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We are seeing it more and more and more (I had to add a third “more” because we are seeing it so much): the economy has been hard on everyone in the last few years, so, rather than purchasing land and building brand new homes, people are choosing to remodel homes that are already there.  Some decide to remodel the house they’ve lived in for 20 years, and some are making the move to a different house that needs work.  Whichever category you fall into, there are a few VERY important things to ask yourself before you begin your remodel.  These are things that will not only help you decide what direction to go and begin to craft a plan, but will also help save you untold trouble down the road.  Isn’t that great?  So, without further ado, here are 5 things to consider before remodeling:

1.  Why am I remodeling?

This seems like a logical thing to ask yourself, so you may be surprised that you haven’t figured it out yet.  Take a little while to think about it- you can even write it down to look back at along the way.  Why are you choosing to remodel?

Did you just buy a new “fixer-upper” that is going to require lots of work to make it live-able?

Are you living in a home with outdated style, floorplan, appliances, finishes, furniture, etc?

Have you decided that putting in the time to change the home you live in now is a better option than moving?

Are you trying to add value to your home?

Have you decided that buying an existing home and remodeling is a better option than starting a new construction?

Once you have an answer to this question, you will be able to move forward in a more confident way, because you will be able to easily access your reasoning for remodeling in the first place, and keeping this answer handy will help you to answer other questions that are sure to come up during this process.

 

2.  Am I creating something that I can live with for the next 20+ years?

You may already have a picture in your head (or on your Pinterest boards) of exactly how you want your crisp new-to-you home to look when you first open that door.  It may or may not be trendy, but if you are remodeling for updating reasons, chances are that there are fad fashions somewhere in that vision.  Chevron?  Grays and greiges?  Stainless steel and granite?

5 things to consider before remodeling | Home on the Range

Image via ChicTip

While these things seem incredibly chic right now, try to remember how chic shag carpeting, floral wallpaper and brass fixtures were in their day.

5 things to consider before remodeling | Home on the Range

Image via Flickr

Wouldn’t it be a shame to put months of work into creating the most trendy house on the block, only to realize in 2015 that your house is no longer cool and you now have to wait until you have the time and money to remodel yet again?  Rather than focusing on what is hot at the moment, try to really think about your OWN style, what will work for your family, and what will be comfortable and timeless for years to come.

5 things to consider before remodeling | Home on the Range

Image via Home on the Range

Also think about the possibility of selling your house down the road, and what a prospective buyer might think of your updates.

 

3.  Am I able to do this myself?

What is the scope of what you are trying to accomplish?  It’s CRAZY how fast a few “DIY projects” can turn into chaos and get you in over your head.  While it’s fantastic to picture yourself re-tiling, staining cabinets, and color coordinating fabrics and furniture, the cold hard truth is that (unless you are some sort of home improvement prodigy) you will not likely accomplish all or any of your goals if you leave it completely up to yourself.

5 things to consider before remodeling | Home on the Range

Image via Besotted Cottage

You have other things to do, and we all know that home projects tend to fall by the wayside.  If you are reading this paragraph and thinking “hmmmmm that might be me,” it’s time to seriously consider outside help.  Strange as it may sound, interior designers are accessible to everyone.

5 things to consider before remodeling | Home on the Range

Image via Home on the Range

We can coordinate subcontractors, help you choose fabrics, colors, styles and finishes from an insanely overwhelming selection, and get to know you so well that we can personally handcraft your dream home for you.  And we can probably do it for less than you think.  Maybe not a lot less, but we have yet to have a single client who didn’t think the end product of our services was worth the money.  Better to pay more up front for someone who knows what they’re doing than to pay down the road because it wasn’t done right the first time!

4.  What does my budget allow?

This question really follows from the previous question, and this is where, at the very minimum, a consultation with a professional is key.  While you might be imagining a full scale overhaul of your home, there is a possibility that it would be in your best interests to scale it back a little bit.  You might need to focus on a few important rooms, like kitchens and bathrooms.

5 things to consider before remodeling | Home on the Range

Image via Home on the Range

 

You might need to focus only on updating furniture or finishes, because sometimes changing one thing can provide a whole new environment where the other things you thought needed to be changed immediately just don’t seem like such a big deal anymore.

 

Or, you actually really might need an overhaul, in which case you will need help laying out exactly how to do it.  The reason you need to ask yourself about your budget is this: planning is key in remodeling.  The last thing in the world you want to do is dive head first into 10 projects, then run out of money and live in a disaster area until you can continue towards your goal.

 

5.  Where should I start?

Here’s the simple answer: start by asking yourself all four of the previous questions.  Identify exactly what it is that you hope to get out of this endeavor, then identify the best way to get there.  Remember that we are here to help!  While I can’t speak for other designers, I know that at Home on the Range, all but one of our current projects are remodel focused, so we definitely know how to get the job done!  If you are interested in learning more, you can contact us through our website, or stop in to the showroom!  Good luck on your adventure!

 

For more remodeling inspiration, follow us on Pinterest!  You can also like us on Facebook to get daily inspiration sent straight to your wall.

Johnson Barsmall

Guess what?  We have some special news to share!  One of our projects was featured on Wall Street Journal’s “House of the Day” earlier this week!  The house, which is being sold by Peachy and Shel Johnson and is listed by our dear friends Darlinda Baldinger and Chloe Lawrence was not only a favorite project of ours, it was also an award winning project.  Lynne won an ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) Crystal Award for the beautiful library hallway in the home.

Johnson Library Hall 4

The project was a team effort on the part of Joe Patrick Robbins, AIA, Ken Kruse, the builder, and Lynne Bier, the interior designer, who all worked together throughout the entire planning, designing and building process to pick finishes and interior furnishings.  We will miss the Johnsons greatly and are sad to see them go, but we wish them luck and are proud to have had our work featured in such a well known publication as the Wall Street Journal!

Johnson Master Bedroom

You can view the full article and pictures here!

About a year ago, we did a post on wallpaper and its re-appearance in the world of interior design.  When we created that post last September, we had only been seeing the briefest glimpses of the recurring trend, and wanted to share it with you because we knew it was beginning to make its comeback.  Since then, wallpaper has returned full force, which is wonderful because there are so many ways to use it!  We’re not dealing with that revolting 80’s floor to ceiling, wall to wall stuff anymore.  Now we are instead seeing wallpaper used to accent and compliment the existing colors, patterns and textures of a space.  You are going to be so surprised to see the different kinds of wallpapers that are available, and I’m so excited to tell you about them!

 

We’re going to split this post up into three different categories: color, texture, and pattern.  Each category can be interchanged or mixed depending on the look you are going for, but for the most part wallpapers fall into one of the three, so it’s the easiest way to talk about them!

Color: 

Color is most often mixed with either pattern or texture when dealing with wallpaper, but it’s still important for it to have its own category!  Color, above all else, will be the first and foremost thing that will either contribute to or detract from the feeling of your room.  When choosing color in a wallpaper, first ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish with the wallpaper.  Do you have a room with mostly neutral furniture pieces and flooring that you would like to add a bold splash of color to?  If yes, consider brighter tones when choosing your wallpaper.  Bright papers that have patterns in complimenting colors can really add character to an otherwise run of the mill space.

Tips on Choosing Wallpaper | Home on the Range

Image via Kravet

 

Tips for Choosing Wallpaper | Home on the Range

Image via Schumacher

 

On the other hand, if you already have a lot going on in the room, you can choose a milder color that reflects the feeling in the rest of the room without fighting with it.  In this case, it might be a good idea to consider papering an accent wall, rather than the entire room.

Pattern: 

Mostly all wallpapers come with either a pattern, a texture, or both.  Otherwise, why wouldn’t you just go ahead and paint the wall?  Patterned wallpaper is so much fun because it gives you a world of choices that normal old paint does not.  The right pattern on your wallpaper can instantly create the look that you are going for in a way that furniture and flooring just can’t do.  Here are some great examples of how a specific wallpaper pattern gives an instant style to a room:

 

Tips for Choosing Wallpaper | Home on the Range

Image via Decorpad

Tips for Choosing Wallpaper | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

Tips for Choosing Wallpaper | Home on the Range

Image via Schumacher

Tips for Choosing Wallpaper | Home on the Range

Image via Anthropologie

 

 

Texture:

Texture is one of the most fun things about the new wallpaper craze!  There are all sorts of textures available in wallpaper that give a new life to the trend.  Grasscloth is one type of texture that is rapidly gaining in popularity.  It adds a style that can be eclectic, homespun, or exotic, depending on what it is paired with.

Fabric options are another of my favorite wallpaper textures.  There are some beautiful wool textures, as well as denim and patterned velvet that I think would look (and feel) beautiful in the right bedroom.

 

Tips for Choosing Wallpaper | Home on the Range

Image via Schumacher

Tips for Choosing Wallpaper | Home on the Range

Image via Kravet

 

When choosing a wallpaper, it is important to remember the things that we talked about in this post, as well as a few other things too.

  • Make sure that you choose a wallpaper that you will love for years to come.  While bold patterns like chevron may be at the peak of popularity at the moment, think about how you feel about 80’s floral prints now, and realize that that is how you will feel about chevron in a couple of years.  Find something timeless.
  • Consider the size and layout of the area you are papering.  If you are wallpapering a cramped room, don’t cover all of the walls.  Choosing an accent wall will still convey your look without overwhelming anyone who steps into the room.
  • Get creative.  Paper things that you wouldn’t usually consider papering, like the ceiling!  But also remember to take into account the way it will feel when living it it- for instance, a dark paper on the ceiling will make the room feel dark and small, but a light paper on the ceiling with a subtle pattern will add more depth and character to the room!
  • Feel it out.  Choose the mix of color, texture and pattern that best work for you, remember to be creative, but don’t go crazy!

For more wallpaper ideas, and lots of other ideas too, follow us on Pinterest!  You can also like us on Facebook to stay up to date with everything that we are doing at Home on the Range, as well as get daily inspiration delivered right to your wall!

Kids rooms are my guilty pleasure- you can go a lot crazier with colors and decor in a kids room than you can anywhere else.  In a little girl’s room, it’s ok to feel like a princess, and in a little boy’s room there’s nothing wrong with being a pirate!  Here are 10 of the most fun, creative and special kids rooms that we have ever seen!

 

1.  The Pirate Room- Really?  A rope ladder, pirate ship, and under-the-sea mural?  Could this be more perfect?

10 Adorable Kids Rooms | Home on the Range

Image via Home Dsgn

 

2.  The Carnival Room- I love the soft and bright colors, and use of pattern in this room!  I also like how they used every day items to create all of the pieces here.

10 Adorable Kids Rooms | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

 

3.  The Eclectic Toddler Room:  Oh the colors in this room!  Also, everything looks so soft and comfortable, no sharp corners for banging your head here!

10 Adorable Kids Rooms | Home on the Range

Image via HGTV

 

4.  The Chalkboard Room: Where you never have to worry about them coloring on the walls!

10 Adorable Kids Rooms | Home on the Range

Image via Honest to Nod

 

5.  The Fireman Room:  How precious is this?  What little boy wouldn’t love to drive around and save kittens from fires in this room?

10 Adorable Kids Rooms | Home on the Range

Image via Pottery Barn Kids

 

6.  The Fairytale Room:  This room is so elegant but adorable, it would make any little girl feel like a princess!  Another great thing about this room is that it could be grown into, I know I would probably still love to live in this room!

10 Adorable Kids Rooms | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

 

7.  The Teepee Fort Room:  Oh wow, love the colors and patterns here!  They’re so fun and bright, any kid would love to wake up here!

10 Adorable Kids Rooms | Home on the Range

Image via The Handmade Home

8.  The Cowboy Hideaway Room: I think this might be my very favorite room of them all!  I love the corrugated roof, the wood posts, and the antlers!  This room makes rustic/western so much fun!

10 Adorable Kids Rooms | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

 

9.  The House in Paris Room: Can you just imagine the sleepovers that would happen here?  Too cute!

10 Adorable Kids Rooms | Home on the Range

Image via the Tumtum Tree

 

10.  The Colorful Kid Room:  The mix of styles in this room is fantastic… while your child might not appreciate that side of it, you can’t deny that they would love to sleep in a built in fort!

10 Adorable Kids Rooms | Home on the Range

Image via Handmade Charlotte

 

For more fun ideas, visit us on Pinterest!  You can also like us on Facebook to stay up to date on what we’re doing, and get great daily inspiration delivered straight to your wall!

 

 

 

 

 

A few weeks ago, we had a visit from our lovely friend Kay from Home Elements who came to show and tell us all about their new bedding collections!  And let me tell you, they are fantastic!  Today I wanted to share three of them with you, just in case you are looking for were new bedding!  Or even if you weren’t… maybe these will inspire you!

The Santa Fe Collection:

Home Elements Santa Fe Collection | Home on the Range

Image via Home Elements

This is my very favorite of the new collections, that’s why I put it first!  I love the pattern on the shams and duvet cover, it’s really beautiful and has a great tribal feel, while still remaining elegant and not too geometric or over the top western.  I also love the fabrics that are paired with it, the houndstooth adds another dimension that really contributes to the color and style, and the red coverlet and sham fabric compliments the patterned fabrics beautifully and helps to bring out the reds in both the houndstooth and the pattern pieces.  This bedding ensemble would be beautiful in any mountain home!

 

The Sun Valley Collection:

Home Elements Sun Valley Collection | Home on the Range

Image via Home Elements

I love love love the colors here!  Everything is so well matched in this collection, and it really makes me smile!  We often talk about how careful you have to be when incorporating the color blue into mountain homes, because it can so quickly become cold and icy feeling, but this ensemble warms up the blue in an incredible way.  I don’t think I could ever feel cold if I was wrapped up in this blanket!  For a while, we were seeing trends lean towards all greys, beiges and “greiges” , but now, thankfully, we are seeing the reemergence of color, and gosh are we excited about it!

 

 

The Santa Barbara Collection: 

The Santa Barbara Collection Home Elements | Home on the Range

Image via Home Elements

This collection is just so IN right now!  Between the greys with pops of yellow, the flowers and the chevron, this is about the most trendy bedding ensemble I’ve seen!  I love the use of color along with the grey and white.  This ensemble would be just perfect for a teenage girls room, or for a chic guest room!

 

If you like what you see here, would like to know more, or would like to talk to us about ordering bedding, please feel free to contact us any time!  We carry, and are able to custom order the entire Home Elements line!  If you would like to see more from Home Elements (who were recently featured in Mountain Living Magazine) you can visit them on their website, where you can take a look at all of their different collections!

 

While we can’t deny that summer is inching ever closer to its end (here in Steamboat we’ve had a sudden uptick of rain, cold nights and chilly mornings), it’s not time to pull out the winter clothes just yet!  There’s still time for one last hurrah, and what better way to do that than with an outdoor celebration?  And, where better to have an outdoor celebration than in  an outdoor living space with an outdoor kitchen?  We love the outside, and during the summertime in Steamboat there is nowhere else we’d rather be- I bet you feel the same about where you live!  Outdoor kitchens make outdoor living and entertaining a convenient and inviting option.

Most outdoor kitchens include some sort of cover/roof, a grill, counter space, and a sink… after that the possibilities are endless!  There are outdoor kitchens with ovens and stoves, kitchen islands, wet bars, fire pits, refrigerators, you name it!  Here are a few of our favorite outdoor kitchens of all shapes and sizes!

 

I love this kitchen because it mixes the indoors with the outdoors.  This space has all the features and coziness of an indoor kitchen, but is completely open on one side!  

 

This western outdoor kitchen is just adorable!  This would be a great “chuck wagon” style outdoor kitchen for a ranch or a Western Cowboy style home.

Outdoor Kitchens | Home on the Range

Image via Nora and Nick

 

Can you guess what I love about this one?  The built in fire pit of course!  Kebab and marshmallow roasting has never been easier!  

This one is great because it is detached from any other building, and the kitchen is a little area all its own.  How much fun would it be to enjoy breakfast out on that patio?

This more traditional looking outdoor kitchen is covered by a pergola, and I love the “kitcheny” stained glass hanging from the ceiling, as well as the creative wood storage below the counter.
Outdoor Kitchens | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

 

Here’s another pergola covered outdoor kitchen- this one has a more eclectic feel to it.  My favorite thing about this kitchen is the round butcher block table/island, and my second favorite thing is the tile backsplash!

The mix of styles in this outdoor kitchen are great!  The distressed painted wood combined with the stainless appliances and adobe wall give a really unique feel that is just perfect for summertime!
This much more contemporary outdoor kitchen is also beautiful, and fits right with the house it occupies.  The accentuated lines and stainless steel appliances make for a sharp looking kitchen, indoor or out!
I hope these lovely kitchens have inspired you to spend the rest of your summer days in the great outdoors!  We’ll have more posts coming up in the next couple of weeks that will include how to create your own outdoor living space, and tips on choosing and purchasing outdoor furniture.  For more fun outdoor living ideas, you can like us on Facebook or follow us on Pinterest!

Today we are excited to have a guest post for your viewing pleasure!  We would like to say a big thank you to Bryan from BuildDirect.com for contributing a super informative post on PAINTING your wood floor.  How unique and fun is that?  Painting a wood floor can either add a traditional, rustic, or eclectic look to your room, depending on how you do it.  If you have any questions along the way, or just want to find out more, you can visit BuildDirect.com for yourself for help, or for more great ideas!  So, without further ado, take it away Bryan!

 

Get a Fresh Look: How to Successfully Paint Wood Floors

 

If there’s one thing I love about wood floors, it’s gotta be versatility. Refinish ‘em, stain ‘em or paint ‘em, it’s absolutely up for you to decide. Yes, you read that correctly: paint ’em.

 

Painting floors has been practiced in North America since the late 1700s. Styles varied from monochromatic plains to parquet-like patterns, and popular colors included white, yellow, green and red. More than just for aesthetics, painting wood floors helped protect the wide plank wood floors that were popular at that time.

How to paint floors | Home on the Range

http://bohemianhellhole.typepad.com/

 

Following rapid development and industrialization advancements, painted wood floors took a backseat and gave way to carpets, clear coats and manufactured floor covering like linoleum and vinyl. However, artistry and creativity have once again made painted wood floors very popular.

 

Inexpensive, vibrant, and easy are just a few of the reasons that people have turned to painted wood floors for a quick update to make their rooms look fresh and brand new.

 

Here are the steps to follow to successfully paint wood floors:

 

Be sure to know what you’re doing and gather your materials.

 

Read, watch, ask and research how to do it, more so if you intend to do it yourself so you get familiar with the tools you need, how to use them and how much they’ll cost. More importantly, try to find out more about the wood floor you intend to paint so that you know which paint products will work best with them.

How to paint floors | Home on the Range

http://woodenfurniturehub.com/

 

Prepare and clean them up.

 

Preparing means removing all furnishing and fixtures together with any protective or decorative additions to the wood floors to be painted like mats and area rugs. If the wood floors have been some form of coat or finish, sand them off. You can have local contractors include it in the project or you might want to head out to Home Depot or other similar shop to rent out a machine for $50 or so a day. If you’re sanding it yourself, remember not to stay too long on a particular spot so that you don’t end up with uneven wood floors to paint. More importantly, remember to sand in the same direction as the grain.

 

Before you proceed with sanding, quickly but thoroughly inspect all the wood floorboards that you want to paint. This is the best time to do repairs or replacements of the floorboards if you want to make the project go as smoothly as possible.

 

Once you’re done sanding and there is nothing on the surface except bare wood, sweep or vacuum thoroughly to remove dust and wood residue. Finish off cleaning up by wiping the wood floors with a wet mop and a tack cloth.

How to paint floors | Home on the Range

http://www.paintmewhite.com/

Primp and prime

 

After cleaning up, apply primer to the wood floors before applying paint. Primers are important to the success of your painted wood floors so be sure to look for the appropriate priming product. Begin application at the edge of the room using a brush. Once you have covered all the edges, work inside from one end to the other. Let the primer dry according to manufacturer’s instructions.

 

Applying the first coat

 

Apply the first coat in the same manner you did the primer – brush it from the edges then work inward. In general, it is advised that you use oil-based paint for wood floors as they can appear more polished and, if you make mistakes, it’s easier to sand them off.

How to paint floors | Home on the Range

http://styleguide.homedepot.com/

Another neat trick in successfully painting wood floors is to use a natural brush in applying paint instead of rollers to create a smoother finish.

 

After the first coat has been applied, allow it to dry completely then lightly sand using 220-grit sandpaper. You can also use sand screens with a drywall pole sander then clean up with a damp dust mop and tack cloth.

 

Apply a second and third layer of paint. Keep in mind that each layer should be as thin and even as possible. The thicker the coats are, the easier they wear out.

 

Dried and cured

How to paint floors | Home on the Range

 http://roomsinteriordesign.blogspot.com/

 

Be sure to let the painted floors dry completely to ensure success. Let it dry before you start walking on it and once its dried, to be safe, allow 24 hours before bringing in the furniture. Be mindful of those stilettos too.

 

While drying can take 24 hours or less, complete curing of the paint can take up to four weeks. So be sure to consider that before dragging in the piano or anything.

 

Follow these steps and don’t be afraid to explore colors and patterns to create a fresh look for your wood floors.

 

 

About the Author:

Bryan Vu is a home improvement blogger and community outreach associate for BuildDirect, a leading flooring and building materials provider online.