Bathroom Design Innovations

Bathroom remodels are typically popular for their ability to severely increase your home’s resale value.  But they are also popular for their ability to increase your enjoyment and relaxation in the space.

Products to watch out for when remodeling your home’s bathrooms include:

• Cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing drainage systems
• A wider range of stylish, durable tiling options
• A greater selection of high-design bathroom fixtures
• Recycled glass bathroom counter tops

Eco-Friendly Investments

While eco-friendly materials and appliances typically cost a bit more up front, the savings afforded over time are quickly converting more and more homeowners.

Some of the top eco-friendly innovations to consider working into your home remodel include:

• Tankless, energy efficient water heating systems
• Spray-in insulation to seal gaps and prevent heat loss
• Energy-efficient radiant flooring systems with programmable thermostats
• A wider range of affordable, rooftop solar paneling options

Architects Add Value

The widely accepted opinion of the real estate industry is that architect-designed homes tend to be valued at as much of 50% more than comparable homes that utilize catalog plans or are builder-designed.  With architect fees making up a much smaller percentage of your home’s value, the ROI can be quite a rewarding surprise.

Not to mention the obvious benefits of having a home that is custom tailored to meet the needs of your family, lifestyle and landscape.  One of the most influential aspects of compatibility between a homeowner and a home architect is appreciation for a particular style of home.  At ACM Design Architects we have an inclusive portfolio of homes that can help homeowners to identify which projects align most with their particular tastes.

Architects Increase Efficiency

Homes built from stock plans are notorious for their inclusion of unwanted or unusable space.  A custom home architect can expertly plan for kitchen storage, closet space, and even energy efficiency of the layout, tailored to your furniture, design tastes and use.  This in turn can increase the efficiency of the space, and lower the risk of unforeseen additional costs that would be required to make use of the space like storage systems, or furniture items to replace those that do not work with the space.

Ultimately, selecting an architecture firm to design your home may cost a bit more up front, but with the reduction of inefficiencies and increase in features that add comfort and value, your ROI will be far greater, and your home will be more attractive to buyers if you ever decide to sell.

Here are some possibilities for incorporating creature features into your new home or renovation design:

Feeding Stations

Even if your cat or dog laps up every last morsel, feeding areas can get messy.  It may also be difficult to find a location in your existing home that can weather the frequent cleanup of a pet’s eating area.  So many homeowners are thinking ahead and having feeding stations incorporated into kitchens or mud rooms.  Some even have water lines installed for easy water bowl refills.

Washing Stations

Big dogs are a joy to be around, but they can track in a lot of dirt and allergens if not bathed as often as needed.  Incorporating a low-level (no lifting required) dog shower into your mud room or garage can help reduce the strain of heavy lifting and offers easy clean-up.

Bathroom Stations

For those who adore their indoor cats, but can’t live with the look of a bulky litter box, cabinets can be designed or modified to include small openings that can cleverly hide the box from everyone but the cat.

Pet Doors

Pet doors have been around for years, but these days there are more options than ever to allow access in walls, doors, and even screen doors.

Planning to spend several more years in your existing home can be made much more accommodating by a kitchen overhaul, a master bath re-do or an attic conversion.  And don’t forget about eco-friendly upgrades like energy efficient windows, appliances and insulation which may also qualify you for tax credits.

With renovations on the rise, what are some of the most popular and cost-effective upgrades?

Opening Up the Kitchen Area

Often older homes have boxed off or isolated kitchens, but taking down a dividing wall can cost as little as a couple thousand dollars and create a much more open floor plan.  With the popularity of open floor plans seemingly here to stay, if someday you do decide to sell, the open kitchen can help appease buyers.

Opting for Energy Efficient Appliances

Energy saving appliances are in such great demand these days, that prices are even comparable to energy wasting alternatives, plus energy efficient appliances will save you tons of money over time on utility costs.  Not to mention the possible tax credits you may qualify for.

Smaller is Better

While years past had homeowners opting for everything in bigger sizes, people are realizing that larger houses also mean higher utility and maintenance costs over time.  Smaller spaces with open floor plans can offer the same comfort for a fraction of the cost.  Many architects are even seeing a shift in how homeowners choose to renovate.  Instead of increasing the size of a room, owners are choosing to use the original footprint, only with a more open feel and layout.

ACM Designed Green Home

Perhaps you’ve been considering a home remodel, but are concerned about the cost and what the ROI will be.  If this is the case, you may want to consider a “green” remodel.  Incorporating green features into your existing home may cost less than you think and save you a lot of money in long run.

As experienced HealthyBuilt Home architects ACM Design can help you to weigh the costs and benefits of “greening” your home renovation.  There have been some great advances in green home building over the past few years, so you will want to consult with an expert with experience in green home building and in the Western North Carolina region.

Green is More Affordable Than Ever

While the definition of a green remodel may vary from one source to another, one thing is certain; the rise in popularity of green home products has lowered the cost.  A common misconception is that green homes cost more to build, but in many cases you can get green products for the same prices as alternatives, plus with tax credits, long term energy savings, and longer product life-spans, you will have a much better ROI.

Green Can Even Mean Luxury

Apart from being a better overall investment, green products are also more luxurious than ever before.  In fact there are green homes popping up all over the Asheville area in all price ranges.

Green Benefits the Community

One final benefit to using green products in your home remodel are the lowered health and safety risks to your family and your contractors.  Choosing safer materials can also mean doing your part to prevent ingestion of toxic chemicals by the teams you hire to build or renovate your home.  So by doing your part for the environment and your family, you will also be helping out the community.

Green Plumbing Trends

While you have likely heard of Western North Carolina’s HealthyBuilt Home Program, you may have missed the word on green plumbing, including new residential trends like WaterSense homes.

It’s no secret that many people are incorporating green features in their new home design in every area of the house from the kitchen to the yard to the rooftops.  One area of the house you don’t want to take fore granted, however, is the bathroom.

Plumbing fixtures are getting greener by the day and here are some green trends you may want to consider asking your home architect to incorporate into your home plans:

Lead-Free Faucets

Did you know that faucets and brass fittings that serve up your potable water can contain lead?  While California has already set legal regulations on lead content in potable pipes, you may want to make sure that lead doesn’t make it into your water.

Solar Hot Water

With traditional solar hot water collectors being replaced with less expensive plastic models, water warmed by naturally by the sun is becoming a real possibility for most homeowners.

WaterSense Homes

Available in some new residential constructions, as a means of reducing the home’s incoming water pressure, regulator valves are installed downstream of the home’s water meter.

Greywater Systems

These systems can range from the use of dual-pipe technologies to water catchment systems.  Simply put, a greywater system takes water that has been uses within the home (excepting the toilets) and uses them for other purposes such as landscape irrigation.

Stainless Steel is Here to Stay

Incorporating the right appliances is a great way to add value to your home, but with so many options, it can be hard to know what to look for.  By working closely with your home architect, and familiarizing yourself with some of the basics, you can be assured a strong ROI on your new appliances.

The Right Finish Wins

One top trend that’s here to stay is stainless steel.  While as a whole, design trends are constantly changing, but stainless has been a top pick for years, and there’s no end in sight for its stylish, industrial-chic reign.

One great design benefit of using stainless appliances is that they typically work in a space regardless of color changes in walls or countertops.

Make Sure They Match

The use of stainless steel appliances can give the impression that you spent top dollar on appliances, regardless of brand.  But trying to incorporate random white or black pieces will quickly cheapen the look.

Size Matters

While stainless creates a feel of top-grade industrial appliances, bigger-is-better is no longer the right frame of mind. Home owners are choosing smaller, but smarter appliances that better fit their needs, instead of over-sized pieces that are more costly to run.

Energy Efficiency is Key

Now that you’re looking for smart, matching stainless steel appliances, you will want to consider how “green” the models you are considering seem to be.  Energy-efficiency is a top focus among home owners, and with green technology becoming more affordable and available, opting for top-rated ENERGY STAR appliances will help recoup costs over time through lowered utility costs and energy tax credits.

Working with your home architect you can easily incorporate stylish, efficient and affordable appliances into your new home build or remodel that will provide your best ROI.

Start at the Beginning

At ACM Design, we sit down with our clients to carefully weigh costs and benefits.  This process will help to determine which investments are in your best interest today, in order to save money year after year.  Working together to incorporate green home features from the beginning of your home design process is also more cost effective.  Adding these same includes after-the-fact can incur much greater costs.

Avoid Replacement Costs

ACM Design can also help advise you on which green home features will not only save money on your monthly utility bills, but also save you money down the line.  For instance, air handlers and duct work in conditioned spaces can double the life of your heating and cooling system, thus helping to avoid pricey replacement costs.

Take Advantage of Tax Credits

One more way to save money on green includes is by taking advantage of energy tax credits.  By maximizing tax credit eligibility, you may get thousands of dollars back on your initial investment.

No matter the level of eco-friendliness you are considering for your home, by working through the process with your home architect, you are guaranteed a better return on your investment.

Kitchen Islands Offer Extra Storage

If you’re building a new home or remodeling your existing one this year, here are five of the top trends you can really get behind.  And if there’s one thing that these top home design features have in common, it’s energy efficiency.

• Smaller Spaces:  As the home market begins to show signs of improvement, home owners are taking hard-earned lessons with them and seeking out smaller, but smarter spaces.  Ample and well thought out storage space, open floor plans and family-friendly features are just a few of the ways in which smaller homes are taking the lead in home design.
• ENERGY STAR Appliances:  Kitchen appliances alone can burn up almost 10% of your home budget, and investing in the latest energy efficient models is a smart investment.  Most ENERGY STAR appliances quickly recoup their value in energy savings, and prove good long-term investments.
• Better Insulation:  Tightly-sealed insulation is one of the best money-saving investments you can make in your new home.  Foam sealants and better insulation help keep homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer, greatly reducing annual energy expenditures.
• Net Zero Energy:  Net zero or “off the grid” homes actually generate more energy than they use up.  With net zero technologies rapidly increasing, converting your home to an energy maker may be easier and less costly than you think.
• Outdoor Rooms:  With indoor square footage decreasing, an outdoor room is an excellent way to gain useful square footage in an area you may be taking fore granted—your backyard.  Outdoor living rooms and kitchens add great entertaining space to any home.

Eco-Friendly Hardwood Flooring

Bamboo and cork flooring are very on trend, but is hardwood or linoleum a better eco-friendly choice for your new home or remodel?  You will want to consult your home architect for her extensive knowledge of design and experience in working these materials.

It is also important to familiarize yourself with some of the advantages to working with each of these eco-friendly flooring options.  While some will last longer, others may not be as green as you might imagine.

Popular Eco-Friendly Flooring Materials Include:

Bamboo is a very popular choice, but depending on your finished product it may not be as good for the planet as you think.  The speedy growing cycle of bamboo is around just five years, making it highly renewable.  But unless you’re paying for pricier locally grown varieties, your “green” flooring will have to ship from native China.

You’ll also want to consider that bamboo is actually quite soft in its raw form, and treated bamboo flooring can contain harsh chemicals.

Cork is a great low toxicity flooring choice, but its relatively soft and porous nature make it better for some rooms than others.  Putting down cork tiles with low VOC glue has in the past presented some problems, but recent varieties feature tongue and grooves for lasting installation.  On a greener note, cork is highly sustainable and rapidly renewing.

Linoleum is surprisingly, in its finished state, one of the most natural options available.  Despite its man-made appearance, this linseed oil derived material is actually a favorite amongst activists. Linoleum’s high durability factor makes it a great choice for kitchens and bathrooms.

Natural wood floors are design favorite, and a competitive eco-friendly choice as long as they have the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) seal of approval.  This seal means the wood has been harvested sustainably.  Plus in the realm of longevity, hardwoods outlast like no other, giving them serious green appeal.