributes hugely to the spaciousness of your bathroom. Since we are talking about a smaller bathroom here, it may be advisable to use a small sink which occupies lesser space. A lot of space can be saved if you use a sink that is mounted on the wall instead of being stand alone.

  • STORAGE

Even with a smaller bathroom, managing the storage space is of great importance. It is important to have shelves that are cut out in the walls instead of placing a dresser inside a small bathroom. This will help you manage you stuff better and will make the bathroom look bigger; both at the same time.

How to Design Small Baths So They Feel Roomier.

15.01.2016 usaexpo Bathroom

A homemaker has become very concerned and intelligent in terms of modernisation and peculiarity when it comes to remodelling her house and its varied parts. And when we talk about redecorating or remodelling of our house parts, then bathrooms are rapidly being remodelled to new styles, shapes, sizes and colours.

Bathroom remodelling ideas are just not limited to big or luxurious bathrooms that have generous and easy space. There are people who change the fittings and fixtures of their bathrooms to make them more spacious, but this idea has recently come to a halt. People are remodelling their bathroom designs to make them small so that they feel roomier, cozy and much more intimate.

Regardless of what style you choose to make a small bath for yourself, you need to cater to some of the essential points that are duly required by your bathroom interiors.

A small bathroom is one which contains all the needful and essential elements of your day to day life, so you should make sure that your small roomier bathroom should be well equipped.

Similar to large bathrooms, you can always create closets and racks to your small bathroom. You can indulge in keeping your close and intimate items such as lingerie, toiletry items in your bathroom. This will make your small bath feel much more filled and roomier. Designing wall embedded shelves and closets in your bathroom will not acquire much space and will serve your purpose too. These can be used to keep all your vanity, bins, clothes, cleaning supplies and much more.

When it comes to large bathrooms, people feel at ease with them because they can be designed along with a powder or make up room. But, you can taste this powder room flavour in your small bathroom too. Rather than investing your money and bath space for walk in showers and doors, you can create a powder room instead. This powder room need not be very huge to accompany an unnecessary number of people. Yet it can be made just for a person or two of about 15 square feet.

Another effort that can be induced to make your small bath feel roomier is to avoid not needed mirrors and doors. A light hinged door can be used that is made up of glass.  Moreover, a wall hanging toilet seat can be used in case of a vertical basic toilet seat. This seat not only provides your bathroom with a lavish look, but it also helps in making space.

To make your small bath feel roomier, you can avoid using much colours and curtains in it. Adopting the idea of thick curtains in your bath will occupy more volume and will eventually make it look very claustrophobic.

If at all you need a partition to separate your bathing area from the toilet area, a thin fabric like curtain can be used. Making this curtain transparent instead of coloured would be beneficial. Other than this, you should include light colours in your bathroom rather than bright wallpapers or patterned colours.

 

INSIDE TIPS FROM A DESIGNER WHO SPECIALIZES IN SMALL BATHS

15.01.2016 usaexpo Bathroom

Small bathrooms have become the need of the hour. Due to space constraints it has been mandated to construct the bathrooms which are small in size. We believe that necessities give birth to inventions. Therefore if the small bathrooms are the only choice then why not make it look spacious with some innovative techniques. Take sneak peeks into some of the methods that will make your bathroom look spacious as well as keep it hygienic.

  1. Single handed fixtures: Look for branded fixtures and faucets which can perform dual functions with a single handle. For instance instead of installing two taps for hot and cold water, choose the single faucet which serves the dual function. This will save you from drilling two separate holes for two different taps and thus cover less space on your wall.
  2. Say no to shower door: Shower door itself consumes a lot of space. Even if you choose a sliding door then also it occupies the space equivalent to the whole wall. Instead of door you can put on a beautiful curtain matching the interiors of your bathroom or can cover it partially with a glass covering. This way it will look spacious enough to have a comfortable bath.
  3. Install stretched Mirrors: Mirrors are equipped with reflection mechanism which gives a broad look to the space. It also makes it convenient for two persons to use it at one point of time. Thus expanding the mirror to the length of the wall can certainly help.
  4. Towel bars: Don’t install a towel bar at a separate space. Make them stand over the place where the floor space is already occupied. You can also install them on the partial outer glass coverings of your shower. It will be convenient as well as keep the towels handy.
  5. Avoid dark interiors: A bathroom should be designed and painted with light colors. This is because dark colors may give shelter to mildew and molds which are not so visible due to darker lightening. Also it will force you to install more lights into your bathroom which will give it a very tight and concise look.
  6. Mounted vanities: Vanities which are mounted a little above the floor can be used to keep some things beneath it. Even if it is left open that space should be cleaned regularly to avoid the dust to enter into your clean bathroom.
  7. Quickly drying mats: The foot mats outside your bathroom should be made up of a material which gets dry easily so that you can wash them whenever required. So next time you go to shop foot mats do check that the one you choose is washable.

So you can give a clean and spacious look to your baths. This shows that space should never be blamed for any flaw in the bathroom. With your research and ideas you can give a complete yet stylish look to even you small bathroom residing in your home.

 

 

 

5 AMAZING TIPS FOR MAKEOVER OF YOUR MASTER BATH

15.01.2016 usaexpo Bathroom

Bathroom often depicts the personal space of an individual summed up in the décor that calms him/her the most. People spend their most precious time in the bathroom, probably the only place where they are not disturbed by the hassles of life. The latest fad is to redesign these spaces to have a more intense calming effect on life of the occupants. Master bath is often considered as the window to the soul of the owner, it can be with an open feel or romantic and relaxing decor, as per the desires of the person.

Since it is of such importance in the house thus, designing it with perfection also becomes highly essential. Bathroom designers help solve some of the most basic dilemmas that need to be sorted before planning a perfect master bath. Some of the given pointers might help you decide what you might be actually looking for:

  • SPAS

Spas are the new form of indulgence that people get in to now-a-days to add glamour and comfort to their “me” time in the master bath. There is a wide range of spas available in the market to suit the pockets of all irrespective of the budget. One should choose the spa based on some basic points given below:

  • Style – a visit to a decorator’s office or showroom with some sample designs could help choose the look that suits you and you master bath the best.
  • Materials – the material should be chosen in order to suit ones pocket and not go overboard in simply picking style over everything else.
  • Layout – hire a designer to help you decide the most suitable place for your spa, with the corner that suits best and has maximum calming effect.
  • OPEN UP THE SPACE

Overly cluttered up bathroom spaces can be often suffocating. Thus, while remodeling, first cut out essential space for the master bath so as to have sufficient space to add a few things of personal desire in it without looking stuffy. One can add a few plants and pots to give the bathroom the desired touch of freshness along with elements of nature. They mostly prove to be very refreshing and rejuvenating.

  • SLIDING DOORS AND WINDOWS

Sliding doors and windows give an extra touch of modernity to the master bath along with saving a lot of space. They can be of wood or cut glass to give them the modern or antique look as per choice.

  • HIDE THAT PLUMBING WITH MODULAR COUNTERS

Visible plumbing looks bad!! Hide it with the help of modular counters for wash basin and small set of cupboards to keep the bath necessities within the bathroom, like extra towels or spare toiletries.

  • CALMING COLORS AND TILES

Always choose a color that enhances your personal space with a calming and relaxing effect. Choose the tiles to either match or contrast to the fittings in the bathroom, it will look awesome!

Six Design Ideas to Make the Most of Your Small Bathroom

15.01.2016 usaexpo Bathroom

You don’t have to give up on your dreams of rejuvenating yourself in a luxurious bathroom if yours is much smaller than the one in your dreams! With the price of real estate what it is, often the first room to have its corners cut is the bathroom. On the other hand, after a hard day at work, what could be more relaxing than a soak in a tub or a shower in a pleasant bathroom? So here are six design ideas to make the most of your small bathroom so that you come out smiling every time!

  1. Trim away the visual heaviness from the room:

Any room would look cramped and dingy if it is crammed with unnecessary elements. Conversely, remove some of these elements and you get the same room looking brighter and larger! Some of these visual elements could be the furniture to the color on the walls and cabinets. Going for lighter shades of paint on the walls as well as the color of the shelves and cabinets will make your bathroom instantly more appealing. Even the tiles in a lighter shade with maybe a contrasting tile in a darker shade will look great. A low-cost design idea like shower curtains and mats in lighter shades will also go a long way to brightening up your bathroom.

  1. Mirrors:

This is a very popular design idea to make any room appear instantly larger. Of course, a mirror is a given in a bathroom, so why not make yours larger? Adding a window directly opposite to a window in the bathroom will take this visual hallucination up a notch.

  1. Shelving:

Removing shelves or cabinets on the wall and having them below the sink can also make the room appear larger. If you have empty space under your sink, you can also buy baskets to get things better organized and save space too. If possible, have recessed shelves in the wall itself in order to store more of your stuff without having the shelves jut out of the wall itself. If you cannot remove the existing shelves or cabinets, try to combine open shelving with some closed doors, which will give an illusion of spaciousness.

  1. White, white, white:

White is always a color that opens up a space and instantly brings in a bright flush of life into it. White cabinets, white tiles, white countertops, white tiles, white shower curtains or a transparent shower glass door, will no doubt bring an illusion of expansiveness into the most cramped up bathroom. This also instantly amplifies any natural light that streams into the bathroom through any windows.

  1. Lighting:

A simple element like lighting can make a huge difference to the look and feel of your bathroom. Invest in light fixtures that are less heavy on the eye as well as brighter lighting. Wall sconces or recessed lighting with adjustable brightness can also be considered.

  1. Wall mounted sinks and faucets:

When every inch of space is a luxury, why buy sinks that take up all the space? Having a wall mounted sink could free up lots of space even underneath for your storage needs.