article

7 Model Home Ideas To Steal For Your Home

By Jaymi Naciri via Realty Times

bluehammer

You don't have to be in the market for a new home to tour model homes. In fact, model home complexes are a great place to get a few ideas for your existing home. Whether you're looking for ideas to renovate your kitchen and want to see the most current trends, are having a hard time deciding on paint colors and want to see how others are incorporating color into the home, or are simply looking for a little inspiration, you can find it here.

Getting color ideas

Model homes are rarely tame when it comes to color, but there are two main takeaways:

1) The color is (by and large) not used large scale, meaning, all the walls of every room won't typically be painted in bold or bright colors;

2) The main color scheme generally flows from room to room. The shades and placement of color may be different, but there is a coherent look and feel throughout the home that makes it feel finished.

If you want to introduce color without covering every surface, consider these tips from Lennar: "You can add color to a space without painting walls. Pop color with pillows, rugs flowers and artwork. If you do add color to walls, use it sparingly. A painted feature wall can be a great backdrop for a bed or built-in cabinets."

General design inspiration

You may not have thought about putting certain colors together or layering a bunch of patterns in one room or choosing tile that looks like wood instead of real wood... but you will once you see what they've done in model homes. If you're in a design rut or you're not sure how to take the first step toward modernizing your space, walk through the models. Consider not just what you see, but how you feel in the space. Starting to feel relaxed or anxious or at home in a particular room? Take note of the color scheme, the organization of the furniture, and the accessories. And then take lots of pictures so you can start trying to replicate the look and feel in your home.

Incorporating the newest trends

Looking to redo your kitchen? Touring a model will give you some great ideas about how to handle the layout and materials. It may not have occurred to you to take down your double-height island and continue the counter height the full length, but this is a hot kitchen trend intended to capture the open space feel. Seeing all-white cabinets may inspire you to have your dark wood cabinetry painted, and the quartz counters are sure to inspire you to start researching new countertop options.

Treating small spaces

In general, the less crowded a room is, the more airy it will feel. But that doesn't mean leaving it empty. Furniture placement is key to creating a space with form and function. Notice how the office in the room above has just the right amount of furniture. And instead of placing the desk up against the wall, it's been floated, which allows the eye to more easily move around and makes the space feel larger.

Getting space planning tips

Model home designers are great at disguising awkward spaces with creative solutions and showcasing spaces with furniture that's to the perfect scale and placed in such a way that it shows the room in its best light. If you've got a weird spot in your home that you don't know what to do with or are having trouble figuring out what furniture to buy or where to put it, studying what they've done in a few models might help you figure it out.

Styling a guest room

Go stand in the guest room in the model down the street. Simple, clean, and elegant, right? Excited to go home and redo your guest room? Remember three key things: lighting, pared-down accessories, and crisp bedding.

bluehammer Pinterest

Getting your kids' rooms just right

Kids rooms are often some of the most challenging spaces to design, because it's a slippery slope between a creative space and a circus room. Model home designers love to theme these spaces or give them some pizazz, and they often get the balance just right.

Want to estimate your home improvement costs before talking with a contractor? Claim your home for free with bluehammer to estimate costs, secure your home inventory and learn more about your home.

* THIS REPORT IS AN OPINION THAT MAY BE INACCURATE AND IS PROVIDED SOLELY AS AN INFORMATIONAL TOOL NOT DESIGNED TO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE ANSWERS. ALL ELEMENTS ARE OFFERED "AS IS" AND BLUEBOOK EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, REPRESENTATIONS, AND GUARANTEES OF ANY NATURE, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABLITILY, NONINFRINGEMENT, TITLE, QUIET ENJOYMENT, ACCURACY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL BLUEBOOK (OR THEIR SUPPLIERS) BE LIABLE FOR ANY GENERAL, DIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE RESULTING FROM USE OF THE PRODUCT, INCLUDING : (1) RELIANCE ON THE MATERIALS PRESENTED, (2) COSTS OF REPLACEMENT GOODS, (3) LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, (4) DELAYS OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTIONS, (5) AND ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF INFORMATION) WHETHER OR NOT BLUEBOOK HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Know what you should pay for your home improvement projects with bluehammer.Claim your home. It's free!

Popular


Unique Ways To Dress Up Your Kitchen Cabinets With Hardware

Hardware is the jewelry of the kitchen. In a well-designed space, it can add an important finishing touch. In a space that needs a little help, it can provide some sparkle to help distract from worn or outdated features that may be more difficult to update. And, it's an easy, inexpensive project you can do yourself.

New Windows Changed My House - and My Mind

It was exciting to contemplate city life after living in smaller towns. Apparently, everyone else thought so too, because by the time I decided I liked a house, it was gone from the market.

Things to Consider When Replacing Your Front Door

Your front door is one of the most functional, visible, and important elements in your home. If you're looking for a home improvement project that can boost curb appeal, improve security, and add style to your space, replacing your front door delivers an impressive return on investment.

A Guide to Home Insulation Materials

Insulation is one of those building products that you never see, because it is usually covered up by something else. But if you don't have enough, or if it is installed incorrectly, you're wasting energy and paying more for heating and cooling than is necessary.

Replacing Your Washing Machine

With moving parts, water and dirt, washing machines perform some tough work.

Inspired Ways To Create A Guest Space When You Don't Have A Guest Room

Not all of us are blessed with enough bedrooms to accommodate every member of the family plus a home office and a man cave and a theater room and a guest space. And, it's that last one that often ends up as a challenge when friends and family come to visit and you either have to break out the blow-up bed or give up your room and hunker down with the kids. You don't need to add on or buy a new home to provide a comfortable space for guests. These smart solutions will help you create a great space for guests with minimal effort.

Clever Ways To Give Your Small Bathroom Some Pop And Make It Look Larger

Small bathroom? It doesn't have to be short on style. And it doesn't have to feel like a cave either. Many of the same tips for creating a standout space will also help to make it feel bigger.

New Designs In Cabinet Refacing

You may be one of the fortunate homeowners whose kitchen just needs an update instead of a full remodel. Cabinet refacing is an economical option that can give your kitchen a quick makeover in no time. Rather than gutting your cabinets and replacing them with new ones, cabinet refacing allows you to update the exterior of the cabinets you already have. It's also a fabulous way to add contemporary design elements to your space, both with cabinet doors, colors and hardware. Let's take a look at the latest designs in cabinet refacing.

8 Amazingly Easy Tips For A Pet-Friendly Home

For many of us, it's an absolute pleasure to share our homes with our four-legged best friends. But there's no denying that our pets can sometimes lead to wear and tear on our homes. Yet with careful planning and some redesigned elements, we can enhance our house so that it's conducive to our pets and ourselves. If you live with a beloved pet, the following design trends and home-living tips are sure to promote a home that's comfortable for everyone -- and everything -- that lives there.

Building an Emergency Fund to Cover Unexpected Home Repairs

With homeownership comes new responsibilities, including repair and maintenance expenses. Sooner or later, you'll encounter a leaky faucet or a blown circuit breaker and quickly learn that keeping your household up and running is no longer as simple as a call to the landlord.

See More Articles