Christian Harris | JW-Design Center

How Going Green is Facing Red Lights

February 20, 2020March 20, 2020 - by Christian Harris

The term ‘green’ has become a greater portion of an advert slogan over the last few years, however for homeowners, its promise of savings continues to be long touted along with the results are actually much less expensive that advertised.

Resale values

The trouble with being enviromentally friendly in your house isn’t with the energy suppliers include the savings that one can receive of their annual heating bill or making use of their electric bill. The problem rests within the fact that, whilst the technology still costs a great deal, the charge isn’t recouped in the resale valuation on the property.

Part on this is just due for the proven fact that green technology continues to be somewhat new to commercial production. The longer a product or service is available on the market, greater opportunity it must decrease its total price, not merely in production and also in advertisement, which …

Interior Design Styles

Affordable New Home Construction – 5 Tips on Getting the Most For Your Money

January 31, 2020February 13, 2020 - by Christian Harris

With the real estate market floundering in many areas nationwide, this may be the best time to build a new home rather than buying an existing home. Building a home can be affordable, if you follow these tips:

Affordable New Home Construction Tip #1: Estimate First – Plan Second

Just like a kid in a toy store, it’s easy to get carried away once the idea machine is turned on. Extra bedrooms, an exercise room, a studio, a home office – all of these add-ons will have a dramatic impact on your new home’s price tag. Subtracting them from your building plan because they put your project over budget, even if that plan lives only in your imagination, is painful. Better to add them in if your budget allows after you’ve gotten several estimates.

Affordable New Home Construction Tip #2: Location Still Matters

There may be a very good reason …

Home Improvement Ideas

Affordable, Energy-Efficient Home Construction

January 25, 2020February 13, 2020 - by Christian Harris

As a real estate professional, I can remember the time when at the top of a homeowner’s wish list were things like a master bedroom suite or a gourmet kitchen, but times have changed, and so has the buyers wish list.

While buyers still have these wonderful amenities on the list, they are asking for energy-saving options as their must have items on their list.

Here is a list of options that are affordable and provide immediate savings. Some of these items are: 2×6 walls, house wrap, energy-efficient windows and energy-efficient appliances.

Construction:

Make sure the walls of the home are framed with 2×6 lumber. Using 2×6 lumber for framing allows extra room for more insulation, which will keep the home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

House wrap:

It is installed right after framing, and it literally “wraps” the entire house to create a thermal barrier …

Home Decorating Ideas

Designer Kitchens and Bathrooms

December 28, 2019January 7, 2020 - by Christian Harris

No matter how you furnish your home styles are constantly changing so it is no surprise when you take a critical at your home and realise that it is looking very dated.

Kitchens and bathrooms seem to take the brunt more that any other rooms in the house, this would not matter so much but both the kitchen and bathroom cost a fortune to renovate.

Designers seem to constantly come up with new ideas on how your kitchen or bathroom should look and when you thought you had a really up to date bathroom or kitchen after spending a fortune a couple of years ago, they are egging you on to change it to keep up with the new styles and designs.

Think back to when the new coloured bathroom suites came out, everyone had to have one. But the bathroom designers were not content with that, every twelve months …

Best Interior Design Ideas

Design-Challenged? Go From Blah to Hurrah on Your Terms

December 19, 2019January 7, 2020 - by Christian Harris

A designer friend of mine lives by the motto, “White is not a colour, it is a canvas waiting to be explored,” if you saw her home you would agree without hesitation. It is a plethora of rich colours and styles integrating and working off one another to create a beautiful living space. Her rooms breathe panache thanks to imported furniture, tasteful accessories and a keen sense of who she is.

Sadly, not everyone can do what she does without turning their home into a visual assault on the eyes. Her look is successful due in part to her refusal to live by seasonal trends or dare I say, by what the “experts” say we should be doing. You know those words and phrases we kind of understand but still need to Google? Flow. Pop. Accent. Inspiration. Focal point. Statement. Room palette. The list is endless and quite frankly at …