Decorate Your Home Office

Everyone wants a home office that is a productive sanctuary, not a den of clutter and confusion. When decorating a home office, there are several things to consider besides a simple desk and chair. Both function and style have to work equally hard to create a room that's as productive as it is beautiful.

BEFORE YOU START DECORATING …
Before you do anything else, answer these questions to help you determine exactly how much space you'll need for work, storage and leisure in your new office:

What purpose will the office serve?
Who will use it?
What will my technology needs be?
How much storage will I need?

WHEN YOU START DECORATING …
A stunningly functional room still has to be pretty. Here are some tips on how to make your work space a downright pleasant place to be.

Color
Paint your walls with colors that reflect the mood of your business. If you want something more traditional, use subtle and neutral colors like off-white or light blue. If you crave something more creative or artsy, go with bolder colors like oranges and darker shades of green and blue.

Displays
An empty wall is an invitation to display more than your advanced degrees and professional awards. Warm up the mood of your office with tastefully framed artwork, photography, etc.

Shelving
Both attractive and efficient, extra wall shelving can enhance the professional look of your office while offering much needed storage space and clutter control

Plants
Indoor plants are not only attractive, but can make any room feel instantly more lively and cozy – an easy way to guard against your work space becoming too sterile or boring.

Storage Ottomans
If you have space to spare, consider purchasing a couple storage ottomans. They make for chic-looking stacking areas and provide extra seating for meetings or guests.

Lighting
One desk lamp in a windowless room does not make for an inviting workspace. If your space has natural light, use it! You need the upcoming long hours spent working to be as pleasant as possible.

Maintenance
Try to keep your flooring/carpeting and furniture easy to clean so you can focus on your work instead of housekeeping.

Source: American Signature

Kids Room Updates

Does it seem like you just went shopping for a nursery crib and now your teenager is growing out of their bed! Time flies, especially when you have children, and the ability to have furniture last longer than their clothes is often a challenge. Kid’s room decor should be versatile to adapt to their growing age, but also fun for them, as they have to live in the space. If you’re struggling to try and find furniture that doesn't have to be replaced every year, here are a few tips to grow up with your child.

Versatility goes far: One of the easiest ways to have your room grow with your child is to make their bedroom versatile. Use bunk and loft beds when kids are younger, as they grow, convert the floor area to desk and chair area. Even for college students, this is a great solution that allows you to buy one piece that is versatile for years to come. Convertible beds that convert from nursery cribs into toddler beds and then full size beds are other options to be versatile and cost effective.

Change colors with your child: One of the easiest ways to update your child’s room is with wall color. With a paint can and a paint brush, youthful children’s rooms can be updated with hip, teenage-friendly colors. If your son’s sky blue room is too youthful for him and his teenage friends, consider a modern taupe, or green palette to modernize the room and his spirits! The beauty of wall color is your child and you can quickly change the mood of the room, and decor as you both desire. Coordinate bedding, window treatments, and area rugs to bring the entire room together visually.

Create versatile activity areas: What once was the toy bin and activity table are now replaced with laptops and iPod docking stations! Other simple ways to update your kid’s room is to create activity areas that will accommodate their changing interests and hobbies. In younger children’s rooms use hanging wire systems to hang school art work. As children grow turn to playful bulletin boards, and creative organization wall systems from your favorite organization store. Find creative ways to store their school and art supplies, and adapt their look and color to coordinate with the decor as it changes.

Utilize modular furniture: Instead of buying a entire bedroom suite of nursery furniture that will have to be sold, or donated a few years later, consider using modular furniture. Modular furniture will enable you to keep a few key pieces, and swap out others as the child’s needs change. For example, a desk area can remain the same for many years, while a bed is ever changing with their size. Modular furniture also gives you the ability to mix and match colors and styles to give the room an updated look, without the pricey revamp of redoing the entire room.

Updating your kid’s rooms with their age just became easier. Look through kid’s organization catalogs from popular home furniture manufacturers to get ideas and inspiration for your home. Depending on your lifestyle and how many children share a room, and their ages will help dictate what pieces of decor can be changed the easiest. To save money, re-purpose furniture from other rooms of the home, and paint existing furniture to change with your child’s age. Life is too short to be stuck with the same decor, and your child will be an adult before you know it!

Source: Fresh Home

Wood Flooring

Flooring is one of the first things the eye sees upon entering a space. People touring a new house will notice furniture, but tastes vary. They will notice wall color, but that only has to go with the style of the room. Flooring is fixed and draws the eye. Here are some great reasons to install hard wood flooring in your home or property.

Resale Value

Not only are wood floors beautiful, but they increase the value of a property and are considered one of the top remodeling projects when preparing a home for sale. Even if a potential buyer dislikes your taste in carpeting, they are likely to enjoy hardwood floors. Use of hard wood flooring throughout a home can raise property value an average of 15-35%. That's a smart investment!

Ease of Maintenance

Routine maintenance is a little more than simple sweeping and vacuuming, always making sure your hardwood floors are protected from moisture and heavy wear which creates scratches. Preventive maintenance includes area rugs and floor protectors on your furniture's feet.

Ecology

Unlike most floor coverings, wood floors come from a natural resource that is sustainable. According to U.S. Forest Service statistics, almost twice as much hardwood timber Is added every year through new growth as is harvested. Additionally, there is more standing hardwood timber today than there was 50 years ago.

Health 

The Environmental Protection Agency has said that indoor air quality is one of our top health threats. Installed in the home or elsewhere, wood floors help contribute to a healthy living environment as hard surface flooring does not trap or harbor dust mites or molds, which creates better air quality, especially for the estimated 35 million Americans who suffer from allergies.

Selection and Variety

Hardwood floors come in many sizes, styles, colors, finishes and species. These many choices can compliment any home or office with style and a beautiful product that last a lifetime.

Benchmark Contracting can help you select a type of wood to fit your budget and install it for you, giving your home an updated look and raising the value of your home as well.

Source: Wood Floors Online

Dome Home

Recently featured on Extreme Homes, the Dome Home is a hurricane proof house that features no flat walls, redirecting wind around the home in case of severe weather. The owners built it after their home (in the same location) was destroyed in 2 hurricanes. The house did well in Hurricane Ivan. What do you think of the Dome Home?

See video here.

Buying a Foreclosure

With the housing market down, a lot of homes are going into foreclosure. A lot of homeowner, angry with the banks, or for other reasons, are trashing the homes before they leave. As a buyer, these foreclosure homes are a great deal, but require a lot of work. More so than the "handyman special" homes of a decade ago, these homes may require new pipes, lots of wall replacement, all new fixtures, and electrical work.

If you are considering buying a home from foreclosure, here are some tips:

1. Have the house inspected by a General Contractor before making a bid. This will ensure that all aspects of the home are verified and you will know what you are getting into before you put forth any money.
2. Keep my number in your cell phone. Being a general contractor who is familiar with both new and existing construction, renovation and remodeling, I can assist you with making a budget, planning projects, prioritizing, and completing each task to your satisfaction.

Tile Types - Agglomerate Tile

Agglomerate Tile is made from bits of marble and other rock set in a base of epoxy. It is available in a wide variety of colors and designs. Because it's man-made, agglomerate tile has very precise, predictable measurements.

This type of tile is susceptible to ultra violet rays which can peel away the sealers on the tile, so it is better suited for indoor use. The recommended uses for Agglomerate Tile are countertops, backsplashes and walls. Beware though, this tile does have a tendency to chip and dull over time, so it will require high maintenance to keep it beautiful.

For more information on Agglomerate Tile, contact us at Benchmark Contracting!

Source: HGTV

Tile Types - Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tiles are typically made from red or white fired clay in a kiln. They are usually finished with a durable glaze which helps to carry the color and pattern of the tile itself.

Suitable for both wall and floor applications, ceramic tile is easier to cut than porcelain.

Ceramic tile is suitable for light to moderate traffic and has a high water absorption rate which makes it less resistant to frost. One important characteristic to note is that ceramic tile is more prone to chipping and wear than porcelain tiles.

For more information on this and other types of tile, visit our website!


Source: Build Direct

New Stucco

Applying stucco is a big job, but one that adds definite curb appeal to any home or commercial building.


Applying stucco is a layered process, but the end result gives a building texture with a durable and weather resistant finish.


The following are photos of a recent stucco project on this lovely home:







You can see the clean, attractive finish of the stucco has this home updated and ready for anything! Another successful Benchmark project!

Bathroom Remodel, Before and After

This was a really great project. Check out the transformation of this bathroom from average to amazing!

Before - standard tile, cabinets, shower and sinks:

We put in new floor tile, upgraded and tiled the shower, and, our favorite added two modern sinks!