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The holidays are the perfect opportunity to decorate your home! Good decorations spread warmth and feelings of joy and make your home feel like the place to be during the holidays. Decorating is fun and challenging, so here’s what you need to know to decorate your home this holiday season.

Fill The House With Light

The holidays coincide with a lot of natural darkness inside and outside the home. The days are short at this time of year, and winter is just too cold. When guests come, lights make your home feel more welcoming. Decorate your home with light during the holidays!

Place candles on surfaces like tables, counters, and the mantel. If you’re worried about fire hazards, use battery-powered candles. They’re very realistic and have a reassuring glow.

String twinkle lights across the mantel, over your kitchen cabinets, around the kitchen window, and through the centerpiece on your dining room table. If you’re worried about extension cords ruining the effect, buy a battery-powered string of twinkle lights and hide the battery pack.

Keep a fire lit in your fireplace whenever family or friends come over for a holiday celebration. Keep a stack of wood near the fireplace to add to the rustic beauty of your hearth. Invest in a tabletop candelabra for your dining room table centerpiece, or place a candelabra on your mantel.

Add Touches Of Greenery

At this wintery time of year, many homeowners decorate their house with touches of greenery. Wind live or artificial greenery around your staircase railing, doorways, windows, over the mantel, and in your dining room centerpiece.

Keep all greenery away from open flames. This is especially important around the mantel and any candles that you light in your home.

Decorate Your Home With Winter Weather Squash

Squash is a very popular fall decoration, but it’s a winter decoration as well. Look for squash that’s green, white, and other cool winter colors. White pumpkins, in particular, are a symbol of the season and can be combined with other symbols of nature like red berries, holly, and greenery. Use squash as a focal point in rooms like your kitchen or other gathering spaces.

Hang Laurel Leaf Garland

Clip laurel leaves and dry them in your garage or on a craft table. Once they’re dry, paint them with gold spray paint and string them together to form a garland. Golden laurel leaf garland decorates your coffee table, end tables, and the spaces over windows and entryways. Gold spray paint gives laurel leaves a festive look that you’ll love.

Use Holiday Floral Arrangements

Holiday floral arrangements are the perfect addition to any gathering spaces for guests during a holiday celebration. Live flowers are best because of their fragrance and beauty.

Place floral arrangements in the center of your dining room table or on the mantel. Keep the flowers properly watered to ensure that they look their best for guests. Replace or get rid of the flowers as soon as they wilt.

Force Holiday Bulb Flowers

The holidays are a time when many flowers won’t grow in the garden. However, bulbs grow indoors in humid, warm environments like the bathroom. Put bulb flowers like paperwhites in a pot, and then place the pot in a sunny location like a windowsill. Paperwhites and other bulb flowers make your bathroom look festive and joyful over the holidays.

Place Stained Glass In Your Windows

Stained glass is festive and has a sacred quality that’s perfect for holiday celebrations. Place stained glass in windows that get a lot of light. Stained glass bounces light around your room and make your home more festive.

Avoid placing stained glass in windows that are dark (namely, windows with a northern or eastern exposure). Stained glass is less effective in dark windows and also blocks natural light in rooms that need it badly.

Remodel

Now’s the time of year to repaint walls, refinish cabinets, and brighten your home for festivities. If you’re ready to begin a home remodel project, contact Moss Building & Design at 703-961-7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

By: Jenn Zschunke

Whether it’s a simple framed-out space or a necessary update, a basement remodel is overwhelming.

Consider the possibilities of your basement transformation. The final options include storage, a playroom, office, home gym, extra bed and bath, media room — or all of the above.

Approach a basement remodel with a good idea of what you’d like to achieve. Have a vision and (hopeful) end result, as well as a good grasp on your budget, basement features, and priorities. The cost to remodel a basement can vary, with these tips you can maximize your budget for transforming your existing space.

A broad range of possibilities are available for a basement remodel. A good contractor, like Northern Virginia’s premier basement remodelers, Moss Building & Design, is the best first step.

Here are a few important considerations when determining how much a basement renovation might cost:

Ceiling Height Of Your Basement

The International Residential Code requires that “…basement living space must have a clear floor-to-ceiling height of at least 7 feet.”

If your basement ceiling is shorter than 7 feet, consider how to reach that height, either by raising the ceiling or lowering the floor.

Plumbing

If you’re considering a basement bathroom, it’s important to understand the basement plumbing.

Is plumbing already available in the basement? If so, where is it?

If you want to add a bathroom away from the current plumbing lines, extend the pipes — and consider the cost.

If no plumbing is in your basement, it’ll have to be specially drilled and constructed. Having this knowledge ahead of time and working with your contractor saves you headaches down the road! It's important to try to estimate your basement bathroom cost before you begin the project.

Basement Flooring

If you’re walking around on concrete floor, it’s understandable to want something more comfortable. These days, the range in options (and costs) is great.

Consider carpeting, tile sheets, luxury vinyl tile, or hardwood. Before putting down new flooring, a basement floor must be level, which is an additional cost. Concrete settles easily, so it’s important to hire an expert to level the floor before any top flooring is placed. This avoid future cracks and unevenness. Ensure you know how much square footage needs to be modified to add flooring to ensure you are meeting your budget.

Basement Bedroom And Egress Window

Would you like to add a bedroom to your basement for guests and relatives? It’s a great idea, especially for privacy, but take these considerations into account.

For a bedroom to be in a basement, an egress window must allow for an escape in an emergency situation. An experienced contractor is able to share what this is and its costs for installation.

These are a few of the considerations to take into account before embarking on the basement remodel of your dreams.

Are you considering a basement remodel? Contact Moss Building & Design at 703-961-7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

By: Jenn Zschunke

An unfinished basement is a blank canvas. Thinking about how to renovate your basement and make it a warm, inviting live/work/play area is exciting!

Moss Building & Design, Northern Virginia’s premier basement remodeling contractor, is here to make your unfinished basement go from blank to a space for the entire family. Check out some different unfinished basement ideas that MOSS has for your space & learn about some unfinished basement ideas for kids.

Add A Media Room To Your Basement For Added Entertainment

Why go to the movie theatre when you can show big-screen blockbusters at home? Plus, you can have your favorite snacks and drinks on hand without paying top dollar. This beautiful media room showcases the hallmark of MOSS basement remodeling work, from the boxed ceiling to built-ins. You’ll never go out to the movies again after adding a media room to your basement floor plan! Having custom lighting added to your home theatre also allows you to forego natural light, and focus on building the best quality home theatre possible.

Add A Basement Bedroom And Bathroom For Guest Privacy

What’s that saying about guests? Having visitors to your home, whether for a few nights or weeks, adds a layer of stress to your usual routine. A private basement bedroom and bathroom give your and your guest space to decompress after a long day of fun. It’s a win-win! Having a large area dedicated to guests can allow them to feel more welcome, and can be cost-effective as opoosed to remodeling a main level.

Basement Ideas for Kids: Add a Playroom

It’s a nice feeling to be able to send the kids outside to play, but they can’t do that on cold or wet days. A fun playroom for the kids in the basement is the solution. It creates organization out of the chaos and gives the kids a sense of their own space. Plus, it keeps the toys out from under your feet on the main level.

Add A Workout Area

Workout motivation comes from many directions. It can be personal health, weight loss, and so on. Yet, getting to the gym is often difficult when you have children, a busy career, or other commitments. A basement workout and exercise area is a good option for anyone who needs to a quick workout or can’t get out of the house. MOSS is an expert in renovating and adding an exercise room that rivals any gym.

Create An In-Home Office In Your Basement

Telecommuting is an option for many in the Northern Virginia area. Why not consider building a home office in your basement? Carve out the space in the floor plan to consider how you work best. Would a window view help you succeed? Do you want built-in shelves for a printer, documents, and other storage? Give yourself the calm and productive space you need to get your work done.

Whatever you decide for your basement remodeling project, know that MOSS is here to work with you to make it an incredible transformation.

You can also call us at 703.961.7707 or email us atHello@MossBuildingandDesign.com to begin the basement remodel you’ve been thinking about.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Preparing Your Northern VA Home For Fall

After many hot, and humid days this summer, we all anxiously await the cooler temperatures of fall. While you and your kids might be ready to jump into the next season, is your home properly prepped for the change?

Moss Building & Design is the perfect remodeling company to get those handyman items off of your honey-do list. We’ll take care of prep items, too, before the weather gets chilly.

Here are specific maintenance and remodeling items to prepare your Northern Virginia home for fall.

Painting & Basement Remodeling Projects

‘Tis the season for a good interior paint job. The winter is too cold to shut all the windows, and dive into large-scale interior painting projects. The summer is too hot, but fall offers the perfect time to spruce up those rooms that need a little extra TLC.

Make sure your basement is in tip-top shape for all the indoor time ahead. If you’ve been thinking about remodeling your basement, now is the time. Turn your basement into the perfect playroom, home theater, or extra bedroom. Add a kitchen and bar area for that extra entertainment space.

This basement remodel in McLean, Virginia, completely transformed to update a living space, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. The dark birch cabinets in the wet bar create a coziness in the basement. The tile choice makes for easy spill cleanup. This basement definitely has what it takes to become a home for the family in the winter and a house for out-of-town holiday guests.

Exterior Repairs: Gutters, Roofs, And Windows Need Extra Attention

You also need to tend to gutters, roofs, and windows this time of year. Clear out gutters and keep them clean as foliage begins to drop. Now’s the time to repair any damage that occurred from summer storms. If your gutters clog or break come winter, ice buildup could damage your home’s framing and drywall. Avoid this at all costs!

Seal any roof leaks before freezing rain and snow piles up. Don’t forget about the chimney, as well. Annually inspect chimneys for critters, cracks, and soot buildup. You may stoke a fire sooner than you think.

Check doors and windows for cracked or frayed caulk and weatherstripping. Air leaks cause the heating bill to rise as the weather turns colder. It’s an easy fix you or a handyman can catch.

Check Your Deck

Summer activities take a toll on your outdoor space. Make sure you address any loose boards, nail pops, or other deck issues while you still want to be outside. Once winter hits, small deck problems are exacerbated by wintry weather conditions.

Also, consider a renovation or remodeling project to enclose your deck to make an all-season space. Build a new deck or patio for a great space prepared come spring again! For example, check out the below McLean, Virginia, porch addition.

Prepare Your Home For Fall With Northern Virginia’s Best Contractor

Do you want to talk to about renovating your Northern Virginia home? Do you need a contractor to prepare your home for the fall? Call us at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

By Pam Kopiak (PKopiak@MossBuildingandDesign.com)

On a daily basis, I must yell “Get out of the kitchen!” at least 3 or 4 times.  My kids seem to LOVE being underfoot as I make dinner.  Never mind the newest Xbox set up in the living room with the LATEST football game out there.  Nope.  They want to kick a soccer ball around my feet or play with their Hot Wheels across the floor.  It drives me insane, I need them out!  This is where having a kitchen basement would come in handy.

Small Kitchens

This MOSS basement remodel in Ashburn, VA features a bar set up so you could send your guests downstairs to enjoy some beverages while simultaneously entertaining your children in the basement.  Set up a movie for them on the big screen and the adults can catch the football game on the bar screen.  I consider that a win/win.

Simple Kitchen

Then there is this remodel in Oakton, VA which features a slightly more robust kitchen footprint.  Now, with that oven, the guests, or your spouse whom you also sent out of the main kitchen, could be warming up hors d’oeuvres for the kids and grabbing some juice pouches (and wine) from the fridge.  Then let the kids play soccer in THIS space downstairs.  GOAL!

Full Kitchens

Or you could go big time.  This basement remodel in McLean, VA features some BIG items.  You have the full fridge and a dishwasher.  This is not only perfect for family get-togethers but also for hosting the in-laws. This basement features a full kitchen and a bedroom, allowing you to keep the kids AND extra guests out of your hair even when you aren’t cooking in the kitchen.  Sign me up!

Best Northern VA Contractor

If you are thinking of a home remodel and have any special needs that you need to have addressed, 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: Zaiba Hasan (ZHasan@MossBuildingandDesign.com)

When renovating our home last year, we decided to update our basement kitchenette. With four young kids plus frequent out of town visitors, we have a myriad of people coming in and out of our home at all times. Containing the mess that is the basement allows ME to keep my sanity.  Given that this was a “bonus” kitchen of sorts, coming up with the appropriate design to fit our family needs was indeed a fun challenge.  Here are a few things to think about when creating an amazing bar area for your basement:

Design Theme

For me, coming up with the theme is the best part of any kind of renovation. With this type of remodel you can really let your imagination guide the choices you make.  Whether you decide to go with a sports bar theme or downtown chic, a wet bar can really be the focal point of your basement.

Choosing Appliances

Deciding how you will use your wet bar will determine what appliances will go into your space.   Planning on keeping it simple?  A beautiful sink and a mini-fridge is probably all you’ll need to make it fully functional as a wet bar.  We use our basement kitchen as a secondary entertainment space.  We opted for a regular sized fridge and a dishwasher to make it more useful for our family.

1. What kind of flooring will be best? The flooring in your basement is extremely important in adding character, dimension, and warmth to what otherwise can be a “cold” space. The flooring in your wet bar area is no exception to that but should also be durable.  These days, in addition to all the logical choices, there are some fun basement tiles that are specially made to with stand any potential water damage.  (You never can be too careful in protecting your basement floors from water damage.)
2. Will there be a television or home entertainment? If you are my hubby you are already thinking of how to add another television set to the basement (that’s his angle for any home project).  Figuring out the BEST placement of a home entertainment section will be determined by how your family will use the space.  If you DO decide to go the home entertainment route, you may need to add some additional cable outlets or electricity to the area to accommodate this.
3. What color choices will you make? Generally, the rule of thumb is that the colors in the basement should be light and bright.  This is probably because of the absence of natural light!  However, nowadays many people are exploring the use of bold/darker colors to really create mood and ambiance!

Best Remodeler in Northern Virginia

Did you know that not only was Moss Home Services just voted The Best Handyman 2017 by the readers of Arlington Magazine, but Moss Building and Design is also the reigning Best Remodeler?! Thank you so much for your support throughout the years, and we look forward to being your one stop shop for all your home improvement needs. If you have any general questions, call MOSS at 703.961.7707 or email Sales@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

Until Next Time,

Z