Archives for June 2018

Is a Vintage Style Right For Your Home?

June 15, 2018 by ·

A big part of deciding to remodel is settling on a style that you want for your space at the end of project. Remodeling can be an opportunity not just to fix problem areas or update an old room, but to play with different styles. Among those is the vintage style — which is, more accurately, a wide genre of styles. In the design world, a “vintage” design can be anything that harkens back to the styles of the past.

Vintage is something many homeowners consider when remodeling their kitchen, living room, or bedroom. But is it right for your home? Here are a few reasons that homeowners choose vintage styles.

Versatility

Again, vintage has a rather wide definition. It can mean anything from art deco to mid-century modern. It can have the look of a rustic farmhouse or play on the classic features of the house by exposing a red brick wall or ceiling beams. Because of this, vintage styles can suit a wide variety of homeowners with a wide variety of tastes. Vintage styles can also work in just about any room, be it kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, or even hallway. If you like a vintage style, you can incorporate it anywhere.

Nostalgia

This is the main reason so many people enjoy vintage remodeling styles. Maybe they’re attached to the style they grew up with, or the style of their grandparents’ home. Maybe they just fell in love with the look of a kitchen in their favorite old movie. Even those who don’t necessarily want past eras to return may want to bring back the best styles from those times. Fortunately, you can do that. We haven’t lost the sharp contrast of light and dark colors that made art deco rooms what they are, or the wood and carpet materials of mid-century modern rooms. When it comes to your home’s look, you can be as nostalgic as your heart desires.

Preservation

In some ways, this is tied to nostalgia, but it’s less nostalgia for a certain time and more a nostalgia for the early days of your home. Let’s say you live in a house that has a lot of history to it, something that was built 50, 60, even 100 years ago. Of course, over time that house has been updated so that it now has all the modern appliances, but you want to hold on to some of its historic charm. One way to do that without losing the contemporary conveniences is by remodeling some of the rooms to create a more vintage style. Mirror the style off of the time in which the home was first built. Infuse the best of the colors, shapes, and materials from that age.

Whatever style you’re looking for when it comes to your remodeling project, Windham Construction can help. We have over 20 years of experience with remodeling projects in Brazos Valley, both indoors and even in your outdoor space with arbors and decks. Contact us today and let us know what remodeling work you need done.

Filed Under: Remodeling, Renovation, Tips ·

4 Ways to Add Light to Your Brazos Valley Home

June 1, 2018 by ·

It’s a universal fact that humans crave light. It’s not just a matter of being able to see. Light cheers us and motivates us. Light helps us to stay energized and focused during the day and sleep better at night. Natural sunlight is especially beneficial to both our physical and mental health, but being surrounded by light in general can’t help but lift our moods.

The problem is that when it comes to electrical light, filling the room can quickly become expensive. That’s why homeowners often search for other methods of adding light to their home. Here are a few methods they’ll often use:

Simple Window Treatments

If you have a great window, you really don’t need to adorn it with elaborate window treatments. A thin frame and maybe simple window shutters should be enough to do the trick. This is especially true with wide, tall, floor-to-ceiling windows. The lighter the window frame, the more the window itself is accentuated — and the more light it allows into your home.

Light Walls

This is no secret, but it really can help to fill a room with sunlight. Dark painted walls can make a bold statement in a room, and that suits some homeowners. However, if your goal is to optimize the light in the room, light colored walls are essential. Light colors will reflect light from the windows or light fixtures in your room, to make sure that you get the most of it. Dark colors will only swallow that light. That doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to white walls. Yellow or blue or even light green will all reflect light and give the room an airy atmosphere.

Clear or Reflective Accent Pieces

A clear vase with glass marbles inside. A transparent coffee or dining room table surface. A mirror on the wall or ornate glass on a side table. All of these accent pieces will either reflect or allow light to shine through them, which further helps it to spread throughout the room. They also add to that airy atmosphere that we discussed above.

Cut Down on Clutter

You don’t have to go for minimalism, although minimalist spaces and light are a natural fit. However, you don’t want the room to be too busy, either. If your bookshelf is a little too cluttered, or you have a few boxes in the back of the room that you’ve been meaning to move for months, this is a good time to do it. If the kids toys are always lying around, consider giving them a designated play room or play area.

Adding light to your room can not only help you feel more cheerful and content in your home, but it can be inviting for guests and healthy for the whole family. If you need help adding light to your home, contact Windham Construction. We can repaint a room, add windows, or even create a sunroom for that specific purpose. We have over 20 years of experience remodeling homes in Brazos Valley and we’d love to help you, too. Contact us today and tell us your vision for your lighter, brighter living space.

Filed Under: Blog, DIY, Tips ·