Home Design Seminar Tomorrow

Looking for kitchen and bathroom design ideas? Considering new lighting, fixtures or appliances? Then join us as we continue our popular Home Design Saturday Series this Saturday!

When: Saturday June 29th 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

Where: Ferguson’s Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery
303 North Park, San Antonio TX 78216
Click here for Map

What: Casual forum to learn about and discuss innovative ideas for home design.

• Exchange ideas on-on-one with industry experts
• Get a behind-the-scenes look at recent award-winning projects
• Learn about trends in product design on a guided tour of one of the best showrooms in town

Remodeling Design Ideas- Dog Rooms with Style

For most of us, dogs are more than pets… they are part of the family. So why not make their space as well-designed as your own?

When planning your next home renovation project, consider making room for the four-legged members of the family. Pet-friendly areas can be incorporated into home additions, kitchen renovations or even simple home improvement updates. Here are a few design ideas to get you started…

Dog Shower/ Mud Room
Make it easy to rinse off after a hard day of play or work with a mud room shower. It’s also a convenient space to freshen up after it rains and between trips to the groomer.

Make Use of Space Under the Stairs
This area is hardly ever used, so with a little bit of architectural design, it can be a beautiful space for the whole family to enjoy.

 

Built-In Dog Crate
For during the day or when people come over, the crate experience can be comfortable and elegant.

Learn more about our home remodeling services here >>

Creating a Spanish Courtyard Garden

Some outdoor living spaces stand the test of time for their great design and appeal. The Spanish patio is one such space. Modeled after Roman atriums and medieval cloister gardens, Spanish-style courtyards offer a timeless design for a restful outdoor room to relax and entertain.

If you’re looking for a San Antonio remodeling project fit for a Fiesta, you might consider creating a Spanish Courtyard Garden. Even if your home is more traditional, the design can be adapted to match the rest of the house.

Source: geog.ucsb.edu via C.L. on Pinterest

 

Defining Design Features

• Designed as an extension of the living area or outdoor room
• Paved patios of tile, brick or stone
• Fountain, bird bath or simple basin of water
• Container plants and herb gardens

Best Plant Selections

• Trees- wild olive, golden raintree, live oak, citrus, mesquite, pear, crepe myrtle
• Shrubs- coral bean, esperanza, palms, bottle brush, pride of Barbados, cassia,
• Cactus and Succulents- sedum, spineless prickly pear, ocotillo, soft leaf yucca, agave
• Tropical Perennials for Large Containers- brugmansia, ‘moy’ hibiscus, Bougainvilla, geranium
• Creeping and Filler Plants- sedum, wild strawberry, moss, rose, herbs of all kinds
• Vining and Weaving Plants- crossvine, confederate jasmine, trumpet vine ‘Madame Galan’, wisteria

SA2020 Needs Your Input on Neighborhood Issues

SA2020 has tapped Urban Land Institute (ULI)- San Antonio as one of the activation partners for the Neighborhood Growth and Development Vision Area. Hill Bros. team member Kara Hill serves on the ULI- SA2020 coordinating committee seeking YOUR input.

Please comment below or take the survey online.

Walkability
Do you consider your neighborhood pedestrian friendly? Why or why not?
How much do you walk in your neighborhood?
What improvements could be made to improve walkability in your neighborhood?

Green Spaces
Do you feel that the park space near where you live is adequate? Why or why not?
What types of improvements would be needed for you to use/visit local parks more often?

Renovations in Infill Areas
If you live within Loop 410, are you considering a major home remodel? Why or why not?

Urban Core Housing vs. Suburban Development
What drives you to choose one over the other?

Outdoor Living Spaces- Escape Without Leaving Home

Spring is a great time to relax outdoors in San Antonio. Professionally designed outdoor kitchens, porches and pools can be a perfect place to enjoy these beautiful sunny days and escape the day to day grind without leaving your home.

If creating an outdoor escape is on your home improvement list, it’s important to plan for warmer days ahead. Here are some home remodeling and design tips to help you enjoy your project through the summer:

• Swimming pools– Given how long summer lasts in San Antonio pools remain a popular home improvement
• Spray misters and fans– Work great to circulate air and can keep areas 10-15 degrees cooler than the outdoor temperature
• Shade– Is a must! Covered porches, pergolas and shade trees offer refuge
• Lighting– Make your outdoor living area inviting after the sun goes down to avoid the heat of the day

Learn more about our home remodeling and design services here >>

Experience the Sub-Zero and Wolf Living Kitchen

Confused about convection? Perplexed by programing an oven? If you’ve ever wanted to test out the latest and greatest in kitchen appliances, the Sub Zero and Wolf Living Kitchen is just the place for you to visit!

Free to visit and open to the public, this fully functional demonstration kitchen is a great place to do some homework before your next appliance purchase. The staff is courteous and encourages you to touch, feel and even use the displays:

• Try out top of the line appliances by SubZero, Wolf and other high-end manufacturers
• Test out a family recipe to see how it cooks differently on a professional grade stove top or convection oven
• Bring in your odd-sized cookware to see if it fits
• Get a hands-on tutorial on cleaning hard to reach spots
• Learn how to select the right size vent hood for the size of your cook top burners

After completeing numerous kitchen renovations in San Antonio, we strongly advise homeowners to do as much research on their appliances as possible. Kitchen appliances can be a significant part of your remodeling budget and are something you use everyday, so it’s important to get something you’ll be happy with.

The Living Kitchen at Builders Discount Appliance Mart
730 ISOM RD
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78216
(210) 349-7878
Hours:  Monday – Friday 8:30am – 6:00pm

Symmetry Magazine features Rodney Hill on Outdoor Renovation Design

Thoughtful design can save you a world of headaches on major landscaping and outdoor living projects. After long periods of draught, even light rains create surface flooding that can potentially damage your property and create a breeding ground for unwanted pests like mosquitos. Symmetry Remodeling Magazine recently sat down with Rodney Hill to discuss the importance of drainage on outdoor renovations…

According to Rodney, who has over 30+ years experience of home remodeling in San Antonio, most drainage problems can be avoided by paying attention to common sense issues like elevation, slope and understanding where the water is coming from and where it needs to go.

When discussing design options for your outdoor space, a good home remodeling company will help you find ways to solve drainage issues. Some of the best solutions can also enhance the design of your space, including:

• Berms
• Arroyos
• Terracing
• Retaining walls
• Rain collection barrels at gutter down spouts

You may even consider a “Rain Garden”, a slightly lower section of yard planted with water-loving plants, to help with potential flooding and drainage issues.

Read the full article in here >>Symmetry Article Spring 2013

Home Improvement Seminar ~ March 16th 9AM- 2PM

Hill Bros. will host a free Home Improvement Seminar on Saturday, March 16th in collaboration with Frost Bank, CPS Energy, SAWS, Alamo Area Council of Governments and City Councilman David Medina.

Event will feature:

• Info on rebate/ weatherization programs
• Home improvement financing options
• How to choose a reputable home remodeling company
• Hands on demonstrations (including a sheetrock patching/ repair demo from Hill Bros.)
• Light breakfast, lunch and door prizes

Date: Saturday, March 16, 2013
Time: 9 AM- 2 PM
Location: Alamo Colleges Workforce Center for Excellence- 203 Norton Street (near Port San Antonio)
Download flyer: Home Improvement Flyer-r1

Cultivate Great Kitchen Design Ideas

In looking for the web’s best kitchen design sites, our team stumbled upon Cultivate.com– the online resource for kitchen inspiration from Williams Sonoma.

We really like that it’s focused information for creating your ideal kitchen. From identifying your style and getting ideas from the country’s top kitchen designers to creating a preliminary budget, it’s a great resource for homeowners considering a kitchen remodel.

You can also visit our profile and view case studies for our award-winning kitchen designs.

Happy surfing!

Planning A Bathroom Remodel

Bathroom and kitchen areas are the most valuable rooms in the home, making them good candidates for home improvement projects. Remodeling a bathroom can also increase the value of a home upon resale homeowners can expect to recoup between 75-78% of the cost of a bath renovation in the San Antonio area. Below are a few things to consider when it’s time to remodel the bathroom…

Bathroom Cabinets
Whether you go with custom or prefabricated bathroom cabinets, durability is an important factor to consider due to increased moisture in bathrooms. Bathroom cabinet design should also take into account your storage needs. For instance, tall bathroom cabinets can provide extra storage without taking up additional space.

Small Bathroom Ideas
The powder bathroom can be a great showpiece in the home. Since the area is small, there are fewer options for a complete bathroom redesign and less need for storage and countertop space. Incorporating higher end fixtures and finishes in a powder bath can really add a ‘wow’ factor to the design of your home. Pedestal sinks, antique bathroom vanities, specialty tile designs and modern plumbing fixtures are great ways to show off your style in a small space.

San Antonio Bathroom Remodeling Considerations
Living in San Antonio means sunny skies, warm temperatures and being close to the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Unfortunately, it also means dealing with hard water and ever-present calcium residue. After renovating countless bathrooms in San Antonio, we have found that installing a water softener during the remodel process can be very helpful. Running softer water helps keep shower glass and plumbing fixtures bright and shiny with less upkeep.