Hire a PROfessional for National Remodeling Month

Find a PRO-fessional to get your project started for Oregon and National Remodeling Month!

May is Oregon & National Remodeling Month

Home owners reap many benefits when hiring a professional remodeler for their home renovation. According to the Professional Remodelers Organization of the HBA of Metro Portland (PRO), experienced remodelers bring a multitude of skills and qualities to successfully execute a home remodeling project.

“Professionals just do home remodeling better,” said Steve Stolze, 2013 PRO Chairman. “They not only bring advanced construction skills, trained remodelers better manage customer service and business management to improve the remodeling experience for home owners.”

What qualities do professional remodelers provide to a home renovation?

Bring home the benefits of hiring a professional home remodeler for your renovation. Harness their skills and knowledge to create a more comfortable home.

1. Customer Service

Knowledgeable home remodelers understand that they are providing a service, not a one-size-fits-all product. Just as every home owner is an individual, each home is also unique. A professional remodeler knows how to create customized solutions for the residents and provide continuing customer support.

2. Business Management and Integrity

Running a business well is part of the responsibilities of a professional remodeler. This includes having systems for the business, writing clear contracts, having insurance, providing warranties, and more. Better business management means better service for home owners because they can rely on the remodeler to perform with integrity.

3. Experience

Do you know what to expect when you take that wall out? A professional remodeler understands the structure of a home and is prepared for surprises behind walls. They’ve developed expertise from performing home remodels, attending trainings, and are familiar with laws and regulation pertaining to home construction.

4. Longevity

Anyone may be able to purchase a truck and some tools, but only professional remodelers have the skills to remain in business for the long haul. By understanding the practice and business of home remodeling, these professionals can manage changes in the market and return to service your home for years to come. Use the remodelers you can trust to fix problems and keep a home in good health for the long term.

5. Creativity

Home remodeling frequently involves problem solving, such as maximizing existing space, strategically building additions, or navigating limited budgets. Professional remodelers can help home owners manage challenges and meet their needs while staying within the budget. Experience and skills help remodelers propose choices and solutions to satisfy their customers.

Work with a PRO!

For  a searchable directory of professional remodelers, builders, designers and other industry professionals visit http://hbapdx.org/member-directory/ and look for the PRO logo!  Please feel free to contact the Professional Remodelers Organization of Metro Portland at 503-684-1880.

Thinking “Inside” the Box

Image by Thinkstock

Check out these 9 great ideas for making your home more livable from Josh Garskof at CNNMoney.com and then find a remodeler to help you get started with the project by searching the directory of the Professional Remodelers Organization HERE.

Now may be a less than ideal time to put a house on the market or to take on big debt — icing your plans to trade up or build an addition anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck living in an uncomfortable home.

For a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, you can make your place “live” bigger without actually making it bigger, says architect Sarah Susanka, a small-space specialist and author of “Not So Big Remodeling.”

Call it thinking inside the box; read the full article on Yahoo for nine creative solutions for cramped homes.

Read the full article here.

Or copy this link ito your browser:  http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/9-remodeling-tips-to-make-your-home-feel-bigger.html

Kitchen and Bath Industry Show

The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) was last week.  Below are some of the headlines from around the web highlighting the best from the show.

KBIS 2011: What’s New, Who’s There and What It Means For Your Kitchen

Gold, Bronze & Copper for the Kitchen & Bath

New Products at KBIS

4 Bathroom Trends for 2011

From HousingZone.com

These trends come from more than 100 designers who are members of the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), and have designed kitchens or bathrooms during the last three months of 2010.

1) Quartz Countertops
Quartz continues to take away market share from granite in the market for bathroom vanity tops. A year ago, 85% of NKBA bathroom designers incorporated granite into a recent design, compared to just 48% for quartz, but now, that gap has narrowed to 83% for granite and 54% for quartz. Unlike in the kitchen, solid surfaces haven’t gained much popularity in the bathroom, increasing only from 23% to 25% over the past year. Meanwhile, solid marble has declined from 46% to 37%, while cultured marble and onyx have increased from 12% to 19%. No other material has even 10% of the market.

2) Green Bathrooms
No, we’re not referring to eco-friendly spaces—we literally mean green bathrooms. A year ago, green color palettes were used by only 14% of NKBA designers, but at the end of 2010, that figure had risen to 24%. Still, whites and off-whites, beiges, and browns are the three most commonly used color tones in bathrooms. However, while white and off-white palettes are up slightly from 57% to 60%, beiges are down sharply from 66% to 57%, while browns have dropped from 48% to 38%. Other common color tones include blues at 22%, grays at 21%, and bronzes and terracottas at 17%.

3) A Worthy Vessel
Under-mount sinks continue to dominate newly remodeled bathrooms, with 97% of NKBA bathroom designers having specified them over the last three months of 2010, up from 95% a year earlier. However, vessel sinks have become the clear second choice among designers, as 51% of NKBA member designers have specified them in the final quarter of 2010, up from 39% a year ago. Integrated sink tops were also up from 34% to 38%, pedestal sinks were up from 21% to 29%, and drop-in sinks were up from 23% to 27%. This shows that bathroom designers have been specifying more lavoratory sinks across the board.

4) Satin Nickel Faucets
This trend relates to both bathrooms and kitchens. From the end of 2009 to the end of 2010, the percent of NKBA designers who specified a satin nickel faucet rose from 41% to 63% in the kitchen and from 45% to 57% in the bathroom, while the percent who specified a brushed nickel faucet fell from 61% to 48% in the kitchen and from 66% to 38% in the bathroom. Other popular faucet finishes in both the kitchen and bathroom are bronze and oil-rubbed bronze, polished chrome, and polished nickel. However, while stainless steel is popular in the kitchen, specified recently by 44% of designers, that figure drops to just 16% in the bathroom.

Make Your Home Your Own Contest

Check out this great contest by Rejuvenation…

More 2011 Paint Color Trends

Individual style, mixed with budget-conscious decorating, will drive 2011 paint color trends, according to Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert at the Paint Quality Institute.

“There’s no escaping the state of the economy, even for homeowners who want to beautify their homes,” says Zimmer. “Rather than diving into large-scale renovation projects, in the coming year, consumers will search for inexpensive ways to freshen and update their homes. Many will conclude that painting is the perfect solution.”

By incorporating a few new paint colors, either as accent walls or throughout a room, consumers will be able to enhance their living spaces economically with paint, she says.

Zimmer shares three likely color directions for 2011:

Back to Basics
According to Zimmer, “Neutrals provide versatility and allow homeowners to quickly change the look of a room just by adding a few new accessories, without spending time and money to remodel or repaint again. This is the ultimate in practical remodeling, and the time is ripe for it.”

Warm whites, tawny tans, “barely-there” coral, and green are some of the colors that will find their way into countless kitchens, bedrooms, and baths, she predicts.

“Well Worn” Hues
Like a pair of favorite jeans, blue will grow in popularity as not just a wall color but also as a ceiling choice.  “Well Worn Hues” are represented by blues across the spectrum, from denim dark to blue-grey.

“Since most blues tend to be calming colors, this hue helps to create a perfect retreat from many of life’s stresses,” says Zimmer.  “As a secondary or complementary hue, yellow or yellow-green adds a bit of ‘spunk’ when used in family spaces,” she says.

Well Worn Hues is useful for any room in the house.

Shimmer and Shine
For thrifty consumers looking for a bit of sparkle, higher paint sheens and metallic finishes are on the radar for 2011.  Don’t be surprised to see spaces such as hallways and living areas painted in a very glossy hue, from top to bottom.  Zimmer adds, “More gloss means more reflectivity which means more light. Gloss can subtly create a brighter, more upbeat mood in a home, but at the same time, it adds style and pizzazz.”

Dining rooms and master bed and bath spaces are the perfect areas for this sophisticated choice.

Coupled with the “high shine” trend, gold will return as both an in-demand paint hue and as a key metallic choice.

Zimmer concludes, “Paint color is a homeowner’s best decorating tool. You can change the appearance, the perception of size and even the perception of temperature, through the simple use of paint color.”

2011 Color of the Year

The feminine and flirty Honeysuckle has been predicted to be the hot color for 2011.

Pantone says it is courageous, confident and vital.  A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.

For home interiors Honeysuckle is upbeat and dynamic when used on large areas like the entry area of a house or an apartment. It is an appetite and conversation stimulant when used on the dining room walls. In the kitchen, it adds a fun touch on the table in placemats and other linens (patterned or solid), colored glassware, candles and small appliances. Honeysuckle is a great color to cover up shabby kitchen cabinets, or, if that’s too much of a color statement for you, try repainting knobs and drawer pulls. But be warned – once you try this arresting shade, it can become addictive.

The Associated Press says that it is complementary to blues, greens and oranges, though, which will also work in the homes arena. “You’re seeing it in tabletop — it lends itself to striping and patterning in linens — and it’s gorgeous in glassware.”

Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report 2010-2011

Just released… Remodeling Magazines annual report on the relationship between remodeling costs and resale value. You can compare national and regional averages for 33 popular remodeling projects and you can also download a PDF with project data for any one of 80 U.S. cities (including Portland, Oregon).

See the Cost vs Value home page here.  Be sure and check out the Recent Trends and Patterns section which points out that small jobs and replacements that add curb appeal are leading the way.

The release of this report always sets off a flurry of activity in the media, so watch for detailed analysis of the report coming soon.

2011 Interior Color Trend Alert: Black Walls

Simple black guest bedroom. Photo: Heather McDonald

Neutral, blues and sheen are forecast in color trends but many designers are turning to black walls for a potent punch.  Check out this post and insperation gallery from Shelterpop.

2010 Home Design Trends

 

Courtesy of AIA

 

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently released their yearly study of home design trends.  According to them…

• Homes are currently being designed with an eye toward affordability due to the dramatic decline in house prices in recent years in most areas of the country. Still, many households are willing to invest in home features, systems, and products that promote greater energy efficiency and accessibility throughout the home.
• Home offices appeal to telecommuting workers as well as to the growing number individuals who work exclusively out of their home.
• Outdoor living areas and outdoor rooms reflect the growing interest in expanding the household’s living space into the outdoors.
• Interest in mud rooms reflects the need for additional closets and other storage space, as well as the increasing informality of space in the home
• For media rooms/home theaters, exercise/fitness rooms, hobby/game rooms, home workshops, kid’s wings/guest wings, interior kennels, and interior greenhouses, a growing share of residential architects responding to this survey indicated that interest in these spaces was declining.
• The systems and technologies in homes that are growing in popularity increasingly have an energy focus. Systems with the greatest increase in interest include energy management systems, solar panels/collectors/photovoltaics, and geothermal heating and cooling heat pumps.
• Residential architects report that home improvement activity is growing at a fairly healthy rate. Both kitchen and bath remodels and additions and alterations to existing homes have healthy sector scores with this survey, with kitchen and bath remodeling having increased from its reading of a year ago. Without an overbuilding problem like in the new construction market, home improvement activity has been able to stage a healthier recovery than new construction.