Exterior Lighting Architecture, look at what it can do!

Outdoor lighting is something most home owners seem to forget about or are just content with lights on the end of the house and a motion sensor above the garage or back door. But, wouldn't you prefer your home and yard to be beautiful both during day and night? After all, you put a lot of time, effort, and/or money into the exterior of your home and yard. In short - exterior lighting not only adds value to your home, but it can make it a true work of art.

But where do you begin?

If you happen to live in Nashville, TN then the answer is Outdoor Lighting Perspectives with CEO Michael Wynn and his expert team of landscape lighting architects/artists. Note: OLP is a national company as well, so they are probably in your neighborhood too. You can also request a special visit from them if they are not in your area.

Originally called LightScapes, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives is the oldest business in Nashville that specializes in outdoor landscape lighting.

There are so many things you can do with outdoor lighting that can really add drama, elegance, security, and just beauty to your home. If you don't believe me, check out these local homes with exterior lighting that OLP designed:

Now - imagine those beautiful homes and yards featured above with nothing more than little lights on the corners and a motion sensor light above the back door. Can you see the difference outdoor lighting can really make?

The lighting from OLP is installed by hand, and done on a case-by-case basis so you know you are getting quality work AND great personal customer service. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives wants your home to be as beautiful as the day they installed it, so it is customary for OLP to come service, adjust, and help you maintain the lighting architecture they install (for specifics on length of time, warranties, etc please contact OLP directly).

One of the hottest trends in landscape lighting is lighting control automation (LCA). Why? Well not only does it look beautiful, it can add a lot of security to your home. Here is a great informational video from OLP about lighting control automation - for more videos and information please visit Nashville.Outdoorlights.com

But really, outdoor lighting is something every home should have and you should definitely have experts who know what they are doing set it up.

If you are interested in learning more, please visit: Nashville.Outdoorlights.com or contact owner Michael Wynn and his team at 615-373-0638.

Extra Note: Michael Wynn will be teaching a CEU credit course at A1 appliances for the ASID of Nashville on March 11^th at 9:00 am, if you are interested.

French Antiques and Rooms, Simply Beautiful

I was lucky enough to visit an antique store at The Factory in Franklin, TN this weekend and I was incredibly inspired. The antique booths were filled with high end furniture, pictures, books, china, silver sets, and more fresh from the drawing rooms of Europe.

One great thing about this antique store was that the furniture was so well preserved it looked brand new (rustic furniture is nice, but shabby isn't my thing). And the other great thing is that you can actually furnish your home for about the same price as going to a brand new furniture store, incredible huh?

I am always a fan for using antiques in your home. It's a great way to invest your money and also to preserve history.

Here are some french antiques, rooms and garden items I came across (not at the store, but online) that are simply stunning:

Red Flags to Look for When Buying a Home and Homes from the French West Indies

Real Estate: Red Flags to Look for When Buying a Home
Architecture: French West Indies Homes
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Real Estate: Red Flags to Look for When Buying a Home

Home inspections are absolutely essential when purchasing a home. I don't care whether you live in a sate that allows you to purchase a home without one, get one anyway. A house in your biggest expense (for most people) - buying a house without an inspection is like buying a used car without having a mechanic check it out first.

Unfortunately, home inspections can be costly. Luckily there are a few things to look for when buying a home (that you can identify yourself) to help give you some idea about what's going on with the house. For more information visit FrontDoor.com

1. Neighborhood: Ok, so it's not a physical part of the house but it IS important to the overall value of your house. Look up and down the street - is there a lot of homes for sale? What condition are the homes in around your potential house? If there is a mass exodus from the neighborhood (aka a lot of homes for sale on the street) you might want to ask what's going on in the community/neighborhood that might be causing it.

2. Condition of the house exterior: if there is moss growing on the roof, grass in the gutters, gravel in the flower beds, spot of dirt in the yard, or fallen down trees it is quite apparent then that the owners didn't bother to take very good care of the home. This will mean you will have to pay for it in the end. (Roofs are expensive to replace, etc.)

3. Foundation: Look at the slope of the yard, specifically look for drainage issues. If water runs down the yard it should show in the yard. Also look closely at the foundation of the house, if there are cracks or crumbling brick (or whatever the material is) then it needs to be repaired (usually if the cracks are bigger than 1/3 inch then it hints at major structural issues - not that they can't be fixed, but it might be costly).

4. Smell the house (inside... and out): When you walk into a house, it's ok if it smells lightly. If it's heavily scented with potpourri, then that is a red flag they are trying to cover up a smell. It may be something as simple as cigarette smoke or as bad as rotten meat that was accidentally left in the kitchen - either way, be aware.

5. Old Wiring: ok, so you aren't an electrician. But if you walk into a house and the lights flicker or the face plate's make a noise when you flip a light on (like a hissing or a buzz) that is bad or old wiring and is a huge fire hazard.

6. Fresh paint...on one wall: fresh paint in a house is great! fresh paint on just one or two walls, not so hot. That is usually a huge red flag that there was damage of some sort and it has been repaired. Repaired is great - as long as it checks out and was properly done. Mold or water damage is never fun to have to continually deal with.

7. Locked doors or blocked off rooms: if you really like a property, ask for another showing in which you can see those rooms. Sometimes homeowners may be using them as storage, but there may also be something wrong in those rooms you should know about. As a rule of thumb, if a homeowner refuses to open a room or storage space or acts weird about it - avoid the home altogether no matter how much you love it.

8. Windows: Check all the windows and make sure they work. If they are foggy they might be double pane and have water in the middle. Windows are expensive, so pay attention.

9. Open floor plans: If your home has an open floor plan, make sure to see if it was always open. If the homeowner did renovations to make the floor plan open, they may have moved load bearing walls which can in turn shift the rest (or the older) part of the home - causing more damage in the long term. Just make sure the job was done properly!

10. Bugs: if you see dead bugs everywhere, or bugs in general, there may be a pest problem. It may be easy to remove the bugs with a simple call to the exterminator or it could be as horrible as termites!

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Architecture: French West Indies Homes

 So I have a serious obsession with everything French, West Indies and Creole. The homes are stunning, the traditions are warming, and the history is more than vibrant and interesting. The French West Indian and Creole culture is a way of life, it's not something that is easily explained nor easily put into words.

Regardless, I did a little research and found some homes that are located in the (Caribbean) French West Indies. Check them out, simply gorgeous little places:

Ideas For Man Caves and Say Hello to the McLaren MP4-12C aka P11

Interior Design: Man caves... what are they?
Road Trip: Introducing the newest baby to the family, the McLaren MP4-12C
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Interior Design: Man caves... what are they and can they really be created with organization :)

Man caves.....what in the world is a man cave? Well don't worry! It's just a buzz word for a room where the guys can hang out. A man cave is not a new idea over time they have been called cigar rooms, smoking lounges, media rooms and studies.

I did a little research and it seems like a lot of new homebuyers are looking for this 'man cave' and it is a fairly important feature. So if you want to add a 'man cave' to your home there are a few features you always want to try to incorporate into it.

Always have a flat screen television, large couches and chairs, full bar, and lots of storage. You can add things like a pool table, darts, fridge, etc depending on your space. You should also consider the area you live in when designing it. For example I live in Nashville Tennessee - it would probably be a good idea to include in the design a small recording studio or band space in the room because so many musicians live in Nashville.

Here are some really great ideas for 'man caves' and always remember to consult a interior designer, real estate agent or licensed contractor before starting any home renovation project!

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Road Trip: Introducing the newest baby to the family, the McLaren MP4-12C

Say hello to the newest baby of the McLaren family, the MP4-12C (also known by its codename P11). The sleek design, luxury interior and delicious surprise under the hood would even make your grandmother blush.

Under the hood you will find a 3.8 liter V8 engine that can produce around 600 horsepower and 433 lb-ft of torque. The carbonfiber body makes going 0-60 in a little over 3 seconds a snap. Oh, and it has top speeds in the 200mph range.

If you are interested in this car expect it on sale late 2010 (Europe) and early 2011. It's generously priced at about $265,000 USD (£160,000). OK! So it isn't an ultra car, but it sure is a pretty baby.