Well I just went through the fun and sometimes intimidating process of picking interior paint colors for my new home. I love color and I have been a graphic designer for years so I enjoying working with color.

When I started with the task of picking colors for my new house, I knew I wanted color. So first I started with a theme . I live in Southern California near the ocean and have chosen Beach-y - Tropical with a modern twist as my theme.

Second, I used things I collect for inspiration. I collect the vintage jadeite dishes that Martha Stewart has made so popular. So naturally when I discovered that Martha Stewart had a paint color called Jadeite I knew that would be one of my colors.

As you start your new projects or dream of completing current ones, think green! Making conscious decisions to use environmentally friendly products is easier than you might think and actually saves you money, and more important, our planet.

Here at Project Kraemer Lane we’re thinking green as part of our whole house renovation. Something as simple as a changing light bulb can make a huge impact. We’ve recently begun using Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulbs which last up to 10 times longer and use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs. Imagine this: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, save more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

Frequently I am asked about how to measure “my house” for vinyl exterior shutters. While there is no formula that can be a one size fits all solution, this article gives some good pointers about how to make the best determination.

Choosing a measurement style is one of the most difficult decisions in the purchase of vinyl exterior shutters. The first step to replacing your vinyl shutters is with a walk or drive around your neighborhood. The first thing to look for is how the exterior shutter tops are placed in relation to the top of the window.

This tutorial explains how to paint brand new paintable vinyl exterior shutters and is not intended or recommended for the PVC type of exterior shutters or repainting old exterior shutters. You must have the paint grade shutters for this procedure to work correctly.

First you need to decide whether to spray or brush the paint on with a paint brush. It is recommended that you use a spray system to paint your exterior vinyl shutters, as the result will come out more consistent.

For new readers here who may not be aware, we are just about to wrap up our hugely successful contest for the most creative remodeling project / blog documentation - it’s called our $5000 Remodel, Blog & WIN Contest.

We have received so many great entries that judging is going to be VERY difficult - they ALL should win!

That’s right, you read it here first, folks! Grace, the award winning design goddess over at Design*Sponge has agreed to be one of our honorable judges for the $5000 Remodel, Blog & WIN! Contest here at RemodelingMySpace.

For those of you who don’t know who Design*Sponge is, I’ll bring you up to speed… You may have read one of our recent posts on the 10 Home Design Blogs That Rule The World which was a post about a contest that Home Rejuvenation had looking for the top design blogs. Well…. Design*Sponge was the much deserved winner!!

Free Home Remodeling Design Software Comparison Review

When is ‘FREE’ really free? When it’s in reference to free home remodeling software! Heads up home renovators and remodeling enthusiasts – there really is something free in this world. Here are three home remodeling software packages with free versions that you can use with no strings attached:

• FloorPlanner
• Plan3D
• Google SketchUp

Looking for free kitchen design software?

Our 2D and 3D Free Home Remodeling Software Comparison Reviews