Wednesday 23 December 2009

Three New York Master Bathrooms

image from New York Magazine

NYMag.com gives us an inside look at three incredible master bathroom renovations in New York. Along with a photo of each, we get the skinny on each piece and material used to create these stunning rooms.

In the picture above, for example, here's a quick idea of what is being used to get this look:

The Wish List: Smyth had to convert a very eighties slick black marble bathroom into something that felt like an open loft. The design started, literally, from the ground up. “When we walked into Paris Ceramics, Stormy fell in love with these reclaimed limestone tiles,” he says. She felt similarly passionate about the Agape “Spoon” bathtub they found at Moss.

The Solution: In contrast to the rest of the apartment, which has more extreme, deep colors, Smyth kept the bathroom neutral and warm. The tub went in the center, in part because it’s a showpiece, but also because that angle lets Byorum admire the East River views while reclining.


The bathroom above is in midtown east and was created by Michael Patrick Smith. For a list of NY bathroom designers, visit cityhammer.com, New York's #1 Remodeling Directory.

Friday 4 December 2009

The Return Of Remodeling - Nesting Trend Means More Business for Home Improvement Companies

Home Improvement professionals were among the hardest hit people in this recession, but a new trend is starting to mean more business for this very group. That trend is called "Nesting" and its the opposite of the old Flipping trend.

From CNNMoney:

If flippers were the poster children of the real estate boom, then nesters are becoming the icons of the new housing market.

"We saw a nesting reaction after 9/11, but we're seeing a stronger nesting reaction now," said Bob Peterson, president of ABD Design/Build in Ft. Collins Colo. People who have the money are fixing up what they have."

A proportionally bigger share of the home construction dollar -- 20% more during the first three quarters of 2009 compared with the same period last year -- now goes to home improvements, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In October, remodeling spending increased 8.7% compared with September to an annualized rate of $114 billion.

For New York General Contractors and Interior Designers, this is a very good sign indeed.

Sources:

Remodeling Activity on the Rise (CNNMoney)