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Just in case you didn’t already know, May is National Remodeling Month!  Highlight Homes is happy to help you celebrate! Forget the chips and dip, we bring something far more valuable to this party table. Here is just a small sampling of what Highlight Homes can do for you and your family:

• Kitchen and Bath Remodels
• Room Additions
• Basement Finishing
• Decks and Patios
• Fencing, Arbors, and Pergolas
• Outdoor Firepits, Hearths, and Kitchens
• Landscaping and Water Features
• Window and Door Replacement
• And Much, Much More!

While we may not be able to complete your renovation before month’s end, it’s a great time to get the ball rolling with a no-obligation consultation. And since we’re a design-build firm, your architect, structural engineer, and master renovator are all rolled into one. The best part is, once National Remodeling Month is over, you get to reap its rewards for years to come.

Here’s Highlight Homes’ Renovation Checklist to help you get started on YOUR National Remodeling Month Celebration:

Determine your budget – how much would you like to spend/finance? If financing, have you examined all of your options? Highlight Home Restorations offers several financing options for home renovations of different sizes and scopes.

Determine your time frame – Renovations and restorations can be timely and sometimes a tad invasive – especially when remodeling an interior room such as your kitchen. How much time are you willing to invest in this project – OR do you have a specific event or occasion for which you wish to have this project completed?

What are you hoping to accomplish with this home remodel/renovation? Add additional living space? Update the exterior of your home? Refresh your bathroom or kitchen space? Finally finish that basement for more room to entertain or accommodate guests? Add a deck or patio to extend your home’s outdoor living space? Highlight Homes can do all of the above and more!

Contact Highlight Homes! Feel free to contact other renovation contractors for additional bids, but keep in mind – you get what you pay for. Many companies do not offer design/build contract services, so you may have to also hire an architect for larger projects. At Highlight Homes, we can do it all, from start to finish – design a project around your specifications and build it to last. We can even aid with the interior design of your final product. We are fully certified, licensed and insured, and we can help you acquire the necessary permits before building begins. In the event you do decide to accept bids from other contractors, ask them if they can provide all of the services listed above. After more than a quarter of a century in the home design, building and restoration industry – we firmly believe we are the best choice for any job. Choose Highlight Homes for your next remodel or restoration project, and we think you’ll agree!

What are you waiting for? To kick your National Remodeling Month Celebration into high gear, click HERE to fill out an online contact form, e-mail us at info@highlighthomesga.com, or call us at 678.873.9234. To learn more about Highlight Homes and sneak a peek at our online portfolio, we invite you to visit us online!

MAY RENOVATION SPECIAL FROM HIGHLIGHT HOMES

Sign a Contract with Highlight Homes by the end of May 2012 to receive10% OFF

Your Next Highlight Homes’ Renovation Project*

*Percentage off valued at $2,000 or less. Offer Expires May 31, 2012. Must mention ad at time of consultation to receive this special offer.

Image credits: PARTY WHISTLE © Hpphoto | Dreamstime.com and BALLOONS © Valeriy Khromov | Dreamstime.com

A well-executed renovation can magically transform your home into a thing of beauty

As the Highlight Homes team delves into another exciting home renovation, I am reminded of the incredible privilege I am afforded in this line of work. Not only do I get front row tickets to one of the best magic shows EVER – I also get to hold the bag of tricks and wave the magic wand.

My team and I are always so humbled and honored to be entrusted with one of our client’s most valued assets – their home. Through a series of meetings, we can take the homeowners vision and use it to inspire our design – then take that design and make it a beautiful reality. As custom home builders, we offer a special advantage over many other general contractors and renovation companies – there’s really not much we can’t make happen as we magically transform your home into a thing of beauty.

We can transform an unfinished basement into an in-law suite or man cave that would make the neighbors green with envy. Our background in structural engineering affords us the skills necessary to reconfigure the flow of a cramped home by opening it up, giving it the appearance of an entirely new space. We can take a neglected backyard and reinvent it with a glass enclosure or expansive deck – making it one of your favorite new “rooms” of the home. Highlight Homes’ specialties also include kitchen and bath remodels, window and door replacements, room additions, landscaping and water features, exterior renovations, and so much more

Of course, for us the real magic happens when our clients walk through the door once the project is complete and we get to see the look of joy and excitement on their faces. That trick never gets old, and it’s no illusion!  We welcome the chance to bring a little magic into your life with a custom designed, quality crafted home renovation. For a remodel project that defies belief, we invite you to contact us by calling 678.873.9234, e-mailing us at info@highlighthomesga.com, or filling out our convenient online contact form. To learn more about Highlight Homes, view our online portfolio, or peruse our full list of services, we encourage you to visit us online.

Image credits: FLYING ELECTRICAL BULB BETWEEN PALMS © Boris Ryaposov | Dreamstime.com; Renovation Images Courtesy of Highlight Homes

Use the Hottest Design Trends in New Home Construction as Inspiration for Exciting Home Renovations

According to an April 2012 news release by the National Association of Home Builders, there are a number of hot design trends that will be found in new construction homes in 2012.  Of particular interest to existing homeowners considering a home renovation, listed among those trends were:

• Reworked Spaces: This trend allows plenty of space for family interaction in high-traffic areas such as the kitchen, and eliminates infrequently used rooms such as formal dens and conventional home offices. Instead, “Pocket Offices” or small spaces devoted to home management are being included in large pantries or spaces nearby the kitchen or family great room. Window seats and alcoves can provide an area for private time, without taking up a lot of space. All of these “reworked spaces” that are all the rage in new home construction can easily be created in an existing home, particularly when partnering with Highlight Homes – an award-winning renovation company that specializes in structural engineering.
• Multigenerational Living: Cultural diversity, aging parents, and the state of the economy have been driving factors that have led many families to live under one roof. While new single-family home designs reflect this trend with separate living units that access the main floorplan through a door or homes that feature at least two master suites, an existing home can be renovated to accommodate additional family members by converting an unfinished basement, attic, or garage to an in-law suite with kitchen. For those with more limited space, an entirely new room can be incorporated at the back of the house or a new floor can be added to a ranch home or a detached garage.

Atlanta’s premier design-build firm, Highlight Homes welcomes the chance to help local homeowners update their homes with some of the hottest new trends to hit the housing market. Because we have a long-standing history as custom home builders in the South, we truly feel we can stand by the statement “good as new.” Getting started is as easy as calling us at 678-873-9234, e-mailing us at info@highlighthomesga.com, or filling out our convenient online contact form TODAY!  As we get further into Spring, our calendar is filling up quickly, so we look forward to hearing from you soon. To learn more about Highlight Homes and all of our custom construction and home renovation offerings, please visit us online at www.highlighthomesga.com.

Source: “Creativity and Cost-Savings Measures Reflected in Top New Home Design Trends” NAHB. http://www.nahb.org/news_details.aspx?sectionID=122&newsID=15167. April 25, 2012.

Image credit:  Photogen.com

Tips for Treating Your Outdoor Living Spaces Like an Extension of Your Home

As the Atlanta weather settles into the cozy upper 60’s, 70’s, and low 80’s, Mother Nature reminds us that it’s high time to think about entertaining outside. With a great deal of emphasis placed on creating inviting outdoor living spaces in recent years, it’s a snap to take it a step beyond the simple construction of a deck or covered porch and the laying of a patio. While the builders at Highlight Homes can help you create the foundation for the right outdoor living space to fit both your home and your needs, we turn to our designers for tips on how to transform that blank canvas into what will likely become your favorite “room” of the house – the open air parlor…

Go With the Flow: Your outdoor living space should serve as a visually pleasing extension of the rest of your home. The furniture and accessories you select should reflect the décor style that exists within your home while complementing the construction style of the exterior of your home. For instance, if you live in a Colonial-style home and the décor of your interior is traditional – chances are you will want to continue that theme outdoors with classic vs. contemporary furniture using colors that will complement the colors in the rooms just off the entry to this space. Remember, it can be viewed from the windows. That said, if your home is more contemporary in style and décor – you’ll want to find trendy outdoor furniture and accessories to match. If you’re an eclectic decorator, have fun with it – anything goes!

What Are YOU Looking At?: An ugly truth that came out of the construction boom of the last decade is that on a whole, building lots shrunk across the board. Homes were built closer together, with many homeowners’ kitchen and bedroom windows overlooking their neighbors’ backyards. In order to add a sense of privacy to your outdoor oasis, you have a number of options. Market umbrellas come in a number of sizes and can shield you and your guests from not only the sun’s rays, but also from the unwanted eyes of nosy neighbors from an upstairs window. A well-positioned privacy screen or trellis with a climbing vine can add a sense of seclusion and enclosure, while blocking the view from your neighbors’ kitchen sink. A screened   enclosure or pavilion roof over an existing patio can help you feel a little more isolated, and can help protect your outdoor furniture from the elements at the same time.

Dress it Up: Your outdoor furniture shouldn’t have to do ALL of the work. Instead of having a boring stagnant space with little to no personality, why not dress it up with throw pillows, accessories, plants and flowers?  There are entire websites, departments and stores dedicated to outdoor living – go have a blast!  Do you have an outdoor wall clock?  If not, maybe you should! Does your outdoor furniture just scream “Have a seat and kick back?” If not, maybe it’s time to make them look more inviting with beautiful throw pillows. With so many pillows and outdoor rugs being created in weather- and fade-resistant fabrics, there’s no excuse not to make the Great Outdoors seem even greater with cozy, homey touches. Don’t forget terrific accessories to adorn your tabletops, and beautiful plants and flowers to remind your guests that they are – indeed – outside.

Set the Mood: Once you’ve set the stage, it’s time to set the mood with great lighting – the perfect addition to an al fresco dinner party under the stars. From lights strung on the pergola above and tiki torches along the deck railing to candlelit lanterns on the tabletop and the glow of the fire from the chiminea – make sure you have enough light with a trial run a few nights BEFORE the dinner party, so you don’t leave your guests out in the dark. If you have a covered porch or screened enclosure, a stunning wrought iron chandelier and outdoor fireplace with flat screen TV overhead may provide all the light you need. Speaking of setting a mood, nothing does it like “mood music”! There are a number of outdoor stereos on the market or you can pipe music from inside your home through outdoor speakers (some are even disguised as rocks!) to help you do just that!

If you like what you’ve read, but need some help creating that foundation first – contact the talented team at Highlight Homes for a no-obligation consultation by calling 678.873.9234, by e-mailing info@highlighthomesga.com, or by filling out our convenient online contact form. For more design trends and tips, plus the latest Highlight Homes news,  be sure to visit our blog regularly, “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and/or join our monthly newsletter mailing list.  Now… go outside and play!!!!

Image Credit: RED UMBRELLA – © Susan Quinland-stringer –  Dreamstime.com

Shades of White and Ivory Cabinetry are Experiencing a Refreshing Renaissance in Kitchen Remodels

Word on the street is that white is the new black! It’s something we at Highlight Homes have been experiencing regularly in our own work – the requests for white cabinetry over the classic cherry or oak in kitchen remodels are steadily growing. As a matter of fact, in the planning stages for a new major kitchen overhaul featuring white cabinets and white marble countertops – we have a fairly good feeling that we’re about to embark on our next Obie Award-winning renovation.

According to the color experts at Pantone, white exudes an impression of “clean and pure” – both great elements for any kitchen. White also adds a light and airy feel to the heart of the home. It takes on the role of a splendid neutral that works well with a rainbow of colors. Black and white together often express a sense of luxury, shades of neutral and white can have a calming effect, and brights with white can add an air of playfulness to any room. Whites can come in a number of hues – from the striking snow and white whites to a richer ivory or eggshell white. When dealing with confined areas, white can help make a small space look larger. It can add a chic vibe to a contemporary kitchen or a romantic feel to a more traditional room.

Don’t get us wrong – we will always be big fans of earthy shades of stained natural wood at Highlight Homes. We’re just happy to be welcoming the “comeback kid” white back to the party for a refreshing change of pace. If you feel it’s time to emerge from the dark and enter the light in your own home, we encourage you to call the Highlight Homes team for a no-obligation consultation. Not only can we help you pull together plans and renderings of how your kitchen could be transformed with white cabinetry, thanks to our knowledge of structural engineering – we might just be able to tweak the layout of the room to improve the overall flow and make it seem like an entirely new living space. The talented team of designers and builders at Highlight Homes can be reached by calling 678.873.9234, by e-mailing info@highlighthomesga.com, or by filling out our convenient online contact form. HURRY!  Our dance card is filling up quickly as we head deeper into the Spring and Summer months. To stay up-to-date on the latest design trends and Highlight Homes news, be sure to “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and/or join our monthly newsletter mailing list.

Tips for Battling the Yellow Stuff, While Still Being Able to Enjoy the Beauty of Spring

It’s that time of year again. While Spring may have sprung a little earlier than many expected – with temperatures reaching up into the 70’s and 80’s – with it comes an unwelcome guest, pollen. That fine yellow dusting that coats our cars, patio tables, and… well, EVERYTHING that exists outside our homes, is wreaking havoc on even the healthiest of souls. With record high pollen counts already listed in the history books for this year, we’re afraid it’s not going anywhere anytime soon – but there are a handful of fairly simple ways you can combat it and keep it where it belongs… outside.

1)      Fight the Urge to Let the Fresh Air In: It’s gorgeous. The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and the weather is perfect with just a slight breeze in the air. The outdoors beckon and you long to let them in by opening a window here and there. Big mistake. Until the pollen counts have died down, you’ll want to crank on the A/C and peer out those closed windows for awhile. It’s a great excuse to clean them – from the inside.

2)      Make Sure to Mask Before You Mow: Bermuda lawns all over Atlanta are waking from their not-so-long winter slumber, and could likely benefit from a good scalping. Of course that means you’ll be kicking up lots of pollen as you make your way through the grass. Visit your local hardware or home improvement store and purchase multi-packs of sanding masks or particulate respirators – you’ll still be able to breathe, but won’t be taking in as much of the pollen. This is also a great trick for weeding and planting in those flower beds.

3)      Enter the De-pollination Chamber: Try your best to route your family – including the family dog – through the mud room, basement, or laundry room of the home. It’s important to have one designated space for everyone to remove their pollen laden shoes and towel off before entering the rest of the home. Give Fido a once over with a damp towel to remove any pollen that might be stuck to his fur and paws, too.

4)      Let the Sunshine in, While Keeping the Pollen Out: The addition of a sunroom allows you and your family to enjoy nature’s beauty, while avoiding nature’s nuisances – like mosquitoes, ants and – you guessed it – pollen. A sunroom can become a much-beloved extension of your current home – providing a four-season space where the outdoors plays an integral role. Outdoor living spaces and room additions are just two of our favorite projects at Highlight Homes – let us combine them for you for a one-of-a-kind room custom-designed to fit the distinctive needs and collective personality of your family.

5)      The End is (Almost) in Sight: The pollen won’t last forever, and when it’s gone – you may be ready to get outside and celebrate. Now could be the perfect time to let the Highlight Homes’ design/build team brave the ravages of pollen season, so you and your family can enjoy a brand new deck, outdoor kitchen, or pool with stone patio in just a matter of weeks. Think of all the grill-outs, pool parties, and neighborhood gatherings you could be hosting!

In the event that you would like to consult with the talented designers and builders at Highlight Homes about a new sunroom or outdoor living space project, we want you to know that our consultations are not only friendly and informative – but also hold no obligation on your part. We can discuss your project with you over the phone or face-to-face to help you determine the scope and budget you’ll need for the project. (FYI – Highlight Homes is proud to now accept credit cards for all of our home improvement projects!) Getting started is easy!  We invite you to call us at 678.873.9234, e-mail the team at info@highlighthomesga.com, or fill out our convenient online contact form.  To learn more about Highlight Homes, please visit us at www.highlighthomesga.com.

We’ve all been there. That heat that builds just behind your eyes from embarrassment, sending a rush of red through your cheeks. Guests are on the way, and suddenly you don’t feel as though your home is “up to snuff”.  No matter how thoroughly you clean it or how low you dim the lights, it’s still just an ugly, cramped, outdated kitchen. It’s no wonder that kitchen renovations lead the pack of most popular remodeling projects among homeowners. It is – after all – the heart of the home.

Kitchen remodels are also not bad investments when considering the future – a time when you might actually consider putting your home back on the market. In 2011, even with the housing market in a major slump across the nation, homeowners in the South who were selling homes where kitchen renovations had been completed saw a very nice recoup of the remodeling cost at the closing table. For minor kitchen renovations starting at a little over $21,000, homeowners saw an average of 72.1% of their cost recouped, whereas major kitchen renovation of more than $58,000 witnessed a 65.7% recoup*.

At Highlight Homes, we know from a personal standpoint that kitchen renovations are among the most popular projects we take on for our clients.  As a matter of fact, we are currently hard at work on one right now. Not only do we love helping families transform one of the most important rooms of their home, we’ve been recognized by publications like Remodel Atlanta Magazine and Atlanta Home Improvement Magazine for our work. Most recently, we were awarded a Gold OBIE Award from the Greater Atlanta Home Builder’s Association and The Atlanta Sales and Marketing Council for Best Kitchen Remodel under $75,000.

If you’ve been considering having your kitchen remodeled by a team of professionals, we hope you’ll consider the talented design-build team at Highlight Homes. Who knows?  YOUR KITCHEN could be the next one featured in the pages of an interior design magazine or be the focus of our next award-winning project!  To get started with a no-obligation consultation, call us today at 678-873-9234, e-mail us info@highlighthomesga.com, or fill out our quick and helpful online contact form.  To learn more about Highlight Homes, please visit us online at www.highlighthomesga.com and check out our online portfolio!

Source: Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report 2011-2012 – South Atlantic Region

The Experts at Highlight Homes Provide Tips and Suggestions for Preparing for that Big Spring Remodel

With Spring in our midst, it’s the ideal time to begin planting – ideas, that is.  You may know you want a change, but aren’t entirely sure where to begin. That’s where the experts at Highlight Homes come in. We recommend homeowners who are considering anything from a minor renovation to a major overhaul follow these simple steps to prepare for their first meeting with a renovation professional:

1. All great renovations begin with an idea. Oftentimes, the best ideas come from the homeowners themselves. You’re tapped in to what your needs and wants are. A professional can help enhance your idea and shape solutions that you may not have realized were possible, but it all begins with you.
2. Host a family meeting to discuss the space in question. Whether it is a basement that is woefully underused because you keep putting off having it finished, a backyard that has been neglected, a room that is outdated and cramped, or a room that is greatly needed but doesn’t exist yet – each family member likely has a great solution in mind. Write them all down – the answer may be found somewhere in between.  If your family members wish to make sketches of their ideas, that’s great, too.
3. Once you’ve narrowed down what space you wish to tackle and how you would like to envision its future use, begin combing through coffee table books and magazines for images that really speak to you. Bookcases that frame a door could help add personality to a room, while aiding in storage issues at the same time. A tiki hut-themed outdoor kitchen may jump off the page at you as you envision countless backyard cookouts under the stars. A theater room with stadium seating could make your basement THE hangout of choice for your teenager and his/her friends. Cut out and/or copy any pictures that you really connect with and start a special idea scrapbook.
4. Develop a budget for your renovation project. You may not know for sure how much the renovation of your dreams will cost until you begin to gather quotes from a number of professional renovation companies, but you DO have an idea of how much you can afford to pay. If you’re thinking about a major overhaul of an outdated home, this may require a visit to the loan officer at your bank. Some contractors and renovators offer their own financing or payment plans, and some even accept credit cards (pssssst… Highlight Homes recently instituted their own credit card payment program!)

Once you have all of those things in place, you’re ready to begin researching reputable renovation companies. Be sure that they are licensed, accredited, registered and insured. Check with professional groups like the Better Business Bureau to make sure there have been no complaints lodged against them. Most importantly, make certain you have a good rapport with the construction supervisor when you meet for your initial consultation since he will likely be your go-to person throughout the project. If you meet several companies and receive a range of quotes, try to avoid going with the lowest estimate just to save money. Reputation and rapport are every bit as important as cost savings – your home is one of the biggest investments you will ever make in your lifetime, and not really a place where you want to cut corners.

Highlight Homes welcomes the chance to take those ideas you’ve planted and help them bloom into something you never even dreamed was possible. We invite you to call or e-mail us to schedule an initial consultation so we can begin shaping up your design and estimate in order to get you on our busy Spring calendar before it fills up. The Highlight Homes design-build team can be reached by calling 678-873-9234, e-mailing info@highlighthomesga.com, or filling out our quick and helpful online contact form.  We look forward to hearing your ideas!

Atlanta Renovation Company Establishes Credit Card Payments and Installment Plans

As the nation’s economy struggles to right itself, small businesses everywhere are seeking out new solutions to help their customers continue to conduct “business as usual”. Highlight Homes is among those businesses.

“Our biggest obstacle of late is that several of our clients have been ready to roll forward on a renovation project, but have had difficulty securing a traditional loan through a bank due to more stringent lending  guidelines,” explains Highlight Homes’ Principal, Tony Pourhassan. “We hope our new credit card payment and installment plans will help alleviate that issue for many. It’s been a request we’ve received on multiple occasions and – like any good business owner – I want to meet the demand.”

Highlight Homes has always been customer-centered – designing beautiful renovations to fit each client’s distinctive tastes and unique needs, but they have been primarily a cash or check business to date. Through their new payment options, they can now design a payment system to fit their client’s budgetary needs – either through one credit card payment* or a series of payment installments.

“More and more homeowners are making the choice to stay put in their current homes and remodel, as opposed to putting their homes on the market and taking a loss in today’s volatile housing market,” says Pourhassan. “But families grow and change over time – whether we’re talking about the actual size of the family or a shift in their tastes. Some may have bought a home with small children in mind, but now they’re looking at teenagers who want more room to spread out. Others may have become empty nesters and they wish to reclaim their spaces. No matter the motivation, we welcome the chance to help them transform their home to fit their family’s current needs and wishes.”

Highlight Homes offers more than 25 years experience in custom building and home renovation. This Georgia-based company serves all of Metro Atlanta and surrounding areas including Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Newnan, Peachtree City, and beyond. The design-build firm specializes in kitchen and bath remodels, deck and patio installations, window and door replacement, room additions, basement finishing, and so much more. To schedule a no-obligation consultation with Tony and his team, call 678-873-9234, e-mail info@highlighthomesga.com, or fill out Highlight Homes’ convenient online contact form.

* Credit card transactions are subject to a nominal convenience charge of 2.25%. Tax will only be charged on the cost of materials, services are tax-free.

Image Credit:  CREDIT CARD  © Yury Shirokov | Dreamstime.com

PANTONE® Announces its Color of the Year 2012: Tangerine Tango

The whimsical and romantic pink that is PANTONE® 18-2120 Honeysuckle has officially passed the torch for Color of the Year to “a spirited reddish orange” aptly titled PANTONE® 17-1463 Tangerine Tango. Thanks to the nod from PANTONE, orange – a color often associated with happiness, energy, encouragement, and creativity – can now be found ruling the runways from Paris to Milan to New York, adorning the pages of interior design and fashion magazines, lining cosmetic counters in countless department stores, and gracing the walls and sofas of homes all over the world.

PANTONE, LLC – an X-rite company (NASDAQ: XRIT) – is THE global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries. Tangerine Tango – their vivacious, enticing Color of the Year 2012 makes a great addition to homes in the form of bedspreads, accent pillows, tabletop accessories, artwork, and accent walls in rooms where you want to add a spicy punch of color. Orange plays well with stained woods, warm browns, bright whites, cool pinks, and lime greens. It’s a real attention-grabber, and – whether you wear it or decorate your home with it – is bound to get you noticed.

Highlight Homes is in the business of getting our clients’ homes noticed through our thoughtfully designed and well-executed home renovations. We’re huge fans of the color orange, and based one of our favorite kitchen remodels around Benjamin Moore’s “Clay Pot” – a beautiful earthy shade of orange. That particular remodel garnered the attention of Atlanta Home Improvement Magazine, and was featured in their December 2009 issue. Whether you want to find a creative way to add orange to your décor or just wish to bring positive change to your home in time for Spring, we invite you to contact Highlight Homes’ talented design-build team today by calling 678-873-9234, e-mailing info@highlighthomesga.com, or filling out our convenient online contact form. To receive news of our monthly specials and design tips/trends, we recommend you join our e-newsletter mailing list.