Home Improvement Blog

Why In-Law Suites for Aging Parents Are Becoming a Part of Many Southeastern MA Home Improvement Plans

January 21, 20160

Is an in-law suite part of your home improvement plans?

An in-law suite may be an important part of home improvement plans.

With the large population of baby boomers now in their senior years, many adult children are planning for the time when they will open their home to at least one aging parent. If these plans are in your future, here are some design suggestions for in-law suites that are part of many southeastern MA premier home remodeling and additions.

Why Build an In-Law Suite?

Staying Close and in Touch — Many people spend time worrying about an aging parent living alone, especially if they are unable to see them often enough. In-law suites take the worry out of being far away from an elderly parent and provide the convenience of being there when needed.
Avoiding the High Cost of Assisted Living Facilities – The cost for affordable assisted living facilities varies with location and level of service; however, residents of assisted living communities can typically expect a 4.28 percent annual increase in their base rate.
Designing for Future Use – Current and future homeowners can easily transition an in-law suite to comfortable accommodations for out-of-town guests and visits from children and grandchildren.
Increasing the Resale Value – Another upside of having an in-law suite is having the additional square footage to offer when it’s time to sell the home. Today’s home buyers appreciate having guest accommodations that are less intrusive for the host and more private for the guest.

Where to Build an In-law Suite

There are actually several ways additional living space can be incorporated into your southeastern MA home improvement plans. One of these suggestions might work perfectly with your current floor plan.

Add an extension to an existing bedroom or guest room to provide a comfortable sitting area.
Convert two existing bedrooms that have a connecting bathroom by turning one of the bedrooms into a sitting room/living area.
Build a one or two room addition with a bathroom that may open onto the family room.
If backyard space allows, build a stand-alone quarters, or a ‘tiny home,’ with a full kitchen, bedroom, bath and small living room. Future use may be the ideal guest quarters or rental space.
Build a new master suite for the homeowners and utilize the existing master bedroom and bathroom for an in-law suite.
Building a second story might be your only option for an in-law suite, although at some point you may need to install an elevator shaft or a chair lift onto your staircase.

Prepare for aging parents with the help of your home improvement contractor.

Your home improvement contractor can help you prepare for aging parents.

Features for Your In-law Suite

Depending on your particular situation, a Weston, MA, home improvement contractor can include a separate entrance to your in-law suite, which may simply be an exterior doorway to the patio area. A stackable washer and dryer, phone line and intercom system, as well as separate Internet and cable connections, are all features appreciated by both in-laws and future guests. Many homeowners anticipate dining with their aging parent so a kitchenette that includes a microwave and a mini refrigerator with a freezer drawer may be all that’s needed.

Other Considerations for Your In-Law Suite Plans

Doorways should be wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair and a walker.
A ramp for wheelchair access may need to be added to a porch.
Adequate storage should be part of the design plan.
Safety features, such as grab bars, handrails and non-slip flooring.
Separate heating and air conditioning.
Separate smoke, fire and carbon monoxide detectors.

Rather than waiting until their senior relative can no longer live alone, many homeowners are thinking ahead. If you’re planning for the time when you’ll be ‘welcoming home’ an aging parent, a Weston, MA, home improvement contractor can provide options for building an affordable in-law suite.

Colony Home Improvement has more than 40 years of remodeling experience in southeastern Massachusetts. Contact us today for a consultation at no obligation.

Painting with Warm Colors Versus Cool Colors in Your Southeastern MA Home Remodel

January 19, 20160

Your home remodel needs the right paint colors.

Paint colors are an important part of your home remodel.

Remodeling a home can be hard work, with more decisions to make than you had imagined. Just when you think your Southeastern MA home remodel is nearly finished, deciding what color to paint the walls suddenly becomes your next difficult decision. More often than not, a Wellesley home improvement contractor is halted in their progress when homeowners can’t settle on what color to paint the walls. However, choosing the color of your walls doesn’t have to be a dilemma. First, understand the difference between warm and cool colors with this simple guide.

What Are Warm Colors?

Warm colors are stimulating. Here are the warm colors predominantly used in decorating, along with their associated effects.

Red – Fiery, intense, romantic, bold, passionate

Orange – Optimistic, lively

Yellow – Sunny, happy, uplifting, cheery

Home improvement contractors in Wellesley and the surrounding areas might suggest using warm colors in the following areas:

Large rooms to make them appear smaller, cozier.
Where people gather often, such as a family room or kitchen.
A home office to create a more stimulating environment.
Contractors for a Southeastern MA home remodel recommend a warm white or a soft beige for baseboards and trim against warm colored walls.

What Are Cool Colors?

Cool colors are calming and soothing, the direct opposite effect of the warm tones.

Blue – Calm, tranquil, peaceful

Green – Healing, vibrant, renewal

Purple – Majestic, mysterious

Consider using cool colors in these spaces:

Small rooms to make them appear larger.
Where peace and tranquility are important, such as a bedroom or bathroom.
A tranquil cool blue might also be perfect in a living room where winding down after a long day is the goal.
For baseboards and trim, whites with a hint of gray work well against cool colored walls.

Ask your home improvement contractors for help with choosing paint.

Home improvement contractors can help you choose the right paint.

Beige, Grays and Whites

If time is running out and you’re still in doubt, go for neutral. For a warm setting, consider beige, or for a cool vibe, choose a light shade of gray. Beige, gray and white each have a large number of hues from which to choose. Your furniture and accessories, such as upholstery fabric, art and rugs, can provide pops of color against your neutral walls. You can decide to go for bolder wall colors at a later time.

Additional Tips

Dominant vs. Accent – You may love the idea of using a Chinese red in your Asian-themed dining room. However, some colors may be too intense for an entire room; consider painting just one “accent” wall or two adjoining walls.
Hardware Choices – If your remodel includes a kitchen or bathroom, the plumbing fixtures, cabinet hardware and light fixtures should complement your wall colors. For example, choose a nickel finish to work with cool colored walls and bronze or gold for warm walls.
Test It Out – Remember lighting will change the wall colors. You may love that shade of yellow in the nursery after the sun goes down and then discover it is too bright in daylight. It’s best to paint at least a two inch patch of color at eye level height and see how the light affects the color during the day and evening, as well as on sunny and overcast days. Light cast from fixtures and lamps will also alter the colors.

Remodelers and builders are familiar with the difficulty homeowners have in committing to wall colors. Colony Home Improvement contractors in Wellesley and the surrounding areas have more than 40 years of remodeling experience and can advise you on your color choices. Contact us today for a quote on your remodel project from start to finish – with no obligation.

How to Make a Small Bathroom in Brookline, MA, Appear Larger

January 14, 20160

Create more bathroom space with custom built home plans.

Custom built home plans can help create more bathroom space.

If your Brookline, MA, ranch style house plan features a small bathroom, there are a number of ways to make it look and feel larger. Some of these techniques can be accomplished primarily through decoration choices, including the use of light and color to create visual effects that enhance the sense of spaciousness. With others, you may want to consult contractors for bathroom additions in eastern MA. A few simple changes to a building plan or some light remodeling can make a huge difference.

Let There Be Light

Light is the best way to create the sense of spaciousness, even in a small area. Natural lighting, when possible, is a great choice. Large windows, skylights and sun tunnels all can help a small bathroom look bigger. For the best results, try to avoid having a big window look like a wall. Think sheer for curtains so the light can pour in to open that space. Consider a sky light or sun tunnel in the shower or over the tub for your custom built home plans in Brookline.

Use large mirrors, glass tiles, pale colors and shimmering metal fixtures to capture and reflect light. Plan your lighting to eliminate dark corners or spaces without being harsh. A well-planned system of recessed lighting can help accomplish that goal. Talk to your local contractors for bathroom additions in eastern MA about light placement and fixtures that can enhance the feel of your bathroom space.

Open, Airy, Delicate

Avoid anything boxy, closed in or bulky in construction. Choose a graceful pedestal sink over a cabinet style. Wrought iron and open glass shelving, delicate vintage-look fixtures and an open floor plan can work together to make a small bathroom look and feel larger. Don’t break the space with high contrast color patterns. Stay within the same light color scheme for the walls, ceiling and floor. Try to use glass doors instead of a shower curtain. If that’s not an option, consider a clear or barely there sheer shower curtain.

Make small changes with the help of contractors for bathroom additions.

Contractors for bathroom additions can help you make many changes.

Direct the Eye

Make decorating choices aimed at taking the gaze where you want it to go. Vertical stripes and tall narrow shelves will take the eye upward, helping to create the illusion of height and space. Two large mirrors strategically placed opposite of each other can make a small room look as though it goes on forever. Place a large mirror across from a large window to bring in a wide open sky. Think about bathroom window placement when making a Brookline, MA, ranch style house plan.

Create Space

When creating your custom built home plans in Brookline, consider adding recessed storage spaces to your bathrooms. Don’t forget to add soft lighting to those spaces, both for practicality’s sake and for ambient space enhancing lighting. For a small bathroom, pocket doors and sliding doors eliminate the need to calculate swing space, allowing more flexibility in how you choose to arrange the room.

Interested in enhancing the bathrooms in your home? Contact us to learn more about custom home plans in Brookline and smart bathroom design.

2016 Trends for Your Eastern MA Bathroom Remodel

January 12, 20160

Bathroom remodel trends include bright colors.

Vibrant colors are part of bathroom remodel trends.

The top real estate agents and leading Massachusetts premier home remodeling and additions experts agree: a stylishly remodeled bathroom can add value to a home. The coming year is full of exciting eastern MA bathroom remodel trends sure to enhance appeal and functionality, part of a larger trend of stay-cations and joyful home living.

These remodels can transform a room often thought of in rather utilitarian terms into a restorative experience, a space that appeals to the senses and eases away the stress of the day. No wonder experts find remodeling a bathroom can be a boon to home price. A custom built floor plan in Scituate and the surrounding areas can easily incorporate these 2016 bathroom trends.

Vibrant Colors

Rich, vibrant colors with depth and fullness are among the leading eastern MA bathroom remodel trends. Pink has made a strong return to the bathroom color scheme and in large doses. Bold and bright or delicate and feminine, you are going to see a lot of it in 2016. However, it isn’t just pink taking a starring role in bathroom remodeling. Warm, deep hues like earthy browns and autumn wines are also taking the stage.

Metallic Shimmer

In 2016, bathroom metals will shimmer more than gleam, offering richer color tones than shining, gleaming highly polished stainless steel can. Burnished bronze and slightly aged copper are among the top trends for bathrooms in the coming year. You’ll find luxury bathroom fixtures, including over-sized shower heads and smart faucets, available in these stylish metals. These metal fixtures will be gorgeous for years to come and are well worth considering for your eastern MA bathroom remodel.

Include a bathroom remodel in your custom built floor plan.

Your custom built floor plan should include a bathroom remodel.

Crisp Lines

Bold colors are well complemented by crisp lines. Geometric tiles, sharp color divides and a clutter-free minimalist approach are all trending this year. Not everybody is ready for bold colors, but bright isn’t the only color option. Over-sized while tiles have garnered a great deal of attention, as much for their ease of cleaning as for their visual appeal.

Out-of-sight storage is big this year, creating tranquil, clean spaces. If you’re considering a custom built floor plan in Scituate and the surrounding areas, consider maximizing your available storage space before finalizing those plans. It’s not just an issue of style, but of practicality as well. As most Massachusetts premier home remodeling and additions experts can attest, it’s rare to hear someone complain they have too much storage space.

Living Greenery

Whether a full-out, carefully planned indoor garden or a few well placed potted plants, living greenery is an important 2016 bathroom design trend. Plants are being used as a main feature and a fashionable accent in a vast array of bathroom styles, from gorgeously retro and vintage bathroom designs to those that are up-to-the-minute modern. Built-in niches for plants designed for water access and ease of care are a part of this trend you may want to include in a custom built floor plan in Scituate and the surrounding areas.

Thinking about updating your bathroom in the new year? Contact us to find out how we can use these trends to transform your bathroom during your next home remodel.

Upgrades to Consider When Building Your Custom Home in Westwood, MA

January 7, 20160

Find out how to protect your home from contractors for room additions.

Contractors for room additions can protect your home.

With a few upgrades to your custom built home plans in eastern MA, you can easily take that new home to the next level of style while making it simpler to maintain. Ease of maintenance will save you time and money over the long-term. Experienced contractors for room additions in Westwood and the surrounding areas can offer smart design tips that can help preserve the beauty of your home for years to come.

Style and Ease

Upgrading kitchen countertops is a common custom home improvement. The added durability of using granite over lesser materials can keep a well-used kitchen from showing signs of wear for longer. Since cooking can get messy, upgrading your kitchen to include high-quality, easy-to-clean backsplashes just makes sense. In addition to protecting the wall behind working and cooking areas, a custom backsplash design can serve as a gorgeous style accent to the overall look of your kitchen.

Adding wainscoting to kitchen and dining areas is another way to beautify and protect your walls. Bathrooms and living rooms can also be well served by adding this feature. This design style works well with wallpaper and paint, complementing the look of a room while preserving areas vulnerable to wear and tear. That’s always a consideration when raising children, when grandchildren are frequent visitors and in homes with pets.

Relax and Enjoy

When making custom built home plans in eastern MA, consider upgrading to enhance your outdoor living space with gorgeous, sweeping porches and wide decks. Custom designed to complement and accentuate the style of your home while expanding your living area, these outdoor spaces can be ideal for summer entertaining. There’s a lot to be said for having plenty of room to relax outside and enjoy a summer supper dining on a screened-in deck or tea on the porch on a colorful autumn afternoon.

Include unique touches with custom built home plans.

Custom built home plans should include unique touches.

Plan to Protect

Custom built home plans in eastern MA should always take into account the wet springs and the snow characteristic of the climate in this region. A mudroom is a practical addition that can help prevent mud and snow from being tracked into the house. Plan that messy weather buffer zone for ease of use and with winter gear in mind.

You’ll want a comfortable place to sit down to take boots and shoes on and off. You’ll also want a place for damp hats, coats and gloves, as well as closet space for storing those things when not in use. Consider a passive solar design when planning window size and placement to take advantage of the heat of the sun during the seasons you’ll need it.

Whether you are planning a big project like a custom home or talking to a contractors for room additions in Westwood and the surrounding areas, think about your high-risk zones and how to protect them. Stylish upgrades with an eye toward preserving and protecting the look and function of your home can yield higher home value and save on long-term maintenance costs.

Contact us to learn more about custom home upgrades that offer lasting style and function. With 40 years of experience designing and building homes in this region, we can serve a valuable role in your custom home planning process. Ask about our 3D custom plans that allow you to fully visualize how your dream home will look.