Neal's Home Remodeling and Design Blog

Universal Design has become a standard in both home and product design. More manufacturers are giving serious thought to how their products are used in homes and who is using them. They want their products to accommodate a range of users from youngsters to the elderly. Safety is a primary consideration, and product designers are seeking better ways to prevent accidents. Universal Design is about designing spaces, products, and features that can be used by everyone and follows three guiding principles: Safety, Comfort, and Accessibility

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When a kitchen functions correctly, you can feel it. Your workflow, from food prep, cooking, and serving to clean up and use when a meal isn't in the works, is smooth and free of issues. All kitchens start off with the potential to be highly functional, but choices in where things were installed, what cabinets were picked, or what changes have been made over the years can all lead to a space that doesn't quite work as intended for you and the way you need it. When evaluating your kitchen for a remodel, there are 5 key areas where the function of your kitchen resides.

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In interior design, there are three large categories of design styles that you have probably come across if you've been looking into changing your home. These are Traditional, Contemporary, and Transitional. While Traditional and Contemporary design styles are somewhat easier to conceptualize, Transitional style is harder to describe. In very basic terms, Transitional design style fills the gap between rich, detailed Traditional style and minimal, angular Contemporary style. That's just a high-level definition, though, so let's take a closer look.

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While this year has been one in which being at home has been more typical for many, the winter has always been the season when we find ourselves hunkering down and staying in more often. It's also the time of year when we tend to see more clearly the ways in which we may be outgrowing or disliking our homes, and dreaming of the remodeling possibilities the new year might bring. Last week we took a look as some inspiring kitchens to highlight what a remodel can do to improve a home's style, function and comfort. This week, we'll build on that (see what we did there?) and highlight some helpful resources for those who are ready to take another step toward making their home dreams a reality in the next year.

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