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From grabbing a bite of breakfast to putting the finishing touches on some last-minute work tasks, it’s no secret that your new go-to spot these days happens to be… well, everywhere. As you move from one spot to another in your home catching up on emails and maybe even watching a YouTube video (or two), keeping your devices powered up and ready to use is as easy as plugging into your nearest USB outlet.
“A USB outlet has the two standard electrical prongs along with two USB ports, which means that pesky cube is no longer needed,” Normandy Designer Bill Peterson says. “You simply grab your cord and plug it in, and you’ve got the power to last you throughout the day.”
Before deciding exactly where to place these outlets, it makes sense to do an assessment of which areas may be of heavy use. “I typically like to do a house-wide walk-through to understand how different members of the family use the space,” adds Bill. “Asking questions such as if you’d plan to charge your phone in the kitchen or in your bedroom overnight, whether you’d like to create a smart center specifically designed to charge a variety of devices, or if you need several different options available that go along with your daily routine.”
USB outlets are more expensive than your standard outlet, so deciding which outlets get the USB upgrade should be a purposeful decision. “Having a USB port in every outlet sounds like a dream come true, but in reality, it’s simply not needed,” Bill states. “You won’t actually need to charge your phone or tablet in every corner of the house, instead, choose the areas where you spend the most time; like near your sofa, tucked in your nightstand, in your home office, or even in the kitchen.”
Getting power sorted out is just one small piece of the remodeling puzzle. Set up a time with Bill to talk about space planning, additions, or layout upgrades to get every aspect of your home working well for you. Make sure to register for one of our upcoming virtual webinars to learn more about a variety of project-specific remodels, and for even more home ideas and inspiration, follow Normandy Remodeling on Facebook and Instagram.
Solid color tiles can often feel like a blank canvas, and while there are times when that’s exactly what your design needs, there are other instances when it can make the space feel, well, blank. Adding a pattern to one of these solid color tiles opens up a world of opportunities for color, pattern, and style that can take that blank canvas and make it a wow factor for almost any space.
“I like to remind people that too many patterns in one space can make the room feel busy, which detracts from the beauty of the individual tiles,” Ashley notes. “That doesn’t mean you’re limited to just one pattern, but try to use different sized options to balance the scale and proportion. For instance, use bigger patterns on the floor and smaller patterns on the wall to really help break up the space and not make things feel too uniform.”
