Month: November 2016

Tis the Season to Take Note

Tis the Season to Take Note

Notes-leave-839225_1920Talk about the ultimate holiday wish list! When considering a whole home renovation or custom home construction, the holidays are an excellent time to take note of the functions your current home performs and the styles that suit you best. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or a houseful of overnight guests this holiday season, pay close attention to see if the flow of your present layout is working for you or if you feel you could benefit from more space in everything from bathrooms and bedrooms to dining room and living spaces. Are you lacking room to comfortably entertain your guests once everyone has left the dinner table? You and your visitors might be better served with an expanded exterior living space featuring a stunning native stone outdoor hearth and flat screen TV over the mantle or a finished basement with full bar, home theater and game room. Are both sets of visiting in-laws sharing a guest bathroom? Separate private baths might promote holiday harmony a bit better. Long story short – from roof to cellar, take notice of what works and what doesn’t.

And don’t merely use your own home to take note this holiday season. When you visit other peoples’ homes for parties or overnight stays, pay attention to the things you like or dislike about their individual rooms and the way they function. Think beyond the way the specific spaces might serve your family, and consider the way you would like for them to serve your guests – even if they only come to visit once or twice a year. Pore over magazines and websites for the latest interior design styles that really ring your jingle bells – from the hardwood floors to the coffered ceilings – and add them to your “Dream Book”.

To help you get started, you may want to go room-by-room and make note of the things that work for your family and those that don’t. Also, begin to compile a wish list of enhancements that might make the room better – including function AND form. For instance, let’s say you’re focusing on the living room. Is it formal enough to fit your sense of style or are you a more informal host/hostess? Is it large enough to serve all your favorite people in one room? Would shiplap walls up the ante for you on the warmth and beauty of the room? Would a butler’s pantry enhance the function of this space? Consider also the rooms you DON’T currently have that you believe would prove an ideal addition – such as a screened porch for enjoying your morning coffee or three more bedrooms to house your growing family.

Once you have a fairly good notion of what your dream home might look like, it’s time to contact a master renovator or custom construction builder like Atlanta-based Highlight Homes. They may have ideas you’ve never even considered to increase the space and function of your current home or to create the ideal custom home to fit your family’s collective personality, needs and wishes. So instead of having visions of sugar plums dance through your head this holiday season, you could instead have visions of smart home systems, glass paned cabinets, industrial-inspired lighting and burnished brass faucets.

Highlight Homes welcomes the opportunity to help you achieve the home of your dreams. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation to discuss your upcoming luxury whole home renovation or custom home construction. Our team of dedicated professionals can be reached by calling 678-873-9234, e-mailing info@highlighthomesga.com, or filling out our convenient online contact form. To learn more about Highlight Homes and view our portfolio, we invite you to visit our website at www.highlighthomesga.com.

From all of us here at Highlight Homes, we wish you and yours a very Happy Holiday Season!

Hearth and Home: Highlight Spotlight on Today’s Fireplace

Hearth and Home: Highlight Spotlight on Today’s Fireplace

Keeping Room Fireplace 1 - HLH 2016

Since the beginning of man, fire has been central to the home. A necessity from the start, it can stave off the cold, serve as a light in the darkness and aid in the preparation of countless meals. Used mainly now to create a sense of ambiance, the fireplace – or hearth – remains at the heart of most major living spaces today. The mantle often sets the tone for the décor in the room – many now dominated by flat screen TVs in place of artwork. From ornately carved woodwork and marble to repurposed rough-hewn timber and stacked stone, the hearth is also central to the feeling of the space that surrounds it. One home may feature a traditional fireplace adorned with beloved family photos, while another may boast a floor-to-ceiling stone hearth with a minimalistic slant towards interior design. And with many homes extending their living spaces outside, the outdoor hearth continues to gain steam as a popular addition to exterior “rooms” of the home.

 

Keeping Room Fireplace 2 - HLH 2016

When constructing a semi-custom or custom home, bear in mind that your fireplace should fit the overall aesthetic of your home. For example, a more traditional Craftsman-style home might prove a great fit for a rustic stone fireplace with timber mantle whereas a Contemporary-style home might call for a more modern firebox with clean lines and smooth, sleek finishes. Functionality is also a major consideration. Traditionalists may prefer a wood-burning fireplace, but gas logs continue to dominate the market for their convenience and affordability. As many homes become more technologically connected, some gas logs can be controlled via wireless remotes – plus there’s no need to sweep up ashes at the end of the day. Outdoor hearths should also be a major consideration – whether a firepit at the center of a brick patio under the stars on a crisp, cool Spring night or a true showplace hearth set inside a covered deck for countless Autumn evenings spent watching the embers glow.

 

Outdoor Hearth - Highlight Homes 2015No matter what your vision of the ideal hearth to fit your home might be – a breathtaking addition to a two-story great room or a romantic enhancement to a master bedroom (or BOTH), Highlight Homes welcomes the opportunity to help you make that vision a vibrant reality. To schedule a consultation with a member of our custom construction team, call 678-873-9234, e-mail info@highlighthomesga.com or fill out our convenient online contact form. To learn more about Highlight Homes and view some of our work, please visit us at www.highlighthomesga.com.