Creating A Master Bedroom Retreat

If your home is your safehaven, then your Master bedroom is your command center. It's the place where you can recharge and refresh from the busy-ness of our everyday lives. It's essential to create an atmosphere for yourself that is warm and inviting and comforting. Here's some Master bedroom ideas to transform your bedroom into a serene oasis.


Start your transformation with color. Whether you decide to paint your Master retreat, or incorporate new bedding, soothing colors like greens, soft creams, or purples create a feeling of rest and relaxation.

You spend a third of your life sleeping, so it’s important to choose a mattress, pillows and bedding that are the most comfortable for you. Bedding is also important. You have a variety of fabrics and finishes to choose from. Whatever you choose, make sure you feel most comfortable with it.

Maximize functionality by incorporating a space in your master bedroom for an elegant chaise lounge or a pair of overstuffed armchairs. Having any form of additional seating in your master creates a more dynamic sense of space where you can enjoy alone time away from the main social areas in your home and instantly creates a peaceful spot to unwind at the end of the day.


Lastly, incorporate personal touches, like family photos or keepsakes on nightstands or bookshelves. Try not to over-accessorize, but just include items that are important or sentimental to you. Banish electronics, like TVs, laptops, or cellphones to another room or hallway to keep your Master retreat a serene spot, without distractions.

How to Spruce Up Your Entryway

The entryway or foyer is your home's first impression on visitors. Make sure it's a good one. If you're looking for ways to add some life to your vestibule, here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Floors

Your entryway floors take a beating from all the traffic and weather. Make sure your flooring can take the beating by choosing the correct flooring for your home. Consider adding an area rug or runner down to combat some of the foot traffic. Keep your rugs clear of the furniture so the space has a feeling of openness. And don’t let it extend the entire length of the hallway: You want to be sure that the front door can open freely.

Walls

The easiest way to liven up your foyer is to paint the walls. Choose a color that is in the same palette as the other rooms close to it for continuity. If painting isn't in the budget, pieces of art can work wonders. Hanging artwork, mirrors or other decorations engage your visitors eyes immediately and gives your foyer the lift it was missing. Art doesn't have to be expensive either. You can use swatches of wallpaper in clean frames to create an eclectic grouping, or try ornamental mirrors as well.

Furniture

Your entryway should not only be appealing to the eye, but it should also be functional. Consider adding a few pieces of furniture, like a small dresser and chair to give your foyer a cozy feeling. Put a basket or bowl there to be a catch-all for keys or mial, but make sure it doesn't become too cluttered. A drop-zone is another great piece to add to your entryway to corrall all of the coats and shoes.

3 Benefits of Ceiling Fans In Your New Home

While it’s nice during these hot summer months to add an extra source of air to a room, ceiling fans add-value year round because they are energy efficient, stylish, and can provide an additional light source for not a lot of money. A ceiling fan is within reach of most budgets and can pay for themselves in energy savings over time. Here are some tips for using them to their maximum effectiveness.

Keep Cool at a Low Cost

Ceiling fans use just slightly more energy than a 100-watt light bulb, saving you up to $165 in energy costs over the life of the fan. For every degree you raise the air conditioning thermostat above 78 degrees, you can save 3% to 8% on cooling costs.

The Safer Option

Ceiling fans also have a number of benefits over floor standing or smaller desk-style fans. Ceiling fans become part of the room’s décor, save space and are safer particularly for children and pets.

Not Just for Summer

During the cold winter months, run your ceiling fan blades clockwise to push warm air down into the lower half of the room without creating the cool draft associated with running the blades counter-clockwise in the summer. This helps keep down the cost of gas and energy bills associated with heating your home during harsh winter months.

Depending on the style you choose, ceiling fans add a touch of old-fashioned grace or sleek high-tech to your decor. No matter what the fan looks like, however, it can add an inexpensive way to keep comfortable, without raising your energy bills. If you already have ceiling fans in your home, use them correctly to maximize their benefit. If you don’t have ceiling fans, consider adding them to the rooms you use most frequently.

Organize Your Family Drop Zone

Have you made your New Year’s Resolution list yet? Like many people, you may have added “Get Organized” to your list of things you’d like to accomplish this year. One place that many people have trouble getting organized is the family drop-zone; a central place in the home where family members (sometimes literally) drop their keys, bags, mail or other important documents.

Many of our homes have built-in drop zone areas , like the Glenstone or Livingston floor plans. However, if that area isn't organized, the accumulation of everyone’s stuff can get overwhelming! By getting (and keeping) your family drop zone organized, you can make sure everyone gets out the door in the morning quickly, while still keeping your home clutter-free at the end of the day.

When you're preparing to tackle your family drop zone, ask yourself these two questions.

Do I use this item on a daily basis?

If the answer is no, find another place for it. Only keep must-have items in your drop zone so that you keep it from becoming a dump-zone!

How can I better utilize this space?

After you’ve cleared out all the unnecessary items out of your drop zone, look at the space itself. Is there something you can add to make the space more efficient?

   • Place a decorative bowl on the counter to hold your keys, or mount hooks on the wall to hang bags or purses.

   • Get a basket for each member of the family to hold shoes, gloves, or scarves.

   • Put drawer organizers to good use by holding pens, pencils, stray paper clips or stamps.

The final step in keeping your drop zone organized is to commit to keeping it maintained. When you come home from work, don’t just drop all the mail in a giant heap. Pledge to sort everything into its proper place. Involve your kids in your efforts too. When they walk in the front door, make sure they know that their shoes and bags need to be put in their bins or hung on the wall instead of dropped on the floor or the counter.

Do you have a family drop zone that you plan on organizing this year? Let us know on our Facebook page!

Choosing Countertops for Your Home

When working with your Design Consultant to choose the interior finishes for your new Ball home, choosing a countertop can be a stressfull decision. But it doesn't have to be that way! Here are a few tips from our Design Consultants on choosing the right countertops for your new home.


1. Don't choose on looks alone.

As tempting as it is to choose strictly on looks, durability, maintenance, and of course cost should be the leading factors in the type of countertops you choose for your home. 

2. There are a few things to keep in mind.

Material: Every type of material has its advantages and disadvantages. Some etch more easily; others are highly durable. Some resistant to water; others stain easily. Investigate the different kinds of stone and what works best for your needs.

Color: One of the wonderful features about this natural stone products is that no two pieces are alike. The samples in our Design Studio do not begin to show the color, movement, and variation that they will have in a large slab, so there is always the possibility that the actual color of the stone will vary up to a full shade in your home. That is part of the innate beauty of the product and what enables our buyers to further personalize the look of their new home.


3. Use available resources to find what you like.

There are many different ways to find a countertop that will be perfect for you. We would recommend starting with websites like Pinterest or Houzz to get ideas on what style you like and what look you'd like to achieve. You can also visit any of our Model Homes to get a first hand look at the various materials we offer in a real home setting. See how a large slab of your favorite countertop looks with other kitchen colors. Find a countertop that matches what you've been envisioning for your home.