Finally, Fido is in the running for exceptionally delightful digs (and we’re not talking about the “where to hide the bone” variety)! As more homeowners are investing in experiential/specific-use updates for their homes, and Americans in general are increasingly embracing pets as members of the family, we’re seeing growing interest in special spaces for cherished pups.
Today’s doghouses run the gamut in terms of style, detail, and extensiveness of construction. Many pooch palaces are now constructed in keeping with the style of main houses with unprecedented attention to “creature comforts,” so to speak. Here are some considerations the best house for your beloved pet.
Comforts for Creatures
The purpose of dog houses is to provide cozy shelter for dogs, typically outside the main house. It’s imperative that dog houses be used only during clement weather conditions. No pet should be left exposed to extreme elements that could compromise its safety, comfort, and quality of life.
The best dog houses are right-sized for the pooches who will use them. Dogs typically feel safer and cozier in spaces just roomy enough to allow them to stand, turn around, and lie down in a stretched out position. It’s best to physically “test drive” dog houses to identify the best interior dimensions; you may also use the your pup’s crate size as a reference.
Bark-itecture
Today’s doghouses run the gamut in terms of style, detail, and extensiveness of construction. If you’re in the market for a pre-made dog house, you can find an ample array of plastic, metal, and wood options. The stocked designs available range from standard dog houses, e.g. – igloos and a-line roofs, to creatively designed, semi-custom dwellings.
If you’re interested in custom building your dog’s dwelling, the options are off the leash! Many homeowners are going for pooch palaces constructed in keeping with the architecture and styles of main houses. These specially design doghouses serve as backyard focal points—and conversation starters—while also giving furry family members places to call their own. Here are some photos for inspiration.
Inside, In the Dog House
Dog house construction doesn’t have to be an “outside job” only. It’s fun to give Fido a space all his own in the heart of the home. Specially constructed nooks or bed cubbies can provide peaceful sanctuaries for pets while also cutting down on clutter or obtrusions into walkways and living areas. These attractively constructed dog houses can fit right into cabinetry and a room’s overall design for a pleasant, seamless appearance.
Trust Wills for the Dog House—and for Your House
Whether you’re scheming a dream house for your pup or looking to update the main house for everyone in the family, Wills Company is Nashville’s trusted resource for home improvements, handyman and repair work, as well as custom additions and design-build projects. Learn more about our services by clicking here.
Blue and White never left, but right now it is seriously on trend
Interior designers are gearing up for more color, more fabric, more pattern, and arguably more fun. Playful spaces are making a huge comeback, especially in rooms that are all about…play. Remember the FLORIDA room? Dreary Nashville winters of the 1970’s could be momentarily relieved by these sunny porch conversions. Add some great windows, a little palm-beachy fabric and you could be transported. Deal the cards, pass the Planters nuts.
Today, things are a bit more sophisticated but it is still all about natural light and saturated color.
Below we have included some of our favorite rooms from all over the design community blogosphere. We include some of the blogs and links below so you can see more fantastic posts.
Ranch houses. These two words immediately conjure up an image of American suburbia. Postwar ranches, sometimes referred to as “ramblers”, were typically family homes designed and constructed on a wide scale all across the United States as a part of a large tract development. The beginning popularity of the ranch can be traced to the late 1940’s and early 1950’s as part of the post World War II housing boom for returning G.I.’s. Some well know ranch house clusters in Nashville and Williamson County include West Meade, Hillwood, Seven Hills, Forest Hills and Brentwood.
Mad Men may almost be almost over but the Ranch House has made a triumphant return for good!
Ranch houses have been enjoying a huge surge in popularity in the past decade. Young families, contemporary architecture fans (think Mad Men) and aging Baby Boomers are drawn not only to open floor plans, single-level living and flexible spaces but also a community of neighbors nearby.
With the recent BOOM in Middle Tennessee area real estate, Nashville’s ranch houses, typically well built and on good-sized lots, are prime properties to purchase and remodel.
“A master bedroom downstairs is a selling point for all houses.” says realtor Elizabeth Walls of Fridrich and Clark who wrote in her January blog “The Ranch House Is Back!”
“Nashville-area ranches are just as valuable per square foot as a two story home.” adds Tommy Patterson, managing broker of Christianson, Patterson, Courtney & Associates. “If they’re well maintained, and have updated improvements, we’re seeing them move just as fast as everything else in this current market.”
Four Nashville Ranch Houses from MLS as of May 13, 2015
Where do you start when faced with a ranch house renovation?
Luckily, to remodel a ranch house the architectural “puzzle” is usually a logical one to solve. Outdated floor plans can become modern with or without adding square footage by creative shifting of space. Adding on a master suite or family room, for instance, can often times be a straightforward exercise.
The Wills Company has extensive experience in designing and renovating ranch houses in Nashville. A recently completed ranch house renovation that added zero square footage A Ranch House Transformation was featured on StyleBlueprint.
Ranch house exteriors are important too! Ridley Wills showed 20+ ideas for renovating the typical “Southern Ranch” from basic to extensive in Ranch House Renovation Ideas .
“Knowing that ranch houses really do provide space that many families want (and most come with ample land for kids, dogs and gardens!) but that many need some updates, we’ve relied on Ridley’s experience today and asked him to provide three different renderings of a renovated ranch house, each at a different price point. See how each one successfully changes the house into a new and inspired home.” StyleBlueprint from Ranch House Renovation Ideas
Extend the driveway, as in the low-cost option, to the front door. This welcomes guests to the main entry and creates parking space. Paint the brick a crisp white, and add a dark color to the doors. Pull the entry hall forward and vault a ceiling to create a gable, which allows the front door to be accessed from the side, at the top of the stairs, under the overhang/porch. (Note that the roofline remains the same.) Lastly, remove the decorative ironwork from the front entry for a contemporary effect.” Ridley Wills from StyleBlueprint Ranch House Renovation Ideas.
“Keeping the same gray paint color throughout, while making the lines of the house simple and clean, makes this house cohesive and dramatically more contemporary.” StyleBlueprint from A Ranch House Transformation
The number of seniors in the United States will more than double in the next few decades, and the overwhelming majority want to remain in their own homes. Nine out of 10 seniors actually stay where they are when they retire, according to AARP. After all, it’s hard to replace the intangibles such as long-time neighbors, beloved streets and cherished memories associated with a family home. Another compelling reason? Staying put can often be the best economic choice.
Did you know? Only 5 percent of Americans ages 65 and older live in group quarters like nursing homes. In recent years, this share has been steadily declining (based on 2008 American Community Survey data).
With 78 million baby boomers about to hit retirement age, some say the time is ripe to overhaul the way homes are designed and maintained.
Design
It isn’t necessary to wait for the gold pen at the retirement party. Modifying homes for aging in place (sometimes referred to as “Universal Design”) makes sense for all stages of our busy lives. Some elements of smart Universal Design include:
Wider hallways
Towel racks that double as grab bars
Audible and visual strobe light system to indicate when the doorbell, telephone, or smoke or carbon monoxide detectors have been activated
Temperature Activated Flow Reducers to prevent burns from too hot showers and faucets
Safe-T-element cooking systems installed over existing stovetop burners
A water faucet over the stove to fill large pots
Kitchen shelves that pull out like drawers
Exterior doors that are larger with no steps (which is great for a stroller as well as a wheelchair)
Showers with a smooth entry (which are all the rage with interior designers)
Door handles that are levers rather than knobs (perfect for small child hands)
High-tech remote “telecare” video monitors.
Modified and simplified furniture placement
Slip-proof floors
“These design options just make sense for so many phases in a family’s life” says Tony Brown, Director of Handyman Operations for the Wills Company. “You make a plan when you have a baby or when you go off to college or get married. Doesn’t it make sense to make a plan for when you get older?”
TOOLS for Aging in Place
Maintain
Most baby boomers consider their homes to be one of their largest financial assets. However, if not vigilantly maintained, a house can begin to become more of a liability. As we age, we may not notice or remember to have the gutters cleaned or paint our houses as needed. Before you know it, a relatively small repair balloons into a major problem. Out-of-town children may arrive for the holidays and be shocked to see “home” in need of an overwhelming rehab. Complicating matters, it is very hard to manage a project successfully from afar if you don’t have an established relationship with service providers you can trust.
Ridley’s design team hard at work with “Universal Design” implementation
The Wills Company is often called upon by families with aging parents who want and hope to stay on their own homes. Proper planning and the engagement of a maintenance program can prevent costly, ugly surprises that are avoidable. The Wills Company Handyman can be relied upon to diagnose the situation and develop a design and maintenance plan to ease this process.
Why is our handyman service consistently ranked #1? Because our prices are fair, our work is warranted, and our team is unmatched. The Wills Company team of Handymen has decades of combined experience in home repair, maintenance and remodeling. They are all experts in diagnosing, estimating, managing and maintaining people’s homes in Nashville.
We sat down with three of our handymen, Mike Fishbeck, Alan East and Dave White, to ask what they enjoy most about their work at The Wills Company and they all mentioned the same word – FAMILY. “I like that our Handyman clients grow to feel like members of a family,” said Mike. “After all these years working with many of them I feel very connected to our clients and their homes.”
No job is too big or too small for this team! Want a new door on your shower? Fix a stuck window to let this great Spring air in? Change out your kitchen or bathroom countertops? Install reading lamps over your bed? Move a light switch? Put in a pet door? Change your smoke detectors? Clean out those gutters? Give ’em a call!
Take a walk around the exterior of your house and take a good look at it. Homeowners walk around indoors daily but rarely take the time to do the same at the exterior of their homes. And don’t forget to look up! Roof damage, peeling paint, crooked gutters, chimney repairs can often be easily spotted.
Paint the exterior. Homeowners tend to put it off each year, and it gets worse and worse. If there is wood around windows or siding, it rots which is bad news. The longer it’s put off, the longer and more expensive it gets.
Did you change all the batteries in your smoke detectors when the clocks changed?
Want 20 more Tips for Spring? Click here!
Sunshine shows dirt! Get your windows cleaned inside and out and don’t do it yourself. It’s much faster and safer to get it done professionally. You’ll love the results!
Don’t wait for a hot day to discover that your air conditioning is not functioning properly. Test the air conditioning units and schedule a whole HVAC system maintenance call. Spring is the right time to change the filters, clean the system, and make sure everything is working to maximum efficiency. Clean filters will also prevent your air conditioner from straining. (Stock up on them and put a reminder on your smart phone or calendar to change them often)
Once trees are fully bloomed again, have them shaped and cut if they are touching the roof in any spot. Squirrels and insects LOVE to gain easy access to a roof and attic.
Sprinklers are coming on all over Nashville this week as gardeners check them. Make sure the irrigation is working properly. They should not spray on the home and they should not cycle ON if there has been significant rain.
Get outdoor furniture lightly power-washed while you are already getting the patio or driveway done.
If you find spots on your glassware, it’s time to run an empty cycle with a package of citric acid crystals you can find at the drugstore or supermarket in the canning or spice aisle.
No matter how small or large your current to-do list is, The Wills Company team is qualified and ready to tackle it. A kitchen or bath update? Perhaps you just need to repaint a bedroom? Hang a mirror? Replace your counters? Clean the gutters? Service your HVAC? We’ve got you covered.
