Month: November 2018

When was the last time you spent a little bit of time in your guest bathroom? Do you use it all the time or do you basically walk in to give it a once over before guests arrive? If you do the latter, then we recommend starting to use your guest bathroom for a few days. This will allow you to view it through your guests’ eyes and that will show you what improvements may need to be completed.

Here are 4 helpful tips that will allow you to create a guest bathroom to be proud of before the holidays:

Update Your Vanity

Outdated vanities can make bathrooms look dated as well, which is why one of the first things that you will want to do is replace yours. You can choose the same style or switch things up by choosing something new. You may even decide that you want to purchase a vanity that has more storage, especially if this is something that you have been lacking in the past.

Update Your Knobs and Pulls

Removing your old knobs and pulls and replacing them with new ones can instantly change the appearance of your bathroom. This is the easiest tip that we can give you for this holiday season, so if you are short on time, start with this one. However, we also recommend considering replacing your towel bars and hooks, as you are replacing your other hardware. This way everything will be shiny and new!

Upgrade Your Paint

Bathroom walls can look tired when the paint has been on them for many years. If your walls are looking a little dingy, or you have never been thrilled with the paint color in your guest bathroom, give it a fresh coat of paint. This may take a couple of days, but the results will make it look like you spent hours in there.

Add Some Accessories

Guest bathrooms can look so bland and boring, because many homeowners do not take the time to add any accessories or other décor. Add some scented soaps, a festive holiday bouquet, a scented electric candle, or other holiday décor to the room. Holiday towels will also give this space a little extra style.

You are going to want your guests to be able to relax when they are using your guest bathroom instead of rushing through what they need to do before bolting out! Give this space a little TLC before the holidays begin and you may find that you even want to use this space more in the future.

Do you use your kitchen differently during the holidays? We bet that you do, because we know that we are doing different things in ours once this busy season arrives. If you are trying to plan a kitchen remodel before the holidays arrive, we urge you to keep in mind that you will need this space to work differently at certain times of the year. This way, you can incorporate those things into your new space.

Here are 5 things to consider as you plan to remodel your kitchen before the holidays arrive:

Incorporate Out of the Way Seating

Seating is quite necessary in a kitchen, but we understand that you don’t always want to be bumping into chairs and benches. We encourage you to try to incorporate seating that will be out of your way when you are planning your kitchen remodel. Install a lounging area on a wall or under a window for the ultimate in comfort. Add some vibrant cushions on top and even add storage below, so you never need to worry about where you are putting all those extra holiday kitchen items.

Add a Fireplace

There is nothing cozier than a fireplace, especially during the holiday season. The dancing flames will add ambiance to the room, while creating a focal point and a place for everyone to gather.

Add Open Shelves or Glass Fronts on Cabinets

Displaying special dishes and décor out in the open will make your kitchen look more inviting, plus when people can see things, they do not need to ask where to find a glass or plate. We do not think that you should go overboard with open shelving though, as couple of shelves will do. Any more may make your kitchen look cluttered or overwhelming. However, you can never go wrong with glass fronts on cabinets, as long as you can keep everything inside nice and neat.

Install Garbage and Recycling Areas

We understand that you do not want your garbage can out in the middle of your kitchen floor but storing a small garbage can under your kitchen sink can be just as annoying. Your guests might want to throw things away as you are cleaning up a few dishes or they will be continuously asking you where the garbage is located. We recommend installing pull-out drawers that can store your garbage and recycling cans and even leaving them ajar, so everyone can find them easily during parties.

Create a Drink Area

Everyone loves grabbing a cup of coffee or tea after their meal, and you can make it much easier for everyone by installing a drink area in your newly remodeled kitchen. A coffee pot that makes individual cups can be placed in this area, as well as cups, coffee, tea, creamer, sugar, stirrers, and maybe even some hot cocoa for the children.

Don’t worry, you will appreciate all these renovation ideas at any time of the year, so do not think that you can only use them during the holiday season. Instead, incorporate them into your new kitchen and then utilize them any time that you wish. You’ll be happy that you included them!

Steve Shinn leads Tri-Lite Builders & Homework Remodels’ talented team of designers and remodeling experts in Phoenix, and it’s neighboring cities to the east. He is also a leader in the Greater Phoenix chapterof the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. The local NARI chapter is dedicated to education and ethics in the business of remodeling. Its members are some of the highest quality professionals in Arizona.