Vinyl Door System Door System Cost Approximately $6,500
Large minimalist home design photo in Dallas

Builder: Pillar Homes www.pillarhomes.com
Pool - coastal backyard rectangular pool idea in Minneapolis

Additional Dwelling Unit / Small Great Room looking in towards the Bedroom area
Example of a small danish open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room library design in Los Angeles with no fireplace, beige walls and a wall-mounted tv

DT_CoastalKeystones_COM_02 Coastal Keystones Photo features Treasure Island Block Random mosaic on the wall with Treasure Island 1 x 1 mosaic on the floor. We are a customer driven company, focused on increasing our sales and market share. We differ from our competition by our products, presentation, and service while continuing to support our reputation for value and selection. Quickly put…to make Century Tile “simply the best." Century Tile’s eleven locations and commitment to Chicago for over 65 years; First Quality Flooring, Value Pricing, Best In-stock Selection and Knowledgeable Staff. We also have the Midwest’s largest in-stock selection of flooring. We carry over 10,000 styles and colors of floor coverings which we import direct; as well as carry many of the major flooring brands domestically offered. Century Tile’s size and buying power allows us to offer you the best selection of products at the lowest price and best value in Chicago that you can take home today. Century Tile offers you Chicago’s most knowledgeable people who have an average of 12 years flooring experience. Our sales staff will assist you with any flooring project that you might have.

On average, ZLINE Ranges are 50-60% less expensive compared to similar products on the market. ZLINE brings the best quality-to-price ratio in the industry. We stand by our products with our generous warranty. It features handcrafted Italian Burners, some of the highest quality on the market, imported directly from Italy. Photo by Building.Delight

Wind sculpture by Lyman Whitaker. Photo by Jay Sifford.
Photo of an eclectic landscaping in Charlotte.

Eric Roth Photography
Inspiration for a large timeless guest carpeted bedroom remodel in Boston with blue walls

After the devastating Tubbs fire, Craig reimagined this Calistoga property into a wine country retreat for the owners' family as well as corporate/wellness guests. He approached the design by studying the natural elements of the site including trees, views and light, the vernacular design of the area and the clients’ personality. Craig designed a barn and the house – made up of a one-story and a two-story building – connected by a stunning 20-foot steel and glass breezeway. Expansive doors and windows create seamless indoor/outdoor flow and numerous patios and the pool area provide comfortable outdoor spaces. The modern and warm interior is bright, luxurious and comfortable.

DAL_Skybridge_RES_01 Skybridge We are a customer driven company, focused on increasing our sales and market share. We differ from our competition by our products, presentation, and service while continuing to support our reputation for value and selection. Quickly put…to make Century Tile “simply the best." Century Tile’s eleven locations and commitment to Chicago for over 65 years; First Quality Flooring, Value Pricing, Best In-stock Selection and Knowledgeable Staff. We also have the Midwest’s largest in-stock selection of flooring. We carry over 10,000 styles and colors of floor coverings which we import direct; as well as carry many of the major flooring brands domestically offered. Century Tile’s size and buying power allows us to offer you the best selection of products at the lowest price and best value in Chicago that you can take home today. Century Tile offers you Chicago’s most knowledgeable people who have an average of 12 years flooring experience. Our sales staff will assist you with any flooring project that you might have.

Exterior home idea in Denver

DT_CastleDeVerre_RES_01 Castle De Verre Photo features Chalice Gold 20 x 20 field tile in a grid pattern with Universal Medallion on the floor. Steps include Universal Decorative accent strip. Wall features Chalice Gold 10 x 13 wall tile with coordinating 10 x 13 decorative accents and counter rail. We are a customer driven company, focused on increasing our sales and market share. We differ from our competition by our products, presentation, and service while continuing to support our reputation for value and selection. Quickly put…to make Century Tile “simply the best." Century Tile’s eleven locations and commitment to Chicago for over 65 years; First Quality Flooring, Value Pricing, Best In-stock Selection and Knowledgeable Staff. We also have the Midwest’s largest in-stock selection of flooring. We carry over 10,000 styles and colors of floor coverings which we import direct; as well as carry many of the major flooring brands domestically offered. Century Tile’s size and buying power allows us to offer you the best selection of products at the lowest price and best value in Chicago that you can take home today. Century Tile offers you Chicago’s most knowledgeable people who have an average of 12 years flooring experience. Our sales staff will assist you with any flooring project that you might have.

JUST SOLD: $600,000 short sale within walking distance of Siesta Key Beach This 5 bedroom, 3 bath home within minutes from the beautiful Siesta Key Beach just closed at the price of $600,000. This was a short sale transaction, which presented some typical challenges along the way, but closed with the satisfaction of all parties involved. A Short Sale transaction means that this is a sale for less than what is owed on the home. The bank must approve the seller to sell this way, as they have to provide evidence that they cannot pay off the note and not all of these transactions are approved. Once a contract is submitted, it typically takes an average of 3-6 months from contract to closing but they vary greatly. The majority of short-sales that Shayla has handled have fallen into the 3-6 month category with many these days closing in 90 days! Both Buyers and Sellers face difficult and unique problems when dealing with a short-sale. As long as each party is educated by their agents and know what pitfalls and hurdles could come their way, the process isn't as painful as it could be. Unfortunately there are no set guidelines that fit every transaction. You should always expect delays with a short sale and having a professional agent to guide you is crucial. There are different reasons why the transaction may be delayed. Some of the most common are: the buyer not wanting to wait for a reply from the lienholder; the seller not wanting to move out or in denial that the have to sell their home this way; paperwork issues; loan delays; etc. If you are considering entering a short sale transaction as a buyer, you should know that just because you offer full price does not ensure acceptance by the bank. They can counter any of the terms presented in the initial contract that is signed by both the buyer and seller. With the changes in the local market, lenders are looking at prices closer to market value whereas during the Recession, they were willing to accept lower offers. These are changes an experienced realtor is aware of and will consider when advising you on a short sale transaction! In close, despite it's name, a "short sale" is NEVER short. They should deem them the "long sale." So working with a seasoned Realtor who is an expert in the distressed property transactions will save you a lot of grey hairs and stress along the way!

This article is posted here with the consent of the author. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, view, or opinion of Crestron Electronics, Inc., or of any of its employees. Crestron Electronics is not responsible for, and does not verify the accuracy of, any of the information contained in this article. By Jeff Singer The “smart” revolution began several years ago with smartphones (a.k.a phones) and has extended in recent years to thermostats, doorbells, alarm systems, and kitchen appliances. Smart devices are so ubiquitous that the term “smart” is overused to the point that it is almost meaningless. Companies are eager to jump on the bandwagon and claim their products are “smart,” and consumers proudly claim they have a smart home because they have lighting control. Misconceptions about smart homes are prevalent and create confusion in the marketplace. This can have deleterious effects on businesses and underserve consumers. Here are seven of the most popular misconceptions about smart homes: 1. Apps are smart Apps are convenient and easy to use. Yes, it seems there’s an app for everything. People expect to be able to download an app and do just about anything. App developers and many companies do not disavow consumers of this myth. On the contrary, they promote this idea with carefully worded descriptions. The promise of having the world at your fingertips for $1.99 is very enticing. Although it sounds too good to be true, it is also too good to pass up for many people. This leads to undervaluing home control and disappointment when the apps don’t work, which undermines confidence in our industry. The fact is that apps are not smart. They do not control anything. They must connect to and communicate with a control system or cloud service that processes, prioritizes, and executes commands. That’s the real magic and what most people do not understand. 2. Smart devices work together With so many smart appliances and devices on the market today, it’s understandable that the average consumer might think that they actually communicate and work together. This is simply not the case. Smart devices are not that smart. They are designed and manufactured by different, often competing, companies. There are no national or industry standards governing these products. Even if they all operate using Wi-Fi® communications, that doesn’t mean they work together. Some companies promote a home control platform, which unites different devices from different companies – in theory. The platform is yet another third-party software totally dependent on other companies developing APIs and writing control modules for their hardware to run on that piece of software. The devices are not independently compatible. Also, when updates are made to either the hardware or the software, functionality may be affected for some period. That’s a nice way of saying the device or system won’t work and there’s no way of knowing for how long. 3. It’s a DIY project Which brings us to the next myth, which is that the average person can do it themselves. Unless you are a skilled professional, I would not advise taking on a smart home project. You want to make a light turn on and off with your Alexa® or Google Assistant™ virtual assistant software, go for it. A smart home takes much more planning and expertise. I have no problem changing a light bulb or hanging a light fixture in my dining room; however, I am not going to rewire my house. I may change the flush valve in my toilet, but I’m not going to replace the pipes in my house. You get it. Integrating devices and systems, establishing different zones, creating scenes, designing the UI with a balance between control, feedback, and simplicity – all takes experience and skill. 4. Need a programmer to make changes Early adopters may have experienced the pain of trying to make a simple change or update to their home control system. Years ago, if the cable provider changed the channel line-up, the homeowner would have to call the dealer or programmer to make an appointment for them to come out to the house to reprogram the system. The system wouldn’t work as expected until it was updated, which often took several days and beaucoup bucks. Not anymore. Technology has evolved so now it’s easy for system owners to change favorite channels, create scenes, rename buttons, update images, and more. While a professional is needed for the initial installation and setup, the system is easy to manage once it’s up and running. This makes life so much easier for both dealer and customer. 5. Tech becomes obsolete quickly Similar to updating the UI, updating firmware or hardware used to be a stressful process. A smart home should be intelligent enough to update itself. Apps don’t become obsolete. Updates are constantly pushed out from the cloud, making them better all the time. The same is true for a good smart home system. New features, functions, and device support gets added in the background consistently, so the system you installed (or purchased) yesterday gets better over time. Swapping out decorative elements, such as keypads, dimmers, and touch screens is also seamless. When a new device is added, all the settings are pulled down from the cloud and it just works. No system interruptions. No sunk costs. No imposing house calls. No surprise bills. 6. Lighting control saves energy and money Lighting control is one of the most popular smart systems, but it takes more than just one system to make a home smart. On the surface, it makes sense that if you dim the lights ten percent, then you save ten percent of energy costs. If the shades are raised during the day to take advantage of sunlight so the lights don’t need to be on (or at least not 100%), but that causes the room temperature to rise a few degrees, which triggers the air conditioner to run longer and more often, was energy usage (or cost) reduced? A smart home integrates all the various systems and technology to optimize comfort, convenience, safety, and sometimes energy. 7. Home technology is easy to hack Security is at the forefront of people’s minds these days. Personal identities are stolen; email accounts hacked; private photos publicized; and more. A smart home must outsmart those who don’t respect privacy. Crestron control systems adhere to the strictest security standards. The same Crestron control system that goes into a home is also installed in secure government and military facilities, global banking institutions, hospitals, and other mission critical applications. When installed correctly by a trained professional, a Crestron smart home is the gold standard for security, comfort, and convenience.

Reference: BB504EW-US Model: BALI WHITE Color: White Shape: rectangular Finish: polished US Dimensions: 23-2/3" x 16-3/4 "x 4-1/3" EU Dimensions: 60 x 40 x 11cm Weight: 51 lbs US Drain size: 1-1/2" Faucet hole size: 1.38" - 35mm Material: Guangxi White marble grade A You will definitely not let anyone feel indifferent with this 100% natural stone unique in the US and exclusively available on Living'ROC.net. This master piece is one of the most fashionable in our bathrooms range and is not only beautiful to look at it is also functional. Living'ROC creations unique bathware products redefine the traditional bathroom space with its sleek, classy design and flowing forms. BALI WHITE natural stone vessel sink - 23"x16" - genuine interior decoration trendy white marble is a beautiful basin made from a superb block of Guangxi White with sleek lines. The sculptured edges and polished finish provides classy and elegant originality. This basin will delight lovers of beautiful work, looking for rare products. Add value to your home by transforming your bathroom into an oasis of elegance, calm, and tranquillity. Discover the well-being and the restful feeling our creation can offer you. All our vessel sinks are the creations of a combined group of talented masons dedicated to the idea of creating bathware made from natural material, which is environmentally friendly. Sealed (Waterproofed) BALI WHITE is ready to use, sitting on a vanity counter top. BALI WHITE is delivered without an overflow drain and faucet (not included) - every US drains and faucets models you can find on the market will fit perfectly on Living'ROC vessel sink. This model is ready to use over the countertop. The photos you see online have been taken with extreme care by our Founder CEO - Florent LEPVREAU to give our visitors an idea on how it might looks like. However product may vary from block to block as only mother nature decides what you may receive because each sink is unique. Therefore, we invite you to browse on our product portfolio to see the differences in each piece. We also draw your attention to the fact that veining, crystallization, that may appear to be cracks, but are actually indigenous to the stone, and other variations of colors up to 30% and more sometime (often on marble and onyx) and various stone features make all the charm of the stone and distinguish it from non-natural materials! Torrence White , Bali White, Toji White, Pegasus white, tahiti White, Rondo White are all made and carved from the same Guangxi White Marble and it can't be considered as a pure white as you can see. Our Quality Control photos shown on our portfolio are not available to choose by numbers.

Scheurer Architects and Keller Homes designed a beautiful, award-winning community on a mountainous site located just outside Colorado Springs, Colorado. Their goal was to create something special by presenting fresh, new site plans within the local housing market while remaining sensitive to the traditions and benefits of rustic, mountain living. In order to remain true to the area in which the property is located, they made a joint effort to maintain the simple warmth and agricultural base found in the surrounding communities. Three unique floor plans and living space designs were developed and had an average 2,667 square feet in size, with 2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms and full basements. There was a focus on indoor and outdoor living, reminiscent of historic village homes that were organized in clusters to maximize space, preserve views, and encourage spending time in nature. Since the land was originally occupied by a dairy farm, the dynamic teams found existing stone on an old barn as well as retaining walls and wanted to incorporate these old stones into their new design. However, that meant that they needed to find just the right stone for the homes in an effort to blend the existing stone not only with the new stone, but also with stone that was being used for landscaping purposes. Eldorado’s blend of Fieldledge and Hillstone combined with the custom overgrout technique added the authenticity that the project called for. Eldorado Stone Profile Featured: Meseta Fieldledge with a custom mortar technique Eldorado Stone Profile Featured: Meseta Fieldledge with a custom mortar technique Architect: Dennis Danahay, Chris Rost, Scheurer Architects, Newport Beach, California Builder: Keller Homes, Colorado Springs, CO Website: www.kellerhomes.com Colorist: Ann Matteson, Ann Matteson Consulting, Newport Beach, CA Website: www.annmattesonconsulting.com Distributor: C&C Sand and Stone Company, Colorado Springs, CO Website: www.ccsand.com

Joseph Eichler developed his moderately priced houses for the mass-market starting in 1949. His homes were designed using affordable materials and simple construction techniques. Nearly 70 years later these homes are in need of updating and remodeling an Eichler home today can become an imposing and costly project if you’re not careful. For this project the clients, who had undergone several previous house renovations, were determined to stick with an established budget from the beginning. Klopf Architecture helped them modernize their Eichler with a premium appearance on a reasonable budget. The clients challenged the Klopf team to create a design that had a high-end feel and nicely done while adhering to their budget. That meant not all of the initial project scope could be built. Like many other Eichler homes, the original floor plan did not meet the family’s needs leaving them feeling disconnected from one room to another. While an early goal was to expand the house into a carport and create a larger garage, it did not survive the contractor pricing phase of the project. The goals that did survive through to the end of the project included blurring some of the boundaries and opening up some of the spaces, making them more functional and creating a smoother flow in the house. The Klopf team joined the former separate kitchen and formal living room into one large space and shift the dining room where it is now connected to the kitchen. Klopf swapped the family room to the front alongside the living room, so the spaces feel more cohesive and are now better suited for family activities. The functional layout of the master bathroom was changed to include a large, curbless shower. Installing a complete IKEA kitchen including cabinets, countertops, appliances, light fixtures, and furnishings was key to staying within budget. Bath fixtures in this house are also exclusively IKEA. Klopf Architecture has designed many homes using IKEA products, which are quite compatible offering an affordable, contemporary take on Eichler homes. The clients saved additional money from the simplicity and availability of IKEA products and by orchestrating the orders and purchases themselves. Following each construction meeting, the clients would make a run to IKEA and purchase items, pick up needed spare parts, and bring them back right away to stay ahead of the contractor’s schedule and minimize the chance of delays and bottlenecks. Klopf balanced material selections by retaining some of the original woodwork and simply refinishing the mahogany paneling. They were able to retain the original windows and sliding doors which were still in good shape, avoiding some of the most costly replacement expenses. Additionally interior doors were simply refinished and the exterior siding cleaned up and repainted. Formerly dark interiors are now illuminated with new slimmer semi-recessed lighting eliminating the need for costly roof work. Attention to design details allowed the Klopf team to ensure the house ended up with a high quality feel. Key visual elements were strictly aligned and Klopf worked with the clients to select a unified materials palette throughout the spaces so the house flows seamlessly together. Aligning the tile layout with the trusses and keeping it level with the concrete slab outside allowed them to achieve a level of quality that may otherwise be missed. The clients were able to keep their budget on track by determining clear goals and making critical decisions upfront, choosing materials and furnishings wisely, working with the right design and construction teams in place and to a large part, their willingness to participate throughout the process. In the end the clients were much happier with their reconfigured Eichler home and Klopf Architecture managed to keep their remodeling costs to about $325/sf – a good amount below the average Bay Area Eichler remodel. Project Team: John Klopf, Angela Todorova, Sherry Tan Contractor: Keycon Construction Structural Engineer: Sezen & Moon Photography: Sabrina Huang Year Completed: 2020

This beautiful Brookhaven house is equipped with many features which include beautiful hardscaping. Behind the chimney lies an ashlar retaining wall that separates the flagstone pool deck from a planting area. In the background of this backyard one can enjoy a row of beautiful Emerald Arborvitaes that act as a privacy barrier. The pool area has a safety fence to protect the kids of this home-owner from getting too close to the water.

Photo: Lauren Edith Anderson © 2016 Houzz
Photo of a traditional landscaping in San Francisco.

Paul Despenas: Since 1995 Midwest Construction has been offering insulated vinyl siding, because we believed in the product in many ways. Vinyl siding has come a long way since I (Paul Despenas – VP Marketing) installed the companies 1st job in 1982. The product was Alside D-5 Endura Supreme. I drove by the job 6 years later and it was still on the house, wall lines looked good, but the color had faded from nice Beige to a dirty white. Manufacturers stepped up to the plate and added the right blends of vinyl resins, the addition of color stabilizers, thicker and better material, and the best improvement to vinyl siding was to add laminated foam behind it for strength and energy savings. Well here is some documented proof to what we have been saying for years, Your new American Classic Insulated Siding will save energy and maintenance over fiber cement siding. NYSERDA HOME VINYL SIDING INSTITUTE STUDY NYSERDA Home- In a new study, Insulated Vinyl Siding (Fullback® siding insulation laminated to vinyl siding) proved to outperform fiber cement in multiple categories. The Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI) recently commissioned a study to evaluate the environmental performance of Fullback® Insulated Siding. The Vinyl Siding Institute study was conducted by Newport Ventures, a research and consulting firm with expertise in the housing industry. Two high-performance homes were built to comply with the rigorous goals of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) High Performance Residential Development Challenge, one in Saratoga Springs, NY and one in Burnt Hills, NY. The challenge was conceived to educate home builders on construction of cost-effective, high performance homes designed to achieve 50-60% energy savings above that of typical homes built to New York's stringent energy code. In achieving this goal, both builders involved in the challenge showed preferences for systems that offered both energy savings and affordability. Fullback® Insulated Siding was specified by both builders as a system to help them achieve energy conservation and LEED for Homes. Fullback V Siding Comparison BURNT HILLS, NY: Researchers performed a side-by-side field test on the Burnt Hills home to compare Fullback® Insulated Siding against uninsulated fiber cement. This Vinyl Siding Institute study was conducted during the winter on a two story colonial built by Stewart Construction. The thermal imaging clearly indicated that there was less heat loss from the home to the outdoors with the Fullback® Insulated Siding compared to the fiber cement. The exterior surface temperature of the Fullback® Insulated Siding section of the wall was considerably colder, indicating that there was more thermal bridging (heat loss) with the fiber cement product. SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY: In the case of the Saratoga Springs home, the LEED case study found that environmental performance and visual appeal can go hand-in-hand through the use of Fullback® Insulated Siding. This home became the first home in New York's capital region to achieve LEED for Homes' Gold Rating. Sixty eight percent of visitors to the home found the siding to be "very attractive" while 95% agreed that the visual appeal of the Fullback® Insulated Siding was "better than average". Overall, the study provides documentation that insulated vinyl siding can outperform exterior cladding alternatives on environmental issues while at the same time remaining aesthetically pleasing. Midwest Construction Qualified Remodeler Magazine Big 50 inductee and Top 500 remodeler's has won the Better Business Bureau Integrity Award 2 times.(1999 & 2015) Quality Products & Quality Installation is our motto since 1958 and we still live up to that today by delivering the best home improvement products in our industry. Backing those products up with top notch installation crews with all of the certifications and water management techniques to give you the home owner some peace of mind and comfort knowing your products will save you energy and maintenance for years to come. Midwest Construction is also a Progressive Foam Preferred Platinum Contractor which gives you the home owner, extra benefits, Lifetime warranty on the thermal performance of the insulation and a 10 year labor warranty from Progressive foam including our American Classic Insulated Vinyl siding lifetime warranty with lifetime non fade protection.