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Limited free time and too long a list? We can help! 1. Buy a case of furnace filters (12) and replace it each month. 2. Deep clean the the inside of the house to reduce allergies. Hire a pro if needed. 3. Be sure gutters and downspouts are clear of leaves and other debris.

Grand Rapids, MI, February 6, 2014—The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) named Thompson Remodeling, in Grand Rapids, 2014 East Central Regional Contractor of the Year (CotY) in the Residential Kitchen $40,000 to $80,000 category of its annual awards competition.

A great place to extend your living space is in your own backyard with an outdoor remodeling project. In recent years, homeowners have been using their backyard as a blank canvas to create great spaces to spend time with family and entertain guests. The latest trend in outdoor remodeling is designing outdoor versions of your favorite indoor spaces.

Does your home offer enough space for informal family activities? Is your floor plan too closed in? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you are not alone. Today’s families prefer open living spaces that flow from one room to the next, allowing for meal preparation and socialization in one central area. That's why family room additions are such a hot trend today. A family room addition is the perfect solution to open up your home and provide an all-purpose space for all of your activities.

One of the biggest choices you will make when planning your kitchen remodel is what type of cabinet to use – stock, semi-custom or custom. These terms refer to the production method used to make the cabinets. The key difference between each is the level of customization options available, production lead-time, and material quality. In this blog we will provide you with a description and the pros and cons of each type of kitchen cabinet.

Making the decision to remodel your home is exciting. It’s easy to feel a little overwhelmed at first, so to help you prepare, we’ve compiled a list of tips to ensure a stress-free remodel.

Incorporating architectural details into your home remodeling project can bring warmth and character to a room and provide that finishing touch. Our designers can help you select the right architectural details to enhance any style -- traditional, contemporary, modern, or transitional. Some of the details listed below are strictly cosmetic, while others offer a functional purpose as well.

It used to be that bathrooms were simple, utilitarian spaces. Not so anymore! Today, bathroom design trends lean toward creating a relaxing and luxurious place to start and end your day. Homeowners are remodeling bathrooms to remind them of their favorite hotels and they want the same type of amenities at home. Current bathroom design trends entice the homeowner to spend more time in the space – whether its relaxing in a steam bath or getting ready while listening to your iPod or watching TV.

Completing a remodeling project will increase the beauty, enjoyment and pride that you have in your home. We know that remodeling your home requires the commitment of time and thoughtful budgeting and the return on your investment is important. Making improvements allows you to stay in your current home and you get to enjoy your return on investment on day one in your great new space, while the value of your whole house improves overtime. In this blog we’d like to highlight the remodeling projects that add the most value to your home, where you will see the biggest return.

1. Protect family and guests from falls. Clear the driveway and sidewalks of snow and ice and use salt or sand to prevent slippery surfaces. Maintain clear pathways through high traffic areas of your home, it is easy for them to become cluttered with the arrival of guests and gifts. Relocate any electrical cords or wires that may become a tripping hazard also avoid placing them under rugs.

I just walked around my kitchen counting the number of selections that have to be made in a kitchen remodel. After pointing at the microwave, backsplash, cabinet pulls, and making one circuit around the kitchen I counted 40 decisions someone needs to make in a kitchen remodel. Here are 6 shopping secrets from your favorite kitchen & bath designers on how to successfully shop for the finishes for your next remodeling project.

I heard a funny deck story from a client last week. It's summed up with this quote from him, "I should've just handed him [13 yr old son] $250 and done it myself." There were swirls all over the deck from power washing with too much pressure, stain on the vinyl siding up top, and stain on blue stone from lack of drip protection. This week another client told me about how her father-in-law power washed and stained their deck while they were out of town a few years back. Her comment, "There is stain on the siding, but can you tell Dad he did a bad job? I guess we got what we paid for..."

We buy a house because of the vision we have for it. We see ourselves living here. We see our family future here. Then slowly we begin to look at our house differently.

Since the last time we connected I have attended the National Remodeling Show in Indianapolis and have become a Certified Renovator through the EPA’s Lead Safety program. In response to these two experiences I have one mental picture that I’d like to share and one action that I am asking you to take.

1. Spyder Scraper ($13) – this blade turns a reciprocating saw into a power scraper

Ask yourself these questions before buying any tool:

Glass tile is a beautiful addition to any home, but installing it can be tricky. Follow these tips below to make sure your work is as beautiful as your vision.

What is the qualitative value of your guest room? Quantitatively speaking it allows for 2 more people to “sleep” in your home.

5 Tips to beat the heat in a poorly performing house:

The message I have for you today is a bit counter-intuitive. A properly designed house could have intentionally been DESIGNED to not be comfortable on extreme weather days.