Category: interior design

Falling in love with basement finishing trends and ideas

Falling in love with basement finishing trends and ideas

Often, a basement is one of the most neglected places in a home, although it houses a variety of items and even serves as a temporary sleeping quarter. It’s just as useful as other rooms in the building. A home-owner should have no trouble finishing a basement because it’s the most cost-effective of all the other areas of a property. When it’s done, it doesn’t necessarily need any further fixtures or accents. As straightforward as this initially appears to be, finding the perfect design style can be challenging. This guide covers ideas and trends for designing a basement, as well as tips for making it happen. There’s no limit to what this part of a home can become.

Whitewashed basment

One basement serving different purposes

A basement can have different functionalities in a home, whether it be a home theatre, kids’ living area, a gaming area, an in-home gym, office or a dream bar. Basement finishing depends on its planned application. Before moving on to the ideas and trends, the section below discusses how to plan the finished basement.

Remodelling a basement – the plan

Consider the design layout, size, functionality and accessibility when determining what works best for this space. Who’ll make use of this area? Is it going to be a tool room or a social space? Once these factors are in place, it becomes easy to create new basement ideas and trends or work with existing ones. If the basement is to serve two purposes, for example a gym and tool storage area, divide it into two sections. Partitioning boards will get the job done easily (if needed), otherwise, a simple addition such as a sectional sofa is enough to divide the space and create a dual-functionality area. A basement can serve more than two purposes, depending on its size and the home-owner’s goals. There are other, less expensive, ways to augment the look and feel of this spot. Lighting fixtures, new furniture collections and a fresh paint job will all help to transform the area.

Tools required for basement transformation

Remodelling a basement is no walk in the park. A range of resources go into creating the dream basement that will leave visitors in awe. Here’s a list of tools and other kit needed for basement finishing:

  • Caulk gun
  • Hammer
  • Saw
  • Drill bit
  • Drill
  • Level
  • Tape measure
  • Dust mask
  • Stepladder
  • Knife
  • Ear defenders
  • Speed square
  • Lumber
  • Insulation
  • Screws
  • Nails
  • Lumber
  • Safety goggles (protection against flying splinters during sawing)

Some of these tools may not be readily available within the home. Nonetheless, many DIY and hardware stores have them for sale. With that in mind, what are some noteworthy patterns to keep an eye on?

Spotlit basement

Basement trends and ideas worth noting

Here’s a list of trending concepts that will transform a basement from what it is to what a home-owner wants it to be.

Open concepts

Still, wondering if an open concept is still in vogue? Of course it is! Traditional home designs have enclosed layouts, but open designs are becoming more popular because they provide more space and easy mobility within the building. The home-owner can segment the basement into different partitions without boldly demarcating them; this is done to create an ultra-modern design theme. Keep in mind, though, that this concept eliminates privacy.

Media design concept

There are two options to turning a basement into a media space – designing an open TV area or an enclosed theatre room. The former provides a more casual entertainment environment that needs less remodelling cost. On the other hand, the latter brings entertainment to a whole new level by including fixtures that enhance the viewer’s experience. Components that make up this section includes a wide projector screen, state-of-the-art surround system, plush reclining entertainment seats, LED floor to wall lighting and even a popcorn machine. However, designing this entertainment area can be expensive, but well worth it.

Extension design concept

If a basement doesn’t serve a specific purpose, the home-owner can transform it into an extension of the home. It can be an offshoot of the living room space, recreating the same experience enjoyed in the other room. Another option is to create an additional bedroom from the space and make it feel similar to other bedrooms. Furnish the place with a bed, bedside table, carpet and storage.

Gym design concept

Health and fitness enthusiasts would love to bring the gym experience to their homes. If that’s the case, a basement is an ideal place to set up a gym. Workout equipment to furnish it with include a dumbbells, kettle bell set, treadmill, rowing machine, stationary bicycle and a training bench. Take it to the next level with an in-home spa that features a sauna and/or steam shower. 

Sports room design concept

Looking for a dedicated area to display a favourite team’s shirt and boots or watch exciting sports like Premiership football, Formula One races or the Olympic Games? A basement provides the ideal spot. It creates the right atmosphere to get wild and free without depriving other occupants in the building of their peace. This section is where family and friends can get together and talk excitedly about their favourite individual teams after a long day. Deck the room with a wall of smart TVs and ultra-HD sound system to get the best audio-visual experience.

Studio design concept

Home-owners who are passionate about music and even play musical instruments can transform their basement into a recording studio or live music venue. Simply soundproof this section of the property to reduce noise and install extra power outlets, lighting and a viewing area. Score new tracks and record new songs all from the basement – many musicians started out this way. Don’t forget to add monitors, mixing desk, microphones, speakers and other studio gear to the mix. Invite family and friends to concerts and jam sessions.

Bar design concept

Adding a bar area to a home can completely transform it. Friends & family can gather to enjoy their favourite tipple while watching a game, socialising or simply winding down after a long day at work. A basement-turned-bar can be simple or elaborate, depending on the home-owner’s preference and budget. Get the right lighting, a television and bar counter and stools to help create the experience.

Lit stairs down to a basement

In summary

A basement shouldn’t be limited to storing disposable items, including broken appliances, unused and worn-out clothing and pieces of damaged equipment. There’s so much more potential to this space depending on the home-owner’s interests and budget. With the ideas and trends discussed above, it’s not difficult to transform a basement into a dream entertainment area.

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Home renovation projects that will boost your property’s value

Home renovation projects that will boost your property's valuecredit

Before you start any home improvement project, you should decide on what to do and how much you want to spend, all in the hopes of adding convenience, comfort or value to your home. Unless you plan to stay in your current home forever, you may expect to see a return on investment for your renovations. The truth is that not every upgrade attracts potential buyers. Before you start any enhancements, make sure that your property’s value can also benefit.

Meandering path through a front garden

Curb appeal

Adding curb appeal to your home is a smart way to invite attention. Maintenance projects such as fresh exterior paint and landscaping can help your house stand out on the street. Stay simple, however; an unusual colour palette or extreme garden arrangement may have the opposite effect. Roof repairs and HVAC installation may also help your bottom line, particularly when it’s time for inspection.

Modern white kitchen

Kitchen upgrade

A renovated kitchen can practically pay for itself, both in terms of use for your family and in value when you sell. Make smart choices when you start a kitchen remodel, including energy efficient appliances, better cabinet storage and an open floor plan to make the space warm and inviting. Decide whether high-end features, such as a coffee bar or double island layout, are a necessity for you, as they may not be desirable to the next owner.

Blue-tiled shower enclosure

Bathroom remodel

Bathrooms are always worth an update, but again, spend wisely. It makes more sense to stick with a simple bathroom remodel such as fresh paint, tile flooring, new shower heads and taps and stylish mirrors. Unless you have your heart set on a jetted tub, you may want to skip it, as buyers may not see it the same way you do. You can consider adding a bathroom if you only have one or two but decide if the cost benefit is there.

Neutral decorated living room

Neutral interior

Vibrant colours or bold patterns may spark joy for you, but for potential buyers, they may not have the same impact. Take away some of that personality in favour of freshly painted walls in a neutral shade recommended by interior designers. Refinishing your hardwoods, changing outdated light fixtures and replacing floor tiling can also freshen your home and make it more appealing when you list your property.

Basement conversion

Finished basement

An unfinished basement does not usually count in overall square footage of your home. Finishing it and even adding a full bath on that lower level adds another floor of liveable space that can work as a rec room, movie theatre, man cave, home office or extra guest bedroom. It can also save you money over a room addition because it uses the same footprint of your existing home. If you don’t have a basement, think about finishing attic space if it’s a cost-effective way to expand your space.

When you complete any of these home remodelling projects, your home is not only more functional for your family, but it’s also more attractive to prospective buyers when you sell your property. Decide which renovation is the best fit for you, and who knows, you may love the changes so much you won’t want to sell!

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Going green: The future of shipping containers as accommodation

Going green: The future of shipping containers as accommodation | H is for Home

As the earth is nearing a climate emergency, people are trying to find more sustainable ways of life, now more than ever. Sustainable methods are known to reduce the carbon footprint of the earth and also curb global warming. From going zero-waste to finding eco-friendly substitutes to widely used items, people are not leaving any stone unturned towards making the earth a greener and better place to live.

One such sustainable alternative is turning shipping containers into accommodation. Shipping containers are used all over the world to import and export high volumes of goods. As it is cheaper to receive new containers than send empty containers back to the suppliers, buyers usually label these empty containers as waste. This often results in millions of shipping containers lying dormant in shipyards and warehouses all over the world.

However, considering the amount of energy and resources that go into the production of shipping containers, many container dealers have found a better solution for these dormant containers. From an environmental perspective, they are now recycling these containers into affordable and eco-friendly homes. Seeing the growing prices of housing in the UK, S Jones Containers offers versatile, high quality and cost-effective modular building solutions. These modular buildings can be used for accommodation, makeshift classrooms, offices, changing rooms, healthcare clinics, retail spaces, and more.

CAD designed shipping container layout

The innovation of using shipping containers as building materials is providing numerous benefits to the environment. Apart from being affordable, these containers are also known to reduce harmful carbon dioxide emissions. As these containers are specifically designed to transport huge volumes of goods safely across the land and sea, they are huge, strong and flexible. This makes shipping containers mobile and versatile enough to serve as small modular homes that can be moved from one place to another. Experts predict that by 2025, the use of shipping containers as homes will see a global compound growth rate of 6.5%.

Some of the noteworthy environmental benefits of using shipping containers as modular buildings include reduced carbon emissions, conserving natural resources, cleaning up landfill space, and the reuse of waste material. Whereas from an architectural point of view, these buildings require less maintenance, and have low structural cost, short construction time, high strength and a high potential for difficult sites.

Moreover, using shipping containers not only provides a sustainable solution, but also presents an economical and effective housing solution for those who are in desperate need of a home. As shipping containers are affordable and don’t take a large amount of resources, they can be easily turned into shipping container communities for the homeless. Several container buildings use hybrid construction by mixing traditional construction with containers. For example, The Mill Junction, which provides student apartments in Johannesburg, South Africa, places shipping containers on top of old grain silos. On the other hand, in Taiwan, a Starbucks coffee shop is completely made up of containers and consists of 29 white shipping containers.

Similarly, in the UK a temporary housing development has been constructed in west London using shipping containers. Aimed to provide shelter to homeless people, this development consists of 290 homes and was built in a short span of 24 weeks. Seeing the urgent need for housing, this task was undertaken by QED Company. The company ensured that all the accommodation units have their own front door, kitchen and bathroom and are equipped with all safety and security features, which are often overlooked by many emergency accommodation providers.

Despite their several economic and environmental benefits, accommodations made up of shipping containers also possess some challenges. Thus, it is important for builders to be aware of these challenges and have the basic prerequisites to overcome them. As shipping containers are made up of corrugated metal sheathing, extremely high and low temperatures possess a serious threat to the living conditions of these containers. While the containers can freeze in cold weathers, they are also likely to heat up in a hot and humid climate. This can result in an uncomfortable living space. Hence it is important that homes made up of shipping containers are properly insulated either from the inside or outside. Additionally, special care must be taken for all HVAC connections, which must be made durable to last in extreme winter and summer seasons.

While turning shipping containers into a modular building can be a sustainable solution, knowing how to use these containers optimally and correctly will help in the reduction of time, resources and money spent. The increase in the use of containers for building solutions will also help in the preservation of the environment to a greater extent.

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Latest design trends to consider for your new home

Latest design trends to consider for your new home | H is for Home

The average percentage fee charged by UK architects is around 5% to 12% of the overall building cost for a new home, according to MyBuilder.com. Naturally, you’ll want to incorporate some of the latest design trends into your new-build house to create the wow factor. However, with so many design ideas, it can be challenging to choose the best.

That is why you need to determine if you want to transform how you live and interact with your home, add architectural interest, or both. Also, make sure to learn the steps to creating your dream home to increase the chances of achieving positive results.

White and blond wood kitchen diner

Modern luxury designs

Many people are embracing the idea of home as a sanctuary more than ever. For this reason, property owners are collaborating with builders focused on contemporary luxuries for both interior and exterior designs. While you can do it yourself, modern luxury home designs require a keen focus on quality and personal taste. This latest design trend involves incorporating ideas that are pared-back, calm and combined with warm minimalism. For example, instead of keeping up with cool grey neutrals, you can embrace warm neutrals like beige and oatmeal to create a warm and uplifting space.

Luxury designs create room for hybrid fusion like the combination of Japanese minimalism style and Scandinavian simplicity. You may also incorporate bold and matte blacks, geometrical balance and mixed metals into your space.

Minimalist living room

Open and multi-functional spaces

Conventional designs like dedicated study, dining rooms, and lounges will still be part of modern homes. Open and multi-purpose living spaces will be a popular choice for many home-owners. As a result, new homes will have sliding doors and dividers to allow interior and exterior parts to integrate. Unlike in the past, where open spaces integrated the living room and kitchen, modern open floor plan designs now expand to the terraces and the bedroom.

Loft apartment with grey walls

Industrialism designs

Industrialism is gaining popularity in residential designs. This décor idea revolves around using concrete, brick, wood, recycled plastic, aluminium and iron to cut down construction expenses. When adding industrialism designs in your home, designers concentrate on simple lines, absence of surface elements and asymmetrical forms.

In most cases, experts combine industrialism with minimalism, which promotes the use of experimental and modern materials. Since minimalism is a commitment to simple forms, it helps lower energy costs and reduces carbon footprint through acoustic and thermal insulation.