Is a Retrofit Right for You?

A retrofit can be a great way to improve an older home, adding amenities and custom features that increase everything from its resale value to its functionality. However, in some cases, it might actually be better to choose the new construction avenue, especially if the structure is energy deficient. We’ll look at the major factors to consider and how to approach the problem should you decide a retrofit is right for you.

Why Retrofits Are Popular

For the most part, you’re usually better off choosing a retrofit. Retrofits tend to give renovators more options because they can work within the existing infrastructure. It’s also the more cost-efficient option because it doesn’t require extensive replacement of the available systems.

Costs and Maintenance

Before you decide whether a retrofit is right for you though, you need to consider what it would take to bring the property up to code. Single-family homes are typically straightforward, but if you owned a duplex or larger property, the cost comparison might be closer than you think. If the structure needs a lot of work to meet modern-day standards, the process of retrofitting is potentially more expensive than starting from scratch. In addition, keep in mind that if you retrofit one area, such as the kitchen, it might make maintenance more expensive for the rest of the home.

Vail Valley and Western North Carolina Architects

If you’re searching for an architectural firm in Vail Valley or western North Carolina, it’s likely because you have a relatively big project to take on. Experts recommend approaching it one step at a time to get a sense of how each retrofit is benefitting the entire property. It helps to find someone who can take a closer look at the building and devise a plan for it. If you need help deciding where and how to retrofit your home, call TAB Associates today. Whether you need a more modern kitchen or a total redo, we’re here to find the best path forward.

Eco-Friendly Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

Your bathroom is one of the main areas of your home that boosts its value overall, so it’s good to make updates to it from time to time. If you’ve been thinking of doing a bathroom remodel, making a few eco-friendly changes could improve your home’s value even more. Keep the following bathroom remodeling ideas in mind for a more eco-friendly home.

Eco-Friendly Fixtures

If you’re planning on replacing the plumbing fixtures in your bathroom, such as your toilet, choose ones that are environmentally friendly. Consider getting a toilet that uses a much lower amount of water for flushing, which helps cut down on your household’s water usage. You can also look into getting a dual flush toilet that gives you the option to choose a lower or heavier setting for water flow. For sinks, consider getting low-flow faucets. These fixtures use considerably less water than standard faucets. We do not suggest using low flow shower heads because you will not enjoy your showering experience.

Energy-Efficient Lighting

If your bathroom remodeling plans include upgrading your lighting, make the switch to energy-efficient lights. LED lighting fixtures for bathrooms provide plenty of light while also reducing the amount of energy you use. Another option is to have motion-sensor bathroom lights installed that turn on when you enter the room and shut off when you leave. Proper placement of these motion-sensor switches is imperative or you will have the lighting going off while you are still using the bathroom. Energy-efficient bathroom lights are available in a wide range of styles, including overhead lights and wall sconce lights.

Sustainable Flooring

If you’re thinking of having a new floor put into your bathroom, consider sustainable materials rather than traditional ones. Bamboo and hardwood that are responsibly sourced are a couple of options to consider. If you prefer something other than wood for your bathroom due to moisture concerns, look into other sustainable options, such as ceramic tiles.

If you’re interested in making changes or upgrades to your bathroom, please contact our Vail Valley and western North Carolina architects for more information. We can help you get started on your bathroom remodeling project.

4 Things To Be Mindful Of When Choosing A Flooring Option For Your Living Space

When it comes to home décor, most people tend to keep the flooring finish for the end. Nonetheless, it’s a fact that the ambiance of any living space draws a lot from the type of flooring. An array of factors dictate your flooring choice such as budget and lifestyle. A plethora of options exists to choose from- mosaic, stone and wood flooring to name a few. Sometimes you find yourself so spoiled for options that it becomes a little overwhelming to make the right choice. Therefore getting a professional opinion is recommended. Colorado and North Carolina home owners looking for the best architects, you have come to the right place. So, welcome!

Three Reasons This Vail Valley, CO & Western NC Architectural Firm Is Your Best Choice!

indoor architecture

Life often moves fast.  In this life, we are each challenged to find ways to attempt to create a lasting legacy.  Shaping our shared external environment by creating physical structures is one way that we can share ourselves with the world beyond our years.  Sometimes you just need a place to live, work, and play.

TAB Associates has the experienced, balanced architectural approach you need!

Three Reasons TAB Associates In Vail Valley, Colorado & Western North Carolina Is The Architectural Design Firm You Need

We Design Structures For You

With over 30 years of experience and more than $600 million in development properties, we have proven our expertise! Over the years, we have been intricate partners in creating single and multi-family houses, as well as properties in resort, commercial, medical, and institutional categories.  Our company’s mission is to build properties to reflect our customers, not our egos.

Balanced Architectural Design

Once we set our egos aside, we were able to focus on a balanced architectural approach. We pride ourselves on our ability to combine the customers’ vision, site circumstances, and our experience.  Using these three factors, we can create structures that are practical, functional, and aesthetically pleasing.

One-Stop-Shop From Idea To Ribbon Cutting

Unless you work in architecture or construction, you do not spend your life building structures. Because projects are equally immense, intense and have a variety of unknowns, many people recall this process as one of the most stressful events in their lives. That is why we manage the entire building process for our customers.  We become our client’s point of contact from the first consultation through the entire design phase, and ending with the various construction contractors. Selecting TAB means getting the structure you want with minimal stress attached!

Don’t Delay Building Your Dreams

Don’t hesitate to leave your mark on the world. We provide a balanced architectural approach to creating the facility you need.  Contact TAB Associates today for your free consultation!

How to Use Negative Space to Transform Your Home Decor

living space with decor

Does your home feel too cluttered, busy or otherwise weighed down? Perhaps the issue is a lack of negative space, which can be rectified with the right interior elements and working with Vail Valley and Western North Carolina architects! Here’s a look at how you can update your home by effectively using negative space ― defined as the space around objects ― to bring balance to your home.

Invite Imperfection

We want our homes to appear lived-in and comfortable, not sterile or “too perfect”. Even though symmetry is appealing to the eye, placing a mirror, artwork or other decorative objects off to one side, rather than perfectly centered, can give your room a bit of character. Just a touch of negative space can produce this effect, giving your home an inviting look and creative flair.

Harmonize Awkward Spaces

An architectural space that is awkward, such as space beneath a staircase, can be beautifully transformed by leaving the area empty and simply adding the right lighting or paint color ― rather than filling it with furniture or decorative objects. You can achieve an artistic look this way without much effort.

Create Balance

Let pieces of furniture or artwork be the focal point in your room without overwhelming the space with items such as lamps ― that is unless the fixture or other object is perfect for creating a balanced look. This design strategy doesn’t require a simple, pared-down decor scheme, unless that is your aim. You can decorate with the style of your choice, whether shabby chic, mid-century modern or traditional, and still enhance your decor by keeping clutter to a minimum and introducing ample negative space.

A home that looks harmonious invites comfort and relaxation. At TAB Associates, an architectural firm in Vail Valley and in the mountains of Western North Carolina, we have the experience and expertise to help you create the interior space you crave. Contact us to learn more or to schedule a consultation today!

4 Things to Keep In Mind When Building A New Home

Building a new home is no doubt an exciting experience and certainly, one of the biggest investments of your life. It’s normal for any homeowner to get overwhelmed with thoughts and decisions aiming for a home of your dreams.

When you want to enjoy the adventure of building your dream home by making smart and focused decisions, be sure to consider these mentioned things before you meet a builder.

Consider your number

Your budget should be foremost in your mind before you start building a home for you and your family. Running numbers beforehand helps you determine whether it fits into your budget or not. The numbers normally include construction costs, funds for a down payment, tax benefits, and other similar calculations. Once you’re done, purchase a house lot and head straight to your bank to make some financial arrangements.

Trust only reputed Architect

No matter where you reside, the list of nearby Architects is never short. Do a little research to know which architects have the best reputation. Consider gathering information online or seek recommendations from family and friends. Only a reputed and experienced architecture company  can provide you with desired architecture designs and interior designs, without compromising quality and punctuality.  Check with the local builders on whom they suggest you work with when designing your new home.  They have an insight to the quality of drawings which translate to ease of build and controlled costs.

Keep resale value in mind

Though you may not have plans in the future to move to another house, you must consider your dream house’s potential resale value while building it. Make sure not to make upgrades that will overprice your house for the neighborhood and avoid choosing something that looks too ordinary. No doubt, features you are planning to add are likely to appeal to your guests or future buyers.

Think green

An advantage of considering a reputed architecture company is that they will help maximize energy-efficiency with custom design plans. Window walls, for instance, allow you to enjoy your natural surroundings and scenic outdoor landscape. They might even introduce you to smart and energy-efficient appliances like HVAC systems at the time of building to achieve comfort and convenience in your dream home.

Always remember, only you and your family know what is best for your new home. For professional suggestions, choose TAB Associates, reputed architects in Vail Valley and Western North Carolina, known for the best custom house plans and interior designs!

TAB Associates, Inc. North Carolina Architecture Firm Opens its Doors!

Well, here we are again; time to post in the blog.  Well let me tell you a little something about the new office in western North Carolina!  It is located about 20 miles south of Asheville in Hendersonville.  We are one block from Main Street on Church Street.  We share the building with Glennwood Custom Builders.  They are in Suite A and we are in Suite B.  Here is a picture of the front door.  Actually, the front door is being replaced with a wood door.  We are just waiting on the custom hardware which is a few weeks out.  There is a backlit LED sign to go above the door to match the one in the window.  It will eventually be moved out to the gable end when the building is renovated.New North Carolina Architecture Firm

Later this summer, the building owner is supposed to be renovating the exterior of the building to a design we did for him.

architecture firm exterior

Corten panels above reclaimed siding with heavy timber beam and king posts gables on new stone and timber columns at each entry.  This should be quite the improvement over the green metal mansard and brick veneer existing exterior.

Inside we mixed up the interiors with an ultra-modern reception area and a rustic conference room.  We added a Jim Harrison giclée of one of his famous Coca Cola barns.  Jim was a favorite South Carolina painter from Denmark, South Carolina about 3 hours south of us.

architecture firm interiorarchitecture firm conference room In the work area, we used what we know works and copied the Edwards office for the desks.  We put in a similar Kitchenette, but stayed with the theme in the office and had the cabinets painted a custom color; purple of course.

Now we are marketing to land a few projects.  Then we will start to hire some local talent and train them in the TAB ways.  We started off by joining the Asheville Home Builders Association.  We have recently joined the Land of the Sky Association of Realtors (Asheville’s Board) and the Hendersonville Board of Realtors.  Getting emails out to all of the members announcing the opening of this office was a challenge, but was successful.  Currently we are licensed in Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina and Montana.  We are nationally certified and can be licensed in any state.  If you have any need of an Architect, please contact TAB Associates, Inc.

Architectural Designs That Bring the Outside In

Modern design strategies make it possible for high-quality home improvements to act as points of value for homes. For example, across the nation, the integration of home living and outdoor living is being utilized as a design element that adds value to homes and helps increase the use of the entire property space. In this indoor-outdoor blog post, we discuss how the Vail Valley architects of TAB Associates make merging the indoors and outdoors easy.

Movable Walls: Not New but Still Valuable

Folding walls can be used to divide a large room, such as a spacious living area. A folding or moveable wall can also be used as an outer wall that leads to the outside, to create a larger living and entertainment area. A glass wall is a thing of beauty. It allows you to have an expanded view of the outside without losing the energy efficiency of your home.  Here’s why.

At 8,150 feet above sea level, Vail Valley, Colorado, offers expansive views of nature. A Vail Valley architect can add a sunroom onto your home’s exterior. In addition, they can install a movable glass wall.

In winter, the wall can be opened to create more space and to take advantage of the warmth provided by the sunroom (or the sun in general). In summer, when the weather gets warmer, the glass wall can be closed to insulate your living room. That is just one way that an architect in Vail Valley can help design the perfect mix of indoor and outdoor space.

Kitchen Expansion Made Simple

Another good example of how to use a movable wall to increase your home’s space is to place moveable glass walls in the kitchen. By building an outdoor kitchen, you can open the wall and expand your kitchen area for parties, holidays and other events. Such a wall allows you to take full advantage of all of your living space, even those spaces outdoors.

To explore how an architect can add value and help improve the space in your home, visit TAB Associates online.

10 Tips to Effectively Communicate with your Architect

Your new home will be an important part of your family’s life, so you chose to hire a reputed Architect to design a beautiful home for you. Yet, if you and your Architect are not able to communicate properly, you may end up with a product that is not built to your liking. The following tips will point out how you can effectively communicate with your Architect.

  • Do a bit of research- Before you begin to design your home, it is best to look around and expose yourself to interior design and existing architectural trends to decide what you want.
  • Preferred mode of communication- Once you hire your Architect, establish the most efficient form of communication between you both. The frequency and speed of response will be based upon whether you choose emails, text messages, voice calls and so on.
  • Make a schedule- Once the preferred mode of communication is established, make a weekly schedule so that you and your Architect can plan the meetings accordingly.
  • Take it one step at a time- It is not conducive to go into the details of what you need from a home right at the beginning. Start with a solid idea and then build up from there.
  • Ask for 3D views- Architects are experts at seeing 3D even when they are looking at 2D images. Ask for a 3D version so that your visions are aligned.
  • Make sure that you understand everything- Although architects will try their best to make themselves understood, they may use some terminology that you’re unfamiliar with. Get clarity on any confusion, no matter how small.
  • Get cost estimates for each design- A design may look great but before you set your heart to it, check how much money it will take to build it. This may require a builder being involved in the early stages to acquire solid budgets.
  • Show your architect a lot of pictures- Most of the time, your ideas cannot be communicated through words as you may not know the terminology. Show your Architect plenty of pictures of designs so that he or she knows exactly what you want.  It is important to also show your Architect pictures of what you do not like.  In this way, they can get in your head and understand your desires.
  • Write everything down- Taking notes at the end of a meeting will ensure that you and your architect are on the same page at all times.
  • Collaborate with your Architect and builder- At every design stage, try to collaborate between the builder and the Architect so that the designs can be feasible and beautiful at the same time.

With a little bit of effort from your side, you should be able to use the talent of your Architect to build your dream home! Feel free to reach out to TAB Associates to help build the home of your dreams!

Architect Ego Vs. Ability

As in many professions, there’s a whole world of architecture that most people don’t know about until they’re on the other side of things. Within this world, there is a common struggle among architects to keep their professional ability and their personal ego separate in their work.  We believe that an architect’s worst enemy is his ego and his best ally is his ability to combine artistic expression, construction technology, and the client’s needs.

The practice of being an architect involves creativity and design among other important skills. Architects are honored and rewarded all the time for their masterpiece creations; for some, this is the greatest goal of their career. It’s never frowned upon to aim to reach your highest potential in your career, but as an architect, it is important to remember why you do what you do.

Architects are the professionals with all of the knowledge, and their customers hold the vision of the final product. In this scenario, it’s very important that the two of these people are on the same page. There are a few key qualities to look out for when choosing the right architect.

  1. Knowledge- If it was easy, we’d all do it. Architecture is an adept skill that pulls the strings of many areas of the brain including capabilities in engineering, social communication, legal matters, business and design. Be sure that your architect understands how to apply all of these skills to make your vision come to life.
  2. Confidence- A certain level of confidence is required to be an architect. Their personal belief in their abilities helps the customer to feel comfortable in their decision. It’s important that your architect can reassure you of their abilities but not get off track.
  3. Balance- This is the most important quality to look for. Balance is achieved when the architect has an even ability to exert both knowledge and confidence in his or her work. At the end of the day, the goal of the architect is to fulfill their client’s needs and create the masterpiece they’ve always wanted. This establishes true success and talent in the architect.

While it may seem obvious to look for knowledge and confidence in an architect, it’s finding a quality of balance that is truly significant. Then, you will know you’re in good hands. We take pride in being well balanced between our confidence and our abilities, so feel free to reach out to TAB Associates for a free consultation to see what we mean!