Guest Contributor: Andrea Carlson of SCC Kitchen Bath and Home, Minneapolis

Fun Additions For Your Home

The decision to add another room to your home is a difficult one. It usually involves a significant amount of work and planning but can add useful living space to your home. Not only that, but it can add value to your home. It’s important that you have a good idea of what room you would like to add to your home and to be sure it doesn’t look like an afterthought. So here is a list of room addition ideas that will look great on your home.

A Hanging Porch

A hanging porch will look natural on almost any home. It is also a relatively simple addition because it does not involve building an entire new four-walled room. This is obviously a seasonal room and will not have a significant increase on the value of your home.

Room On Top of the Garage

While this could really be any room it is usually made into an additional bedroom. This is a great place to have a guest room or an additional media room. This can be rather costly as heating/cooling this room will be an additional concern. However because this is a costly and difficult addition it will add value to your home.

Sun Room

Sun rooms or sun porches are, much like porches, easier and less expensive then adding a new full room. Unlike porches they can be used all year round. These do not add the same value to the home as a four walled room because they do not provide the function of a bedroom or other living area. These are not a real substitution to a full on room addition but do provide a unique space to your home.

Media Room

If you’re adding new room to your house, you no doubt you have thought of adding a media room.  This provides an additional gathering room for guests and family members. Adding a home theater or media room will add value to your home as it is a four-walled room with temperature control and electricity. Not to mention that it could also be used as an additional bedroom in the future.

About the Author

Andrea Carlson works with SCC Kitchen Bath & Home, a Minneapolis-based remodeling company.

Reader Redesign: Meet Hannah

Hello everyone, we apologize for the lack of posts lately! Life has gotten ahead of us and we have seriously slowed down in the renovation department. We still have lots to do and lots to post about but we have had some hiccups that we are trying to decide how to solve and therefore haven't had any big reveals to share. Soon, we promise!

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To tide you all over, we have a Reader Redesign that was sent to us in response to our guest blogger post a couple weeks back! Hannah is an interior designer from the Grand Rapids area of Michigan and is currently working on flipping her second home (you go girl!). After looking through her website, it is obvious that she has a talent for home decor and renovation; we are so excited to share her "bookshelf" redesign with you now!

I am drooling over her shelves as a use of space for a seemingly small living room - so much warmth and personality is added by taking only about one foot of space out of the room. Now obviously it takes a while to collect all the items that she has on display (I love her use of books, plants, jars, growlers, and much more) but be encouraged: bookshelves are great to display all sorts of things, you probably have more items to display than you think! Shelves like this are a perfect way for anyone to put their personality on display and the cool thing is: everyone's shelves would end up so different!

In her original post about these shelves, she says that they only cost her about $180 as opposed to the much pricier wood built-in's she was originally thinking of installing. I personally am glad this is the route she took, I think the blue of the wall showing through really brings the whole room together and makes this feel like a part of the room instead of just an addition. That was some good thinking on her part! ***If you click the original post link you can see the before pictures of this room as well! 

Hannah's home renovation is really remarkable. If you have a minute to take a peek at her first and second homes you will see what I mean! She is also available for design consultation, etc. so if you have questions please post them on this page and we would be happy to send them her way! 

A BIG thank you to Hannah for sharing her awesome shelves with us! We are so thrilled to share them with you! 

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Has anyone else been restyling their environment lately? Starting any new projects? We'd love to hear about them!