home guide 2015

Home Guide 2015

Owatonna.com

2015

An A-Z Guide to the Perfect Fit

Home Guide 2015

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Home Guide 2015

Home Guide 2015 is distributed to subscribers and readers of the Owatonna People’s Press at no additional charge. Use of material without written

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Home Guide

Style a Thoroughly Modern Bathroom

By Erin Chan Ding CTW Features

The first thought that comes to mind when pondering this year’s smash movie, “Fifty Shades of Grey” is probably not the aesthetics in the bathroom. Yet, if you’re

going for a modern, sleek look for a room in which you and your family spend a good deal of time, you may want to borrow a few decorating tips from Christian Grey, the

Sleek and functional, contemporary bathroom design is all about simplicity, neutrality and a little bit of gray

See BATHROOM 4

Style a �oroughly Modern Bathroom ................................ 3

5 Smarter Home Ideas .......... 7

7 Big Lessons from Tiny Houses ..................................... 9

Front Porch & Center ..........13

An A-Z Guide to the Perfect Fit ...........................................17

Story Index

Home Guide 2015

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Freestanding tubs, like the one featured in the movie, can instantly modernize a bathroom, as can clean lines and a mixture of materials.

And then there’s gray – not the “Fifty Shades” character, of course – but the color itself.

“It’s all about grays at the moment,” says Michelle Silver, who works in sales in kitchen and bath design for Studio41, which specializes in home fixtures and décor and is based in Chicago. Silver adds she has been seeing “beautiful new neutrals” that come in hues ranging from a deep ebony shade of gray to light, taupe-like French grays. Kerry Kelly, the owner of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab in Sacramento, California, says a color called “greige” – a mixture of gray and beige – is one of her go-to colors.

But not everything in modern bathrooms needs to be varying shades of gray. Nor does a modern bathroom have to feel cold and steely.

The grays can be paired, Silver says, with mid-tone blues, silvers and blacks, which combine for a visually welcoming vibe.

Of course, Christian Grey also had good design instincts when he (or his designer) chose a white palette for his bathroom.

“Of course, white will always be hot,” Silver says, adding that white subway, a brick tile pattern, is a consistent bestseller nearly everywhere.

Some fixtures in contemporary bathrooms tend to be wall-mounted or

freestanding, like the aforementioned tub. Kerrie Kelly points to floating vanities with open shelving below while Silver adds that flat-panel designs with minimal decorations and features on doors, furniture legs on vanities that take the structure off the floor, and skirted and wall-mounted toilets all add a modern look.

The contemporary style, Kelly says, is “all about simplicity and neutrality.”

“Clean lines are the essence of modern style, so we celebrate hard angles and sleek linear focal points,” she adds.

As for materials, Kelly says differing textures can resonate together.

“We’re also a big fan of contrast,” she says, “like modern chrome paired with smooth bamboo. It’s unexpected yet complementary.”

BATHROOMFrom 3

Clean mix-and-match: A blend of textures and materials, such as glass, wood, metal and stone, provides sleek, pleasing visual sight-lines, and also creates a lighter, open feel in modern bathroom design.

See BATHROOM 5

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Modern bathrooms also don’t have to sacrifice practicality. Think about storage that could pair well with contemporary fixtures.

Nina Miller, an organization expert for The Container Store, says “clear or acrylic bathroom storage solutions create a very clean, sophisticated look in a bathroom. They also keep your toiletries or cosmetics visible, helping you quickly locate the item you need and save time while getting ready.”

Miller suggests taking advantage of already existing space, particularly behind doors and walls, where racks can go, thus avoiding countertop clutter and maintaining the clean lines of a modern bathroom.

She also suggested wall-mounted shelves that could create more space without new construction or more space-hogging in the bathroom, particularly in that blank spot on the wall right above the toilet. Silver says integrating lights in the mirror or vanity, as Robern does with LED lighting in its flat plain mirror cabinet, part of its AIO Series Cabinet, also minimizes wall clutter. Some mirrors can even incorporate televisions, should you need more entertainment while brushing your teeth, such as the Re-Creation Mirror Cabinet by Electric Mirror with a 15.4-inch LED HDTV screen.

Modern fixtures also have become more angled and square in shape. Silver points out that rectangular bowls for sinks are hot

right now, as is adding drawer units on the sink. She has acquaintances that have retrofitted vintage chests of drawers into modern bathroom settings. Side-by-side, wall-mounted trough-style sinks, like those made by The Furniture Guild, also combine practicality with a communal, modern sensibility.

As for one of the most important fixtures in the bathroom – the toilet – Kelly raves about Villeroy and Boch’s bath and wellness line, “which we recently started oohing and aahing over.” She points to the DirectFlush, rimless toilet by Villeroy & Boch, which she calls “super sanitary.” Mounted on the wall, “it’s also aesthetically beautiful and quite contemporary.” Kohler also offers in-home, touchless flush mechanisms (activated by waving your hand) that can make the bathroom more sanitary.

Bidets, long popular in Japan, Korea and parts of Europe but scoffed at by some Americans, are gaining popularity in the United States, Silver says. They can be purchased separately and mounted next to the toilet or come as a cleaning mechanism with the toilet.

In the shower, an easy way to update your bathroom is to consider chucking the curtain. Kelly says replacing the shower curtain with a glass enclosure can make the space feel larger; have fun with the door, too, as it can either be swinging or sliding. Some clients opt for no door at all.

Bathroom tile doesn’t just have to be boring either. Silver suggests distressed

From 4

See BATHROOM 6

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wood planks that are actually made of porcelain, which “can be used in combinations to create lovely, pure or warm environments.” Long skinny glass tiles add sleekness, too, as does staggering the tile layout.

As for the overall right fit of modern bathroom for you, much of it is visceral.

Silver says she knows she has it right by “the feel of how the whole space comes together and flows. When I look at items together, I get good or bad chills. I know that sounds weird, but one usually gets a feeling in their gut if the overall picture feels right. Generally, I want the client to be thrilled (when) walking into their new space. I try to find pieces they love and bring it all together. Even if it may not make sense at the beginning, there’s always something – a tile, a countertop – something which can make it all work.”

© CTW Features

Don't touch the toilet: Hands-free flushing, like the Kohler toilet pictured above that is activated by the wave of the hand, is an increasingly popular feature to help decrease the spread of germs. Bidets, long popular in Europe, also are gaining in popularity in the U.S.

BATHROOMFrom 5

Home Guide 2015

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5 Smarter Home IdeasBring your home into the future with these simple and smart upgradesBy Carley LintzCTW Features

The smart, technology-driven home of “The Jetsons” is no longer a fictional dream. Granted, a robot maid might not be in your immediate future, but smart homes are here to stay, and impressive, affordable technology has become mainstream.

From thermostats to home entertainment, there is a connected device for practically any need in your home. And research says con-sumers are ready and willing to adopt smart home tech – 54 percent of American consum-ers plan to buy at least one smart home prod-uct in the next year according to the second annual State of the Smart Home Report from Icontrol Networks, which surveys 1,600 con-sumers in the U.S. and Canada.

The top five most wanted smart home devices for 2015 are:

1. Self-adjusting thermostat – 72 percent

Traditional thermostats require users to manually change the temperature every time they get a little hot or cold, but a smart ther-mostat does it automatically. Models like the Nest Learning Thermostat build a personal schedule based on your habit, making them easy to use and more efficient at saving you time, energy and money.

Estimated cost: $200-$300See IDEAS 8

What it saves: approximately $131-$145 a year according to Nest Labs2. Doors with remote lock – 71 percent

Burglaries occur every 14.1 seconds in the U.S. according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. So it’s no surprise that 90 percent of consumers named security one of the most important reasons for purchasing a smart home system. Think you forgot to lock the front door? With a remote lock connected to your phone, you can check from work giving you peace of mind, security and convenience that isn’t available from a simple lock and key.

Estimated cost: $179-$300What it saves: Not having to replace stolen

property from a picked lock3. Household master remote control – 68 percent

One of the reasons smart devices are so attractive is how they streamline routine tasks. And what’s more streamlined than a universal remote? Sometimes called “smart hubs” these units are the command center that communicates with all of your other smart devices. These hubs can dim the lights, lower the temperature or crank up some tunes all from one place.

Estimated cost: $199+What it saves: Time, with the convenience

of dealing with a single smart device4. Home monitoring cameras – 65 percent

Do more than just keep an eye on your home with smart surveillance cameras. The latest home monitoring systems offer more options and ease of use than traditional sub-scription-based company. Cameras like Piper NV utilize facial recognition and environ-

mental sensors to learn your family’s faces and routine, and alert you if something is amiss. So the alarm won’t sound if the kids get home early from school, but will notify your smart phone if it’s in vacation mode.

Estimated cost: $199-$500What it saves: can you put a price on your

peace of mind?5. Automatic adjustable outdoor lighting

Smart lighting has come a long way from turning on with a clap. Like other smart tech-nology, smart lighting features motion detec-tion, automatic shut off, energy efficiency and can be controlled from your smart phone. Outdoor security lights like NetBright Spotlights by Mr. Beams are even able com-municate with each other, so when one light activates, all lights on the network turn on as well.

Estimated cost: $144.99 (per unit of 4)What it saves: more energy efficient than

traditional security lights – savings based on use.

© CTW Features

Home Guide 2015

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Home Guide 2015

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7 Big Lessons from Tiny Houses

By CARLEY LINTZCTW Features

We all could do to live with a little less in our homes: a little less clutter, a little less waste and a little less inefficiency. Tiny home dwellers, however, take “less is more” to the extreme, managing to eat, sleep and work in houses more suitable for a hobbit than a full-sized human.

Haven’t heard of tiny homes? You might be the only one. These itty-bitty abodes are every-

where from books (“The Small House Book”) to movies (“Small is Beautiful: A Tiny House Documentary) to TV (“Tiny House Nation”). They’re both undeniably adorable and the embodiment of living simply and smart. They also fly in the face of the super-sized mindset of many Americans.

The average size of single-family homes built in the U.S. in 2013 was 2,600 square feet according to the Census Bureau. That’s even

Tiny houses are hugely popular. Here’s how to incorporate the space-saving design tips into your normal-sized house

See LESSONS 10

Home Guide 2015

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bigger than during the housing crisis years. Averaging between 100-400 square feet, tiny homes stand in stark contrast to the (literal) growing housing trend.

Tiny house owners choose the mini lifestyle for a multitude of reasons including freedom from debt, the ability to travel or environmen-tal consciousness. But for a majority of us, liv-ing in such tight quarters just isn’t practical.

Nonetheless, there’s a lot to learn from these immaculate, clever designs. Here are seven tips for living the tiny house life without taking a shrink ray to your home:1. Rethink downsizing

The greatest lesson from the tiny house life-style: downsizing. But before you start chucking your belongings into a donation bin, take the time to truly evaluate your family’s needs.

“Tiny house living is all about efficiency without losing style. It’s taking a real, honest assessment of ‘what do I need?’ and, when you go to the next level, ‘what do I want in my life?”

says Ross Beck, operations manager for Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, Sonoma, California. “It is really more about what your mindset is than I’ve got to get rid of half of my possessions.”

So ask yourself ‘do I want a dinner set for 14 when I haven’t ever invited 14 people for din-ner?’ and make downsizing decisions based on what works for you.2. Rent, borrow & share

Got a grill that only sees action once a year?

Aim high: Vertical storage maximizes the space in any size room.

See LESSONS 11

What about that bike you bought to take up cycling that is now collecting dust? Or a hedge trimmer that’s never seen a hedge in its life? Live according to the tiny house philosophy: if you’re not using it regularly, you don’t need it cluttering up your home. Instead, rent, borrow and share neighbors’ and friends’ devices when

you need them.3. Get clever with space In tiny homes, every little bit of space is precious so homeowners have to get creative to use each nook and cranny to its full potential. For example, � oating shelves on your wall are a great – and inexpensive – alternative to night-

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See LESSONS 12

stands, and they help to free up �oor space. Built-in features like bookcases make any room more interesting while also saving space.4. Make it multi-purpose Like a busy parent, furniture in a tiny house needs to be great at multitasking. Choose pieces for your home that pull double-duty, like an ottoman that serves as extra seating as well as storage, or staircases with hidden storage units in each step.5. Taller is better

One of the most under-utilized spaces in any room of your home is likely above your head. Lofted beds are popular features in tiny homes, so take note and think tall when choosing your décor. Cabinets and curtains that reach the ceil-ing will make any room seem bigger while floor to ceiling shelving units won’t leave any space unused. 6. Go custom Can’t find the perfect piece for your home design needs? Take note of the tiny home playbook and get it custom made, or even do-

it-yourself. A majority of tiny homes are either custom made by companies like Tumbleweed Tiny Home Company or built DIY-style by the owners. It’s the perfect way to make sure you have exactly what you need for your family’s lifestyle.7. Be energy e�cient Living efficiently doesn’t just apply to making the most of a small space for tiny house dwell-ers. For many owners it’s also about their effect on the environment. Invest in energy efficient technologies like smart thermostats, or you can make simple lifestyle changes to live more efficiently.

“If I’m paying a lot of overhead for heating and cooling, maybe I can, as past generations have done, close off a room,” suggests Andrew Odom, author of Tiny r(E)volution blog. “Or I’ll turn the thermostat down at night and use a quilt, or wear less clothes and drink more water. You don’t have to have a small space to live more efficiently.”

© CTW Features

Home Guide 2015

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Front Porch & Center

Front porches once again are in-vogue with new homeowners. Here are 5 steps to craft a classic front-of-the-house room

By DAWN KLINGENSMITHCTW Features

For many homeowners, the porch is less of a design feature than it is a way of life.

“I live on my screened porch. I built it as a present to myself for my 50th birthday and it is the best present ever,” says Atlanta real-tor, Bill Golden. “Some days I work from the porch, and most weekend parties end with guests relaxing on the porch.”

Golden is not the only homeowner who’s rediscovering the simple pleasure of passing time on the front porch. After falling out of fashion for a few decades, the front porch is back in a big way, both figuratively and lit-erally. Front porches made the Top 12 list of most popular new-home amenities in 2015,

according to the National Association of Home Builders. And for the most part, “The new front porches are being built wide enough to accommodate plenty of furnish-ings, sometimes combining comfy indoor-style furniture with more traditional porch swings and rocking chairs,” Golden says.

Cultural changes and technological advances after World War II led to the front porch’s decline, but porches had been com-mon as far back as colonial times and by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “they had become a distinctive and almost universal feature” of American homes, says Dallas-based architectural historian, Virginia Savage McAlester.

See PORCH 14

The front porch, then, is an American icon. It also is the first impression guests have of your home. So while you and your neighbors may be spending more time on your porches, “take care that yours doesn’t look too lived in,” Golden says. “This is not

your mudroom.” It is your designated space to kick back

and relax, however, so you owe it to yourself to create a space that offers both comfort and curb appeal.

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PORCH

1. Consider the contextIf you’re considering a porch addition like

Golden’s, take a look around you. Does a porch make sense in the neighborhood? “If all the houses have big setbacks and big lots, yours may be the only porch and you’ll have no one to wave to or interact with,” says Brian Hoffman, an executive at Red Seal Homes, based in Northbrook, Illinois.

Also consider your home’s architecture and interior design. The porch is, after all, a transitional space and you want it to tie-in. “Especially for me as a realtor, I knew I wanted the screened porch to match the style of the house,” says Golden, adding that this helps ensure “the next owner will want to keep it rather than tear it off the house.”

Golden’s porch also reflects his home interior’s neutral color scheme. “It’s easy to change out candles and throw pillows to add color or change up the look, but it’s more timeless and seamless to keep the major pieces neutral and in-step with the style of the house and its indoor furnishings,” he says.2. Stepping out in style

Larger porches are “rooms” in their own right that you happen to go outdoors to access. Homeowners are decorating them accordingly, “investing time, thought and money to give their porches a particular style,” Golden says.

By and large, homeowners seem to be embracing the traditional look and feel of Colonial, Southern and coastal porches, where rocking chairs, swings and wicker and wrought iron pieces set the stage for lazy

summer evenings sipping sweet tea or per-haps something spiked and garnished with mint. Traditional porches tend to be sym-metrical with matching pairs of things, such as urns on each side of the steps or a pair of hanging ferns spaced just so. The overall appearance is somewhat formal and restrained, and the predominant color is white, with bright accent colors.

“White ceiling, white railings, white wick-er – it just really works,” says Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams.

On nontraditional porches, a more rustic look tends to prevail, complete with mis-matched wooden or vintage furniture, and flea market finds such as old crocks and rusty farm implements.3. “Haint” and other paint

Historically, the most quintessential fea-ture of a covered Southern porch has been a particular shade of blue on the ceiling called “haint blue” that is said to chase away evil spirits and insects alike. Haint blue’s validity as a repellant notwithstanding, the use of blue for porch ceilings has moved north and expanded to include a fuller range of blues, from aqua and teal to cobalt and cornflower, though sky blue still predominates.

“It looks great and feels like you’re sitting beneath the sky,” says Sara McLean, color expert at Dunn-Edwards Paint.

Other options for the ceiling are a “darker shade of the (house) body color to add depth and continuity, or the same color as the front door,” McLean says.

Underfoot, the porch floor “is often

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neglected but it has so much potential,” Jordan says. “It doesn’t have to be a solid color. You could do a stencil pattern.”

Likewise, if the front steps are wooden, you can paint each riser a different color or alternating colors for visual appeal. 4. Creature comforts

Golden wanted his porch to be as accom-modating as an indoor room, so he fur-nished it with an upholstered sectional sofa and ottoman, and is still hunting for the perfect little table for intimate dining and morning coffee.

Aside from ample and gracious furniture, Golden counts a ceiling fan as a must for outdoor living. And then there are the nice-to-haves, including his “cocktail ledge” that runs all the way around the inside of the porch a bit below waist level. “It’s great for candles, reading glasses and, yes, a cup of coffee or glass of wine,” he says.

With all the basics in place, you can add

fun, functional elements such as a bar cart, chandelier or swinging daybed in place of a swing.5. Curb appeal

What will the neighbors and passersby think? It’s a question you must consider if you have a porch. Some ways to improve the look of your porch for not a lot of money include simply replacing worn doormats and rugs, and upgrading the decorative house numbers “so they stand out against your home exterior and ensure houseguests can easily locate your home,” says Jonathan Begg, product marketing manager at National Hardware.

For the enjoyment of all who live in, visit or simply pass by your home, add seasonal touches such as pumpkins and gourds on the steps in autumn, evergreen garlands along the railings in winter and container gardens and birdfeeders in spring and sum-mer.

© CTW Features

Home Guide 2015

507-451-6388

PORCHFrom 15

Home Guide 2015

An A-Z Guide to the

Perfect Fit

By Dawn Klingensmith CTW Features

Designing an inviting living space not only takes creativity but also precision. That’s because looks, comfort and even safety depend largely on the proper place-ment of things, which calls for careful measurements. This A to Z guide of stan-dard and recommended measurements makes this numbers game (almost) as easy as a-b-c. A is for area rug.

“A rug does not look right if the front feet of the furniture pieces in a seating group are not on the rug,” says Ace Hardware’s home expert Nathan Fischer, adding that most living rooms require an 8-by-10-foot rug minimum and more likely a 9-by-12.B is for beds.

With just two or three inputs,

LandscapeCalculator.com figures out how many plantings and how much mulch is needed for flower beds. C is for co�ee table.

Allow for 18 to 24 inches of clearance between your table and seating. “I like to snug the furniture up to the coffee table for a cozy look, but you need at least 18 inches so it’s easy to walk through,” Fischer says.

See PERFECT FIT 18

D is for draperies.Draperies should be one half-inch off

the floor and extend 6 inches above the window. “That way from outside, you

don’t see any pinch-pleats, just the folds,” says Sally Morse, director of creative ser-vices for custom window treatment man-ufacturer Hunter Douglas.

Home Guide 2015

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Hang it not-too high: To safely extract hot foods, the bottom of a microwave should hang about three inches below the primary user's shoulder.

E is for end tables.The top of an end table should be at or

below the arm height of its adjacent sofa or chair.F is for � t.

When measuring a room for furniture, “be sure to also measure entryways, doors, height clearances and stairways to make sure you can get it to the desired location, and take into account obstacles such as lights and railings,” says Faith Phillips, a La-Z-Boy design and trends expert. G is for gutters.

Rain gutters and downspouts should channel and discharge rainwater well away from a home’s foundation. Six feet is a common minimum recommenda-tion.H is for hood depth.

A range hood should cover at least half of the front burners.I is for island.

Standard kitchen island height is 36 to

42 inches. A taller island accommodates barstool seating and is more comfortable for prep work than standard 36-inch countertops. J is for juice (as in power).

Measure a home’s annual energy use compared to similar homes using EPA’s Home Energy Yardstick at www.energys-tar.gov. K is for kitchen triangle.

The sink, stove and refrigerator form the points of the triangle. The sum of the three sides should be no more than 26 feet, with no single side measuring less than 4 feet or more than 9 for maximum efficiency and comfort.L is for lampshades.

For reading lights, “The bottom of the shade should be even with eye level when you are seated,” according to LampsPlus.com.M is for microwave.

Since it is unsafe to reach overhead for hot foods, the bottom of the microwave

Home Guide 2015

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should be 3 inches below the principal users’ shoulders. N is for no space.

Adding larger windows or more win-dows, or even a skylight, are ways to improve lighting and make a room look bigger. Another design tip to make the most of space in the kitchen is installing deeper cabinets or a wider countertop. A galley-style kitchen is great for small spaces. Also, make upper cupboards 18-inches deep instead of the standard 12 inches.O & P are for one gallon of paint

One gallon of paint generally covers about 400 square feet of wall, but since windows and trim affect coverage it is wise to use an online paint calculator to estimate the number of gallons needed for a specific space, says Kathleen Szczeniak, senior director of product innovation for Sherwin-Williams.Q is for quality.

Thread count is the most relied-upon

metric for the quality of sheets, but a higher thread count does not necessarily translate to better-quality bed linens. The cotton type is a better indicator, with Egyptian and pima cotton generally regarded as the best.R is for root � are.

Tree trunks thicken at the base where the roots start to emerge, and this area, called the root flare, “is meant to be in the air, not under soggy mulch which is very bad for the tree,” says Bob Hursthouse of Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors in Bolingbrook, Illinois. The root flare should be 1 to 2 inches higher than the surrounding grade, with mulch pulled away from the trunk. S is for switches.

The standard height for light switches is 48 inches above the floor, but universal design for wheelchair users calls for a lower switch height of 40 inches.T is for toilet.

Bowl heights are generally 14 to 15

PERFECT FITFrom 19

See PERFECT FIT 21

inches from floor level (without the seat), but certain toilets rise to the level of por-celain “thrones,” with bowls as high as a standard chair (16 to 19 inches) for com-

fort and ADA compliance. U is for universal design.

Most interior doors are 30 to 32 inches wide; however, door widths of 34 to 36

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inches are needed to accommodate wheelchairs, with beveled floor thresh-olds not to exceed one-half inch in height.V is for vertical space.

MasterBrand Cabinets recommends there be 18 inches between the kitchen countertop and the base of the upper cab-inets, with some exceptions depending on countertop items and workspace consid-erations.W is for wall hangings.

“Most people hang artwork too high, especially if they have high ceilings. They think they need to fill up the space,” says Fischer, adding that “artwork should be hung at eye level,” or about 57 inches from the floor to the center of the art.X is for xeriscaping.

Xeriscaping, or water-conserving land-scaping, precludes mixing plants with dif-ferent growing requirements in the same beds. Sunlight calculators – light meters

that measure solar energy – can help a gardener position plants and establish zones in ideal locations. Y is for yardage.

Calculating the yardage needed for custom draperies is tricky because it depends on several factors including rod width and the fabric’s pattern repeat. An online drapery yardage calculator can help determine the proper size and full-ness. Z is for zero.

“Zero entry pools” offer gradually sloped access to the water and are popu-lar because they evoke the beach and improve accessibility. They take up more space than a regular pool, though, so if backyard real estate is limited, consider “a beach entry that slopes gradually at first, but then lets you use steps to descend into deeper water,” PoolPricer.com advises.

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