Get in shape with your very own Workout Oasis

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Get in shape with your very own Workout Oasis

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Adding on a home gym can add resale value to your home in much the same way as adding any other addition would.  Just as finishing an attic space or adding on a laundry room would increase the resale value of your home a Home Gym will as well. If this is the year that you vow to get in shape before summer, but hate the packed group classes or the high membership fees, it’s the year to build your own workout oasis. It’s going to be just you and that treadmill to compete with.

If you are going to add value to your home with this addition, you will want to put more effort into this rather than transforming your garage into a sweat shop. Home buyers will pay top dollar for quality, and this means additions done the right way. Now Remember: Anything bolted down, such as exercise equipment becomes part of the home and would be included in the sale of the house unless removed before selling or including a clause in your sale agreement.

You will want a space at least 150sq ft., the bigger the better though in this case. If you can build this gym as an addition you will have more freedom to make space for equipment that you want. If you are repurposing a room you will have to make do with the existing square footage and possibly have to give up on an important workout machine. Not only will you be sacrificing space, you will need to increase ventilation in your home gym.

Gym Essentials:


1. Dumbbells

2. Kettlebell

3. Pull Up Bar

4. Rings

5. Jump Rope

6. Medicine Ball

7. Plyo-Box

8. Barbell

9. Weight Plates

10. Stereo System

 

Number 10 on the list is number 1 for me. Having a great stereo system and a few t.v’s is important, this way you can catch up on the news or listen to motivational tunes while working off those calories.

Tip: Rubber mats and barriers to protect your floor are good investments you will want to make with this home gym. You don’t want a dumbbell dropping through your wood floor.

Laminate or wood flooring is ok for your home gym addition if you plan only for light workouts and no heavy machines or equipment. If you are planning for more strenuous workouts and heavy duty machines you should aim for Rubber Floor Tiles or a Rubber Mat. You can purchase most gym flooring material and equipment online. Prices can vary for different machines and weights, check your local listings and reviews before you make a large investment.

When doing any home addition or remodel, having a good Remodeling Firm on your side is imperative to save you money and do the job right. Contact Spazio LA if you are thinking of adding or changing your home. We would love to help build your dreams!

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Pros and Cons of Flooring Options

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Pros and Cons of Flooring Options When remodeling your home you may feel overwhelmed with the many choices of Flooring Options. And there are many options! You may want to consider a few things before you lay down that floor solely because it looks good. We will help you make smart choices before your regret the floor you picked out.

Spazio LA will break down the options and factors that will help you make the right choice.

Things to consider when doing your flooring are:

1. Cleaning and Durability:

If you have pets and kids you may want to consider an option that is easy to clean. Choosing an option that will hold up to traffic and accidents is important.

2. Cost and Value:

It is important to consider the quality of the flooring and the value for your money. You don’t want to throw away money to replace a floor that you had remodeled only a few years back because you went with a cheaper option.  Also, installing quality flooring adds value to your home for years to come.

3. Location, Location, Location:

The ideal flooring can change based on where you are installing it as well. Rooms used more often will require durable flooring. Bathrooms will require flooring that is moisture and water resistant- and safe! Some flooring options and the way it is installed can make an area look larger, or smaller. You want durable flooring in a kids rooms but it needs to be safe and warm also.

Here we lay out the pros and cons of only a few different flooring options. Never the less if you are in doubt call a professional to help you with your home remodeling needs.

 

Pros & Cons

           carpet flooring            

Carpet

Pros -Carpet can act like another layer of insulation and help keep cold or warm drafts from seeping through the floor.

-It goes without saying that carpet is always going to be the softest of any type of flooring. -Carpet helps to reduce sound and noises from one floor to the next. Cons -Regular vacuuming is needed (every one to two days for high traffic areas) frequently. Spills need to be removed immediately to prevent staining and liquid to seep deep into fibers to cause mold and mildew.

Hardwood floor remodel

Hardwood

Pros -An upgrade to hardwood floors will add a lot of value to your home. -Hardwood floors are easy to care for by sweeping or vacuuming them daily and wiping them with an approved wood cleaner. -There are many different types of woods, stains and plank sizes to choose from.

Cons

-Every step that is taken on wood floors can be heard. Not to mention, furry friends can slip and slide because their padded feet can’t grip the shiny, smooth surface.

 

 

 

Laminate

Laminate

Pros -The protective layer on laminate helps protect it from something that would normally stain easily. -Vacuum away loose dirt and debris and mop with a damp mop.

Cons                                                                                                                                                                     -Laminate may look like hardwood, but doesn’t have the value like hardwood. -Laminate flooring is easily dented. Laminate flooring cannot be sanded or refinished. Areas with large scratches or gouges need to be replaced with new laminate flooring.

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Tile – Ceramic/Stone/Porcelain

Pros -Easy, fast clean up – and great for high traffic.

-Adds a clean and elegant finish to a room.

- Nontoxic and great for those who suffer allergies as it doesn’t harbor allergens.

 

Cons -Not a good insulator for heat.

-Dangerous when wet!

-Tiles can crack and need to be replaced.

Make sure your home’s entrance is a grand one

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Make sure your home’s entrance is a grand one When it comes to your home, it makes sense that you want to be proud of the look and feel that it gives off to your visitors. The aesthetic appearance can be very important, showing the world just how stylish you are and how much you care about your home.

This is why the entrance to the home is so important. You want to entice people to come inside your home and give the world a little taste as to what to expect from the interior as well as who you are! Curb appeal is a feature that you must focus on.

Your entrance, while being bold, should work in harmony with the interior of your home as well.

In order to get this balance right, you need to know just how to create an enchanting entrance. You won't believe how each of these examples uses a front garden, front door or decor to create an incredibly eye-catching design.

Let us take a look at these 6 design ideas to make your home’s entrance a grand one.

1. Garden Entrance

The front of your home can be as lush as you want or you can create a garden based off water saving plants. The garden entrance is a great way to show off your green thumb and add to your curb appeal.

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2. Courtyard

The front courtyard is a growing trend that offers seating for your guests and a very welcoming feel to your home's entrance.

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3. Dense Hedges or Eclectic Plants

Using dense hedges or eclectic plants will help create a unique front entrance as well as give you some privacy.

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4. Wooden Door

Going out of your way to design or pick out a custom wooden door adds tremendous amounts of character to your home's entrance. This will give you the upper hand on curb appeal since you have a shop stopping door.

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5. Steel Gate

As shown in this design by Interiors by Studio M, the use of a steel gate and plants create privacy as well as a very contemporary feel.

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6. Custom Patio

The front of your home doesn't have to lack character, you can add a custom designed patio to make use of space and create a welcoming feeling for your home's entrance.

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From gardens to gates and wooden doors, the ideas for adding a grand entrance to your home are endless. For design ideas and help creating your home's grand entrance, contact us today.

5 Small changes to update the look of your bathroom

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Your bathroom should be an oasis of calm, providing you with a space to unwind with a bath, to refresh yourself with a shower, or to primp and preen yourself before a big date so you’re at your most confident. From the fixtures and fittings to the colors on the wall, everything can affect how luxurious your bathroom feels, so here are just a few steps towards creating an at-home hotel-standard spa. 1. Let’s start with color

You should avoid anything loud and bright in a bathroom as a main color on the walls, instead opt for something soft and calming. Going for ivory, pearl or pale grey will enhance the feeling of space within your bathroom, as well as be gentle on the eyes, instantly making you feel more relaxed.

2. Coordination is key

While you should go pale with the walls to maximize the impact of light, don’t be afraid to be bold with the highlighter color, which you’re going to use to coordinate the rest of the room. You could pick your favorite color here to make it more personal, or go for mood colors, such as purple for luxury, blue hues for calm emotions or fresh greens to reinvigorate the senses. From your plush new set of towels to the vase of flowers on the window sill or even the color of the soap, coordinate this color around the room so there is a natural flow.

3. Add some pamper products

Essential to any high-end, opulent spa experience are the products you use to de-stress at the end of the day. Pick up some lavender-scented candles that match your décor, and light them when you have a bath to help you drift off. Pick up some funky bath bombs that release glitter, fragrance and cool colors into your bath as an extra treat, and remember to keep some spa-quality facial oils, scrubs and salts to hand too.

4. Don’t forget the seating area

You’ll find no luxury hotel bathroom complete without a seating area. Not only does it give the impression that the room must be bigger than it really is, but it’s a very practical accessory to have. It could be an ornate chair at a dressing table area built into the sink unit, or just a plush, fabric stool by the window, but seating always adds a touch of class to any bathroom.

5. Get yourself organized

Finally, you won’t find clutter in a luxury bathroom, so get yourself organized and create tailored storage solutions. It could be that you make way for a better sink unit by moving the radiator, swapping it for a designer vertical piece for a neater and better bathroom space, hiding away all those bits and pieces you use every day will make space feel less hectic, and pass the effects on to you.

What You Need to Know About Starting a Bathroom Remodel

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What You Need to Know About Starting a Bathroom Remodel garage conversion living

Remodeling your bathroom can be an exciting and stressful experience like any remodel. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could approach your project with the knowledge of the most experienced remodeling company?

Here you can get that confidence to hire great home improvement professionals, and avoid suffering a bad remodel job. Those horror stories about contractors leaving a house torn open and taking the homeowner's money...they don't have to be your story.

4 Questions you need to have answered before you jump into a remodel contract:

  1. Who is the company, where is their location and what is their direct phone number? This information allows you to get a real insider look the professional once you’re off the phone. This can be done by viewing their profile on reviews pages and by searching for information on other sites like BBB and their social sites.
  2. Are you and your subcontractors licensed, bonded and insured? The answer to this question should be yes! You need to know that you are in good hands, and that this isn’t a scam company that will leave you helpless after they get your money.
  3. When would you be able to start a project and finish it? This is good information to see how available they are and as to how long you can expect them to have your home in remodel mode.
  4. Would you be able to provide references for previous clients? If a professional cannot provide any references for clients, it is a bad sign. You want to see and hear from past clients that love their remodel and can give an honest review of the entire process working with the contractor – from consult, to design, to build. Also be sure to check their design pictured to be sure that your style could be recreated by the company. If they are not used to designing a style that matters to you, you may need to rethink whom to go with.

Now that you have the basics covered and know about your contractor, you need to know yourself.

Have you saved up money for this bathroom remodel, or are you going to need financing assistance?

Unless you are fortunate enough to be able to pay for the project out of pocket, you will now need to look into financing option. Luckily for you, Spazio LA works with the HERO program to make eco-friendly remodels affordable for everyone. Contact us to hear more about the program and other financing options!

Innovative designs are saving homes

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living room Innovative designs are saving homes

Ever come home and hate seeing that same old fireplace and same old carpet? Ever wish you could just sell your house and start over? Don’t sell or settle, remodel!

Spazio LA is saving homes one design and remodel at a time.

Why shouldn’t you sell your home? Selling your home is costly and time consuming, not to mention the ghastly packing and searching hours for this home you dream of. When the truth is, you will never find what you are searching for; because you already have it. Why settle when you can make more of the home you have. Where ever there are walls, a roof and a floor there is hope.

Start dreaming of what potential your current home has! Real estate agents won’t tell you what amazing things you could do if you only made some changes to your current family home, but WE will tell you that the possibilities are ENDLESS. You think your bathroom is too small to feel like anything near a spa, or your kitchen is too outdated to be a chef’s paradise, think again. The relaxing bathroom and entertainers kitchen awaits, you just need a little help from the best.  Innovative designs make your home more efficient, unique and luxurious without sacrificing space.  We at Spazio LA know just how to use color, light and texture to turn your home into the envy of the town.

Don’t let the idea of remodeling scare you, our professional team will see you through every step of the way. Contact us today for your complimentary in-house design estimate.

Let Spazio LA design and build the home of your dreams.

How does your renovation project measure up as an investment?

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Home improvement projects that offer the best return on your investment How does your renovation project measure up as an investment?

See where it fits in this rundown from the report — which ranks the 29 remodeling jobs by percentage of project cost that homeowners can expect to recoup when selling your home. Get the most of out your investment and remodel smart.

29. Bathroom addition (midrange): 53.9%

This midrange project envisions a 6-by-8-foot bathroom addition with a cultured marble countertop and ceramic tile floor. At a 53.9 percent return on investment, it is the least cost-effective of the 29 projects studied in Remodeling Magazine’s 2017 report.

  • Cost: $43,232
  • Home value increase: $23,283

28. Backup power generator (midrange): 54%

  • Cost: $12,860
  • Home value increase: $6,940

27. Backyard patio (midrange): 54.9%

  • Cost: $51,985
  • Home value increase: $28,546

26. Composite deck addition (upscale): 56.4%

Create a 16-by-20-foot deck of composite decking materials, with stairs to a second lower 10-foot-diameter platform at one corner and other custom details.

  • Cost: $39,339
  • Home value increase: $22,171

25. Bathroom addition (upscale): 57.1%

This project envisions adding a 100-square-foot master bathroom to an existing bedroom, with a shower in a frameless glass enclosure, a freestanding soaker tub and other amenities including electric in-floor heating.

  • Cost: $81,515
  • Home value increase: $46,507

24. Bathroom remodel (upscale): 59.1%

Expand a 35-square-foot bathroom to 100 square feet, relocate and upgrade fixtures, and add such amenities as in-floor heating.

  • Cost: $59,979
  • Home value increase: $35,456

23. Master suite addition (upscale): 59.9%

  • Cost: $250,687
  • Home value increase: $150,140

22. Major kitchen remodel (upscale): 61.9%

 

  • ​Cost: $122,991
  • Home value increase: $76,149

21. Master suite addition (midrange): 64.8%

  • Cost: $119,533
  • Home value increase: $77,506

20. Bathroom Remodel (midrange): 64.8%

  • Cost: $18,546
  • Home value increase: $12,024

19. Composite deck addition (midrange): 65.2%

Create a 16-by-20-foot deck of composite decking materials.

  • Cost: $17,249
  • Home value increase: $11,252

18. Major kitchen remodel (midrange): 65.3%

  • Cost: $62,158
  • Home value increase: $40,560

17. Bathroom remodel for universal access (midrange): 68.4%

As the big baby boomer generation remodels homes with aging in place in mind, the emphasis on universal design is growing. This project, for a 5-by-7-square-foot bathroom, includes widening doorways for wheelchair access, dropping the height of electrical outlets and switches, replacing the tub with a roll-in shower and adding a more-accessible toilet among other improvements.

  • Cost: $15,730
  • Home value increase: $10,766

16. Roofing replacement (midrange): 68.8%

  • Cost: $20,664
  • Home value increase: $14,214

15. Family room addition (midrange): 69.3%

  • Cost: $89,566
  • Home value increase: $62,055

14. Basement Remodel (midrange): 70%

  • Cost: $71,115
  • Home value increase: $49,768

13. Grand entrance (upscale): 70.1%

This one-day “grand entrance” project involves expanding the entry to accommodate a new, higher-end fiberglass door with surrounding sidelights.

  • Cost: $8,358
  • Home value increase: $5,855

12. Two-story addition (midrange): 71.1%

  • Cost: $176,108
  • Home value increase: $125,222

11. Wood deck addition (midrange): 71.5%

  • Cost: $10,707
  • Home value increase: $7,652

10. Wood window replacements (upscale): 73%

This project envisions replacing 10 existing 3-by-5-foot double-hung windows with insulated windows featuring interior hardwood finish and exterior aluminum cladding.

  • Cost: $18,759
  • Home value increase: $13,691

9. Vinyl window replacements (upscale): 73.9%

In this project, the 10 insulated replacement windows are vinyl with simulated wood-grain interior finish.

  • Cost: $15,282
  • Home value increase: $11,286

8. Siding replacement (midrange): 76.4%

  • Cost: $14,518
  • Home value increase: $11,093

7. Garage door replacement (midrange): 76.9%

  • Cost: $1,749
  • Home value increase: $1,345

6. Fiberglass entry door replacement (upscale): 77.8%

  • Cost: $3,276
  • Home value increase: $2,550

5. Minor kitchen remodel (midrange): 80.2%

  • Cost: $20,830
  • Home value increase: $16,699

4. Garage door replacement (upscale): 85%

 

  • Cost: $3,304
  • Home value increase: $2,810

3. Manufactured stone veneer: 89.4%

This project involves removing 300 square feet of vinyl siding along the bottom of the home’s street-facing facade and replacing it with manufactured stone veneer.

  • Cost: $7,851
  • Home value increase: $7,019

2. Steel entry door replacement (midrange): 90.7%

  • Cost: $1,413
  • Home value increase: $1,282

1. Fiberglass attic insulation (midrange): 107.7%

  • Cost: $1,343
  • Home value increase: $1,446