Flexibility Reimagined

Flexibility Reimagined

Bosch DishwasherA dishwasher for everything: Bosch has introduced a new Benchmark line that raises the bar on flexibility. With its innovative RackMatic® and MyWay® rack options that easily adjust for even the largest pots, they offer the industry’s largest loading capacity while also making it flexible to suit each individual load’s needs. A tiered third rack is able to accommodate everything from large cereal bowls to your favorite whisk. The foldable silverware tray tucks away nicely in the top rack leaving the bottom racks available for larger items.

Bosch, a company well known for its quiet appliances, boasts the Benchmark Dishwasher as the quietest dishwasher brand, even with all three racks fully loaded. It is so quiet you’ll never know when it has completed a cycle, so they integrated InfoLight®, which emits a small red LED spot on the floor when finished. Quiet, flexible, and powerful.

Read more articles in our latest edition of Her Home™ Magazine.

Learn more about Bosch Home Appliances.
(Product spotlights are for informational purposes.)

The Ante Room Entry Design Solution

The Ante Room Entry Design Solution

Ante Room Entry DesignProblem: If you operate a home-based business, you’re essentially opening up your home to colleagues and clients. Wouldn’t it be great to have an area where they can wait comfortably until their appointment?

Solution: The Ante Room is a modest entry vestibule that provides a waiting area for business visitors; and, bathroom access is a plus.

Consider how we live: For privacy, convenience, and a host of other reasons, home-based business owners often want to limit their guests’ access to the home office area. The Ante Room (or vestibule) in Design Basics’ Mackenzie Court (plan 43067) provides such a reception area. It includes a bench seat, coat closet, and convenient bathroom access.

Since the need for an ante room entry is not for everyone, this is a unique design; therefore, if you find a plan in our library that you like, but need the ante room design, talk to us about our plan alterations service to see how we can reconfigure the home’s entry.

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A Place for Pets

A Place for Pets

A Pet Center – here’s the backstory on this design amenity:

Dogs play, get dirty, and aren’t inclined to wipe their feet before heading into the house. “There’s not a shower on the main floor, so I have to carry the dirty dog all the way upstairs to give her a bath.” A guy quipped, “My wife says we really need a dog shower near the garage entry for when our dog rolls around in dead fish, but I think she wants it for me when I come home from hunting or trapping.”

The bottom line, pets are members of our households, too. Planning your new home to better address the realities of pet ownership – from kennels to feeding, washing, and specialized storage – makes the home more livable and enjoyable for everyone!

Costello Pet Center floor planIn the Costello (plan 42139), the pet center is located just inside the rear foyer entry from the garage, providing easy access and not in the direct line of traffic into the house. The rendering above is one configuration; depending on your size and type of pet, you may want a larger or elevated shower, kennel or pet bed area, feeding station, etc. The choice is yours!

Search our plans for Pet Center designs. Or, talk with a plan specialist to make Plan Alterations to a different plan.

See other posts with more Pet Center ideas and information:

Bathroom Storage Solution

Bathroom Storage Solution

Problem: Ladies have told us they would like to have a seat in the owner’s bathroom…that we need more hanging for towels…and that the clothes hamper/laundry basket is always in the way.

Solution: Design Basics’ new Stor-N-More™ presents a cushioned seat with flip-top bench, hidden storage for your laundry basket under the seat, extra towel hanging, and linen storage all in the cavity previously shown simply as a linen closet!

Consider how we live: We undress in the bathroom for showering. Where do the dirty clothes go? Where do you hang a towel rack and robe hooks? The size and placement of the Stor-N-More in Design Basics’ Jensen Falls Plan (#29385) could easily have been just a regular linen closet. This new design amenity belongs in your next model (or Parade) home!

Search plans for the Stor-N-More amenity already built in by choosing the “Stor-N-More” filter under “Other Amenities and Features,” or let us help you find your perfect plan and incorporate it!

For more resources on thoughtful design:

How to Pick the Perfect Paint

How to Pick the Perfect Paint

Eggshell, satin, semi-gloss? What goes where?

Here’s a handy guide for what paint types work best in different areas of the home:

  • Flat: Best for ceilings and low traffic areas; a matte finish is best at concealing imperfections.
  • Eggshell: Best for rooms with moderate traffic; works well for hallways or formal living rooms. Eggshell has a slight sheen and gloss.
  • Satin: Best for moderate to high traffic areas; can usually be wiped clean easily, so it works well for children’s rooms, kitchens, or bathrooms.
  • Semi-Gloss: Has a slightly glossy appearance. Like satin, this is easy to clean so it works well for kitchens and bathrooms
  • High-Gloss: High shine – works well in areas with lots of light and is typically used to highlight interesting architectural elements; also good for painted trim (baseboards, moldings, etc.). Highest durability but lowest ability to conceal an imperfection.

Color Sampling

Photo courtesy of Samplize

Many companies provide swatches or paint samples for you to try out at home. Swatches tend to be too small to really get a real feel for what the color will look like in your space. And, paint samples are not always an exact match with the final product. Plus, taking the time to paint and waiting for it to dry to see the final color is time-consuming. Then, what to do with all the paint samples?

Samplize — A new, innovative peel and stick paint product keeps the process simple and efficient. According to the website, “The samples have the same effect as paint on a wall surface. They provide the kind of accuracy and texture that was only before achieved through purchasing sample paint and doing all the work in-house. Best of all, the samples eliminate environmental waste created by surplus sample paint, which is rarely disposed of in the correct way.” The samples come in 12″ x 12″ repositionable flexible decals, so you can use them on flat surfaces or wrap around corners.

(Product spotlights are for informational purposes.)