brookline ma ranch style house plan | Colony Home Improvement

Consider new windows in your home improvement.

Your Brookline, MA, Home Addition Should Include Energy Efficient Windows

March 31, 20160

There are many benefits associated with pursuing a home addition. You’ll be appending square footage to your home, adding glorious living space and increasing your home’s resale value. You’ll also have an ideal opportunity to incorporate upgrades that make your home more energy efficient and comfortable. If your Brookline, MA, home improvement project includes windows, make sure you choose energy efficient models. Fortunately, you can find both replacement windows and window restorations that are energy efficient.

To Repair or To Replace: That Is the Question

When you are conducting a home addition, you can often salvage and reuse components to save money and reduce waste. When considering whether to reuse or replace your windows, ask yourself:

How well have the existing windows been maintained?
Do you love the look of the windows, are you indifferent to them or do you hate them?
How rare are the existing windows?
Are your existing windows weather-tight and hearty or do they let in moisture?
What is the condition of the panes and the frames?

As you contemplate these questions, you’ll likely see a pattern in your answers. If the pattern points toward the negative, replacing your windows may be quicker and more cost effective than trying to salvage them. On the other hand, there is no substitute for old-world craftsmanship and simple historic value. If your complaints about your existing windows are minor, why not try to salvage them and add energy-efficient features that will serve you and future owners for decades to come?

Your ranch style house plan should include new windows.

Add new windows to your ranch style house plan.

Why Opt for Energy Efficient Windows?

Whether you are interested in saving money on your utility bills or being eco-friendly by reducing unneeded greenhouse emissions, your windows can further your goals. Most homeowners have no idea loss of heat through windows accounts for 20 percent of a home’s energy leaks. That may not sound like a big deal, but do the math over the course of a year and you’ll realize it most certainly is a problem. Energy efficient windows can have a huge impact on your bottom line and comfort, as well as the environment.

Consider the Size and Age of Your Existing Windows

Many, but not all, southeastern MA premier home remodeling and additions involve homes that are a century or more years old or nearing that milestone. Many older homes have leaded or even stained-glass windows that often are non-standard in size. Decades ago, home components, including windows, were custom built, rather than mass-produced. If your home is an older Brookline, MA, ranch style house plan or prairie, tudor, Federal or Spanish Colonial plan with one-of-a-kind windows, energy efficient restorations will provide cost savings and comfort while protecting your home’s architectural integrity.

Whether you need a custom built floor plan in Brookline, MA, or a skilled home improvement contractor to bring your plans to life, contact us at Colony Home Improvement. We are the smart, reliable, professional choice to conduct your southeastern Massachusetts home improvement project.

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.

Innovative Ways to Increase Living Space in Your Ranch Style House

August 6, 20150

Your ranch style house plan can increase your space.

Learn to increase the space in your ranch style house plan.

If you have a Brookline, MA, ranch style house plan, you may feel like you are limited on the amount of living space you have. However, with the right home improvement contractor in Norfolk County, you can find new ways to maximize your space and feel more comfortable in your home. Whether you consider room additions or other renovations, you will be able to transform your home into the one you’ve always wanted.

Build Up

One of the best ways to make the most of the space in your Brookline, MA, ranch style house plan is to build up. These one-story homes are often attractive for that reason. However, if you’re looking for more living space, considering a full or partial second story addition can be a great option. You won’t lose any of your yard space but will still add desired square footage to your home.

Open the Floor Plan

An open floor plan may not add a lot of usable space to your home, but it can create the illusion of more room. For instance, as long as the wall between your living room and kitchen isn’t load bearing, you may be able to remove part or all of it to create a larger room. Separating the areas with furniture can give you defined spaces without making the room feel too confined.

Increase your living space with the help of a home improvement contractor.

A home improvement contractor can help you increase your space.

Transform the Basement

Instead of room additions, some ranch style homeowners choose to transform their basement into livable space. The basement is the perfect place for many types of rooms. If you’re running out of bedrooms for your growing family, building one in the basement can be an excellent alternative. You can also create a recreation room, extra bathroom, hobby room and more, all within the space you already have.

Room Addition

A room addition for Brookline and the surrounding towns can still be the right choice, especially if you have a lot of yard space. A home improvement contractor will help you determine if you have the amount of room necessary to stay within zoning regulations and recommend the right location for the addition. This method of increasing your living space allows you to keep your home on one floor.

When you first purchased your ranch style home, you may have had plenty of space, but as your needs change and your family grows, you may be looking for ways to increase the amount of space you have to work with. There are many ideas from which you can choose if you have a ranch style house plan. These changes will help you create the home you’ve always wanted without having to think about buying a new home instead.

If you’re looking for a home improvement contractor in Norfolk County or the surrounding area, contact us. We can help you find new ways to add space to your ranch style home.

Tag: brookline ma ranch style house plan