Whether you’ve been living in your home for some time or have recently moved into a new place – maybe in sunny San Diego, CA or rainy Seattle, WA – you might be looking for a way to update your home. There are countless ways to upgrade your home, which can sometimes leave homeowners overwhelmed and unsure of where to even begin. To help you out, we’ve picked three of our favorite modern home upgrades – decorative tile, skylights, and ironwork.
We’ve consulted the top experts for their best advice on incorporating these modern home upgrades into your space. Take a look at what they had to say so you can improve your home today.
Incorporate decorative tiles into your home
Decorative tiles are a unique twist to add to your home’s interior that will surely add character. Whether you have a Mediterranean style home or a beachside condo, here are a few design tips to keep in mind.
Go bold
You can incorporate decorative tiles in bold and unexpected ways, like the niches throughout your home. If you are using decorative tiles for your kitchen or bathroom backsplash, we recommend tiling the entire wall, versus just a small area. This makes for a grander appearance, even if you are working with a small space.
Choose tiles that evoke your own style
- Find inspiration from colors/designs/patterns in your home that you love such as a piece of artwork or a fashionable scarf, etc., to choose the decorative tile that will bring your signature style to life.
- Decorative tiles that are used as accent pieces can create a focal point in a smaller space. For example, you can use a carpet pattern in a front entrance, a solid tread on stair risers, or try a decorative tile tabletop or a backsplash in a kitchen or bathroom.
- Consider taking a digital photo, or get a sample of the decorative tile you are interested in to better visualize how it would look in your space.
Skylights will make any home stand out
Skylights are another modern home upgrade to consider bringing into your home – one that embraces the natural light in your home while helping your space feel larger. Let’s take a look at how you can incorporate skylights into your house.
There are many benefits to skylights
Installing skylights in your home can bring practical, aesthetic, and financial benefits. Position them in line with windows or glass doors to create the illusion of a larger space. Install them above a darker portion of a room and instantly add light and warmth while simultaneously bringing down electricity and heating costs.
You can even go energy efficient
We recommend replacing your old acrylic skylights with modern, energy-efficient skylights. Our Solar-Powered Fresh Breeze Skylights come equipped with 99% UV-blocking and heat-reducing technology. Not to mention, they’re sleek and let fresh air into your home with the press of a button. You’ll want this upgrade before the weather heats up. – Solatube Home
Or replace your old skylights with new ones
Consider having a new lifetime roofing system installed on your house by a GAF Master Elite installer to increase the property value of your home. Consider replacing your old skylights to make your home more energy efficient.
– Right Angle Roofing & Siding
Ironwork creates a unique look for your home’s interior
You’ve probably seen intricate ironwork detail throughout homes, such as wrought-iron gates, stair railings, to fireplaces and furniture. Here are two ways you can bring ironwork detailing into your home.
Think about a steel fireplace surround
Incorporating a steel fireplace surround can become a unique focal point in a modern, industrial, or rustic style home. Metal surrounds look best in homes with lots of natural light and wood accents, especially when the surround can extend to an upper level to accentuate its grandeur. They offer an alternative to traditional stone or marble surrounds and can be designed in a variety of finishes including blackened steel, powder coat and patina finishes. When walking into a home it is the first thing your eyes are drawn to and it provides an inspiring wow factor.
– Michaela, Black & Smith Ironworks
Be creative with ironwork details
Iron is incredibly versatile, so we encourage people to get creative with it. Repurposing wrought iron fencing to use as the base of a table or counsel and topping it off with a wood variety that matches your design aesthetic is one creative way to incorporate ornamental iron into your home. A piece like this adds visual intrigue to your home and is sustainable, too, repurposing existing iron products.
– Oscar Mori, Silver Creek Iron Works
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