Today’s post comes from a great friend and colleague of mine. Toni Callahan at Schmechtig Landscapes. Read below on how to make the best choice in choosing the landscaping company for your home.

Many of us choose to hire a landscape company to care for our homes property and given that they are caring for your home, you want to choose the best company for your needs.

Your search should begin with assessing your own requirements. Do you want a new landscape design to include a complete outdoor kitchen with dining area and living room featuring a fireplace or fire pit? Are you looking for a lawn service company to mow your lawn each week or do you require more services like weeding, planting seasonal flowers, container pot service, lawn fertilization, plant fertilization and irrigation service?

Landscape companies vary in size and their offerings. Some firms provide basic lawn care while others provide the additional services needed to care for your home’s outdoor spaces throughout the year like spring and fall cleanups; weekly grounds service which includes mowing your lawn, removing and disposing of debris before lawn mowing; pruning and trimming selected trees, shrubs, vines and ground cover; seasonal plant maintenance of perennial and annual beds and weeding. A full service landscape company knows when to perform each service like lawn fertilizer and plant bed fertilizer, lawn aeration to help your lawn improve soil conditions and reduce thatch, plant root feed to provide plants with a readily available source of nutrients, insect control for preventive and curative application control of grubs in your lawn, boxwood blight fungus control, dormant pruning, and more.

Search online for landscape companies in your area. You will learn a lot about a company from their website.   Websites reveal who they are, how long they have been in business, photos and awards of their work and if they are a full service landscape firm capable of caring for all your property’s needs – a one-stop shop. Look for accomplishments in the industry. Is the company a member and involved in their states landscape contractors association like the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association? Do they have Licensed Landscape Architects on staff? Do they have Certified Landscape Technicians, horticulturists and other degreed licensed professionals on staff? What professional associations are they members of? How many years have they been in business? Do you want a company who reaches out and is involved serving charitable organizations? Do they provide a detailed written proposal to eliminate any confusion as to the services you have contracted to be performed and pricing?

Once you have selected and interviewed a few firms, check each companies proposal carefully. Some may seem low and others high. Make sure you clarify the wording on the service offerings to compare apple to apples. Find a company that aligns with you. Asking questions and being honest about your needs and budget will ensure your satisfaction with the landscape company you choose.

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As more of us embrace “aging-in-place,” the architectural principles of Universal Design — championed by architects Ed Steinfeld and the late Ron Mace who jointly published the initial standards in 1980 — are more vital than ever. The end goal of Universal Design is to create spaces that are comfortable, attractive and less hazardous for everyone, regardless of age, size and ability.

That’s why I try to adhere to Universal Design principles when designing bathrooms and kitchens — because it’s not simply adapting for disabilities, it’s assuring that the room will serve you well for many years even if your needs change. There are seven key objectives that I follow:

 1. Flexibility In Use

Good design should cater to everyone in the household, unless the assignment is to meet one individual’s specific needs. This means accommodating users whether they are standing or sitting, and whether they are right-handed or left-handed.

 2. Ease Of Use

Even gym instructors, dancers and other highly-limber individuals appreciate features that save time and effort. I like to include functional touches such as eye-level lighting adjacent to bathroom vanities to supplement overhead lighting, or pullout shelves in kitchens versus fixed shelves.

3. Minimize Hazards

It goes without saying that every space should be made safer to use by avoiding potentially dangerous surfaces and fixtures. This means attractive non-slip surfaces like tumbled stone and matte-finish ceramics. Or grab bars in eye-catching colors and chic shapes that are anything but institutional.

4. Low Physical Effort

Yes, arthritis and other neurological conditions can limit mobility. But so can everyday hand injuries from falls, kitchen accidents or active sports. Features like motion-activated faucets, or simply faucets with lever handles, can be excellent choices.

5. Adequate Size And Space

Everyone prefers ample room to move around, and people on the large side appreciate having enough space so they aren’t bumping into fixtures or cabinets. And of course, so do people in wheelchairs, or people using crutches while recovering from an injury. Universal Design aims to accommodate the full range of body types.

6. Health and Wellness

Bathrooms and kitchens should not only be safe places, but places designed to promote well-being. Indoor air quality can affect a person’s well-being, especially in bathrooms where there is so much moisture. One easy solution is to have a heat/vent/light fixture installed in the ceiling to help remove excess moisture.

Aging In Place from KBIS 2015

7. Comfort

This is the bottom line of Universal Design; maximum usability that’s simple, flexible and accessible to all. Making sure all users feel secure in the space is a basic essential when designing, and our approach is to have everything work well for the whole family.

Sometimes just the simple ideas are the best in resolving some of the most difficult problems.

Best,

Michael Menn

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”
Vince Lombardi

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Why I Do What I Do

Why did I choose architecture and construction (design/build) as my career?

We all have different motivations. Indeed, there are many legitimate reasons, and I have thought long and hard about why I chose to enter this challenging and rewarding world. I have come up with three reasons.

• I like to create and the creative process. I love being challenged by a problem, and then coming up with a solution. I love seeing something I design come to reality. I love looking at a beautiful new kitchen or room addition or office space and thinking: “I did that.”
• What we do makes the world a better place. I believe, and you should too, that the work I do actually makes my clients’ lives better. It might be that I make their lives easier merely from a functional standpoint (aging-in-place features, for example). It may be that what we create is so magnificent it is a source of pride for our clients.
• Ego (now we have gotten to the bottom line!). What I do is very tangible. It is easy to see the results of my work…good or bad. While I am very self-motivated and take pride when I think I do excellent work, it is certainly nice to have my work applauded from clients, from the community at large, and from my peers.

Brilliant work is a function of two things: creative design and flawless execution. That flawless execution generally means leading a diverse project team, whose members often have competing goals.

We recently assembled a large team to bring a fairly complex project to reality. The team includes an architect, interior designer, kitchen designer, landscape architect, audio/video specialist, civil engineer and the remodeling contractor. We meet every two weeks to work through design issues. How does changing the grade along the exterior affect the landscaping plan or ingress and egress out of the house? Should the hardscaping material used throughout the exterior be brought into the interior of the screened porch?

Everyone has a valid point in the discussion and we use each other as sounding boards on all ideas.

This leads me back to the initial thoughts in this column and one of the reasons I am in the design/build profession: to help in the creative process. So now is your chance to be involved in the creative process for this project.

As you can see, I have drawn two solutions for this project. One has the Kitchen facing the backyard with a small Den off to the side. The other swaps the Den and Kitchen.

Let me know what you think and why. I will report back in a future column and recognize some of your solutions. After all, recognition is another reason I am in this profession. Looking forward to your great thoughts.

Preliminary Plan A

Preliminary Plan B

For those of you attending the 2015 International Builders Show and Kitchen and Bath, please reach out to me and say hi.

“There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.” Mother Teresa

Best,

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There’s a scene in the movie “Pleasantville” where William Macy’s character (George) enters his idyllic 1950s home and demands of his wife Betty (played by Joan Allen) “Where’s my dinner?”

That’s the way it was. The man worked. The woman stayed home, raised the kids, cleaned the house, and cooked. Kitchen design reflected this.

That was then; this is now. In 2014, among married couples where at least one spouse worked (this excludes retired couples), both spouses worked in 63% of the households. And if children were present, both spouses worked 58% of the time. So for the husband to come home and demand “where’s my dinner?” just is not going to cut it anymore. (If you don’t believe me, try it.)

No wonder that cooking is becoming a “family sport.” Indeed, a survey done by AskMen.com confirmed that 57% of men said they cook at home and enjoy cooking at home.

There are some obvious reasons cooking is a family sport: 

• Eating at home is less expensive than eating out.
• Time is precious. So all the housework, including cooking, is being shared.
• Cooking facilitates great family bonding. It’s a wonderful activity for the entire family (including the kids) to share, and a great opportunity to spend time together. Plus, the end result is great (FOOD!!). Cooking is fun!

As a result, the kitchen has become a focal point of the house. And kitchen design now reflects cooking as a family sport and the kitchen as a focal point in the house. Here are just a few examples that we employ to reflect these trends:

We encourage our clients to become informed consumers. Appliance manufacturers will offer free cooking classes to demonstrate how their equipment is used. We urge our clients to take these classes to get a feel for the type of appliances they might want.

We frequently design kitchens with two cooks in mind. This can include:

• Bigger appliances
• Appliances with non-traditional functionality, such as steam ovens, or indoor barbecues or griddles, or convection ovens
• Multiple workstations, so, for example, one person might be preparing vegetables or a salad, and another might be marinating the main course, or slicing
• Developing plans for lighting, electrical and even sound that take into account multiple cooks, and the fact that others may be congregating in the kitchen while the meal is being prepared

Since the kitchen is the focal point of the house, we may create more open space that seamlessly connects the kitchen to the family room, great room, etc. We may also put computer workstations in the kitchen, so the kids can be there while the parents prepare the meal (or vice versa)

We invite you to share your experiences of cooking as a team sport. And…what are you guys making for dinner? I’ll bet something good.

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Technology is everywhere. It’s hard to imagine any aspect of our lives that doesn’t involve it. From phones to our cars, from work to our home, technology enhances our lives, bringing us closer to information, entertainment, and each other. Often though, our different devices exist in isolation, connecting us to the world, but rarely working together to create a more elegant whole. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Home Theater

Imagine a home that greets you by unlocking the front door, disabling the security system, turning on the lights, and welcoming you with your favorite music. Imagine a home that automatically lowers shades before the sun can fade your furniture and decor. Imagine a favorite song playing in each room of the house, or the latest hit film streaming and displayed across a wall-sized screen. Imagine promoting all this from your smart phone or iPad.

This is only the beginning of the promise offered by an intelligent home. Beyond showcasing the latest technology, the ultimate goal is to make interaction with your homes advanced automation features a pleasure. Exceptionally easy, yet wonderfully sophisticated, it is technology designed to help you manage your life. It’s about living in the home of the future now.

Home Automation

Once thought of as a luxury, technology is now thought of as an essential part of the infrastructure of a home. New client’s today have grown up with the convenience of technology and have moved the category from luxury to expected when the scope of a new project is discussed.

Today’s clients expect technology and design to work seamlessly together to blend into their decor; empowering homes with the convenience of technology without disrupting the aesthetics. Client’s want the benefits of technology without the feeling of obtrusion which has lead to the development of innovative and creative ways to lessen the visual impact of electronics by making them minimally visible or sometimes placed altogether out of sight.

The methods for hiding technology fall into five distinct categories. One of the most common ways to hide something is to conceal it. Electronics may be covered up with artwork, enclosed in cabinetry or retracted into the ceiling with motorized lifts. Another popular method is to camouflage the equipment – where the devices are disguised as something else. Speakers may be integrated into fake rocks or faux painted to match the wall or ceiling finish. A two-way framed mirror can cover a TV to transform it into a covert, entertainment system. Consolidation is another method that allows you to reduce wall clutter by combining controls onto a single keypad, or touchscreen, or mobile device. Remote location is a way – removing unsightly equipment from the living space and relocating it in the basement or equipment closet. And finally, some equipment could possible be eliminated altogether.

Finding a recommended / certified system integrator to help with the advanced planning, design philosophy, and product selection is crucial to expected results. Specific challenges related to distributed audio, distributed video, media rooms, home theater, video surveillance, security, access control, networks, climate control, lighting – among others – need to be addressed.

A qualified firm can be found by using a system integration company that belongs to CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association). CEDIA is an international association of companies that specializes in designing and installing electronic systems for the home. The association was founded in 1989 and has more than 3,500 member companies. CEDIA members are established and insured businesses with bona fide qualifications and experience in this specialized field. Certified CEDIA technicians are not electricians as many people assume. They have undergone extensive training related to low-voltage systems and have maintained continuing education standards and requirements.

A qualified experienced system integrator will help make complex technology simple and provide advanced, professional, creative resources dedicated to ensuring a projects success. From beautifully integrated design to the finest home technologies, they will guide the client through each step of the design and installation process to make certain clients have exactly the products they need, the features they want, and the personal attention that will make the home of the future a joy to own today.

Thank you,

Joe Barrett from Barrett’s Technology Solutions.

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Kasey Burke, president, Meta Housing Corporation (Los Angeles), a developer of affordable and market-rate apartment communities for seniors and families, recently shared his thoughts with Environments for Aging on the trends he’s seeing in senior housing and how his residences are adapting.

Environments For Aging: What’s the biggest change happening in aging in place living, right now?

One of the biggest changes we’re seeing is an increased focus on active living.  Builders and remodelers are moving beyond the old adult living model to create environments where boomers don’t just live, they thrive. Newer homes or remodeled homes and condominiums are focused on delivering lifelong enjoyment and active engagement.

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In response to this demand, must-have amenities in our locations include thoughtfully designed spaces for entertaining, pampering one’s self, cooking and enjoying everyday activities, among others.

However, it’s essential to design these spaces not only for those living in their own living environment who will actively participate, but also for those who are interested in engaging with others, but not on the same scale. So in addition to large family rooms, we’re also including smaller areas where homeowners can ‘chill-out’ in more intimate space like a sitting room, library, screened porch or an outside retreat. This can include gardens, walkways, balconies, and side yards that are designed to accommodate private accommodations.

What considerations are important when looking to redesign your living environment?

When examining your home for a new makeover, the foremost consideration is how deep the need may be for how you are going to use the space. This is especially important in high-rise apartments where space may be limited.

Then we begin to consider specific attributes that are important to the overall success of a new home or remodeling project, such as can we open up walls to allow for a more ‘open’ floor plan, is there enough room for that 60” professional range because cooking has become an integral part of your life, or is there enough room in or adjacent to the master bath so you can have that 2-person shower and steeping tub you always wanted.

The final consideration is how we can integrate your wish list with your lifestyle. The amenities that will make your home stand apart and become an integral part of your life can be as simple as adding a grab bar in the shower to make it a littler easier to wash the bottom of your feet to adding a third-car garage for that convertible you have always needed!

Photo Credit: aginginplace.com

What do you think you would want in your living environment five years form now?

The boomers of today are no longer satisfied with just a large bathtub or new countertops in their kitchen. They want to live in environments that cater to their individual needs and comfort features. That is going to be different for each and everyone. Hopefully by creating your own individual living space you will stay young and engaged with y our peers, neighbors and children. I see the concept of aging-in-place continuing to grow and become increasingly implemented in everyday life throughout the U.S.

Remember I’m always eager to hear your comments. Contact me at Michael@michaelmenn.com or at 847.770.6303.

Best,

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The kitchen table may be convenient, but it’s usually not the most productive space — too casual, and not effectively separated from the home environment. To do serious work from home, you need to think first about the work you do, the equipment it takes, and the space you’ll require.

For starting the process, I like using the five-step approach of designer Neal Zimmerman in his Home Workspace Idea Book. He recommends that you:

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• Determine your needs.

What office equipment: computers, printers, copiers, faxes? How much filing space? Will you need meeting space separate from your desk? Will you have other employees? What about space for specialized projects — for example, I need a drafting station to work on drawings and plans.

• Choose a location.

Consider whether the space will have to shared with other family members: that den or spare bedroom that may be fine most of the day can suddenly require negotiation when the kids come home from school and want to play video games. Not every home lends itself to new drywall and studs.

• Develop a plan.

Think about the practicality of what you want. Do you have adequate space? Can you provide adequate power? Is there enough storage for the future? Make certain everything is going to fit, and that your budget can afford it all.

• Create a healthy environment.

Just as employers are responsible for maintaining safe and comfortable work spaces, so too should you take extra care to take care of yourself. Make choices that can help prevent eyestrain or back injuries — and don’t skimp on quality. You probably do need an ergonomic desk chair (I have one.)

• Define a place for who you are.

Working at home gives you the power to create and environment you can enjoy every day. Make decisions for your wall colors, your furniture, your storage that reflect your individuality and make you happy.

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When I design a home office space, I ask our clients multiple questions in order to maximize the output of the hours spent working there. Some of the things we’ll discuss include:

• Will an L-shaped or U-shaped layout be best for the tasks at hand?
• What desk chair is best for ease of adjustment and all-day support? Most home-based professionals spend more time in their chairs than they do in their beds.
• What furniture position will maximize the hours of natural light, and what illumination sources will be best at reducing glare?
• How “paperless” will the office be, and how much storage for files, reference books and work-in-progress will still be needed?
• Who else will use the space? Will there be visitors? The family pets?

As your business grows and changes, your home office needs will likely evolve too. Don’t be hesitant to experiment — often one simple change in your office layout can really boost your productivity. With a little planning, you can create a home office that supports your entrepreneurial spirit and enriches your living environment.

Remember I’m always eager to hear your comments. Contact me at Michael@michaelmenn.com or at 847.770.6303.

Best,

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Many of us with children of a certain age are experiencing a “boomerang generation.” Whether because of a desire to save money, a change in lifestyle, a delay in landing a job after college or some other reason, the boomerang generation is coming back home to live with the baby-boom generation.

This phenomenon isn’t limited to our grown children. Whether because of a downsizing, health issues, or simply the desire to be all under one roof, our parents are also coming home to live with us.

What this means is that our society is undergoing a shift from a time when we went off on our own to going back to sharing living spaces. The thing is, most of our houses weren’t really designed for this. For the most part our houses are designed to be for one set of parents and one set of children. Two or more generations living under one roof is just not what we’ve practiced for the last few generations.

But this shift could be a good thing. And all we need do is expand and rework our homes to accommodate children, grandchildren and/or parents. Reworking existing basements and attics for that boomerang child or parent isn’t all that difficult, nor should it be all that costly.

Below I’ve identified 8 basic ideas for reworking those areas of your home — things like having enough light and space, complying with building codes as well as making sure the new living areas are warm in winter and cool in summer.

As always, consult with a professional before making any structural changes to your house.

1. Add light and space. Most attics are short on ceiling height and, because of the roof shape, usable floor area. So add a dormer for extra ceiling height, usable space and light. A dormer can be small, as in a Cape Cod’s dog house dormer, or large, as in a shed dormer. Certainly one of my favorite dormer shapes is the eyebrow dormer, which you’ll see next.

An eyebrow dormer on the outside lends a relaxed and storybook feature to this home. And this dormer with its diminutive scale looks like an eye as it just starts to open from a good night’s sleep.

While on the inside, this eyebrow dormer makes the perfect place for a small bed.

2. Add more flooring support. Often the floor structure of an attic is designed for the smallest of loads. So some structural upgrading might be required to use the attic as living area. If so, work with an architect to ensure that the new structure complies with your building code.

You wouldn’t want to put all of this great furniture, television, people and more on a structure that simply couldn’t support them.

3. Mind your step. Stairs to an attic or basement can often be less than adequate to safely move people up and down. This means that you may have to rebuild or even add stairs to turn the attic or basement into usable living space. So make sure that the stair complies with local building codes.

An added plus is to have a window at the top of the stairs to bring light down into the home and illuminate the way up.

And a skylight will do just fine if a window can’t be done.

4. Don’t waste space. Though not useful spaces as living area, the spaces under the roof are terrific for creating built-in storage or sleeping alcoves for children.

Certainly the under-the-roof space is perfect for toy storage.

5. Provide a way out. Most, if not all, codes require that bedrooms be equipped with an emergency exit. And even if your local code doesn’t require such an exit, it’s certainly good practice to have one. More often than not I’ve seen basement bedrooms without these exits, and I shudder to think of what could happen if someone got trapped in the room in the event of an emergency.

Have an emergency egress close to the bed.

When possible, use windows that let in abundant natural light.

6. Keep it dry. The new wood walls and trim as well as other materials will act as wicks and soak up moisture from your basement foundation and concrete floor. New walls should be built to prevent this by having a separation between the concrete and the new materials. Your architect, builder and local building department can help with the details to do this.

It would be a shame to see all those wonderful finishes destroyed by too much moisture.

7. Have a bath nearby. Adding a bathroom to either attic or basement often makes a lot of sense. If in the attic, try to stack your plumbing lines to avoid costly plumbing runs. A basement bathroom often means that an ejector pit and pump are necessary. Make sure you have easy access to any new plumbing, so that repairs and replacements can be made without too much hassle.

And if you’re adding a bath to an attic remember, point No. 2 about reinforcing the floor to handle all of that weight you’ll be adding to the existing structure.

8. Heating and cooling. Sometimes it’s impractical to extend the existing systems to heat and cool a newly finished basement or expanded and finished attic. Stand-alone and dedicated systems could be better solutions. My preference is to install radiant heat in the basement floor and a wall-mounted split system for an attic.

Of course, using the existing radiators for heating and opening a window for cooling are about the greenest alternative there is.

Remember I’m always eager to hear your comments. Contact me at Michael@michaelmenn.com or at 847.770.6303.

Best,

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Last month, I posted these five resolutions for your upcoming remodeling projects in 2014:

1)        Put a high value on your time.

2)        Seek inspiration.

3)        Set realistic goals and budgets for your remodeling.

4)        Spend more time with family and friends.

5)        Optimize, not maximize.

To complete the set, here are the final five:

6)        Learn from the best.

Hire professional architects, interior designers and remodelers who belong to professional organizations.

Why is this important?  Credentialed professionals are qualified by third parties in their fields of expertise. Members of AIA (American Institute of Architects), ASID (American Society of Interior Designers), NAHBR (National Association of Home Builders Remodelers) and NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry) are required to maintain their credentials by attending education seminars about the latest codes and trends.

7)        Make memories everyday.

When you finally decide to move forward with your new home, addition, or remodeling project, create a space you will be proud of and one where your family and friends will always talk about. Have the vision!

Why is this important?  Your living area is one of your most important tangible assets and the place where you spend the most time. Life is often forgettable and moves at lightening speed, so slow down and take the time to make your new space a memorable environment you can share with others.

8)        Live in the moment.

When you are not working, you are spending time in your home so why not create an environment you enjoy.

Why is this important?  Most people spend at least 8 hours a day working. In today’s society it is probably closer to 11 with travel time. So when you are relaxing or socializing – enjoy being in the moment. Work will always be there.

9)        Don’t lose sight of what you want.

Always remember why you started down this path of remodeling or renovating. Take the time to ascertain what is going to make your life better and keep this goal in the forefront. . Work on your budget beforehand, be honest with the professional you hire and move forward with a realistic budget and time frame.

Why is this important?  Too many people jump into a remodeling or renovation project without spending some time deciding on actually what they want, how much they want to invest and within what time frame. This ends up becoming a waste of time for everyone involved, including you.

10)      Celebrate your team.

When you hire a team (architect, interior designer, remodeler, landscaper, etc.) it requires the collective assets of everyone to bring a project to reality. The best teams are made of people who enjoy this collaborative environment and help each other do their best work. Whenever it happens, it deserves a round of applause.

Why is this important? Everyone appreciates being thanked for a job well done, by their own team members, by their peers, and of course by their clients. It’s simple to do and it goes a long way toward building future satisfaction.

I would like to finish with a poem I found that truly affected me:

Soil, water, air and sunlight,

Joining in grand reunion,

Now rise up, look around, laugh,

And recognize one another.

This is the ancient truth

Woven into the fabric of being:

One in all and all in one;

WE LIVE ONE LIFE!

Remember I’m always eager to hear your comments. Contact me at Michael@michaelmenn.com or at 847.770.6303.

Best,

Michael

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