Budget Home Remodeling: It’s All Done with Mirrors

(ARA) – With the housing crunch keeping more homeowners in homes they’ve outgrown, and the economy keeping renovation budgets tight, more homeowners are looking for smaller home improvement projects that offer big return on investment. While many homeowners may think of remodeling as heavy construction, it’s possible to make a significant change in your home with projects that don’t require any big structural changes.

In the past, if your bathroom was too small, you might tear it out, take space from here and there and not think twice about turning it into a huge master bath suite. The new twist is that homeowners will try to make it more livable with the smaller touches: more mirrors to add a sense of "space," new lighting, glass shower enclosures, and updated fixtures and hardware. Structurally, it’s the same bathroom, but now it has an airier feel.

An interior "face-lift" allows you to use mirrors or glass to change the look of your environments relatively inexpensively, and recommit to your home, rather than sell it or simply undertake a big renovation. Not a do-it-yourselfer? The housing slow down also means good contractors may be able to take on these smaller projects that they passed on previously. Further, these contractors are more willing to negotiate a fair price, providing affordable opportunities to homeowners.

Mirrors are the leading tool in changing the way a room is perceived. Long seen as a "secret weapon" of interior designers, mirrors can change the look and feel of a room instantly, without a lot of effort or expense. They add light, create a sense of space and openness, and reflect interesting views. Mirrors are a simple way to change the look of a room and brighten up a space.

A recent study by a leading mirror manufacturer in the United States revealed that homeowners perceive a mirror as "cheap art," adding a focal point to a room that didn’t have one before, at a cost far more attractive than a painting or expensively framed print. This option is creating a new era of interior design with mirrors. Interior decorators are discovering classy new ways to implement mirrors into the home environment with dramatic yet refined results.

"The new sense of design with mirrors has provided some groundbreaking interior aesthetic inside the home," says Randy Brooks of Gardner Glass Products. "New effects with mirror, including colored mirror, mirror with acid-etching, new custom sizes and beveling, etc., provide homeowners with a great design palette to add pizzazz to the home while fitting any design style."

Here are a few designer secrets for using mirrors or decorative glass to update your home:

In the Bath

* A large mirror over a vanity can open up the space visually.

* A framed mirror along with updated towels or hardware can update the space instantly.

* Glass shower enclosures instead of a shower curtain make a small bathroom feel less crowded.

* A mirrored wall can brighten up a small, under-staircase powder room.

Elsewhere in the Home

* A mirrored or back-painted glass backsplash in the kitchen reflects light back into the room without costly electrical work.

* Transparent or a semi-transparent decorative glass in the upper kitchen-cabinet doors is an easy way to change the look instantly.

* In the den, a large framed mirror over a fireplace adds a warm focal point as well as reflected light.

* In the foyer, a mirrored wall portion can make the entrance area feel larger.

* Glass table makes a dining room or sunny kitchen nook feel less cramped and allows colorful rugs, cushions and centerpieces to add impact.

How long will these creative solutions last? The housing market could make a complete recovery, but it’s doubtful in the short term. In the meantime, think creatively and add new sparkle to an existing space. For more information on using mirrors, plus some design ideas, visit the Web site of the Glass Association of North America’s Mirror Division at http://www.mirrorlink.org/.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Bringing Green Living to Your China Cabinet

(ARA) - What do you see when you take stock of your china cabinet? Pieces that you only pull out on special occasions? Or maybe the same casual pattern that you feel like you've used forever? In the current tough economic climate, most people are finding it's not practical to buy new patterns, nor is it environmentally friendly to throw out what you already have at home.

How do you balance this dilemma with wanting a new look for spring? With today's push for greener living, you can recycle more than cans and bottles. Experts say you can also recycle your tableware.

Think Outside the Box.
'"You can recycle your tableware to use in pretty much any room of your home," says Dubravka Vujinovic, showroom stylist at Replacements, Ltd., touted as the world's largest supplier of old and new china, crystal, silver and collectibles. "So many people get locked into thinking they can only use their china and other types of dishware at the table; with a little imagination you can use your pieces in so many different ways that are both functional and fun."

* Go green. Plant fresh herbs in cups and saucers to go around the kitchen or window sill. This not only adds a splash of fresh green color, it's handy for healthy cooking.

* Fill tureens, serving bowls or even gravy boats with fresh cut spring flowers to create unique table centerpieces or floral decorations to use throughout your home.

* Don’t throw away broken pieces. Use broken dinnerware pieces to create mosaic mirrors, tabletops or unusual garden paths or patio areas. Replacements actually sells broken china by the pound for arts and crafts.

* What's old is new again. Dinnerware follows fashion trends, and like fashion it seems nothing ever really goes out of style. Dust off what's in your attic. For instance, thick white milk glass first popularized in the late 1800s is becoming popular again.

Give New Flair to Dinnerware.
"We're seeing more and more customers creating new looks with what they already own with very simple and price-sensitive updates," says Robin Long, Replacements' director of business development. "For instance, buy new salad or luncheon plates to accent your current pattern with an infusion of color or design that totally transforms your table."

* Adding an alternate shaped plate or type of bowl, such as a rimmed soup bowl can give your table a more elegant look.

* Dress up everyday patterns or dress down fine china by mixing formal patterns with more casual earthenware or stoneware.

Go For the Ultimate in Recycling.
Complete a pattern that you already have, then start or continue an ageless tradition. "I can't think of a more original way of recycling than passing a beloved dinnerware set along to a family member," says Long. "This is more than practical; it's also sentimental in that you're passing along memories associated with special meals and family gatherings. China, crystal and silver are made to be used and with proper care can last for generations."

One more tip -- Replacements' Web site shows the company has more than 300,000 discontinued and active patterns, some more than 100 years old. If you don't know the pattern name or manufacturer, the company offers a free pattern identification service. For more information, visit www.replacements.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent