Category: The renovation experience

Four renovation tips to customize your home

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Grand Kitchen

Sample of timeless design: Grand kitchen with custom cabinetry, wooden floors and under-cabinet lighting.

A renovation is an opportunity to take your home from ordinary to extraordinary by customizing your residence to work for you. Perry Newman says one of the biggest mistakes people make is focusing on a particular color or item (because it ends up dictating the whole design). Seeking timeless design for expensive, permanent elements (like tile, cabinetry and fixtures) is a smarter choice because if you choose those things based on a certain color, or a painting, or even a counter-top then you are modifying all your selections around something unimportant. Instead, seek to makeover your home in a pallet that will allow you to pull in patterns, textures and natural elements to give you a designer look. Then, hang that painting and add pops of your favorite color with furnishings and accent pieces. That way, when you tire of the color or the painting doesn’t appeal to you anymore, you simply change the furnishings and have a whole new look to your home. (Click here for more information about achieving timeless design.) The options for customizing your home are endless, from installing light switches in areas that work for you to changing the height of doorknobs, however, here are a few favorites to consider:

 

  • Custom bathroom with shower room

    Sample of custom bathroom with innovative features.

    Bathrooms—Remodeling a bathroom gives you an amazing opportunity for customization. Your bathroom can become your retreat, a place to unwind and rejuvenate yourself. Some clients prefer to create a spa-like setting and others are interested in simplifying and making things efficient. A professional designer can help you think out-of-the-box and let you know about the latest trends in luxury, form and function. Many times, the traditional way of arranging a room is not the most efficient and expense in furnishings, maintenance costs and time cleaning can be reduced with smart design choices and thoughtful selections. For example, niches in the shower can eliminate racks and soap dishes or an oversized shower with a bench can give a luxury spa experience now while providing a solution for the future (when someone is elderly and needs a wheelchair).

 

  • Custom kitchen with lighting

    Sample of kitchen with custom lighting.

    Lighting—In design, “it’s all about the light.” Perry Newman says, “You get the right lighting and you are 75% of the way to great design.” Lighting sets the mood for your residence and customization allows you to adjust that mood to your needs at different times of day or different times of life. The type of lighting you choose affects paint color and how people see and perceive their surroundings. Fixtures should be carefully selected so they fade away and are invisible when appropriate and stand out as an accent or point of interest when that element is a feature of the design. Dimmer switches can give you control and help your house work well for different functions. For example, under-counter lighting in a kitchen can help brighten the room and make your kitchen more functional by giving direct light above the counter-top where you are cooking. It can also be used for safety, as a night light, or can be used for ambiance to help set the mood by dimming the lights in the evening.

 

  • Custom muti shower heads

    Sample of custom shower with multiple shower heads and a bench.

    Plumbing Fixtures—A great place to customize and make your home work for you is in your plumbing selections. There are so many features and options that it can be overwhelming but one tip is to not spend a lot on your sink. Choose something functional and then dress it up with gadgets like racks in the bottom, soap dispensers and a faucet with features that make you say, “Wow!” Because there are so many possibilities, you don’t have to spend a lot of your budget to get flexibility in function and a style you find appealing. Extra shower-heads in the bathroom, pot fillers and industrial sprayers in the kitchen, or even a retro, copper-colored faucet that looks just like the one your grandma had in her laundry room can all be yours with careful planning and smart selections.

 

  • Custom laundry room

    Sample of custom cabinetry and professionally designed laundry room in Utah.

    Cabinetry—The best tip to cabinetry selection and customization is to trust the pros. Meaning, you may have an idea about how you want your kitchen, laundry or bathroom laid out but keep an open mind and listen to the person representing your cabinet company. They have seen it all! They have experience with what works and what doesn’t. They are in and out of kitchen’s every day so they know about the trends and what great ideas people are coming up with to make houses work better. At least set aside your preconceived notions and really hear what they are recommending for finishes and designing your room for the best functionality. Trust them to create the layout. For example, tradition has taught people to put plates in upper cabinetry (because that is what they have always done) however, a smarter solution is to put heavy plates in a drawer that is as close to your dishwasher as possible. It’s easier to put things away down low, instead of lifting them, and these days upper cabinets may not be deep enough to accommodate your large plates anyway. Clients hesitate at making these changes and then, after using their kitchen’s for a while, come back to tell us how wonderful and easy it makes things. They wonder how they did it the old way for so long. Since your cabinetry will probably be one of your biggest expenses, it’s worth taking time to listen and get it right. If it’s done correctly, you’ll be happy living with your choices for a very long time. Another opportunity that comes when you replace cabinetry is the chance to change the height to meet your needs. For someone very short or tall it is a luxury to have the counter-top at a height that makes it comfortable.

 

When a remodel is in your future, remember it is a great time to plan and think about how to customize your residence. Make sure that the changes you choose for expensive items are ones that can last over time and you can be happy with for the long haul. Feel free to play with color and accent your rooms with favorite items but don’t design a room around something temporary. Think about the little things and how they affect the way you live in and move around your house. Brainstorm creative ways to improve the function and features of your home. You’ll be surprised how much getting the little things right can improve your mood and enjoyment of your rooms. As always, the professionals at Perry Newman Design are here to help you through the process of making the best choices and taking you from your home to the home of your dreams. Give us a call at 801.971.0868 or fill out the contact form at perrynewmandesign.com to get started.

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It’s shocking how much a great electrician can improve your quality of life and the beauty of your home

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sample of lighting in kitchen

Sample lighting under cabinets, highlighting shelves and beneath the island counter top.

One benefit of a Perry Newman Design renovation is pesky, little problems with your home that have worried you get fixed and updated as part of the remodel process. Without you needing to research, make calls or hire them fantastic contractors will come improve your home as part of the Perry Newman team. At the end of the project, you will have a list of high-quality professionals to call on to keep your home running in tip-top form. For example, an electrician coming in to work on your project can address problems in the remodeled area and you can say good-bye to issues like:

  • Circuit breakers tripping—This happens because the breakers automatically shut off power to the wires if something goes wrong. Most of the time the fuse or breaker is just doing its job when it trips. It’s designed to turn off if the circuit is attempting to draw more power than is safe so it protects your electrical system from being overloaded. It will also trip if there is a short circuit (meaning electrical current is flowing where it shouldn’t). When too many appliances are turned on at the same time it may cause the breaker to trip. There may also be a wiring problem or an appliance that isn’t grounded properly.
  • Heat generated from lighting fixtures—You may be using the wrong bulb wattage or the wrong kind of bulb. There are newer options for lighting that can eliminate this problem by changing the bulb, updating the wiring or replacing the fixture.
  • Burning odor near plugs or fixtures—The National Fire Protection Association says discolored outlets or a slight burning odor is caused by “arcing, smoldering, burning happening behind your outlets, damaged or improperly installed wiring in the outlet or a problem with the receptacle itself.” If you are experiencing these issues in your home please do not continue to use the outlet. You need an electrician to safely make some upgrades.
  • Buzzing sounds— A buzzing sound in a light can be caused by a short in the lighting circuit or may be a rheostat that is not all the way on or all the way off. Dimmers also tend to buzz more often.
  • Warm light switches—Another issue that sometimes happens with dimmers is the switches getting hot. The more dimmers there are, the more likely this is to happen. It may help to replace plastic trim plates with something metal or there may be a bigger problem that needs to be addressed.
  • Sparks from outlets, switches or fixtures— A spark from a plug could damage the outlet or start a fire. If this is something that is happening on a regular basis then stop using the outlet and get a professional in to assess the situation. This might be causes by loose wiring, an overloaded circuit, a defective outlet or a dirty wiring connection.
  • Flickering or blinking lights— Usually, this problem is caused by a poor connection in your electrical system. It may be in an outlet, light or switch box but a poor connection can affect the entire circuit. If several areas are affected at the same time, there may be a problem in the panel, main breaker, meter or with the power company’s lines.
  • Shocks when you touch appliances—Your appliances probably haven’t been grounded properly.
  • Lack of GFCI’s (ground fault circuit interrupters)—These are important because they protect you from shock in areas where water may be present like your kitchen, bathroom, basement or garage.
  • Dead outlets—Sometimes outlets literally burn out. A fire or a flare or surge can cause an outlet to stop working. There may be discoloration around the outlet when this happens. If you have an outlet that is not working then do not plug things into it or into the connected outlet. The problem needs to be identified and it needs to be replaced.

call button small croppedYour electric system isn’t a glamorous part of your home but planning for and installing proper wiring, panels and outlets can help your home elevate your quality of life. Lighting can be dramatic, functional or elegant as part of the overall design of your renovation but it is also important to make sure that unseen systems in your home are properly installed and maintained. The service of professional electrician’s is part of the Perry Newman Design remodeling experience. You’ll sleep great in your designer home knowing that even behind the freshly painted walls, everything looks great and is in working order.

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Four things to consider before interviewing remodeling companies

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call button small croppedSo, you’ve decided it’s time to renovate! Here are four, basic, things to consider as you prepare to interview remodeling companies:

1)      Needs—Make a list of improvements starting with your needs and prioritize them, with the most important needs at the top of your list. For example, you may be remodeling because you need a bigger kitchen with more preparation space and double ovens. Those three things should be at the top of your list.

2)      Wants—Continue your list, stating your wants one-by-one, from most important to least important. For example, in your bigger kitchen preparation space and double ovens may be needs but you might want a custom, tiled backsplash. Another want could be designer lighting or a certain style of cabinetry.

Couple planning a renovation3)      Budget—Everything has a price and you need to realistic about what you can afford. You may end up with the kitchen of your dreams but, if paying for it becomes a problem then the remodel becomes a burden and, you won’t enjoy it no matter how amazing it is. Decide what you can afford to spend. Then, be realistic by understanding that what you may think is a lot of money may not buy you as much as you hoped. You might want to do some research to understand remodeling costs (but make sure you are looking at prices in your area). Your construction professional will be able to give you some guidance but it’s smart to be informed about the finances before you start the process.

4)      Time—There are different aspects of your project that will be affected by time. Perhaps you have a deadline you consider one of your needs. For example, if you have an event planned on a certain day then one of your needs should be to have the project completed before then. Another way time can affect your project is if you decide to do some of the work yourself. That will, probably, take longer so plan for it in your schedule and expectations.

Meeting during remodelIf you make a list, prioritizing wants and needs, then consider your budget and time requirements you will be informed and prepared when you start to interview renovation professionals. Going forward, it becomes a challenge of balancing those four things to end up with a beautiful home you are pleased with. You may need to give up some of your wants to meet the budget. Or, to get more of your wants you might need to do the project in phases (which takes more time). Or, you may decide to increase your budget so you can have all your wants and needs. Maybe, to meet your time requirements, you will choose to use materials that your designer has on hand instead of special ordering. Whatever you do, find a balance between these four things and let your experienced professional help you figure out the combination that will give you a home you’ll love to live in.

As always, Perry Newman Design is here to help you find that balance and consider all the important elements that will take your project from conception, through construction, to completion. www.perrynewmandesign.com

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design, plan, mock up, remodel, finish basement

What is the key to having an amazing renovation experience?

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call button small croppedWe’ve all heard nightmare stories about home remodels gone awry. The workmen that don’t show up on time, the contractor who gets paid and then never finishes the project, or the tool that hits the wrong pipe and floods the whole house are just a few ghastly possibilities that torment owners of fixer uppers.

The one sure thing is that something unexpected will happen. However, there is a key that can help make your renovation experience as smooth and horror-free as possible. That key is: organization.

Put aside thoughts of flooring and insulation and drywall for a minute. Although those things are important, what is even more important to a successful renovation is planning, organization and project management.  Lucky for you, these are all included as part of the Perry Newman Design experience. Read on to understand the process and what should happen when a remodel goes right:

  • silo houseThe process begins when you make a call to schedule your in-home, design consultation. A designer will come to your home and spend about an hour with you; looking at your house and listening to your expectations for the project. You, as the owner, should state your budget and any schedule requirements. Together, you start to create the concept that will be the inspiration for your project.
  • You, as the owner, should ask for a list of references and take time to contact previous clients to hear about their experience. You should look at the company website and do some research so you feel comfortable about who you are hiring and who will be coming into your home.
  • perry_logo-round-fullThe next step is to pay your design fee. For Perry Newman Design customer’s, this is a small fee that pays for the design and planning of your project. The fee will be applied toward your renovation if you complete your project with Perry Newman Design. To plan and manage something of the scope of a home remodel takes a significant amount of time, planning and creativity. The fee pays for the time it takes to draw up mock ups, make selections, get bids from all the sub-contractors and work with the owner to create a plan and schedule that will allow the renovation to run as smoothly as possible.
  • talkingYou work with your designer to shop and make selections (flooring, paint, cabinetry, hardware, etc.). You meet the sub contractor’s that will work on your project. Organizing all of these people and elements brings clarity to the plan and everyone agrees to the schedule.
  • When all of your selections are made and your plan is ready, your designer will propose you move forward with the renovation. You take one more look at each of the elements, the budget and the schedule so everything is in place. If you decide to move forward, your design fee is credited back to the project.
  • silo construction03According to the agreed upon schedule, your project begins. Usually, the first step is demolition. Perry Newman Design customers have the benefit of hiring their designer and then he acts as project manager (hiring and overseeing everyone through the construction phase). This reduces stress on the homeowner because they only have to deal with one person and then that person runs the project and takes care of all the details. This is where the reward comes from all that organization and planning because, before the first hammer begins to drive nails, the owner, designer and workers all have an understanding of what will happen. Open and meticulous communication and agreements help avoid the typical messes and mistakes that can plague remodels and make the project take longer than expected.
  • Your renovation is complete and your dream home becomes your reality!
    room

Organization is the key to a great experience. When you have a designer/project manager and make all your selections before the demolition even begins, you are better able to anticipate problems and deal with the unexpected. Having a plan and the backing of experienced renovation professionals who will guide you is enough to keep the remodel nightmares at bay. We will take you from conception, through construction, to completion. Perry Newman Design clients sleep soundly knowing that organization is the key to a great renovation experience.

What to expect flow chart for web.indd

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