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We’re always excited to showcase home remodel projects that MOSS, Northern Virginia’s top remodeler, completes. This particular remodel in north Arlington, Virginia, is a stunner.

Two fallen trees from a spring storm damaged this home. MOSS turned this home into a beautiful light-filled showcase. Its open kitchen concept represents the owners’ love for entertaining and family time.

The owners of this home considered remodeling for awhile. When the trees fell and damaged most of their home, they moved forward with MOSS as their home contractor. Working with our designers, this family had specific goals for their home remodel, including the following:

• An eat-in kitchen with plenty of room to accommodate all family members
• An open, informal space for entertaining with lots of light
• Maximum deck space for use in at least three seasons 

Kitchen and Dining Rooms Transformation

Before renovations took place, the kitchen was too small to accommodate this family’s needs. Making meals, hosting family gatherings, and enjoying family time felt forced and cramped. This was one of the homeowner’s main goals that MOSS worked with them to achieve.

Now, they have a space where everyone can be together but not on top of one another. The kitchen remodel offers different zones for cooking, working, and hanging out.

Deck Updates

Before the remodel, this home had ample deck space, but it wasn’t useable outside of the summer months. When MOSS remodeled the kitchen, we added interior square footage. This allowed us to add exterior space, too.

The exterior space included covered seating, a wood-burning fireplace, heating elements for year-round use, and mounted television!

This family wanted a separate dining area as part of the open concept kitchen. Beautiful lighting and an extended dining table with comfortable seating allows for entertaining and family meals.

Main Floor Mudroom

Before the renovation, this family didn’t have a central location for their young children’s belongings, sports equipment, and toys. MOSS created a mudroom near the front door that keeps this family well organized.

At MOSS, we work with our homeowners at every step of their remodel. By truly listening to you and how you plan to use your new space, we can help you improve the quality of your life in your home. The before and after photos prove how significant these changes were for this family! Imagine the possibilities for your home!

If you’re interested in MOSS and our home remodeling services, call us at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingAndDesign.com.

Kitchen backsplashes have morphed from the practical designs of old to statement pieces in your kitchen. Backsplashes are meant to protect walls from spills and are now a way to express your design style.

Backsplashes are comprised of a variety of materials (glass, tile, wood, metal, and stone) and take on many different design styles, from the classic subway tile to a more intricate basketweave or herringbone pattern. Our favorite kitchen backsplash styles, designed by Moss Building & Design, highlight the range of options you have when remodeling your kitchen.

Backsplash Wows Behind Gas Ranges

This gorgeous kitchen backsplash in Oakton, Virginia, is the main focal point of the room. Behind the Wolf Pro-Style Gas Range, the backsplash is made of a beautiful pattern of interlocking white and brown Hirsch glass tile mosaic.

For a tile close-up, see below.

Glass Backsplashes Accentuate Modern Kitchens

In this contemporary-style Arlington, Virginia, kitchen, the dark and light interlocking glass tile backsplash beautifully complements the darker maple-chocolate cabinets and Whitney from Cambria countertops.

Another example of glass tile appears in this Fairfax, Virginia, kitchen. The Moscato Glass tile from Mosaic Tile runs horizontally around the kitchen with a ⅓-offset pattern, while a colorful Linea Glass Mosaic accent tile makes the backsplash wall stand out with vertical tile running behind the range up to the ceiling.

This very bright, fresh, and white McLean, Virginia, kitchen remodel also features ⅓-offset glass tile. The pattern gives a modern feel to the traditional subway-style look by moving the offset placement a third of the way instead of halfway through the tile.

Traditional Travertine Is A Long-Lasting Favorite

You can’t go wrong with a traditional look. This McLean, Virginia, kitchen in a traditional white design has a classy and polished pearl-toned Travertine backsplash to match the cabinets. The ming-green basketweave-patterned accent feature behind the range adds a nice pop of color. The blue-green accent creates a soothing atmosphere while you cook.

According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, mixing unique colors and patterns (including basketweave) into your kitchen remodel is very trendy for 2018.

This Herndon, Virginia, remodel also goes the traditional route in the Dore Royal Tumbled Travertine used throughout the kitchen. The backsplash above the range matches the rest of the horizontal bricks between the cabinets. An oiled bronze-colored tile frames the accent with four Fleur De Lis decorative squares in the corners.

Stone Makes A Statement

If glass and Travertine aren’t your design style, up your backsplash game with a very unique stone look. In this rustic Reston, Virginia kitchen, the homeowners opted to make their backsplash a whole accent wall with beautiful natural stone.

Natural Stone In Bold Patterns Shows Personality

For a more colorful look, this Centreville, Virginia, home used a combination of Mosaic Tile natural stone Centaur brick as the main tile pattern and an Oracle Braids accent border.

For more inspiration and to find your kitchen backsplash style, check out these 45 Kitchen Backsplashes on HGTV and browse our Ideabook on Houzz.

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

This uniquely built, round house in Oakton, Virginia, presented design challenges that the MOSS team adeptly navigated with a modern touch to make it more updated and usable for the homeowners. Modern updates can be seen throughout the house with the use of gray and white paint, new hardwood flooring, the creation of ensuite bathrooms, and a general opening up of dead space.

MOSS’ team of interior designers, project managers, and skilled carpenters completely reconfigured the living areas and applied new paint and flooring throughout the house in a renovation timeline of only seven months. This room, for example, was transformed from drab living space to a fabulous guest room ensuite bathroom.

The exterior of the home also went through a transition from its original dark brown color to white with James Hardie siding. A new roof was also installed.

Living Room Remodel

The living room was given a much-needed face lift with replacement floor-to-ceiling windows, featuring stunning 17-foot by 5-foot pieces of glass; new, modern wide-plank hardwood floor; and an updated staircase. The existing frame of the circular staircase was kept in place, but the MOSS team installed new treads and rails to give it a fresh look. An updated orb light fixture and the removal of brick and wood paneling ornamentation completed the remodel.

Kitchen Remodel

The kitchen layout was completely reconfigured, and the homeowner and MOSS team didn’t shy away from moving and removing walls. To open up the space, the team took out a large stone cooktop island, changed the location of the staircase that descends into the living room, and removed a wall between the living and dining rooms. The homeowner chose to mix light and dark colors with classic white Stonebridge by Hampshire, semi-custom cabinets, a unique wood range hood, and a dark wood island. Stainless steel appliances and orb light fixtures complement the modern look.

Master Bathroom Remodel

Another hallmark of this remodel is the master bath. The rectangular, white Wyndham Collection acrylic, freestanding soaking tub is eye-catching along with the vertical brick-pattern Travertini tile that extends from the shower and onto the entire wall behind the tub. Similar to the kitchen, this room blends light and dark colors beautifully with Kraftmaid Cabinetry for a blended look.

See more of this fabulous, whole-house transformation by visiting our photo gallery on Houzz. Then, check out another stunning Before and After profile of a McLean, VA remodeled home.

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.

If you think completing an entire home remodel is daunting, this remodel completed by Moss Building & Design, Northern Virginia’s top remodeler, will have you awestruck.

This uniquely built, round house in Oakton, Virginia, presented design challenges that the MOSS team adeptly navigated with a modern touch to make it more updated and usable for the homeowners. Modern updates can be seen throughout the house with the use of gray and white paint, new hardwood flooring, the creation of ensuite bathrooms, and a general opening up of dead space.

MOSS’ team of interior designers, project managers, and skilled carpenters completely reconfigured the living areas and applied new paint and flooring throughout the house in a renovation timeline of only seven months. This room, for example, was transformed from drab living space to a fabulous guest room ensuite bathroom.

The exterior of the home also went through a transition from its original dark brown color to white with James Hardie siding. A new roof was also installed.

Living Room Remodel

The living room was given a much-needed face lift with replacement floor-to-ceiling windows, featuring stunning 17-foot by 5-foot pieces of glass; new, modern wide-plank hardwood floor; and an updated staircase. The existing frame of the circular staircase was kept in place, but the MOSS team installed new treads and rails to give it a fresh look. An updated orb light fixture and the removal of brick and wood paneling ornamentation completed the remodel.

Kitchen Remodel

The kitchen layout was completely reconfigured, and the homeowner and MOSS team didn’t shy away from moving and removing walls. To open up the space, the team took out a large stone cooktop island, changed the location of the staircase that descends into the living room, and removed a wall between the living and dining rooms. The homeowner chose to mix light and dark colors with classic white Stonebridge by Hampshire, semi-custom cabinets, a unique wood range hood, and a dark wood island. Stainless steel appliances and orb light fixtures complement the modern look.

Master Bathroom Remodel

Another hallmark of this remodel is the master bath. The rectangular, white Wyndham Collection acrylic, freestanding soaking tub is eye-catching along with the vertical brick-pattern Travertini tile that extends from the shower and onto the entire wall behind the tub. Similar to the kitchen, this room blends light and dark colors beautifully with Kraftmaid Cabinetry for a blended look.

See more of this fabulous, whole-house transformation by visiting our photo gallery on Houzz. Then, check out another stunning Before and After profile of a McLean, VA remodeled home.

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.

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. 

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.

After a long, cold, and damp winter, temptation lurks to immediately open your windows and doors on the first sunny, warm day of spring. These tips to freshen up your kitchen — perhaps the most used room in your home — make it ship-shape, gleaming, and ready for longer and warmer days and nights.

Let The Light In

Washing your windows in and out is a great start to freshen up your kitchen. Extra points if you also take off all of the screens and spray them down. If you have a curtain on your kitchen window, give it a wash or consider changing it up to a fresh color for spring.

This beautiful arched window in an Oakton, Virginia, kitchen remodel by Moss Building & Design demonstrates how much sunlight affects a room!

Deep Cleaning

Spring is a great time to really deep clean your major appliances in and out. Clear out your freezer of anything outdated or expired (freezer burn isn’t healthy!) and give it a good scrub down. Wash out the vegetable and deli drawers, replace the water filter, and place a new box of baking soda on the shelves of your fridge to neutralize any odors.

Clear Countertops

Amy Slenker-Smith, blogger and owner of Simply Enough LLC (and former Moss Building & Design customer), advises looking at your countertops. Think about how much easier life would be if they were clear and clean!

Start with kitchen cabinets and pantry, and figure out what can be downsized from there. This practice creates room for items currently taking up space on countertops and gives you the space you need to cook and entertain with ease. Read more of Amy’s tips here.

Pictured below is an image of Amy’s gorgeous Oak Hill, Virginia, kitchen remodel by Moss Building & Design:

Feng Shui It

Creating a beneficial energy in your kitchen is a key component to good feng shui. Besides clear kitchen countertops and cleaning discipline, another way to bring positive feelings of health and prosperity is to have a bowl of fresh fruit on the countertops. Nine oranges are considered ideal!

Bring in potted plants or herbs, or fill canisters with nuts, pastas, or other dry foods to show healthy abundance. If feng shui doesn’t appeal to you, the practicality of having fresh fruit and herbs nearby should!

Make A Statement

A fun way to make a statement this spring is to paint a statement wall! If your kitchen feels like it’s hit “middle age,” pick a fun color (Fuschia! Orange! Teal!) and paint a statement wall. If that seems like too much for you, consider using chalkboard paint and letting the kids have fun in the kitchen while you’re cooking.

Another long-term, trendy idea is remove kitchen cabinet doors and create open shelving. Ditch kitchen cabinets altogether, and put in floating shelves. Both of these ideas create a fun rustic look and feel to a kitchen, making it more open and welcoming.

This kitchen in Great Falls, Virginia, showcases gorgeous open shelving, plants, and other knick knacks to really create a special look and feel.

Knobs And Pulls

Another fun way to freshen up your kitchen is to replace the knobs and pulls! Find interesting hardware just about anywhere, like home decor stores, and replace and update as you wish. The cost is minimal, but the refresh is immediate.

If you’d like to speak with an expert at Moss Building & Design about refreshing your kitchen for spring, please call us at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com.

Many people mistakenly interchange the terms contemporary and modern when describing their home design style. Contemporary design style is fluid and ever-changing.

Unlike traditional design style, which can become over-the-top with ornamentation, and modern design style, which can be overly sharp and stark, contemporary design blends the two in perfect balance. While I must admit, it’s a little confusing, some distinct differences exist between the two.

Modern Design Reflects A Particular Period

As you may remember from our modern design series of blogs in December, modern design is a style that rose to popularity in the 1920s to 1950s. Its minimalism, sleekness, and airiness has a very distinct look. You’ll likely see sharp lines and bold colors standing out from a stark white, black, or gray color palette, as well as plastic, glass, or wood furniture.

In the following McLean, Virginia, home that MOSS remodeled in 2015, you see a perfect example of modern design style through accent furniture used in this hallway.

What Is Contemporary Home Design?

Contemporary home design is up-to-date and “modern”. It’s ever-changing and in-the-moment. It adopts some elements of modern design, such as a clutter-free environment and a lack of ornamentation and embellishments.

However, in a contemporary home, you also see the latest trends or a homeowner’s eclectic personality shine through.

This Arlington, Virginia remodel features a lot of natural light and open space. It uses neutral gray colors and is clutter-free but still very comfortable and inviting. The recessed lighting is a must-have in today’s homes, but the lamps on the end tables still make the room feel very cozy.

Finally, the nailhead trim headboard on the bed is a very contemporary trend. If this bedroom were more modern (instead of contemporary), you’d see furniture and accent pieces with sharper, straighter lines.

How Do You Achieve Contemporary Design Style?

Newly remodeled contemporary homes focus on finishes like fir, cedar, and stone, which are popular at this time, according to Relish Interiors.

Another highly utilized trend is luxury vinyl plank flooring, which is hot right now in just about any room of your home from kitchens and bathrooms to basements. This is such a desirable floor option because of its versatility and durability. It’s very difficult to scratch or tarnish and holds up well against changing temperatures and moisture levels.

See the picture below of a MOSS bathroom remodel that features plank flooring in Arlington, Virginia.

Sometimes, being “contemporary” means embracing vintage elements that have become trendy again. In our blog, Our Predictions for Popular 2018 Design Trends, we outline some of the top remodeling trends we’ve seen rise over the past year. A few of those trends lean toward rustic or vintage design styles, including farmhouse sinks, vintage pendant lights, and touches of brass.

When done right, you can add any of these trends into your design while still remaining contemporary.

For more tips on how to incorporate a contemporary home design into your living space, download our style guide by clicking on the button below. We outline best practices for creating the best contemporary kitchen design, living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms.

If you’re thinking of a contemporary home design for your next remodeling project, work with Northern Virginia’s top remodeler. Call Moss Building & Design at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com.