Design Inspirations
From bigger baseboards and crown molding, to closet design, to the type of paint you use. It’s all important to consider, but how are you supposed to know what you don’t know? That’s what we are here for. Check out below for some incredible ideas for you to consider on your current or future home!
Interior Wood Trim and Design
Overall
Interior wood trim is a great way to add detail to your home. It will bring delineation and make for a much neater/cleaner look throughout your home as well. Baseboards/Base Molding, Crown Molding/Cap Molding, Windows, and Door Jams are all great areas to trim out.
Baseboards/Base Molding
There are several styles to choose from on baseboards, modern or traditional, (check out diagram above) along with several heights (also a diagram above). You can also add in quarter round/shoe molding to the bottom of your baseboard as well to add some additional detail. These days, the minimum size for baseboard should really be 5.75” for any size home. As the ceiling height increases in a home, one should definitely consider a greater baseboard height.
Crown Molding/Cap Molding
This addition to a home is often overlooked by many homeowners. All in all, if the budget is tight, this would be something you could limit to just common areas. Bedrooms and especially bathrooms really don’t need Crown Molding, but it looks great in areas such as the kitchen, living room, family room, foyer, and hallways.
Windows and Door Jams
Trimming out windows should always be part of the budget. While people sometimes won’t realize why they like a home so much, this is highly contributing to the aesthetics of any room. It adds just the right amount of detail when you couple it with the proper size baseboards throughout a home and crown molding in the common areas.
Door Jams are another feature that people often overlook. While door jams typically require a trim, people often choose to go a cheaper route with this feature. For just a bit more money, the additional detail makes a world of difference.
Front Door Design
Overall
The front door of a home is the first welcome that guests receive. The door sets the tone for the house. With the variety of door styles on the market, it’s easy to find one that expresses your personality and aesthetic. Of course, it’s also important to find a front door that functions well and fits your daily needs. And knowing the different types of front doors will help you in your search.
If you’re confused and overwhelmed by the different kinds of front doors on the market, don’t worry. To help you figure out which door is best for you, we compiled a list of 8 types of front doors. The following doors range in their characteristics. Continue reading to find the best fit for your home!
Glass Door
A glass front door makes a bold statement and lets in all the natural light. You get the full enjoyment of natural light and the outdoors without the pestering from insects and other outdoor nuisances. There is a variety of glass front door styles, colors, and sizes on the market. One thing to consider is the level of privacy. Of course, you can always install curtains over the door when you want more privacy. Consider installing a double-paned glass door instead of a single-paned one. This provides extra security, durability, and insulation.
Door with Glass Panels
Maybe you like the idea of a glass front door but want a little more privacy than what a single pane of glass has to offer. Doors with glass panels would do the trick. You’ll still enjoy the flood of natural light through the glass panels. There are lots of styles of these doors; panels come in a variety of shapes and patterns.
A negative aspect of glass-paneled doors is the cleaning process! The panels prove a bit difficult to clean, but the aesthetic of this kind of door is well worth the cleaning process. These doors also provide great insulation, helping to save on energy costs.
Speakeasy Door
A speakeasy door features a small opening window within the door and is closed with a latch. There may also be a metal grate over the opening. The window is at eye-level and perfect for a secure greeting of visitors (reminiscent of Prohibition in the 1920s).
This door design is a fun, intriguing style that’s sure to add character to your house. If your home has gothic elements, a speakeasy door will be the perfect addition.
Double Door
Double doors have a touch of elegance to them. They’re more demanding of the eye’s attention at the front of the house, making a grand impact on the home’s aesthetic and overall appeal. On a practical note, double doors provide a lot of space for moving in and out of the house.
These types of doors can be found in a variety of materials including wood, steel, fiberglass, and glass. They may also be a combination of the materials. Find one that will provide that perfect upgraded look to your home.
Solid Wood Door
The look of a solid wood door is unmatched by any other material. If you’re looking for a very sturdy and secure door, this is a great option. However, solid wood doors are a bit pricey. They’ll also require regular upkeep to maintain their look and finish. Wood front doors do serve as excellent insulators, so that will help with energy costs. Unfortunately, wood doors may be susceptible to warping and rotting.
It’s easy to change up the look of your wood front door with paint or wood stain. Simply changing the color of your front door can really transform the entryway and improve the overall exterior aesthetic.
Door with Sidelights
Sidelights are another excellent way to enjoy the warm glow of natural lighting. If you don’t want a full glass front door, sidelights can provide that natural light you were wanting. Front doors with sidelights can be made virtually out of any of the above materials. This gives you a lot of options when it comes to attributes like style, durability, and energy efficiency.
Closet Design
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Get a professional! It will be worth it. Not much contributory value for your home, but totally worth it for your own personal use if you plan to stay in a home a while. We have a few vendors that are well priced for this project as well.
A custom designed closet isn’t about your resale value – it’s about having a space that is perfectly designed for your needs. The difference between a poorly designed closet and a perfectly designed closet isn’t the price, it’s about how functional the space is when it is completed. While a quality closet is seen as an added bonus in the resale market, why not create a space for you to actually enjoy? There are a few things to consider when designing your closet system.
What type of closet are you considering designing or redesigning? The most common closet type for bedrooms are either wall closets or reach-in closets. Wall closets have a minimum depth is approximately 24 inches with a length of about 60 inches. Walk-in closets do not necessarily take up more square footage but are rather a more comfortable space layout. Whether you are looking to redesign a wall closet or walk-in closet, the space should be designed to meet your needs.
Here are a few key things to consider during the design phase of your closet redesign with Coastal Closets & Showers.
Consider Your Closet Space
If you are in the beginning stages of renovating, is your current closet large enough for your needs? If not, is the adjacent room large enough to sacrifice some space to expand your closet for your storage needs? The benefit of a custom closet design is that if the space is designed right, you will no longer need the large dresser in the adjacent room which will free up the same if not more of the space you could add to your closet. Reallocating space allows for more efficient use of dead space when you are looking to redesign your home to fit your needs. Get organized
Get Your Current Closet Organized
You are going to want to take a complete inventory on your closet prior to beginning the design process to get an accurate representation of the type of closet organizers you are going to want to incorporate in your new space. The best way to ensure you are designing a closet for your needs is to group like items together, donate piece you don’t wear anymore and organize your current space. Once you know what you have, go ahead and make a list of the type of storage that will best suit your needs. Do you have a lot of shoes and handbags? Do you have more short items than long items? What other types of items do you have such as belts, dresses, socks and miscellaneous items? In order for our design specialist to help you design a closet that will perfectly meet your needs, you will need to know exactly what you have and the type of storage that is most suitable for those items.
Sharing A Closet
Designing a mutual closet for both him and her is more than just having separate sides. Women’s shirts are typically much shorter than a man’s shirt, therefore, should have appropriately hung rods to accommodate for sizing. While one partner may prefer to hang their pants with a fold, the other may prefer to hang them straight to avoid wrinkles. Men typically have items such as ties, belts, watches and other miscellaneous items while women are more likely in need of space for handbags, jewelry, and shoes. Each of these items requires a different type of storage space. Your closet does not have to be split 50/50, instead consider building a closet that is suitable for the needs of both. Often times this means giving the women a little more space by optimizing the space with organizers designed to fit your needs. Since you will have already take inventory of your items and the type of space you will need, you will have a much better idea of how much space each person will need in the new closet design.
Ergonomics Matter During The Design Process For Your Closet
No one wants to reach far for a frequently worn item of clothing. If open shelves are an important item on your list of needs, you will want to implement this space at waist height to be able to easily view what you have. Door and drawer fronts can be placed underneath for added storage. Socks, underwear and other accessories should be in higher drawers as these are frequently needed items. Items that are rarely worn can be stored in drawers that are lower in height as these items are accessed less frequently. By designing a custom closet for your needs that includes items designed specifically for your items will help you to never reorganize again. Your clothing, jewelry, and accessories will already be placed where they belong because there won’t have another place to go.
Limit Your Closet Drawers
While we understand everyone needs some drawers for items such as jewelry, lingerie, and socks, other items are more suited on shelves such as sweaters and t-shirts. You receive two important benefits when designing your closet in this fashion. Drawers take up more space than a shelf and shelves allow you to more readily view your items.
Go Ahead & Get Those Shoes Off The Floor
Believe it or not, shoes are best stored at mid-height rather than on the floor hidden beneath dresses and pant hems. Options range of simple shelving to pull out shelves that will allow you to maximize the storage of any space while also allowing you easy access to your shoe collection.
Luxury Closet Additions
There’s no fear of water escaping from your recessed bath, as our custom sliding shower doors fully enclose the tub in a neat, no-nonsense fashion. Sliding panels of glass customized to your space is also a great option where the space is a premium as our shower doors do not need a hinge or need to pivot outward, eating into the valuable floor space and making fixtures and fittings awkward to use.
Fencing
The type of fence you choose will not only play a key role in your home’s exterior design, but also provide one of the most important benefits of all homes; security. A professionally installed fence gives every homeowner that true sense of home we all desire. Fencing, whether it be wood, chain link or wrought iron, will greatly affect your sense of home. See all your yard fencing options, including some cheap fencing choices, below.
Aluminum Fencing
One of the most basic and attractive fencing types is aluminum. Aluminum fencing is a low-maintenance option. While it does not provide the amount of security many homeowners look for in a fence, it’s relatively maintenance free and can essentially look like any other type discussed in this article. The only maintenance will come during installation when you choose to paint and decorate it. However, along with the security, it’s not as strong as you may think.
Wood Fencing
Wood is the most popular fencing type across America. Not only does it give homeowners a sense of privacy with the height wood fencing provides, but they are also one of the more attractive options on the market. They give homeowners a warm and welcoming feeling and without the headache of breaking the bank. Beware that the height and size of your fence will greatly impact the price. The more lumber you need, the more expensive the project will be. On top of that, like all fences, they take awhile to install. Therefore, a smaller fence will clearly be cheaper than a larger one.
On the plus side, wood fences can easily last the lifetime of your home. Just like hardwood floors, the quality of your fence will greatly depend on the type of wood you choose. Needless to say, you have plenty to choose from.
PVC Fencing
Hands down, the cheapest way to fence in your yard is by using one made of PVC. These fences use PVC to replace wooden stakes and pickets, and although not nearly as sturdy, they can certainly serve their purpose. The posts are PVC sleeves that go on top of wooden posts to add stability to the fence, but also cut down on material costs by using less wood. Sometimes, the PVC stakes are attached with an adhesive to the cross bars and other times, they are fastened with screws. This type of fencing comes in a variety of different heights and colors. Because of its PVC makeup, the fence is very resistant to the elements and can last for years.
Wrought Iron Fencing
When you see homes with funky designs on top of their fences, oftentimes, those homeowners chose a wrought iron fence. While wrought iron fences are both strong and beautiful, they do require constant upkeep. If you want to maintain its beauty, wrought iron fences need to be sanded or repainted every two to three years.
Furthermore, going back to the security portion of the conversation, wrought iron fences are not popular choices for the more conservative homeowner. On top of that, wrought iron fences are custom made and therefore, will not be cheap.
Wrought iron fencing can also increase curb appeal.
Vinyl Fencing
Other than cost, vinyl fencing is elite when it comes to any other category. In fact, according to our friends at HomeAdvisor, some manufacturers claim that vinyl fences are nearly five times stronger and four times more flexible than comparable wood fences.
Vinyl fencing is maintenance free and resists paint, allowing you to easily clean graffiti or any other unwanted stains. All you will need is a hose and soap to make it look as good as new.
Installing a vinyl fence may have a higher upfront cost, but given its low maintenance costs and long lifespan, vinyl fencing is cheaper than many other fencing types.
Chain Link Fencing
Chain link fencing is functional and affordable. Chain link fences do not add much privacy to the home, but perform the other basic functions of a fence quite well. Homeowners, as well as school administrators (very popular), will be delighted to know that they are cheap, durable and need very little maintenance (like many of the other options).
Oftentimes, homeowners add a good amount of shrubbery, flowers, vines or even privacy slates on the outside of chain link fence. Not that this would add any more security to your home, but it would add a pinch of privacy. Any homeowner can cut off their neighbors’ views with a little bit of creativity.
Bamboo Fencing
Like hardwood flooring, bamboo fencing is starting to hit its stride in the market. It can be grown naturally, so many of our green readers will be happy to hear that it’s one of the most environmentally friendly and attractive options on the market.
There are three styles for bamboo fencing: live bamboo, bamboo cane and rolled bamboo. Rolled bamboo and bamboo cane use poles linked together that are a bit sturdier than live bamboo. Live bamboo can grow up to a foot a year. We would not recommend this style in colder climates.
Farm Fencing
Farm fencing has many material options, but the most traditional is wood. Farm fencing certainly doesn’t apply to everyone, but it plays a vital role across America. Just like all non-farm homeowners, you have many options, such as wood, electric, barbed wire, woven or high tensile. No matter what fencing type you go with, beware that installation is expensive and timely. Given the amount of land farmers own, you can imagine the manpower it takes to put up an entire fence.
Conclusion
While security and privacy are certainly the top two functions of all home fences, design and creativity should never take a back seat. With all the fencing choices available, no home in America needs to sacrifice looks for security.
