As times change so do houses, and the way we use them! Nowadays many of us live in homes built during an older generation. These traditional homes have a more formal layout in which the different functions of a house are compartmentalized into different areas. So there are formal living rooms, dining rooms, etc. all separated and divided per function. As times have changed we have seen trends emerge in the field of interiors and here are just a few areas we can highlight when thinking of remodeling your current home to fit your needs and the needs of your modern family.

The Great Room

The Great Room Concept is one that has really become quite popular in current day remodeling whether the style of the home is traditional or modern. This is a concept that originated in modern architecture with the idea of having a large open multi-functional space. This one large room can often incorporate the kitchen, dining and living room areas. Many times this room can also include raised or cathedral ceilings to accentuate the grand size of the space. By organizing popular functions of the home together you save square footage but gain functionality.

This is a popular trend in design now because of it’s inclusively. No longer is the mother or father relegated off to an enclosed kitchen where the food prep is completed and then everything must be brought out to the formal dining area and after dinner everything must be taking back to the kitchen and cleaned while guests go to a formal sitting room. Most people that I know who still have formal dining areas rarely use the spaces with the exception of holiday times. Now days’, including guests and the host in a large space has just become more practical. Dad can be cooking, while Mom pays bills and the kids are doing their homework, all in the same room with the family pet, it’s a concept that many are trending too.

“Sounds great! How do I create a great room?”

Remodeling an older home can be tricky, but with Foster Remodeling Solutions we can help you every step of the way. Whether it’s as simple as taking down the wall between the kitchen and dining or a full renovation we can work with you to develop the best design possible. Here’s few quick tips: When thinking of designing a great room is always a good idea to incorporate as much light as possible, through windows and/or skylights, this will brighten the space to emphasize how open and airy it is. It is also a good idea to keep overall paint choices brighter, this will keep the room from feeling too heavy. If you do want something darker, choose an accent wall so that you can get in that rich color without overwhelming the space.

Give us a call and let us create a great room for you!

We are a design-build contractor that provides architectural and construction services for garages. Whether you need a place to keep your everyday automobiles, protect your specialty vehicles or a quiet place to work on hobby projects, Foster Remodeling can help you create a haven from the weather. If you need extra storage space for games, toys, sports equipment and infrequently used household supplies, we can help you find the perfect place to keep them without taking away from room for automobiles.

Using our design-build software, we can create Northern Virginia home additions that are tailored to the homeowner. We use the space you have available and help you decide how to best use it. Together we can choose the best materials, colors and construction plan to create something that works for you. Before you give us a call, take a mental survey of what you would like to do with your new garage. Consider the number of vehicles you would like to house, any special height clearance issues, and other objects that will need to “live” in the garage. This includes bicycles, a shelving system, strollers, toolboxes and hobby equipment. If you have a growing family, you may want to think about the future number of drivers and vehicles that will call the garage home.

We can do either attached or detached garages, depending on your needs and space available. We will help you secure the proper permits required and we can make sure your project is completed on budget and on time.

Older model stoves take longer to heat up and cool, making unattended hot surfaces a burn and fire hazard. Newer models heat up instantly, speeding up the cooking process. While at a glance waiting for an electric stove may simply be an annoyance, in reality it is a time waster that puts people in a hurry to finish cooking. A delay in getting started creates a delay in getting finished. Rushing around a kitchen with hot pots and pans is never safe.

Consider refrigerators that have been in use for a long time. Doors that stick and must be tugged open are a safety hazard, not to mention an inconvenience. Pulling too hard jars the contents and may cause it to tip over completely. Custom remodeling projects can eliminate these problems.

Appliances are not the only risks that can be improved with a kitchen remodeling project. It seems storage is always a challenge for homeowners, especially in the kitchen. The signs of it are probably there. Are you constantly tripping or bumping into certain items in your kitchen? Maybe that quaint “onions and ‘taters” box that you bought at the craft fair some years ago has become a huge dust collector that people trip on as they round the corner. The cabinet over the stove has great storage space, but trying to reach it is difficult, even with a stepstool. Every time you open the pantry door it squeaks. These are all signs that your storage compartments are out of date.

Having room for everything that is used regularly in a kitchen is crucial. If there are things sitting on the countertops because there is no room for them, this is a sure sign that a kitchen remodel is in order. You will need a custom remodeling contractor that understands how to create a safer kitchen area for your entire family.

At Foster Remodeling, our design-build program will help you find storage space you never realized you had. After taking kitchen measurements, plug in the different elements on the layout. This will help you find more room for bigger cabinets. Replacing bulky items with newer compact ones will conserve space needed for other things and a safer, more pleasant kitchen environment is key.

Safety and Efficiency

These changes may prompt you to make adjustments in the layout of the home. The current setup is no longer efficient for everyone’s purposes and it’s time to redesign. With a new baby on the way, it may mean simply changing the office into the nursery. On the other hand, there may be several safety hazards throughout the home that need to be remedied. For example, staircase railings with wide gaps in between balusters should be replaced with less dangerous ones.

Bringing your mother or father into the home may require something a little more dramatic in interior remodeling, especially if they have difficulty moving about and require a walker or wheelchair. Countertops and doorways may need to be lowered or widened. All floor surfaces should be mobility-friendly. There may be a need for privacy or separate quarters altogether. Consider a home addition or makeover so that living areas will not be cramped and stressful.

Comfort

Are there enough bathrooms in the house to accommodate everyone? There can never be enough storage space. Think about adding an office for working at home, or making an extra kitchen so Mom or Dad can fix something to eat without having to cook for the whole family. We can show you how to make a kitchen remodel cost less.

Whether changing a single room or building an addition, Foster Remodeling can serve as both the architect and builder for these projects, with its Design Build services. Come in and see what it would look like on our virtual model. You may conjure up some ideas you haven’t even thought of yet or we can suggest a few.

Professional Advice

The experts at Foster Remodeling are familiar with the requirements for expanding and adjusting space and securing building permits in Northern Virginia. Home renovations may include moving walls, changing plumbing pipe layouts and electrical wiring are projects we do regularly. ADA recommendations are easily met by our designers and we can help you learn the right height and width needs for doorways, railings and living spaces.

Rather than making further changes in your lifestyle by moving, keep the home you have and make some adjustments. Changing your existing home to suit your needs is easier than finding a new one with all of the creature comforts you are seeking.

If it embarrasses or annoys you, now is the time to consider remodeling. Consult with Foster Remodeling, a leading design build contractor to help you find the products you want and need for this plan. Think about what you wish you had, what really needs to be changed and what features you already have that you cannot live without. Some things to consider are color, material, features and budget.

Color

Color schemes in custom remodeling projects do not only cover fixtures, but coordination with walls, floors and ceilings. Paint is easy to match to fixture colors. Wallpaper is another option. Try coordinating or contrasting basic colors with neutral or softer tones. Consider the color of towels and accessories that will be used in the bathroom. See what color towel sets are available in your favorite department store. Finding the right shade of aqua or burgundy can be frustrating. By using neutrals in your color scheme, white, beige or pastels it will be easier to match your new décor.

Material

Gone are the days when all floors are made of tile and all bathtubs are made of porcelain. Modern materials are more durable, easier to clean and do not have moisture problems. Options include stone, ceramic or vinyl flooring. Special grout is now available to prevent cracking and popping with everyday use. Bathtubs and showers come in a variety of materials as well. The popularity of acrylic is increasing, since it is not cold to the touch when you step in and it keeps bathwater hot longer. The material is light and works well in an upstairs bathroom area. Heavier materials, such as cast iron or stone, are more appropriate for downstairs bathrooms.

Features

Choosing between a shower or bathtub can be a difficult decision, often depending on your personal preference and on how much room you have. Remodeling your bathroom should create a place a comfort and privacy. Add whirlpools, heat lamps, fans, dressing tables and accessories to create a place of luxury and comfort. Proper lighting in a bathroom is essential in a remodeling project. Use more than one light source to enhance the room. Utility is important, as well. When using the area to apply cosmetics or shave, you need to be able to see what you are doing.

Budget

While some features may cost more than others, making changes all at once while doing interior remodeling can be more cost effective than making additional changes later. Prices vary greatly on fixtures and faucets. Select those that match the style and mood of the pieces in the bathroom. High quality materials require elegant faucets. They do not have to be expensive to look nice, but better quality plumbing products last longer. Foster Remodeling Solutions uses only the finest quality fixtures from the top brands so that our work will last a long time.

Foster Remodeling Solutions has been doing Northern Virginia bathroom remodeling for more than 25 years and knows the ins and outs of getting the job done right the first time. We can help you choose the right features and materials to suit your budget, your style and your needs.

For Northern Virginia home renovations, Foster Remodeling is the ideal choice for making a homeowner’s vision come true. By combining a designer with a builder, any custom remodeling project becomes easier.

Streamlined Project Management

Custom remodeling projects often involve many different types of specialized labor. Plumbers, carpenters, painters, and stone workers could all be used on the same job. With this many different people and companies on one job, it pays to have a single point of contact. A design build contractor allows homeowners to go through one single person to relay all design and construction information. This makes managing the workforce much more convenient by eliminating unnecessary red tape. Ultimately, projects become more flexible with a single person heading all aspects of the job.

Saving Money And Meeting Budgets

It is estimated that nearly 50% of projects headed by a general contractor go over budget. By comparison, the average design build contractor will only go over budget 5% of the time. That significant savings is achieved through a unique process. Efficiencies are created through comprehensive quotes rather than “wage plus materials” quotes, in-house design work, and effective communication between the homeowner and contractor. Both sides of the project work together to create a plan that uses the materials and methods that will maximize the value added to a home while satisfying the project’s goals.

Responsibility

Many homeowners know that when a small army of contractors and subcontractors are all working in close proximity, there will be finger-pointing when mistakes occur. Each separate company may be more worried about protecting their work than fixing a mistake. An integrated design and build approach assembles an entire team under one umbrella, increasing transparency and accountability. With a clear chain of command and oversight, mistakes are identified and corrected without playing the blame game. This fosters an environment where issues are openly address, rather than trying to hide them from the boss or homeowner.

Open Lines Of Communication

Communication is the foundation of any job. Nearly every plan will require a second look as work gets underway and hidden situations come to light. When information passes through many different people and between different companies, the message usually doesn’t come out the same as when it started. The homeowner can effectively communicate with the entire construction and design team much more easily since they are one and the same.

In the end, the design build contractor utilizes a compressive design and work team to streamline a project, stay on budget, assume responsibility, and keep communications flowing. Foster Remodeling is the best choice to complete custom remodeling projects.

When it comes to home improvement, some people swear by the do it yourself approach. In the end, however, the best way to increase the value of a home is to make sure any changes done are well suited for the period and scale of the home as well as adding functionality. This is where a design build contractor comes into play. Using years of experience in home improvements for many types of houses, a design build contractor can not only perform a custom remodeling to build equity, but they also keep the house current and consistent in style.

Let’s take a look at a few examples of where custom remodeling can be done in a home to provide the best return on investment.

The Kitchen

The kitchen is the first place that renovations can occur to maximize a home’s value. Kitchens tend to receive the largest share of wear and tear in any home and they also follow current trends in color and style, both of which requires renovation and repair. Modern kitchens are a sound investment and most realtors agree it is the first room that most prospective buyers look at with a critical eye.

A few specific upgrades that your design build contractor will consider are improvements that add functionality to the room. Dual sinks and cooking stations are common renovations. Adding space is always a good choice and can be accomplished with a walk-in pantry or breakfast nook. Some cosmetic changes that are worth the investment include under-cabinet lighting, marble or granite countertops, and ceramic tile backsplashes.

Bathrooms – Upgrades and Additions

After the kitchen, the best way to define a modern home is with multiple baths. A home with more than one bathroom will sell faster and at a better price, so it is a great return on the custom remodeling investment. For homes with more than one bath already, renovations such as skylights, walk-in-showers, glass block windows, and raised ceilings command a great deal of attention.

Added Spaces

In general, you can’t go wrong with adding space to a home. A design build contractor can work with the homeowner to both increase usable space while creating additions that blend into the original home flawlessly. Popular choices here include decks, sunrooms, and finished basements.

When building equity in a home, renovations and upgrades performed by design build contractors provide the most cost effective increase in home value.

No matter the reason you have, projects always have to be done on a strict budget. Discount remodeling is a key factor in home improvement when you want to feel good about the money spent on improving a home as well as realizing a positive net investment in your home. In order to get the most benefit at the right cost, the best option is to consult a design build contractor.

The Typical Contractor

You probably have had experiences with a contractor before. A contractor usually offers a quote on an arrangement known as “wage plus materials.” If this is ringing a bell, you know that the quote offered is just for the cost of labor; the cost of materials is not included and the price will be added on at the end of the project.

You’ve had the experience before of receiving an attractive quote, only to be thrown off budget before your so-called discount remodeling project was over. Keeping yourself on budget during home improvement projects is now easier and more reliable when working with a design build contractor.

The Solution

A design build contractor is an improvement over your typical contractor and is the best option for discount home improvement. A design build contractor does it the right way and gives you a quote for an entire project up front. This type of contractor works with you to design your discount remodeling plan.

This makes budgeting a home improvement project much easier because the design build contractor will work with you to draw up the plan for the entire project, both wage and materials, in order to ensure that the particulars are covered within your specified price range. These unique benefits will even lower costs since your design build contractor will not be hiring a consultant to create a detailed plan to work from, instead you do it together.

Today’s Trend

With the glut of Do-It-Yourself TV shows being broadcast, many people think that the best solution for discount remodeling is the DIY method. While it might seem that DIY remodeling would be the most cost effective plan, there are still many perils that usually render this untrue. DIY mistakes tend to be costly and can easily throw you off budget. For those of us who are truly not mechanically inclined, long hours will have to be put in to master the learning curve. Sometimes a project is too complicated, or special equipment is required, so outside help might still be needed.

You have options for your discount home improvement projects. The crafty spendthrifts love to take a chance on DIY, but a design build contractor gets the work done at the right price quickly.