She’s sassy, savvy, inspiring and Thomsen Homes is so excited to be collaborating with Maria Bosak and her team from EcoChic Boutique decorating our latest model homes. Get a glimpse of one of our model homes from Maria in this latest video. Stay tuned for more videos with Maria and the latest trends for 2017 in our Thomsen model homes.
Uncategorized
Thomsen Design Trends Taking Over in 2017
Out with the old, in with the new, design trends that is. Every year there seems to be new trends popping up and old ones fading out. We asked our design team what design trends will be hot in 2017 and you’re the first to know!
Mixing metals and warm metals throughout décor
Metallic, gold, copper, silver are great examples of mixed metal to use throughout your home. An easy way to create the mixed metal look is through your cabinet hardware and lighting fixtures as well as accent with décor pieces.
Bold fixtures and statement lighting
Oversize lighting is trending, especially in the foyer and dining room. Various metals, gold and even wood light fixtures are all great choices for any style of home.
Shiplap Design Trends
Channel your inner Joanna Gaines by adding shiplap accents throughout your home. Create an accent wall by installing shiplap to a large wall, make a statement in your kitchen by adding shiplap to the back of your island, or create a focal point above your fireplace with a shiplap feature wall.
Ceiling details
Ceiling beams, coffered ceilings and even shiplap on the ceiling offer a great view from down below.
Navy cabinetry
Navy Cabinets are very popular in kitchens and bathrooms. Pair navy cabinets with white countertops/cabinetry and neutral accents for a classy and elegant look. If you are planning a two-tone kitchen, always use the darker color on the bottom cabinets to avoid a top heavy look.
Natural wood throughout
Use natural wood to create accent walls, mantels, inside ceiling coffers, butcher block countertops, the possibilities are endless
Wallpaper
Who knew this 1970 trend would make a comeback! Accenting one wall with wallpaper is a hot design trend right now. Add wainscoting or board and batten to the bottom half of a wall and add wallpaper to the top half to create a timeless look.
Open shelving in the kitchen
Using open wood shelving in the kitchen is becoming an ever popular trend. You can use floating shelves, metal brackets, pipes, you name it! Add neutral dishes, cookware and bakeware to complete the shelves and for storage.
Do you have any of these trends in your home? You can find even more images and inspiration in our gallery.
5 habits to start now if you hope to buy a home in 2017
Buying a home is a huge purchase and the more prepared you are the better off you are. An article by Cathie Ericson on realtor.com discusses 5 habits you should start now if you’re planning on buying a home in 2017. If a goal of buying a home is in the near future for you and your family these are some great ways to start preparing so you can achieve that goal and move into a new home in 2017. Below is a snippet of the article and how you can be successful in starting this process.
Habit #1 Buying a home: Automate your down payment savings
If you’re trying to squirrel away the recommended 20% down payment, that works out to about $40,000 for a $200,000 home. That’s a huge chunk of cash, so unless you’ve been the recipient of an inheritance or have recently won the lottery, you can never save too early or too much.
“The down payment takes more money than 99% of people plan for,” warns Joshua Jarvis of Jarvis Team Realty with Keller Williams Realty Atlanta Partners in Duluth, GA.
Yet one practically painless way to get started is to automate your checking account to regularly set aside a small amount of your paycheck into a separate savings account dubbed your “house fund.”
“Amassing enough for a down payment takes discipline and perseverance, but setting up automatic savings can make it easier,” points out Realtor® Marcia Goodman with Re/Max Gateway in Gainesville, VA. “If you never see the cash, you won’t spend it.”
And you don’t have to put down the full 20%, either—there are other options. But it’s best to save as much as you can.
Habit #2 Buying a home: Build your credit history and keep it clean
To get a mortgage, lenders will want to see evidence that you’ve paid off past debts. As such, keeping on top of your credit cards and car and college loans is a crucial mortgage must-do.
But don’t steer clear of credit altogether. If you’ve never had a credit card or a bank loan, you won’t have a credit history. Once you have credit established, keep it pristine. Pay all your bills on time—this cannot be overemphasized.
“I had a client who made $250,000 a year and was denied a mortgage because his credit card payments were always late,” says Alexandra Axsen, managing broker of Lake Okanagan Realty Ltd. in Kelowna, BC.
Dean Sioukas, founder of Magilla Loans in Sacramento, CA, also advises not using more than 30% of your available credit, as recommended by the credit bureaus.
(Read the full article of the 5 habits here)
Source: Realtor.com
Signs you need a dehumidifier
Moving into your new home is a very exciting moment in your life and no matter what home plan you have, if you start to notice excessive moisture and ice build-up on your windows in the colder months you need to combat this with a dehumidifier. This excess moisture is known as humidity and it is extremely common in new construction homes.
What is humidity and what causes it?
High levels of humidity can be harmful to you and your family. It can cause health and respiratory problems, especially in young children and the elderly. High humidity can cause mold spores to grow and replicate, creating dangerous health concerns. Humidity is created in your home by taking hot showers, cooking food on your stovetop and in your oven, houseplants with exposed soil and even exhaling air creates excess moisture.
New construction homes are so tightly sealed that this excess moisture has nowhere to go. Think of your home as a Ziploc bag. The warm, humid air in your home reacts with the cold, dry air outside, creating moisture which is most noticeable on your windows. What you don’t see is the moisture that could be forming behind your drywall or in your attic.
How do I control high humidity?
The easiest and most efficient way to control high levels of humidity in your home is with a dehumidifier. You should have at least one dehumidifier in your home, but Thomsen Homes recommends having one on every level. The best area to place a dehumidifier is by your kitchen or bathroom because you can empty the bucket easier as well as stop the moisture at the source.
There are several different types and sizes of dehumidifiers. The most common sizes are 30, 50, and 70 pint dehumidifiers. The size refers to how many pints of moisture the unit can pull from the air in a single day. A 30-pint dehumidifier is more efficient in a smaller space whereas a 70-pint dehumidifier works better for a larger space. Dehumidifiers either have a bucket that water drips into, a hose attachment or both. Both types of dehumidifiers are efficient and what type you choose is a personal preference.
In addition to a dehumidifier, there are several other ways that you can control humidity levels in your home:
- Use a kitchen fan while cooking; however, the fan needs to be vented outdoors
- Run the exhaust fan while showering, leave the fan on for at least 20 minutes after showering
- Do not hang wet clothes to dry inside your home during winter
- Leave drapes and pull blinds open to allow proper circulation
- When weather permits, open windows to circulate air through your home
- Close vents in rooms that are not in use
Watch for more homeowner tips on the Thomsen Homes blog page.
*The above information can be found in your Thomsen Homes Homeowner Maintenance Manual.
Paige and Paul’s Thomsen Moment…
When Paige and Paul embarked on their home building journey with Thomsen Homes, they were expecting to be overwhelmed with the task of building a house. When they walked into the Thomsen Home’s office, the soon to be newlyweds found it was less stressful than planning a wedding! Having the choice to build what they wanted in their price range and make it their own was a big reason in why they went with Thomsen Homes. “We didn’t feel stressed or overwhelmed throughout the process. It was so fun to see our home come to life,” said Paul. “Working with the Thomsen Homes design team and looking at the selections from a small sample to seeing it actually in the home was really exciting.”
Watch Paige and Paul’s Thomsen moment in this testimonial and the reasons they built a Thomsen Home in Fargo-Moorhead.
Thomsen Design Studio Tip: Questions to think about before your design appointment
Building a home can be an exciting new venture with many moving parts. Thomsen Homes has a team to help you through the process and make your vision come together. Part of this process is to reflect on what your lifestyle is like and what areas of your home really are the most used or important to you. For example, if you love to cook, spend some time thinking about your kitchen space and how you would like it to function.
Below are a couple of questions to get you started on the design of your home while working with a Thomsen Homes Design Studio Specialists to bring your vision to life.
What is your budget?
Setting a budget can get tricky but making sure you have some parameters in place will help you in the long run. Try to break down your budget in to categories by what is most important to you. For example, if you want to spend more on specific items like having granite in the bathrooms.
This also is an area where you can make note of upgrades you would like to make. Ask your Thomsen Homes Design Studio Specialist about common upgrades and get some insight on what clients have done etc. This will help you get an idea of what is within your budget and what is important to you.
What will work for your family? Your lifestyle?
This is such an important part of the design process and really can get you thinking about what you want in a home and what will work for your family. Start by making a list of things that are important to you to organize your thoughts. If you enjoy entertaining, focus on the space in your home where you would be entertaining, whether it’s a dining area or a basement area with space for a bar. What works best for your lifestyle?
You may have a vision of your dream home so use inspiration from social platforms like Pinterest or Houzz when working with your Thomsen Homes Design Studio Specialist to show them ideas of what you’re thinking. Or if you have other ideas of inspiration from personal photos or magazines these are all great ways to visually communicate your vision of your home.
What are the top 5 things you want in your home?
Making a top 5 list can help prioritize what is most important to you. There is a lot to think about when building a home and don’t be afraid to use your team at Thomsen as a resource for questions you may have. Enjoy this experience of building a home for your family!
Watch for more design tips on the Thomsen Homes blog page.
New Year’s Resolution For Your Home
New Year’s, a time to start fresh, motivation to eat healthy, save money or spend more time with family and friends. But what goals do you set for your home? Here are three tips to help you kick start your New Year’s resolutions for your home.
Get rid of stuff
There is nothing wrong with a little spring cleaning in January, right? It might be worth making a list of rooms you can start decluttering with unwanted things. Start small and take it room by room as to not get overwhelmed. Before you know it spring is right around the corner and you can spend time enjoying the warmer weather instead of decluttering your home. This tip in particular helps if you are planning on moving to a new home. This will keep things a bit more manageable when you do decide to move.
Home Maintenance
Simple maintenance of your home can not only save you money but can prevent costly damage to your home if not addressed. Easy steps like making sure there are rugs inside your home in front of the exterior doorways so during winter when tracking in snow you can prevent water damage to your flooring. Or making sure your dehumidifier is working properly this will help to remove moisture in the home. Another easy tip is changing out your furnace filter. Changing the filter on a regular basis will help to keep clean air circulating throughout your home and is more efficient for your furnace.
Give your house some TLC
The whirlwind of the holidays can throw off a lot and the last thing anyone is thinking about during Christmas dinner is giving your carpet a deep clean. Take some time to breathe, it might be just the right moment to freshen up the paint in your home that you have been meaning to get to. Great memories have been made in your home and a little extra time spent sprucing it up can help it recover from the holiday rush.
Thomsen Homes Movember Challenge
Sweet ‘Stache and the Faces Who Sport Them
Take action for men’s health and help bring awareness. Thomsen Homes will donate $500 to the Movember Foundation for every sale in the month November.
Up for the challenge?
Think you have what it takes to sport a sweet ‘stache? Well, we want you to prove it! Post your moustache style and progress tagging @Thomsen Homes in your photo on our Facebook page.
Whether your ‘stache style is Hulk Hogan, Captain Hook, Ron Swanson or the Monopoly Man we want to see what you got!
What’s in it for you?
- Your creating awareness for men’s health issues and supporting a great cause
- You get to grow a sweet ‘stache
- Thomsen Homes invites you to join us for a social event “SWEET ‘STACHE BASH” at our office to celebrate your moustache (Wednesday, November 30th, 2016. Stay tuned for details)
Support the cause and remember with a great mustache comes great responsibility!
