Here’s the truth: You deserve the home of your dreams.

You do. I’m totally serious and I’m talking to you. No if’s, and’s, or but’s about it.

Write this on a little index card: “I live in the house of my dreams.” and read that out loud every day, like ten times in a row. I don’t care if anyone thinks your crazy, even you.

The important thing isn’t that you’re sane, it’s that you live in a rockin’ abode. This will get you there. You just can’t quit doing it. Eventually you’ll make it true even if it’s not even close today. I’m telling you the truth.

Soon, you will start to feel a little motivated. RUN with it. Start doing something to make it happen. Like now. Maybe a little paint?

Research shows that a paint can is the most powerful force, in terms of Wpci rating (wow! per cubic inch), in all of home improvement! It’s like dynamite! Dyn-O-Mite!

Paint Project Inspiration

Glossy Painted Wood Paneling

I picked this picture, from HouseBeautiful.com, to show off the cool use of color, but it’s also a great example of using v-joint material to cover your walls. (post on v-joint paneling here)

If you look at where the natural light is shining in on this painted wall, you’ll see that it’s a semi-gloss paint (possibly even high gloss, but I don’t think so).

The trick to making that work on the wood is one action word: sanding. (followed by tedious cleaning off of all sanding residue.)

It’s worth the effort to achieve this look, but if you don’t have the time or inclination to sand the wood smooth, use flat paint!

Contrasting Walls and Ceilings

I’m so easily distracted… I love the floors in this picture from HousetoHome.co.uk

• and the bench..
• and the steps…

But the use of stark contrasting colors is the “paint project inspiration” I’m showing here. Not everyone wants bright greens and yellows and reds which are so often shown. This photo is proof that you can get beautiful spaces with a wide range of colors.

One trick to pay particular attention to, and it makes all the difference in the whole world here, is that all the trim is painted the wall color. The baseboard and door casing just blends into the walls. Looks cool and makes for a much easier paint job!

Use Accent Colors

This picture, from a post here on RG about kitchen islands, shows a great mix of colors. The blue accent color on the cabinet shows off the woodwork and creates a great focal point at the end of the room. Imagine the same shot with that cabinet white and see what a difference the color makes!

The shot below shows how a nice simple wall color can be soothing and calm, while the use of color in the curtains and bedding makes the whole space pop! It’s often hard to remember things like window treatments, bedding, and pillows when deciding on a wall color. Sometimes those little things can give the splash of color you really need!

Boxes and Boxes of Color

Woot! Oh yeah. This is a hot idea!

Anyone can build a box! (more or less) Buy some plywood and break out those two essential tools, the power-saw and the air nailer, and go to town! (just me, but I would use thicker wood than is shown in the picture)

Painting the inside of these all different colors is brilliant! Just imagine what this can look like arranged and stacked all cool in a room, then loaded with your favorite stuff.

—————–

Dream house, here we come!

If I can help you with any paint questions, or if you’ve got anything you’d like to share in the comments, please do. I love comments.

If you think it’s at all possible for you to do it yourself, I encourage you to try. Too many of us go far too long between those times when we feel victorious. You know, the sense of pride in having surprised ourselves by stretching and accomplishing something that seemed, at best, on the edge of our potential.

It may seem inconsequential, in the big scheme of things, for you to replace a door or build a wall. But it is not. Build that wall, then stand back and look at it when it’s done, and you’ve sweated, and you’ve cussed, and you’ve made four trips to the store. Then look at exactly how that makes you feel. You’ll see that you’ve gained more than a wall.

The sense of accomplishment you gain from doing that project yourself will propel you into the week ahead feeling victorious.

That can change everything.

Raise your hand if your home remodeling plans have taken longer than you expected. Plans to build a new home? Plans to redecorate? Now take a look around the room. Almost every hand in the room is up, a few of you with both hands up, and one lady trying to hold a foot up too, she must have planned on all three. The few without hands up have trust funds. Ignore them.

It’s been a tough time for lots of people and it’s taken longer than anyone expected. I actually remember hearing a news report that said it “could be early 2009 before we see a full recovery in the US economy”. Hah! Even funnier, I didn’t buy it. That was like ten months away at the time. Surely things would be normal before that. Hah, hah.

So here’s what happens. Most people keep the excitement alive for a little while. They tough it out. They keep thinking about that remodel or new house and they keep picking colors and browsing catalogs for the perfect lamp. Right? But that only “naturally” lasts so long in most folks. It starts to fade a little over time.

We’ve all heard the phrase “Out of sight, out of mind.” True, right? You know what else is true? The reverse. This is something we all know works, and it works both ways. So what about “In sight, in mind.”, or even cooler but just as real, “In mind, in sight.” That’s my favorite because it reminds me that when I focus on something persistently, it usually appears. It’s just a matter of time.

So I say all that to say this: Keep your remodeling inspiration alive! Keep those pictures in your mind. Tear them out of magazines, print them from websites on good photo paper and pin them on a wall. Go look at model homes and browse furniture showrooms.

And while you’re online, check out all the cool posts here on RemodelingGuy.net! Here are ten more places where I find inspiration jet fuel with just a click!

• TheInspiredRoom.com
• TheNester.com
• CoastalLiving.com
• HouseBeautiful.com
• Sunset.com
• Pinterest.com (me…just learning) (Kim…professional pinner)
• SouthernLiving.com
• Google Images (search for your term or a site, like this)
• BHG.com
• HousetoHome.co.uk

This is all part of the remodeling process anyway… see my post about getting “Hooked on Magazines“.

Have fun!

- Tim

I went to EPCOT at Walt Disney World in Orlando for my 40th birthday yesterday. I can’t put what I saw into words, so I took pictures… (I always squeeze a word or two in somewhere)

This is what was just inside the park and it kept getting better!

This type of area that is just full of various flowers and brings back memories of wildflower fields high atop the Colorado Rockies are what most appeal to me. The topiaries were also incredible.

I’m a sucker for potted arrangements like this. I find this kind of thing easier to work into my love of the architectural component of great design, and with less space!

All in all it was a great day. So far, 40 feels better than 39! And this was the first time that the kids were big enough to totally take-off on their own which allowed for unlimited time to stop and stare at any one of the thousands of amazing scenes. The picture above includes my awesome wife, Kim, and my Mom, and my Dad (no link for Dad, he’s Old School).

If you can get there, the International Flower & Garden Festival at EPCOT presented by HGTV is not to be missed!

No WAY!

When I saw this, I thought, and I quote: “You have GOT to be kidding me!”

Once you’re done jaw-dropping at the pool, check out the curved block walls with colorful stucco, the sunburst pattern in the brick paver motor-court, the cool square paver-blocks with green grass between them (my neighbor has mastered that look), and the mysterious little rooftops nestled in the trees. Looks like one FUN place to be.

I found this, and quite a few more awesome pools at CoastalLiving.com

Here are a few more of my favs:

No Running!

Gotta love the cantilevered shade structures! (cabanas?) I love the look of the candle/gas lights on the ground but I’m thinking this is a definite “no running” zone. Those lights would be lethal around my crew.

No Jumping Up and Down!

Speaking of cantilevered structures… This one would freak me out. I’d be all worried about how much the structural engineer had been drinking when he designed the footing that held this building in-place. Maybe I would just sit by the pool with a drink of my own waiting for the big show when that thing falls off into the ocean.

No Payments Until 2014?

I’ve got a thing for thatch. I’ve always wanted to build a cool little tiki-bar with a palm frond thatched roof. This pool is located at the Bulgari Resort in Bali. According to the article at Coastal Living, the rates start at $799.00, and I assume that is not per week.

Maybe they offer blogger discounts? One can always hope.

Which one is your favorite?

Why remodel? I used to think the answer was as much resale value as anything else. I’m older and wiser now and that’s a good thing because resale value is, at least for now, not the best reason to remodel.

So why? Of course we both know that there are lots and lots and lots of reasons, but they all boil down to the same thing. A better life.

How can remodeling equal a better life?

1. Pride in having a beautiful home.
2. Knowledge that we’re helping our planet by building green.
3. A sense of accomplishment in doing more with less.
4. Good “vibes” or Feng-Shui that comes from holistic design.
5. Improved productivity through well organized spaces.
6. Inspiration and creativity through the use of color and style.
7. Reduced expenses by making homes more efficient.
8. Better health by making homes safer.
9. Better communities through neighbors helping neighbors.
10. More family involvement by creating shared spaces.
11. Increased togetherness by building workspaces at home.
12. Better meals come from awesome kitchens!
13. It’s more fun to brush your teeth in a killer bathroom!
14. All views are better through a beautiful window!
15. And everybody loves to come home to an incredible front door!

I think that’s it. But maybe you can think of another way. If so, I would love to hear it because these fifteen ideas and any more that you want to add are what I wanted to write about when I started this blog almost two years ago. It’s good to be reminded.

How can remodeling equal a better life for you?

You know what’s funny to me?

When I ask myself “What is the most important factor for success in a remodeling project?” The answer I most often think of first is “pictures”!

That may seem odd, but I’ve got two decades of experience to prove it’s true. Pictures are what you need to burn the image of your dream home/room/patio/pool/door/window/fireplace/bathtub/blog into your soul!

You can’t overdo it! Look at lots of pictures! That’s why I use so many.

Here are a few of my favorites from posts on this blog. If any seem interesting to you, click on the link beneath it to see the post from whence it came.

From a Post on V-Joint Paneling

From a post on colorful kitchens!

From a post on bed swings (how cool!)

From a post about my backyard!

From a post about Kachelofen’s

From another post about colorful kitchens!

Which one of these is your favorite?

-RG

Each image is linked to the source. Just click the image to visit.

Let me show you a picture:

Now, I’ll ask you a question: Do you think you could do the work you see here?

You Can Learn How To Build!

I was visiting a business the other day and there was some construction going on. Some new rooms were being built, complete with a second floor storage area. I knew the owner was doing this work himself so I was surprised when I noticed professional quality and correct construction procedures.

“Did you used to be a carpenter?”, I asked while admiring the work. I was even more surprised when he said he had not. I pressed further, asking if he worked with a carpenter or his dad was a carpenter… there had to be a connection somewhere. Nope…none.

“Well, this is done pretty much exactly right. How did you learn?”, was my next question. His answer made perfect sense and it’s something I think everyone who dreams of a magnificent home (without the gigantic budget to match) ought to think about.

“I visited construction sites and looked around.”

Now, I’m not going to even get into the whole “trespassing on a designated construction site” issue. You figure that one out for yourself. But the point is that all you have to do is work yourself, one way or another, onto a construction site in-progress and it’s all right there plain-to-see. Especially if you know what you’re looking for.

How do you learn what you’re looking for? START! If you’re trying to build an intersection between two stud walls and you realize that you don’t really know how to do it the chances are great that if you later see that situation elsewhere you’ll recognize it. And you’ll learn how to do it!

How do they run the plumbing? What holds the walls down and the roof on? What’s the difference between framing an interior door and an exterior door?

All of these answers are plain to see without anyone telling you anything. Sure, you can Google it, but there is something to be said about seeing it in-person.

By learning this way, the man I was speaking with did good enough work that someone like me, with a very trained (and somewhat critical) eye, thought he was a pro. Even though he’s never worked as a carpenter in his life!

Just think of the possibilities!

(another thought just hit me… want real life experience? Volunteer with Habitat For Humanity or a similar organization. You’ll learn and do a good thing at the same time.)

The year was 1990 and I was building my very first room addition. It proved to be the first in a longer line than I expected at the time. Interestingly, it was the closest I ever came to including one of my most elusive design features…

The Interior Juliet Balcony

That first addition included a very high ceilinged new room that adjoined the house and deep-sixed the window for a bedroom. For safety reasons, bedrooms are required to have two ways out (called an “egress” requirement). My suggestion was a little balcony like the one above, but with French doors.

The owners didn’t catch my vision and at only 19 years old, I wasn’t as bold (read: opinionated and stubborn as a mule) as I would later become. So I missed the chance and the extra bedroom became storage. (another post could be written about the use of room names on building plans and the subsequent building code and permitting issues)

I never got the chance to build my little balcony and twenty years later still haven’t found the right opportunity. But I can still dream and look at pictures!

NorthwestEddy.com

This is one of those pictures (above) that I could write an essay about. This post is about the balcony and hence the cool shape and cool railing, but don’t miss the hot sexy glass in the doors, the nicely crafted curved wood base for the railing, or the wonderful paneling downstairs.

Ironys.com

Sooooo many houses have the opportunity for this without doing much more than knocking out a wall. Structurally, well, their really is no structure required for something like this. Not to speak of anyway. Just a good carpenter and a nice railing. It really opens things up. IMHO.

pixdaus.com

That job back in 1990 called for something like this, but interior. I’m a ginormous sucker for tiny sets of French Doors. I love love love a set of French doors less than 48″ wide. 36″ done in two pieces, like above, is fantabulous. Notice the way the stucco is brought in on an angle and how nicely that was handled in the upper corners. (not to be a stickler, but it’s not perfect… the opening on top is a little too high for the door so the stucco man angled the top more sharply than the sides… I would have asked that he brought the wall down flat and angled the tops and sides evenly. Maybe that’s a design element though and done purposefully.)

Does anyone else want one of these, or is it just my odd fascination with fascinating oddities?