Upgrade with a Touch of Nostalgia

Styles are sometimes fads. Occasionally, there is something classic in a particular style. What is classic, holds value and remains beautiful, while trends pass by within the year. The savvy homeowner, who wants to improve and decorate with a retro flair, should be able to distinguish a classic retro design from trendy fads. Here are some helpful hints to direct you towards the right way to "retro fit" your home.

Today's contemporary look involves a carefully chosen display of classic pieces from the past. Often homeowners are so excited to go retro that they jump into changes that may be too drastic. Think touches, rather than a complete overhaul. Start with a cohesive, overall vision of how you want your home to look, then slowly build on this plan. You will then be able to see where you can push the edges and where you need to exercise restraint. This approach may also save you money in the long run. Touches are not as expensive as overhaul items: retro gas range, retro appliances, etc.

Retro, is a vague term for anything from a relatively distant past. Specify what era you are getting at- perhaps what decade. From here, think of what palette you are adding these touches onto. You might have a home that is Asian inspired. Imagine and visualize an era that suits this style, like certain aspects of the mid century modern period. (1945-1965) From here, you can begin to blend the two dominant styles harmoniously. Your retro additions should serve as complimentary accents that won't run the risk of looking garish or just plain old.

Another approach to your plan is to concentrate on one room. A new, clean paint job, alongside some colorful vintage glass pieces, could be just the right touch. Speaking of paint, wall color is a simple way to retro-grade a space. Try painting one stand-out wall in a bold nostalgic color. You can then accent the room with pieces that compliment that color. The great things about paint is that is satisfies the urge to go big, or go home. You can make a strong statement with wall color, but if you end up detesting you color choice, re-painting is not the end of the world.

Personalization is important. Pick retro pieces that inspire you, and that you love. Don't choose something simply because it belongs in the era you are decorating with.

If you are looking for retro touches, the mid century modern era is easy to start with. You can hunt for unique pieces that are funky, yet classic in design. What came out of the mid century modern design movement, was the production of pieces that were all about economy; economy in terms of price, but also in relation to space and design. The dominant style of this era focused on function, simplicity and natural shapes. Many furniture designers of this era had backgrounds in sculpture. Pieces of the mid century modern era worked with classic lines based on logic and elegance. It is hard to go wrong with classic lines.

Here are some ideas for retro or retro inspired mid century pieces to accent your home. It is great if you can find originals that you love. In this day and age, there are also multitudes of great knock-offs out there.

- Teak furniture, new or used (1950's)

- Blenko Glass, new or used (1060's)

- Modern wall clocks (1950-1960's)

- Sussex Credenza (1950-60's)

- Eames plywood chair (1950-60's)

- Noguchi Table (1950-60's)

Remember, however you go about adding retro flair, a home that is put together with a careful, artistic eye, is a beautiful home. Enjoy the process and the hunt, as you bring together the past and present for a classic home dcor, with a new retro look.

For further information on Davis California real estate contact Carolyn Gjerde-Tu. Carolyn, is a Davis California real estate agent. Her expertise is invaluable, whether you are buying or selling in the Davis, Woodland or the Greater Sacramento areas.

Building a Custom Subwoofer Enclosure - What to Know

Custom subwoofer enclosures are for when you want to put some subwoofers into your car but don't want to run stock boxes. By a stock box, I mean one that either comes with your subwoofer or simply one where you can only fit one 12" sub.

If you buy two 12" subs, or perhaps two 10" subs for instance, you'll likely either have to build your own box or get someone to build you one. It's important to remember every subwoofer has an "optimal" subwoofer box size in order to maximize clarity and sound performance. You can check the manufacturer's website of your subwoofer to see what this optimal size is.

You can also skip building the whole optimal performance box in exchange for simply something that will fit into your trunk, but it won't sound as good as if you built one to the specs on the manufacturer's website. e holes for where the subwoofers go and drill a terminal plate int Another thing to keep in mind when building your box is to keep all edges perfectly straight. Try to use vice grips to hold the pieces in place before and after gluing, and be sure to place scrues evenly across the construction.

Use a router to machine tho the back to run the subwoofers out the back.

Even if you haven't done the greatest job on your subwoofer box, the MDF wood required to build isn't that expensive. You can always try another one, or use the one you just created. The first few boxes we created here at EuroEnclosures weren't that great either, but you can always tune your deck for less bass output if your box rattles a bit on higher DB output levels.

However, should you want to build the "optimal" box for your subwoofers, be sure to check the manufacturer website of your subwoofers before building.

Please visit our website for more on subwoofer enclosures and construction at http://www.euroenclosures.com

Best Kept Secret in Conserving Water Heating Energy Use

We continue now with our examination of the Energy Efficiency Evaluation Report we received for our house under the ecoENERG5B4Y Grant program. We are learning a lot for our $325 payment to have this energy audit done.

According to a certain big box building materials supply store, this next recommendation is '...about 4 times more cost effective than a solar water heater'.

A new energy saving device is known as a drain water heat recovery (DWHR). This energy conservation device has no moving parts (we like that), consumes no energy itself as it works (we like that even more), requires no maintenance and is sold by many vendors with multi-year (four or more) warranty.

It's a simple concept. Hot water, say from a shower, leaves the house at around 37 degrees C / 110 degrees F through a vertical drain pipe. Cold water at around 11 degrees C / 45 degrees F will come into the hot water tank from the outside to replace the hot water used during the shower. This device is simply a copper drain pipe (through with the used hot water from say the shower leaves the house) with a much smaller copper pipe (through which the colder water comes into the house) wrapped around it.

As the hot used water leaves the house, it warms up the copper piping which then will warm up the incoming cold water to around 25 degrees C / 75 F. This means that the hot water tank does less work, because the fresh water coming into the tank is warm and not cold, as a result of the DWHR device, thus saving energy to heat the water.

The cost is between $600 and $800, p58Alus sales tax and installation, and is available on-line at at least one of the big box stores web sites (and possibly other big box stores), including drain connectors, plus installation cost.

We like this idea a lot because of its simplicity. If you live in Canada, in the northern regions of the Unites States or Europe this device could save you a lot of money off of your water heating bills and conserve energy resources. While useful for a home, this would be extremely useful for hotels, motels, health clubs and the like which use a lot of hot water.

Want more evidence of the viability of drain water heat recovery devices? The ecoENERGY Grant program, run by an Agency of the Canadian Federal Government, offers a grant of $100 to home owners who install this device within the ecoENERGY Grant program.

Interested? Do a search using your favorite internet search engine and find various retailers and distributors for more information.

To read more about the DWHR device, other energy saving recommendations from our energy audit or about our home renovation experiences, simply to go our blog, Daily Home Renovation Tips, using the resource link below.

http://dailyhomerenotips.com/

Price Gouging Is A Bad Thing?

There was talk about price gouging during hurricane Katrina, as there is during almost every natural disaster. People hate the idea of stores "taking advantage" of them during these difficult times. Politicians threaten to prosecute the store owners to win public praise (and eventually votes). But is it really such a bad thing?

First, what is price gouging? According to one definition, it is, "pricing above the market price when no alternative retailer is available." Of course, in the context of a natural disaster people don't care if there are other retailers, especially if they all raise the prices. Just raising the price of something during these times is considered gouging. Raising the prices, however, serves an important function that most people don't understand. Let's look at that.

The Value Of Price Gouging

We'll use a plywood retailer as an example of what happens during a hurricane, and why it is actually important that prices rise.

First of all, we can probably agree that a retailer doesn't want to hurt the public. He just wants to make more money. Secondly, raising the price accomplishes this profit goal only if the retailer can still sell his goods. This means, for example, that he won't make anything on his high-priced plywood if it's priced so high that nobody buys it. He still has to price it to sell.

So typically when a hurricane is coming, all the plywood will still be sold, but at a higher price. I don't think we can call it "above the market" however, because markets change, and the "market price" is naturally higher when demand goes up, as it does before a hurricane. In any case, all that plywood will still be covering windows and protecting houses somewhere during the storm.

However, the higher price does something very useful. It allocates the plywood to the highest and best uses. To understand why, let's start at $18 per sheet. At this price a man might buy enough plywood to cover not only the windows of his house, but the windows on his shed in the backyard. He might even buy too much and have several pieces left laying in the garage. Meanwhile some poor family has their front window uncovered because all the plywood sold so fast at this "normal" price.

On the other hand, if the retailer raises the price to $50 per sheet, what happens? Everyone thinks more carefully about how much they need. They buy just enough, and only enough for the more important uses. This means a lot more front windows protected and fewer pieces wasted. A family that might have bought ten sheets of plywood now buys just six for the most important uses, leaving four more in the store for someone else's use.

There is more to this story, however. If prices are allowed to rise during emergencies, it motivates companies to be better prepared. In other words, the higher prices (if predictable and not discouraged by politicians and prosecutors) mean more supplies brought to the areas where they are needed.

In fact, Wal-Mart doesn't advertise the fact, but they monitor weather and stock their stores accordingly, bringing in an extra thousand snow shovels before a predicted blizzard, for example. This is a wonderful service to the community, of course, but the fact that they make money doing it probably makes them hesitate to let it be known. People are uneasy with companies making profits from their problems.

That sentiment is a shame, because it means we are worse off. As a consumer, I only would buy plywood at $50 a sheet if it really was worth it to me. But I would rather have it available at that price than punish the retailer just so Joe - or whoever runs to the store the fastest - can cover his shed windows and leave extra unused plywood in his garage at the "fair" price of $18 per sheet.

There is yet another reason why high prices are good. By allocating supplies to their highest economic uses, the result is less monetary damage. In other words, at $50, more people will use that plywood to cover expensive windows rather than sheds and doghouses and such. This means fewer and smaller insurance claims, which in turn means lower future rates for all of us.

All of this is something that economists know, and it applies to virtually all basic goods and services. Let prices rise and things are allocated in better ways. But politicians and others are afraid to be honest about this, even if they aren't ignorant about this. They don't think the public can understand that what we refer to as price gouging could make us all better off during emergencies.

Copyright Steve Gillman. For inventions, new product ideas, business ideas, story ideas, political and economic theories, deep thoughts, and a free course on How To Have New Ideas, visit: http://www.999ideas.com

Embracing the Glasswork Kitchen Trends

In a recent list of twelve kitchen cabinet trends, Better Homes and Gardens mentioned two specifically that encompasses glass. In particular, they named Ribbed Glass and See More Glass as kitchen remodeling trends their home-loving readers may want to consider when giving their kitchens a 2008 update.

Of the Ribbed Glass trend, the magazine suggested adding, "specialty glass to cabinet doors for a custom look. Ribbed, seeded, stained, and beveled glass are just a few of the possibilities." Better Homes and Gardens also raved of the See More Glass trend: "Glass front cabinet doors add sparkle and keep cabinets from looking too heavy and closed off."

For those homeowners who are looking to add this type of specialty custom finish to their kitchens, KraftMaid Cabinetry in the place to turn. Thanks to its custom look, with the widest selection of styles, finishes, storage solutions and decorative enhancements in built-to-order cabinetry, KraftMaid Cabinetry has helped more consumers create the kitchen of their dreams than any other cabinet manufacturer in the world.

Taking a cue from this current trend, KraftMaid Cabinetry offers a wide range of decorative glass door inserts. Its eclectic variety of mullion doors and glass inserts, including stained glass, camed glass and textured glass, help homeowners put the spotlight on what's really important to them.

Whether its camed, classic, etched, layered, textured or mullion glass styles remodelers are yearning for to give their kitchen a trendy update, KraftMaid Cabinetry, Inc. has the decorative glass door inserts to accomplish the remodel in style. From chateau, gothic, Orient and Victorian to prarie, bistro, Manhattan and Chantilly, KraftMaid's exquisite collection of decorative glass inserts helps create the kitchen ambience of each individual homeowner's dreams.

Order the free Kitchen Idea Book by KraftMaid Cabinetry at http://www.kraftmaid.com/information/index.cfm?navigationid=62100

How to Pick the RIGHT Remodeling Estimate - Beware of the "Low-Ball" Bidder!

The process of selecting a contractor to do your home remodeling project can be daunting. First comes locating the contractor, then the interview, contacting their references, verifying insurances and licenses. Once this is settled it is time to move forward and start receiving estimates or "bids". Construction bids are unique animals. When you are considering buying a new car you can see what the finished product looks like. You can also take it for a ride to see if it feels right to you. With a construction project you have no idea what the final result will be. You can only make a decision based on what you see on paper and getting to know the contractor.

The Bid or the Contractor- What is More Important?

One question homeowners will always ask themselves when reviewing bids is - "Which one should I go with?" Maybe the correct question should be "Which contractor do I feel most comfortable about hiring?" When it is all said and done most homeowners will look back at their remodeling project and the first question they ask themselves is typically-did we hire the RIGHT contractor for what we wanted done? If the contractor did a great job and was a pleasure to work with a homeowner couldn't ask for more. Very seldom is the cost of the project even considered at this point.

But what if the project was a living nightmare - does having saved some money really matter to the homeowner at this point in time? Believe me, it is the last thing on their mind. All they wanted was to hire a good, hard-working, ethical contractor they could trust and pay a fair price for his/her expertise. But now they will only look back and remember hearing "My price can't be beat" or "I'm cheaper because I don't have the overhead" or "Hire me today and I'll give you a great deal." They feel like idiots because they were gullible and went with the cheapest estimate. Don't let cost be the deciding factor in who you hire.

"Low-Ball" Bids

When a contractor deliberately under bids the real price of the job hoping to be hired it is called a "low-ball" bid. These bids are generally much lower than any other bids you have received - usually 20-25% or more. Many are done intentionally by unscrupulous contractors while others are presented by contractors who are incompetent and they may have overlooked unavoidable costs. Either way, these are not the contractors you want working in your home. These contractors are hoping that the homeowner will only consider cost when settling on who they should hire.

Low-ball bids will often include poor quality materials, inferior craftsmanship, no insurance and/or licenses, poor project management, dragged out projects, and a failure to perform the required work safely. It is very typical as your project proceeds that the low-balling contractor will find reasons to get you to raise the price up to what the bid should have been originally and present you with change orders to accomplish this. Don't let this happen!

Let's look at an example of a possible "low-ball" bid:

You have received 3 estimates from contractors you are considering hiring. One estimate is for $11,000, another is $10,500 and the third is $7,800. Ask yourself why is there is more than a $3,000 difference between the high and low bids? Are all the contractors bidding on the same materials, labor and fixtures? Are they all licensed, insured, and have provided you with a written contract and guarantee? Are the allowances all similar? The low estimate should be a "red flag" - proceed with extreme caution.

Which Bid Should You Choose?

Your "gut-feeling" will come into play as you interview various contractors-listen to it! It carries more weight than you realize. Don't let cost be the deciding factor in who you hire.

1) If you receive a bid that is very low, don't even consider it. Stay away from contractors that offer you such a bid. Low-balling is, in my opinion, dishonest. Possibly the worst reason that a contractor might submit a low-ball bid is that they have no intention of doing the work. They may start your project but they won't be around for too long.

2) If you receive a bid that is way too high, eliminate it also. Some contractors will purposely bid high on a job they don't really want just to see if a homeowner is foolish enough to hire them anyway.

3) You should now be left with the "middle bids" and hopefully a contractor that you like.

Also consider this when deciding on what bid to accept:

60% of your decision on who to hire should be based on their workmanship skills, experience with projects like yours, and reference checks.

30% of your decision should be based on the contractor's ability/experience to keep the project moving forward, communication skills and cooperation.

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10% of your decision should be based on the actual cost of the project.

Don't focus on the cost of your project when selecting a contractor. This only gives you tunnel-vision to what really needs to be addressed. Planning and lots of patience will head you in the right direction when a home project becomes part of your life. Do it right the first time and your project will be a success.

Paul Lawrence has owned and operated Home Project Partners, a free Maine-based contractor referral service, since 2002. He helps bring homeowners together with reliable, quality-conscious, pre-screened home contractors skilled in numerous trades. Paul makes presentations to realtors and other groups that have an interest in his service. He has also taught adult education classes showing homeowners how to find contractors on their own and to learn how to properly screen a contractor.

For more information contact Paul at info@HomeProjectPartners.com or visit online at http://www.HomeProjectPartners.com

Maximize the Space and Save

Is your bathroom small? Are you trying to figure out how to accomplish magic with small space bathroom remodeling? Youll be amazed at what you can accomplish by using a few tips form the pros.

First off, youre not alone. Many homes have small bathrooms and small space bathroom remodeling seems like a chore that wont yield the desired results. In order to get the greatest appeal and function from your small space bathroom remodeling, you first have to combine the total area of your space with a little creativity.

Take Inventory

Before you begin the remodeling project, youll save time and money by taking inventory of primary aspects of the project. What is the main thing you want to accomplish with the bathroom remodel? Provide more usable space? Or, perhaps your small bathroom needs a makeover and you want to optimize the space while youre at it. Maybe youre simply updating the bathroom for a more stylish, trendy appeal. Focus on the primary reason for the remodel and try to envision the completed project delivering all your goals. By getting a clear vision of what you want, and working backwards from that point, youll ensure that every aspect is considered.

Small Space Bathroom R7D3emodeling

If you want more space consider the type: counter, storage, or floor. Next, evaluate the adjoining rooms or closets to see if by moving a wall a bit or eliminating a closet you can gain some space to help maximize your small space bathroom remodeling.

If that is not possible, consider reconfiguring the existing layout to accommodate more usable space. Moving the bathroom shower, sink, or commode, can improve floor space. While this will involve additional cost, the rewards can be a more functional and accommodating space. A contractor experienced in small space bathroom remodeling can offer valuable advice and services in this area.

Accessorize

Another source to check is the availability of items designed for the compact bathroom. The addition of wall shelving, baskets, racks and other storage items can greatly improve storage space without taking up floor space. A freestanding lavatory can also free up floor space.

This article was written by Gregg Hicks of http://www.reliableremodeler.com which provides Internet-based home improvement information and services. Offering homeowners a simple, quick, and free way to access, qualified home improvement remodeling contractors.