English cottages radiate with beautiful floral prints, simple furnitures, and relaxed design. The décor can be casual or formal, but the focus is rather emphasized on function rather than flair. The furnitures are traditional and the rooms are full of colors. English cottage decorations exude warmth, comfort, and family.
Furniture
Furniture styles are traditional, and the predominant material is wood. The wood can be light or dark, painted, stenciled, or even distressed. Furnitures such as tables, dressers, and bookshelves are usually oak, mahogany or pine. Throw pillows often can soften the look of wooden chairs or window seats.
Making a big statement. Even the humblest items can sprout boldness in English cottage designs. An antique item or peeling paint can become an object of intrigue.
Antique treasures salvaged. Cottage rooms provide a space for old things to find new life! Repurposed antiques are very popular.
Keep it basic. The most striking schemes can also be the simplest. With colors stripped out, you can turn your focus on each loving piece. All of it is prim and elegant, like the best English cottage interiors.
Colors
Colors are important in English cottage decorating. Hues are pulled from natures, much like the pinks and yellows of an English Garden. The colors can be vibrant or natural, and the styles features many different patterns such as floral. For a room to appear cozy, you can use 3 to 4 colors of the color palette.
Calming colors. Muted hues are common in an English cottage styled home, as they emphasize a look of elegance and coziness, while also allowing bold pieces to shine. Furnitures and kitchen cabinets are the best places to have muted tones.
Wallpaper and fabrics. Toile is the most recognizable pattern for wallpaper and fabric and is characterized through its two-tone color ways and large repeat.
Opposites attract. English cottages have a nice balance between informality and elegance. A marble surface crowns on a rustic, shabby island can work really well in a cottage kitchen, thanks to the soothing colors.
How Long Does It Take to Build a Modular Home?
One way our manufacturers build efficiently, is because most of their materials are cut and measured for the building process. Appliances, cabinetry, and many more are constructed by trained craftsmen and are ready to be properly installed within your home.
Why Does Construction Time Vary?
As you may have already seen, we offer a wide variety of homes here at Showcase Homes, from a wide variety of manufacturers. When a home has more rooms, sections, or customization options, it usually takes more time to build. The simpler and smaller home designs are faster to build, because they have less variance in the building process.
The trained team members working on the home will check that it your future home meets all expectations and building requirements before moving to the next step in the building process.
How Long Until You Can Receive Your New Home?
One of the most common question we get is, “How long will it take till I receive my new modular home?” Well, this actually varies on the amount of home orders and customizations our manufacturers receive. Each manufacturer has a different backlog, which refers to the build up of home orders, and the amount of homes in the backlog also varies seasonally! However, if you buy a modular home that’s already built and move-in ready on our Showcase Homes lot, then it takes a lot less time to get your home.
The Advantages of Building Your New Home Within the Facility of Our Manufacturers.
How to Spice Up Your Outdoor Living Space
In the summer, more people are drawn to spending more time outside in their backyard! However, how can you enjoy the outdoors without having the space as comfortable as you’d like? Find out how you can spice up your backyard here:
Hang unique sconces. Add some unique accents overhead and extend your outdoor space hours by hanging sconces above your backyard dining table! Using sconces of different shapes hung at varying levels can provide a fun focal point for your outdoor living!
Covering up the ground. Adding grass or mulch to your ground covering for the backyard can be cozy, but it’d be cozier if you covered that with a nice rug. Adding outdoor rugs or even a deck can give your backyard a more inviting, comfortable backyard space.
Multi-leveled backyard. A leveled outdoor space provides the options for creating separate areas to relax, entertain, dine, or cook. Metal steps that connect to each level can give the space a naturally elegant vibe.
Pop of color in chairs. Your outdoor chairs can provide a small but bold change in your backyard. Having a wide assortment of different chairs in different colors can add flare and spice to your outdoor living space.
Fireplace as a focal point. A large fireplace offers a beautiful focal point. With a variety of seating options, dining table, chairs, and stools can make this the perfect spot to entertain by cozying up next to the fireplace.
Window Ideas for your New Modular or Manufactured Home
Whether you’re building your home from scratch, choosing a pre-made floorplan, or moving into a move-in ready home, windows will be an important aspect in your design. For windows, home builders across the country use materials such as vinyl, wood, and fiberglass. Windows provide more than just the basic functions, such as providing a view and letting the light in.
What are your needs?
There are many different types of windows. The windows you choose for your manufactured or modular home can help define the style of your house; whether it’s traditional, modern, or other. You can customize any window to suit your tastes and needs here at Showcase Homes.
Types of Windows
Double-Hung Windows. This window has two sashes that slide up and down, vertically, within a frame. A sash is a frame that holds the glass. These types of windows have been here since the Medieval times and are the most common types of window in America.
Single-Hung Windows. With a single-hung window, only the bottom part of the window operates while the top part remains still. Due to the fact that only one part of the window operates, single hung windows cost less to buy usually.
Casement Windows. These windows are hinged and operate by turning a crank in an operating mechanism. These types of windows are most common in newer homes. Casement windows are easier to operate because of their slide rail mechanism, which carries the weight of the window.
Awning Windows. Awning windows are hinged at the top, and open outward to let in air from the left, right, or the bottom of the window. These can also be installed alongside a stationary or an operating window.
Picture Windows. Picture windows are fixed and do not allow airflow to pass through, because they do not open. They are usually installed high on walls or hallways and lets in the maximum amount of light and views from the outdoors.
Bay Windows. Bay windows create angels and projections on the exterior of your home, by allowing light to enter through different angles. They can be opened to create airflow with their lateral panels.
Transom Windows. Transom windows are narrow windows that operates to let in air, but it can also be stationary and mounted right above a door or a window.
How to Reduce Humidity in Your Home
Certain features in your home and appliances can help the process of excess humidity. A home needs some moisture in the air for comfort and health, but if it’s too high, it can be trouble. Your hands get clammy and the smell of mildew is in the air. How should you reduce indoor humidity quickly?
How to tell if your home is too humid
It might be blatantly obvious that your home has too much moisture. It may feel like you’re entering a sauna when you walk into your home. Less obvious signs could be water stains on walls and ceilings, mold inside the bathrooms, or condensation on windows. High levels of humidity can potentially have negative effects on your health, sleep, and home.
How to reduce indoor humidity.
Dehumidifier. The best way to reducing humidity indoors is a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier can help lower the moisture in the living space by drawing water out of the air. You can usually find portable dehumidifiers in any department or hardware store. For permanent residence, an HVAC specialist can be contacted about installing your appliance. If you do not own a dehumidifier, there are a few hacks you can use to dehumidify your home without one! These methods are fairly easy and uses equipment you would already have at home.
Ventilate your room. Keeping your home ventilated, especially in areas that create more moisture (such as a bathroom or kitchen). Open the windows and doors as much as possible and keep vents or fans on to ensure ventilation.
Cat litter. Spreading cat litter on to a shallow baking pan, and then placing it in a secluded area of a room can lower the humidity. The cat litter will draw moisture from the room.
Air conditioning. Turning on the air condition not only cools a room, but It can help reduce humidity especially during humid weather. Cleaning your AC filters units regularly can help ensure dehumidifying. If AC filters are clogged, they can slow down air flow and won’t be as efficient in reducing humidity.
Fun Activities for the Fourth of July
Whether you’re attending a neighborhood block party or having a small gathering at your abode with your close friends and family, these ideas are guaranteed to make you holiday fun!
Go for a bike ride. Have an active day on your day off and grab some friends or family for a group bike ride before the party begins!
Have a pool competition. Set up a game between family and friends with swim races and games, such as a cannonball contest or Marco Polo!
Celebrate on the beach. If you live near enough to a beach, pack up and plan a fun day out in the sun! More than likely, there will be fireworks if you stay until the evening.
Making homemade ice-cream. Have your family meet you in the back porch for some scrumptious homemade ice cream!
Find a firework show. Watch the sky light up with your family and friends by attending a local firework show!
Reducing your Environmental Footprint for this Summer!
In the summer, people usually assume they use less energy and have less of an environmental impact; and although this could be true, many activities in the summer can also have negative effects on the environment. In other words, turning the thermostat down and keeping your house cooler may bring you joy, but it doesn’t help the environment nor your wallet.
How should you change this? Well, there are a few ways to reduce carbon footprint!
Ride a bike or walk. The weather is gorgeous during the summer, and it can give you the opportunity to walk any place that you’d like! Walking everywhere can be unlikely, but if you’re headed just down the street or visiting a family that’s few blocks over, traveling by walking or riding your bike will be a more affordable and green way.
Closing your shades. One of the easiest and most affordable ways to keep the temperature down in your home over the summer. By closing your curtains, shades, or blinds, you can block out large amounts of light and heat from your home! Keeping the heat out of your house can help you save money on air conditions, as well as take less energy to cool down the home.
Using less hot water. It’s the summer and it’s extremely hot, so why use hot water? It takes a lot of energy to heat up your water, so reducing the amount of heated water can lessen the energy bill and help the environment!
Downsizing Done Right! Tips on How to Maximize Smaller Spaces
Downsizing is something we hear frequently, but what is it exactly? Downsizing is essentially moving into a smaller home! There are a few upsides: saving money, time, and having less clutter in your life!
So how do you know when you need to downsize? Over the years, many people have downsized not because they want to, but because the housing market crashed. The others opt to live in a smaller space because it’s close to work, or more near amenities. Here’s how to make the transition as smooth as possible:
Taking inventory. The first thing to do before doing ANYTHING is to take a close inventory of your belongings. Then ask yourself, if everything you had lost in a fire, what would you replace? Take stock of things that you hold dear or have a function and the things you could live without. As an idea, you can make three different lists: things you must have, things you can live without, and things you can replace. Your must-haves can come with you, the items you can live without could be sold, donated, or gotten rid of entirely. Your replaceable items can be reserved for things you could potentially sell to buy something smaller.
Determine your lifestyle needs. Think about what lifestyle you want to embrace when you move forward into downsizing. Do you have room for large, bulky furniture? How much smaller is your new home compared to the one you’re living in? Do you feel you should keep something because you spent a large portion of your money for it? It helps to ask yourself some questions.
Give yourself plenty of storage options. Once you transition into your new home, make sure to make use of all the available storage space. Under the bed storage boxes, shelving mounted on walls, and ottomans that carry storage inside; they’re all your best options if you’re moving to a smaller space. However, one rule when finding storage in a small space is to store up, not out. You can make use of your walls for storage and shelving, it will help keep things stay off the floor.
Quality and multipurpose. You should always go for quality over quantity. Choose generous pieces of furniture that makes of statement, instead of trying to squeeze too many pieces in one room. If you’re buying new furnitures when you downsize, choose furniture pieces with multiple functions. Also, looking for durable fabrics, since smaller homes often need flexible spaces, may benefit you!
Top Popular Custom Home Customizations
Building your home is an exciting and special process to embark on; especially with so much potential for creativity and freedom of choice. Home buyers LOVE personalized items. Why? Personalization makes people feel unique. There a thousand and thousands of home designs available in books, websites, or catalogs. Some of them might come close to your vision! Once you are able to narrow down to a handful of home plan concepts, it’s time to look into the customizable options of homes.
Proper House Design.
House design golden rule is that form follows function It’s quite basic, but many people approach home design follows this process the other way around. For tips on customizing homes or designing a floor plan, check our articles: “How to Build Your Custom Home with So Many Options” or “Create your Dream Home Today“.
Top Popular Home Customizations
Gardens for Small Spaces
A small garden space doesn’t mean you can’t have the dream garden you’d want. Here are some small garden ideas to help maximize your space.
Mailbox Garden. Add a huge impact to a small garden by offering tough plants that stand up to the harsh growing conditions surrounding a mailbox. This type of garden tends to stay low and will not block your views while backing out of your driveway!
Herbal Garden. Herbs are relatively self-sufficient, and easy to grow. Watering only once a week should do the trick. Make sure you remember to water gently at the base of the plants to prevent runoffs and allow moisture to reach the roots.
Woodland Garden. Find a little 6×6 corner of your yard and color it in with a cheery, small garden. It could feature ferns that would look beautiful from spring to autumn.
Salad Garden. Here, your vegetables can share a four-foot square plot. If your best planting spot gets only four hours of direct sunlight, try to plant more leafy greens such as spinach or lettuce.
Luscious Flower Garden. Add some spice to your summer with the bold reds, oranges, blue, and yellow tones! Featuring plants such as morning glories, yarrow, daylilies, can count on the border to look good no matter how hot it gets during the summer!
Romantic Garden. Beautifully scented roses or daisies can make your small garden look more loving and caring. The varieties of flowers such as roses, daisies, and daylilies can hold up to drought and other tough weather conditions.
Decorating Tips for an Inviting, Cozy English Cottage Styled Homes
English cottages radiate with beautiful floral prints, simple furnitures, and relaxed design. The décor can be casual or formal, but the focus is rather emphasized on function rather than flair. The furnitures are traditional and the rooms are full of colors. English cottage decorations exude warmth, comfort, and family.
Furniture
Furniture styles are traditional, and the predominant material is wood. The wood can be light or dark, painted, stenciled, or even distressed. Furnitures such as tables, dressers, and bookshelves are usually oak, mahogany or pine. Throw pillows often can soften the look of wooden chairs or window seats.
Making a big statement. Even the humblest items can sprout boldness in English cottage designs. An antique item or peeling paint can become an object of intrigue.
Antique treasures salvaged. Cottage rooms provide a space for old things to find new life! Repurposed antiques are very popular.
Keep it basic. The most striking schemes can also be the simplest. With colors stripped out, you can turn your focus on each loving piece. All of it is prim and elegant, like the best English cottage interiors.
Colors
Colors are important in English cottage decorating. Hues are pulled from natures, much like the pinks and yellows of an English Garden. The colors can be vibrant or natural, and the styles features many different patterns such as floral. For a room to appear cozy, you can use 3 to 4 colors of the color palette.
Calming colors. Muted hues are common in an English cottage styled home, as they emphasize a look of elegance and coziness, while also allowing bold pieces to shine. Furnitures and kitchen cabinets are the best places to have muted tones.
Wallpaper and fabrics. Toile is the most recognizable pattern for wallpaper and fabric and is characterized through its two-tone color ways and large repeat.
Opposites attract. English cottages have a nice balance between informality and elegance. A marble surface crowns on a rustic, shabby island can work really well in a cottage kitchen, thanks to the soothing colors.