Blog

We all know that kids like to get dirty. There’s nothing more guaranteed than grass stains on a toddler’s brand new, clean pants. I’ve come to embrace it. Children learn through play and there’s no better place to explore and learn than your own backyard. With this in mind, there are a number of educational outdoor structures you can build for your children that go beyond the typical playhouse or playground.

Simple Mud Kitchens for Your Backyard:  A Kitchen Remodel for Kids

Mud kitchens are by far my favorite outdoor structure because they can be designed in so many ways to meet your needs and accommodate the space you have in your backyard.  A mud kitchen, also known as a texture kitchen, is a simple outdoor structure made from wood, pallets, and a sink. This helps kids explore the many textures in nature as they play with dirt, water, leaves, bark, and anything else they find outside. Mud kitchens can be just a few feet wide or more elaborate structures that resemble real kitchens.

(from aroundthethicket.com)

Incorporate Real Kitchen Elements

Add a few indoor kitchen items, like pots, pans, muffin tins, and spoons to your mud kitchen and your kids will be making you mud pies in no time. You could even build an herb wall next to the mud kitchen to help teach them about gardening and cooking. Plus, you’ll have fresh herbs for when you’re cooking real dinner later. 

(from onelittleproject.com)

Bigger Mud Kitchens for More Advanced Play

If you have the space, larger mud kitchens can incorporate even more elements of a traditional indoor kitchen. They also provide more space for multiple children to play at once. While one child preps the mud in the sink, another can chop grass on the counter, while a third bakes the muddy treats in the “oven.” Add some hooks for hanging pots and pans, old coffee cans to collect spoons, spatulas, or other utensils, and finish it off with a chalk board for announcing the day’s meal. 

 (from Hoselink.com)

Northern Virginia’s Best Kitchen Remodeler

If this has you thinking of how to best design your own indoor kitchen, the professionals at MOSS are here to help.  We look forward to continuing to be your one stop shop for all your home improvement needs.  If you have general questions, call MOSS at 703.961.7707 or email Sales@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

The first thought many homeowners have when preparing for the holidays is: “Where am I going to host everyone??” Whether you are hosting out of town guests for days or entertaining for just a few hours, you are already anticipating all of the cleaning and decorating that will go into the preparations. Here are a few tips for creating that perfect accommodating space in your basement!

Open Concept Design for your Basement Remodel

Let’s start with the basics. Open concept design for houses is very popular right now and for good reason! It allows rooms to flow within each other and creates the perception of a larger space. This is the perfect design for entertaining guests, for they have plenty of room to spread out without being closed off from each other.

Credit: Mashall Design Group

Cozy Living

It’s imperative to have enough seating to accommodate all of your guests. Or, if you’re hosting overnight, make sure you have enough beds! If you don’t have a guest bedroom, there are so many trendy options for sleeper sofas now, it’s easy; like this one from Ikea!  This basement remodel in Oakton, VA has plenty of seating with the secitional and even has a guest bedroom and bathroom for friends and family that stay overnight.

Add a Wet Bar/Kitchenette to your Basement

We all know a favorite way of spreading holiday cheer – in a glass! Whether the kids are snuggling up with a hot chocolate or you’re creating a fancy adult drink, a kitchenette or wet bar is necessary for the basement. It also offers overnight guests more privacy during their stay, not needing to leave the basement for kitchen needs.  The basement remodel in Oakton (pictured above and below) features a gorgeous wet bar.

Entertaining in your New Basement

Finally, the fun part – entertainment! The best part about hosting guests is the opportunity for fun. Whether it’s a new TV sound system or game room, this is a great opportunity to liven it up! Pool tables, foosball tables, or a fireplace to gather around makes for the perfect holiday season surrounded by family and friends.

We look forward to being your one stop shop for all your home improvement needs. If you are looking to finish or update your basement, the professionals at MOSS are here to help. If you have general questions, call MOSS at 703.961.7707 or email Sales@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

Cute and affordable outdoor ideas from Wayfair

Yes, yes it is. And with pumpkin flavored everything comes….fall!  And we can’t stop thinking about all of the awesome design and decor ideas for your outdoor space.  

Who doesn’t love beautiful things at a great price??  We’ve found some of our favorite reasonably priced outdoor decor ideas from Wayfair.com.

Tear Drop PVC Swing Chair

This tear drop swing chair is the perfect addition to your personal outdoor getaway.  A book in one hand, a PSL in the other and you’re all set for a good morning or evening in this swing chair.  You can even encourage the kids to enjoy it while they read!  

5 Piece Sectional for Your Outdoor Oasis

Loving hosting, but don’t have enough outdoor seating?  This 5 piece sectional has plenty of space for everyone.  We love the bold colors and small ottoman that comes with it.  Add some string lights and you’re on your way to creating a wonderful oasis for all to enjoy.  

Add a Bar Cooler to Your Outdoor Space

This one is a personal favorite.  This multi-use cooler acts as a small table, a cocktail table, and cooler!  It’s perfect for when you have guests over, or if you’re just hanging out with the family.  Homeowners are raving about it on Wayfair.com.  With over 700 reviews it has 4.5 stars.  Best part, it’s under $100.  

Decorate your Space with an Outdoor Rug

Wayfair has many cute and affordable outdoor rugs.  From conservative solid colors to bold patterns, there is something to appeal to everyone.

https://www.wayfair.com/rugs/sb0/outdoor-rugs-c478542.html

Outdoor Remodels and Additions in Northern Virginia

We look forward to being your one stop for all your home improvement needs. If you are thinking of creating or updating your outdoor space, the professionals at MOSS are here to help.  If you have general questions, call MOSS at 703.961.7707 or email Sales@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

Fall is a hectic time for families with back-to-school activities and sports practices filling up the calendar. Some people may even start thinking about prepping for Halloween or the upcoming holidays. To me, however, there’s nothing better than sitting back, relaxing outside, and enjoying the cooler, more pleasant weather this month. So how can you create a backyard oasis that can be used all year round?

Accentuate the Outdoors

Natural materials are “in” – think cedar posts, native plants, water features, and natural stone. A fire pit is another fun accent for the backyard and the perfect way to get your family together to roast marshmallows. If you’re looking for a more dramatic design effect, consider installing an outdoor gas fireplace. Safety is really important when it comes to deck fireplaces, so make sure to choose a fire-safe hearth, especially if you want a more traditional wood-burning variety fireplace.  This remodel in Arlington, VA (pictured below) has the perfect outdoor space.

Enclose the Space for Use all Season Long

You can also make your backyard really feel like home by enclosing your space. Whether you use glass, screens or keep it open to the air, adding a fan and some lighting overhead will make your outdoor space feel more like another room in your house. Screens will keep the pesky bugs out in the summer and fall and the fan will keep air moving on hot days. To get the chill out of the air during fall and temperate winters, use a gas or electric patio heater.

Bring the Indoors, Out

Make your outdoor space feel more like home by adding indoor-outdoor furniture. Many couches, chairs, and rugs now look more cozy than your typical benches and can stand up to the wind and rain. Patios also can be equipped with sound systems and televisions as long as they’re protected from the elements. If you like to cook, you could even install an outdoor pizza oven for authentic, home-cooked family pizza nights. Then you’ll have great food and a lovely place to sit and eat it!  This remodel in McLean, VA (pictured below) includes indoor-outdoor furniture, as well as a beautiful rafter celing for a extra touch of ‘home.’

Outdoor Remodels and Additions in Northern VA

We look forward to being your one stop for all your home improvement needs. If you are thinking of creating or updating your outdoor space, the professionals at MOSS are here to help.  If you have general questions, call MOSS at 703.961.7707 or email Sales@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

Bathroom Design Trends in Northern VA

As summer comes to an end and autumn draws closer, you start spending more time indoors- so why not make your next project revamping your bathroom? Check out these new trends for bathroom renovations!

Looking to create a relaxing oasis? Try a freestanding bath tub!

They’re perfect for soaking away the approaching cold weather.

(Via Baltimore At Home, Style Me Pretty, Moss Building & Design)

Freestanding tubs are so versatile, they’ll fit in any style bathroom. Rustic, modern, or traditional- you can design around it any way you want! Place it in your bathroom alone or in conjunction with a shower for the full experience. Select a tub with jets for a jacuzzi experience, or keep it simple! 

Like most workers in the Washington, DC metro area, you’ve probably found yourself in the middle of a long commute at some point in the past few years. That’s why more and more of us are turning to some sort of “flex work” or work from home arrangement. It’s now commonplace for many Northern Virginians to work from home at least one day a week. To accommodate this, Moss has seen an increased focus on designing home office spaces. So, if you are limited by space, how can you make the most of what you have and not feel like you’re working in a broom closet?

Work Comfortably From Home

Instead of crowding your space, keep things simple. Functionality is key, especially in small spaces, so make sure any built-ins can double as bookshelves as well as storage for key office essentials. Many home remodeling projects in Arlington, VA, for example, forgo classically large home offices for built-in space adjacent to kitchens, living rooms or basements.  

Incorporate a Sliding Door Into Your Remodel

As an addition contractor in the Northern VA area, we recently completed a project in McLean that included an office nook off the side of the new kitchen. Instead of just being used as a closet or for other storage, this small space, which became separated from the living area by a sliding barn door feature, doubles as an office nook. The beautiful sliding door brings in a hip design trend element to any home while also creating separation from the main living space for making calls and focusing on work. It looks great with doors open or closed!

Remodel Your Home With an Office Space

Like in kitchens, a white color palette creates a neat, yet inviting space for you to complete your work projects. Nowadays, so much of business is taking place virtually on laptops, phones and iPads. Therefore there’s little need for large, clunky office furniture and deep desks that take up a lot of space. You may even choose to hide common office equipment like printers that don’t get much use behind cabinet exteriors. This adds to the clean look of your space, especially if visitors will frequently walk past or peak into this area near one of your other common living spaces.

Best Remodeling Company in Northern Virginia

If you’re in need of a Northern Virginia contractor for your next remodel, addition or home-office project, contact Moss, the premier remodeler in Northern Virginia at 703.961.7707 or email Sales@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

Imagine graduating college and moving back into your parents’ house, to a room you decorated when you were 12 years old. That was me about a month ago; pool blue walls with multi-colored waves I painted myself to match one side of my reversible brown polka-dotted comforter. What a view. Knowing it was time to have my bedroom match my current lifestyle, I set about doing my own little bedroom redesign project! I’m going to walk you through my design process, introduce you to a few of the latest trends in the “young adult” world, and provide you with some great ideas for your guest room!

Redesign Your Northern VA Bedroom

I knew it was time for a change. Naturally, I turned to Pinterest for inspiration. I found that the biggest trends right now are botanicals, textures, and organic materials. I’d describe my personal home style as sort of “sophisticated-boho,” as I love pastels and light neutrals. You could probably describe me as your typical post-grad college girl, drawn to plush pillows, candles, and tapestries.

Bedroom Décor Inspiration

During my design process, these are a few of the photos I focused on for inspiration:

(Via Istome Store, Wiley Valentine, Marzena Marideko)

As you can probably tell, I love the grey/blush/metallic palette mixed with neutral whites. My favorite trend right now is the white marble and rose gold combination. (Even my laptop and phone cases are marble patterned!) Other materials like brick, wood, and velvet are all the rage right now too. Incorporate these into furniture pieces like wooden bed palettes or velvet upholstered headboards. Mixing these textures with plush rugs and chunky knit blankets instantly creates (my idea of) the perfect cozy bedroom vibe.

Bedroom Design Trends in Northern VA

Other trending accessories I found are canopies, woven wall art, and macramé décor! Mix these with string lights and botanical planters to foster a light, natural atmosphere.

(Via Pinterest, Top Cool DIY, Tina Horn)

If your style is a bit more bold and colorful, design your home with jewel tones, geometric prints, and retro accessories. Neon signs, wallpaper, and vintage Edison-style lightbulbs are some current must-haves.

(Via Dalliance Design, Decor Pad, mrkatedotcom)

Trending: Minimalist Designs for Your Guest Bedroom

If these trends are maybe too “out there” for you, or don’t exactly fit into your personal style, don’t be afraid to have some fun with your guest bedroom! The guest bedroom is the perfect opportunity to experiment with your design. These trends are still fun, cozy, and relaxing, yet a bit subdued. Kilim patterned rugs or pillows are a great way to add a bit of muted color! Small touches of texture and print can liven up any simple, minimalist space:

(Via Aspyn Ovard, The Southern Trunk, West Elm)

Home Improvements in Northern VA

We are so excited to announce that we just won the Best General Repairs/Handyman award, voted on by the readers of Washington Family Magazine! Thank you all for your continued support, and we look forward to being your one stop shop for all your home improvement needs. If you are thinking of a home remodel, the professionals at MOSS are here to help.  If you have general questions, call MOSS at 703.961.7707 or email Sales@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

By: Pam Kopiak (PKopiak@MossBuildingandDesign.com)

Tips From the Best Northern VA Remodeler

Unless you are Harry Potter, a room under the stairs isn’t all that likely. BUT making use of that space IS pretty smart.  There are so many things that can be done nowadays.  Ideas that go beyond reading nooks and desk spaces.  Think bigger here.  Impromptu mud rooms, wine cellars and fancy dog crates for starters!  Just a few of the many ideas you can dream up.

Abbreviated Mud Room

Need better storage for all those jackets, shoes and backpacks but don’t have a large area to dedicate to a proper mud room?  No worries!  Use that space under the stairs for a small footprint/big impact solution.  Out of sight but super useful – perfect!

Dog House

Have a puppy you need to contain during the day but sick of that unsightly crate?  Or maybe you want a space your dog can feel comfortable in while he slumbers through the night (fingers crossed).  Look no further than that stairway.  It can be the solution to all your pet needs, while aesthetically pleasing at the same time.

Wine Storage

Is it “wine o’clock” pretty often in your home? Maybe you would like to have a space to store all your wine! Forget the simple wine fridge. Do it right and dedicate an entire space to your collection. Create a wine cellar on the main floor for easy access. Light it up and it can be a beautiful display for all your house guests to enjoy.  You might just want to put a lock on this space!

Addition Contractor in Northern Virginia

If you need more space to remodel the home of your dreams, look no further! We are your own stop shop for all of your home improvement needs.  The professionals at MOSS are here to help.  If you have general questions, or would like a free estimate, call MOSS at 703.961.7707 or email Sales@MossBuildingandDesign.com.