Some Ideas to Consider …

  • Classic Holiday Lighting Tips for your Home

    What do your holiday decorations say about you? Is your personal style classic and understated, or flashy and vibrant?

    When it comes to decorating your home for the holidays, there are many possibilities for expressing your unique flair. Everyone does their holiday decoration differently. What about edible decor, like gingerbread men, candy canes, and strings of popcorn and cranberries? These crafty creations save energy and provide the home-made touch.

    Are you a homeowner that expresses your decorative flair via holiday lighting? Maybe you are simply ‘in the dark’ about how to light up your home, and would benefit from a few handy tips to create classic holiday lighting for your home. The following tips offer energy saving solutions to lighten up:

    Energy Efficiency: Many of us want to create a beautiful light display that is as energy efficiently as possible. Consider making a switch to the newer and smaller bulbs. They actually use 70% less energy and last longer than traditional bulbs. If you insist on using larger bulbs, choose 5-watt bulbs. They use about 30% less energy than the 7 to 10- watt bulbs.

    The Convenience of Light Timers: Another energy and cost-saving measure is to hook your lights up to an automatic timer. Timers also prevent you from constantly having to switch your lights on and off.

    LED Holiday Bulbs: A third holiday lighting tip is to start using LED holiday bulbs. They come in a multitude of classic holiday colors. The real bonus is that they are shatter-resistant and are cool to the touch and won’t burn your hands. They also don’t present a fire hazard, a real bonus for keeping your family safe.

    Don’t Go Overboard: You don’t have to go overboard with your holiday light decorations this year. Make sure you’ve got enough lights to capture the look and feel of the holidays without drawing unnecessary attention to yourself and your home. Decorating to your tastes will not only bring you and your surroundings into the holiday spirit, but will also be more energy efficient as well.

    If you are interested in building a more green and energy efficient home, consider Country Club Homes in Fairfield County as your resource to help guide you through the process. You may contact Country Club Homes for more information by telephone at 203-762-0550; or online at www.countryclubhomesinc.com.

    Photo courtesy of Rick_28105 via Flickr

  • Perfect Home Features to Help Introverts Recharge

    Have you ever felt the need to escape, get away, and have some time to yourself? Before you take off for a weekend away consider adding a retreat to your home that is custom designed to help you recharge and is always available. Perhaps you could benefit from the following: Window nook – Maximize your home’s view by…

  • Bring the Outside In to Your Kitchen for Perfect Entertaining in Warm Weather

    The warm summer months are just around the corner and it is never too early to consider upgrading your kitchen space for endless entertaining opportunities. One of today’s hottest kitchen trends is to connect your exterior space with your kitchen.  Our favorite design ideas include: Installing an indoor/outdoor counter space Extending your kitchen counter into an exterior space…

  • Choose Your Favorite Dormer Style

    Dormers are structural elements of a home or building that extend outward from the roof. There are a variety of different dormer styles used in traditional home design, the most popular styles include: Gable A gable is the most traditional type of dormer and serves multiple purposes including keeping water away from the window and adding vertical headroom….

  • New England Home Style of the Month: Post-Medieval English

    Post-medieval English homes were found throughout England and colonial America in the late 1600’s and early 1700’s. This is a style born in England and brought to the colonies by Puritans who settled in the Northeast. Although this isn’t a common modern style you can incorporate elements into your home’s design, such as: Window details This…