house remodeling ideas Archives

Ree Drummond’s Home Renovation Project Has The Tile Floors Of Our Dreams

July 17, 2023 Kartika

When Ree Drummond isn’t in the kitchen or overseeing her Merc store downtown, she can be found out on the property walking the dogs or pitching in to help with the work on the ranch. It’s no wonder that she’s decided to create a beautiful oasis at home, where she manages her different business ventures as well as creates new recipes to be included in her successful cookbooks and TV show.

As for her ongoing home renovation project, Drummond’s caption on the image of the new tiled flooring (seen above in a sample from Casa Castillo) read, “The dogs will get mud all over this but you only live once,” accompanied by a crying , laughing emojis. In fact, you can see one of Drummond’s dogs from a recent Reel, relaxing on another intricately patterned tile floor — this one outside the home.

Drummond’s bustling home life is centered on

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Revealing Tehran’s Corruption: Khamenei’s House Renovation at the Expense of Iranians

July 12, 2023 Kartika

House Renovation

While Iranians can hardly make ends meet, a leaked letter shows how the ruling theocracy uses the national wealth to renovate and expand the house of its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in Mashhad.

The documents, obtained by the dissident group “Ghiyam ta Sarnegouni” during its infiltration of the regime’s presidential servers and sites, also indicate how vast amounts of money are squandered on the regime’s malign activities under the banner of supporting “knowledge-based companies.”

While the regime propagates a facade of modesty and austereness, the reality tells a different story. Document N. 1 provides damning evidence of the Islamic Revolution Cultural Research Institute shamelessly demanding exorbitant funds for the lavish renovation of Khamenei’s opulent residence in Mashhad. This blatant display of excess and indulgence is an affront to the Iranian people, who suffer under the regime’s repressive rule and dire economic conditions.

Adding insult to injury, Document N. 2 reveals

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Ireland Is Giving People $92,000 To Renovate a Home

July 5, 2023 Kartika

House Renovation

Ever wanted to pack your bags, move to a remote island, and dive head-first into a home renovation project? Ireland’s making your dream a reality—well, sort of.

The Irish government recently revealed its Our Living Lands pledge, a 10-year national policy to revitalize the islands off their western coast. Per the initiative, Ireland will give individuals €84,000 (approximately $92,000) to refurbish vacant or run-down homes on 30 of the country’s islands. The goal, according to the Irish government is to strengthen the islands’ communities and increase their population.

For many, this seems like a great opportunity to spend time in Ireland—which, don’t get us wrong, it is. However, in this corner of the internet, we’re seeing it as an opportunity to live out our dreams as professional home renovators. (Do you hear that HGTV? We’re ready for our closeup!)

More From House Beautiful

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What did people wear in the 1700’s?

June 28, 2023 Kartika

House Renovation

Otherwise titles Colonial Clothing 101.

What DID people wear in the 1700’s? Do we even know? The answer is YES! We actually know quite a lot about what our forefolk (forefathers and foremothers) were wearing.

Colonial clothing is interesting. It is fashionable and functional. What’s interesting is that different social status is displayed not in different fashion choices but the quality of the fabric. It gets even more interesting because you might think silk would be an indication of wealth but a fine printed cotton might be worth more.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Colonial clothing is fascinating but let’s do a brief overview and then get to the video!

What did Colonial Men wear

Short answer for men’s colonial clothing? Breeches, a shirt, a waistcoat, and a coat. Top with a cravat and a tricorne hat, add stockings and shoes and voila!

Now the quality of

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How to Increase the Value of Your Home

June 21, 2023 Kartika

House Renovation

Home improvement is practically an American pastime, with millions of homeowners completing projects each year. while renovations will generally improve your quality of life, many don’t actually provide a financial return.

“In most cases, only home projects that add additional functionality or livable square footage add to the home’s value,” says David Steckel, home expert at home services marketplace Thumbtack.

The exceptions are kitchen and bathroom upgrades, as well as extensive enhancements to the exterior such as a new roof, windows or landscaping because these projects can elevate the home’s feel.

To identify projects that can increase your property value when you sell—or at least save you money while you live there—we spoke to home improvement experts and shifted through return-on-investment data. Below, a look at five popular home improvements and tips to make sure they pay off.

Do solar panels increase home value?

Interest in solar has been growing

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Home Renovating While Black: The Very Real Costs That Nobody Tells You About

June 20, 2023 Kartika

House Renovation

About six weeks after she moved into her Dutch Colonial in Beekman, New York, Alyse Archer-Coité’s excitement shifted to hesitation. Her anxiety peaked when she started reaching out to contractors to start home renovating discussions. “I felt like they would come to the house with an expectation, and then I would open the door,” she recalls. Archer-Coité didn’t want word to get out that the ivy-covered brick home on the hill of a predominantly white and middle class neighborhood was owned and occupied by a single Black woman—she would often wait for cars to pass before getting the mail. “I had a fear that I was going to end up with a burning cross in my yard.”

Fifty-five years after passing the 1968 Fair Housing Act—a law preventing discriminatory practices around renting, buying, selling, or financing a home in the face of redlining—racism continues to pervade the house buying experience.

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The order in which you should renovate a home, according to experts

June 18, 2023 Kartika

House Renovation

order of home renovation — The order in which you should renovate a homeHillarys

New advice is being provided by experts on the best order to renovate a property after it was revealed that more than half of homeowners have made mistakes, and 36 per cent regret their renovations.

Radiator specialists, BestHeating, polled homeowners on renovation habits, revealing that nine in 10 have taken on a renovation project since 2020. According to the research, more than a third of homeowners will spend up to £10,000 tackling renovations, so it is a costly project to get wrong.

“When renovating a home, it can be confusing to know what to focus on and what will add value,” says John Lawless of BestHeating. ‘Write down the order of plans and priorities as this will provide a list to stick to, and budgets can be set for each change. If the transformation involves structural or electrical wiring work,

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30 Times People Should Really Not Have Done Any Home Renovation Work Themselves

June 16, 2023 Kartika

House Renovation

They say, practice makes perfect, and professionals know it to be true after spending years trying to master their craft. That’s why there’s usually a clear distinction between an end result provided by a professional—or at least with the help from one—and an amateur, be it making desserts or building houses.

When it comes to the latter, it’s worth remembering that architecture-related decisions require knowledge in different areas, from engineering to design, and beyond. That’s why hiring a professional is usually the sensible thing to do, as they typically have years of experience, not to mention the value of education they go through.

Be that as it may, not all people opt for professional help when building something, which often results in disasters, such as the ones shared on the ‘You Should Have Hired an Architect’ Facebook group. It is home to the best worst architectural ‘gems’, some of which

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How much does it cost to renovate a house? Save, Pay, Profit

June 14, 2023 Kartika

House Renovation

The past few years have changed the way Americans dealt with their homes and real estate, in general. Shelter-in-place orders spiked a renewed interest in home renovations to accommodate a new family dynamic of remote work and homeschooling.

Then, a sudden spike in home prices and interest rates caused many would-be homebuyers to reexamine their plans to purchase a home. For many, the best option became home renovation instead.

As this trend continues, it’s very possible that you might be in the same boat—planning to renovate your home. This will naturally bring you to the next phase in your research, which determines the cost to do so.

If you’d like to get a sense of what it costs to renovate a home in 2023, we’ll break down the average costs for different projects and return on investment (ROI) to help you determine if a home improvement project makes sense to

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Home Improvement Project? 5 Questions to Ask Before You DIY

June 11, 2023 Kartika

House Renovation

It’s easy to find online tutorials to help you turn certain home improvements into DIY projects, and you can potentially save money by doing so.

But it’s also important to consider factors other than costs and convenience when deciding whether to complete a DIY home upgrade.

Before picking up a sledgehammer, ask yourself the following questions.

1. Is it really a simple project?

If the project is relatively small and simple — think installing a faucet or repainting your guest bedroom — attempting to DIY is probably fine. In fact, it might be a great confidence builder, especially if you’re a first-time home buyer.

But not all projects are as straightforward as they seem.

Anything that involves plumbing, electrical wiring or significant demolition comes with safety risks — for you and your home. That’s not to say you can’t handle big projects, but ask yourself if it’s something you’re truly

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