Consider sunrooms in your home additions.

MA Home Addition Contractors Can Turn Your Sunroom into a Four Seasons Room

October 13, 20160

One of the most rewarding home additions in MA is transforming a three-season sunroom into a room that can be enjoyed year-round. There’s no denying in Massachusetts, most residents prefer to spend most of their winter days indoors. By making strategic improvements to a sunroom, home improvement contractors in Wellesley are able to give homeowners welcome extra square footage they can make use of when they are relegated to the warmth of their homes. Having more room to spread out is always a benefit!

Three-Season Rooms Versus Four-Season Rooms: What’s the Difference?

As the names indicate, three-season sunrooms aren’t designed to be used during winter. They’re built to allow a home’s residents to enjoy beautiful views of the outdoors without being bothered by insects or the elements. Four-season rooms are designed to be used year-round. Either setup adds valuable square footage to a home. Many homeowners use their sunrooms as “bonus rooms” that serve as lounging/reading areas, craft rooms, playrooms, homework rooms, workout rooms or extra dining space when they’re hosting guests. The beauty of a sunroom is you can make it whatever you wish to make it!

Four season sunrooms is a great option to discuss with your home improvement contractor.

Talk to your home improvement contractor about four season sunrooms.

How Home Addition Contractors in MA Can Retrofit Your Sunroom

In three words, the approach contractors will use to turn your sunroom into a four-seasons room is this: insulation, insulation, insulation. Insulation blocks cold and wind from infiltrating into the room and making it uncomfortably frigid. Additionally, if your sunroom’s windows are not energy-efficient, your Wellesley home improvement contractor will probably recommend upgrading your windows to thicker, double- or triple-paned energy-efficient models. Windows will also be sealed and gaps between windows and walls filled in with caulk. In some instances, contractors may recommend installing a heated floor or incorporating your home’s HVAC system into the sunroom if it is not already. Overall, upgrading a sunroom is one of the more affordable options for home additions in MA. The space already exists; it simply needs to be retrofitted with materials to help keep the cold out and the heat in.

What You Can Do to Add Warmth to Your Four-Season Room

Even after your contractor has worked his magic and weather-proofed your sunroom, you’ll still have the same struggles to keep that room warm as you do warming the rest of your home. To get through the winter comfortably, here are some simple steps you can take:

Cover tile or wood floors with rugs
Hang insulated curtains over windows
Equip the room with portable space heaters
Keep plenty of blankets easily accessible
Opt for “warm” colors, such as reds, browns and oranges, for your décor and paint. This can actually trick your mind into feeling a space is warmer than it is.
Burn candles or incense to create a cozy, warm feeling in the room

Winter is fast approaching! If you’d love to be able to comfortably use your sunroom in the frigid months to come, contact us at Colony Home Improvement for a consultation.

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.

Accommodate a Growing Family with an MA Home Addition

October 1, 20150

As your family grows, you may find the home you originally bought no longer fits your needs. While many people take this as a sign they need to move, others consider a Massachusetts home addition in Wellesley and the surrounding areas. Building onto your existing home will ensure you have all the space you need and is often less expensive and less disruptive than moving your entire family to a new home.

A One-Room Addition

Sometimes you just need a little extra space. Perhaps you had another child and don’t have room in any of the existing bedrooms. Regardless of the reason, a Wellesley home improvement contractor can provide you with the plans you need to expand your home outward. As long as you have the yard space, this type of addition can often be the least disruptive to life in your household and may even cost less as well. It all depends on exactly how much room you need and for what purpose.

A Second Floor Home Addition

Another great option for many homeowners who have a ranch style home is to add on a second story. Adding an entire second floor is a great option if you need more space than just a single room would provide or if you don’t have the space surrounding your existing home to fit a first floor home addition. This addition can be a full one that covers the entire first floor or it can be partial to provide only the additional space you need. Your home improvement contractor can help you create a plan that works best for your needs and your budget.

Consider an Exterior Space

Sometimes exterior space can be the perfect MA home addition to give your family a little breathing space. Adding a sunroom, outdoor kitchen or any other exterior living space can help get everyone outdoors in the good weather and frees up a little space inside your home at the same time. In addition to offering more room, this type of home addition Wellesley and the surrounding areas can increase the value of your home.

When your family is growing, whether you’re adding children or your young ones are growing up, you may find the home you purchased no longer offers the space you need. In these situations, you can work with an experienced Wellesley home improvement contractor to help you put together a plan for adding to your home. These home additions will provide valuable space you didn’t previously have and can even increase the value of your home, making this option more lucrative than trying to sell your home and buy another.

If you’re interested in making home additions to add space to your home, contact us. Our experienced team can help you choose the ideal option for your home plans.

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