Home Show Fills Albany Capital Venue

Home Expo returns chock-full of inspiration — and not only to prospective buyers strolling the 2 floors with starry lights above, but milling with hundreds of people from the local Albany area and farther away.

If you are a homeowner who likes to stay up-to-date with the latest creative trends, or you have a remodel project in mind, our Home Expo has events you do not want to miss.

When your looking to renovate or remodel your home,  the decisions can be daunting. Let our home and design experts help you. Come out and meet and see live designs and products at our 39th Annual Home Expo.

We look forward to seeing you!

 

Sweetly,

Michele Conti

Posted by TU-Michele Home Design

Home Expo 2019 Is Right Around the Corner

Looking to spruce up your home or complete some last-minute lingering projects? Attend the upcoming Home Expo and meet area experts in home design and renovation, discover the latest developments in green home products and snag cutting-edge creative ideas. The shows showcase hundreds of products and services for your home and garden and include entertaining workshops and much more.

To take advantage of all that downtown Albany, NY has to offer, the 2019 Times Union Home Expo will be hosted exclusively at the new Albany Capital Center Friday, February 8th through Sunday, February 10th.

When your looking to  renovate or remodel your home,  the decisions can be daunting. Let our home and design experts help you. Come out and meet and see live designs and product at the Times Union Home Expo. If you are looking for inspiration, we invite you to talk with our specialists. These professionals will teach you design tips and introduce you to quality products and manufacturers. If you are planning to redesign, remodel, or reinvent any of these household areas, our home show is the place to be:

  • Home exteriors
  • Kitchens
  • Landscapes
  • Windows
  • Pools
  • Bathrooms

These professionals will teach you design tips and introduce you to quality products and manufacturers. If you have any questions, I’ll be on site to help! Visit me Designs By Michele at booth 323. See you there!

Posted by TU-Michele Furniture and Design Home Design

Bathroom Bliss

 

Remodeling a small bathroom can be а challenge because of space limitations. To make the most out of your remodel you’ve got to make every inch count. Here are some tips to maximize your space when remodeling a small bathroom.

Use the Right Colors

Using light colors throughout the space helps reflect light and brightens your room to make it appear larger. We’ve found that lighter and softer neutrals do the job well to make a small bathroom look larger.

Install a Pocket Door or Barn Door

Pocket doors slide along their own length and disappear into an adjacent wall or compartment when opened (unlike а traditional hinged door). Barn Doors operate by sliding on an iron track, over an outside wall, and they continue to trend in 2019. They are a beautiful, easy-to-install design piece and save space. You will be surprised at the amount of floor space that becomes available.

Install а Clear Glass Shower Enclosure

It may not be obvious, but many people don’t realize how glass shower doors will stretch visual space. Think about it: your eye can travel through clear glass, but other surfaces will obstruct your line of vision, making the bathroom feel even smaller.

Select а Vanity with Open Shelving

Cabinets with drawers can make а room feel cramped. To keep items organized, consider baskets or bins placed on shelves.  The use of glass shelving is great for small display items. Consider furniture style vanities with small drawers or floating vanities which create an illusion of more space.

Minor changes like these can make a huge difference in a space so small. Whether you’re prepping your home for a sale, these remodel ideas are the perfect remedy for any small bathroom.

Stay tuned for more Adventures in Styleland!

 

Sweetly,

Michele Conti

Posted by TU-Michele Furniture and Design Home Design landscape design

The Value of the BBB

For more than 75 years, Better Business Bureaus have kept tabs on the trustworthiness of businesses and charities. Consumers consult BBB reliability reports, now completely online, a whopping 54 million times a year. And nearly a million American and Canadian consumers file complaints through their local BBB annually to get help when things didn’t go quite right in a goods or services transactions.

For example, suppose you go down to the local hom­e and garden store to buy a new lawnmower and the salesman talks you into a four wheel drive riding mower with a money-back guarantee.

When the blade falls off a month later, you take the faulty mower back and ask for a refund. The salesman says you must have heard him wrong. The store doesn’t offer money-back guarantees. “Maybe you should get a new hearing aid,” he jokes. Should you call the Better Business Bureau (BBB) YES! When asked whom they would contact if they had a problem with a major purchase, 40 percent of Americans said the Better Business Bureau.

Another service the BBB offers is research; Before you hire a company for that big project, don’t forget to do your research at BBB.org!

For over 100 years, people have turned to Better Business Bureau for unbiased information about businesses. Businesses use their BBB Accreditation as a way to show customers that they are trustworthy businesses.

For over 100 years, Better Business Bureau has helped people find businesses and charities they can trust. There are thousands of free and subscription websites that offer a range of information, but BBB is the one place you can find it all. We offer consumers Business Reviews, Customer Reviews, Request a Quote service, and dispute resolution, to name a few. Visit us at bbb.org for more information!

Stop in at The Time Union Home Expo and visit their booth, we’ll see you there!

 

Sweetly,
Michele Conti

Posted by TU-Michele Uncategorized

Post and Beam Homes Exposed…

There’s just something to be said about the strong rustic styling that a post and beam home possess. Whether it’s because of their “old world” charm or stupendous architecture, the allure of a post and beam home cannot be escaped. Often, people dream of having a retreat home in the mountains or some other wilderness setting. With Habitat Post and Beam, you don’t have to dream about it any longer, instead, you can live it. Their timber homes are designed to be affordable so that anyone can enjoy the rustic beauty of their great architectural designs. What makes a post and beam home so affordable is the way in which they are built.

Our specialty here at Habitat is post & beam construction. The reason why they choose this method over timber framing is largely because of the affordability and turnaround time. Post & beam uses simpler connections or steel plates to connect the components. These connectors can either be exposed or hidden depending on your preference.

If exposed, they offer a great visual aspect to your post and beam home that cannot be found in timber framing. The use of prefabricated materials helps cut down on labor costs and expedites the erection of your new home. These are stark advantages over the more traditional timber frame construction. Essentially, you can have the beauty of a timber frame home in less time and for less cost. In fact, a well-built post and beam home is nearly indistinguishable from a timber framed home.

 

For more information about Post and Beam homes or about the advantages of post & beam construction, Visit Habitat Post and Beam at Booth #266. We look forward to seeing you at the 38th Annual Times Union Home Expo!

 

As Always stay tuned for more Adventures in Styleland…

 

XOXO

Michele Conti

Designs By Michele

 

Posted by TU-Michele Furniture and Design Home Design

The Case Of A Room With A View – 3M Window Film

In the heart of upstate NY is a beautiful home with breathtaking views, an absolutely stunning place! Built in the early 2000’s this home has million dollar views… but unfortunately the same windows that made this spectacular view brought along serious energy costs. The massive heat gain in the summer made it hard to keep cool. Just as concerning was the heat loss in the winter.

 

American Sun Control has several options to combat these problems the sunlight was causing. The home owners were considering shades, but the cost of maintenance, needing motorized units for the high windows plus repairs coupled with trying to clean the shades ended that thought.

Rob Bouchey explains that with the 3M Sun Control Window Film, the windows would reject heat, block glare and protect the beautiful view that was designed for this house and was the reason homeowners purchased this home.

With 2018 getting underway why not resolve to have a more energy efficient home this year? While your homes windows open your space to natural lighting, warmth and views of the outdoors there are also downsides. Unfortunately, these same windows open you up to high energy costs, heat buildup, excess glare and premature fading of interior furniture.

Implementing a high quality window film solution can improve the comfort and increase the energy efficiency of your windows and allow you to bask in the sunlight worry free.

 

American Sun Control is at the Times Union Home Expo on the first floor of the Albany Capital Center, in booth 125. Visit with Rob, he has all the 3M products available to review, make an appointment to install 3M products on your windows and enjoy the view…

See you soon, stay tuned for more Adventures in Styleland…

XOXO

Michele Conti

Designs By Michele

 

Posted by TU-Michele Home Design Uncategorized

The Family Tree…

 

The family tree is so special every time I put it up. My children ask why I always get sad when we put the tree up and I tell them it’s a good kinda sad. I explained these memories on this tree are so sweet and time just goes by so fast. The tree is full of old ornaments from our parents, firsts for each of us, many meaningful ornaments, and handmade gifts. Decorating it is one of my favorite parts of the Christmas Season.

I’d like to share some other traditions that aren’t as well known…

 

Wreaths – Christmas if full of meaning, not only the tree but also the wreaths on our doors and the meaning behind them is not what you might think. These decorations weren’t invented to spruce up your front door. Christians believe wreaths represent thorns worn by Jesus and the tiny red berries represent his blood.

 

Candy Canes – People disagree on the origins of this holiday staple, but many say the white represents purity, the red represents Jesus’ blood shed, and the shape is supposed to be the staff of the Good Shepherd. Think about that the next time you enjoy this minty treat.

 

 

Tinsel – This shiny metallic  glittering decoration symbolizes light, to ensure the forces of darkness would not have any power.

 

As a designer I always drool over the beautiful trees in department stores and adore trees with a theme! However, my Christmas trees have not always been stunning or a shiny glamorus themed beacons of light. In the beginning they were collections of mismatched, homemade and sentimental ornaments. Not like those you’d see in the magazines.  No, was our family tree that was chock full of homemade ornaments, ones that were given to us, or made by the children.  I would get an ornament for my children each year that would reflect whatever their interests or hobbies were at that time. There have been musical notes, sports themes, and Hallmark Keepsakes ornaments too.

Of all holiday decorations, the tree is perhaps the most iconic. The tradition started, because in many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away evil spirits and illness, according to history. What ever your traditions are, hold them close because this season also passes quickly. So just for today, I thought I’d share some of the holiday spirit…true holiday spirit. Well get back to decorating tomorrow. So…

 

As Always stay tuned for more Adventures in Styleland!

 

XOXO

Michele Conti

 

Posted by TU-Michele Home Design

Good Bye Sweetly…

For the 37th year the annual Times Union Home Expo came off without a hitch and lived up to all that we would expect.  A vibrant atmosphere was created among the vendors showcasing their most innovative home improvement services at this year’s show. The attendance was once again great despite the weather.  The number of visitors who have been filing in over the past two days was great. Ending early today due to inclement weather (or should I say a whopper of a snow storm) for the safety of our show goers and vendors…we were sad to say good bye!
Read more “Good Bye Sweetly…”

Posted by TU-Michele Uncategorized

Day Two At The 37th Annual Home Expo

After 2 days at the Home Expo there is still so much to see and do to keep you entertained as well as providing you with ideas and inspiration for your home! See our Saturday Highlights below from the Beekman Boys book signing and guess who our guest Chef was at the Rising Star Chef Pavilion today? Enjoy the pictures and share some of your photos with us on Facebook!
Read more “Day Two At The 37th Annual Home Expo”

Posted by TU-Michele Uncategorized

Get Ready…The Home Expo Is Almost Here!

Get ready Albany NY,  I’m so excited The 37th Annual Home Expo starts tomorrow! Our event includes home improvement and remodeling exhibits with product demonstrations and sample interior and exterior vignettes. Many of our exhibitors go to great lengths to provide you with visual, interactive experiences designed to stimulate your creativity and dreams for your home improvement plans.
Read more “Get Ready…The Home Expo Is Almost Here!”

Posted by TU-Michele Uncategorized