Accentuate Your House With A Porch

Any home design can have a porch, but the best porch, according to experts, appears as if it's been there from the get-go. In this case, designers cite the importance of sticking to the architecture of the house in designing the porch. Think of the porch as a dental implant; a properly-placed implant looks like a natural tooth in plain sight. To put it simply, it doesn't look too obvious.

Fortunately, many homes in the U.S. have a long history, dating back to as early as the first settlers. Colonial-style homes are among the most prolific designs used in the country, often featuring design emphasis on the front door and symmetrical architecture (equal number of windows on both sides of the door). Later versions featured elevated brick foundations and matching porch designs.

For contemporary homes, professional porch builders suggest looking for design cues to help design a porch that fits the bill aesthetically. For example, if the window frame has an arched head on top, design the posts in the porch the same way. This allows the posts to accentuate the window design and blend with the home design itself. Overall, the porch is part of a reflective image of the home.

What to Do With Your Basement? Plenty.

The basement is an undiscovered treasure for many homes. A typical basement offers 1000 sq. feet of living space just waiting to be used if only homeowners would invest in it. Instead of simply being a storage area for old and broken stuff, basements can be remodeled into a number of functional and enjoyable spaces:

For The Kids

Basements can be converted into a spacious playroom for the young ones. They’ll have more than enough room to express their creativity, energy and curiosity. You can even put in tables and chairs so they can do all their coloring and drawing (and maybe even homework!) in a space they’ll be sure to love.

For The Boys

The boys have a new favorite hangout: the basement! Why not invite the guys over for a few games of pool? Then when the basketball game starts, you can all lounge on a plush couch while watching the play-offs on a large, flat-screen TV. Of course, having a fully-stocked bar never hurt either.

For Your Health &Fitness

You’ll never have an excuse for not hitting the gym after remodeling your basement into an exercise room. It will handily fit flat benches, treadmills, weight racks and other common gym equipment. Or why not convert it to your own personal yoga or pilates studio?