You’d think shopping for furniture covers for your outdoor furniture would be pretty straightforward. That’s not necessarily the case. There are, in fact, a number of things you’ll want to consider before your making your purchase to ensure your new outdoor furniture cover will keep your furniture looking brand new as long as possible.

Make Sure It’s Thick Enough to Keep Out UV Rays
While harsh weather certainly takes its toll, the biggest threat to outdoor furniture is actually the sun. Harmful UV rays fade colors, turn some materials dry and brittle, and can degrade fabrics. That being the case, it’s important that you purchase an outdoor furniture cover that is thick enough to eliminate sun damage altogether.

Is It Waterproof?
Sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many outdoor furniture covers are just “water resistant.” These covers perform well in a passing drizzle, but if they get hit with an all night thunderstorm or a six-inch snow that sits on them for weeks or months, they actually soak up the water and end up doing more harm than good. A waterproof cover will repel water completely so that there’s no chance of water damaging your outdoor furniture whatsoever.

Durability

No matter the size of your property, optimizing the space you have can be a challenge. In smaller properties, however, the lack of available space can become an especially difficult problem. While you can go the route of limiting the amount of things you put into each room or simply deal with a large amount of clutter, built-in furniture is an option that will save valuable floor space, while letting you keep the room fully functional.

Murphy Beds and Loft Beds
Aside from adding a unique look to a room, built-in furniture like Murphy and loft beds can truly make the difference between a bedroom that’s way too small, and one where everything has a place. Loft beds and Murphy beds can often be fitted with a mattress of your choosing, and can make a huge difference in a cramped space. These kinds of beds, since they are designed to save space, are often fitted with other features such as cabinetry or desks.

Built-In Desks
You don’t need a home office or a spare room to set up a pleasant and organized work space. Installing a built-in desk into a kitchen, a spare bedroom, or even under a staircase is a great

Many homeowners planning to remodel their kitchen or bathroom are often surprised when asked if they have plans for their project. When building a home addition, these plans become even more important. While a contractor may be able to draw a set of building plans, residential designers are specialists who are trained to use space efficiently and are educated in all the newest trends and available products available. Not only do residential designers draw plans, they also spend time with each client to determine their specific needs, lifestyles, priorities and budgets to design a custom room, addition or entire home.

Why seek out a residential designer to design my remodeling plans when so many contractors offer free design advice as part of their bid service?
Contractors generally tend to fill a client’s requests in the most straightforward manner possible, keeping things simple to avoid confusion or spending any more time than is necessary. Getting the job and building it are their top priorities. By contrast, the residential designer will sit down with you and work out your design puzzle in its entirety, with the emphasis on finding the best solution rather than the most obvious. Helping you understand the complexities

For major projects and renovations the first remodeling step is likely to be an evaluation of your home’s floor plan. Homeowners looking to build a custom home or planning a major remodel or addition could avoid critical and often costly design mistakes if only they spent as much time considering the floor plan as they do choosing paint colors, tile, light fixtures or flooring. Too often, when homeowners hear the term “floor plan,” they think of nothing more than square footage and wall dimensions. It’s thinking like this that leaves huge gaps in the functional efficiency of a home and requires substantial and expensive remodeling in the first place.

Remodeling Steps for Enhanced Room Design
Although people may not think they understand residential design because they can’t visualize how plans on paper will turn out when built, everyone can identify with the frustration of an improperly placed light switch, inadequate storage or a dysfunctional kitchen or utility room. We’ve all seen fancy bloated entryways that are too big, game rooms that are too small to hold a standard pool table, and backyard patio doors that open on to easy-to-stain carpeting instead of easy-to-clean flooring. Whether homeowners choose to live with these