Remodeling & New Construction Talk... How to Present Remodeling Ideas

to a Designer

One of the most enjoyable phases of any remodeling or construction project happens before you set foot in a design studio. It’s the creative process of discovery, of finding what inspires you, of collecting images, narrowing down, and prioritizing what matters most. By doing this, when you meet with specialists in design and architecture, you’ll provide the tools they need to execute your vision to your satisfaction.

Build a Portfolio of Images Online:

Houzz.com is an amazing repository of over 1,500,000 beautiful and inspiring images of homes, inside and out. Start by creating an “Ideabook” for your upcoming project. Search by room, and then by related subcategories. Add each image you like to your Ideabook.

Pinterest is another great source of inspiration and images. Search by key words, find an image you like, then “Pin it” to your board. You’ll be guided by Pinterest to other boards with the same picture. That will often lead you to similar images, and as your collection builds, cohesive design themes will emerge.

HGTV.com keeps getting better. Check under “Rooms” in the navigation bar. You’ll find not only images, but videos, guides, articles and more to inspire and inform your next project.

Take Your Own Photos:

You’ll be surprised how many quality photos you can accumulate with your own camera. There’s nothing like being present in a home to see the impact of design in 3-D and to experience the functionality of each element. Note the features you may want and snap away. You can start by visiting model homes in our local area. lakehighlands.advocatemag.com thingS from our webSite

Create a Digital Photo Binder: Try applications like Google’s Picasa, Apple’s iPhoto, or set up a free account with Flickr. Each has innovative methods for collecting, organizing, and sharing your photos. Don’t worry; they’re all easy to figure out and fun to use.

Create a Real Photo Binder: You’ll want a keepsake to remind you of how your dream came to be. So why not get pictures developed and put them in a physical binder? You can clip magazine images to go along with the ones you’ve taken. Many of our customers even draw their own sketches.

Should you pay that red-light camera ticket?

Search: Redlight camera

Investigations have indicated that money not safety prompts the use of red-light cameras at traffic lights, writes Advocate publisher Christina Hughes Babb. Some near our neighborhood, including Forest Lane-Plano and Mockingbird-Central, are big moneymakers. Thus, disputing a ticket is quite the hassle.

Excellent article. These things are typically funded entirely by for-profit third parties, who then split the revenues with the cities, so the cities don’t have any capital cost in implementing the revenue stream. I’m not sure if this applies to Dallas or not, but I’d be surprised if the city pays a dime to install new cameras. —Colin1497

Just as your home will be a reflection of your personal preferences, so will the way you present remodeling ideas to your designer. No matter which methods you choose, the more you enjoy the process, the more likely you are to love the final outcome.

For more information on Remodeling or Custom Homes, read our blogs at www.bellavistacompany.com.

I’ve noticed the yellow light at Casa Linda — the Buckner and Garland Road crossing, when turning left on Buckner from Garland — is actually too short to clear the intersection. If the car enters the intersection just as the light turns from green to yellow, the light will be red before the car is able to go through the crossing. —Fhresident

Lake Highlands native gains fame

Search: Amy Acker lakehighlands.advocatemag.com thingS from our webSite

Joining the growing list of Lake Highlands High School informal Hall of Famers, 1995 graduate Amy Acker is the female lead in “Much Ado About Nothing,” released nationwide in June.

What can I say all of us LHHSs simply rock right about now :). Izabela Wojcik Wade Smith, LH Class of 1999, is a guard for the Houston Texans and played in the ProBowl this year. He also has his own foundation benefiting children.

—K. Thomas

Commentary: Ellen Raff on improving Skillman-LBJ

Search: Skillman-LBJ

In the July issue, Advocate columnist and Lake Highlands resident Ellen Raff wrote about possible improvements to the dangerous and dismal corner of Skillman and LBJ Freeway.

Thank you for the update. I hope this goes well. Then, we can focus on Skillman-Abrams. Again, not the homeowners driving it but fly-by-night predators like title loans and cash stores. We are the only state in the union that does not regulate them ... hence seven on a corner. Just my voice again — please focus on owner condos, patio homes and single-family homes. We deserve better than a corner filled with title loan stores. We are in for the long haul. —Bneighborhood

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EmaIl EDITOR ChRIsTIna chughes@advocatemag.com