Now that you've settled in to your new home, you have time to think about the patio and backyard spaces. Whether your space is large or small, there are several backyard upgrades you can make to truly set your space apart. 

Add Some Light

LED String lights are easy backyard upgrades for your home. There are so many options available locally to choose from. Home improvement stores and even places like Bed Bath and Beyond offer a variety of fun LED lights perfect for outdoor use. Remember: less is more! A string or two is all you need to add a cozy touch.

Add some fun

Add a bar cart with whatever you need for a fun evening: that may be signature cocktails, an ice cream bar, or even just fun party foods! A bar cart rolls, so it's easy to store when you're not entertaining. You can even have several of these for backyard upgrades and use them for flowers, holding grill supplies, and so much more. 

Nothing says fun like a yard game. If your space is limited consider ladder golf or jenga. For larger spaces cornhole and Kubb are great options! 

Add some color

Color is truly a great backyard upgrade option! You can add color in so many ways:

• Add an outdoor area rug with color and a pattern for a pop of interest.
• Stain your deck, if you have one, or paint your concrete patio floor a bright, fun color.
• Add wall art or yard art to truly make your space unique.

Add some warmth

Consider adding a propane fire pit to your backyard space. This will absolutely make it easy to use your patio area year round! The coziness that a fire pit can add will make your patio the envy of the neighborhood! 

Ready to discuss a custom home? We'd love to help! Check out our Ten Steps to Your Custom Home for more information! 

A few weeks ago we shared with you four interior design styles.  Today we're sharing a few more to help you better identify your own interior design style. You may not be able to pinpoint your exact style, even after reading both articles. However, knowing at least a few elements like "we like a muted color palette" or "we like metal and clean lines" will be helpful to your design team.  This week we'll look at four other categories of interior design style: transitional, traditional, modern and minimalist. 

Transitional 

Transitional style is a popular and common style that lies somewhere between traditional and contemporary.  One of the biggest keys to this style is letting the furniture and textiles used in a room speak for themselves. Accessories tend to be pillows, throws, and area rugs.  There is a mix of feminie and masculine elements in most transitional decor.  You may see this in the combination of a few pieces of dark wood furniture with lighter, more feminine accent pillows. 

In this picture we see the mix of feminine and masculine at the dining table with the addition of a very feminine light fixture. The heavy table is reminiscent of a more traditional design while the kitchen light fixtures are more contemporary. 

Traditional

Traditional design leans heavily on dark wood pieces, usually in a matching set.  These pieces often are ornately decorated and are influenced by 19th centure English and French designs. You will often find more expensive fabrics with traditional designs too, like silks and linen.

Most traditional designs feature neutral color palettes with pops of color from paintings or other accessories. Curved lines, as seen here in the loveseat, nightstands and accessory table, are classic examples of a traditional style. 

Modern V Contemporary

Despite what many thing, modern and contemporary styles are not the same. A modern interior design style came to be around the mid-2oth centure (hence, mid-centure modern) and has evolved only slightly since then. It features glass, metal and clean lines and uses art as its main accessory. 

Above you see straight lines in the furniture, lots of glass and ight, and very few "kitchy" knick knacks. 

Alternatively, contemporary style is always evolving and basically refers to whatever is in right now. Whether contemporary style will ever have truly defined aspects is debatable. It is usually sleek and scaled down with a certain lightness to it.  Accents and furniture can range depending on what is currently in fashion.

Minimalist

Finally, let's look at one last interior design style: minimalism.  Uncomplicated, clean lines and a less-is-more quality define the minimalist style. Minimalists love empty space.  Most likely there's a part of all of us that strives to be more minimalist!  Patterns are abandoned as being too busy, storage is important and furniture is functional. 

Ready to get started on your new home? Contact us! 

If you've looked at our floor plans for The Peaks at Redlands Mesa, you know that we appreciate an open concept floor plan. In all four of our design options the kitchen, living room, and dining room are part of one large space. We think there are many benefits of an open concept floor plan. 

Even in today's society, when having separation in a home is a good thing, having an open concept for at least part of your home has benefits. First, more natural light is available to you.  Without added walls in the way, light from various angles can shine through into your home. You'll use less electricity and gain the benefits natural light provides to the look of your home and everyone's moods too! 

Next, an open concept can provide more options for a variety of seating options, play spaces, office space and more. Because the space is open you can use it for whatever you want (outside of the kitchen portion). Open concept homes are great for families who enjoy being all in one space and for those who like to entertain. Having a sight line from the kitchen through to the dining and living room is a great thing when entertaining lots of guests. 

A small space feels bigger in an open concept home. Therefore, you can have a smaller footprint and still have what feels like a large kitchen/living area.  Since this is the space where people spend most of their time, having it feel large can make a big difference. 

It's possible to still have some separation in your home while gaining the benefits of an open concept plan too. Several of our floorplans offer open concept living, dining and kitchen areas and then also include a separate, private office space. In this way when multiple people are working from home, privacy is still available. 

If you're ready to discuss your custom home, contact us! We'd love to help you create the home of your dreams. 

When it comes to building your custom  home the interior design matters as much as the exterior. Knowing your interior design style before you meet with our design team, can help you when it comes to making those all important interior design decisions.  Let's examine a few common design styles. These can help you better understand your own.

Scandinavian

You have probably heard the term "hygge" if you've spent much time looking at interior design styles.  Cool, cozy and simple accents tend to reflect this Scandinavian style.  Warm blankets and pillows paired with the clean lines of wood or sleek "natural" looking furniture lend themselves to this look. Think of home that feels and looks warm without feeling or looking stuffy.

Ecclectic

The Ecclectic look is just that. Maybe you aren't drawn to one particular style, you just like a mix of everything! Bold colors mixed with neutral walls or pillows, lots of displayed items in some places with balanced simplicity in others.

Industrial

This is probably a style you're more familiar with. Exposed brick, steel and iron, and raw exposed materials are what give this look its distinguishing features. Think of a loft apartment with exposed brick walls or a kitchen with lots of exposed beams and light.  The light fixture and chairs at this kitchen table (below) are good examples of industrial style.

Vintage/Shabby Chic/Grand-Millenial

Known by many names, a vintage style is one that tends to be slightly more "feminine" and charming. Adding vintage pieces is best done if those pieces are the "stand outs" in the room. Not everything needs to stand out, but a few key elements in each room that do? That's classic.  A flowered wallpaper or pattered chair in a room that otherwise is quiet can provide a much needed change.  The room pictured below is probably a bit over the top for most homeowners. But adding ONE of these elements, like the mirrors or the sofa, can give a room that vintage feel.

Still struggling to find your style? Here's a quiz that can help! Watch for part II of our series on Interior styles, where we'll cover: Mid-Century Modern, Contemporary, Coastal and Minimalist styles.