Spruce Up Your Home for the Fall

By Shira Linden, Direct from the Designers™ Contributing Writer

If you have recently designed and built your new home, and it is somewhat of a blank slate, fall is the perfect time to give it your personal stamp.

Extend summer with a covered patio

Prolong the summer season by enclosing your outdoor patio on two or three sides and add to your functional living space. You’ll gain protection from the sun, rain and wind, so you can enjoy the outdoors longer.

Choose from an array of designs and roofing materials including wood, metal and vinyl. Styles vary as much as house designs, ranging from a minimalist look with clean lines to rough-hewn beam roof supports for a rustic flavor. Go with a style that matches your home or create a studied contrast that works.

finished outdoor fireplaces

Add warmth to your outdoor living space with an outdoor fireplace from Isokern® by Earthcore®. They can easily be customized and finished in brick, stone, stucco or veneers to complement the décor of your home’s porch and patio. Shown is the Magnum model.

For flooring, you can either use your current decking or switch to bricks, stones or pavers. Lighting can range from recessed lights to lanterns and candlelight.

You can even add solar panels to your patio roof and save on energy costs. Plus, increase your comfort by heating or cooling your semi-enclosed patio using ceiling fans, water misters and outdoor heaters.

Make an outdoor fireplace your focal point

Many homeowners put in an outdoor fireplace as another way to extend the season and bring all the comforts of an indoor room outside. No need to start from scratch. A prefab box can be framed in wood and finished with stone veneer. Now you have created a marvelous conversation pit and place to enjoy wine or steaming mugs of spiced cider.

covered outdoor patio from DFDhouseplans.com

Extend your outdoor living space with a covered patio featuring fiberglass patio doors from Therma-Tru® and PVC columns and trim from Fypon®. These products make it easy to create a low maintenance patio that’s durable, decorative and inviting. For an added touch of warmth a large stone fireplace was added. View additional photographs of this traditional two-story home by clicking here.

Add character with columns, cornices and molding

If your focus this fall is sprucing up your home’s interior, trim can really bring out the true character of a room. Just imagine how you can set off windows, staircases and archways with trim. You will be amazed at how a ceiling molding of contrasting color from Fypon® frames a room.

new online paint color selection tool

Benjamin Moore® and Cambria® have joined forces to develop an online paint color selection tool that allows consumers to match their quartz countertops to rich and beautiful paint colors. Simply click on any of the 63 shades of Cambria® countertops and you'll see compatible Benjamin Moore® paint colors.

Brighten your space with color

One interior decorator I spoke to indicated that the least expensive way to add pizazz to your home's interior is through paint.

Cool colors such as greens and blues convey calm, making them ideal for a bedroom, especially if there is ample natural light. Warm colors such as coral can make a family room feel cozy, while red is a wake-up color you might consider as an accent for your home office. Cheery yellow can perk up a kitchen or laundry area.

Neutrals such as taupe, beige and pale grey are restful and best suited for a library, media room or family room. Primary colors add spunk to playrooms and children's rooms while dark, rich colors add sophistication and drama to formal living rooms and dining rooms.

If you must use white, avoid bright white, which is stark in favor of white tinged with ivory, rose or grey.

 
Therma Tru Doors For House Plans Online