Family Archives - Tri-Lite Builders

04 Jun 2023

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Blog, Design, Family, Home Improvements, Lifestyle, Trends Permalink

10 Tips for a More Peaceful Home

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On June 4, 2023

Maintaining a Zen-like space is about much more than style. It’s about cultivating a more peaceful home where each object has a reason for being present, whether for its beauty, utility, or both.

Here Are 10 Ways to a More Peaceful Home

1. Clear Surfaces Daily

Clutter is a visual distraction. Every time your eyes land on a stack of papers, a tangle of jewelry, or a pile of laundry, some small part of your mind is at work thinking about dealing with said items. If you want a calmer experience at home, a good way to begin is by making it routine to clear all the surfaces in your house daily. When your eye can skim across clean, clear surfaces throughout your home, it also becomes easier to stay focused on the present moment.

Kelly Deck Design

2. Declutter and Get Organized

It’s one thing to clear surfaces; it’s quite another to completely declutter your home. But when you have taken the time to go through every closet, drawer, and cupboard and whittle down your belongings to the ones you truly need, love, or both, a weight lifts. Daily tasks that used to take forever are streamlined; lost items are quickly found; important dates are no longer missed.

Tosti Design

3. Get Some Help if You Need It

Sometimes it’s best to admit you need help and let the pros do what they do best. Hire a professional organizer to help clear that clutter, a decorator to help you tap into your style and get your home looking and feeling just the way you want, or an architect to redesign your space.

Landed Interiors & Homes

4. Incorporate the Five Elements

Don’t stop with potted plants — to really embrace nature in your home, make sure all five elements are represented. They are water (images of water, a fountain, flowers in a bowl of water), earth (stone, plants), fire (candles, incense, fireplace), metal (furniture, tools), and wood (furniture, beams).

Why Slow Living is Good for You and Your Home Environment

The Sitting Room

5. Keep Floors as Clear as Possible

Similar to keeping surfaces clear (see item No. 1), having clean, clear floors is a way to streamline your life and keep your attention on the here and now. If piles of things tend to accumulate on your floors, perhaps it’s because there isn’t a better place for them — if that’s the case, make a home for these items so you won’t be tripping over them anymore. As for the floors themselves, keeping them fresh, clean, and dust free makes for a more pleasant space and helps improve indoor air quality.

Geoff Chick & Associates

6. Use Fewer But More Meaningful Decorations

Instead of binging on inexpensive finds, aim to reduce your decor items to include only the ones that you truly love and that hold meaning for you. A few beautiful objects carefully displayed can be so inspiring — reducing allows you to appreciate what you have even more.

Welbilt Supreme Craftsmanship

7. Soften Your Lighting

Learn to appreciate natural light and use it more. Even when the light starts to fade in the evening, consider sometimes lighting candles instead of flicking on the overheads. And speaking of overheads, if you haven’t done so yet, swap out all of your regular light switches for dimmers — it makes a world of difference to be able to control the glow.

Nanette Wong

8. Pay Attention to Texture

Do the objects in your home thrill your senses? Consider this as you declutter and whenever you are considering a new purchase. Think of how lovely a chunky, hand-thrown pottery mug feels in the hand versus a machine-made version. Natural materials have some of the best textures — bring more rough jute, nubby linen, cracked old leather, pure silk, and raw wood into your home.

Signature Designs Kitchen | Bath | Interiors

9. Use Natural Scents

Have you ever noticed that some of the most beautiful, inspiring shops usually also smell amazing? Or how just the first whiff of aromatherapy oils in a massage therapist’s office instantly puts you at ease? What you smell can have a surprisingly strong effect on how you feel. Create a purifying, calming atmosphere in your home by eschewing artificial fragrances and choosing natural scents like those from beeswax candles, essential oils, natural cleaning products, and fresh garden flowers instead.

Cohesively Curated

10. Use Everyday Reminders

In meditation practice sometimes a bell is used as a reminder to refocus your attention on the here and now. Create a list of some things you do multiple times each day and pick one of them to use as your own version of a meditation bell. It could be anything, as long as it’s something you do often — adjust the window shades, wash your hands, pour a glass of water, check your email. Whenever you find yourself about to do that thing, take a moment to stop, breathe and simply be present.

Blog is written by Laura Gaskill, Houzz Contributor. About Gaskill: I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life’s simple pleasures.

Premier Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area

For high-end home design, build, and remodeling in the greater Phoenix area that reflects your vision, Tri-Lite Builders will help you love your home again. Start your project by calling us at (480) 895-3442 or emailing [email protected] to discuss your remodeling project. We offer no-obligation in-home consultation. Our NARI-certified award-winning designers and craftsmen are eager to work with you to make your vision for your home a reality! See our portfolio here.

07 Oct 2019

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Family, Kitchen Remodels, Lifestyle Permalink

How to Avoid 6 Kitchen Remodel Mistakes

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On October 7, 2019

Creating a Kitchen Space for Family Gathering

In today’s hectic and digital world, the kitchen creates space that families can gather, cook and spend time together. Making it one of the most comfortable rooms in your home is almost a necessity since this is the one room that everyone ends up in! We spend time in the kitchen eating our meals, having snacks, enjoying gathering as a family, and entertaining friends. Thus, if the kitchen doesn’t flow with the rest of the house – or the room itself – it becomes a space to avoid. Remodeling your kitchen can transform your space so that it is warm and inviting, but also functional. When planning your kitchen remodel, here is how to avoid 6 kitchen remodel mistakes.

Solutions to How to Avoid 6 Kitchen Remodel Mistakes

1. Open Shelving

While Open Shelving is often approached as making your kitchen space seem more open, it can also create an atmosphere of too much busyness. Open shelving is a wonderful way to add character to the room and display your prized pieces, be cautious, however, too many knick-knacks or stacked baking pans and skillets can interrupt the flow of your kitchen and certainly take away from the rest of your design for your kitchen. We suggest keeping the open shelves neatly adorned and choose wall or base cabinetry for the less decorative items.

2. Stainless Steel

A little stainless steel goes a long way towards making a kitchen look modern. Too much can make it look like an operating room or an industrial kitchen (not to be confused with Industrial Design Style). Make sure to break up the stainless steel with some complementing colors and textures from other areas in your home. One way to do this is to choose stainless appliances with a colorful countertop, or a stainless steel island countertop with colorful appliances and wood open shelves.

3. Poorly Placed Appliances

Nothing breaks up the flow of a room like making it difficult to use. Not being able to open your refrigerator and walk by it or your dishwasher and stove, at the same time not only hampers the use of your kitchen, but it also appears cramped and unfunctional. Creating the right flow for your space can make all the difference. This should be one of the first things you’ll want to talk with your Kitchen Remodeler about.

4. Making it too Bland

The white kitchen is in high demand, ‘safe’ colors like beige, tan, and white flow together, but they can also make a kitchen boring. A monochromatic design scheme is beautiful when done well, but can fall flat. Add some flavor to your kitchen to give it character. Bring some of the colors from the adjoining rooms into the kitchen to add depth and carry the flow of colors from room to room. You can also add texture with wood, shapes, and fabrics. Since you are wanting to create a space for gathering family and friends, make sure your family’s personality is reflected in your newly remodeled kitchen!

5. Trash Cans/Recycle Bins

Absolutely necessary, but what to do with them? To create a beautiful space without also interrupting the flow of your kitchen, trashcans and recycle containers should be planned into your new kitchen remodel. There are many ways to keep these items functional, whether in a pantry, base cabinet, or other built-in space. They will be accessible but hidden.

6. Installing in the Incorrect Lighting

Nothing makes your kitchen more functional than effective lighting. Kitchens need an overhead light for general lighting and a spotlight to perform specific tasks such as preparing food. Of course, you don’t want your kitchen only to be functional; you want it to look good too. In order to highlight the style of your kitchen, add in accent lighting with pendant lights over the island/peninsula or above cabinets and toe kick lighting. This is another great way to add in your personality.

Avoid these 6 kitchen remodeling mistakes, schedule your appointment today! Tri-Lite Builders has the solutions that will create the space in your kitchen where your family and friends will want to gather. We have designed some of the most unique and amazing kitchens in the greater Phoenix area. Our work has been featured in several magazines and online publications, and we’ve received the Contractor of the Year award multiple times. We love the entire kitchen remodeling process and would be honored to help you realize your kitchen’s full potential.

Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area

Start your project by calling us at (480) 895-3442 or emailing [email protected] to discuss remodeling your home, kitchen, or bathroom. We offer no-obligation in-home consultation. Our award-winning designers and craftsman are eager to work with you to make your vision for your home a reality!

Drop us a line!

Get in touch with us!