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We spend a majority of our time under the fluorescent lights of an office, and then swap a computer screen glow for a television blur. Most of us want to spend more time outside, basking in the sunlight or frolicking in the snow.

So, how do we merge the best of both worlds? According to Moss Building & Design, here are a list of ways that you can bring the outdoors in (and skip the excess house plants):

Use natural materials. A great way to bring the outdoors in is by using natural materials, such as stone or wood, in your home. It’s important that these interior design features stand out, like this Native Trails Trough Stone Rectangular Drop-In Bathroom Sink from Wayfair or this Three Posts Abigail Standard Bookcase that’s made from dark oak.

Pick up accent pieces outside. We’re not talking about using nature as inspiration anymore. Literally pick up a beautiful rock, a handful of stones, or a set of pinecones off of the ground. Use these small accents to decorate your home, and combine with hanging planters, vertical gardens, or fresh flowers in a vase for an extra touch of organic essence.

Incorporate natural floors. Natural materials, such as bamboo, cork, and actual wood, have unique textures and shapes that mimic Mother Nature. To make your floors stand out, contrast the walls and surroundings. For example, if you use a bamboo floor, install smooth white cabinetry to contrast in color and texture.

Light a scented candle. Elle Decor mentions peaches, jasmine, white cedar, saffron, vanilla, and dark wood as some of the best smelling candle scents. NYMag quotes tomato, gooseberry, rose, pine, mint, and cypress as celebrity favorites. Orange blossom, tuberose, and mushroom were handpicked by interior designers for POPSUGAR.

What do all of these popular candle scents have in common? They’re all found in nature! To spruce up your home, bring the outdoors in by lighting an earthy, floral, citrus, or sweet scented candle.

Choose your color palette wisely. Mother Nature offers a gorgeous variety of colors, but what really feels closest to home are the colors that you see everyday. Instead of investing in the rich blues and deep purples of Greek or Moroccan scenery, start with leafy greens, sandy taupes, and earthy browns of your own backyard.

Take advantage of natural light. To feel fresh and cheerful during the day, use every natural light source in your home. Draw the blinds, open the windows, and install a skylight in your bathroom or bedroom to leverage natural light as often as possible. You can’t get more outdoorsy than sunlight!

Embrace natural motifs. For an artsy touch, hang paintings or photographs of natural elements, such as coral reefs, forests, animals, oceans, flowers, and so on. Even though it’s a still image, it “connects the natural architectural elements with traditional” design style, according to Southern Living.

Decorate for the season. To seamlessly integrate the outdoors and your home’s interior, decorate your space for the appropriate season. When it’s the chilly fall season, break out plastic pumpkins and gourds. As winter rolls around, collect and arrange bare branches and twigs in a vase above the fireplace. When it’s summer and spring time, invest in water features for your home.

If you’re interested in a home remodel from Northern Virginia’s best remodeling team, call Moss Building & Design at (703) 961-7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com to see how we can help.

What I like about contemporary design style, as cited by HGTV, is its fluidity and ever-changing personality. Unlike traditional design style, which can become over-the-top with ornamentation, and modern design style, which seems overly sharp and stark, contemporary design blends the two in perfect harmony. It’s never exactly the same with any project.

Every year, contemporary design offers something new or unique from that season’s trend. However, some common elements recur in almost all seasons of contemporary design. Trends, like neutral colors, smooth lines, and natural elements, are hallmarks of the style.

Read more about how to achieve this design style in our style guide by clicking here.

The Best Contemporary Kitchen Remodels

For kitchen remodels, you’ll typically see contemporary design reflected in white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and a minimalist, clutter-free environment. This McLean, Virginia, kitchen shown below (remodeled by Moss Building and Design) perfectly showcases contemporary style.

Its white countertops and stainless steel appliances are neutral and use clean lines but also have character.

When you’re considering a contemporary kitchen remodel, add additional touches, like a bold backsplash, a vintage butcher block, or metallic accents. Don’t be afraid to make the kitchen your own! These personal touches are exactly what contemporary design style is all about.

This photo of a kitchen backsplash in McLean, Virginia, shows a great use of beautiful, rectangular tiles. Using creative and colorful tiles adds texture to your space and creates a lovely focal point for the room.

Contemporary kitchens don’t have to predominantly use the color white. For example, this MOSS-designed Arlington, Virginia, kitchen uses darker wood cabinetry to add warmth while adhering to contemporary style. You also see very creative and modern light fixtures and bar stools, as well as a colorful tiled geometric backsplash that runs the length of the kitchen remodel.

Another example of a darker contemporary kitchen in Arlington focuses on hardwoods from the floor to the cabinets.

The Best Contemporary Bathroom Remodels

Bathrooms remodeled in contemporary design style are very elegant and spa-like. They create a calming atmosphere with updated fixtures and flooring and often feature geometric shapes in the tile or vanity and mirror.

Glass and natural elements, like stone, real plants, or greenery, are also common. Contemporary bathrooms are nearly always remodeled with new material and technologies in mind, according to HGTV.

For example, many contemporary bathrooms of today use laminate or luxury vinyl plank flooring that resembles real wood but holds up better under moisture conditions.

This example of a MOSS bathroom remodel in Arlington, Virginia, showcases a beautiful, oval mirror behind the sink. The mirror becomes one of the focal points of the room in addition to the geometric tiled wall. The dark wood cabinets of the bathroom complement the light plank flooring.

For a look that’s more common, this Oakton, Virginia, bathroom remodel focuses on the tile artistry in the shower. It also matches contemporary style with sleek lines and a clean, updated look.

Learn More About Northern Virginia’s Top Remodeler

Kitchens and bathrooms are where you really have fun with home design during a remodeling project. These rooms need the most attention because of their daily use and how quickly appliances and fixtures become outdated. What better way to bring in your eclectic flair than through a contemporary home design in your bathroom or kitchen?

If you’re thinking of a contemporary home design for your next remodeling project, call Moss Building & Design at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com. 

Contemporary means “…living in the present.” In contemporary home design style, the word includes anything and everything in terms of style: Embracing a few standouts of past styles that are still popular (modernism, traditionalism, transitional) and mixing in present-day trends. Here are five contemporary home design trends that are popular right now:  

Emphasis on Minimalism

Contemporary design borrows a “less is more” mentality from modern design. Little clutter on countertops, a few key pieces of art, underwhelming furniture, and a minimal color palette are a few key elements.  

This Arlington, Virginia, remodeled home by Moss Building & Design showcases an office area with neutral colors and storage that keeps clutter to a minimum. A few pieces of art bring in color as an understated look.

Balance Is Key

A contemporary design style relies heavily on balance. Monochromatic and balanced colors are a big part of this design style. Colored furniture that balances the neutral walls and a good deal of natural light are perfect. Imagine a kitchen with white and dark cabinets; a warm wood floor; and dark, soothing countertops.

Clean Lines

Unlike other design styles, contemporary design emphasizes clean lines in furniture, cabinetry, wall mirrors, and bathroom vanities. Lines aren’t overly intricate or sharp. They can be geometric and soft.

Note the beautiful use of lines and symmetry in this Moss Building & Design kitchen remodel in Ashburn, Virginia. The cabinets, appliances, walls, floors, and furniture lines are all clean yet not sharp. The overall effect is comfort and warmth, while retaining a level of sophistication.

Nature And Light

Bare walls in contemporary homes are often accented by large windows that allow in natural light. The emphasis on nature in contemporary homes is twofold. Bringing in natural light highlights open space and feelings that contemporary design style relies on. Plants and large windows allow for the feeling of nature inside a home.

Greenery or other colors in nature introduce a pop of color that contemporary homes use to emphasize the neutrality and monochromatic colors in interior decor.

This McLean, Virginia, master bedroom beautifully showcases large windows that bring in an abundance of natural light. Paired with furniture that doesn’t overwhelm the room, the design is perfectly contemporary.

Mixed Materials

Contemporary home design incorporates many materials, including the mixed use of metals, glass, stone, and more. Utilizing natural and manmade products is a way to embrace what’s presently available while recognizing the value of what’s been available. It’s the mixed vision that really stands out as a trend for contemporary home design.

Finally, this Arlington, Virginia, kitchen remodel showcases large windows that illuminate a kitchen designed with mixed materials in mind — from the backsplash and fixtures to the cabinetry and pulls, it all blends together beautifully as a contemporary kitchen.

If you’re interested in a home remodel or to speak with someone about contemporary home design, contact Moss Building & Design at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

It always seems like it’s a constant struggle to keep up with the mess at home and spring sure brings its own unique challenges. With the introduction of rain boots, sneakers, sports equipment, and sandals (boy, I can’t wait to whip those out again!) also comes an increasing amount of clutter for the spring and summer season. One way to keep the clutter from extending into your home would be to create a mudroom. 

Mudrooms are great because they allow you to keep things like jackets, umbrellas, backpacks, boots, and sports equipment handy, while still giving them their proper place that’s not on the living room or entryway floor. Many mudrooms have built-in cubbies with hooks so each family member can have their own designated space. A built-in bench serves as a place to sit and remove dirty outerwear items. Drawers are also a great way to hide more seasonal pieces like scarves or gloves when the weather changes.

This Oakton, VA mudroom designed by Moss Building & Design uses removable baskets instead of permanent drawers to hide the clutter. 

Some people add even more character to their mudrooms. If your family is full of sports buffs, you could model your mudroom after a locker room and install cubbies that resemble lockers. Or, if you’d like to hide the space — out of sight, out of mind! — and you appreciate more of a rustic look, you could use sliding barn doors to shield the clutter like in this MOSS project in Herndon.

If building a mudroom isn’t an option for you, there are still a number of great tips to keep you organized and kick off spring cleaning season. To help store some of that clutter, check out small bench options that include drawers and cubbies. As opposed to a mudroom that might take up a lot of precious space, the bench can be placed by almost any entryway. Alternatively, simply invest in some decorative bins that can be labeled by child or article of clothing.

For even more space-conscious storage options, think about how you can utilize your walls. You may have space to add coat hooks by the door that could replace a floor-hogging coat rack. For containing the smaller messes, hang small boxes, folders or mesh bags on the walls to collect things like keys, mail and school announcements. Pair that with a chalkboard or family calendar to jot down important reminders and events. This wall organizer on the blog Simply Organized has gotten me inspired to keep things tidy. 

If you’re interested in building a mudroom in your house, simply call us at (703) 961-7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com to learn more!

Getting organized at home is something that I am constantly striving for. I like to consider myself pretty organized, but I admit that if you open up some of our kitchen cabinets or drawers, the contents are in terrible disarray. I’m going to come clean and share that the below photo is the current state of one of my kitchen cabinets. 

Not too organized, right? Let’s add this to my spring organization work! In the meantime, I’ve scoured the internet and picked my friends’ brains for their best organizational solutions for kitchens: 

Use Your Kitchen Cabinets Effectively

From what I can tell, using cabinet space (a-hem) more effectively is a wonderful organizational tool. Risers are especially helpful, as you can stack your tupperware, sports bottles, and dishes that can otherwise get cluttered. Prior to doing that work, of course, going through and recycling any items that don’t have lids or bottoms is a great way to level the playing field. You can find inexpensive risers and cabinet trays that pull out (and are easily installed) and almost immediately feel a sense of accomplishment. Note to self: follow own advice ASAP. 

Make Some Updates To Utilize Dead Space

Nowadays kitchens are designed with many useful components, but if you still have a corner cabinet where you store the “never to be used pasta pot” in the far corner, then you might want to consider updating your kitchen. Installing a lazy susan or corner drawers helps to organize your pots and pans and makes life a lot easier. Tabletop lazy susans can be used in your pantry as well to organize cans, spices, and many other pantry items that would otherwise be relegated to the far back. Another great idea is to better utilize the wall at the end of your cabinets. We have hooks installed for the kids’ backpacks, but, you can also use that space for a hanging magazine rack to store cooking magazines or install a towel bar to hang more dish towels. 

Kitchen Organization 101: Storing All The Spices

Spice storage is a hot topic these days. I can absolutely attest that my spices are stored helter skelter in a cabinet and I’d love to implement a better system. Some great ideas for better spice organization in the kitchen include:

• Using a shoe organizer over the inside pantry drawer to store spices individually
• Built-in spice drawers in cabinetry
• Using a lazy susan in your pantry so you can use dead space (see above!)
• Storing spices in or even ON the fridge with magnetic backs
• Installing a slim spice shelf next to the refrigerator if you have that splice of space.

Organize Your Knives

As a parent, I have (for years) stored my knives lying on their sides on a cabinet shelf (I will not amuse you with a photo of this) so as to keep the kitchen childproofed. Since my children are older now, I could probably utilize a better way to store knives. Using a portion of the wall, you can install a magnetic rack for knives, as Martha Stewart demonstrates here. Another option would be an in drawer with a slotted organization system, allowing the knives to be safe but also keeps them from potentially dulling each other. Another note to self: fix knife storage issues. 

Add Deep Drawers

Having had deep drawers at one point in time makes me long for those days. Several of my pots and pans have permanent residence in the oven. To that I say: I am truly sorry. If I had my druthers, I would absolutely have deep, wide drawers in my cabinets in which to store my pots and pans. Included in that, I would install a lid organization system, so there’s never any fumbling about! Deep drawers (with risers!) would also be helpful with my (lack of) plasticware organization. Other ways to store pots and pans include hanging them from the ceiling or from hooks on walls (using dead space! See how this is all connected!?) or even hanging them on the wall at the end of your cabinets (again, see above!). 

Organizational solutions abound when talking about kitchen organization. Clearly my kitchen and I have a lot of work ahead of us! Stay tuned this spring as we at Moss Building & Design share more tips, tricks and tried-and-true ways to keep your home organized. For today, take this away: making the best use of your space may take some tools and a bit of time, but it will be worth it.

If you’d like to speak with someone at Moss Building & Design about updating or organizing your kitchen or other parts of your home, please call us at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com. 

Farmhouse chic is everywhere you look these days: television shows, decorating and interior design magazines, and even at your local Target! It’s a warm, rustic, and inviting design style for anyone who loves feeling comfortable and cozy. Farmhouse chic design is best described in this blog by Moss Building & Design, Northern Virginia’s top remodeler.

So, what are some ways to really pinpoint the style and design? Here are our top ten farmhouse chic design elements for your home:

Farmhouse Sink

A farmhouse sink is one of the best ways to bring farmhouse chic design to your home. These sinks are reminiscent of “life on the farm”. They’re deep, functional, and accommodating! Here’s a gorgeous farmhouse sink from a Moss Building & Design remodel in Oakton, Virginia:

Shiplap

Shiplap is a way in which wooden boards are put together with by grooves, cut into the top and bottom, which allow the pieces to fit together and form a tight seal, giving a unique look with subtle reveals between boards. Made trendy by decorating duo Chip and Joanna Gaines, the design element gives a rustic feel to a room that might otherwise be more contemporary in design.

Open Storage Shelving

Open storage shelving (also known as floating shelves) constructed with reclaimed wood or metal is one of the best ways to showcase farmhouse chic design in your home. This Great Falls, Virginia, home’s kitchen shelves, combined with a stone wall and rustic decor, epitomize farmhouse chic design.

Wood Plank Floors 

Wood floors are popular across all design styles, but plank flooring lends itself well to farmhouse chic design. This home in Great Falls, Virginia, has wood plank flooring in its kitchen, which brings a warm feeling when combined with white cabinets, stainless appliances, and textured material for the island chairs.

Sliding Barn Doors

Sliding barn doors are the perfect way to add farmhouse chic design elements to your home. This Great Falls, Virginia, remodel features the addition of this sliding barn door, separating the foyer from the main floor living area. It’s rustic, repurposed, and brings charm and unique features! 

Vintage Decor

Burlap, Mason jars for storage and decor, vintage appliances, painted (yet slightly shabby and chipped) furniture, slipcovers, repurposed signage are all fun ways to implement farmhouse chic decor into your home.

Exposed Wooden Beams

Bringing the outdoors in is a major theme of farmhouse chic design, as seen in this farmhouse chic living room in Ashburn, Virginia. The exposed wooden ceiling beams in this remodel are a gorgeous way to create the warm and cozy feeling of farmhouse chic when combined with natural light and comfortable furniture.

Neutral Paint Colors

Farmhouse chic design paint colors really play off the calm and comfortable feeling of homes with this interior design style. Neutral, warm, and soft colors truly evoke what farmhouse chic design is all about. Greys, beiges, soft whites, and similar colors are truly reminiscent of farmhouse chic design.

Reclaimed Wood

You can’t complete your farmhouse chic interior design look without using reclaimed wood. From shelves, and wall decor to cabinetry, headboards, and floors — it’s everywhere. Repurposing is huge in farmhouse chic, and reclaimed wood elements are a perfect way to implement this!

Lighting 

You might assume that farmhouse chic lighting would be kerosene lamps or candlelight. While those can be used as sources of ambient lighting, farmhouse chic lighting is often described as clean, bright, and purposeful. Antique brass and oiled bronze are two popular metals used for pendant lamps and chandeliers often seen in farmhouse chic interior design.  

If you’re in the market for home remodeling or if you’d like to talk to a professional about a farmhouse chic home interior, call us at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com.  Sources: 

• How To Decorate Farmhouse Style 
• What Is Shiplap, Anyway?

Northern VA Remodeling: Farmhouse Chic Design

Farmhouse chic (also known as farmhouse design) is a very popular design style right now. You can achieve a farmhouse chic look in any room of your home. Check out our blogs to see how you can make each room in your home more farmhouse chic.

Farmhouse chic is all about being comfortable and getting cozy, so snuggle up on the couch and get ready for our top five favorite farmhouse chic living rooms!

Shiplap In Living Rooms

Our first favorite farmhouse living room includes a staple of farmhouse chic design, and you can thank HGTV’s Joanna Gaines for this one. Yes, you guessed it — shiplap! Shiplap became really popular last year, as we saw several different ways to incorporate it into your home and various ways to dress it up. This year, it continues to increase in popularity.

Commonly used in bedrooms and bathrooms, shiplap can also be used in your living room to create a farmhouse chic vibe. This living room includes a painted shiplap wall, a nice touch that adds to farmhouse design style. I also love how they played up the home design look by including a chalkboard above the sofa. The neutral color palette and green plants also contribute to the farmhouse look in this cozy living room. 

Sliding Barn Doors In Great Falls, VA 

In addition to shiplap, another common element used in farmhouse chic home design is sliding barn doors. From pops of color to reclaimed wooden doors, sliding barn doors add character to any room in your home.

This remodel in Great Falls has a beautiful sliding barn door from the dining room to the living room. Although the door has been painted, it still maintains its weathered style, which plays up to the farmhouse design look.

Farmhouse Living Room In Leesburg, VA

This living room in Leesburg has many farmhouse design elements. First, a lot of wooden features exist. From the exposed beams and wall to the hardwood floors, this living room doesn’t fall short of chic. The stone wall and fireplace also add a nice, cozy touch to the living room. The neutral color palette tops off the design in this living room.

Reclaimed Wood In McLean, VA 

Reclaimed wood adds a farmhouse chic design component to your remodel. This renovation in McLean includes reclaimed wood throughout the home. In the living room, a strip of reclaimed wood runs across the top of the stone fireplace, which makes the space cozier and more comfortable.

Again, a neutral color palette in and the large window allows for natural light to shine through and light up the living area. The hardwood floors and decor make the space feel warm.

Farmhouse Chic Remodel in Reston, VA

Last but not least is a beautiful remodel in Reston. Many design elements exist in this living room, including the focal point: The white fireplace with the elegant woodworking detail. This element sets the stage for a farmhouse chic vibe.

The sconces that frame the fireplace are also a beautiful nod, and the greenery and sunflowers by the fireplace also play up the vibe. Minimum clutter, a neutral color palette, and hardwood flooring are all elements of this home design.

 Northern VA Contractors

If you’re looking for a farmhouse chic design style, we can help you! Keep the following farmhouse chic design elements in mind to create the perfect living room:

• Choose hardwood flooring
• Keep clutter to a minimum
• Maintain a neutral color palette
• Go green by adding plants to the space
• Let natural light in with large windows
• Add character with sliding barn doors
• Use a touch of reclaimed wood
• Add a shiplap wall

If you’d like to schedule a free design consultation, call us at 703-961-7707 or reach us by email at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com. We’d love to hear more about your project!

We’re excited to highlight a few of our favorite home décor and design trends for 2018. This year, we’re starting to see a pattern of “old is new again” with some of the new trends harkening back to previous design eras. Which of the following trends do you think you can you incorporate into your home this year?

Use of Bright Colors

In 2018, homeowners and designers will be thinking more about how to incorporate a pop of color into each room. In kitchens, bold color choices are often reflected in special appliances or fixture accents, such as a deep red sink or bright blue range hood. Carrying your favorite color throughout the house will be important as well. Some of 2018’s hottest color trends are tonal, warm reds in the living room as well as statement pinks and yellows. You may have seen “millennial pink” and rosegold colors used quite a bit in fashion and interior design in 2017. While rosegold’s popularity may take more of a backseat this year, pink, in general, is still going to be popular.

Geometric and Floral Patterns

Floral wallpapers, furniture, and even sinks will rise in popularity in 2018 along with the use of geometric patterns. Accent walls and ceilings may display more patterns to catch the eye. A less intrusive way to incorporate this trend into your home might be through backsplashes or tile accents. At the very least, you can always incorporate a geometric-patterned throw blanket into your living room.

This tile backsplash in a kitchen remodel done by MOSS in Oakton, VA shows off how eye-catching geometric patterns can be.

Vintage Lighting

We predict that vintage pendants or sconces with copper or brass finishes will make a comeback this year. But, really anything, from crystal chandeliers to 60s and 70s modern-looking pendants, will give your space an updated 2018 look. Think old is new again.

Rich Textures and Materials

Earthy and industrial materials will be high on redecorators’ wish lists this year when it comes to anything from lighting upgrades to appliances and accent walls. Some of 2018’s most popular materials will be concrete, brass, stone, copper, and granite in darker hues. In the kitchen, the farmhouse sink will still be popular, but think less of the deep, white or stainless steel variety, and perhaps opt for a copper one. You might also see concrete being used in countertops and on floors. Not only is concrete a cheaper design material, but it also creates a rustic, raw look.

Farmhouse Sinks

Farmhouse, bucket, or trough sinks continue to be very popular. Over the past year, these have mostly been used in kitchens, but in 2018, you’ll see a shift to their usage in bathrooms as well. They can also replace common utility sinks in laundry rooms for a much-needed upgrade in that room you use so much.

The beautiful, deep farmhouse sink in this MOSS remodel in Great Falls, VA pulls together the farmhouse chic look for the entire kitchen. For this year’s trend, think beyond the kitchen and incorporate farmhouse elements in other rooms as well.

If you’re in the market for a home remodel, simply call us at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com to kick off your next project!

It’s hard to believe, but Moss Building & Design has been creating and presenting HandyMOM 101 workshops for the Northern Virginia community for over five years. That’s hundreds of women (and a few men!) that we have educated and empowered to tackle home improvement projects on their own. And this is something we are very proud of.

Have you ever been invited to an event with the promise that it’s not a sales pitch? Me, too, and I do NOT like it! That’s how HandyMOM 101 workshops are different. We charge no fee for the workshop, we bring the materials and experts to groups, we invite questions, and we allow hands-on practice. We definitely do NOT force you to purchase anything! FYI, our most popular workshops are our Patch It, Tile It, and now, our Design It workshop.

We have developed workshops for specific groups, we have come up with new topics on the fly, and we have created lasting memories for many people. What we love the most is how unique the HandyMOM 101 workshops are.

MOSS would love to reach more and more community members with our workshops — we even now have a Facebook group dedicated to HandyMOM 101! You can visit and join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1997174410542966/.

So have I convinced you yet? No obligation. No fees. Just a fun time with your group of mom friends, church pals, neighborhood social group, or anybody! Email us at community@mossbuildinganddesign.com to learn more and to schedule your HandyMOM 101 workshop today! Or, if you’re in the market for home remodelng or would like to speak with a professional, call us at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com.