Highlight Homes

At Highlight Homes, we love the fact that Spring comes a little earlier this year! With its arrival comes fun stuff like gardening, outdoor gatherings, open windows, and picnics in the park. We feel inspired by the blue skies and little green leaves popping out everywhere. True to form, in this month’s installment of Shades and Highlights, we shine the light on a few other people, products and projects that inspire us…

Pantone’s Color of the Year:  Emerald 17-5641 – While the Bermuda Grass remains a shade of tan and the leaves take their sweet time returning to the trees, it’s easy to bring those beautiful emerald hues indoors with accent walls, throw pillows, vases, picture frames, area rugs, and more. Pantone – THE global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries – has designated Emerald as its 2013 Color of the Year. It’s a color often associated with tranquility, good health and good fortune. Use it in your décor, and your neighbors will be “green” with envy!

Flower Power – Big bold prints are also all the rage in fashion and décor this year. Whether wearing them or decorating with them, floral prints bring an undeniable sense of Spring indoors. CountryLiving.com features a terrific article by Charlotte Barnard titled “Decorating with Floral Prints” – it’s a must-read!

WE Do Windows! – It’s amazing the difference a new door or replacement windows can make to both the outward and inward appearance of a home.  Highlight Homes is proud to work with a number of local window & door manufacturers and suppliers who offer traditional as well as custom items. From unusual geometric shapes to bay windows, we do it all. Open the sash and let those wonderful Spring breezes in. While we’re at it, we can design and construct an entire ROOM of windows – your new sunroom!

Hidden Spaces – As though inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett’s Secret Garden, we love to find tucked away spaces and turn them into something beautiful. A hall closet door can become a sunken doorway bookcase, the space under the stairs can be opened up and transformed into a highly functional storage space or an indoor dog house, a little used corner can become a book nook, a guestroom closet can become a home office… the possibilities are endless!  With Highlight Homes’ extensive knowledge of structural engineering, we may be able to see the possibilities in your home that you may have overlooked.

If you wish to incorporate any of the looks above in your own home, but you need our help to do so – we welcome the opportunity to help you make that happen!  Our talented design-build team can be reached by calling 678-873-9234 or e-mailing info@highlighthomesga.com.

Fourth Quarter Performances Indicate Remodeling Market Remains Strong, Highest Indicator Readings Since First Quarter 2004

According to a recent press release from the National Association of Home Builders, the Remodeling Market Index (RMI) reached 55 in QTR4 of 2012, increasing five points from QTR3 – its highest reading since the QTR1 of 2004. Designed to monitor the remodeling industry on a timely basis, the RMI is based upon the results of regular surveys from 2000 remodelers nationwide. These measures include current market indicators – such as maintenance and repairs, minor additions and alterations, and major additions and alterations, as well as future market indicators – including calls for bids, proposal appointments, committed work and project backlogs.

An RMI above 50 indicates that more remodelers report market activity is higher. It just so happens that the RMI was above 50 in all four regions of the country – Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. According to the 2013 NAHB Remodelers Chairman, Bill Shaw, GMR, GMB, CGP, professional remodelers across the nation reported more work from both large and small projects, as well as overall home repair – making them optimistic about the outlook for slow and steady market growth over the remainder of 2013. In this latest RMI measure, future market indicators increased 7 points in the previous quarter to 56 and current market conditions rose 2 points 54.  Remodelers indicated that activity was particularly strong in properties that are owner-occupied.

In a statement from the release by David Crowe, the NAHB Chief Economist points to a rise in existing home sales as a possible factor in the positive bump in RMI numbers. “With existing home sales up, the increase in the RMI partially reflects the remodeling work new home owners undertake when they move in,” explained Crowe. “Consumers are gaining confidence in the economy and feeling more comfortable pulling the trigger on large and small renovations.”

In the event that you are ready to be a part of the Renovation Renaissance, we invite you to call the talented design-build team at Highlight Homes. Not only can we help you with basic home maintenance and overall home repair leading into Spring, we can also design and construct a number of beautiful home renovations that will make you the envy of your neighborhood.  Our list of services includes:

• Whole Home Renovations
• Room Additions
• Architectural and Design Services
• Kitchen and Bath Remodeling
• Landscaping and Ponds
• Decks, Porches, and Patios
• Sunrooms
• Man Caves
• Home Theaters
• Attic and Basement Finishing
• And Much, Much More!

Highlight Homes’ team of architects, designers and builders can be reached by calling 678.873.9234 or e-mailing info@highlighthomesga.com.  To learn more about Highlight Homes and sneak a peek at our online portfolio, visit www.highlighthomesga.com.

Highlight Homes Pays Tribute to National Craft Month

I guess you could say that the design-build team at Highlight Homes is really just a collection of professional crafters. My team members and I love to draw, build, paint, create, and dream.  To that end, we have great respect for crafters of all mediums and professional levels. In honor of National Craft Month in March, we’d like to take this opportunity to showcase the creation of special craft-astic spaces, custom-designed just for them.

Painters

Most artists prefer spaces with lots of light and few distractions. Imagine a wide open space with crisp white walls, a skylight, lots of windows and an easel placed at center stage. A utility sink can be hidden away in a closet for the convenient cleaning of brushes on one side, and specially designed cubbies for canvases and paint supplies can be lined up on the other. Recessed lighting with a dimmer and easy-to-clean flooring can be incorporated to finish off this workspace that can serve as the inspiration for countless masterpieces.

Scrapbookers

A small guestroom or corner of a basement can easily be converted into a scrapbooker’s paradise with plenty of creative storage and cute picture-focused décor to keep imaginations and artistry flowing. Built-in bookcases to house scrapbooks surrounding a built-in drafting table for future creations will serve to finish off the room beautifully.

Seamstresses, Embroiderers, Crocheters, and Knitters

For many artists who work with their hands, comfort may be vital to their creativity. Comfy seating and warm décor could serve to spur on the creation of blankets, scarves, sweater, embroidered hair bows, dresses, and so much more. Storage again plays a vital role to housing supplies and keeping the space uncluttered. The size of their passion should determine the size of their workspace – from a converted closet in a little-used guestroom to an entire room of their own.  We think that is Sew Cool!

Potters, Sculptors and Clay Artists

For a messier craft, many artists are relegated to the dank, dark corners of a basement. Concrete floors are easily stained and sealed for a chic look and the dank, darkness can be transformed into a creative space that begs to be filled with music and magic as the artist creates to their heart’s content.  With a little imagination, a basement can be converted into a trendy artist’s studio.

Whether you are a burgeoning artist, a seasoned professional, or a “crafty little devil”, you owe it to yourself to designate a space in your home as your own. Highlight Homes can work closely with you to custom design the space to meet your needs and vision. To schedule a no-obligation consultation, crafters of all kinds are invited to call the Highlight Homes team at 678.873.9234 or e-mail us at info@highlighthomesga.com.  To learn more about Highlight Homes and sneak a peek at our own “scrapbook” of projects, visit www.highlighthomesga.com.