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Floors. Walls. Backsplashes.

What do they have in common? These days, more than you can imagine.

At Moss Building & Design, we’re always keeping a finger on the pulse of design trends in home remodeling, and one thing that we’ve noticed is the use of tile that looks like wood. Whether it’s porcelain or LVT (luxury vinyl tile), the wood-look trend is everywhere these days. 

Using Porcelain Tile In Your Remodel

In this gorgeous bathroom in Vienna, Virginia, our client truly embraced this trend for their floors and shower walls. Using porcelain tile that looks incredibly like hardwood, the design and use of this tile showcases our client’s taste and decor style. It stunningly creates a calming, almost outdoorsy backdrop feeling for anyone who uses the bathroom or shower.

Remodeling With Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)

Another trend that’s being used a great deal, especially on floors that are heavily used, is Luxury Vinyl Tile, better known as LVT. Coming in a range of colors, this tile bears a striking resemblance to hardwood and is incredibly durable.

In addition, it’s affordable. If you think about your family and kitchen, an LVT floor is an option to consider, as it’s impervious to water damage unlike actual hardwood flooring. 

Tile Size & Shape Options

The great part about choosing a wood-like tile, whether porcelain or LVT, is that options vary. Choose panel shapes, single vinyl sheets, or parquet sized pieces. Installation is relatively simple, and within a few days, you have an entirely new look to your remodel. 

Educate Yourself Before Remodeling

Wood-look flooring burst onto the scene with a force, but remember that not all tile is created equal. Knowing what you want for your floor, walls, or backsplash is wonderful, but if you need more ideas and are interested in seeing options, here’s a good article.

It dives into the details involved with the range of options on today’s market. Take the time to educate yourself and really understand the choices available. 

Interested in learning more about a home remodel of your own? Email MOSS at Hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com or call us at 703.961.7707.

At Moss Building & Design, we strive to work with our clients’ personal tastes to design the remodel of their dreams. Additionally, we constantly study up to stay on top of design trends. One trend that we’ve seen a lot of lately is faux brick in backsplashes and other walls.

Many ways to implement this trend exist, from grout choice to wallpaper, so we thought we’d deep-dive into this trend and share how to achieve this chic look.

Use Dark Grout To Create Contrast

This MOSS kitchen remodel in McLean, Virginia, is a fantastic example of utilizing the faux brick trend. Our designer helped our client choose a standard white subway tile but used grey grout to make the grout lines more prominent and to bring out the shape of the individual tiles.

By installing the tiles all the way to the ceiling, the faux brick look is fully achieved. 

Brick Veneer

Installing brick veneer is another popular way to achieve the look of vintage exposed brick walls. These steps are very similar to installing regular backsplash, and the look is truly authentic. Check out this brick veneer wall and the steps involved, courtesy of Dengarden.

Faux Brick Paneling 

Another do-it-yourself method for updating your backsplash is to utilize faux brick paneling. The steps include cutting the paneling to cover your current backsplash and then, in many cases, whitewashing the paneling to give it the look and feel of white painted brick.

It’s a stunning transformation that really adds to any farmhouse chic renovation. Check out the steps and an example image courtesy of Remodelaholic. 

Faux Brick Wallpaper

The final, and most temporary way, to update your kitchen backsplash, is to utilize faux brick wallpaper. Yes, the peel-and-stick kind! Easy to install and inexpensive (and also, easy to remove, which is a huge plus), faux brick wallpaper is found at many online retailers. 

So many options are available to achieve the faux brick trend. If you’d like to learn more about this trend or about a home remodel, don’t hesitate to contact us at Hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com or at 703.961.7707. 

Many homeowners don’t know a lot about HVAC, and that’s OK! Moss Building & Design in Northern Virginia offers special heating and cooling services to help you out, and we’re breaking down the importance of this necessity in your home.

Avoid safety issues and home damage.

Properly functioning control panels, safety devices, and other HVAC components are essential for every heating and cooling appliance. The only way to ensure everything is in check is through regular HVAC maintenance, testing, and inspection from Moss Building & Design in Northern Virginia.

Save money on your monthly energy bill.

If you want to save money on your monthly home energy bill, it’s best to invest in proper maintenance and care, especially because most HVAC problems don’t occur suddenly. They develop slowly over a period of time, such as corrosion in the boiler or a super clogged air filter.

This is especially important during the summer. For example, as an air conditioner wears down from use, it consumes more energy as it cools your home. Maintenance slows the aging process and helps the system retain most of its energy efficiency.

If you keep up with HVAC maintenance each year, your air conditioner should only lose around 5 percent of its efficiency over its entire service life, rather than lose 5 percent every year.

Abide by state and city inspection rules.

More improvements are being made to residential HVAC regulations, especially boilers. The Boiler Safety Compliance Division of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry “enforces and oversees the provisions of the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Safety Act.

The primary objective is to protect life and property through regular inspections of boiler and pressure vessel equipment and to ensure compliance with state laws, rules and regulations governing the construction, installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of boilers and pressure vessels.”

Regular HVAC maintenance of boilers ensures that you abide by state (and city) inspection, operation, repair, and other regulations, which keeps your family safe and healthy and your home warm.

Extend the life of your heating and cooling equipment.

Regular HVAC maintenance doesn’t mean only scheduling a professional for a maintenance visit or sign up for a maintenance agreement (though, it is helpful). Regular HVAC maintenance also means performing do-it-yourself tasks to keep your heating and cooling equipment running efficiently in-between visits.

Here are a few tips on performing DIY maintenance tasks for your home HVAC system:

• Run it often. Run your appliances every week in order to keep each component from going rusty. It’s especially important to perform this routine during the summer, so cold-weather appliances (like your heater and ductwork) are ready for winter.

• Look for warning signs. Pay special attention to unfamiliar, odd noises and marks around your heating and cooling equipment. This helps you identify any possible problems with the equipment, so you can schedule timely repair.

• Check the ventilation. If your heating and/or cooling equipment is in a closed, compact area, keep it as clutter-free as possible. HVAC equipment needs a lot of ventilation to work in its best condition, and you can help by keeping it clean and clear.

By extending the life of your equipment, you’ll spend less on repairs and replacement parts, which means more money to spend on your dream home!

If you’re looking to learn more about the benefits of regular HVAC maintenance, sign up for MOSS’ new HVAC Service Agreement.

To see how Moss Building & Design can help create your dream addition, contact us at 703.961.7707 or Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

With graduation season winding down and Father’s Day approaching fast, I’ve found myself thinking about grads and dads a lot. What do both have in common?

Their love of the outdoors and eating pizza, of course! If you’re looking for the perfect gift for the graduate, dad, or father figure in your life, think about an outdoor pizza oven or fire pit to really light up their summer plans.

Designing Your Outdoor Space

Think about where you want to establish a cooking or fire pit space in your backyard. A little remodeling may be necessary, particularly if you don’t want to build a pizza oven base yourself.

All sorts of structures, from simple to elaborate, should be considered, depending on your interests and budget. This more involved design from Houzz creates a dedicated outdoor kitchen and seating space for your family and guests. 

People say your backyard is your oasis. For me, that’s totally true. It’s also a place where I go to stay calm and to showcase my personality and creativity. If you’ve been thinking about building up your garden, now’s the time to get started!

Whether you prefer a butterfly or vegetable garden, we have the tips you need to create the DIY garden of your dreams.

Start From The Ground Up

First, start with a base. These raised garden beds from The Home Depot are easy to assemble and give you lots of options to contain your vegetable garden space. Go with one square box or do a tiered approach for different types of plants.

If your garden stays floral, think outside the box. Laying mulch and hearty topsoil in curving shapes in your back or front yard is a good start.

Create a design, and outline it with stones or sticks to make sure you get your outline just right before laying down any new dirt or sod. Better Homes and Gardens has a helpful online garden planning tool that guides you through choosing your shape and picking the plants and bushes to accent your garden. Check it out!

Choose Your Shrubbery & Plants

The online planning tool helps you envision different types of shrubbery and plants for your space. Make a trip to your local garden center, such as Northern Virginia staple The Merrifield Garden Center, to see what’s in season or get recommendations from local specialists in your area.

To appeal to all the senses, mix textures (smooth, frilly, prickly, and ripply), colors, and sizes when choosing your plants, according to Better Homes and Gardens. Just like when designing the interior of a home, mixing and matching colors and textures creates a complementary look that’s pleasing to the eye. 

Add Your Own DIY Touches

Really make the space your own with some additional DIY accents. A wood pallet walkway, for example, is an easy way to beautify your space and make it accessible.

Many DIYers are highly skilled at upcycling, and garden DIY work is no different. For a unique take on potted plants, use old tool boxes, Mason jars, boots, or wagons for soil and the plants of your choice. If space is a concern, build a vertical flower garden bed. A trellis over a structured box gives room for flowers and plants to grow up as they reach for sunlight.  

If a formally constructed look is more your speed, hire a contractor to build something like this raised cedar garden bed.

Alternatively, your contractor could add a beautiful sitting area to your backyard, so you can admire all your DIY gardening work. A pergola, garden trellis, or arbor provides the perfect accent to complete the look of your garden.

A home addition is a big investment, but it’s worth it. Here’s how you can use a new home addition with the help of Moss Building & Design in Northern Virginia:

As a special space.

The best part about a custom home addition is that it can be used for whatever you want. If you’re more practical, think about bumping out your kitchen, adding a yoga sanctuary or mudroom. Add a screened-in porch or a sunroom for a better outdoor view when sipping steaming coffee on a Sunday.

If you enjoy a life of luxury, consider a wine cellar, trophy room, walk-out bar, or in-home movie theater in your basement. These additions make life a little better — and definitely more luxurious.

No matter what you’re looking for and investing in, home additions (especially an all-season addition) offer an aesthetically functional space for you to decorate, design, and live the way you’ve always wanted to.

As an extra source of income.

You’re remodeling your home to meet your families specific needs. Eventually those needs may change as the kids get older, and family dynamics change. You may find yourself with some extra space in your home that you can use to put a little money in your pocket, consider investing in a custom addition. It’ll cost a bit to put it together, but you can use this room as a rentable space on travel websites like Airbnb and HomeAway. People around the world are looking to save money when taking a vacation. That means travelers are ditching hotels for hostels and rentable homes.

Get in on the travel trend by listing your new space as a rentable property. It becomes an extra source of income for your family, so you can take a vacation next time!

As a home resale value increaser.

Your home is a financial asset that typically appreciates over time, especially if you put in the TLC to keep it updated. But, did you know that custom home additions add value to your long-term homey investment? 

Some future homebuyers want more bedrooms and bathrooms, a larger kitchen, and/or an additional sun or mudroom — anything that qualifies as usable space. This can drive up the resale value of your home (if you use a reputable contractor and do the project right) when you’re ready to move to another home.

As an alternative to moving.

Moving into a new home is a hassle and takes the greater part of a year to complete, from financing to home tours to closing dates. A custom addition is a great alternative to moving. Here’s why: 

• Custom home additions are less expensive than new construction homes, especially if you’re in a fixer upper that’s below potential market value. An addition provides the coziness and comfortability of your own home while still having a feeling of newness.
• An addition gives you the freedom to design it how you’ve always envisioned and creates more square footage, whether you go up or out, to tailor this new space to your liking.
• If you love your neighborhood, schools and general area, an addition is a great choice for you. If you are tight on yard space consider building up instead of out. You will still get all the space you need without sacrificing any of your yard. 

Whichever reason convinces you to get a home addition, Moss Building & Design can help make your dream a reality.

If you’re ready to commit to this type of home renovation project, call Moss Building & Design in Northern Virginia at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com.

Few words describe this amazing home remodel in McLean, Virginia, by Moss Building & Design, Northern Virginia’s top remodeler.

Buoyed by the vision of the homeowner and fulfilled by our team of interior designers and project managers, this renovation truly demonstrates the capabilities of Moss Building & Design — not only in structural changes, but in listening to our clients and providing them with the home remodel of their dreams. 

This McLean, Virginia, home, purchased by our client to be nearer to family, was beautiful to begin with. Our client, however, wanted the space to feel differently for them.

In addition to major updates to the kitchen, master bedroom, and master bathroom, MOSS provided new floors on the main level, redid the living room mantle, painted the entire home, and installed a new front door. 

Kitchen Renovation

To fulfill our client’s vision for their kitchen, MOSS opened up walls into the dining room, creating a more open and fluid space. In traditional design style, this kitchen remodel included new quartzite countertops and custom-made Ken Mason Tile backsplash. Semi-custom Hampshire cabinets and new appliances, including a second dishwasher, were installed. 

Master Suite Remodel

Renovating a master bedroom is very personal. Our client wanted a more open space and to utilize additional room from other nearby bedrooms. MOSS created a new walk-in closet for the master bedroom from a smaller bedroom, and then transformed the original closet into a small seating area.

In addition, MOSS installed a tray ceiling, which made the master bedroom appear larger and more light-filled. The master bedroom, therefore, became more of a master suite. 

Master Bathroom Remodel

Our client had a specific vision for their master bathroom: To create a larger space with a “wet room.” MOSS took on the challenge and combined the original master bathroom with an adjoining hallway bath to create a truly incredible bathroom.

The shower area and large tub were built in the same area, surrounded by fixed panel glass with no doorway. The “wet room” allows young visitors to splash as they wish without worry of the flooring. MOSS installed a porcelain, marble-like tile on the floors, walls, and shower floor. The chosen vanity top was Mother Of Pearl quartzite. 

See more photos of this beautiful before and after transformation by visiting our gallery of images on Houzz. 

Want to learn more about a home remodel of your own? Don’t hesitate to contact us at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com.

A custom home addition is all about what you want and need. A vision board of Houzz and Pinterest pins is a great place to gather the style inspiration, but think about your true end goal for the project. What is your family dynamic like? What features are going to improve the quality of your life in your home?

Moss Building & Design details some of the most popular home addition options, according to Houzz and our personal project portfolio. Check it out below!

A luxury Northern Virginia addition.

If your tastes err on the side of luxury, Moss Building & Design has you covered. This custom addition with kitchen and bathroom remodel in Fairfax Station, Virginia, reflects a contemporary and elegant blend of interior design.

The classy Mediterranean vibe includes a color palette of green, blue, grey, black, and taupe across all rooms. Accent pieces include crystal chandeliers, thick white curtains, ornate vases and kitchenware, curved furniture, and more. Check out all of the pictures of this project on Houzz.

An in-home oasis.

If you need a little more space for quiet time, think about an in-home oasis (also called a salon) as your home addition. This popular space often includes a couch, set of chairs, and a coffee table adorned with books or magazines for Sunday reading. It’s the getaway you never knew you needed!

Check out this enclosed salon in Illinois with a custom plaster ceiling, dark wood floor, gray walls, no television, and a standard fireplace.

A deck extension.

A covered deck is a great way to get on board with this season’s hottest trend: bringing the outdoors in (without using plain houseplants). This natural home addition is an easy extension of your space and can include everything from cushioned outdoor seating and tables to a firepit and backyard grill.

Check out this Houzz inspiration from a Moss Building & Design project in Annandale, Virginia.

A bungalow.

So chic! Most people think a bungalow is reserved for island or beach homes, but that’s just not the case. You can build a bungalow right in Northern Virginia as a custom home addition project.

Check out this farmhouse chic bungalow in Northern California for design style inspiration. The room includes staple sliding barn doors, cowhide accent chair, woven blinds, statement paintings of nature, and more.

An in-law suite.

Up your guest bedroom game with an in-law suite. This type of custom addition gives visitors their own bedroom and bathroom within the same square footage as your home.

For design style inspiration, check out this remodel in Fairfax, Virginia, that was done by MOSS. The project includes classic interior design with an open concept floor plan, floral chairs, and dark kitchenette cabinets.

A wine cellar.

Whether you’re a pinot grigio connoisseur or a moscato lover, a wine cellar is the perfect custom addition to your home. For inspiration, this wine cellar in South Carolina holds thousands of bottles in dark oak cabinetry and includes a traditional design style color palette of Wenge, Arroyo Red, Delicate Peach, Satchel, and Caramel Apple from Benjamin Moore. The stone walls complete the traditional design look.

Whatever room you’re dreaming about or need for the future, Moss Building & Design has you covered. Before calling us, learn a little more about how to plan the perfect home addition remodel.

If you’re thinking of committing to a home addition, call Moss Building & Design in Northern Virginia at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 13th. I’m sure many of you have plans for your moms, wives, and grandmas already, right? If not, don’t despair! There are still flowers, cards, and chocolates you can buy, and other lovely ways to show the mom in your life that you care about her. 

But just in case you are looking for some other ideas, we polled the moms at MOSS for what THEY would love to receive for Mother’s Day. Maybe these will give you some ideas…

Liz Lee, Project Designer: “A day at the spa.” 

Jeannine Miller, People Ops Specialist: “I asked for a new apron or an Apple Watch and said, ‘You kids can decide which you think would make me most happy. Keep in mind, I’m the parent who usually picks out your birthday gifts.”

Michelle Moore, Project Coordinator: “A homemade craft project from my girls.”

Julia Kilberg, Community Relations: “I NEED quiet time with a good fiction book.”

Jenn Zschunke, Community Relations Manager: “To sleep late and do as little as possible around the house.”

So from everyone at MOSS to all of you, Happy Mother’s Day to those moms out there who give their all, all the time. We’re grateful for you and all you do!  And if Mom asks for a few projects around the house, don’t hesitate to contact Moss Building & Design for a free estimate at 703.961.7707 or hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com.