Category: Richmond Remodeling

Nursery Room Designs You Will Fall In Love With

While it’s tempting to think that your nursery is designed with your baby in mind, it’s more accurate to say that these rooms are designed for the parents. After all, you’re the one that will be interacting with the room all day, from rocking and changing to organizing and storing. At the same time, you’ll want to create a décor and function for the room that can grow with your child, becoming a space they can enjoy later on. To help you achieve these goals, there are numerous furniture pieces and design elements on the market now aimed at just this use. Try fitting any of these into your new nursery to make the most of the Richmond home addition.

nursery room richmond

Comfort Design

A rocker or a glider is an absolute essential in every nursery. This doesn’t mean, however, that you need to use an old fashioned wooden rocker or even a wooden glider with some tied on cushions. Today’s gliders look and feel more like a comfortable arm chair, with the gliding
mechanism hidden below. You can rock for hours in perfect, cushioned comfort while a decorative slip cover means that you can either change out the color and pattern of the chair whenever you want, or you can simply toss it in the wash if spills or stains occur.

To get the ultimate in comfort and style, be sure to pair this glider with an overstuffed ottoman as well. Now you’ll be able to put your feet up, have an extra place to sit temporarily, or give baby one more soft and comfortable item to pull up on when the time comes.

Striped Ceiling

The ceiling is one of the most overlooked areas of the home when it comes to style and design. Many people simply leave it a flat, painted white and are done with it. This doesn’t have to be the case, however; you can use the ceiling to add a lot of color and interest to the room design. This is particularly great in small or narrow nurseries because it means that you can introduce some playful color and pattern, without overwhelming the space as a whole.

Consider either a solid color stripe that will pick up an accent color for the bedding or a throw rug, or use a mixture of different colors and sizes. Stripes of all varieties are very hot in interior design right now, and what better place to create a colorful and fun display than in the nursery?

Stripes also allow you to visually elongate or widen a room depending on which direction you run them. For additional fun, you can also angle your stripes to meet at a point just above the crib to create a sunburst effect.

Built-In Shelves

It’s amazing just how much stuff you’ll accumulate during your baby’s first years. And all of this stuff will need a place to go that’s easily accessible, and easy to organize. Keep the floor of the room clutter free and easy to maintain by installing some built-in shelves on the walls of the room. You can use these shelves to hold books, diapers, toys, or decorative
elements. Have the shelves built at a variety of heights so that your little one can reach some to access their books and toys while keeping more fragile decorative elements out of reach.

For the most versatility and sleekest design, mix your shelves in with wall cubbies or cubes. This will help break up the walls visually, while ensuring that you have storage of every size. To help make your cubbies a little more playful, line the backs with decorative contact paper that coordinates with bedding, rugs, and linens in the room.

Double Duty Furnishings

One of the toughest parts of designing a nursery is to make sure that it can accommodate your baby now, and as she grows. This is what makes furniture that can pull double duty so appealing; it can help grow with your child so your overall nursery design can get more years out of it.

To that end, look for long, double dressers that are roughly 32- to 34-inches in height, and place a foam changing pad on top, rather than investing in a separate changing table. Use one half of the drawers on the dresser to hold diapers for now; it can be used to hold extra clothes or craft supplies later.

Convertible cribs are also a nice design option to consider. Don’t be fooled by cribs that are designed to eventually convert to a double bed; they often don’t hold up that long. A crib that can become a toddler bed, and that has a solid wood head and footboard, however, can keep your nursery looking great for longer.

If you invest in an ottoman for the nursery, consider opting for one that has a top that lifts off for extra storage. Over time, you can convert it to a toy box for extra functionality.

Create a Lasting Design

The ideal nursery combines form and function to create a space that’s playful, but that can grow with your child as well. Consider investing in any of these design elements to help create the perfect nursery for your baby, and look forward to watching your baby and the nursery grow together.

For any other tips on how to make your home remodeling a breeze, Classic Construction is available for all your Richmond remodeling services. To learn more, give us a call at 804-776-5070 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.

Author: Classic Construction

Established in 2001, Classic Construction has since become one of the leading Richmond remodeling companies. With decades in the home improvement industry, Brian Holder, company president, is intimately involved with every project and works with our vendors and installation crews to ensure every job runs smoothly and meets our high standards of quality and customer satisfaction.

Hot, New Flooring Trends You Will Love

Flooring trends are constantly changing to suit the needs of homeowners. This means that materials like ceramic and laminate floors need to not only complement the look and style of a room, they also have to meet the needs of families looking for a floor that will hold up over time with minimal maintenance. Both ceramic and laminate flooring are fairly low maintenance, good looking options, and new manufacturing methods make them more suitable for a variety of homes than ever before. 

Ceramic Flooring Trends

For a while, many homeowners were choosing to use porcelain tile over ceramic throughout their homes. Porcelain was thought of as more durable, as well as more contemporary. Ceramic has been catching up, however, offering homeowners a lot of new options for flooring in bathrooms, entryways, and kitchens.
 
Ceramic Flooring Richmond VA
Mosaics are one of the more popular choices for ceramic flooring bathrooms right now. Classic patterns including hexagons, octagon-and-dot, and penny tiles are merging in new color combinations for an updated look. Handmade ceramic tiles are also gaining in popularity for bathrooms, with a variety of interesting shapes and colors, along with subtle variation in glaze that brings additional depth to the floor.

Vitrified ceramic tile that has had its edges ground to a uniform size is a popular choice in flooring for entryways, mudrooms, and kitchens. This non-porous tile can be butted right up against the next, which leaves a very minimal grout line. Look for tiles with a variegated color and a matte finish, which can help hide dirt and offer a durable, non-slip surface.

Also popular right now is ceramic tile in a single color glaze that has some light and dark tones mixed throughout it. Like wall colors, gray floors in particular are very popular right now, especially those with a metallic finish, and those that don’t have a very flat finish to them.

Monocotura (or single fire) tiles are also beginning to make a comeback as many homeowners begin to shift toward natural colors and textures in the home. Monocotura terracotta is gaining in popularity for kitchen floors, as are glazed quarry pavers in a variety of colors.

Wood Flooring Trends

Wood flooring trends are currently running parallel to trends in engineered wood flooring, particularly in terms of color and finish. One of the most popular right now is the high gloss or piano finish. This is made by rubbing the boards with aluminum oxide to produce a very glossy top coat that will have you forgetting that this floor isn’t real wood.

Like many other wood flooring trends just now, handscraped boards are also extremely popular. The key here is to look for boards that have a truly handscraped finish with deep grooves in each one. Avoid the boards that merely have a slight ripple to the surface; they won’t give you the same look.

For color, laminate flooring that looks more like real wood is beginning to appear on the market with great success. In particular, exotic wood species like Brazilian cherry and tiger wood are extremely popular in laminate just now because they truly look like wood, and not like the plastic boards of 10 years ago.

Also popular right now is the hot new finish, “Greige”. A cross between gray and beige, this cool-toned floor follows the popularity of gray paint for the walls, for a sleek, modern looking floor.

Aside from finish and style, one of the hottest trends in laminate flooring right now is the waterproof board. Older laminate floors swelled up if they were exposed to moisture, which made it difficult to install them below grade or in areas that get a lot of moisture like kitchens and mudrooms. Newer laminate flooring is beginning to emerge that is water resistant or waterproof. This enables homeowners to have more choices about where they install their laminate flooring, which makes it a lot more attractive than ever before.

Update Your Flooring

Today’s flooring is meant to last, looking great for far longer than older trends and flooring types did. With more durable surfaces and new colors that look a lot more natural than they did previously, you’ll find ceramic and laminate floors for every room of your home. Consider updating the flooring in your home with one of these hot new options to give your entire décor a big boost.

For any other tips on how to make your home remodeling a breeze, Classic Construction
is available for all your Richmond remodeling services. To learn more, give us a call at 804-776-5070 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.

Author: Classic Construction

Established in 2001, Classic Construction has since become one of the leading Richmond remodeling companies. With decades in the home improvement industry, Brian Holder, company president, is intimately involved with every project and works with our vendors and installation crews to ensure every job runs smoothly and meets our high standards of quality and customer satisfaction.

Top 5 Can’t Miss Elements of Your Home Theater Space

If you’re lucky enough to have a Richmond home addition with a home theater, it’s important to go all the way, creating a space that truly lets you enjoy the experience. After all, home theaters can add thousands of dollars to your home’s value, often recouping most if not all of the cost it took to build them. And while there are a lot of ways you can design and lay out this type of room, there are a few essentials that you need to consider if you want to build the ultimate home theater.
Home Theater

1. The Right Screen

Obviously you need a screen, but it’s important to ensure that you get the right one for the room. For example, if your seating extends out to the sides of the room, letting viewers see it from an angle, you might not want to go with an LCD, which bleaches color out of the picture when viewed from the sides.

Projection screens are always a plus when you want to go big, but if your room has any natural light coming in, it can really wash out the image.

The ideal screen should be large enough to be seen from the back of the room, and viewable from all areas at all times. Take the time to research your screen based on your room – not on reviews that may not take your particular needs into consideration.

2. Acoustics

You’re probably planning on installing a sound system to help enhance the effects of watching things on your big screen, but if you don’t take the acoustics in the room into account at the same time, it may not have the effect you’re after.

Be sure to carpet the room to help deaden sound and echoes from surrounding rooms. You may also want to look into acoustic panels for your ceiling, and possibly the walls as well. Alternatively, covering the walls with heavy curtains you can close when the room is in use can also have the same effect, as can installing a resilient flooring like cork.

You’ll also want to pay attention to the shape of the room and where you install your sound system so that you don’t miss anything due to muffled or blocked noises issuing from the speakers.

3. Wireless Systems

Thanks to Bluetooth and other wireless systems, you can now have a fully set up and functional home theater without the wires and cables hooking everything together. A wireless set up gives you the opportunity to move your speakers into places you might not have been able to reach previously, and allows you to hook up various electronics to stream video games or movies from another source. And all of this can be very unobtrusive, taking up much less space than previous systems.

4. Surge Protector

If you don’t have a whole house surge protector, then you need to at least ensure that your home theater is covered and protected. Surge protectors help prevent surges of electricity, such as those that can occur during, before, or after an electrical storm from ruining all of your sensitivity equipment.

With the various DVD and Blu-Ray players, speakers, wireless systems, and internet connections that you’ll have set up in the room, it makes sense to put a protector on your panel for the entire space. This way if your home were to have a surge, you’re home theater wouldn’t be affected in the slightest.

HT seats

5. Seating

Every home theater needs someplace for you and your guests to sit. But what kind of seating is best? Ideally, any furniture you install in this room should be built for comfort; after all, anyone using it will probably be there for at least a couple of hours.

So take the time to look at furniture that includes things like built-in cup holders for drinks, overstuffed backs for lumbar support, and optional reclining features for the ultimate in comfort. Whether you choose to use stadium style seating or a sectional sofa is up to the size and configuration of the room; just be sure that whatever you choose is designed to hold someone in comfort for at least the length of a feature film.

Design Your Ultimate Home Theater

Having a home theater can raise your property value and increase your enjoyment in your home at the same time. Be sure that no matter what layout or shape our home theater takes that you include these essentials to truly maximize your experience.

 

For any other tips on how to make your home remodeling a breeze, Classic Construction is available for all your Richmond remodeling services. To learn more, give us a call at 804-776-5070 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.

Author: Classic Construction

Established in 2001, Classic Construction has since become one of the leading Richmond remodeling companies. With decades in the home improvement industry, Brian Holder, company president, is intimately involved with every project and works with our vendors and installation crews to ensure every job runs smoothly and meets our high standards of quality and customer satisfaction.

Replacement Windows Made Easy

Replacement Windows Richmond
Replacement windows terminology can be made easy for you.  Replacement windows can add a lot of value to your home. They can also help you lower your energy costs by making your home better insulated. Unfortunately for many homeowners, however, trying to find the right replacement windows can be a major challenge. Not only do you have to choose between brands and styles, you also have to conquer the terminology, which can seem a little like a foreign language. Learn the right terminology for replacement windows before you start your search to ensure you get the right Richmond replacement windows for your needs.

 

Replacement window terminology

Learn the following terminology for replacement windows, and you’ll be able to follow along with your contractor like a pro when he comes out to install them.

1. Windows U-Value

U-values measure how well the unit insulates against heat. Similar to the R-values you may have heard of to describe your home’s insulation, U-values describe how well your window is able to slow down heat transfer. Because your window is transparent, it can’t completely stop the transfer of heat – only delay it a little. Unlike R-values, however, higher numbers aren’t better. In fact, the lower your U-value, the better the insulating job it’s going to do. Now windows with lower U-values may cost more up front, but they also tend to save you more on energy costs down the road. So if you live in a climate that has you running the furnace or air conditioner a lot, it may make sense to invest in some windows with lower U-values.

2.  Windows Argon Gas

The vast majority of windows that are sold today are double-paned, or have two panes of glass with a gap between them. This gap can be filled with plain air, or it can be filled with an insulating, colorless gas. Argon is the most frequently used insulating gas in the industry, and many window makers now use argon gas-filled windows as their standard. Typically, adding argon to your windows will increase the insulating power by about ½ of an R value, which can help offset some energy costs if all other things are equal.

3.  Windows Low e

Another insulating term you’ll hear concerning replacement windows is a Low E coating. Low E stands for Low Emissivity or Low Emission, and refers to how well the sun is able to penetrate through your window to reach inside your home. Low E is a metallic coating that is applied to your windows at the factory – it is not a film that can be applied later, and it does not come off over time. Having Low E coated windows can lower the amount of UV rays and sun’s heat entering your home by about 25%. Areas where the sun shines directly into your home, and homes in hotter climates can definitely benefit from having Low E glass on the windows.

4.  Windows Foam Filled

Window frames are by and large hollow, with many windows relying on the air inside to act as an insulator to help stop heat transfer through the window frame itself. Some manufacturers, however, take this a step further and fill their frames with insulating foam to help further cut down on energy loss.

5. Windows Wrapped with aluminum

Wrapping refers to the method of installing an aluminum window frame so that it wraps around the outside sills and casing. This is usually done with custom painted frames that are designed to match the home’s exterior. It can give you a better fit and a nicer looking window, but you need to ask for it; it isn’t always part of the standard installation package.

6.  Windows Roll Form Aluminum

Most aluminum window frames can be made in one of two ways – roll form and extruded. Roll form aluminum is a little thinner than extruded aluminum, and it’s finished prior to bending and shaping. It can cost you a little less, but some people feel the extruded material may last longer and hold up better over time.

7.   Windows Heat Gain

If your salesperson or contractor begins talking about heat gain, this refers to the amount of heat that is either absorbed from the outdoors or a result of direct sunlight. In hot climates, you want to reduce the amount of heat gain to keep your windows from heating up your home during the day.
Do Your Homework on your replacement windows

The more you know going into your replacement window purchase, the more informed a decision you can make regarding your home and your needs. Take the time to learn the terminology most frequently used when comparing your potential new windows, and know that you’re making the best decisions possible.

For any other tips on how to make your home remodeling a breeze, Classic Construction is available for all your Richmond remodeling services. To learn more, give us a call at 804-776-5070 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.


 

Author: Classic Construction

Established in 2001, Classic Construction has since become one of the leading Richmond remodeling companies. With decades in the home improvement industry, Brian Holder, company president, is intimately involved with every project and works with our vendors and installation crews to ensure every job runs smoothly and meets our high standards of quality and customer satisfaction.

How to Create the Ultimate Home Office

If you work from home then you’re probably aware of difficult it can be to stop your work life from spilling into the rest of your home. One of the best ways to help contain and separate work from personal life is to set up a home office you feel comfortable spending the day in. And while everyone’s home office is going to look a little bit different based on your needs and the type of work that you do, there are a few key components that go into creating it that just about everyone should follow.

How to Create the Ultimate Home Office

Creating the Ultimate Home Office

No matter where in your home you’ve designated your work space, or how much space you have, there are a few things you can do to ensure you get the best office set up possible in your Richmond home addition.

Ample Space and an Empty Room

The first thing you need to do is start with a totally empty space. Clean everything out of there from your desk to anything that might be stored or displayed there. This is crucial, because you’re probably used to thinking of the room in a certain way. And that way might not be the best setup for your needs. By starting with a completely empty room, you get a fresh perspective on what it is you can do there.

Now take a look at what you need in terms of space. Do you need storage? Work tables? Extra seating? Do you use more than one computer during your day? Start to plan out the room according to your needs. For example, if you use multiple screens how can you best position them in the space – does it make sense to hang one the wall or do you need an L shaped desk set up that lets you swivel between them? With an empty room, you can see the many different possibilities for laying out your things so you can get the best configuration for your needs, rather than trying to cram everything into the existing layout of the space.

Use Your Walls

Desks, chairs, and filing cabinets are pretty much a given in the home office, but what are you doing with your walls? By tapping into this previously unused expanse of space, you can gain a lot more function and storage out of your home office.

Consider covering one board in cork to allow you to pin things right at eye level. Or get your computer up off the desk and hang the screen on the wall so you can see it better. Shelves, white boards, cubbies, and peg board racks are all great ways to help you organize your home office without taking up a lot of space. So even if your home office was once a walk-in closet, you can still fit in everything you need into the space as long as you look up rather than down.

Home Office

Lots of Light

On average most people who work from home spend about 10 hours a day in their home office. That’s a lot of hours to be squinting in a poorly lit room. Every well lit room needs three types of lighting:

  • Ambient lighting that lights the whole space – overhead or recessed lighting fits into this category
  • Spot lighting that illuminates things on the walls, such as your bulletin board, or things you store on your shelves
  • Task lighting that illuminates your desk and work area, such as desk lamps, under cabinet lighting, and even under desk lighting

With all the time you spend in your home office, you need to make sure it’s well lit. Use a combination of all three types of lighting, and invest in some good full spectrum light bulbs to help you feel as though you’re working in natural light – even if you never get the time to go outside.

And while you’re working on the lighting, be sure to invest in some additional power strips or outlets as well, so you can keep everything in the room running at once.

Home Office Photo

Invest in Good Seating

The type of desk or work table you use in your home office should come second to your seating. Get a good office chair that supports your back and lets you adjust the height for optimum comfort no matter what height of table you’re working at. If you work at more than one desk, or at an L-shaped station, make sure the chair rolls easily, and adjusts height easily as well. Remember that no matter how great your office looks, if you aren’t comfortable working there, you more than likely won’t be in there for long.

Bring in Some Personal Touches

Finally, make sure you bring in plenty of things that make you happy in the space. From the color of the walls to what you display on your desk, you need to personalize your office. Remember that despite being in your house, your home office is where you go to work each day; if you aren’t happy there, you’ll just find excuses to be somewhere else. So take the items you need, from a coffee maker to some posters to ensure you get what you need out of the space.

Set Up Your Office

Your home office is more important than you may think it is. While technically all you may need is a work station and a chair, a well laid out home office can help increase your productivity, while enhancing your enjoyment of the work. Take the time to set up your home office using this guide and find yourself enjoying the freedom of working from home more than ever before.

For any other tips on how to make your home remodeling a breeze, Classic Construction
is available for all your Richmond remodeling services. To learn more, give us a call at 804-776-5070 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.

 

Author: Classic Construction

Established in 2001, Classic Construction has since become one of the leading Richmond remodeling companies. With decades in the home improvement industry, Brian Holder, company president, is intimately involved with every project and works with our vendors and installation crews to ensure every job runs smoothly and meets our high standards of quality and customer satisfaction.