Growing up, Avery*Sunshine recalls that negativity was never an option. "With my parents it was always OK, this is what it is and this is how we figure it out. So it's not in my DNA to sulk, to not see the bright side."

That outlook remains intact on Sunshine's new album Twenty Sixty Four, out today (April 21). On mid-tempo lead single "Come Do Nothing," the singer/songwriter is "clearing out my mind" while packing an ex-lover's stuff -- yet still wishing to get back together. "The Ice Cream Song" ("I'd give up ice cream just for you I'd give you my happy and take your blues") is the wedding tune she sang last April to her husband and longtime musical partner/guitarist Dana "Big Dane" Johnson. And the Quiet Storm-vibed "Heaven Is Right Here with Me" is a duet with Mr. TalkBox (Bruno Mars' "24K Magic"). Both "Come Do Nothing" and "The Ice Cream Song" are available on iTunes.

Listen to "Come Do Nothing".

In fact, Mr. TalkBox is one of several collaborators that Sunshine tapped to help further evolve her sound. In addition to such writers as Eric Roberson (Jill Scott) and Carvin Haggins (Ledisi), she brought in Grammy Award-winning pianist/arranger Ruslan Sirota to craft the album's live string arrangements. "Other than that, this album is a continuation of The SunRoom," says Sunshine. "All of my songs are about experiences I've dealt with and want to talk about."

Sunshine's brand of optimistic, message-driven R&B - coupled with her vibrant, charismatic vocals - has been winning over a growing contingent of fans since the release of 2014's The SunRoom. Peaking at No. 22 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 11 on R&B Albums, her debut set for Shanachie Entertainment spun off two Adult R&B hit singles: "Call My Name" (No. 1, six weeks, 2014) and "Sweet Afternoon" (No. 13, 2015). A 2010 self-titled independent album gave Sunshine her first top 20 Adult R&B hit with "Ugly Part of Me." To date, according to Nielsen Music, the singer/songwriter has earned 11.9 million on-demand streams.

That's in addition to the shout-outs she's received over the last two years from fans like Aretha Franklin ("I love Avery*Sunshine!") and Boy George ("Love this woman's voice"). Plus gigs opening for Babyface at Madison Square Garden, performing for Smokey Robinson at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute and singing at Franklin's birthday party.

During a recent phone interview with Billboard, Sunshine riffed on several other topics:

Meaning behind the album's title: Dana and I both said we'd never ever, times infinity, get married again. We slapped five on it. Then last year he called and said we're going to get married. At that moment I saw unicorns and four leaf clovers; I went bonkers. So I prayed and said God if you give me till 2064 with this amazing man - I'll be 89 and he'll be 91 - I promise I'll stop cussing, overeating and work out every day.

Her stage moniker: I'm a fan of two amazing characters: Shug Avery from The Color Purple and Sunshine from Harlem Nights [the 1989 film starring Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy]. Dana and I were working on our first song together in 2005 called "Stalker." It was going to be released in Japan and he asked how I wanted my name to read in the liner notes. It was clearly divine intervention. I was going through my divorce at that time and my spirit, my soul was calling out for some shine.

Staying the course for 10 years: If you work at anything long enough, the universe will see and hear that and things will start to happen. We also have a great team of people that we call "Sunshine Supporters" who are listening to the music and sharing the music. I have to attribute a lot to those folks who have taken us under their wings.

Her bible for the last six months: Maurice White's My Life with Earth, Wind & Fire helped me through the recording of this album. There are small similarities between what EWF did and what Dana and I do in that we've included more bodies, more elements, other energy to this project. Clearly, Maurice was the head of EWF but he was smart in who he brought into the fold for the group's resulting mixture. I've learned to yield to that other energy.

Continue reading here:
Avery*Sunshine on New Album 'Twenty Sixty Four,' Marriage and Divine Intervention - Yahoo Music

By Carole LaMond, Correspondent

The soft peal of bells announcing the hour from the clock tower at nearby Babson College is a pleasant surprise on a visit to the elegant six-bedroom home at 62 Windsor Road in Wellesleys prestigious Country Club neighborhood.

An even nicer surprise is the homes large backyard which abuts Centennial Park, one of the towns conservation gems. The park has 42 acres of trails and fields, as well as a pond, and is a popular recreation area for walkers and dog owners.

We looked at a lot of houses, and as soon as we walked out on the back deck we were done looking, said the homeowner.

The owners love the character and charm of the 1929 house, and the addition that added a spacious family room open to the kitchen and a vaulted-ceiling master bedroom. They made improvements by installing central air-conditioning, updating the bathrooms and renovating the kitchen to made it a chefs delight with granite counters, high-end appliances and a center island.

Mary Wilson and Susan Morris, the Wilson/Morris Team of Benoit Mizner Simon are marketing the 3,695-square-foot home on a 0.34-acre lot for $1,850,000.

Meticulously maintained, the sunny south-facing house has 11 freshly painted rooms, including formal living and dining rooms, a sunroom and spacious family room with sliders to a deck that includes a hot tub. The owners particularly enjoy the screened porch off the detached two-car garage that has a fire pit and overlooks the fenced backyard.

They also enjoy the close-knit neighborhood where residents gather for social events such as a progressive dinner and a Halloween cookout.

The location is ideal for commuters, near highways and commuter rail, and close to Babson College and to shopping and restaurants in Wellesley Hills.

The house is located on a street of distinctive homes just before it curves to showcase sweeping views of the golf course of the Wellesley Country Club.

The classic three-story house has a front portico with a triangular pediment and dentil molding which is repeated at the roofline. Two dormers with arched windows feature the original decorative mullions.

Lush rhododendrons frame the front of the house while stone walls and a thick screen of mature trees border the back of the property.

The house has hardwood floors throughout and lovely millwork in moldings and built-ins.

The sunny foyer has a turned staircase and a doorway to the kitchen as well as wide entries to the living and dining rooms.

The formal dining room, to the right, has two built-in glass-front china cabinets, paneled wainscoting and a triple window as well as a door to the kitchen.

The spacious front-to-back living room, to the left of the foyer, has a wood-burning fireplace and a French door to a sun porch, or study, with windows on three sides, built-in shelves and recessed lighting.

The kitchen has custom wood cabinetry with glass-front accents, granite countertops and a square center island with a beverage fridge and ice machine. Stainless steel appliances include a Sub-Zero fridge, a Kitchen Aid dishwasher and a Wolf six-burner gas cooktop, oven and microwave. There is a nice counter area with a wraparound window and an alcove for a TV, and the sink is set in a two-tier peninsula with breakfast bar seating that overlooks the family room.

The family room is spacious and sunny with double windows on opposite walls and a French door which opens to the driveway as well as sliding French doors which open to an inviting deck. There is a wood-burning fireplace and a corner cabinet and shelves for a television and books. The family room has a radiant heat floor. There is a half bath off the family room.

The second floor has three generous-size corner family bedrooms which share a bath and a large master bedroom with a private bath. The built-in hall linen cupboard is original to the house.

The master suite has a hallway with a windows and closets that leads to a vaulted-ceiling bedroom with a new, stylish ceiling fan and a wood-burning fireplace. The bedroom has nice light from three oversize windows. The marble master bath has a double vanity, a whirlpool tub and a shower.

The third floor has two bedrooms, both with window seats, a full bath and a walk-in cedar closet.

The lower level has a spacious media room, a laundry and a storage area that includes a workbench, and there is a bulkhead door to the yard.

The two-car detached garage has a door to a delightful screened porch that also has a door to the yard. It includes a fire pit and a peaked beadboard ceiling with a fan.

The house has gas heat and central air, and the professionally landscaped yard has a sprinkler system.

Details

Address: 62 Windsor Road, Wellesley

BR/BA: Six bedrooms, three full and one half-baths

Size: 3,695 square feet of living space on a 0.34-acre lot

Age: 1929

Price: $1,850,000

Taxes: $16,682

Features of home: This classic and elegant home in the prestigious Country Club neighborhood is an 11-room sun-filled house that abuts Centennial Park. The charming 1929 house has an updated kitchen open to a family room with a fireplace and sliders to a deck, a formal dining room and a living room with a door to a sunroom and six bedrooms on the two upper floors. There is a screened porch with a fire pit off the detached two-car garage and a well-maintained hot tub on the deck.

Close by: Fiske Elementary School

Contact: For more information, contact the Wilson/Morris Team of Benoit Mizner Simon: Mary Wilson at 781-956-5016 direct or Susan Morris at 617-650-7784 direct or 781-237-8181 office, or email wilsonmorris@benoitmiznersimon.com. This home may be seen by appointment.

See the original post:
Wellesley Homefront: Join the (Country) Club with this elegant, spacious home - Wicked Local Wellesley

The end of the 2016 tax season on Tuesday also marked the end of tax credits for homeowners who installed energy-efficient doors and windows, because Congress didnt vote to extend them. But how many people actually took advantage of those tax breaks in recent years, and which credits were the most popular?

According to numbers from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), window replacements were the most common non-business energy property credit (Section 25C) claimed in both 2014 and 2013, surpassing insulation, furnaces and water heaters. In 2014, the most recent year for which IRS statistics are available, 726,903 filers claimed the credit for windows and skylights. In 2013, 843,265 people claimed the credit for those products.

In 2014, a total of 605,726 taxpayers claimed a credit for the installation of doors. In 2013, the number of credits claimed for doors was 678,220.

An analysis by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows that total claims for all energy-efficiency credits hit $5.8 billion in 2009 and climbed to $6.1 billion in 2010, then fell to $1.7 billion in 2011 and finally to $1.3 billion in 2012. Those totals include solar, wind and geothermal power upgrades, in addition to doors, windows, roofs, insulation and other products.

Changes to the rules explain why fewer people used the credits for fenestration products, according to NAHB. From 2009 through 2010, the credit for existing homes was 30 percent of the cost of retrofit doors and windows that meet or exceed Energy Star requirements up to $1,500. In recent years, Congress pared it down to 10 percent of the cost of retrofit doors and windows up to $200 for windows and $500 for doors, with a cumulative maximum for all years combined set at $500. The credit wasnt just for replacements on existing homes, either; additions to residences, such as a new sunroom, also qualified.

President Trump has vowed to overhaul the tax code, so its possible that tax credits for doors and windows could return in some form. However, it may not happen anytime soon. A report from The Hill says a push by Trump and Republican lawmakers to enact a comprehensive tax bill by August is highly aggressive to not realistic, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

See the original post:
Tax Credits for Doors and Windows: By The Numbers - DWM Magazine

New York Times

$1.8 Million Homes in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Minnesota New York Times There are vaulted wood-beamed ceilings, wide-plank wood flooring, decorative moldings and paneling and leaded-glass windows, in addition to six fireplaces. On the main level, a large foyer opens to a spacious formal living room and dining room, each ...

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$1.8 Million Homes in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Minnesota - New York Times

CAMBRIDGE Count Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren as a friend of the Fearless Girl.

Warren, who has stood up to her own angry bulls on Wall Street over banking regulations and taxpayer bailouts, mocks complaints by the sculptor of the iconic Charging Bull in lower Manhattan that the addition last month of a sculpture of a defiant girl, hands on her hips and standing in his path, should be removed.

"O-o-h, o-o-h, o-o-h, that is so-o-o sad," Warren says in a mocking voice, then adds: "I think the Fearless Girl is terrific. I hope she stands there until the bull falls over."

Warren casts herself as a fearless champion of progressive causes against the charging bull that is President Trump. In This Fight Is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America's Middle Class, published Tuesday by Metropolitan Books, she argues the federal government needs to do much more to reverse decades of decline among the nation's working families, from raising the minimum wage to expanding aid to education.

She initially assumed the book would be a friendly spur to the left for a president named Hillary Clinton, viewed by some liberals as an uncertain ally on such issues as trade.

Then Donald Trump won the White House.

"Look, I started this book probably 15 years ago, because it's the big story about building a middle class and then tearing it down, and why it happened, and how it happened," Warren said in an interview with Capital Download, USA TODAY's video newsmaker series. "And, sure, for much of the time that I was working on it, I thought it would be Hillary Clinton in the White House. I thought it would be important that she be able to see that arc and that, you know, some good, strong opportunities available for the things she would be able to do, and the team she would put together would be able to do."

Now Trump's unexpected victory has given Warren's message a more apocalyptic edge. Her plan to bolster the case for progressive policies in a Democratic administration has been turned into a rallying cry against the economic and social proposals of a Republican one. "The direction that Donald Trump and his team want to drive this country is a direction that I don't think America's middle class can survive," she warns.

It also has opened a world of political possibility for the senior senator from Massachusetts, heir to the seat long held by Democratic icon Ted Kennedy. Supporters urged her to seek the party's presidential nod in 2016, and the suggestion that she just might fueled speculation and irked Clinton's team. In the end, Warren didn't run but she also didn't endorse either Clinton or Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders until the nomination effectively was settled.

In her new book, she says she resisted "a lot of pressure" to back Clinton. Her husband, Harvard law professor Bruce Mann, cautioned her that the race would be "pretty terrible" although he also assured her it would be okay with him if she decided to run. "My heart wasn't in it," she writes.

In an interview at her Cambridge home, Warren says she never felt the time was right. She had been a law professor and bankruptcy expert who became a leading advocate of consumer protections, especially in the wake of the financial meltdown in 2008. The campaign that ousted Republican senator Scott Brown in 2012 had been her first bid for public office.

"So, you know, people started asking me about this right after I got elected, and my first thought was, really? Are you kidding me? I kind of think you need more experience before you run for president of the United States," she says. "But I was also really learning the job of the Senate, and figuring out what I could do, what the tools were and how you could expand them and use them."

It the end, it wasn't a close call, she says. "Not so much."

'IT IS MY PLAN'

Warren is running for re-election to the Senate next year, a race now rated by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report as so solidly Democratic that the contest isn't expected to be competitive. Even so, her campaign already has reported raising more than $9.2 million.

Her focus is on that campaign, she says. Of course, if she wins a second Senate term she will have more of the experience she says she lacked in 2016 for a White House run.

Will she promise Bay State voters that she'll serve all six years of a second term? "So that's certainly my plan," she replies.

Not exactly a Shermanesque denial, the interviewer notes.

Warren, famed for frustrating reporters with her discipline for staying on message, declines to go any further the second time around: "It is my plan."

She putters in the kitchen of the cozy, cluttered home she and her husband have lived in for a quarter-century. She fixes herself a banana milkshake in a blender; Mann comes in the side door after running an errand. The adjacent sunroom features a white wicker swing that once hung on the porch of her grandparents' home in Wetumka, Okla, and the wicker rocking chair that she sat in to write this book and her 2014 autobiography, A Fighting Chance, on her laptop computer.

At 67, Warren has a direct manner and a no-nonsense mien. She parries a question about whether she has any regrets about not running in 2016.

"Oh, I regret that Donald Trump is president of the United States, full stop, right there," she says. "I wish that he weren't. But now he is and we've just got to go forward."

She declines to speculate on whether she could have won the Democratic nomination last year if she had run. Or if she could have defeated Trump in November if she had been nominated. Or if Sanders, an ideological ally, would have been a more formidable opponent in the general election than Clinton proved to be.

"I don't know; I don't know, and it's again, we are where we are," she says. "Donald Trump has only been here, not even 100 days yet God, it's like dog years or something, it feels like so much has gone on. We've got to get focused on what we're going to do in the next week, in the next month. This man is truly dangerous.

She says Clinton lost because beleaguered middle-class and working-class voters didn't believe that she was the candidate most committed to fighting for their families. "Where it mattered in the vote tally, where America had been hit extra hard by lost jobs and declining opportunities, our side hadn't closed the deal," Warren writes. "Shame on us."

Who's "us?"

"All of us. The Democrats. We didn't make the case," she says in the interview. Including Clinton? "Sure. I mean, it's all of us. We have to bear responsibility for that. ... We didn't get out there and fight hard enough."

She has been heartened by the massive Women's March in Washington, Boston and elsewhere the day after Trump's inauguration, and by the enthusiasm of Democratic voters in special House elections last week in Kansas and Tuesday in Georgia. But she says the risk for Democrats is not staying focused.

"On the one hand, you've got to be in the fight, but ... you can't shoot at everything that moves," she says. "Did you see the movie Up? Donald Trump is the guy [actually, it was a dog] who yells 'Squirrel!' and everybody runs off in another direction. We cannot engage Donald Trump on every crazy 3 AM tweet. We cannot engage every time he says some goofball thing or calls some foreign leader. You've got to kind of pick your shots even though he's everywhere, all the time and really fight back on the things that matter."

LET'S MAKE A DEAL?

For Warren, "the things that matter" would include fighting White House efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act, even if Republicans are unable to pass legislation to repeal and replace President Obama's signature health care initiative. Trump has suggested he might halt government subsidies to insurance companies that help control costs for low-income consumers.

"He's trying to give it a shove into a death spiral, and that is where I think we draw the line right now and have that fight with him," she says. Some Democrats have proposed tying a commitment to continue the subsidies to the spending bill that must pass by the end of next week to avoid a government shutdown.

And for all her differences with Trump, Warren challenges him to join him in a proposal both have endorsed: Restoring a version of the Glass-Steagall Act, which separated retail banking from investment banking and trading. The measure, passed during the New Deal and repealed in 1999, is designed to prevent banks from taking risks with federally insured deposits.

"Donald Trump said during the campaign that he would break up the big banks, that he believed in Glass-Steagall. He put it into the Republican platform," Warren says in a voice that can only be described as taunting. "Come on, Donald Trump! Let's do it!"

Link:
Elizabeth Warren: 'Fearless' foe against a charging Donald Trump ... - Boston Herald

Adam Lucente

WEST HYANNISPORT This home on Halls Creek has spectacular views and Cape Cod charm.

This two-story home has a finished basement and comes with access to a private beach.

The living room is spacious, with wide windows that allow plenty of sunshine. Behind the living room is a sunroom, with views of both the water and the backyard.

The first floor includes a dining room and a modern kitchen that exits to a small side yard and the driveway.

There are two bedrooms downstairs, and a full bathroom.

Upstairs, there are two more bedrooms, a bathroom, and some of the best views from the house.

The basement is split into a large, finished portion and an adjacent storage area.

The proximity to the water is perhaps this propertys most coveted feature. In addition to being a stones throw away from the creek, you can see Squaw Island and the Hyannisport Club's golf course from this home. At low tide, you can walk across the creek to the island. And just a short walk down a pebbled side street is a private beach and picnic area, accessible only to members of the neighborhoods association.

Follow Adam Lucente on Twitter: @adamlcct.

Read more from the original source:
Cape House Hunt: Halls Creek property offers spectacular views - Cape Cod Times (subscription)

Julie Alin is a design consultant for Altering Spaces and Visual Display, based out of Scheels Home & Hardware in Fargo. Her 22 years spent studying home decor trends have given her a keen eye regarding the market and the products flooding it.

Here are four trends Alin predicts will dominate the home decor market this spring.

Beach retreat

Think casual and relaxed. This trend is achieved through splashes of bright colors, preferably those of the tropical nature, like aqua, azure, kiwi and tangerine.

Alin says the goal is to create a feeling of a getaway retreat with a cool, calm vibe.

Consider incorporating this trend in bathrooms, where water is a natural element, or a sunroom, where natural elements can play a role. Alin says she's also seen this trend worked into teenagers' bedrooms or an office space to invite tranquility.

Neoclassic

For this trend, traditional meets modern in an urban glam setting.

Alin points out the use of rich and unexpected textures in creating this atmosphere as well as metallics and mercury glass necessary to imbue an interesting, light-catching accent.

This trend focuses on creating an artistic statement by allowing unexpected components to offer a high-end look in main living spaces as well as bedrooms. Nailheads in furniture (like upholstered headboards or sofas) are an important design element of this trend, but Alin warns against going overboard with this detail.

"Don't overdo it you need to leave something without nailheads," she says.

This trend can be amplified by using small pops of soft colors like blush pink, robin's egg blue or pale mint green.

Rustic chic

If you're a fan of organic yet eclectic, refined yet modern home decor, this trend is for you. Think mixing metallics like gold and copper as well as global pieces that spark conversation naturally.

This trend also embraces a lot of texture, similar to neoclassic style. It's also a trend that works well for pieces of furniture with live, unpredictable edges like dining room and end tables.

"Thanks to the 'rustic' component, this trend emphasizes warm and cool neutrals as well as rich, earthy tones like topaz and copper," Alin says.

Vintage flea market

This trend capitalizes on the en vogue market of reclaimed or repurposed items. Anything that looks a bit aged or weathered fits here.

In addition to the decor that looks like it has been collected over time, Alin says you should incorporate items like birds and romantic blooms like hydrangeas, lilacs, roses and daisies. Other greenery appropriate for this trend include terns, topiaries and herbs while burlap, linen, twine and rope also play a part.

"Think natural: flowers and greens you'd find in your garden and non-synthetic fabrics," Alin says.

Alin and her business partner Steve Johnson have also been seeing a move toward florals as a general trend.

"But these are bold, stylized florals that are fun and free-flowing," Johnson says.

The nice thing about all of these trends is that homeowners don't need to choose just one to incorporate into a space they each play off another nicely so two trends can be melded, Alin says.

Another comforting factor for homeowners is that no trend just ceases. In the 1950s, the life of a trend was about 15 years, Alin says. Now, it's more like 1.5 to 3 years, but the trend lingers for a while before it completely fades out.

"These days, trends don't just end with a chop; they continue with a 'dot dot dot,'" she says. "And if you really love a trend, find a way to add newness to it."

Read more:
4 spring decor trends to freshen up your home - Duluth News Tribune

HARRISON On quiet Cape Monday Cove near the middle of 11-mile Long Lake, one of Maines finest and most desirable inland waters, here is a great home for all four seasons a house that has just been thoroughly renovated, and offers more than 2,800 square feet of living space on two levels.

A deep wraparound porch overlooks the one-acre, white-birch-dotted propertys splendid setting 167 grassy feet of sandy-bottom waterfront, with a pair of docks. A two-minute walk away in this neighborhood of very few homes is the association frontage (600 feet) and yet another dock. The boating options include Sebago Lake and Brandy Pond, and extend more than 50 miles. (Note that the annual association fee is a nominal $100.)

And the home? There is great family compound potential here. There are at present four bedrooms (but septic is for five); and in addition, a good-sized, vintage outbuilding that is prime for conversion into a guest cottage.

The updates/finishes are fine on both levels. The upper story, behind its year-round, water-facing sunroom, has a wonderful open-concept area with a fieldstone, wood-burning fireplace, and a sparkling kitchen with granite island and counters, custom cabinetry, and high-end GE stainless appliances including a five-burner gas range.

The floors are hickory, here and in the second and third bedrooms just behind (theres a full bath to serve them) and in the adjacent master suite, with its own new bath.

The one-bedroom downstairs also provides every living need, from a second laundry to a kitchen with exactly the same features as the main floors, except that the granite is of a different pattern.

The home at 36 Pine Point Road, Harrison, is listed for sale at $699,900 by Rachel Lorraine of Maines Real Estate Connection. Taxes are $5,212.

An Open House will be held from 1-4 pm. on Sunday, April 23. For more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact Rachel at 653-9645 or at [emailprotected]

The Home of the Week is produced by the Marketing Department of the Maine Sunday Telegram. Photos by Jason Frazier, Elegance of Maine. Please send feature home suggestions to [emailprotected].

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36 Pine Point Road, Harrison - Press Herald

By Mark J. Donovan

Glass Sunroom addition and solariums also provide an excellent return on investment. Todays prospective homebuyers look for homes that are bright and cheery, and have that outdoors feeling without the side effects of insects and extreme temperatures.

When planning a glass sunroom addition or solarium make sure you carefully consider the location and position of it. In many cases people prefer to add a sunroom addition or solarium off of a kitchen or family room area for maximum utilization.

In many cases, homeowners actually use sunroom additions or solariums as their kitchen dining area, family room, and home gym space.

Ideally a sunroom addition should be facing a south / southwest exposure to maximize sunlight exposure in the afternoon and evenings, particularly if it is to be located off of a family room. If your sunroom addition is to be located off of your kitchen then you may want to have it facing south / southeast to take advantage of the morning light.

Sunroom Addition Construction

When building a sunroom addition or solarium it is important that its design blend well into the existing home. The addition should meld into the existing homes structure as if it was designed and built during the homes original construction. You may want to enlist the services of a home addition architect to help with this process.

Besides the use of glass doors and windows, as well as skylights, sunroom additions and solariums frequently include ceramic tile floors to help absorb the suns rays.

The roof pitch and its position towards the suns track are also important considerations. For example, if you live in a northern climate the roof pitch needs to be steep enough so that snow can quickly melt off of it. Likewise, there is no point of having a sunroom addition or solarium if the roof surface is facing the north.

Once you have a set of sunroom addition plans, you can then begin the process of finding a contractor to build it. Selecting a qualified and professional sunroom addition contractor can be challenging. It is important to find the right one for your sunroom addition project to ensure that it is built correctly and to your budget and timeline.

One great way to locate a qualified sunroom addition contractor is to use a national home building contractor referral company. They have pre-screened and qualified home addition contractors all around the country and maintain their names and contact information in a database.

In addition, their services are free to the homeowner. The homeowner simply fills out a free online form for their specific home addition requirements and they will forward the information on to 3 or 4 sunroom addition contractors in your area. The contractors will then contact you to set up a time to meet with you and review your sunroom addition or solarium plans.

Obtaining Solarium or Sunroom Addition Contractor Price Quotes

When obtaining sunroom addition price quotes from contractors it is important to make sure that they provide you with a complete sunroom addition cost breakdown list of every phase of the project. The more detail in the sunroom addition cost breakdown list, or bid sheet, the more likely of an accurate sunroom addition cost proposal.

When interviewing potential sunroom addition contractors make sure you check their references. Usually a good litmus test for evaluating a home building contractor is to see how long the reference list is.

The longer this list is, the higher the likelihood that he has a solid reputation. A long reference list also helps to get a feel for how long the contractor has been in business and his level of pride in his work. Regardless of the length of the reference list, it is still important to contact at least 3 or 4 of the references.

Contact a couple of more recent projects completed by the contractor and a couple 2-5 years out in the past. This way you can see how he has been trending with his work, as well as to see how his work holds the test of time.

Finally, it is also important to note that glass sunroom addition construction costs are typically higher than building a new home. The reason for this is that a room addition requires additional effort to tie it into the home. In addition, a new home construction project offers economies of scale. With a sunroom addition, you may be adding only a few hundred square feet of area, whereas with a new home construction project you may be building 2,000 to 4,000 square feet of living area. In addition, windows are expensive and will represent a significant cost in the construction of your sunroom addition.

A glass sunroom addition or solarium is a great addition to any home and is well worth the investment. Just make sure you plan accordingly before breaking ground. By doing so you will increase your chances of a successful sunroom addition. Good luck with your sunroom addition project!

For more help on building a sunroom addition, see HomeAdditionPlus.coms Home Addition Bid Sheets. OurHome Addition Bid Sheets provide you with the knowledge and information on how to plan a home building project, and what to look for when hiring contractors. They also include detailed cost breakdown tables and spreadsheets for estimating your own new home construction building costs.

Fill out our 3-5 minute quick and easy form, and receive a free price quote on a house addition from one of our prescreened and licensed home addition contractors. This process is free and there is no obligation to continue once you receive your home addition price estimate.

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Sunroom Additions | Solariums - Home Addition Planning

This is a Grandview Sunroom four season sunroom. Have this room added to your home with a heating/cooling system and you will be able to enjoys the outdoors year round.

Modern Farmhouse - Home Decor and Design - Susquehanna Style

4 Season Sunrooms Cost | Four Seasons Sunroom (13)

ideas for sunroom additions | This Piedmont Triad sunroom provides year-round beauty and comfort.

This layout is very much like the vision I have in my head for our backyard if we ever get around to fixing up the sunroom.

This is how I want the addition to be! Left will be extended last bedroom with closet(cough cough) straight out overlooking dining room and kitchen gets flipped around and to the right a great big living room, with lots of windows and French doors, to the covered patio

sun rooms | Peak Builders, Inc. - Additions & Sunrooms

Sunroom Addition (Shed Roof) Plans

Sunroom Addition Design Ideas, Pictures, Remodel, and Decor - page 5

Hagen Glass can keep the sun shining in all year round with our custom sunroom designs. http://www.hagenfirst.com/residential/sunrooms

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