The Holidays… it’s a month and a half of planning, juggling, shopping, cooking and socializing. It’s a special time of year, but it can be really stressful, right? With the holiday race behind you, it’s now time to relax.

The New Year is traditionally about resolutions, but it’s also about unwinding and creating quality time to rest, relax and stay healthy. Remember, many mammals hibernate this time of year, but we humans are the only ones who have to keep up a steady pace. Stress can compromise your immune system during cold and flu season, so it’s important to pamper yourself to maintain good health.

The easiest way to relax is to create an environment that makes it hard to resist doing just that. Here are some ideas for turning your home into a stress-free winter wonderland:

Water

The therapeutic qualities of water are well-documented. Take advantage of this in your home by installing an air tub (also known as a whirpool) in your master bathroom or in a sauna space you can create in your basement. Use it to ease tense muscles and whisk away joint and muscle pain.

Scent

A smell can unlock intense memories, which highlights how powerfully scent can affect your mood. The art and science of aromatherapy to restore balance and harmony can be as simple as using scented candles in the places where you relax. Or you can experiment with essential oils in warming pots or in your bath water.

Music

The saying is “music soothes the savage beast” and it can also soothe your soul. The rhythms of classical, orchestral and ballad music are proven to lower the heart rate, and it can elevate or calm your mood. A whole-house audio system can bring music to wherever you are. There are also many forms of water-proof sound systems to choose from so you can put a song in your heart as you soak.

Lighting

A lack of sunlight is the main culprit of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Installing skylights and solar tubes are an effective way to keep the sun (and its Vitamin D) shining all winter long. Increasing the wattage of light bulbs during the darker months is another way to get more light. Mood and ambient lighting is another way to uplift your spirits. A home automation system is a convenient way to control all the lights (and even window blinds) with a simple touch.

Click for a free pdf brochure of other tips and ideas for having a productive and enjoyable winter. And if you need any remodeling or repair help to relax into a Happy New Year, call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

The heightened pace of the holiday season often includes having more visitors to your home. Be it a special dinner or a holiday party, or having sleepover guests for one night or several, this time of year can create a need for extra space in your home.

But many times these are temporary needs requiring a much simpler solution than a room addition or finished basement projects. so, rather than remodel, you can create flexible space, and here are some useful ideas for how to accommodate that.

Creating More Usable Space for Holiday Dinners & Parties

• Instantly create more dining tables by putting an unused door or 2x4s and cover with a tablecloth. For a more formal look, invest in a sheet of thick laminated glass with smooth, beveled edges.

• Do you have a ping pong table? Remove the net and hide it with a tablecloth to create a generous-sized dining table.

• Serve meals buffet-style and provide several folding TV tray tables with folding chairs for more space away from the dining tables.

• Turn your patio into a warm place to gather by adding a portable fire pit or outdoor space heater.

• Create a lounge around this heat source by using fabric panels or folding room dividers to block wind, and illuminate the area with candles and strings of light.

Creating New Spaces for Guests to Sleep

• The good ‘ole fashioned Murphy Bed is a great solution because it’s artfully disguised and out of the way by day, and instantly ready for slumber by night.

• Daybeds work as sofa-like seating most of the time, and then easily convert into a bed as needed. And they can be moved into whatever room serves you best.

• If you have a window seat long enough to stretch out in, add more cushions, sheets and blankets to make a temporary bed.

• For young children, provide them with lots of sheets, blankets and pillows and invite them to build a blanket fort in a place that’s safe for them and your furnishings. The allure of “camping out” always works for kids!

As the old saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, and the holidays certainly do conjure some creative problem solving. If you have more ideas on how to create temporary flexible space, please share them in the Comments.

The design-build team at Mosby Building Arts invites you to explore more tips and tricks for making the most of the holiday season.  Click for a pdf brochure.

And if you need any remodeling or repair help to make your home ready for the holidays, call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

Closets are a hidden sore spot in too many homes. The standard pole for hanging items with a shelf or rack above it does a disservice to most people. That system leaves too much wasted space, too much stacking and too much disorganization.

You deserve closets that allow you to store and organize clothing so that you can find it quickly and easily. This can be accomplished in an existing closet with personalized shelving and rack systems tailored to your needs or you can expand your space by converting an unused bedroom into the ultimate walk-in closet and dressing room. Redesigning the master suite to create separate His & Hers closets is a popular project that greatly improves lifestyles.

When planning for your dream closet, here are things to consider:

Budget: Closet systems can be made from wire and PVC shelves (entry level) all the way to wood veneer cabinetry (premium). If you can dream it, it can be made, but take stock of what you actually need so you’re planning wisely on the organization that will improve your life.

Suitability: An organized closet should reflect how you live. There’s no sense in creating elaborate top shelf storage if you’re 5 feet tall, or designing a floor shoe rack when you have a bad back. Make it easy for you to access the important, every day items, while providing storage for off-season items up high or deep back in the closet.

Contents: Your closet should have space for all types of clothing and accessories. Details to think about include:

• Pants and skirts can hang under shirts, while dresses will take up more space so need their own nook.

• To make shoes easily accessible, consider cabinets or drawers with see-through fronts so you can quickly identify the shoes.

• Special rack for ties and belts keep these accessories organized and in sight.

• Adding drawers and a dresser in the closet can give you more space in the bedroom

• A built-in jewelry cabinet at chest-height makes it easier to coordinate accessories with your outfits.

• Building a waist-high island in the middle of a walk-in closet gives you valuable drawer space, plus a convenient countertop.

• Bench seating is not a luxury, but a necessity. Remember that each time you have to walk from your closet to your bed to put on socks and shoes.

Labor: If your needs are simple, a visit to a container store and a weekend’s worth of work can do the trick. If you’re seeking a more tailored solution, look to a professional to help realize your goals.

The space planners and carpenters at Mosby Building Arts have created thousands of closets for Metro St. Louis homeowners, from simple double closets to luxurious walk-in closets with revolving suit racks and a wall safe. They specialize in carving His & Hers closets out of existing master bedroom and bathroom space. To begin the process of your dream closet, call Mosby at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

Mosby designer Adrienne Nienkamp & Mosby architect Brian Yount hold the Homer Awards for the projects they worked with the homeowners on.

We are pleased to have won two Homer Awards (the Oscar of local residential remodeling) from the Home Builders Association of St. Louis & Eastern Missouri.  This marks the Homer’s 42^nd year of recognizing excellence in design, workmanship and value, and our 10^th consecutive year of being honored with the distinctive Homer statue.

Homer Award for Outstanding Interior Renovation The one-car attached garage of a home in Affton, Missouri was converted into a working studio and display space for a veteran quilter.  There is a loft area for contemplation, inspiration and drawing new designs. She then walks down the stairs to her work space to bring the designs to life, and when they are complete she has lighting and fixtures in place to display her work.

It was a unique adventure for our architect Brian Yount, AIA and project manager Jill Huckelberry to collaborate on this project with the gifted quilter, and we are honored to share this award with her.

Click to see more photos and details of the award-winning quilting studio.

Homer Award for Outstanding Addition The imminent arrival of their mother inspired a Chesterfield couple to add an apartment to their home so she would have privacy, autonomy and comfort. Our project planner Adrienne Nienkamp, CKD, CAPS, designed an accessible apartment with master bathroom that also gave the couple a new laundry room, butler’s pantry and deck.

Click to see more photos and details of the award-winning mother in-law apartment.

Mosby project manager James Roney worked closely with the couple to create a new wing of the home that feels as if it’s always been there, and the lady of the house (Sheryl) enjoyed the process so much that she blogged about it. Here’s links to her blog entries about the apartment project .

Upon learning their project won a Homer, Sheryl replied, “That’s terrific news! We are delighted to be part of such a successful project. In fact, we have enjoyed it so much that we are kind of sorry to see it end. We’d like to have our crew come by every week! And we’ve told Mom that she’ll be getting a little guy to live with her soon!”

And then she took to her blog to share the Homer excitement!

While being honored with awards certainly has its appeal, the best part is the relationships we have built with one another that made both of these projects so special. So thank you to the homeowners who inspired us to new heights and joined the Mosby team to make these life enhancing projects possible. And we look forward to seeing that Homer displayed in their homes!

Creating a beautiful and comfortable home requires a lot of thought, research, acquisition, and work to get it right.  The wall color compliments the flooring, colorful accents delight the eye, window treatments control the light, furniture is placed just so… which leaves no room for a neon beer sign collection or the stuffed and mounted head of a 4-point buck!

To be honest, the overall look and comfort of a home tends to be the opposite of the creature comforts that soothe a man’s heart. This may explain why the garage has been the classic hideout for the man of the house, where he carved out a spot for a TV, a radio, maybe a small refrigerator and any old chair would do.

Today’s modern man has exercised his prerogative for an indoor Man Cave, a piece of the home specially reserved for uniquely male activities. The term has entered into standard American language, has its own dedicated website, and men all over the nation and in the Metro St. Louis area are eyeing up unused spaces in their home for its potential as a private retreat or playroom.

High on the Man Cave wish list is a home movie theater, a place to escape to (or invite everyone in) with ultra comfortable seating, surround sound, and an opportunity to hang up old movie posters long ago stashed in the attic.

Other times, a man’s private time is about physical fitness, with everything they need to exercise in the comfort of their home. A home gym is the perfect opportunity to customize with a flat screen TV, surround-sound stereo, personalized exercise equipment and souvenirs of an active life.

Remodeling the basement into an adult game room can go upscale like an Old World casino, with a poker table, billiards, shuffle board and full wet bar.

Or it can be more down to earth like this finished basement Man Cave done up in red as an homage to the St. Louis Cardinals, including red felt on the pool table, big screen TV, baseball memorabilia, and two seats from the old Busch stadium.

And a wine cellar is a literal interpretation of a cave, and one that provides the libations that lets a man relax at the end of a day. They can be designed to include a table and chairs, a humidor, wet bar and audio system.

A Man Cave is a highly personal place, accommodating the special interests and needs of its main inhabitant. Mosby Building Arts has designed and built special spaces for men who are recording artists, world travelers and classic car collectors. When you (or your man) have a hankering for private clubhouse within the home, work with Mosby architects and designers to develop the ultimate Man Cave by calling the office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

Since the beginning of time, bodies of water soothe the soul and restore the body, which is why we continually harness the power of water for personal improvement and healing. We long for swimming and lap pools for exercise and relaxation. Hot tubs and Jacuzzis provide relaxation and therapy for sore and tired muscles. Waterfalls, gazing ponds and fish ponds encourage quiet contemplation.

From ancient Rome to modern day, we have the desire to bring pools and water features indoors so they can be used and enjoyed year-round in complete privacy and security. And with the increased understanding of the therapeutic advantages of aquatic exercise and rehabilitation, bringing pools indoors can increase the length and quality of life at your convenience.

The St. Louis metropolitan region enjoys a good 4-5 months of warm weather, which makes outdoor pools a tempting and viable option. If splashing under the summer sun is what you desire, click to learn all about outdoor swimming pools.

If you want the powerful benefits of water features all year long, indoors is the way to go. As you contemplate adding an indoor pool or spa to your home, there are several guidelines to follow to ensure that this is a successful and healthy endeavor.

An indoor spa room addition project by Mosby Building Arts.

Humidity

Having a large body of water in an enclosed space rapidly escalates the humidity levels in your home. Improperly managed humidity leads to mold, mildew, rot  and health issues, which is why proper climate control is crucial. Dehumidifiers must be installed to keep the air dry, clean and odorless. To reduce evaporation and condensation, cover the pool or tub when it’s not in use.

Vapor Barriers & Insulation

The moisture from indoor pools and water features continually seeks a way to drier air outside, and the paths of least resistance are the structure of the framing enclosure and anything attached to it. A properly installed, continuous vapor barrier around the container will keep the water where it should be.  Most indoor pools and tubs require some form of heating and cooling, so proper insulation will ensure uniform heating and keep energy costs down.

Heating & Cooling

The room with the water feature needs to be heated and cooled just as the rest of the home is, and regulating water temperature works in concert with maintaining a consistent room temperature. Keeping the room temperature 2 degrees above the water temperature will control excessive evaporation and humidity.  Indoor pools and whirlpools have little chance to gain solar heat, so must be heated year round. The energy required to run this heater – as well as the dehumidifier – should be factored into the long-term cost.

Construction by Mosby Building Arts on the underside of a whirpool.

Construction

Whether you have an existing room in mind or will build an addition for a lap pool or Jacuzzi, insure that the area can withstand the additional weight. A full hot tub can weigh thousands of pounds, and the number and weight of occupants and bystanders who will be in the area also factor in to how much support is needed. Ventilation and climate control will be a part of the room surrounding the water feature, and electrical fixtures and conduit should be rated to perform properly and safely in moist areas.

An indoor pool house project repaired by Mosby Building Arts.

Interior Finishes

A moist, warm room requires special attention to wall and floor finishes. Avoid wallpaper, as the humidity and moisture will too soon loosen the paper from the wall. Semi-gloss paint or ceramic and stone tiles work best on the walls. As to floors, ceramic or stone beautifully withstand direct contact with water while carpeting breeds mold and mildew when it gets wet. Indoor plants thrive on moisture, so consider adding them to the room to improve indoor air quality.

With proper construction, ventilation and water management, an indoor water feature can add measurable value to your home and quality of life. Because there is so much to consider with an indoor pool or water feature remodeling project, it is wise to team with Mosby Building Arts water managers, designers and carpenters to assure you have a safe, healthy and long-lasting indoor pool.

For an example of the care and experience Mosby brings to designing and building indoor water features, browse this St. Louis County spa addition. And if you would like to explore your options for an indoor pool or hot tub, call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

Lots of stuff requires a place to put it. This is why storage is a top-of-mind need in just about every household of every size.

With a little creative direction, there are many ways to increase storage space. Adding shelving systems, installing more cabinets and buying armoires or antique chifferobes are typical options. Along with these common solutions, let’s consider what other options might maximize storage potential.

Storage Under the Stairs

Put all that square footage under a set of stairs to use as a closet.  Just as important as the space to store belonging is ease of access. In the example above, Mosby designers created a unique set of folding doors that expose the entire contents under the basement stairs.

Wall of Bookcases

Floor-to-ceiling bookcases across an entire wall is the dream of many book lovers, as well as a smart way to get maximum storage while using up minimal living space.  In the example shown above, the desire for more book space was answered by Mosby designers with built-in bookcases lining three walls of a home office, customized shelving heights and cabinet doors to match the homeowners needs.

Customized Closet

A Christmas tree collection brings about very special storage needs for such large objects.  As part of a basement remodel, Mosby Building Arts planners configured space within an exercise room purposely designed to house trees.  Behind a pair of sliding doors is a spacious Tree Closet!
See more of the home with these 3 clever storage ideas.

Add Space in the Walls

Take advantage of the space between wall studs by adding recessed cabinets or niches.  For the master bathroom shown above, Mosby inserted a lighted niche with glass shelves into the marble wall, creating a stylish and useful space that keeps the clean lines intact.
See more photos of this master bathroom project.

Built-In Bench Seating

Built-in seating provides a place to sit without taking up valuable floor space, and it doubles as a wonderful place to store things out of sight.  With the family room addition shown above, there’s bench seating with storage on both sides of the fireplace. To the right are pull-out drawers, and to the left is a clever way to disguise a pop-up TV screen (as seen in the photo inset).
See more photos of this family room addition.

There are so many clever and useful ways to create more storage in every home, and we invite you to work with the space planning designers at Mosby Building Arts to explore the best organization solutions. Call the office at 314.909.1800 or contact us here.

The recent New York Times article “To Have, Hold and Cherish, Until Bedtime” set off a groundswell of interest, especially in St. Louis, as the article focused on a local couple living in the Central West End.

The main point of interest has been the revelation that some couples purposely and happily sleep in separate bedrooms, and have done so for years. Debunking the popular myth that married couples are supposed to sleep together, voices have been speaking up to say that rather than erode a daytime relationship due to sleep-time incompatibilities, separate bedrooms can actually strengthen a marriage.

What we find most intriguing about the “new trend” of separate bedrooms is how people are willing to make their homes work for them. The key to living right is taking stock of how to optimally live your life and finding solutions that support that.

So, if the husband snores and the wife has endured that for decades, when the opportunity arises to rethink their home (think Empty Nest), making a personal space for each of them is both empowering and comforting. Plus, making their home truly work for them elevates their well-being and lifestyle.

Two separate-but-equal dual master bedrooms can be created when remodeling your home. A floor plan for that concept can look something like this:

But customizing your sleep needs can be as simple as one of you taking over one of the spare bedrooms as your new nighttime domain. There are endless possibilities when customizing your home to match your ever-changing lifestyles, but the most important factor is: You deserve it, so explore your options….
…and get some quality shut eye, in the bargain!