Things are Looking Up! The Ceiling’s Role in Your Room’s Decor (ARA) – It’s hanging over your head every day -– a bland, lackluster ceiling. The ceiling is often one of the most overlooked areas of a room when it comes to interior decorating. Yet if you look beyond the popcorn ceiling and water stains, you may find your ceiling can be an outlet for your most inspired creativity. “The ceiling offers one of the few truly blank canvases in interior design because it’s never obscured by doorways, windows or furniture,” says Sherrie Towne, a ceiling décor expert with Focal Point Architectural Products. “Some of the most stunning examples of the marriage of architecture and art can be found on the ceilings of historic buildings, from Grand Central in New York to the Sistine Chapel.” From classic and high-impact to simple and low-tech, here are some common ways to dress up a ceiling: Add a Decorative Medallion The essence of architectural sophistication for the ceiling, medallions have adorned castles and palaces through the ages. In modern homes, they are particularly effective in a dining room above a chandelier. In traditional times, you would have hired a professional to render a medallion in white plaster that matched the ceiling color. Today, you can find pre- constructed, pre-finished medallions that install onto the ceiling to enhance your existing light fixture. Some products, like Focal Point’s Quick Clips medallion installation system, even eliminate the need to locate studs to hang the medallion and patch screw holes afterward. Available with select Focal Point medallions, the system literally allows you to twist the medallion in place. The company also offers a range of faux finish options to match today’s popular light fixture styles. Whether your light fixture has a metal, wood or crackle finish, Focal Point offers medallions to match. Crown Moulding is King A must in any upscale home, crown moulding can enhance the décor of virtually any room in the house. Popularly used in dining rooms and living rooms, modern designers are finding creative uses for crown moulding in kitchens, bedrooms and even bathrooms. Once, getting the corners just right would have taken hours. Now crown moulding can be installed in half the time by even novice do-it-yourselfers. Focal Point’s Quick Clips moulding installation system eliminates the need to miter corners, find wall studs and patch nail holes, allowing you to prefinish the moulding of your choice and install it in a snap. Color Creates Appeal If you want a low-cost way to make a room look bright, fresh and clean, a new coat of white paint on the ceiling can work wonders. It’s a must if you’re thinking of selling your home. If you plan on staying put and crave some drama, consider adding a ceiling color that contrasts and complements your wall color. Texture Lends Visual Impact There are a number of techniques for applying texture to a ceiling, from using spray on textured paint to faux finishing by hand. In some ways, texturing a ceiling can be easier than tackling a wall. Although you’re working overhead, the blank canvas of a ceiling is more forgiving of first-time mistakes. Small errors that might have big impact at eye-level can fade into the distance when they are several feet above your head. Courtesy of ARAcontent |
Wake Up a Tired Front Entry with a New Front Door (ARA) – The old saying “You can’t judge a book by its cover” isn’t always true in the housing market. A weary-looking home with a tired front door is sometimes a clear signal to the neighborhood, and to prospective homebuyers, that a house is in need of major repairs or updating. Focusing on projects that help maintain and enhance a home’s value is a priority for homeowners, especially in a highly competitive housing market. Replacing a front door is a beneficial first step toward boosting curb appeal. This project will also pay for itself in the long run because according to the National Association of Realtors, curb appeal sells 49 percent of all homes. “Homeowners want to be proud of how their house looks from the street, so a front entry should be warm and inviting, and convey a sense of quality,” says Shane Meisel, product marketing manager with JELD-WEN, a leading manufacturer of reliable windows and doors. Selecting a new exterior door can be a daunting challenge, given the number of materials, styles and features available in the market today. Before starting the process, JELD-WEN experts recommend that homeowners ask themselves the following five questions to narrow the number of potential door options: 1. What building material do you prefer? A good starting point for selecting a new exterior door is choosing the right material. Wood has traditionally been the top door choice because of the number of styles and species available. Fiberglass, an emerging material in the exterior door market, requires little maintenance and is nearly indistinguishable from real wood. These qualities make fiberglass perfect for any climate. Steel doors are also a popular choice as they are both secure and affordable. 2. What’s the style of your home? When selecting a new door for a front entry, homeowners should take into account their home’s architectural style. For example, selecting a wood door with a dark finish and an elaborate glass insert will enhance the authenticity of a Victorian home, while a door with flat panels and square trim is era-appropriate for a Craftsman-style house. 3. What is your budget? Door systems can range from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars for top-of-the-line custom doors. Usually wood and custom fiberglass doors are more of an investment than other types of doors. Standard fiberglass doors are typically less expensive than wood, and steel is often the most affordable exterior door material. Designs, glass options, accents, size and shape also influence the cost of exterior doors. 4. How much maintenance is required? Because they are exposed to the elements for a number of years, exterior doors need some maintenance to preserve their appearance and extend their working lives. In general, steel and fiberglass doors require very little, if any, maintenance. For wood doors, JELD-WEN recommends periodic maintenance. Another option for those looking to get the most out of their door is the JELD-WEN AuraLast wood exterior door frame, which allows homeowners to achieve a stainable or paintable weather-resistant wood door frame with a lifetime warranty against decay and termite infestation. 5. What’s the location of the home and door? If a home is located in a hurricane zone, local building codes often determine the type of entry door that can be installed. The direction of the door should also be considered. The south, west and east sides of a home will receive the greatest sun exposure. Homeowners should consider the level of UV resistance needed based on climate conditions and the home site. Overhangs shield exterior doors from the elements and help protect against the effects of wind, rain and snow. For more information about exterior door options, styles and materials, and to explore JELD-WEN’s interactive online door selector, please visit www.jeld-wen.com. Courtesy of ARAcontent |
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T Newman Custom & Trim Company
T. Newman Custom & Trim Company Troy Newman 1-925-577-6226 1145 2nd St. Suite A 124 Brentwood, CA 94513 Email: Troy@t-newman.com |