8 Best Creative and Alternative Home Design Materials

Using creative and alternative home design materials is a quiet and impactful way to personalize your space. These 10 best creative and alternative home design materials can work for remodels for master bedrooms, updates for your living room, or as a whole custom home-building project. 

Creative and alternative home design materials add a factor of depth to intentional home design. They can match your personal taste in ways you’ve only dreamed of. Read on through this Dhe Best Construction blog to learn which alternative home design materials will work for you.

1. Bamboo

Bamboo is a phenomenal environmentally-friendly home upgrade option. You can use it to create room divisions and add it to additional property structures. It’s also ideal for outdoor home additions for entertaining. Bamboo also serves as an excellent privacy screen for your yard.

2. Reclaimed Wood

Reclaimed wood is a superb alternative home design material to match a reclaimed remodeling aesthetic. You can use it in a statement home entryway or all sorts of home design trends of 2024. Reclaimed wood adds a comfortable, rustic design element to your home.

3. Recycled Glass

Recycled glass can be used in creative and alternative home design materials for windows, skylights, and unique flooring designs. You can add this recycled wonder to any area of your home where you want something extra.

4. Hempcrete

Hempcrete, also known as hemplime, is a biocomposite material made up of hemp hurds (shives), lime, sand, and pozzolans. It’s a truly ecological alternative to concrete. The one factor to be aware of in terms of building apprehension is hempcrete’s porous nature, making it more likely to retain water.

5. Rammed Earth

Rammed earth is a unique option for constructing a home out of an alternative material. Rammed earth is a compacted structure comprised of components such as earth, chalk, lime, and gravel. It makes for a natural design that is most at home in desert settings. 

6. Ferrocement

Ferrocement can be a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional cement construction. This creative material uses cement mortar reinforced by a structure of close layers of steel wire mesh. It’s excellent for creating walls, including dividing walls within your home.

7. Living Walls

Living walls, meaning walls made of and incorporating all sorts of plants, have been gaining popularity in recent years. These stunning pieces of landscape and architecture can be helpful and healthy for improving your home’s air quality. They work well for indoor and outdoor spaces.

8. Recycled Steel

Recycled steel is economically and ecologically a good move in terms of creative and alternative home design materials. You can source it from many places, starting with design experts and large-scale recycling centers. Recycled steel can be used in siding and paneling within your home.

Alternative Home Design Materials: What Makes Your Home Unique? 

If you’re looking to create a home both classically elegant and uniquely you, reach out to Dhe Best Construction today. Our team of home design experts has crafted homes throughout California. We’ll work with you to build your dream space. 

 

8 Cutting-Edge Kitchen Design Trends For Your Home

Your kitchen is the central hub of your home. It’s where you gather for family dinners, after-work snacks, and weekend parties with friends. Taking care with your kitchen design trends makes this gathering place even more inviting. 

From storage space remodels to the best kitchen countertop materials, there’s a lot you can do to design your dream kitchen. The best luxury home features can go a long way toward a sensational design. These eight cutting-edge kitchen design trends for your home are a great place to start. 

1. Minimalist Cabinets

Minimalist cabinets create a subtle background for your kitchen scene. Minimalist and maximalist home design are two sides of the same coin. For a backdrop, minimalist is a great way to set up the rest of your kitchen. 

2. Textured Surfaces

Textured surfaces add depth to your home and kitchen design trends. You can use materials for texture, such as stone and wood for cabinetry or design accents. You can also add texture in painted-on designs and marbled glass in place of windows.

3. Mixed Materials

Mixed materials are all the rage in creating a home that is both intentional and mismatched. Intentional home design revolves around making a home that shows who you are. Using mixed materials in your kitchen allows you to make a kitchen that extends the heart of your home.

4. Integrated Technology

Integrated technology has been sweeping through homes, from master bedroom remodels to appliances in kitchen design trends. You can implement tech in your kitchen in the form of a smart refrigerator, controlled lighting, and water-saving tech features.

5. Statement Lighting

Folks expect statement lighting in exceptional home entryway designs, but it’s a true surprise in a kitchen! Whether it’s inlaid lighting for a relaxed yet bright feel or a stunning chandelier over the kitchen island, make a statement in your kitchen.

6. Sustainable Design

Sustainable design is a trend for kitchen designs and all over your home. Environmentally friendly home upgrades help you live in a home that will last longer and work for the planet. Finding the right ones for your kitchen is a matter of taste and personal needs.

7. Open Shelving

Open shelving is a part of minimal cabinetry but deserves its own spot on the list. Open shelving makes it easier to design a kitchen with active utilization in mind. The more you can see what you have to work with, the more time you’ll spend enjoying your space.

8. Matte Finishes

Matte finishes have been cropping up around the design world for years, and lately, they’ve been making a splash in kitchen design. Some of the best places to include matte finishes are in your cabinetry, on a statement wall, and in your appliance selection.

Kitchen Design Trends: What’s Cookin’ In Your Kitchen? 

Implementing these kitchen design trends lends an edge to your kitchen–beyond the edge of your chef’s knives! These updates can be mini remodels, or part of a large home overhaul. Whatever the case may be, Dhe Best Construction is here to help with your home remodeling and design projects. Contact our design experts today!

 

8 Fundamental Industrial Home Design Decisions and Materials

When you enter into the custom home-building process, all types of home designs are open to you. If a home built on contrast and stark design suits you, these industrial home design decisions and materials are the place to start. Read through this Dhe Best Construction blog to learn why industrial home design could be the choice for you.

Industrial Home Design Decisions

These four industrial home design decisions are some of the most effective ways to bring an industrial feel into your space. They can be part of the building of your home for any house floor plan type, or a piece of remodels along the way.

1. Raw Material Usage

Some of the most industrial raw material usage is built around unfinished wood, concrete, brick, and metal. You’ll see these come up in our industrial home design materials. These elements instantly add an industrial edge.

2. Neutral Color Choices

Neutral color choices complement the open-to-interpretation space of an industrial home. You can put your own touches into other areas, keeping the palette neutral for a blank industrial canvas. Black, cream, and gray are key places to start.

3. Utilitarian Furniture

Your utilitarian furniture should be balanced between industry and comfort. Clean lines, simple shapes, and minimal ornamentation are all must-haves. Aim for comfort with plush, neutral-toned cushions, and gray throw blankets. A pop of color in a few pillows will add quite the splash.

4. Exposed Structural Elements

Exposed structural elements, including beams, pipes, and ducts, complete your industrial home design. These elements take away the polished look of a home without removing any of the comfort and personalization. 

Industrial Home Design Materials

Pairing these four industrial home design materials with your industrial home design decisions completes the vision. These materials fit into intentional home design with how you want your home to look, feel, and last. 

1. Raw Concrete

Raw concrete can be used for many spaces in industrial home design. Some excellent options are for flooring, countertops, and walls. Raw concrete provides an instant rough yet polished experience.

2. Metal

Metal pairs with every other industrial home design material. You can work it into your artwork, your interior supports, your exterior siding, and so much more.

3. Exposed Brick

Exposed brick is both industrial and delightfully old-fashioned. It warms up a space just as much as it industrializes your home. Any room in your home can be enhanced by exposed brick for the walls and accents such as your fireplace mantel.

4. Glass

Glass is a versatile material in industrial home design. A great place to start is with large picture windows making up part of your siding for grand views. This also impacts your home lighting choices with the benefit of natural light. Glass also works as a room divider in the form of glass blocks. 

Industrial Home Design: Bring Industry To Your Home 

From minimalist and maximalist home design to environmentally friendly home upgrades, industrial home design has it all! Dhe Best Construction is here to help you create the industrial home of your dreams. Contact us today to get started.  

 

6 Key Large Property Spaces and Home Building Tips

Working with large property spaces is a unique space in the home-building world. The room to visualize and plan your dream home is a lovely blessing, while the size itself can be overwhelming. These key large property spaces and building tips are here to help you make the most of all the space you have to design a home you love.

1. Start with Surveys and Plans

Surveys and plans are the foundation of a successful home built on a large property. Intentional home design starts with a sturdy plan, along with room for new ideas along the way. When working with a large property it’s best to have a good idea of what you want to do with all your space. You can build from that basis of what you want in your home as the design comes together.

2. Consider Your Zoning Requirements

Zoning laws aren’t about your design, but they are crucial to the building of your home. Wherever you live and whatever you want from your home, make sure you know your zoning regulations. This will save you from legal headaches later on down the road. Zoning laws can be affected by location, home size, materials, environmental impact, and more.

3. Minimize Environmental Impact

One of the best ways to make environmentally friendly home upgrades to a new house is to start with minimizing your environmental impact. This means everything from working with sustainable heating options to respecting the ecosystem you’re building in. Take care of your environment, and it’ll take care of you for a long time.

4. Optimize for Utilities Access

On small lots utilities access is easier because your home is close to many other homes. On a large property, consider the access for utilities such as electricity and water, to ensure your home is fully functional.

5. Utilize Outdoor Living Spaces

Outdoor living spaces are one of the best ways to take full advantage of large property spaces. From landscape-inspired architecture to outdoor home additions for entertaining, working with your land will make a better home. Additional property structures will make your property more of a home space as well.

6. Consider Orientation In Design

The act of considering orientation in design is all about the question of where the sun shines into your home. Do you want morning light in the kitchen and bedrooms? Is there a space you want to watch the sunset from at night? Consider the home orientation, along with the types of windows, to capture the natural light in your home.

Home Building Tips for Large Property Spaces: A Large Space to Fill (Or Not Fill) 

Designing a home to fit and fill your space is the pinnacle of precise home design. Here at Dhe Best Construction, we work with all house floor plan types and types of home designs. As you plan your home and consider how to complement your space, reach out to work with our home design experts today.

 

The Five Critical Principles of Passive House Design

The five critical principles of passive house design are instrumental in building a home to last and remain ready for you to live your life. Every house, from tiny homes to mansions, can make use of passive house design. These environmentally friendly home upgrades elevate your home in every way.

In this Dhe Best blog, we’ll take a look at the five critical principles of passive house design. Read on to learn why passive house design is the right choice for all types of home designs.

What Is Passive House Design?

Passive house design is an Austrian concept, first brought to fruition in 1991. It is gaining popularity around the world as a way of saving energy, costs, and maintenance time. It can help you with saving on home updates. These five critical principles of passive house design showcase what passive design is and what it achieves.

1. Airtightness

To achieve passive house accreditation a home must be extremely airtight. The specific standard is less than 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 pascal. This keeps the internal environment of the home stable.

2. Thermal Insulation

Thermal insulation comes into play in the line of defense between your home and the outdoor environment. Thick and continuous insulation is key to maintaining your environment. Quality thermal insulation improves your comfort levels and reduces condensation risks.

3. Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery

Mechanical ventilation heat recovery, abbreviated as MVHR, is the process of improving indoor air quality without letting in air through windows and doors. MVHR isn’t about heating or cooling, it’s all about air quality. It improves pollution issues and regulates humidity.

4. High Performance Windows

High-performance windows are a must in passive house design. They help to allow solar radiation in for warmth and to minimize radiation in the warmer months. They should be double or triple-glazed for high-performance standards of excellence.

5. Thermal Bridge-Free Construction

Thermal bridge-free construction is the practice of insulating a home to prevent thermal bridges from forming and allowing heat to escape. This is the pinnacle of the passive house design principles, as it ties the rest together to keep your home airtight and comfortable all year round.

Creating Intentional Passive Home Design

Creating intentional passive home design gives you control over the base level of warmth and comfort in your home. Intentional home design is the best way to make a home that suits your needs. When you work toward home design preservation to make a home that lasts, you’ll build a home that fits your lifestyle.

Passive Home Design Principles: Ease Into a Peaceful Home 

Passive house design gives you a home to stand the test of time, the environment, and your life within those walls. From there, the rest is up to your design preference. You can work on creating a design focal point, choose between minimalist and maximalist home design, and make your house a home. Dhe Best Construction is here to help. Reach out today!

 

Home Design and Multigenerational Living: 6 Key Facts

Home design and multigenerational living represent the aesthetic and practical sides of creating a home for several generations of your family. This could mean you have kids living at home. It could involve having grandparents who live with you. Depending on your family structure multigenerational living can vastly change what you need in a home. 

From house sizing types to communal rooms, many factors go into home design and multigenerational living. You might have to work with creating space in small homes. You’ll potentially face the challenge of remodels for master bedrooms on a grand scale. 

Whatever the future of your multigenerational living space holds, this Dhe Best Construction blog is the place to start.

1. Accessible Design

Accessible design will mean different things depending on the needs of your family unit. Do you need safety rails in the halls, showers, and near the doors? Is a ramp required for wheelchair users? What about the kids? Is there a fenced-in backyard? Consider all these needs in your intentional home design.

2. Private Bed and Bath Spaces

Private bed and bath spaces give all the generations of your family space to breathe and take a moment. You can mix them up with unique bathroom tile designs and personalized bedrooms. The more privacy you can provide, the better.

3. Flexible Floorplans

The benefits of custom home building allow you to create a floor plan perfectly fitted to your needs. When it comes to home design and multigenerational living flexible floorplans are the way to go. This should include multipurpose rooms, spare rooms that can be rearranged, and communal spaces.

4. Ample Kitchen Facilities

The kitchen is the centerpiece and gathering place of every home. For home design and multigenerational living, this space takes on even greater importance. You need to ensure you have space for the cooking needs of everyone. Two ovens and a few microwaves, as well as a large freezer/fridge combo, is a good start.

5. Dual Master Suites

Dual master suites are particularly useful if you have many adults in the house. Giving grownups space with private bathrooms makes it easier for the kids to use the rest of the house. It also creates a higher home resale value.

6. Intentional Outdoor Spaces

Intentional outdoor spaces are a must-have in multigenerational homes. You can only be in the same house with a bunch of family for so long before you need to scream. That’s where porch and patio design comes into play. Create welcoming spaces outdoors where your family can spread out and get some alone time.

Multigeneration Living and Home Design: Family-Focused Home Design  

Home design and multigenerational living come together to create homes built to last. Planning for a present and future of many generations calling your house a home makes it easier to create an inclusive design. 

Our team of home design and construction experts at Dhe Best Construction can help in that endeavor. Reach out today to learn how we can help create your dream family home.

 

Homes Built To Last: 6 Facts of Long-Standing Home Design

Creating homes built to last is the pinnacle of custom home building and home renovations. When you design a home that will stand for generations, it’s easier to maintain and update without headaches. You can work with any house sizing types, home design plans, and floor plans. The elements of homes built to last start from the foundation up. Read on!

1. High-Quality Windows

You’ll find that many of the tips on this list relate to the outer components of your home, starting with the windows. High-quality windows will keep your home warm and cozy through the years. Start by considering the panes and seals that will suit your environment. From there, add window upgrades to regular home updates

2. Strong Framing

Strong framing is the backbone of your home. When the bones are good, the rest of your home has a firm foundation. Some of the best options include wood, concrete, steel beams, and bricks. The right framing materials and design will also depend on your home design type and geographical location.

3. A Quality Foundation

One of the best ways to visualize and plan your dream home is from the ground up. To do so literally is to start with a quality foundation. The type of foundation that is right for you will depend on your home design. It’s also important to consider the ground you’re working with to create a safe home.

4. Accessible Design Features

Accessible design features make it easier to maintain your home over a long period of time. These can include environmentally friendly home upgrades which you can consistently update to remain eco-friendly. They could also come in the form of an open floor plan for design and maintenance. That makes it easier to keep your home up to date. 

5. High-Quality Flooring

You’ll walk through your home every day, in shoes, socks, bare feet, slippers, and more. Make sure the floor is ready for all those steps with high-quality flooring. From hardwood to concrete to tiles to laminate flooring, there are many options to suit all types of homes. The right choice for you could hinge on whether you wear shoes indoors!

6. Timeless Design Elements

Of all the tips around homes built to last on this list, this is the only one strictly dedicated to design. That’s because home designs come and go, while the bones of your home are the lasting pieces. As for design, timeless design elements built around intentional home design are the key to designs built to last.

Building Homes To Last: Standing the Test of Time

Here at Dhe Best Construction, building homes to stand the test of time is the name of our game. Whether you’re building a home from the ground up or wondering where to start a house remodel, we’re here to help. Our team of design and construction experts will lend their experience. Contact us today to get started on designing or redesigning your dream home. 

Small Corporate Office Design Ideas: 6 Design Elements

Of all the best remodels for corporate offices there are unique options for small corporate office design ideas. When you’re in a small office space there is only so much space to work with and make the most of. Mini remodels and low-impact renovations will be your best friend. Read on through this Dhe Best Construction blog for six of the best small corporate office design ideas.

1. Vertical Storage Solutions

Storage space remodels are the bane of remodels and decorating. There’s simply never enough room! In small corporate offices, the best storage solution is a vertical solution. If you have a collection of documents, binders, or anything that can be shelved, start with a tall vertical shelf. Add an aesthetic step stool to match.

2. Multipurpose Rooms

Small corporate office design ideas focus on doing the most you can with a small space. One of the best things you can do is design multipurpose rooms for office use. These can be modified into breakrooms, conference spaces, or creative collaboration centers as your team’s needs shift and grow.

3. Tech Integration

In this digital age, tech integration to some degree is a must. You can implement tech integration through smartboards, intelligent coffee machines, and virtual reality support for meetings. You’ll find your office and team moving with better collaboration and less time wasted. As tech continues to advance you can add more and more integrations.

4. Virtual Conference Support

Speaking of tech integration, virtual conference support is an absolute must. Everyone does virtual meetings these days, in every industry and every office. Having a great system set up and ready to go with speakers and a quiet room is the way to be ready for all these virtual calls. If you’re a design company you can even set up a green screen for added visual elements.

5. Biophilic Elements of Design

Biophilic elements of design, meaning the inclusion of nature, both direct and indirect, and natural textures, breathe life into corporate offices. You could add a balcony overlooking a park, bring in more plants, and include more natural building materials. All these additions make the office a better place to be no matter the season and greenery outside.

6. Color Psychology Accents

Color psychology, which is the act of using specific colors to affect moods and decisions, is a powerplay design move. You can create an office with varying mood spaces to create workflows and chill break zones. From creating a design focal point with an accent wall to using paper to update walls without repainting, color psychology accents are beautiful and useful in every office.

Design Ideas for Small Corporate Offices: Spiff Up Your Office Space 

These six small corporate office design ideas spruce up your office and make people want to come to work for more than passion and career goals. These tips also work for remodeling a home office. Whatever your commercial and corporate remodel needs are, Dhe Best Construction is here to help. Contact us today to learn about our office remodel services. 

 

Home Design Trends of 2024: 6 Top 2024 Home Design Trends

From the best environmentally-friendly home upgrades to the most unique staircase options, the trends of home design are vast and varied. As we embark upon the new year let’s explore the home design trends of 2024 and what we’re looking forward to this year. 

What paint colors will be in style? How will minimalist and maximalist home design shift and grow? Will common house sizing types follow a new trend? Where will intentional home design lead us in 2024? Read through this Dhe Best Construction blog to learn what we have to look forward to in the home design trends of 2024. 

1. Wall Murals

The accent wall has been the statement home design piece for years on end. This year we’re paying special attention to the building trend of wall murals as the artwork that defines a home. These can be pre-bought roll-on designs or handpainted masterpieces.

2. Metal Decor Elements

2024 is shaping up to be a year of unique materials in unexpected design places. For metal decor elements, which we’ve seen before in unique siding options, the game is changing. We’re seeing a growth of metal in decor such as fireplace designs and kitchen island accents. 

3. Stone Fruit Color Palettes

The 2023 house color trends showed us a mix of bold, soft, and always beautiful colors for different areas of your home. For 2024 we’re looking forward to a mix of colors that can be used in any room. The stone fruit color palettes are the place to start, with peach, nectarine, or apricot colors providing a soothing accent for every space.

4. Maximalist Romanticism

Maximalist romanticism is a very specific type of maximalism. It’s all about bold colors, large florals, rich fabrics and textures, and grand schemes of design. It’s these larger-than-everyday-life designs we have in our future view of home design trends of 2024.

5. Historical Mix-Ins

This particular view of historical mix-ins in the home design trends of 2024 is focused on a blending of many historical time periods. As the year unfolds we’re looking ahead to trends of combining the romantic period with cool modern tones, among other options for historical mix-ins of time and style. 

6. Personality-Driven Interior Design

All types of home designs are driven, in part or full, by your personality. In 2024 we’re excited to see more personality-driven interior design find a foothold. From statement home entryway ideas to designing a guest room, this will be a year of personal preferences taking the main stage.

2024 Home Design Trends: Ring In the New Year with Home Decor 

These home design trends of 2024 set us up for an exciting year of mismatched, ecstatically eclectic home design. If you’re switching up your home in 2024 or embarking on a new home design project, Dhe Best Construction is here to help. Our team of home design and construction experts can bring your dream home to life. Reach out today!

 

Porch and Patio Design: 8 Perfect Porch and Patio Designs

The best porch and patio design choices add value to your home in many ways. Firstly, they provide additional property value. Secondly, they give you a cozy space outdoors to enjoy your whole yard, landscape, and location. Thirdly, they serve as an excellent space for hosting guests in an interesting environment. 

You can craft these porch and patio design options through mini remodels or major overhauls. They can fit minimalist and maximalist home design concepts. They even work for tiny homes and all house sizing types. Read through this Dhe Best Construction blog to learn all about porch and patio design options and how they can work for your home.

1. Cozy Lounge Space

A cozy lounge space is a classic use of a porch or patio design. Creating a cozy lounge can be whatever that means to you. Some items to include are a comfortable couch, lots of pillows, and good lighting from a variety of home lighting choices.

2. Hammock Setup

A fun hammock setup is a way of creating a design focal point in your porch and patio design. You can hang one end from a tree in your yard or use a full setup with a metal support system. 

3. Fire Pit Gathering Space

We all know and love the best fireplace options, but what about fire pits? These warm outdoor home additions for entertaining make your outdoor space ready for visitors no matter the time of year.

4. Vertical Wall Garden

A vertical wall garden turns your porch or patio into an extension of your garden. It could also be the start of new gardening adventures! This can be built out of pallets, pegboard, or anything else that fits your purpose and space.

5. Poolside Retreat

If you have a pool in your yard or are planning for one, it’s a no-brainer to tie your porch or patio design into a poolside retreat. Use furniture that wicks away water and won’t be damaged from splashes. Include space for towels and pool-safe dishware for snacks and drinks.

6. Meditation Space

Meditation spaces are ideal for anyone looking to bring some calm into their life. Your entire porch and patio design can be a meditation space with the right color schemes, textures, and materials. 

7. Outdoor Movie Theater Setup

Who’s to say your choice of home theater designs can’t be an outdoor movie theater setup? Creating a theater on your porch or patio with a screen projector and cozy seating is the perfect way to bring entertainment into the outdoors.

8. Daybed Decor

A daybed is the perfect option if you’re making a space for naps and rest. It can be chic and comfortable at the same time. 

Designing Your Porch or Patio: Putting Care Into Your Outdoor Home Designs

These porch and patio designs add zen delights to your outdoor area. Whichever and however many you choose from this list, you simply can’t go wrong. When it comes to fully designing and building your home and porch or patio, reach out to work with Dhe Best Construction today!