If you’re looking to add a luxurious feature to your home that also happens to be a great universal design, then a wetroom could be perfect for you. A wetroom is basically a bathroom with a drain in the floor or an open shower room without any barriers to climb over. The following are a few elements you should consider for your wetroom design.

• Use Texture and Patterns – You can make a smaller wetroom look spacious by using cohesive patterns and horizontal strips in your wetroom’s tile design.
• Install a Seat – Having a place to sit in your wetroom gives you more flexibility with how you use it. Not to mention that it’s another universal design element that will help individuals who are physically limited to use the wetroom.

• Use Glass – To separate the wet area from the dry area in your wetroom, consider using a glass panel. This creates a clear division without sacrificing any visual space.

• Use Flexible Fixtures – Install shower heads on the ceiling as well as a hand shower at sitting level for additional flexibility.

These are just a few elements that you should strongly consider implementing in your wetroom design. For more information be sure to contact us at Trilogy Partners today!

Walls and fences are used in a fairly straightforward way in traditional houses. More modern designs, however, often rely on the use of wooden slats to define spaces and allow light to pass through while still providing privacy. Here are some ideas on how to incorporate them into your new home design:

Add a Dramatic Facade – Wooden slats are ideal for fronting a home as they allow light to pass through to the inner windows yet still conceal the interior of the home. In addition, they are an excellent way to create a unified look.

Create a Private Outdoor Space – While wooden slats can be used to surround a pool, they can also be used to create a private outdoor patio, shower or spa.

Beautify Necessary Evils – While no homeowner would do without sufficient storage space or an HVAC unit, most don’t really want to look at them. Slats are an excellent way to hide them while still providing the necessary access.

Photo Source: Houzz

Wood adds natural warmth and texture to any room and it’s used extensively in kitchens and bathrooms by Trilogy Partners.

Wood countertops and butcher-block kitchen islands have always been interior design favorites.  Wood top kitchen islands can also be combined with stone or tile for versatility in food preparation.

Maple, cherry and other hardwoods need to be sealed and cleaned but they work well in areas where water and other liquids are used in food preparation and cleaning.

Wood countertops can be varnished to a high shine where water beads up on the surface.  They can be treated with various products that include tung oil, lemon oil, linseed oil and beeswax. An under-mounted sink in the bathroom or kitchen allows water to drain into the sink from the wood countertop.

The countertop can be smooth and elegant or rustic and weathered. A weathered countertop works well in a bathroom or wash area that is part of a mudroom.  The wood is actually recycled from a barn or other building.  It is sanded, smoothed and varnished or treated to avoid splinters.

Photo Source: Houzz

When you are considering having a deck built as a part of a home remodeling project, you have a choice between using wood or plastic decking. Both surfaces provide some advantages and disadvantages.

Example of a plastic deck

Wood is one of the most common materials to use when building a deck. It’s durable,, can be sustainable harvested,  and it is easy to work with. In hotter climates, wood is one of the best materials to work with, since it naturally absorbs the heat and dissipates it.

Plastics and composites are another choice when it comes to building decks.  They do tend to absorb heat, and can start sagging when they are used in areas that have very hot summers. Plastics and composites are more susceptible to mold and mildew, especially the lighter colored composite decking. This can easily be removed with some bleach and water and a scrub brush. Plastics and composite decking materials do tend to require a little bit more maintenance than your average wooden deck, since they require being treated 1-2 times a year in order to maintain their appearance.

Example of a wood deck

Both products can be produced in a sustainable, ecologically friendly manner. They make a valuable part of any home remodeling project.

Photo Source: Houzz

Colorado’s outdoor beauty is the perfect setting for patio entertaining and relaxing. And because we are ecologically diligent, we always look for ways to incorporate a sustainable design into an aesthetically pleasing setting. Eco-friendly materials include porous (pervious) concrete, stones and permeable pavers for better water movement in your yard. Landscaping with low-maintenance native plants and installing a “smart” irrigation system is another way to conserve water. Solar lighting is a great choice. Also, using LED outdoor lighting uses less electricity and may lower your electric bill, too.

• As you prepare to build or renovate your patio area, Better Homes & Gardens offers design suggestions to consider:
• Instead of an attached patio, utilize a spot that offers the most scenic vista or stage an area near a large tree.
• Water gardens bring beauty and serenity to your yard.
• Build your own fire pit! You can decide the size, and it can be a patio focal point.
• Instead of traditional lines, think curves. Gentle, circular arrangements with your patio stones and plants create a striking visual in your yard.

Not only will your patio provide a charming venue for relaxation and entertaining, it will increase your Colorado home’s value.

image via Houzz

Trust in Trilogy

Trilogy Partners design-and-build professionals carefully study interior and exterior trends for home and commercial buildings. Existing and new decor is every homeowner’s priority when building or remodeling. We are seeing ten striking home interior design trends for 2013:

1. Brass is the metal of the moment! From accent pieces to lighting, hardware and railings, brass is timeless and affordable.
2. Elegant florals and graceful tapestry-look fabrics are in demand for every room.
3. Computer-generated fabrics are all the rage on fashion runways, so look for these materials in upscale living rooms.
4. Move over modern because everything old is new again. Vintage looks in the kitchen (weathered concrete, slate, irregular flooring) are popular design choices.
5. Antique furniture and period pieces mix beautifully with your modern decor.
6. “Gloss! High gloss! Shine! Polish! Lacquer!”  – Jeffrey Bilhuber
7. Bright, hi-resolution computer-like colors are front and center.
8. James Mont furniture is over-the-top and has been called chic-savage.
9. Art pieces are no longer for the rich and famous. Investing in complimentary and affordable art for your home is trending.
10. Man Cave decor goes high tech this year and includes media rooms full of boy toys, wine cellars, and even hibachi-grill islands for the chef in every man.

Floor plan for remodeled Baldy Townhome

Necessity is the mother of invention — and creativity! A Colorado couple purchased a Baldy Mountain townhouse that, though structurally sound, had a terrible floorplan. They felt the master bath was “an embarrassment,” and the formal dining room an unnecessary space.

Working with a limited budget and wanting to enhance their new home’s interior beauty and function, they contracted Colorado builder Trilogy Partners to help transform their house into a home.

The wasted dining room space was used to enlarge the master bedroom, bath, and walk-in closet. The final floor plan also included a mudroom, laundry room and half-bath. The couple says Trilogy’s professionalism and willingness to work within their budget and timeframe took their townhome “to the pinnacle of property values within our market.” They are especially thrilled with their new, luxurious master bath.

Trilogy Partners takes pride in enhancing Colorado’s natural beauty by building environmentally friendly homes using sustainable, “green” materials. We work with Energy Star® partners and products to help our clients realize long-term energy-efficiency and lower utility bills. Call 970-453-2230 or contact our design/build team for additional information.

image via Flickr

Sustainable design has become popular among high-end architects for good reason. Eco-friendly furniture is good for the environment and also your health in the long run. Furniture designed with sustainable materials preserves forests by repurposing materials. Sustainable furniture design also avoids toxic chemicals used in most furniture today. Here are a few of our favorite furniture pieces from a new face in sustainable design.

New York-based designer Michael Robbins creates one of a kind handmade sustainable furniture from reclaimed wood. He got his start in New Mexico while building stools and chairs for his adobe home. Each piece of  furniture is handcrafted from his work studio, an old barn in the Hudson Valley. Robbins focuses on the art of form and simplicity in his design. His collection is quite new, and was just released in 2012.

Though Robbins designs and crafts each piece of furniture himself, every piece has its own unique feel. Some dark wood, some light wood, others are blends of dark and light or even painted neon green. More recently, he has added tables and lighting to his portfolio. Robbins take a classic twist on traditional furniture, by giving it the look and feel of abstract art.

Think about adding a reclaimed wood coffee table to your home

If you’re looking to bring some visual interest and a traditional vibe into your kitchen, think about introducing reclaimed wood.  We’ve gathered a few ideas to get you started.

One of the best places to start is with the kitchen table.  Bringing in a traditional farm table (which is easier to find than you’d think) will serve as a focal point and a conversation piece in the heart of your home.  Or, go ahead and build your own table with reclaimed wood, which, as long as it’s structurally sound, will sand down and finish into something beautiful and unique.  Using reclaimed wood to build shelving or cabinet fronts is another fine way to make your kitchen both traditional and unique.  Architectural salvage shops are good places to find old wood; some people even re-use wine crates and older palettes.

If you don’t want to commit to old wood cabinets, using it as a contrasting feature on a kitchen island is a possibility.   Or, if you want to go really big, reclaimed wood makes a great kitchen ceiling, and certainly, floor.

At Trilogy Builds, we’re happy to help you design the right custom kitchen.  View our website for  more information.

photo courtesy of Tom Borowski on Flickr

image via Flickr

Wood makes a wonderful accent for the interior of the home, the natural element provides an unequaled design. When using wood the color palate that you select can make a dramatic difference in how the space is perceived.
To find your most complementary combinations keep these tips in mind:

Grey
Weathered or blonde woods are well represented with this color. It also works well with black stains. Finding a light blue with grey undertones will make walnut pop in a room.

Blue, Aqua, Turquoise
All of these shades are an excellent way to accent the warm honey or amber wood tones.

Whites, Creams, Ivory
These are staples when it comes to wood trim. When using a cream it is important to stay away from yellow undertones and whites should never be bright.

Brown and Beige
Given the natural hues of wood, it is an easy matter to find an acceptable brown, tan, or beige that will blend with wood elements.

Green
Of the colors found in the outdoors, wood and greens are the greatest combination.

You can make the most of your interior design by finding the right color match to your natural wood elements.