Can You Update Bedroom Furniture Decor While Keeping It Classic?

Are you comfortable with your bedroom furniture? Do you
feel that it can last you another ten years, but see that
the colors are fading or that the surroundings are less
than satisfactory for the 21st century?  How can you update
the furniture and bedroom decor in your home so that it
brings you into the modern era without doing away with all
of your classic objects?  Here are a few places you can
start to maintain your style and still make it appear more
modern.

Start Small.

Don't ditch your furniture or knock out walls.  Start with
small changes.  For example, you can update a room by
simply adding a few accents, such as a throw rug to bring
more color into a room full of earth tones.  Pastels and
earth tones are very classic colors, and adding splashes of
bright reds, golds, greens, and blues can update the area
without getting rid of the furniture style.  To bring the
room together, add matching throw pillows so that the
splash of color carries over to the couch or bed (depending
on the room).

Stop Thinking Big.

Classic style doesn't have to mean huge and imposing
furniture, and it certainly doesn't have to include
expensive antiques.  Go to a modern furniture store and
choose a design that mimics the old Victorian bed your
grandmother had but is much smaller in size.  Remember, the
original designers of classical furniture were often
working with much larger rooms than you'll find in a home
now, and trying to stuff furniture this size into a single
room will make it feel cramped or even be difficult to
maneuver in.  Also, faux antiques can look very real
without costing a great deal of money.

Look for the Design.

Rather than looking for furniture that matches the original
classic style that you like, shift your focus to what it is
about that style that pleases you.  For instance, do you
like your classic couch and loveseat because of the size of
the units, or is it the design on the material?  Perhaps
you like the material itself, or you like the intricate
carving on the wood of the arms of the unit.  Whatever it
is that you particularly enjoy, you can most likely find
that element implemented into a more modern design.  You
can do the same when it comes to window dressings, kitchen
hardware, and restroom accessories.

Learn to Compromise.

You may not find exactly what you are looking for when you
go shopping for new décor or furniture because you have the
idea in your head that you must have a specific color and
style.  If you find something pleasant that is a shade off,
this can still be a good addition.  As an alternative, you
could always recover the furniture or sand and refinish any
wood.  If you can't seem to find furniture you can easily
locate other elements to update your room without giving up
your clearly classic sense of style.


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Ben Weissman writes articles on Wrought Iron Beds, Modern
Bedroom Furniture and Interior Design. You'll find more
Decorating Ideas at http://www.Home-and-Bedroom.com . Make
your bedroom into a personal retreat!

The Keys To Finding Cheap Hardwood Floors

Having hardwood floors in your house can be a luxury, but
it is by no means a cheap task.  There are a number of
things that determine the cost of wood flooring including
the size of the wooden planks, the manufacturing process
used in producing the planks, the type of wood used, and
the manufacturer.  Luckily for you, there are some things
you can do to get cheap hardwood floors.

The first option to consider when looking for cheap
hardwood floors is buying from a wholesale flooring
company.  You would be surprised at how many wholesale
flooring companies are around you.  The advantage of buying
from a wholesaler over a retail store is that you can often
find the same quality for up to 50% off.

The downside to purchasing from a wholesaler is that often
times you are required to purchase a certain amount of wood
planks.  Therefore, you can end up wasting a lot of money
if you are looking to cover a small area.  If you want to
fill a large space, going to a wholesale flooring company
is your best bet.

Another option to finding cheap flooring is to look at
discount laminate flooring.  Laminate flooring is typically
cheaper than your standard hard wood planks.  While the
quality will not be quite the same as wood planks, it will
still give you nice flooring for a much more reasonable
price.

As mentioned, there are a number of things that can
determine how much your hardwood floors will cost you.  A
typical American grown wooden floor plank will cost you
around $4 per square foot.  Now the price will go up on you
if you decide to go with an exotic wood, but it can go down
if you use a softer wood.  Another thing that can impact
the price of your floors is the color of the wood.

Light colored woods tend to be cheaper than rich hues
because there is less style and they are easier to come by.
 While rich hues are more popular, light colored woods can
still give you visually appealing hardwood floors in your
house.

There are several things that can affect the cost when
shopping for hardwood floors.  Certainly the style of wood,
the color of wood, and the size needed will be the main
things you will want to look at.  If you plan on filling a
large area, you can find cheap hardwood floors at any
wholesale flooring company and save loads of money.
Otherwise, stick to lighter wood and possibly even laminate
flooring.


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Get the real scoop on cheap hardwood floors at
http://www.household-helper.com/the-temptation-of-cheap-hard
wood-floors.html .

Flexibility, Cost Savings Lead to Rise in Design-Build Remodeling Projects

In the construction industry, the traditional way of
completing a project means getting a design from an
architect, soliciting bids for the work, and selecting a
general contractor to complete the work. Known as
"design-bid-build," this method is still very much the norm
in home construction.

But another approach - the Design-Build method - has seen a
resurgence in recent years, thanks to a skyrocketing
remodeling industry and the unique challenges presented by
remodeling work.

"There's a big difference between new building compared
with tie-ins to existing homes," says Ed Campbell,
Operations Manager for G.M. Roth, a Nashua, NH-based home
remodeling firm. "That's why about 70% of remodeling
designs created by architects never make it to the actual
construction phase."

Design-Build dates back as far as ancient Greece, where
great works like the Parthenon rose under the watchful eye
of a "Master Builder," responsible for both the design and
the construction.

Today, such master builders are known by many different
terms - "project managers," "production managers," even
"lead carpenters." No matter what you call them, the two
prominent reasons why they're gaining in popularity today
are:

1. Flexibility. In a "design-bid-build" situation, the
designer is removed from the process once a project is sent
out for bids. If changes need to be made in the middle of
construction, they often require time-consuming redesigns -
and can often involve a lot of finger-pointing between
architects and builders.

Not so with Design-Build. "Designers are involved
throughout the process," Campbell says, "so they can make
changes on the fly based on what the installers encounter
at the job site."

2. Cost savings. When changes have to be made during
construction, bringing the designer back into the process
often involves spending more money to get a redesign.which
can mean more money on the construction side.which can make
life increasingly difficult for the owner caught in the
middle.

With Design-Build, Campbell says there's a significant cost
savings. "Designers learn up front what the budget
requirements are, so they can recommend the appropriate
materials for the project. They won't design an SUV remodel
on an economy budget."

And as the remodeling industry exploded (reaching $280
billion in 2005, nearly double that of 1995's performance,
according to the National Association of Home Builders),
the Design-Build approach grew with it. According to a 2004
survey by ZweigWhite, integrated design-build firms will
see 80% of their revenues come from design-build projects
through 2014.

There's an even simpler reason to like the Design-Build
approach, however. "It's one-stop responsibility for
everything that happens with your remodeling project," says
Campbell. "How can you beat that?"


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About G.M. Roth
Since 1986, G.M. Roth has been designing and building
award-winning projects. From kitchen and bath remodeling to
in-law suites, porches and decks, clients get their "Dreams
Delivered" by G.M. Roth. To find out more about G.M. Roth,
and how their commitment to the Design/Build philosophy
provides flexibility for your project while preventing time
delays and cost overruns, go to http://www.GMRoth.com .