5 Reasons to Add an Extra Bedroom to Your Home

October 9th, 2011

Homeowners needing an upgrade in their residential space ought to consider adding an extra bedroom to their home. With home values down amidst the current worldwide economic downturn, building an addition is a fabulous way to incorporate more space while simultaneously raising home value.

Space

Storage space is often at a premium in any home. Adding an extra bedroom onto your home only increases its interior size. Along with this increase come more storage, freeing up bulging closets and dust-laden garage shelf racks. With an extra bedroom comes an extra closet, solving storage issues.

Functionality

The overall functionality of your home can be changed by adding an extra bedroom. It can not only mean freeing up another room of stacked belongings, it can mean rearranging the use of each space. A new baby nursery is among the possibilities. Or, a hobby room. The possibilities are endless for a growing family or even a family needing just a little more elbow room.

Versatility

The term “bedroom” is only applicable so long as the furniture is bedroom furniture. Take away the bed, dresser, nightstands and put in a desk and futon, a home office instantly appears. Install a large sectional, a small refrigerator and hang a big screen television, you instantly have a media room or man cave.

Cost Feasibility

If you are in need of another bedroom but are detoured by the cost, ask yourself about the alternative. Can you afford to buy a bigger home? Even if the housing market were in positive territory, the process of putting your home on the market while searching for a new house is an arduous and long process. Issues always arise when trying to juggle both home buying and selling. Moreover, adding an extra bedroom is only a fraction of the cost of selling and buying a new home.

Value

An extra bedroom only increases the size of your house, which increases what real estate professionals call “livable square feet” or “livable square footage”. When the value of your home is calculated, it is priced according to local comparable properties. This means properties with the same floor plan or same number of bathrooms and bedrooms. Adding an extra bedroom translates directly into increased home value. What’s more, if you can self-finance the addition, your equity will increase automatically without owing more.

Posted in Bedroom

How to Make a Guest Room Into a Beach Experience

October 6th, 2011

If you’re looking for a fun way to give your guest room a relaxing and welcoming look and feel, the beach might be the perfect source of decorating inspiration. Most people associate the beach with rest, relaxation, leisure and fun, all of which are good qualities to add to your guest room decor. As an added bonus, the natural colors of the beach are quite complementary and attractive, making them the perfect shades to use as part of your room decor. Here are some great tips that you can use to transform a plain guest room into a beautiful beach retreat.

The Soothing Colors of Nature

When using beach-themed decor in your guest room, you’ll want to focus first on the beautiful colors of nature. Sand, taupe, sky blue, sea foam green and white are all great colors to use. These colors will inspire your guests to think of the beach, while also providing a beautiful backdrop for the rest of the room’s decor. To get the most from these colors, try using taupe or sand as the flooring color, while using a beautiful light blue on the walls. You can then accentuate the natural look of these colors by adding splashes of white in the form of wood trim or furniture pieces. The end result will be bright, cheerful, and relaxing. If you are artistic, you might even want to try your hand at creating a beach mural on one wall. Or, use beach-themed wallpaper to add to the room’s overall look.

Add a Touch of Fun

Once you have your basic beach-themed color scheme in place, you can add a few playful touches in the form of furniture pieces and accessories. White wicker furniture or an Adirondack chair can add an outdoorsy look and feel to the room. A small potted palm tree or seashell collection can also add to the room’s overall beach theme. A beautiful framed poster, print, photograph or painting of the beach can also be hung on the wall to accentuate the look.

Completing the Look

Although you don’t want to overdo the look with too many small details, a beach-themed guest room is also a great place to display a couple of your favorite souvenirs from the seashore. For example, a framed map or sailing chart could add the perfect nautical look to the room. When decorating a guest room, it’s important to remember that your guests will need enough space to store their clothing and other personal items. You’ll want to make sure the room includes a comfortable bed, complete with sumptuous bedding. A bedside table should be included for convenience, along with a dresser and chest of drawers to provide storage. If the room is large enough, you could also create a comfortable sitting area by combining a chair or loveseat with a small coffee table or a set of end tables. Your guests will also undoubtedly appreciate a small desk if you have the space. Don’t clutter tabletops and other horizontal surfaces with too many accessories or knick-knacks, so that your guests will have enough space to comfortably store their own items.

Posted in Remodeling Tips