Modern Living | Page 5 of 6 | TAB Associates Blog

Let Us Work On Your Interiors: Kitchen Trends for 2014

If you’re a fan of warm tones or interesting colors in kitchens, then you’ll love this year’s trends. All-white designs are out and natural materials with bold designs are in.

2014 Kitchen Trends — Source: TAB Associates

Here are a few of the hottest kitchen trends for 2014:

Blue: This color might seem like an odd choice for a kitchen, but it’s becoming a popular one. Homeowners are choosing all different shades of blue, ranging from soft sky blues to bright turquoise and sophisticated navy tones. Blue is mainly making an appearance in tiles and cupboards, as well as decor items.

Eye-catching backsplashes: These areas above the stove or sink are really standing out, thanks to brightly colored splashbacks with bold patterns. These work well with kitchens that are mostly done in white or neutral colors since they create contrast.

Natural materials: Wood, stone, brick and other natural materials are giving kitchens some rustic appeal and creating a warm and welcoming environment. This trend also involves exposing older beams and structures, as well as adding new features.

Want to see examples of kitchen trends for 2014? Contact TAB Associates for more information or check out our online portfolio today.

Ideas for Building Your Outdoor Room for Future Summers

An outdoor room gives you a place to enjoy your natural surroundings while sitting in comfort. It can be so much more than a simple set of patio chairs and a table. When designing your outdoor room, don’t be afraid to get creative.

Creating an Outdoor Room — Source: TAB Associates

Use the following outdoor room design ideas to help you come up with the perfect setup for yours:

Focus on fun. Give your outdoor room a truly natural feel by using grass as the floor instead of wood or stone. Set out some rocking chairs and consider including a swing or two for a whimsical touch that kids and adults alike can enjoy.

Make it multifunctional. Instead of just focusing on seating, get more use out of your outdoor room by including a fireplace, big-screen TV, kitchen area, a dining table and chairs, and a counter with a row of bar stools. This makes the room a great spot for relaxing or entertaining.

Create an outdoor sleeping area. Turn your outdoor room into a place where you can enjoy sleeping under the stars in comfort on a suspended bed.

Ready to discuss your outdoor room project? Contact TAB Associates, and follow us on Facebook.

How Can 3D Printing Help You Design Your Home?

Home design could take on an entirely new look, thanks to 3D printing. Although using this technology for designing a home is in the very early stages, a few designers have already come up with some cutting-edge architectural concepts.

How 3D printing affects home building — Source: Shutterstock

3D printing has been in the news a lot in recent years. This type of printing would allow a variety of items and materials to be printed for a wide range of purposes. As far as using it to design and build homes, that’s a long way off. However, some designers have been experimenting with the possibilities that this technology provides.

These designs don’t resemble the types of residences we’re used to, though. Part of adopting this approach would include either modifying them into more typical homes or getting people used to living in these very different home models. For now, the excitement over this technology is due to the freedom it gives architects to come up with new and very different home designs. It could also be used to create models of traditional homes to make it easier for people to decide what they want.

Need professional help designing a home? Contact us at TAB Associates, and follow our Facebook page.

Building a Home? Consider Adding an Interior Courtyard

A key benefit of designing your home is the ability to incorporate distinctive features not available in most track homes. The transition between interior and exterior space is a common design trend, which has led to use of interior courtyards in the home.

Modern Bedroom by San Francisco Architects & Designers John Maniscalco Architecture via Houzz

With a large front and backyard, you are likely wondering why you should consider an interior courtyard. Reflect on a few of the benefits of an interior courtyard below:

Natural Light: Interior courtyards are highly sought after because of the natural light that they bring into the home. At midday, a second story interior courtyard can illuminate the entire second floor.

Open Space: An interior courtyard opens the space, and an accessible design will add another passageway through the home. Sliding glass doors are a popular option.

View: Second-floor courtyards can serve as windows to a landscape view of the surrounding area. And just to grab some sky can be a real treat to a space.

Air Movement / Breezes: An interior courtyard can bring air movement to interior home spaces thereby increasing thermal comfort.

Added Security: An interior courtyard can provide an exterior experience and all its added value while still being part of the inside of the home from a security standpoint.

Interior courtyards can take on various forms. The courtyard doesn’t always need to be accessible or feature lush green landscapes. Xeriscaping with sand, pebbles, bamboo or other natural materials is an equally common option. The goal is to have visual access to daylight and the sky. Being attached to the exterior is always a pleasant experience.

If you are designing a home, contact our architectural team at TAB Associates for personalized assistance in creating your ideal property.

Advantages of Building Your New Home

When it comes to the choice of a resale, or building a new home, there are many benefits that come along with building a home to your liking. Although resale has its conveniences, nothing is quite like having a dream home built just for you and your family.

Here are the advantages of building a new home over a resale:

Customization. You can build a dream home with things the way you want them, rather than try to find a pre-made home that fits your needs and wants.
Lower maintenance. New homes, custom built, are designed with materials and engineering designs that need far less maintenance than you might find with a resale. This can be from not having to paint an exterior, to ensuring the roofing is done with low-maintenance in mind.
Avoid resale repairs. Having a newly built house will help you avoid potentially costly repairs over having an older home.

When you consider the benefits of building a home from the ground up, one must often weigh whether or not to purchase a resale. Get what you want from your property, and build your dream home with the help from TAB Associates, Inc.

Home Additions That Pay Off the Most

There are many different ways to add value to your home, but sometimes, it’s hard to sort through just which home additions will add the most equity. If you’re sorting through your options, here are a few pieces of advice from the experts on which improvements will pay off the most:

The kitchen may be the easiest room in the house to upgrade in terms of new appliances, wallpaper, paint, and flooring, and it pays off a great deal. Most people consider the kitchen to be the life of the house, so it’s a perfect place to start upgrading.

New additions are also a great value to include. That can be anything from converting the basement into a rec room, to building a new den. An extra bathroom, done well and completely, can just about pay for itself.

A brand new deck not only adds square footage to your home. It also adds an extra area that many people can enjoy, and it adds a great deal of value to your home.

Choose the ways to add value to your home that are the most cost-effective and painless, and reap the benefits of a good payoff when you’re ready to sell your property.

Vail Neighborhood Spotlight: Beaver Creek

Choosing from the many Vail neighborhoods can be a difficult task for anyone new to the area. However, we believe there’s no place that is quite like Beaver Creek. It’s one of the area’s favorite communities and a site to be seen by all visiting the Vail.

The motto for Beaver Creek is, ‘Not Quite Roughing It,’ and it’s exactly that. The area is host to a variety of year-round activities, from mountain hiking in the summer to skiing in winter. Perhaps the most appealing to new residents is the fact that this gated community allows for children to run around unimpeded in the fresh air and sunshine. Or, perhaps it’s the beautifully designed properties and homes that dot the landscape.

Beaver Creek is a resort, not just for tourists, but for residents, and even a brief visit to the Ritz-Carlton or Park Hyatt makes it easy to see why.

If you’ve been considering a home in Beaver Creek, TAB Associates can custom-design it for you. From luxury homes in Beaver Creek, or any of the other Vail neighborhoods, we will work hard to bring you exactly what you want.

Image courtesy of TAB Associates

Modern Trends in Mountain Homes: Home Position

TAB Associates has its finger on the pulse of mountain home trends. People are increasingly dissatisfied with the classic and claustrophobic ‘boxy room’ set up, and are looking for more creative, open spaces to utilize throughout the house.

One of the advantages of building a custom home in Colorado is that there is gorgeous scenery and abundant sunshine year round. This makes for open floor plans, which are already trending, more sensible for the Colorado home. One way to keep this space open is by combining a ‘total living area’ — an open floor plan that utilizes dining and living in one, then opens up to the kitchen.

The kitchen is the “heart” of the home. Big windows and other pieces finish off the design perfectly, allowing a great deal of light in, as well as the feel of ‘being in nature.’ We provide the windows and God provides the ‘art’.

When it comes to knowing mountain home trends, and how to customize a home to keep clients happy, TAB Associates has the experience and expertise to create a home that’s not only trendy but long-lasting and beautiful.

Modern Trends: Open Floor Plans in Mountain Home Design

Chen 3 Timber Springs Bunk House will utilize a variety of styles on the way to becoming a dream log house.

One of the best recent trends for building mountain homes is going with the homeowners’ likes and dislikes and individual preferences. Of course, with all the choices one has with architectural design, it can get overwhelming on just what to choose for dream log homes. Though, one steadfast trend we’ve noticed in log homes that should likely never get old is the use of wide open space.

Maximizing sun exposure with seamless transitions from outdoors to indoors leaves residents with a feeling of elegance and serenity all rolled into one simple and beautiful home project. If the space is used correctly, through consultation with your architect, the square footage doesn’t have to be enormous in order to get the open space look and feel.

Quality of space is often more preferable to quantity of space. The elegance provided lacks the stuffiness of formal dining and living areas, but still retains its grand stature and openness.

Our current project, Chen 3 Timber Springs, utilizes this philosophy of open spaces that are efficiently used, with quality outweighing quantity. If you are interested in learning more about how TAB Associates can make your dream mountain home become a reality, call us at 970.766.1470.

Image via Flickr

Get to Know the Neighborhoods in Vail, Colorado

Vail neighborhoods are diverse and unique, and the area is one of the nicest places to live in Colorado for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons is the beautiful neighborhoods. There are fourteen different Vail neighborhoods to choose from, and for those who want something a little different with their architecture, there’s really one place that’s super trendy right now: Edwards and Lake Creek.

This area is the fastest-growing neighborhood in Vail. And with a warm family atmosphere, it’s a very attractive place where locals are relocating. It’s ideal for both commercial and residential building projects, and the neighborhood sports some of the very best restaurants in the Valley.

The Riverwalk in Edwards cannot be beat for commercial properties and building. Unique boutiques, shops and markets are all the rage for those who love to indulge in retail therapy. This whole area is ready for even more growth, and architectural planning is prime for the Edwards and Lake Creek area.

If you’ve been considering a residential or commercial project for a great neighborhood, TAB Associates can help you find exactly the right fit for your needs, no matter what area!