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2014 Architectural Trends

When designing your new home, it’s important to consider not just classic designs and structures, but also modern trends. Here’s a look at some of the hottest architectural trends for 2014, some of which you may want to incorporate into your design.

designing a flex room — Source: TAB Associates

Flex Rooms – Flex rooms are rooms that can have a number of uses. For instance, you could use a room as a dining room when you have guests over, and a library during other hours of the day. All you need to make it happen is some ornate bookshelves, a beautiful table, and the right layout.

Health-Conscious Materials – Hypoallergenic materials and materials that don’t release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air are becoming increasingly popular. Wood stains, paints, and synthetic materials are being disregarded in favor of natural materials like wood and stone.

Innovative Storage Spaces – From drawers that pull out of the staircase, to cubbies hiding behind bookshelves, architects are creating clever ways to stash your items out of sight.

Are you looking for an experienced architect to help design the home of your dreams? Contact TAB Associates, Inc. to learn more about our services.

Plans to Build Your Own Home? Follow These Tips to Get Started

If you want to live in a home that fits your dreams and expectations in every way, then building your own home is a great choice. However, the process can be difficult if you don’t approach it in the right way. Follow these tips to build your own home successfully.

3D home rendering — Source: TAB Associates

Pick the right land. Consider the school district, access to public spaces, the community, neighbors… anything you’d consider if moving into an existing home. You’ll also need to look at grading and topology to make sure it will work with the style of home you wish to build.
Hire an excellent builder. Get plenty of references, and get a few estimates before choosing someone. You need a builder who is easy to work with, and who is clear about what’s included in their services and what is not. Make sure your builder is licensed.
Have your plans drawn up by an architect. Even if you choose stock plans rather than custom plans, you’ll know that everything is properly laid out. Choose an architect with plenty of experience designing residential structures.

To discuss your custom home plans and start building your dream home, contact the architects at TAB Associates, Inc.

Interior Design Trends for 2014

Just like personal style, interior design is always changing. New trends are emerging and allowing homeowners to create looks that are truly their own. Here’s a look at a few design trends for 2014 that you may want to consider incorporating into your home.

2014 interior design tips — Source: TAB Associates

Vintage Decor – Unique, vintage furniture and decorations are more popular than ever. There’s just something special about having a chest or chair that you know no one else has — especially when it matches your decor perfectly.

Plenty of Color – Neutral, beige tones are out — at least when they’re not paired with brighter, flashier colors. Loud tones like bright cobalt blue and yellow are very popular right now.

The Rustic Look – From exposed wooden beams in the ceiling, to bedrooms that feel like they’re in a mountain retreat, the cabin-style, rustic look has gained a lot of footing in 2014.

Spa-Style Bathrooms – From walk-in showers, to ornate tile and heated floors, bathrooms are becoming a true place of luxury. Many are made to resemble mountain resorts with natural stone and wood used throughout the designs.

For help incorporating these home design trends into your building plans, contact TAB Associates, Inc.

Tips for Building a Cabin Home

Whether you plan to use it as a vacation home or as your primary dwelling, a log cabin home can create feelings of comfort and warmth. Use these tips when building a cabin home that’s perfect for your family.

building a log cabin — Source: TAB Associates

Don’t overlook the importance of log selection. All wood is not created equal. The better the logs you use to construct your cabin, the more attractive it will be and the longer it will last.
Remember to account for the settling of the wood when planning keyways, slip joints, and window installations.
Wiring a log home is not exactly like wiring a traditional drywall home. Hire an electrician who has experience working with log cabins for best results.
Get off to the right start with the right buildings plans. Work with an experienced architect to design a custom cabin, or purchase pre-made plans.
Remember that building codes may specific what you can and cannot do with your cabin’s structure. If you work with an architect who has experience building cabins, he or she should be familiar with these restrictions.

Contact the experts at TAB Associates, Inc. if you’re looking for help designing the perfect log cabin home.

How To Build A Fire Pit For Your Yard

On cool fall and spring nights, sitting around a campfire with family and friends is incredibly relaxing. Having a fire pit in your backyard is sure to prove worthwhile, time and time again. Follow these simple tips when building a firepit.

outdoor firepit — Source: TAB Associates

Choose a site that’s located far from buildings and trees. Make sure the ground is level for easy building.
Check your local building codes. Some require that the fire pit is surrounded with sand or gravel.
Design your pit. Traditionally, they are cylindrical, and about 2 feet tall with a 5-foot diameter. However, you can make a bigger or smaller pit depending on your needs.
Dig the ground out and create a concrete foundation for your fire pit. You’ll also need to create a drainage area in the center.
When the foundation is formed and dry, lay the stones. If using natural stones, you may need to chisel them slightly to create attractive shapes. Seal them together with mortar, smooth it out, and seal it. You’re done!

At TAB Associates, our talented architects and designers are always happy to help you design the home of your dreams. Contact us to discuss your building plans today.

Ideas for Building in the Charming Rustic Cabin Style

Rustic cabins are quaint, charming, and homey. If you’re thinking of having your own cabin built, either as a retreat or a primary home, keep these ideas in mind as you plan your floor plan and architectural design:

cabin style decor — Source: TAB Associates

Open lofts are the perfect complement to a rustic cabin home. You can use your loft as an extra bedroom, a relaxing library, or even a TV room.
While wood is the traditional choice for cabins, remember that you can work stone into your design. A beautiful stone chimney can make your cabin seem even cozier.
Cabins are places for families to spend time together. An open floor plan makes this easier, promoting conversation and interaction.
You’ll want to spend plenty of time relaxing outside when you’re at your cabin for a retreat. A spacious, wrap-around porch makes this possible.
Incorporate plenty of rustic wood into your interior to maintain the cabin-look indoors.
No cabin is complete without a beautiful mantle to display family heirlooms and treasures. Rustic brick and stone are great materials for your fireplace and mantel.

If you’re interested in building a cabin style home, contact TAB Associates, Inc. to learn more about our architectural services.

Ideas for Adding a Luxury Pool to Your Dream Home

A luxury swimming pool is an important feature of many people’s dream home. If you are adding an outdoor pool to your home, you have a lot of different pool design options to choose from, and many options contribute additional luxury to your home’s exterior. Our clients at TAB Associates can consider the following suggestions to find the right luxury swimming pool solutions for their homes:

luxury pool design — Source: TAB Associates

Working a pool in with landscaping– If you add landscaping to your yard when you have your pool put in, you can create an entire outdoor space that caters to the needs of your home’s residents and guests.
A pool and pergola– A patio surrounded by a pergola is an elegant place that can allow for relaxation after a swim.
Add a fountain– Water features such as fountains and waterfalls are great additions to a yard that complement a swimming pool.

Keep in touch with us at TAB Associates for more great design ideas for the home. We’re on Facebook and Twitter, so connect with us via social media or follow our blog to learn more!

If you’d like to learn more about luxury pool design possibilities, contact us at TAB Associates.

Tips for Designing the Perfect Luxury Master Bedroom

Those planning to give their bedrooms some new luxury master bedroom features might be interested in some ideas from TAB Associates. The following are just a few ways that you can add some luxury to your bedroom and give your bedroom an attractive new look:

luxury bathroom design — Source: TAB Associates

Regional flavor- Depending on where you live, you might find inspiration for bedroom decor in the style of your region. For example, a Southwest decor scheme could feature an adobe appearance, exposed wood beams, and arched windows.
Consider skylights- Lighting features have a significant influence over the look and mood of a room, and incorporating some unique or original lighting methods can add to a bedroom’s visual appeal. Skylights on a sloped ceiling are an interesting way to cast your room in a creative light.
Minimal furnishings- According to the 20th century architect Mies van der Rohe, “less is more”. You might find your bedroom to be more comfortable if you cut back on superfluous furniture pieces and decor accessories to allow for more open space and simplicity.

Check back with our blog regularly for more great tips on luxury decor for your home.

Mixing Contemporary and Country Architecture

When designing a home, many people fall prey to the idea that they have to choose just one narrow style or design. You can actually create a more interesting and unique home by combining two styles. At TAB Associates, two styles that we love to blend together are contemporary and country. By blending architectural elements of both styles, we create homes that feel both relaxing and updated.

country and contemporary — Source: TAB Associates

Contemporary trends actually are quite easy to blend with country classics. Right now, the minimalist look is in style, so using plain brick or rustic wood siding looks both country-chic and fashionable.

Another way to approach blending these two styles is by building more modern homes in settings that would usually call for dwellings. Recently, we built a modern mountain chalet from rustic materials. It looks soothing and relaxing in the mountain setting, but the inside is spacious and open for modern appeal.

Sometimes it really is all about the materials. We have used board and batten siding, concrete floors, and natural wooden tubs in the past to blend country into the modern trends.

Contact TAB Associates if you’re interested in building a unique home that crosses the lines between two styles.

The Secret to a Great Home Is a Great Design Process

When it comes to designing a home, good planning leads to good design. Consider our steps below to start your home design process off right.

House planning tips — Source: TAB Associates

Personal planning. When designing a home, don’t immediately run to design books to find out what you need. The home design process begins with you. Consider what things you would like to see in your home, including size and types of rooms. A good starting point is thinking about what was missing from your previous residence. This will help you develop a good program. We take the program and develop a conceptual design on the site. We are 3 dimensional puzzle builders.

Room design. Room design is a fundamental part of the home and where a majority of time will be spent. For example, would you like lounge space built into the bedrooms or would your prefer a different room in which to relax? Such considerations will significantly alter the home’s presentation.

Topography.Considering the landscape of your home and its environment is important. Many homeowners want to avoid the cost of a land surveyor, but the land analysis proves to be indispensable when determining how you can build upon the land and which direction you are likely to face external elements. Also the views need to be shot on the survey so they can be properly incorporated into the design. We always design on the site so the home blends into the site appropriately.

If you are designing a home, contact us at TAB Associates to discuss the home planning and design process with our trained architects.