luxury renovation

Creating the Ideal Spaces for Your Love Story

Highlight Homes Atlanta Custom Homes, Luxury Renovations
Creating the Ideal Spaces for Your Love Story

They say that love makes a house a home. In celebration of Romance Awareness Month, Atlanta Custom Home Builder and Luxury Renovation Company – Highlight Homes wishes to reveal a number of ways that you can add an air of romance to your renovation or custom home construction. By incorporating one or more of these suggestions to your blueprints, you will be creating the ideal spaces in which your own special love story will unfold…

  • Master Bedroom: Well, this one is fairly obvious. The bedroom is the place where you will spend more than 2,500 hours a year – and only some of that will be spent sleeping. To create a sense of comfort blended with a slightly sultry suggestiveness, textures, colors and décor will play a major role. Design to fit your blended tastes and shared memories. For instance, if you share a particularly special memory of a vacation to the beach, you may want to incorporate nautically themed elements. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to place a cheesy conch shell lamp on each bedside table. You can achieve the FEELING of a seaside sophistication through use of color, artwork and linens. If you’re looking for a more mainstream theme, colors like red, pink and white are often associated with romance and can appear as pops of color as an accent wall, in throw pillows, in an area rug, in your bed top linens – just to name a few. Satin, velvet and Egyptian cotton linens are also often associated with romance. The theory of Feng Shui suggests decorating in pairs to suggest harmony. Add a little mood lighting with a gorgeous chandelier hung directly over the bed or a handsome pair of pendant lights hung over your nightstands. You may want to incorporate a dimmer switch to soften the light. Lastly, floor-length curtains on each of the windows enhance the sense of romance.
  • Master Bathroom: The overall feel should be one of luxury. From a large claw-footed soaking tub to a super-sized walk-in shower, the suggestion here is that you make room for two. Flowers and candles will add a little romance to the air. This is another space where a dimmable switch may prove useful. Dual vanities are important for keeping the peace, as are his and her walk-in closets – so you may want to consider incorporating these in your custom master bathroom or bathroom remodel.
  • Kitchen: If you and your loved one LOVE to cook, your kitchen should be designed to support the two of you working side-by-side. Incorporating a large kitchen island that equally suited for food prep as it is for seating means that – for those couples who DON’T share a love of cooking – one can sit and chat while the other works their magic on the stove.
  • Family Room: The focal point of your family room should be the fireplace. Create a cozy setting around the mantle – no matter the weather outside – where you can enjoy cuddling with the one you love. Surround yourself with some of your favorite photos from different chapters of your love story together. Again, candles and floor length window treatments will serve to enhance the air of romance in this space.
  • Outdoor Living Spaces: What’s more romantic than a night spent in front of a crackling fire out under the stars. A firepit or built-in outdoor hearth can be your focal point, surrounding by cozy outdoor seating that’s ideal for cuddling. String lights above to add to the enchantment of this space. Imagine enjoying cocktails and sharing stories with the love of your life here for years to come.

The best news of all is that Highlight Homes can help you begin incorporating all of this and more in either a renovation of your existing home or the construction of a custom home. To learn more about Highlight Homes and our signature design-build method, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com. Once you’re ready to get started, contact us at 678-874-9234 or info@highlighthomesga.com. We’d love to have a hand in creating a beautiful backdrop for your happily ever after!

Dinner Theater: Spotlight on the Dining Room

Highlight Homes Atlanta Custom Homes, Luxury Renovations
Dinner Theater: Spotlight on the Dining Room

What better time to shine the spotlight on the subject of the dining room than the holidays? It’s a time when many of us flex our entertaining muscle and put the flow between our kitchen and dining room to the test. One of the MANY benefits of building a custom home or undergoing a luxury home renovation is that YOU get to call the shots where the design of your layout is concerned – often based on a blend of your wants, needs and tastes. Highlight Homes – a custom home builder and master renovator – has compiled the following list of considerations when designing the dining room of your dreams…

Occasions Take Shape: If you like to host a large group for the holidays or more intimate affairs any time of the year, the shape of your dining room is a major factor. A larger, rectangular room to accommodate a long dining room table with room enough for up to 10 to 12 guests may be on one end of the spectrum while a square space to accommodate a round table for up to 6 to 8 guests is on the other. This is your stage, so decide what shape and size works best for you and your family.

Table Setting: The dining room will serve as the backdrop to a treasure trove of occasions – from gatherings with neighbors to memorable family events to countless holiday celebrations. The décor of your dining room will set the tone. Your woodwork and lighting choices can add a sense of comfort or air of elegance. A stately chandelier and coffered ceiling paired with traditional chair rail, wainscoting and crown molding serve to make the room feel more formal while shiplap walls and industrial or farmhouse-themed lighting may make the space seem more casual and inviting.

Go with the Flow: You could have the most beautiful dining room in the world, but the MEAL and the company who shares it will always be central to any occasion.  Just as you would in any successful restaurant, to aid in making each meal a success, you want a seamless flow between your kitchen and the dining space. If entertaining is one of your favorite pastimes, you’ll want to place a major emphasis on flow with your architect or designer when creating your custom home or undergoing a renovation. You might want to consider the incorporation of a butler’s pantry between the kitchen and dining room to shorten the length of travel when refreshing drinks during the meal or for guests who demand seconds.

Location, Location, Location: The placement of your dining room within the home is also key. If you crave privacy, you may want to place it towards the rear of the home, overlooking your private backyard. This placement will also prove most helpful if you are a grill master and need to have easy access to your outdoor living space.  If you want to advertise to your neighbors what an AWESOME entertainer you are, you may want to place your dining room towards the front of the home – with a large picture or bay window to frame the scene inside.

Whether an element of your custom home design or part of your luxury renovation, Highlight Homes welcomes the chance to help you realize the dining room you’ve always dreamed of having. Getting started is easy! Simply call us at 678-873-9234 or email us at info@highlighthomesga.com to schedule your no obligation consultation. You can also elect to complete our convenient online contact form.

From all of us here at Highlight Homes, we wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season!

4 Treatments That Will Take Your Walls From Drab to Fab

Highlight Homes Atlanta Custom Homes, Luxury Renovations
4 Treatments That Will Take Your Walls From Drab to Fab

When we were kids, we all basically drew a house the same way… a square with a triangle roof, a rectangular chimney with a wisp of smoke coming out of it, a few windows and a door with a circle for a door knob. While our artistic skills may have been a bit limited at 5, just think what our imaginations could have done with the interior of that little square house. Now that we’re adults with more refined tastes, it’s still important to use our imaginations when designing a home. A room is basically four walls with a couple of windows thrown in to let in the light. In order to take that living space from drab to FAB, let your imagination run wild!

The greatest thing about interior design today is that there are no rules. There may be trends and style dictates, but the growth of the eclectic movement means that virtually anything goes. Let’s take a blank wall to treat as our canvas. Where – in the past – you may have a variety of colors for your wall, offset by a different color for the trim OR you may elect to hang some old school wallpaper for a little added excitement. If you were feeling particularly daring, you may have elected to paint ONE accent wall in a different shade than the other three walls in the room. For an air of luxury, you might have added some special woodworking, such as a chair rail, crown moulding or wainscoting. While all of those options are still not only perfectly acceptable, but downright delightful when done properly – there are a wealth of other possibilities open to you to make a room feel exciting and inviting at the same time…

Shiplap and other Wood Wall Treatments

Wood walls – like the wildly popular shiplap treatment – add texture to a space. Depending on the color of the wood you choose, whether stained or painted, you can also add warmth. Shiplap, often seen on the exterior of homes and barns, has become increasingly trendy for use INSIDE the home. The wood could be sanded smooth and painted for a more sophisticated feel or rough-hewn and weathered for a more rustic sense. Consider the bedroom for this wall treatment – if you have an eye-catching wood wall against which you can set your bed, there’s not really a need for a headboard. The entire wall – with a pair of equally stunning mounted wall lamps – may give the appearance of one massive headboard.

Tile

Initially introduced to protect walls in the kitchen and bathroom from water damage, tile is now used to enhance these spaces beautifully. From sleek and shiny subway tile in the master bath to an eye-catching and elegant mosaic tile in the kitchen, tile can really help you DEFINE the look and feel of the space. No longer limited to the bathroom and kitchen, it’s not uncommon to find tile – now available in a variety of materials and textures – in the living room and dining room.

Brick

With the ever-increasing popularity of the industrial look in interior design, the use of brick walls – whether real or faux – have really taken off. There’s something lasting, solid and somewhat masculine about brick that lends those same qualities to a space, making it a great fit for a man cave or accent wall in an intown home. Still, it’s a classic that can be used virtually anywhere. Imagine it in a KITCHEN – wouldn’t that be gorgeous!?

Stone

Not just for exteriors and fireplaces anymore, stacked stone is becoming all the rage on interior walls. A cool blend of rusticity and refinement, a stacked stone wall can add texture and warmth to a space. Because stone is so heavy, many designers elect to incorporate faux stacked stone veneer panels. You can still achieve the same look at a fraction of the cost. Imagine a stone wall in a room that leads to the outdoors, suggesting a fusion of the interior and outdoor living spaces for gorgeous results.

Highlight Homes is an award-winning Atlanta-based custom home builder and master renovator. To learn more about how Highlight Homes can help you infuse any of the suggested looks above into your own home, visit www.highlighthomesga.com or call 678-873-9234.

Commemorate National Anti-Boredom Month with Highlight Homes

Highlight Homes Atlanta Custom Homes, Luxury Renovations
Commemorate National Anti-Boredom Month with Highlight Homes

cheers shutterstock_297917804While a luxury kitchen renovation, room addition or reimagined exterior could go a long way in transforming the appearance of your residence, remodeling projects geared at tackling its functionality could rekindle your love affair with the place your family calls home. The month of July is not only an occasion for celebrating our nation’s independence, it’s also National Anti-Boredom Month. When considering a renovation project from the angle of chasing away the dreaded echoes of “I’m bored,” that’s when the real fun begins!  Here are just a few renovation projects that could go a long way in battling boredom:

Home Theater:

A state-of-the-art media space with all the bells and whistles – made to look and feel like an actual theater – is an ideal fit for a family of movie buffs and sports fans. Imagine countless slumber parties hosted in this space, as well as tailgate parties for the day of the “big game.” If you have an avid gamer in your midst, you can ramp up this room’s functionality by adding video game components for hours of engaging play.

Finished Basement:

Whether your basement is already finished or has been left unfinished and used primarily for storage, it can be reimagined into a space that will likely become your family’s favorite go-to destination. For a family who loves to entertain, a bar with kitchen that opens to a spacious multi-functional room with pool table, sprawling sectional and big screen TV may prove the ideal answer. For the family who loves to host overnight guests, you can finish a couple of warm and welcoming guestrooms here with attached full baths and a gathering space at the center; and for the family who likes to stay fit, an expansive home gym may be the perfect addition. The possibilities are truly endless!

Outdoor Living Space:

HighlightHomes-ad-for-Atlanta-Home-Improvement-Magazine-Apr09-photo-300x199Holding its own as one of the hottest remodeling trends as more and more families opt to extend their home’s functionality to the Great Outdoors, a focus on an Outdoor Living Space is always a wise choice. Have someone in the family who fancies him or herself as an aspiring chef? An outdoor kitchen with counter for “live culinary performances and luxury dining space for sharing the fruits of your labor is a terrific use of your existing exterior space. Active families may prefer a pool with dedicated pool house, while families who like to kick back and relax may be better served by a covered space that comprises an outdoor hearth, weather-resistant flat screen TV and loads of cozy seating. An outdoor oasis with sprawling garden, koi pond, gazebo with pathways emanating out in all direction plus benches for reflecting might be the perfect escape at the end of a long day.

Atlanta-based Highlight Homes welcomes the opportunity to help you chase the boredom blues away! Celebrate National Anti-Boredom Month with us by booking a luxury home renovation with our talented team. We can design-and-build the ideal space to fit your family’s unique needs, wishes and collective personality. To get started, simply call us at 678-873-9234, email us at info@highlighthomesga.com or fill out our convenient online contact form and someone will be in touch with you shortly!  To learn more about Highlight Homes and view our online gallery of work, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com.