Create the Home of Your Dreams in three steps and in just about a week. Just choose a design for every room and we will adjust it to your floorpan, as well as provide you with the shopping list and installation details. Then you can DIY or with our help. Easy, convenient, prompt & amazing! And with financing available, it is as low as $40 per month / per room with zero down! Welcome to your new home! We hope this will begin a great chapter in your life and this place will become a true foundation for it. However, now that you have these empty rooms with white walls, what’s next? Will you rent used furniture or spend weeks in furniture stores buying random pieces? Are you going to paint walls and, if so, in which colors? What about rugs, mirrors, curtains or cushions? How much will it cost? How long will it take? And most importantly, will you be happy at the end? We believe we have a unique design service that is perfect for you – fast, affordable, and beautiful. All you need is to choose a design for every room (over 200 designs are already available and we constantly add more), approve the final concept adjusted for your floorplan (exceptionally realistic images) and we will purchase, paint, assemble, mount and stage everything on a turn-key basis under the paradigm of ‘What I See Is What I Get’ within a week or so. Easy, convenient, prompt and amazing! And with financing available, a wonderful room (a living room / dining room, a bedroom, a kid's bedroom), fully designed and furnished, can cost as low as $40 per month with no down payment! For more details please visit www.beauty-on-a-budget.com

Create the Home of Your Dreams in three steps and in just about a week. Just choose a design for every room and we will adjust it to your floorpan, as well as provide you with the shopping list and installation details. Then you can DIY or with our help. Easy, convenient, prompt & amazing! And with financing available, it is as low as $40 per month / per room with zero down! Welcome to your new home! We hope this will begin a great chapter in your life and this place will become a true foundation for it. However, now that you have these empty rooms with white walls, what’s next? Will you rent used furniture or spend weeks in furniture stores buying random pieces? Are you going to paint walls and, if so, in which colors? What about rugs, mirrors, curtains or cushions? How much will it cost? How long will it take? And most importantly, will you be happy at the end? We believe we have a unique design service that is perfect for you – fast, affordable, and beautiful. All you need is to choose a design for every room (over 200 designs are already available and we constantly add more), approve the final concept adjusted for your floorplan (exceptionally realistic images) and we will purchase, paint, assemble, mount and stage everything on a turn-key basis under the paradigm of ‘What I See Is What I Get’ within a week or so. Easy, convenient, prompt and amazing! And with financing available, a wonderful room (a living room / dining room, a bedroom, a kid's bedroom), fully designed and furnished, can cost as low as $40 per month with no down payment! For more details please visit www.beauty-on-a-budget.com

Designed and renovated By Karen Mizrahi: http://www.houzz.com/pro/karenmk/fidelity-general-contractors-inc Photography by: http://www.houzz.com/pro/joshfogelphotography/josh-fogel-photography

Replacing the windows with a single garden window enclosure gave us more wall space for additional cabinets and a nice shelf for plants directly behind the sink area.

Discover how the right furniture, decor, and plants can help you get big enjoyment out of a small outdoor space.
Example of a mid-sized transitional tile patio design in Charlotte

Create the Home of Your Dreams in three steps and in just about a week. Just choose a design for every room and we will adjust it to your floorpan, as well as provide you with the shopping list and installation details. Then you can DIY or with our help. Easy, convenient, prompt & amazing! And with financing available, it is as low as $40 per month / per room with zero down! Welcome to your new home! We hope this will begin a great chapter in your life and this place will become a true foundation for it. However, now that you have these empty rooms with white walls, what’s next? Will you rent used furniture or spend weeks in furniture stores buying random pieces? Are you going to paint walls and, if so, in which colors? What about rugs, mirrors, curtains or cushions? How much will it cost? How long will it take? And most importantly, will you be happy at the end? We believe we have a unique design service that is perfect for you – fast, affordable, and beautiful. All you need is to choose a design for every room (over 200 designs are already available and we constantly add more), approve the final concept adjusted for your floorplan (exceptionally realistic images) and we will purchase, paint, assemble, mount and stage everything on a turn-key basis under the paradigm of ‘What I See Is What I Get’ within a week or so. Easy, convenient, prompt and amazing! And with financing available, a wonderful room (a living room / dining room, a bedroom, a kid's bedroom), fully designed and furnished, can cost as low as $40 per month with no down payment! For more details please visit www.beauty-on-a-budget.com

Benefits of Plantation Shutters Plantation shutters offer advantages and benefits to homeowners over other window coverings including: • A permanent addition to a house: While they don't add much to the sale price and don't guarantee a return on investment, the curb appeal helps the house sell faster. The permanency of plantation shutters allows them to be included in appraisals. • Versatility: Many have the ability to open only halfway if desired. If you want to let in all the light, plantation shutters swing away from the window to grant an unobstructed view. • Insulation: When all louvers are closed, a good insulating barrier is created, trapping unwanted temperatures and saving you money on your energy bill. • Easy maintenance: With wide louvers, a simple wipe-down is often all that's needed. Vinyl shutters can be taken off their hinges and sprayed off for a major cleaning. • Elegance: The classic, yet modern look conveys a permanency like no other window dressing can. Whether painted or natural wood, they all have a look that says; welcome home. Wood vs. Faux Wood It's not hard to argue that natural wood is more appealing than vinyl or PVC. However, "faux wood," as it's sometimes called, has some advantages: • Price -- Faux wood shutters are often lower in price than real wood. • Weight -- Because some shutters are made "hollow core" (as opposed to vinyl-wrapped medium density fiberboard, MDF), they can be significantly lighter. • Moisture Resistance -- If you live in an area with high humidity, hollow faux wood or aluminum core will resist expanding and sagging. (MDF core louvers will tend to expand and crack as the material swells with moisture.) Natural wood is the choice for those who have a very healthy budget or for whom a specific appearance is a must. Among the advantages are: • Size -- Because wood plantation shutters are made of hardwood, they can be quite a bit larger than plastic or vinyl. Vinyl shutters larger than 29 inches may be prone to sag, so they need divider rails or other supports which can destroy the traditional look of a plantation shutter. • Natural -- While vinyl or plastic shutters can be painted to match any color scheme, the natural shades and finishes of the various species of wood have something for every look. • Classic -- While many plastic shutters can be made to look like real wood, the faux wood finishes can vary significantly depending on manufacturer and model. Up close, it can be easy to tell they're plastic. The warmth of natural wood is a classic feel that's impossible to beat. Popular Plantation Shutter Brands When you go to purchase your plantation shutters, brands names may offer a good representation of high-, mid-, and low-cost range of what's available. Which one you choose depends on your budget and your tastes. Hunter-Douglas and Norman Shutters produce three lines of plantation shutters in both real wood and faux wood styles. A higher-end product, Hunter-Douglas may be worth the cost for beauty and quality of workmanship. The Window Outfitters and Sunland produce a mid-cost line of shutters. The mid-range pricing may be for those who are balancing aesthetics with a budget. National franchise and or box stores may not offer an in-house expert or designer. Look to local companies that specialize in plantation shutters looking online may offer a low-cost brand for budget-minded DIYers. Available in both faux and real wood, the affordability combines with the visual appeal to make this a very popular choice for plantation shutters. Regardless of which line you go with, be sure to ask about frames. Generally all manufactures offer frame choices and may add to the cost, but they add an unsurpassed beauty and warmth to a room with plantation shutters. Plantation shutters look like similar to wooden blinds, but there are significant differences. Blinds are often narrow, made of aluminum or vinyl, and the slats tilt based on a gear and pulley mechanism and they hang in the window with cords. By contrast, plantation shutters have wide compound louvers that fit into a frame and are controlled by way of a wooden rod running up the middle. When not needed, they can be manufactured to swing back onto the wall. Options to are available to build a more contemporary look with a larger view with a “hidden tilt” feature. Cost of Plantation Shutters Nationally, the cost of plantation shutters, depending on their size and the material, whether or not they are custom arches and colors or stains, may vary. Most manufacturers want their shutters to be professionally installed to keep the warranty intact which is a benefit to the customer in the long run. They will usually have a limited lifetime warranty. Cost of Installation Costs for having plantation shutters installed by a contractor are a bit more predictable. Contractors who have installed plantation shutters before can quickly get accurate measurements and suggest which materials would work best in different rooms. For example, while natural wood may look beautiful in your living room, it might not be so practical in a bathroom where moisture will cause the wood to warp. The size, material, and quality of the shutter will have a significant effect on the cost. Contractors usually go through a shutter supplier and can get various sizes that are not normally available at home improvement stores. Hiring a professional team of knowledgeable suppliers and installers is a good choice. Here are some sample prices of the shutters most contractors use for standard-sized windows: In general, plantation shutters should cost approximately $20 to $26 per square foot. Labor costs depend on factors such as the contractor's workload, remoteness of the location, environment, and the contractor's overhead. Labor generally runs about $100 per hour and will be added to the shutter cost. • 16x20 -- Faux wood $120. Real wood $156 • 24x50 -- Faux wood $160. Real wood $208 • 36x54 -- Faux wood $270. Real wood $351 • 36x60 -- Faux wood $300 Real wood $390 • 42x72 -- Faux wood $420. Real wood $546 • 48x82 -- Faux wood $550. Real wood $715 DIY Plantation shutters can be purchased and installed by the homeowners. How much they cost will depend on size and material. Faux wood shutter’s cost depends on size and wooden shutter’s cost will depend on size and whether or not they are painted or stained. • Natural wood is $90-$600 depending on size. Many companies offer standard stained selection but custom color matching may be available from $175 -$250. • Faux wood will be from $120-$500. • Additional tools include: Hang Strips $4-$15 and about $4 for mounting hardware. Locks or closures can cost up to $15 for each shutter. Finally, if you order them online, you can expect to pay $30-$70 shipping per shutter or per set of shutters per window depending on the supplier. Keep in mind that even if you're handy with tools, installing shutters can be time-consuming if you've never done it before there is defiantly a learning curve.

Kitchen - traditional kitchen idea in DC Metro

Kitchen - traditional kitchen idea in DC Metro

Kitchen - traditional kitchen idea in DC Metro

Example of a classic kitchen design in DC Metro

Example of a classic kitchen design in DC Metro

Originally you opened the front door and saw a wall! We put a half wall in it's place and removed the wall that separated the kitchen from the dining room/ living room area. We replaced the laminate flooring with Cyprus.

A simple, low cost bathroom remodel that retained some of the Before elements.
Inspiration for a small modern master gray tile and porcelain tile bathroom remodel in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble countertops and white walls

Example of a classic kitchen design in DC Metro

Let’s make a patio meditation/sacred space that is storable, multi-taskable (doesn’t have to always act as a meditation space) and very inexpensive. This is what I came up with. Kmart for $83.63! (prices vary in different areas, and this of course does not include the view, deck or railing!). Similar items from an import or meditation store would cost close to $300!

Example of a classic kitchen design in DC Metro

High Rise is a perfect example of modern beauty mixed with rugged durability, make your home a class all on it’s own with our exclusive High Rise Barn Door Hardware!

Located in the heart of Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the building was erected on a shallow commercial lot between two 120 year old masonry buildings and a new residential rental building. 330 Grand Street is a mix of 725 SF 1BRs and 1050 SF 2BR apartments. It also contains a 1100 SF two story duplex as well as private and public rooftop space, large private balconies for most units and two large private terraces for the ground floor units. 330 Grand Street was originally designed and approved at the NYC DOB as a prefabricated modular building. During the pandemic, as shipping costs skyrocketed putting the project at risk, we suggested redesigning the building as a reinforced cast-in-place concrete structure. Concrete was readily available and prices had not been affected by the demand increase that many other materials suffered in the pandemic. We took this opportunity to raise floor to ceiling heights, enlarge high performance windows and redistribute the buildings MEPFS and Structural Systems to create very open floor plans. The challenge was to create a luxurious sensorial living experience with very limited means. In a city with very high construction costs, low cost residential buildings in the area are usually devoid of good quality, design and character. Our approach was to aim high for the end user, prioritizing natural light, open space with long visual perspectives, high ceilings and as always, rejecting the use of predefined building templates. Our biggest challenge was to ensure that the small spaces feel as clean cut, large and bright as possible. Several unique design decisions were made to ensure low cost and high quality; Floor plans were laid out so that spaces were wide open and free of clutter from mechanical or structural interruptions. Therefore all infrastructure was placed in lateral demising walls, which in turn act as the unit’s storage and kitchen. The apartments feel wide open, are super quiet and have more storage space than any other comparable apartment in the city. To solve the problem of the site’s shallow commercial lot which is typically prone to dark interior spaces we focused our attention on the building’s envelope. Instead of the usual small punched window openings, oversized high performance windows were designed to ensure that light penetrated as far as possible into the units. In the smaller 1BR units, the full 50’ depth of the lot is perceived by partitioning spaces with sliding pocket doors that can be retracted to allow deep visual perspectives, making the sight lines in the space feel longer, larger, more ample than normal. In addition to the full height glazing, each unit above the 2nd floor receives a 7 foot covered balcony, adding 120 to 240 sf to each apartment, something unusual in New York City buildings. The space is large enough for a full size dining table, when the weather permits being outside. We also worked hard to ensure modularity. For example, all kitchen units are all identical throughout the building. The idea of modularity and the economy of the repetitive unit is exercised to the maximum through the building. Hardware, appliances, flooring, wall coverings and material finishes are all carefully selected to feel bespoke, high quality and unique. It was important to KURV that the result of this work manifest into something that would deeply connect with the end user and sustain relationships with the consumers of this space. All images by KURV Architecture ©