Pinterest…..friend or foe?

I resisted the urge as long as I could.  Now I am one of millions who “pin”.  Before Pinterest, I pinned the old fashion way.  Carefully tearing out pages of magazines and adding them to my “dream kitchen” binder.  I started that binder when I bought my house.  I had collected hundreds of images over the years.  Now I have an electronic binder.

            It is easy to get lost in Pinterest-space.   You know that euphoric feeling of inspiration.  Last week I was going to preplan meals for a month after I organized all the closets in my house.  Then I looked at the clock and realized ten minutes turned into an hour and my inspiration was interrupted by reality. But….I pinned the closet organization and monthly meal planning for someday.

            Pinterest is a valuable tool for those who are building a new home or remodeling an existing home.  For many people, they know what they like but just need a little reassurance to get there.  In the “old days” designers would suggest their clients gather images of rooms and products they liked and create a wish book.  Now with Pinterest we can create “boards” with great detail.  Pinterest is becoming an important tool for our customers.  Selecting finishes for both interior and exterior can be overwhelming when building a new home.  @Home has eased most of this with the state of the art design studio.  Pinterest has helped fine tune the details.  Reviewing a customers’ board allows me to capture their vision and help create the home of their dreams. 

            Another great use for Pinterest is to showcase new products.  There are always new products that pertain to the home being introduced.  It is also an excellent way to track the latest trends.

            Overall I see Pinterest as a friend.  It is full of great ideas.  I hope someday I will get the chance to make that bath rug out of old towels and to paint perfect rainbows on my nails.

-Christy Haag, @home Builders Designer

Meet Jen Hays – Social Media & Marketing Specialist at @home Builders

Jen is the newest member of the @home Builders team, bringing industry knowledge from the mortgage side of the homebuilding process. Jen handles everything from updating and maintaining company websites, to updating and designing marketing collateral, to managing company social media and every project in between.

Outside of the office, Jen enjoys participating in CrossFit, volleyball, kickball, hiking, snowboarding, and skydiving. During much of the year, you will also find Jen coaching for Rochester’s largest girls travel volleyball club, Volley FX, which serves elementary, middle school and high school girls allowing them to travel around the country and grow their volleyball skills.

From Jen:

“I’m proud to be a part of such a great company that not only believes in the true value of a well-built home, but one that also believes in the value of  maintaining a high standard of customer service and building great relationships. @home Builders is a company that will go above and beyond to make sure every homeowner ends up with the perfect home that will suit their needs.”

Falling Into Autumn

Suggestions from @home Builders Designer, Christy, about how to decorate for the new season!

The start of a new school year represents the inevitable conclusion to summer. As much as I mourn the end of summer, there is something comforting and exciting about fall, especially around the house. I love decorating seasonally.   It’s a budget friendly way to reinvent your home if you constantly crave change. I have a few rituals that help my home as well as my mindset transition into fall.

Bedding is one of my favorite ways to change with the seasons. Away goes the white on white layers of light and airy, out comes the down comforter, luxurious sheets, and the perfect quilt for nights that require a little more warmth. The final touch is pillows. Use a lot of pillows with varying sizes, shapes and textures. Accent pillows can be expensive so I make sure I can use them in many different arrangements.  

Windows are another way to decorate seasonally. In the fall curtains are a great way to add a layer of coziness to any room. Consider curtains with a heavier texture, richer colors, or bolder patterns. 

 When it comes to the family room, I switch out area rugs. A thick wool rug strewn with organic colors and patterns replaces the sisal rug that has adorned the hardwoods floors.   An oversized faux fur throw is a great juxtaposition of texture as it takes its place on the arm of the leather sofa. Of course there are more accent pillows. They are soft and the perfect size to rest your head. Scents of cinnamon apples and pumpkin spice fill the room as I unearth my fall candles. 

Accents are a great way to decorate seasonally. They don’t have to be expensive. My coffee table is pretty sparse in the summer. In the fall I love to decorate it with stacked magazines and books. One of my treasured finds is an old wooden bowl I found at an antique shop. I constantly fill it with different things. This fall I filled it with corks from wine I have collected since my restaurant days. At Christmas time I fill the bowl with vintage ornaments. 

 The kitchen takes on a fall feel with my most favorite white bowl proudly sitting on the counter displaying hearty vegetables such as potatoes, squash and onions.  

A home is so much more than a place to live. Decorating your home is a very personal journey. It is part of what makes a house a home.  

Tips For Purchasing a New Sofa

Monthly tip from our Designer, Christy

The Westover Great Room

Purchasing a new sofa can be exciting as well as overwhelming.   There are many things to consider before heading out to the furniture showroom.

1.     The most important…. SCALE

2.     Style

3.     Upholstery or leather

4.     Skirted or non- skirted

5.     Arms & Back

A good place to start is with your existing sofa.  What do you like about it?  What don’t you like about it? Does the scale work with the room? Measure your sofa; be sure to measure the height (arms & back), width & length.   Take the measurements with you when going shopping as this will give you a comparison.  It’s hard to tell in the showroom, but many sofas are oversized.

 Scale- The most important and most over looked factor when purchasing a sofa.  We have all walked into a room where all you see is sofa.  I mentioned above about measuring your existing sofa, this is very helpful.  When going into a showroom always bring your measurements and a tape measure. When you find a sofa you like, map it out in the space it will be in.  Use some low tack painters tape and tape out the height (on the wall), width, and depth.  This is a good guide for the visual person.  Using graph paper with the room laid out to scale is another great way to see if the sofa is the right size.  Many furniture stores offer space planning as well.

Style- When thinking of style, how long do you plan to keep this sofa?  In lieu of the latest trend, maybe consider something with a more classic line and shape if you are planning to keep the sofa for a number of years.  This way you can re-invent the sofa many times throughout its life span by changing accent pillows or throws.

Upholstery or leather- Not all the furniture in the room has to match.  It’s okay to mix leather with upholstery.  When opting for leather, buy the best quality you can afford.  It makes a difference in both wear and aesthetics.  Lifestyle plays a key role as well.  If you are a young family with kids and pets, leather will withstand the wear and clean up well.  If you prefer upholstery, consider fiber content and pattern.  Fabrics that have multiple fiber contents generally tend to be more durable.  Cotton and polyester or cotton and viscose are good examples.  Pattern or texture is important for masking wear.  The plainer the fabric the more soil and wear it will show.  When choosing a pattern think, “How long can I live with it and will it look dated or classic in ten years?”

Skirted or non-skirted- This option is more for the upholstered sofa. A skirted sofa can lend more of a traditional and formal feel to a room.   If your taste is more contemporary or modern, a non-skirted sofa with an exposed leg is a good option.  The exposed leg with the open space under the sofa will help balance the negative space in the room, making the sofa feel less obtrusive and will give the space a light and airy feel.

Arms & Back- Next to scale these are the most important things to consider.  If the arms and back are too high, it can kill a room. If your new sofa is going into a smaller space, consider low arms and back.  This will help to keep the height in the room.  If the arms and back are too high, it can swallow up the room and confine the space.  If your new sofa is going in a very large room with high ceilings, then high arms and a high back will bring the room in a bit and envelope you.  Arms play a role if you like to curl up on the couch for a nap.  If the arms are too high, it can be difficult to rest your head.  Don’t be afraid to lie on the sofa the way you would if you were at home.

Finally, one last tip- Measure your door openings that the sofa will have to fit through. Most furniture stores will not take furniture back and you don’t want to be stuck with a couch you can’t even get into your living room!

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Stay tuned for next month's tip from designer, Christy!  If you have questions in the mean time, feel free to learn more about our Design Center here or contact Christy at chaag@athomebuilders.com, 585-398-7738.

FREE Design Options with Your New Custom Home

Are you looking for your dream home, but having no success?  You’ve looked at one home after another, but if it’s not one thing you’d need to change, it’s another. The bathroom is too small, the living spaces aren’t open enough, the utility bills are too high, or the windows aren’t spaced the way you would like. 

Why deal with the stresses of buying a “used” home when you can build and customize your own home to your exact specifications – and get paid for it!  Yes, we will GIVE YOU MONEY for building your dream home. Due to its overwhelming popularity, we are extending our Design Options Promotion through the end of July!  $6500 in Design Options in our state-of-the-art Design Center can be yours when you sign a contract with us by August 1, 2012! 

Already own a home with us? Bring a friend in to any model and have them sign a contract, and you’ll receive a $500 Visa gift card AND your friend will receive an additional $1000 in design options!

Don’t wait! There are more reasons to choose @home Builders. Come build your dream home today!

Why Buy A New Home in 2012?

A more economically stable 2012 is underway. What does that mean for Rochester’s homebuyers? Although sales were slow in 2011, sellers are coming to terms with the current market patterns and pricing their homes with a more realistic outlook. Last year’s sales market was erratic, but a successful January seems to signal that homebuyers are cautiously moving towards optimism. The first month of the year was busier than it has been in the past few years, due in part to buyers who were on the fence, but who now want in the game.

What are buyers looking for in 2012? A well priced home with great design. @home Builders president David Riedman stated that buyers are looking for houses with an open floor plan. “People are focused on the kitchen and living space being connected,” he said. What can first-time home buyers expect to pay this year? A $200,000 price tag will get you that new dream home.

With indicators going up and a higher confidence level from consumers, 2012 looks like it should be a very successful year!