DIY Network has a great roundup of bathroom remodel splurges. Some make sense and some seem to be things that … don’t. Let’s take a look.

If you’ve ever had heated floors in your bathroom, you know the simple joy that comes from not shivering on cold tile on winter mornings.

No more lining your tub with shampoo bottles when you remodel your shower to include recessed storage. It’s practical and beautiful.

Bidets are handy bathroom appliances, but maybe a remote-controlled one is a bit excessive.

If you want your bathroom to be a relaxing, serene place, don’t include a stock ticker in your remodel. Seriously.

What do you think are the most and least useful elements of a bathroom remodel?

Images courtesy of DIY Network.

Wow — would you believe you could turn a carport into a fun and festive outdoor entertaining space? Neither could we. But if you think about it, a carport can be enhanced with the right decor just as a deck or a dining room can be. We love these summer outdoor entertaining tips from HGTV.com, which include the carport idea. Another out-of-the-box thought: Bring indoor furniture outside. It adds an unexpected touch of elegance.

Unexpected food and drink also can raise your summer parties a notch. Country Living suggests starting off with cold soup, while berry-based desserts add a light and festive touch. For cocktails, try watermelon punch while you keep the kids happy with a Sunshine Swizzle.

And let’s not forget about the bugs. In many parts of America, they can be counted on to crash every party. Consumer Reports tested insect repellents and found that Cutter and Off rated as the best.

Have a great summer!

Do shipping container houses make sense for disaster relief housing?
Treehugger
“Japanese architect Yatsutaka Yoshimura has designed what he calls the ‘ex-container project,’ in what Designboom says is a ‘response to calls for disaster relief housing after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan.’”

11 tools everyone should have
Your Money
“Whether you rent or own your home, having a good set of tools, along with a little basic knowledge, is essential.”

Pantone Universe Paint Collection by Valspar
Design Milk
“The collection features 100 hues that range from classic neutrals to the most saturated brights, and everything in between, including the most recent PANTONE Color of the Year selections, Emerald and Tangerine Tango.”

Image courtesy of Design Milk

We appreciate fine craftsmanship wherever it appears, and the fiber arts feature some of the most amazing work you’ll ever see. Weaving began as a functional necessity, whether for clothing or baskets. It’s amazing to think of the problem-solving skills early humans employed to create these complex yet practical items. Now many of these pieces will be displayed as fine art, never to be be worn or carried.

But we love looking at them nonetheless. Here’s a great collection of basket art on Pinterest. And here’s a collection of textile art. Whether you crave any of these pieces or not, they’re sure to spark inspiration for your next home design project.

But where to store them? Knife blocks are handy, but impossible to clean if crumbs and debris get in the nooks and crannies. You can also use a magnetic knife rack, but that does dirty your knives faster, especially if you don’t use them all that often. Don’t forget about just sticking them in a drawer too–discreet and out of sight, but just a little too out of the way. But what about making an in-counter knife holder?

Remodelista recently interviewed the bloggers at Food 52–check it out because it has lots of great advice! But one of the things we were most intrigued by is this picture of their knife storage:

Isn’t that a cool solution? The knives stay clean, they’re readily available and it looks like the crack is narrow enough to keep bigger crumbs out and wide enough to get in there to clean. Plus, it doesn’t take up additional counter space in the way that a knife block does. What do you think?

Image courtesy of Remodelista. 

Marvin Windows and Doors now offers a wide range of wood windows made in the USA that will meet both the strict European and U.S. standards for Passive Building certification. And for homeowners and building professionals looking for highly efficient windows, Marvin offers more products that have earned ENERGY STAR’s “Most Efficient” designation than any other wood-window manufacturer.

No longer will builders and owners have to wait for more than two months for passive windows to ship from Europe. Marvin’s R&D and manufacturing teams have achieved what had been considered impossible by many in the industry: delivering American-made windows that meet Passive Building standards while maintaining the highest levels of beauty, style and customization. Passive Building certification from both U.S. and European bodies is pending.

“With our long history of custom manufacturing and our skilled, experienced work force, we’re able to craft windows that will meet the highest standards of energy efficiency while allowing design freedom,” said Mike Laufman, senior manager of Marvin Signature Services, which offers one-on-one design and manufacturing support for the most challenging custom projects. “There’s a perception that passive buildings need to be blank-walled fortresses with tiny slits for windows. But with Marvin products, architects and homeowners will be able to specify any design feature — even large expanses of glass — using windows that look like our regular product lines yet meet the strictest standards of Passive Building.”

Passive Building construction and design principles focus on insulation and energy conservation in both warm and cold climates. Passive Buildings are designed to maintain a comfortable temperature using only minimal heating and cooling systems. A super-insulated, virtually air-tight building envelope is heated primarily by passive solar gain and warmth from occupants and appliances inside. Cooling loads are reduced during warm weather by strategic shading.

Marvin works with glazing partners on its Passive Building windows. Using quad-glazing Heat Mirror® products, Marvin can meet Passive Building standards on its Ultimate Casement and Direct Glaze products. Marvin’s Passive Building products are created by Marvin Signature Services.

“There is no silver bullet to achieve Passive Building criteria, but windows are a key consideration in Passive Building design,” said Christine Marvin, director of marketing for Marvin Windows and Doors. “Because our products are built here, Marvin can offer builders a shorter lead time than international manufacturers. And our extensive independent dealer network means we can support the project from the time it’s drawn up until after installation. This is another great example of Marvin working one on one with its customers to deliver the perfect windows for each project.”

The Most with the “Most”: Marvin leads industry in ENERGY STAR “Most Efficient” products

In addition to its Passive Building offerings, Marvin offers more products that have earned ENERGY STAR’s “Most Efficient” designation than any other wood-window manufacturer. Marvin offers more than 35 windows and 7,000 glazing options that meet this new, higher standard set by ENERGY STAR. Products with this designation have gone through rigorous testing and independent certification above and beyond regular ENERGY STAR certification.

Marvin’s Ultimate Casement, Ultimate Awning, Ultimate Double Hung and Direct Glazed Polygons in both wood and clad-wood varieties meet ENERGY STAR’S Most Efficient criteria. The majority of Marvin’s window product line is recognized as Most Efficient in all four of the program’s climate zones. A full list is available on ENERGY STAR’S website.

“For decades we have been committed to offering the best possible performance,” Marvin said.  “In the mid 1990s, we were the first to introduce LoĒ glass as a standard feature. Marvin windows can transform the look of any space, and our lineup of ENERGY STAR Most Efficient certified products shows that high performance and beautiful windows aren’t mutually exclusive.”

This Cotswold Revival home, built in the 1920s, had classic lines — and classic spaces, meaning too small and too dark. Interior designer Arthur Dunnam set out to bring light into the house, “which had been a bit dark and gloomy,” he told TrendsIdeas.com.

And did he ever succeed. Large French casements (above) and French doors, all by Marvin, opened up the space to light and improved the traffic flow through the home. In one area, Dunnam actually removed an existing set of French doors and replaced them with an arched window, creating a quieter space that serves as a seating and social area. Richly textured fabrics and period furnishings complete the lighter, airier look.

One piece we’re curious about is a gilt iron coffee table covered in resin-coated goat parchment. Now that’s something you don’t run across every day. Click through to the article for a slide show of this beautiful home.

Photo courtesy of TrendsIdeas.com.

Decks are a fantastic innovation in home design. Whether you live in a climate that lets you enjoy a deck year-round, or you cram a year of outdoor living into a few short months, you’ll find few people who don’t love the sense of relaxation and serenity you get from sitting on the deck.

Naturally, a superior patio door is a big part of creating a great deck experience. But there are many ways you can enhance your deck living. Better Homes and Gardens offers these 13 tips to make your deck more private. Our friends at Southern Living say that putting a buffet on your deck makes entertaining easier and more enjoyable.

If you’re still in the building phase, Sunset magazine offers 26 deck ideas to suit almost any home or lot. And on a more practical level, we’re intrigued by Rust-Oleum’s new Restore, an extra-thick coating product that you can apply to bring a tired deck back to life.

We’ll close this post with 35 dreamy decks from HGTV. Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of HGTV.com

Here are three of mine:

• Radiators: I like the look of my old radiators, but wow can they collect dust! Radiator cleaning is an easy cleaning task to put off. It’s such a pain to get into all those spaces. But put it off too long and you have a very dusty piece of metal.
• Behind the range: There’s crumbs, dust and who knows what else back there. But it’s so hard to get into and moving the stove takes a lot of effort–so the task is put off. And off. And off.
• Baseboard corners: My baseboard corners often seem to have a layer of dust and grime on them. How does it get there?! I always run a duster over them regularly, but the corners never seem totally clean.

Safe space here: What’s the area of your house that you either hate to clean or just always seems dirty no matter what you do? Share in the comments!

Image courtesy of massdistraction on Flickr

Beds and bedding are a $6 billion industry in the United States. But most people have a bed already, and they only tend to replace them every 10 to 15 years, according to the International Sleep Products Association. So the best way to get people to buy a new bed is to come up with something new and different.

Freshome has collected 16 of the most extreme beds you’ll ever see, like the one pictured above. Some of them actually look like beds we wouldn’t mind sleeping in. But we wonder how you’d fit a contour sheet on this one.

Photo courtesy Freshome.