Fireside Chat: What Kind of Fireplace is Best for Your Florida Home?

Luxury Homes in Florida
Fireplaces in Florida
                             A custom gas fireplace we designed and built on Island Estates as part of a whole home remodel.

Are you a fan of the hearth? Do you love the idea of curling up next to a fireplace with your family, telling stories or playing games? Or perhaps a quiet evening warming your toes, watching the sun set? The idea of a fireplace in a sub-tropical climate may seem contradictory, but it’s very common to see both wood-burning and gas fireplaces in Florida homes. But how do you get started? What if you have an existing fireplace that doesn’t fit your style? Read on for some design and construction advice on installing the right fireplace for your home.

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Make That Sale! Renovation Tips to Sell Your House

Renovation Tips to Sell Your House

Renovation Tips

Looking to sell your house? The idea seems simple and it can be, but renovation tips can be exactly what you need when you get into the list of things to do. Stick to the prime goal… what you really want is the best price. Ideally, your home will sell above the list price. There is no question that a renovated house is more appealing to buyers. But is it necessary to redo the entire place? Start with the priorities so you can really renovate to sell.Continue reading

Remodel a Kitchen and Maximize Space

Maximize space with a kitchen remodelFor many homeowners, the plan to remodel a kitchen seems a bit daunting. But if you’re truly tired of living in a house equipped with a too small kitchen, you know there’s nothing minor about the inconvenience.

There’s not just enough space to chop and dice, use a blender or food processor or even move around comfortably. And forget about the two of you trying to enjoy making a meal together when you’re constantly bumping into one another en route to the fridge or vying for counter space. If that sounds like your set-up, then you want to read on.

Tips for Maximizing Space in a Small Kitchen

  1. Sort through your kitchen tools – Throw away the things you don’t need and keep only the ones that you really do use. In a kitchen with limited space, there’s no room for a second potato masher or that broken toaster that you keep meaning to fix. If you have too many mugs, tea towels or obscure gadgets, it may be time to sort through everything and get rid of what you simply don’t use. Once your kitchen space is beautifully remodeled, don’t put back into it anything that doesn’t make the cut. You’ll “find” space you never imagined.
  2. Consider a kitchen island – Kitchen islands are great! You’ll wonder how you ever lived without one. They not only give you extra counter space to work on but you can also use the area underneath the island for additional storage. If you can’t decide on an exact permanent spot for your island, get a portable one on wheels for theContinue reading

3 Reasons to Choose a Concrete Countertop

Nelson Construction's Concrete CountertopLooking for information about concrete countertops?  You must be getting ready to make the ideas for your dream home a reality? With the major floor plan and other layout details well in hand, now you can enjoy choosing the materials you like best for flooring and other finishes and fixtures. Here’s a chance to check your assumptions about what’s great for the kitchen.

Maybe you’re a real foodie and wannabe chef. At any rate, we all spend a good part of every day in the kitchen, so why not make it truly your own when choosing materials? Countertops will be high on the list. Naturally, marble and granite are bound to come to mind—but if you’ve never considered concrete for countertops, read on to discover why it’s both super good looking and supremely functional, too.

3 Great Reasons for a Concrete Countertop:

First: a concrete countertop is versatile. This is because concrete countertops are individually made by artisans and not simply mass produced. This may also be the reason why there are endless possibilities when going with a custom-made concrete countertop. You can have some real fun and even use concrete to create a marble-looking surface.

Unlike other natural stones, concrete can be moulded to form beautiful angles and curves. Aside from adding beauty to your home, concrete countertops can make the kitchenContinue reading

Renovating Your Office on a Budget

Is it time to renovate your office? You used to enter your office with a feeling of pride. Everything about it seemed to complement the essence of your business so well. But after years of use, the paint is chipping and the carpeting has deteriorated. And that’s just the superficial stuff.

Wake Up & Smell the (Stale?) Coffee…

renovate your officeWhen you take a good hard look at the surroundings, you can see that the layout of the space could work more efficiently and look much more attractive to both your customers and staff. That’s the first big step towards a successful office renovation: realizing that it’s time to make some improvements. Next comes moving forward with a sound plan and a realistic budget.

 

Let an Office Renovation Show Your Style

The office is the sounding board and launch pad for the creative ideas of your business. It’s also where you hold meetings and receive clients, so good first impressions count. So do bad ones. Keep in mind that you want to provide a pleasant vibe to anyone who enters for a consultation, plus a pleasant, well thought out environment for your employees. With the expert help of an experienced companyContinue reading

How to Really Get a Quality Bathroom Design and Remodel


It’s a bit strange that a bathroom can become such center piece in a home. It’s supposed to be the most private of rooms and yet when it comes to showing off a house for sale it is one of the spaces people are most interested in seeing.

Far more design hours go into making the bathroom look good than the bedroom, or even the living room!

So let’s face it, for whatever reason when you remodel your home you are going to want a bathroom that looks great and, more important, functions well.Continue reading

Home Design Everything Old is New Again

It seems these days that a lot of the “latest things” are just rediscovering old traditions: buying from local farms, using natural clothing, eating organic, even hanging your clothes to dry!

Well the same can be said of the resurgence of Venetian plaster. Venetian plaster for accent or styleThe old world grace and style of Venetian plaster are always in fashion.  And with the added durability and “Green Living” benefits, it will be a welcome addition to your new home design.

What is Venetian Plaster?

Well one thing Venetian Plaster is NOT is a “faux finish.”  The word “faux” means “false” and Venetian plaster is definitely Continue reading

Concrete Countertop Revolution

If you want to truly express your own personality, look into concrete countertops for your bathroom or kitchen; outdoors; anywhere you need a space to set things on.  In this world of unique interior design, you can set your home or office apart with custom made concrete countertop.

In store Concrete Countertop
Custom Concrete CounterTop

 Concrete Countertop Color

Pick up your interior design colors with concrete, or make your home, office or retail store look uber-modern with an industrial gray tone.  You can mix colors or embed items in the concrete for a truly one-of-a-kind look that is exclusively yours. Designing your own embedded concrete countertop can give you an incomparableContinue reading