Your Million-Dollar Home for Less

Home design is like creating your own piece of art -- whatever comes out of it becomes a representation of who you are as a person; an embodiment of your likes, taste, and personal preferences. So as much as it takes a great deal of effort, time, and energy, deciding on a design or theme for home can turn out to be an ordeal especially if one lacks knowledge on the matter.

One of the most common goals homeowners set in home design is to achieve a classy, elegant look. And contrary to what many might think, it actually does not require a million dollars or more to design your home in such a way that it looks expensive. The key is buying the right light fixtures and simply putting them all in the right places.

Lighting is a major element in design; bad lighting can ruin wonderful design concepts and can also bring out the best even in mediocre ones. And in the attempt to create a luxurious, million-dollar home, lighting can be your number one ally. Here are some tips on how you can light your home to envy-worthy, head-turning, and jaw-dropping opulence:

1. Let as much natural light into the indoors.
Have you noticed how Hollywood has depicted homes of the rich and famous to be -- always light, sleek, and vibrant? If you have big windows, allow generous amount of sunlight into your home by putting on sheer, cotton curtains in light or pastel colors. This will give your interiors a soft, clean, and classy finish.

2. Invest on quality indoor and outdoor lighting.
While it's true that you don't have to be a millionaire to be able to live in a luxurious-looking home, some investments may still have to be necessary. Quality lighting does come at a hefty price, but it's always worth it. These fixtures are energy-efficient, safe, and most of all, long-lasting. If you'd like to take a look at some luxury lights - click here.

3. Learn the art of layered lighting.
Many times, installing just one light fixture in each of the rooms may not be enough because there are instances in which the effect you would like to achieve requires layered lighting. For instance, the home study or office may seem like it would do with just one directional light and nothing else, but actually, work spaces require more than just task lighting that will give direct illumination on your keyboard, notes, or books; they also need ambient lighting to keep stress levels lower and reduce the risk of migraine that often results from too much glare from the computer monitor. In this case, your ambient lights can even double as a decorative fixture and give your home office a classy, upscale feel.

4. The perfect chandelier is always worth it.
Going for a single, head-turning focal point is usually more effective than dressing up every nook and cranny of the house; overdoing the ornamentation can even turn out to be tacky and tasteless. In this case, a gorgeous pendant light or chandelier of the right size and the appropriate design will be enough to do the trick.

About the Guest Writer:

Cedric Loiselle is a highly talented writer who enjoys imparting useful information about home improvement to his readers. For lighting options, he highly recommends interior-deluxe.com.

Class for Class: Decor Themes that Suit the Sophistication of Teak Furniture

Teak furniture, because of the durability and rarity of the wood from which they're made, are among the most expensive high-end pieces in a furniture store. In fact, if you own or want to buy a piece of teak furniture -- whether it be a sofa, a dining set, or an Adirondack chair -- chances are that you have a superb taste for style and a considerable amount of money to spend.

Having achieved such a level of sophistication and prosperity, you should make sure to set your teak furniture in an appropriately polished decor setting. Here are some options to consider:


THE VICTORIAN STYLE
Victorian art, developed in the 18th and 19th centuries, has a particular aristocratic, decorated and luxurious feel. Fittingly, the Victorian style of interior design is elaborate, characterized by ornamentation and orderliness. In contrast, its color palette consists of deep and saturated tones -- dark reds and gold playing a starring role, with bright shades being almost entirely left out. Decorations, on the other hand, are eye-catching, with patterns of birds and flowers being very common.

Teak furniture can suit the Victorian style because teak can be made to look like antique pieces of sofa, tables and even beds, which are commonly used for Victorian interiors. Teak is already characteristically dense, so finishing it with a dark varnish will make it blend in perfectly with the Victorian style's deep and pervading colors, allowing the space's decorations to pop out in true Victorian style.

THE MINIMALIST STYLE
The minimalist style is often called the antithesis of the Victorian's because minimalism in design makes use only of functional furniture and decorations. Its appearance is thus very clean, featuring lots of free space and with no room for clutter. Predictably, the colors minimalism uses are usually simple and muted, with white being the background for the few black, brown, or beige pieces in the room.

Surprisingly, even if teak furniture can be made to suit the Victorian style, it can likewise fit a space designed with minimalism in mind. Instead of the premium wooden furniture serving as part of the backdrop, which it does in Victorian style rooms, teak furniture becomes the highlight of minimalist style spaces. Therefore, if you'd like your high-end teaks to be the focal point of a room's design, minimalism is the right style direction.

THE SCANDINAVIAN STYLE
The Scandinavian style is undoubtedly a favorite not just for home owners but for interior designers alike. This style is characterized by simplicity, elegance and functionality which is why a lot of modern homes are looking after this design. Scandinavian homes have a pure, pared back style that focuses on clean lines, flawless craftsmanship and warm functionality.
Moreover, this design can be applied to almost any space – big or small and can fit to any budget. The interior design ideas are also endless. The color palette for Scandinavian designs is usually of white, soft white, soft dove grey color and relaxing tones of nature. White walls can make your space looks brighter and bigger. It also leaves you open to add in more of your favorite colors. Floors in all rooms apart from the bathroom are generally made of wood, timber flooring being the most favored option.
Read this article from Freshhome to get more tips in creating a Scandinavian interior.


THE ROMANTIC STYLE
The romantic style of interior decorating is especially comfortable and soothing. It makes use of vivid colors with reds, pinks, oranges, and yellows providing a welcoming atmosphere. And because the eyes are already drawn to such a rich color palette, walls are usually kept plain, without a lot of patterns or decorations.

Teak furniture can do just as well in romantic-styled spaces if these magnificent wooden pieces are appropriately fitted with colorful and cozy accessories. A teak dining set, for example, can have chairs cushioned with bright-colored padding, while the table can be lined with eye-catching tablecloth. Thus, while the wood of teak pieces are usually simple and heavy-looking, the frills that are partnered with them can make teak pieces a perfect fit when designing with the romantic style.


THE ITALIAN STYLE
The easiest way to describe the Italian style of interior design is that it looks expensive. Its contemporary feel is very trendy and fashionable, but always with a luxurious aura. Colors, meanwhile, are used mainly as highlights, with pieces of furniture often being partnered with leather and velvet to give the items an expensive feel.

What's fortunate about using teal furniture in an Italian-styled space is that teal pieces are already expensive-looking. All a designer will have to consider, therefore, is that a teal piece's accessories are appropriately luxurious as well. A teal-framed couch, for instance, can be fitted with beige leather and topped bright red throw pillows, bringing the Italian style to the forefront.

THE ELECTIC STYLE
Johan Joachim Winckelmann is said to be the first person to ever bring the word “eclectic” into the world. The philosophy behind this style is to put together different pieces and combine different elements from different time period and origins within one single project. This interior design style thus, is best for people who could not choose any particular design for their home. In eclectic style, it is more of matching things without making the final output look either messy or boring.
As such, this design requires lot of thoughts, efforts and creativity to be able to mix together lots of elements into a piece of art that can be understood not only by designers but to every people who will see it. This style is now becoming a hit as people crave for more personalized ideas to represent who they really are. Donatella Versace, Grammy award winner Shawn Colvin and Lauren Santo Domigo are but just a few of the celebrities who grasp eclecticism on their very own homes.

About the Guest Writer:
Cheryl Lim works at Scanteak - a renowned brand that sells beautifully designed and lasting teak furniture in Singapore and around the world.  At Scanteak, we pride ourselves on 39 years of crafting Teak, a prized tropical hardwood, into furniture of timeless, classic designs. Our Scandinavian ideology maintains that furniture should complement our lifestyles, so that we’ll always have time for the things that truly matter – friends, family, and feeling at home.

Porch

Summer is almost over but here in Maine, we would do everything to prolong summer the best way we can. It may not be possible to do it literally but we can do it by doing what we love best until the snow finally falls on the ground.

One of the activities we love doing during summer is grilling. We love our cookouts. If we can have cookouts all-year-round we would do it. And there is no better way to have cookouts but at your porch.

Here are some photos of one of the porches that I've done.

If you want one like this...

New porch for my girl

Last November I got a little busy working on my daughter's porch. Her old one was already dangerously worn out and almost dilapidated.

 

Photo of my boy going down the stairs. Look how worn out they are.

 

 Photos of my boy years ago at the porch while sissy was grilling.

Well, porch is one of my expertise, bragging aside so I am sharing some of the photos of the finished job that my Sweetie took.

 This is the stairs looking down from the smaller or upper porch at the main door.

 Same stairs going down the landing or the bigger or lower porch.

 

This lower porch is big enough for outdoor entertaining, grilling, chilling, or sunbathing which my daughter loves doing during summertime.

 

The second stairs going to the lower porch.

It took me about a couple of weeks to finish the job. It could be shorter if not for the weather. So if you like to have one like this.... contact me. wink*** :)

Raw

In life... we got the vantage point on everything we built. We only need to get different perspective on things.

To Join Photo Friday Challenge... click HERE.

Between Ice-Fishing and Glasses

My Sweetie can’t believe that I have not gone fishing as often as I used to. Blame it to work. Blame it to weather. Blame it to timing. Blame it to anything you want but "me". Because as for me, I really wanted to go fishing as often as I want to but I just couldn’t.

The weather has gone crazy this winter. The higher than normal winter temperature this year helped the lakes and ponds warmed up and thawed the ice. Thank you very much.

My Sweetie can’t believe that we didn’t join the Sabago Lake Ice-Fishing Derby this year. This is the only year that we didn’t join it since she came here in Maine. She so loves it. It is the only outdoor activity that I don’t hear her whines… a lot. Wink*

It would have been nicer if I had a project going on so I would have a valid alibi for not using my fishing license which cost more than what my Sweetie paid for her Zenni Optical glasses that she bought online. It would have been nicer if I was too busy working on even just a little room renovation at least I know that I have something to look forward to... to pay my bills. And it would have been nicer if I do have a project and be able to go ice-fishing on weekends like I used to.

DIY in the CES

With the current economic situation... [Oh yeah, You must have already noticed by now that I usually have the phrase... "with the current or present economic situation or crisis" in most of my posts here. Sorry, can't help it.] people are looking for more ways to save without sacrificing their lifestyle. The economic situation dictates the people lifestyle and if the economy is down, lifestyle spiral down as well.

But with the [again] current economic situation (CES) there are things that we need to address no matter what or problems that need immediate solution irregardless if we have the resources or not. And in that case we need to come up with bright new ideas or alternative and effective solutions to address such needs.

In the field of construction, I have known for a long while now how hard it is to get new projects because more and more houses are being foreclosed and in that case, less and less new houses are being built. For a builder like me, in this CES we could have other alternative source of income through house renovations or additions. But honestly speaking, even that is getting very limited too.

In this CES the DIY or Do It Yourself - is getting more and more popular nowadays. More people are getting their hands dirty... renovating their own garages, porches, rooms, roof... almost all parts of their house. More people are doing their own house painting, landscaping, and even additions. Why not? It will save them more money on "labor". Hiring a carpenter will cost half of the budget.

Nowadays, I believe you don't need to have years of experience in carpentry to be able to build something simple because DIY is easy and readily available. All you need is some basic practical knowledge that you already learned from childhood [play], some skills from school [Math for measurement, Reading and Comprehension for following the instruction in the box, Science for mixing and stirring], a little determination to finish a project, a little inspiration or in my case "pushing and nagging" from loved ones, and a little sense of humor.

My Middle Name

Procrastination should be my middle name... Wifey always say. LOL

Oh well, I have been working on our home renovation for quite awhile now and I had to admit I have been delaying it for many reasons.

My hobbies are not really my priorities but somehow, it is my only outlet to forget about the bad economic situation. It relaxes me when I go hunting... although Wifey is not really happy when I complain about backache for walking for hours in the woods. That would really spark some arguments and a little nagging but still she would rub my back just the same.

But between carpentry and hunting... I still love my job because like hunting... I know I am good at it. hahaha

Well, I will surely find time to continue our renovation project. I just hope that the weather will cooperate... but wait... it's ice-fishing season now. So, let's see. wink*

Of decks and porches

Deck or porch is one part of the house which is very easy to build. It takes 3 to 1 week depending on the size of it and the materials being used.

Decks add beauty to the house. However, the functionality and purpose of the decks or porches can go beyond the authentic aspect of it.

Decks and porches can serve as additional room [with or without a roof] where you can entertain friends.

Decks and porches are good for hanging out during hot summer days to watch the sunrise or sunset.

Decks and porches are the best place and the first part of the house that one uses to enter the home sweet home. Want one of these? No problem just...

From useless Porch to Hot Spot

Having a hot tub right next to your bedroom or the kitchen is a welcome retreat from a hard day's work.

This is one of the addition we made this month for a farmer who works so hard in his farm the whole day braving a hat day under the fiery sun and dusty ground.

The new addition was a former screened porch that was used only for keeping their stuff what they no longer use or need. In other words... it was a useless room. And since it is useless we remodelled the old porch and turned it into something usefull.

The new addition is now a new room where they entertain friends and guests.

Fool-proof Roofing

Roofing is one of our expertise.

Roofing is one of the hardest jobs we do in building houses.

We use different kinds of materials for roofing depending on the owner's preference and budget.

Remodeling

Remodeling is an option.

Remodeling depends on the owner’s taste, needs, and budget.

Remodeling is inevitable.

Remodeling is renovating and reinventing lifestyle.

If you want to keep your home safe, remodeling is the way to do it. If you want to update your home to go with your growing family, remodel it. If you want to maintain your home’s good appearance, remodeling can be an alternative choice to do it.

Basement Renovation

Basement renovation is another good project for homes. If you have some space in the cellar which is not used or probably used as a place to dump your old stuff… we can create a new and functional room for you.

Basement renovation is one of the easiest ways to come up with a new room for recreational purposes.

This could be turned into a refuge for the man of the house where he could display all his trophies, valuable collections or maybe just a special place to watch football with his buddies without any distraction from the outside world.

It could also be a special place for the Housewife as her hobby room to do her crafts… a place for the kids to play or simply a family room where they can spend quality time and do fun things together as a family.

A Different Kind of Renovation

We construct house. We build houses. We renovate houses. That is the best description of the job we offer.

This WEBSITE is set to display and promote our work and to give basic information on the kind of work we do. This website is set to present relevant topics about building or renovating houses and other construction work we offer. This website aims to provide basic subject matters that home owners would like to know about renovation and possible alternative features for home construction and reconstruction needs.

And since we are in the business of construction and reconstruction, this WEBSITE underwent major reconstruction too.

Changes we made on this WEBSITE are the following:

1. WEBSITE NAME: From the former Website Title – GREGOIRE Construction… we now changed it to GREGOIRE Builders. But our maxim… “We don’t just build houses… we build dreams!” remains the same because we still strongly believe that.

2. WEBSITE URL: The change we made in our website’s name is due to the change of its URL. We recently bought this website its own domain. From it’s former URL http://gregoireconstruction.blogspot.com … we are now using www.gregoirebuilders.com as it’s new and official URL.

3. WEBSITE HEADER DESIGN: To keep up with the new changes of this website we also made a total reconstruction of its outlook and header design.

The FORMER Header Design bearing the old Website Title.

The NEW Header Design with the new Website Title.

4. WEBSITE LOGO: To match the new header design we also have the matching website logo

The OLD Website Logo.

The NEW Website Logo.

5. BUSINESS CARD: We also changed the old business card that we used.

The OLD Business Card.

The NEW Business Card.

If you have any question that you would like to ask us regarding home building and renovations, room alterations and additions, estimates and whatnot… don’t hesitate to ask. Just leave a comment or message and we will try our best to help you with your home concerns.