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Yes, it’s that time again.  The time when the sun comes out, the weather warms up, and you inevitably begin to get that itch to change something- that “out with the old, in with the new” mentality.  You may know it better as Spring Cleaning Time.  It can be refreshing, satisfying, and also frustrating if you don’t know where to start.  I happen to be in the Spring Cleaning Mode right now myself, so I wanted to share a few tips on how you can get the most impact while using the least amount of time and money.  These little ideas are great ways to spruce up your space that will make it feel new to you, and also help you to usher in the Spring in your home.

First things first, we’re going to start with organizing.  Cleaning out your closets and donating any unused items is a great place to begin, but what about all that clutter that built up since last year that’s right in the line of sight?  Don’t cram it into the closet to donate next year.  Instead, organize it, and incorporate it into your space.

For hiding clutter:

Baskets and trunks are a fantastic way to hide things in plain sight, especially things that you are going to use often.  They’re great for pillows, blankets, board games, yarn, uneaten fruit cakes, you name it.  You can place them on shelves, next to the sofa, by the door, or even use a trunk to create a coffee table with storage space.  Try using a set of three differently sized baskets stacked on top of each other- bam, you now have a fashionable vignette as well as a place to keep your winter boots.

Basket storage | Home on the Range

Image via Houzz

Basket Storage | Home on the Range

Image via A Place for Everything

 

For organizing the clutter you can’t hide:

Instead of hiding your pretty things away, you can also display them proudly.

Try using an old ladder to hold extra blankets- it looks really good.  Or, use stacked wooden crates to store DVDs to add a more rustic look while achieving storage goals.

Ladder Storage | Home on the Range

Image via Funky Junk Interiors

Ladder ideas | Home on the Range

Image via Little Lucy Lu

Ladder Storage | Home on the Range

Image via Houzz

 

Another great way to make a big impression with only a little bit of effort is on your bookshelves.  Bookshelves tend to become catchalls in the home, and even if you don’t have a ton of stuff stacked on your bookshelf, chances are you don’t actually have your bookshelf styled.  Use your books as design pieces- stack some standing up, some laying down.  Then, add some of those clutter pieces back in!  This is a great place to use them.  Picture frames, small statues, trinkets, candles, whatever you have, just get creative with it!  It will instantly add class to your space, creating a more put together look.

Bookshelf styling | Home on the Range

Image via Rooms Renew

Bookshelf organization | Home on the Range

Image via Houzz

 

Once you get the “cleaning” part out of the way and are ready to buy yourself some new things:

Remember what time of year it is- let’s celebrate the fact that winter’s over and decorate for spring!  Any range of colors from pastel to bold are welcome this time of year.  For a subtle, put together look, try using different shades of the same or similar colors.  For a more eclectic look, choose a couple of different colors to sprinkle throughout your space.

Spring decorating | Home on the Range

Image via Zsa Zsa Bellagio

Here are a few different things you can use to create a whole new look for your space without having to completely remodel:

Candles-

Pastel candles are beautiful, and they smell great!  Golds, light blues, warm oranges, or spring greens are perfect for this time of year.

Spring candles | Home on the Range

Image via My Sweet Greens

Spring Candles | Home on the Range

 

Bowl fillers-

I don’t know what else to call them, but hopefully you know what I’m talking about.  Things that we use to fill centerpieces, glass jars, or hurricanes.  This time of year, try to stick with light colors.  Seasonal greenery or flowers are great options, so are river stones, light feathers, sea glass, or grasses.  Mix and match and see what becomes your favorite!

Spring decorating | Home on the Range

Image via Heather Bullard

Spring decorating | home on the range

Image via Shanty to Chic

 


There are so many ideas when it comes to Spring Cleaning, these are only a few to get you started.  Home on the Range has all sorts of things to help you towards your goal, including baskets, ladders, trunks, storage, shelves, candles, bookends, picture frames, and “bowl fillers”.  Stop in today to see what we can do to get your spring dreams rolling!

 

Google Sketchup is one of our favorite new things.  Have you ever heard of it?  It’s a 3-d modeling program that allows you to build literally anything you want.  Anything.

We started building with it in October, and have used it to create everything from small scale pieces of furniture and custom light fixtures, to entire homes that haven’t been built yet.

Sketchup Pendant Light | Home on the Range

We created this pendant light to put over a bar in one of our projects

Sketchup Cabinet | Home on the Range

We built this cabinet as one option for a powder room (that you’ll see below)

Sketchup Room | Home on the Range

This is the kitchen/dining area for a project we’re doing that is just past the framing stage

 

We love Sketchup not only because it helps us to come up with ideas and address any potential unforeseen problems before they arise in real life, but also because it is an invaluable tool in bringing our ideas to life and allowing to help our clients visualize what we are talking about.  We find that while some people are visual and can picture a whole in their mind after only seeing the parts, many people are not that way.  People have a hard time seeing a fabric, a picture of a chair, a rug and some hardware, and taking those pieces to create a vision of an entire room in their mind.  Without that visual, it is difficult to make decisions on what you want for your home.  That is where Sketchup comes in.

This is the future dining area of a home that we are working on remodeling.

This is the future dining area of a home that we are working on remodeling.

We build the floorplan, raise the walls, put in windows, doors, ceilings and floors, apply finishes, then add furniture, rugs and accessories.  We can do a single room or an entire house, and since everything is built at its actual size in Sketchup, you can look at your nonexistent space from every angle, and even walk around the room as if you were there.

Sketchup Floorplan | Home on the Range

We begin with the floorplan, and often add dimensions to the image so we can see how much space we have

Sketchup TV Room Walls | Home on the Range

This is the second stage of a room where we add windows, floor and ceiling

TV Room Sketchup | Home on the Range

Next we begin to try out different options to see what works, in this case we are trying to decide on a fireplace layout

TV Room Sketchup option | Home on the Range

We add finishes- notice the wood floor, ceiling beams and window trim

Sketchup TV Room Final | Home on the Range

Finally we end up with an image to show the client. This is our favorite layout so far.

 

 

We can easily change colors, switch between furniture options, or swap finishes.  We can then position the room in Google Earth to get an idea of how much light the room will get and when based on any day of the year.  Pretty neat, huh?

Powder room option 1 | Home on the Range

Here is one option for a powder room. We built the vanity and fixtures to exact measurements, and added the mirror and wallpaper from vendor websites.

Powder Room option 2 | Home on the Range

This is the second option for the powder room. Isn’t it so cool to be able to see the same room with different options? No more using your imagination!

 

The finishing touch that we add to our Sketchup images is with a rendering program.  With the program, we apply light values to all of the materials in the model and render it and Voila!  You have a photo-realistic image of a room that has not been built yet.

Sketchup Spa Bath | Home on the Range

This is the 2d view pre-render

 

Spa Bath Render | Home on the Range

This is the rendered image of the Spa Bath. Amazing!

I hope you enjoyed learning about Sketchup today as much as I enjoyed telling you about it!  If you are having trouble visualizing what your new home could look like (or more importantly if you need help to even create a vision of what your new home could look like) call Home on the Range today.  Google Sketchup is only one of the many tools that we use to help you create your dream home using a process that is hands on, exciting, and ultimately satisfying.  Let us know how we can help today!

We were so excited to learn on Monday evening that Lynne Bier (the principal/lead designer at Home on the Range) was voted one of the top designers in Steamboat Springs in the 2013 Best of the Boat contest!  Lynne took second place in the contest (which had over 4,200 voters), coming in just behind Irene Nelson, who has been designing in Steamboat Springs for decades, and who Lynne considers to be one of her role models.  Needless to say, it was a proud moment for her, and for all of us at Home on the Range!

Best of the Boat logo | Home on the Range

The party, which was hosted by the Steamboat Pilot, was lots of fun.  The food was delightful, and so was the presentation… the video clips in between categories kept us laughing the whole time!  We want to say a big thank you to the Pilot for hosting the wonderful event, and an even bigger thank you to everyone in Steamboat (or elsewhere) who voted for Lynne this year in the Best of the Boat!  Steamboat is our home, and it has been a privilege to get to design here and to work with so many amazing people for so many years… and more to come!

Best of the Boat | Home on the Range

Thanks again Steamboat, and congratulations to all of the other winners!

You can read more about this year’s Best of the Boat here, or pick up the latest issue of Steamboat Living Magazine.

So I know we are still a few weeks off from Easter, but today IS the first day of Spring!  Hooray, we finally made it!  Although I do hear it’s supposed to snow 5-10 inches in the next couple of days.  Everyone else seems to be feeling the Spring spirit too, because we’ve been seeing inspiring images all over the place.  Warm colors, light pastels, fresh textures- what a beautiful way to begin to usher in the warm weather!  I have been seeing so many images that I love, that I just had to collect them all into a post to share with you, I hope they inspire you as well (even if you do end up looking at them during an upcoming blizzard).

 

Easter Inspiration | Home on the Range

Image via This is Glamorous

Pastel Kitchen | Home on the Range

Image via Cottage Mommy

Pastel Bedroom | Home on the Range

Image via House Beautiful

He is Risen Door | Home on the Range

Image via Etsy

 

Pastel Twig Bedroom | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

Pastel Office | Home on the Range

Image via I Just Might Explode

Pastel Bedroom Shutters | Home on the Range

Image via Soft Surroundings

Pastel Mason Jars | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

Colorful Curtain Rods | Home on the Range

Image via Selina Lake

Pastel Kitchen | Home on the Range

Image via House Beautiful

Wasn’t that pretty?  Stay tuned over the next few weeks, we’ll have lots more springtime coming!  From decorating tips to cleaning tips, we’ll have you covered this Spring season!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today we are excited to have Larry Fisher guest posting for us! He is a floor guy and has lots of fun flooring tips to share with us! You can read more about Larry, and Empire Today (the company he writes for) at the end of the post. Thanks Larry!

Creating a Rustic Look with Flooring and Carpet

A room designed with a “rustic” appearance has great appeal; it’s charming, cozy, and evokes the feeling of being home. To create this kind of look, it’s often best to start from the ground up – with the floors themselves. As some of the most visible elements of a room, flooring and carpet are major design components that help define any space. Flooring and carpet are essentially part of the room itself, making them a great place to start when it comes to creating that rustic feel.

Stone Floors

Rustic Stone Floor | Home on the Range

Image via Home on the Range

A stone floor is one way to accomplish this look. Found in nature, stone is often used for outdoor spaces such as patios and gardens. Used in a family room or kitchen, stone helps to bring some of nature indoors. Its imperfect, rough quality and natural beauty are reminiscent of outdoor landscapes and will help create that unfinished, rustic look.

Hardwood Floors

Rustic Hardwood Floor | Home on the Range

Image via Pale and Interesting

Hardwood flooring can also achieve a rustic feel. While many imagine the high gloss, smooth planks that are popular right now, hardwood can also have a handcrafted, worn appearance. Depending on the stain and grain of the wood, hardwood can be indicative of a cabin in the mountains. Additionally, it will work well in a room that already has several types of wood featured, whether in the furniture or the décor. The contrast of multiple types against one another has an antique, eclectic look similar to reclaimed wood.

Carpet

Rustic Carpeting | Home on the Range

Image via Houzz

Depending on the pattern, style and color of the carpet you choose, you can use it to help in creating a rustic or country look. Sturdy, hardworking fabrics can really add to this feel, and textures like that of a natural wool carpet can suggest a handmade quality. Mellow or even faded colors can add warmth to the room and make a new carpet have a time-worn appearance. Additionally, the mix of a patterned carpet with the other fabrics in a room can help you achieve that eclectic, country style.

What types of flooring and carpet do you prefer for a rustic space?

Larry Fisher writes about home renovation and home décor on behalf of Empire Today, which specializes in carpeting, laminate and hardwood flooring, and window treatments. Visit Empire Flooring for more home decorating ideas.

Last week, we took you on a photographic tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright style house designed by Architect Joe Patrick Robbins, AIA,  that Lynne Bier is currently working on in Houston, Texas.  Though commuting from Steamboat to Houston and “long distance design” come with their own set of obstacles, it is very exciting to be a part of such a fun and unique project.  The “Prairie Style” that Frank Lloyd Wright pioneered has a very distinct look that is not often seen in the mountains, so working on this house is a new design experience and also a welcomed change of pace for Lynne and Home on the Range.  So, without further ado, here are some of the elements that will be featured in the house:

 

While Prairie Style tends to use more rectangular and linear shapes,  and the first pendant fits the typical interpretation of the style, the round  geometric shape of the second pendant still works well with the Prairie style. It will be hanging in the two story stairway with the tall corner windows and will help to soften the tall rectangular shape of the tower.  The bath vanity light fixture by Hubbardton Forge has a very Prairie Style back plate that is softened with the oval glass.

Frank Lloyd Wright Lighting | Home on the Range

Kitchen pendant lamp

Frank Lloyd Wright house lighting | Home on the Range

Circular pendant lamp

Frank Lloyd Wright house lighting 2

Master bedroom light fixture

 

Another way that we are focusing on the linear in this house is through hardware choices.  These elegant pieces are clean and simple, yet unique and interesting at the same time. The top pull from Emtek exhibits the linear form, while the bottom pull from Schaub is a softer, more contemporary interpretation and both are perfect additions to a Prairie Style home.

Frank Lloyd Wright house lighting 2

Frank Lloyd Wright Style hardware 2 | Home on the Range

When using an abundance of prominent lines and strong geometric shapes in a space, it’s definitely important to focus on color, which helps to avoid an institutional feeling of starkness.  Here are some of our color choices, I love the subtle greens, creams, and especially the coppery shade in the light fixture, which will help play off of the cherry cabinets in the kitchen cabinets and the custom dining room hutch.

Frank Lloyd Wright House color palette | Home on the Range

Frank Lloyd Wright style light fixture | Home on the Range

Dining Chandelier by Hubbardton Forge

 

The master bath tub pulls the soft gray green into the bathroom and we will use the same color on the entry built-in cabinet and on the walls in the master bedroom.

Prairie style soaker tub | Home on the Range

Master bath free standing tub with custom color, by Cheviot.

 

We’re bringing the outside in by putting the stone from the exterior on the wall of the powder room – it will be a great textural backdrop to the Noche Travertine countertop and custom bronze sink.

Frank Lloyd Wright style stone | Home on the Range

Exterior Stone with linear lay

 

Are you getting more excited to see the final result?  I know we are!  Stay on the look out for more updates about the Houston Prairie Style house as we progress.  We are thrilled to be able to share this project with you!

If you read our post last summer, or are familiar with Frank Lloyd Wright, you know that he was a brilliant yet controversial architect who was ahead of his time in terms of his design concepts.  His work is recognized globally and, over the course of his life, he designed a wide array of commercial and residential buildings, from  “Pottery House” in Santa Fe, to  “Falling Water”  in Pennsylvania, to the fabulous Guggenheim Museum in New York City.  He was the father of the “Prairie Style” of architecture, which is characterized by linear shapes, unusual geometric details, long, leading, horizontal focal lines, and an open floor plan.  Although Frank Lloyd Wright is gone, his contributions to architecture remain and have an ever-widening following.  The “Frank Lloyd Wright Style” of design is compelling and iconic.

In the 7 months since our last post, the home in Houston, designed by Steamboat Architect, Joe Patrick Robbins, AIA  has come to life!  We promised to share pictures of the construction, showing some of the details that are trademarks of the Prairie Style; deep overhangs, clerestory windows, open floor plans and linear lines in the exterior materials, so you can stop holding your breath and see the progress right before your very eyes!

 

A look at the exterior of the house:

Frank Lloyd Wright House | Home on the Range

framing

Frank Lloyd Wright House 2 | Home on the Range

Progression

Frank Lloyd Wright House 3 | Home on the Range

Just a few weeks ago – we’re getting there!

 

A look at the interior of the house:

Frank Lloyd Wright House Interior 2 | Home on the Range

Framing a bedroom

Frank Lloyd Wright House Interior 3 | Home on the Range

Progression1

Frank Lloyd Wright House Interior 4 | Home on the Range

Just wait until this is painted!

The Crew:

Frank Lloyd Wright house | Home on the Range

Lynne with the home owners

Joe Robbins brings it to life

Joe Robbins brings it to life

Temple Pace (the builder of the house) with the home owners

Temple Pace (the builder of the house) with Joe Robbins and one of the home owners

 

 

 

You can be sure that we will share plenty more photos as the interior of the house continues to progress.  Look for an upcoming post on the pieces and components that we will be incorporating into this unique home!

 

 

 

 

Last week we talked about one of our favorite emerging trends in design: industrial chic.  If you missed it, or just loved it so much that you want to read it again, you can find it here.  As promised, today we are going to share some ideas for industrial chic products that are both unique and versatile.  This product collection is specifically tailored to western and mountain style, but most of them would find themselves at home in (almost) any space.

 

This pendant light would be a perfect addition to an industrial chic space.  Placed over a bar, a kitchen island, or along a hallway or covered porch, these pendants would provide an instant “old mine” feel to your home.

Industrial chic lighting | Home on the Range

 

 

 

This old railway-cart-turned-coffee-table is another great way to add the glam factory look to your room.  Though it would look right at home in an abandoned mine shaft, we have used enough of them in our projects to know that they also look right at home in a rustic mountain house.  These tables become beautiful focal points in a room, and are sure to get lots of compliments from guests.

Old mine cart table | Home on the Range

 

Oversized clocks are a great way to fill up large empty spaces in your home.  They provide a useful service, and are also a creative alternative to using too many art pieces.  This clock adds a great architectural element with its use of gears, which are a common sight in the industrial trend.

06762_2_

This little end table is a great way to add an industrial feel to a room without having to go all out.  Placed on either side of a bed, or used beside a sofa, the brushed metal top, wheels, and mesh basket each contribute a subtle hint of industry that is not overwhelming.

full_74f1956c1445f2a91828ab89b2f3dee8

When decorating your home, remember that less can sometimes be more.  Try to incorporate industrial chic items with other softer pieces to prevent an institutional feeling of starkness.  All of these pieces are available at or through Home on the Range, so make sure and stop by the showroom today and see how we can help you make your home industrial chic!

Also, don’t forget to enter our Facebook contest!  Upload a photo of something eco friendly that you have or do in your home for a chance to win a $100 Visa giftcard!  You can enter on our Facebook page here.

  • March 3, 2013