February Checklist for a Smooth Running Home

Romancing the home includes fresh air, fresh flowers and fresh supplies - and taking timeless sickness prevention tips to heart.

Stay toasty warm at home while saving energy, enjoy the light of lengthening days streaming through your freshly cleaned windows and take a break to plan next season's garden over a cup of tea. From preventive (dealing with flu-season germs) to the purely fun (give your house a valentine), this checklist is filled with helpful tips to keep your home running smoothly all month long. 

Keep warm at home

You can stay toasty and conserve energy with a few simple actions:

• Close doors to unused rooms
• Move furniture away from heating vents
• Be sure the chimney flue is closed when it's not in use
• Use door snakes and door sweeps to stop drafts

Keep your thermostat set to a reasonable level and set out plenty of warm quilts and throws to snuggle under.

Clean the air

Refresh your home with green plants or even grass planted in wooden or zinc trays. Also be sure to crack a window or two each morning, if only for a few minutes (even when it's cold). Getting fresh air into your home is especially important in winter, when closed environments tend to increase allergens and illness.

Disinfect

Pay special attention to places where germs tend to congregate. Desks, phones, doorknobs, handles and remote controls top the list. And if anyone in your household is sick, be especially vigilant in trying to prevent it from spreading to everyone in the house.

Touch up walls and make windows shine

With lengthening days bringing a bit more light into our homes, now is a great time to polish up the windows and walls. Fill small holes in walls and touch up the areas with paint, use your vacuum attachment to clear dust from high corners, and wipe down baseboards and windows.

Protect bathrooms from moisture, mildew and mold

It can be hard to give bathrooms enough ventilation at this time of year, and unfortunately that can lead to mildew or even harmful molds. Now is a good time to give the bathroom a thorough cleaning, paying special attention to grout, the ceiling and any other areas showing signs of excess moisture or mildew.

Clear out the pantry and upgrade your emergency kit

Midway through winter is a great time to give your pantry a thorough sorting. Toss the forgotten tins of Christmas cookies, consolidate bulk items into airtight containers and wipe down shelves. While you are in there, be sure you have enough emergency supplies on hand - visit the American Red Cross website for a complete list of recommended supplies.

Start a project file

Take advantage of winter downtime to daydream about home and garden plans. Keeping your ideas organized will help you stay on track to complete your projects, so start by storing everything in one place. A paper file or bulletin board is great for tear sheets, but a basket or box is better for storing bulky samples. You can even create your to-do list in an ideabook. Choose what will work best for you.

Treat your house to fresh flowers

Give your house a special valentine by bringing home cut flowers every week this month. In February most markets have great deals on cut blooms, so scoop up an armful of whatever is on sale. Experiment with new ways of arranging your flowers once your bring them home - cut them short, divide them up into bud vases of different heights, plunk them in pitchers or teapots... get creative!

*You are reading an article from an ideabook originally posted on houzz.com

TopShop Newsletter | February 2013

TopShop News | February 2013        Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Mission Trace Showroom is Now Open! We are very excited to announce that our NEW! American Cabinet & Flooring showroom is now open in the Mission Trace North Shopping Center in beautiful Thornton, CO. Our team of Design Specialists are there and ready to get your remodel project started, come visit us today! 3919 E. 120th Avenue Thornton, CO 80233 (120th & Colorado Blvd, behind Old Chicago) Houzz 2013 'Best of Remodeling' Customer Satisfaction Winner Clay Bernard Congratulations to our Design Specialist, Clay Bernard, for being selected by the houzz.com community as a winner of the 2013 "Best of Houzz" award for Customer Satisfaction!  This award is based on a variety of factors including ratings and reviews by Houzz's 11 million monthly users. About Clay Bernard A Colorado native with over 15 years of construction and remodeling experience started his career early on working for his father's company. After completing his studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Clayton moved into project management for Colorado Floorworks. Realizing his passion was in the design aspect of construction, Clayton became a Kitchen & Bath Designer for American Cabinet & Flooring where he has built an extensive portfolio and client base for over six years and looks to help build the brand for the future. Click here to read the full press release on Clay's award. Click here to start following Clay on Houzz.com Click here to start following American Cabinet & Flooring on Houzz.com Attractive. Economical. Simple. Our in-stock Merillat Cabinet Collection features a clean, modern style with a traditional overlay door and a flat center panel design providing a straightforward choice that creates exceptional looks. All at a price point that makes this collection practical and extremely simple. Click here to print or download a complete list of our in-stock cabinetry collection. Elle Decor's | BIG IN 2013 TREND: Lots of Brass With its rich gleam and sculptural weight, this metal is experiencing a resurgence. With so many designers looking to the '70s, it's inevitable that brass and bronze will show up more - from accessories by Carl Aubock to cocktail tables by Gabriella Crespi to virtually entire rooms by Kelly Wearstler, brass is the metal of the moment. TREND: Green Pantone named Emerald the Color of the Year for 2013, but we're seeing all shades of greens and expect more in the future, from bright spring greens to olives, and especially lots of different blue-greens and teal. TREND: Embellished Walls We expect this trend, already strong, to continue at full strength. The options now are limitless, from simple grass cloths to hand-painted papers to coverings embellished with glass beads and crystals.  TREND: Lace Your grandmother's tablecloth is now hip. Already big on the runways, lace is showing up in the home collections of Zara and H&M, so you know it's ready for its close-up. Count on seeing lots more see-through in the months ahead. TREND: Beige A surprise, but it's showing up more often, and in quieter room settings. The danger here is going corporate bland, but very talented designers are using a variety of shades of cream, off-white, and yes; beige in a variety of textures to create serene settings. This could be the start of a backlash against all the vivid colors and layered rooms we've been seeing for the past few years.  Click here to read more TopShop News How are we doing? We value feedback from our customers and strive to always provide the best in quality products and service; it's important to us to know how we are doing. Did we exceed your expectations?  Is there something we could be doing better? Let us know by writing a review on your experience(s) with American Cabinet & Flooring. Click on any of the links below to easily submit a review and see what others are saying about American Cabinet & Flooring! Angie's List Facebook Google Places CitySearch Yahoo Local Yellow Pages DexKnows Houzz Show Your Home Some Love Valentine's Day is right around the corner and what better time to show your home some love with updated cabinetry, countertops, flooring and more from American Cabinet & Flooring! Let's get started on your home remodel project today! Fast. Smart. Simple. Quick credit decisions Simple and fast application process Low minimum monthly payments

BIG in 2013

Elle Decor's Editor in Chief breaks down the trends that will define the year ahead. Plus see more design world predictions with Curbed's Magic 8 Ball.

Photo: Elle Decor

TREND: Lots of Brass

With its rich gleam and sculptural weight, this metal is experiencing a resurgence. With so many designers looking to the '70s, it's inevitable that brass and bronze will show up more - from accessories by Carl Aubock to cocktail tables by Gabriella Crespi to virtually entire rooms by Kelly Wearstler, brass is the metal of the moment.

 

 Photos (left to right): Brass Staircase, Mikkel Vang | Carl Aubock Brass Bookends, Elle Decor | 1970s Brass Mastercraft Cocktail Table & Burl-wood-and-brass Cabinet, Eric Piasecki

TREND: Green

Pantone named Emerald the Color of the Year for 2013, but we're seeing all shades of greens and expect more in the future, from bright spring greens to olives, and especially lots of different blue-greens and teal.

   

Photos (left to right): Stephen Gambrel room, Eric Piasecki | Michael Leva room, Eric Piasecki | Barnaba Fornasetti room, Andrea Ferrari

TREND: Embellished Walls

We expect this trend, already strong, to continue at full strength. The options now are limitless, from simple grass cloths to hand-painted papers to coverings embellished with glass beads and crystals. 

    

Photos (left to right): Painted Walls, Simon Upton | Flat Vernacular Wallpapers, Geoffrey Sokol | Schumacher Wallpapers, Björn Wallander

TREND: Lace

Your grandmother's tablecloth is now hip. Already big on the runways, lace is showing up in the home collections of Zara and H&M, so you know it's ready for its close-up. Count on seeing lots more see-through in the months ahead.

Photos (left to right): Jason Wu/Canvas, Björn Wallander | Chinpracha House, Vincente Wolf

TREND: Beige

A surprise, but it's showing up more often, and in quieter room settings. The danger here is going corporate bland, but very talented designers are using a variety of shades of cream, off-white, and yes; beige in a variety of textures to create serene settings. This could be the start of a backlash against all the vivid colors and layered rooms we've been seeing for the past few years. 

Photos (left to right): Zelenko & Piscuskas home, Miguel Flores-Vianna | Robert Stilin Hamptons House, Anita Sarsidi & William Waldron | Knight & Aponte's home, Miguel Flores-Vianna 

2013 "Best of Houzz" | American Cabinet & Flooring Design Specialist ** Clay Bernard **

Houzz 2013 'Best of Remodeling' Customer Satisfaction Winner

Design Specialist Clay Bernard | 2013 Best of Houzz

We are very pleased and excited to announce that American Cabinet & Flooring Design Specialist, Clay Bernard, has been selected by the houzz.com community as a winner of the 2013 "Best of Houzz" awards for "Customer Satisfaction". This award is based on a variety of factors including ratings and reviews by Houzz's 11 million monthly users.

Houzz is the leading online platform for residential remodeling and design; a homeowner to homeowner guide to the top architects, interior designers, contractors and other residential remodeling professionals in the U.S. and around the world. 

The Best of Remodeling award is given in two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design. Customer Satisfaction award winners, like Clay, are based on homeowner members who rated their experience working with remodelers and designers in categories ranging from landscape contractors to kitchen and bath designers. 

About Clay Bernard

A Colorado native with over 15 years of construction and remodeling experience started his career early on working for his father's company. After completing his studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Clayton moved into project management for Colorado Floorworks. Realizing his passion was in the design aspect of construction, Clayton became a Kitchen & Bath Designer for American Cabinet & Flooring where he has built an extensive portfolio and client base for over six years and looks to help build the brand for the future.

Read the full press release on Clay's Award here.

Click here to start following American Cabinet & Flooring on Houzz   |   Click here to start following Clay Bernard on HouzzSave & Close

Home Resolutions for 2013

The end of the year is a perfect time to look on the past year's accomplishments, and to look forward to new ones in the next twelve months. Resolutions have a way to up our confidence and trust that the next year will be better than the last. They anchor us into goals and hopes and help us navigate the flow of time.

Most people make resolutions about themselves: I will eat better, exercise more, be nicer to people, find a better job, give more to charity, get involved in church groups. There are so many things to do, and yet we tend to forget one of the most important things: our home. Our home is where we spend the most time, where we sleep, where we eat, where we share happy moments or weather difficult times with our loved ones. Isn't it time that you think about your home for your resolutions?

Resolution 1: I will keep clutter away

Clutter can be a sign of an unhappy heart or an unfocused mind. Especially for people who spend a lot of time at home, clutter can become distracting and reflect a lack of care about your space, and ultimately ourselves.

This year, we talked about the emotional baggage associated with clutter and how to move on without it. What are the things you're holding on to? How do these things manifest themselves in your home? What should you be letting go of?

Keeping clutter away means keeping an open home and an open heart.

Resolution 2: I will make my home greener

Strand-woven bamboo flooring with an "ebony" stain. Sophisticated, and green too. You don't have to give up one to serve the other in the 21st Century.

There's no denying it: the Earth needs help. It has been the warmest period for hundreds of years. Even though it sometimes feels like an insurmountable mountain, every small gesture to reduce your use of electricity, your waste production of your carbon footprint helps. 

From low-consumption light bulbs to eco flooring like bamboo or woven grass, there's always a way to make your home a little greener and a little gentler on the environment. Here are some more ideas:

• Start a composting bin in your backyard
• Install low-flow toilets and shower heads
• Reduce your winter heating needs with new windows or e-film
• Reduce your summer air conditioning needs with better ventilation
• Install automatic light switches and temperature control
• Start growing your own vegetables and herbs in a garden patch

How could your house be greener? Involve the whole family in choosing specific actions to do every day to help the environment.

Resolution 3: I will make something with my hands

When's the last time you made an object with your own hands? Are the clothes you wear, the chairs you sit on and the bowls you eat in all bought from stores? Have you ever felt the satisfaction of making a useful object yourself? It may be time for a DIY resolution.

Naturally crafty people tend to like having their own craft room. Magical things happen there: clothes are sewed, scarves and mittens are knitted, jewels are designed and scrapbooks are put together. It happens with patience, practice and dedication, and the reward is always worth it. Crafters are naturally generous, giving away their objects to friends and loved ones; they are creative, always inventing new patterns and transforming materials into beautiful objects.

Making and DIY is a sort of retro-volution, going back to when things were made, proudly and lovingly, instead of bought, quickly and anonymously. DIY increases your sense of belonging in a space and your independence from a capricious market. There are whole communities devoted to DIY where people happily share their knowledge, experience and tips and tricks among themselves, build community and help each other. There are even more Makerspaces scattered across North America, where people without the proper tools or space can go and work on DIY projects. 

Maybe the first step towards making something with your hands is to look up your local Makerspace?

Resolution 4: I will spend more time outside

It seems counter-intuitive to suggest spending more time outside when speaking about home resolutions, but spending more time out of doors is linked to mental and physical health. Going outdoors means being more active, having more contacts with nature and being more social.

If time is scarce, you can always get more time outside by getting an outdoor office or an outdoor breakfast nook. The point of the exercise is to breathe fresh air, move around more and get more sunlight, even in winter. 

Making your home more comfortable doesn't mean spending all your time in it... have you ever heard of cabin fever? Contact with nature is an essential part of human life, and spending time outside is just as important as having an inviting, relaxing bedroom.

What are your home resolutions for 2013?