Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Picturing a kitchen in place of a carport is something a lot of people could not imagine, says Dewayne Gammel, owner of Renovate Memphis, yet hes recently worked closely with Liles to do just that. Most people cant envision something thats not there. Its different when you do a refreshed kitchen, or something where a kitchens already there. Youre putting in new countertops, new cabinets, whatever. But to put one in that didnt exist before, its hard for people to envision it.

With the help of Renovate Memphis, though, Liles was able to make the leap of faith that her dream kitchen could be a reality. Thats the whole reason design services are so popular, says Gammel, as Liles nods in agreement, because we can give you a 3D rendering of this before we ever do construction.

In Liles case, that meant carefully reviewing the plans before destruction: Most of her home needed a complete rethinking, from the inside out, including substantial demolition. That was in part due to the age of the building. I was born in this house, says Liles. The house was built in 1957, and when my folks died I bought my brothers out though I lived in Colorado in case I ever needed it. I rented it out for a while. Then Covid happened, and Im getting older, so I just decided to come back, because here, my brother lives only a mile away. So I came back and then we did this. She gestures around the house, indicating just how much of it has been renovated. The kitchen was only one part of a massive project.

This house is a new house except for the studs on the outside wall, says Liles. One indication of that is the sheer openness of the space once you walk in the front door. A dining area near the entrance opens to the living area with a couch and chairs, a glass cabinet displaying quilts that Liles mother made, and large double doors leading to the back patio and yard. To the left, these spaces segue into a generous kitchen space, glowing warm with green and beige, bedecked with wall-to-wall counters and a large island in the center. Combined, the three rooms together comprise a single great room with an area of more than 600 square feet.

Such spaciousness, unbroken by any supporting walls, was the first step towards realizing what is now the homes crown jewel: the kitchen of Liles dreams. We did all this, she says, surveying her new home, but the kitchen was my main focus.

That first required taking out the old kitchen, which, true to design trends of the 1950s, occupied a small corner of whats now the living room. All signs of it are gone now, replaced by the sitting area, its windows and doors revealing the back yard. Rebuilding the living and dining spaces was a prerequisite for building the new kitchen, and that in turn required some advanced carpentry.

As Gammel explains, two LVL (laminated veneer lumber) load-bearing beams were the key to such a long ceiling span. Theyre intersecting each other, and their tension strength is a lot higher thats the reason she doesnt have any walls in here at all, he says. That causes some challenges. But the framers that I used and Renovate Memphis know what were doing at this point.

It was all part of the whole-house project, as the pre-existing wall once marking the edge of the carport had to be demolished, the foundation had to be extended, and new walls had to be framed. Yet that was in keeping with the complete modernization of the house Liles was born in.

Its a 1957 house, she says. So Im coming back here, retired. I didnt want to worry about maintenance. So we ripped every piece of sheetrock off, pulled all the old wires, all the old everything, and rewired the whole thing, replumbed it, re-ran the gas lines. New windows, new insulation, and new flooring in the attic.

As Gammel points out, the new insulation was important. In the 50s there was a transition from plaster walls to sheetrock walls, and plaster didnt have insulation in the walls. So the house was drafty. Being able to pull all the walls off and run new everything provided for a more efficient house.

After all this work, bringing new everything to the entire home, work on the kitchen itself could begin in earnest. And that final project was, in a way, an expression of all Liles had learned in a lifetime of cooking. Before returning home, shed enjoyed a kitchen with larger, more modern dimensions, and wanted to build on that. I had a fairly big kitchen in Colorado, but it wasnt new and updated. I had updated it cosmetically, partially to live there and partially to sell it. Working with that knowledge while remodeling her Memphis home, I kind of built this, she says. Dwayne and I brainstormed a lot. How to lay it out

More of the functionality of it, adds Gammel.

Working with Dwayne was good, says Lyles. If there was something I didnt like, he came in and changed it. If we had any problems, he came over and made sure they were taken care of. So working with him was a really good experience.

Gesturing to the kitchen, she says, And this is what I came up with. Space is the operative word, with acres of counter space on the central island and lining the kitchens perimeter. The countertops also catch the eye with the natural elegance of the quartzite theyre made of. Not only is the material a cheaper alternative to marble, I wanted quartzite because I like the veining, says Liles.

Gammel notes how deeply involved Liles was in the aesthetics of the space. It was 100 percent her eye in the design aspect. She was dead-set on her quartzite countertops. And she selected every color, every piece of hardware, the backsplash. I mean, all of that. We provided the birch cabinets, which is a higher-end cabinet. So theyre made a little bit more sturdily, bringing a little bit more of a higher class to the to the cabinet. And then it just all came together.

Yet it came together rather slowly, due to Liles uncompromising eye, and her patience while searching for elements that were complementary. The choice of cabinets dictated the colors of everything else that followed.

I mean, I got ahead of the curve! says Liles. This kitchen was my main focus of the house. So I was really on top of what I wanted in here. The cabinets we bought, ordered, and had months before we ever needed them. And I had the stove in my storage building outside before we even started the kitchen.

Theyre painted cabinets, Gammel adds. But they also have a black glaze on top of them, which gives them more of an antique look. And inside the cabinets theres some bells and whistles to her liking. The soft-close drawers and doors. The garbage can that pulls out, and some rollout trays.

And Ive got a pull-out spice drawer that I really like, says Liles. Its not the tall skinny kind like you see all the time. This is one of those double-wide pull-out drawers, where the spices are laying in there at an angle, and then underneath is room for more backup stuff.

Then came the wait for the countertop. The countertop was at the place where they cut it to size for months. More months of waiting ensued during and after that, chiefly because, as Liles says, I couldnt find the tile.

In this case, calling the tile a backsplash is an understatement. Where that feature would typically go up the wall a couple of feet behind the counter, this is a wall of tiles that reaches to the ceiling. Not only do their colors complement all the other elements, the tiles also bring an Old World charm to the kitchen.

The tile was a nightmare! Liles says now. I struggled. I dont know how many tile samples I ordered before I ran across this one, and I thought This has every color. Its got my green, its got my cream, and its got the black accents.

Yeah, I think we went through like 10 samples, Gammel chimes in.

Well, I looked at stuff you never knew about! Liles tells him. I probably looked at double that, that you never even saw.

Meanwhile, other bells and whistles were being built into the space. Over the Thermador gas stove hangs a faucet dedicated to filling pots directly where theyll be used. The stove itself, as well as the lights and other appliances, can all be controlled by her phone via WiFi. The dishwasher, also remotely controlled by phone, is built into the large central island, behind the sink rather than next to it, making for an easy load-in while freeing up cabinet space under the wall counter. Despite such modern conveniences, the kitchen chiefly suggests tradition. The lighting fixtures over the island evoke carriage house lanterns, reinforcing the Old World feel.

Thats exactly what Liles wanted, as the warm colors and details lend themselves to entertaining friends and family in an ambiance of old-fashioned sentiment. And since the kitchen was completed, thats just what shes been doing.

Im starting to cook again, because I love cooking on my stove! she says. And with cooking comes company, who all respond the same way. Everybody that comes in the front door looks at the kitchen and just stops. Everybody that has visited me is like, Wow! over the kitchen!

Learn more at renovatememphis.com.

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Remodel Memphis: The Kitchen of Her Dreams - Memphis Magazine

At Livingetc, we like to talk about trends in interior design but sometimes trends can feel like a bit of a dirty word. Trends arent timeless, people say, but I like to think of it in a different way. A trend isnt some fleeting fancy thats in one day and out the other, its the story of how style evolves over time, and a record of the new ways that the most exciting creative minds in interiors are expressing themselves at any given moment.

Of course, trends do, as is their nature, reach a saturation point, at which point some other way to decorate may usurp them in the design zeitgeist. The good news? If its something you truly love, and have consciously invested in, a good expression of your personal style is something that never goes out of fashion.

But, unless you spend every day looking at beautiful homes and the work of new designers like I do (its a tough job, but someones got to do it), it can be hard to get a foothold on whats happening in design right now which is where we come in. This list of interior design trends reflects the ideas that Livingetcs editors are passionate about right now. Its not exhaustive - theres not enough space in one article for us to list out all our current obsessions - but weve curated a list of the things that are exciting us most in modern home design right now. And dont worry, we keep this list up to date throughout the year, so you never have to feel like youre behind the trend bandwagon.

As our eyes start to turn towards the trends coming through for 2025, it feels like a great time to round up the ideas that have actually set the tone for decorating this year so far. No predictions these are the trends were seeing used most, and the ideas around which designers are innovating frequently. Our list covers a lot of bases, from layout and color trends to ideas that are defining how we decorate different rooms in the house right now.

(Image credit: Ori Harpaz. Design: LaLa Reimagined)

Interiors just got fun. Design is often something that can feel a little too serious, but recently, were seeing interior designers embrace elements that feel lighter and more joyful. Its a trend were calling playfulism a design ethos thats defined by uplifting and unexpected color combinations, charmingly naive pattern and anti-structural shapes, like waves and undulating curves. It may sound like a maximalism overload to some, but as Azar Fattahi of design studio LALA Reimagined tells us: Playfulism is never about being overpowering, theres a calm to every scheme, perhaps in the neutral color of the walls.

(Image credit: Josh Thornton. Design: Summer Thornton Design)

If theres been only one major shift in decorating our homes in the last decade, its how we approach ceiling decorating ideas. Where once, the default was white, no matter what else was happening in the room, were now seeing it as one of the main canvases for expression in our homes, whether you choose to paint, panel, or even choose a bold ceiling wallpaper idea.

When you do something dramatic with the ceiling it creates an enveloping moment, it surrounds people, literally, with the experience, interior designer Summer Thornton, founder of Summer Thornton Design, explains. I'll oftentimes incorporate them when I'm trying to exaggerate the space and add an extra layer of interest.

(Image credit: Sergey Krasyuk. Design: Sdelaemremont.kz)

Now this one might prove a bit controversial after all, dont we all dream of the open-concept kitchen layout? The answer is, still, yes. The open-concept kitchen shifted how we use our homes for good, but that doesnt mean its a perfect fit for everyone.

In reaction to wanting to bring back a sense of coziness to these spaces, and the ability to create a sense of separation at will, were seeing elements of closed-plan spaces return as a kitchen trend, though in a way that permits the best of both worlds. One change afoot is the rise of partition walls to zone off a kitchen, as designers embrace non-load bearing elements to blur the lines between spaces, Livingetcs contributing editor Keith Flanagan writes. Anything from interior glass windows to generous arched doorways and strategically placed free-standing cabinetry can give shape and structure to otherwise exposed cooking areas.

(Image credit: Design: Gabriela Bartczak of FRAMUGA Studio / Photography: Anna of Vistas Design)

One overarching trend youll notice throughout our list is a return of materials that were once considered dated, even ugly. And the return of the glass brick, specifically as a bathroom trend, is no exception. Once just an unsightly leftover from 80s era architecture, theyve become a cool, seemingly lo-fi expression that works as a critique of the overly luxurious standards of modern bathroom design think vast slabs of marble and huge frameless glass screens.

However, this new take on glass bricks is, as it turns out, a little more refined than its past incarnation. 'Rather than ubiquitous and hefty grids of semi-opaque blobbiness, today's glass blocks are lighter, brighter, and more colorful lending an air of delicate playfulness to bathrooms, entryways, or any space that could use both privacy and light, says interior designer Bethany Adams of Bethany Adams Interiors.

'I'm smitten with the new interpretations of this Art Deco classic and am itching to use it in a project,' says Bethany Adams of Bethany Adams Interiors. 'As with any trend, take care to consider your home's architecture and make sure it will play along. If you're not certain, consult a trained architect or designer. What seems like a fun trend today can trigger tomorrow's gag reflex when applied without proper consideration.'

(Image credit: Austin Leis. Design: Ome Dezin)

The big light is dead, long live the big light. The move away from harsh overhead lighting has become something, at this point, ingrained in the cultural psyche, not just in interior design trends. That means the biggest lighting trends at the moment all focus around wall sconces, concealed LED lighting and accent lighting that beautifies your space at night.

The trend were most entranced by is the idea of still using pendant lights, but in odd corners and alongside furniture in place of floor and table lamps. Its a style probably most popularized by these Noguchi paper lantern pendants, a design classic thats made a comeback in homes in a big way over the past year or two. And yes, while an original Noguchi paper lantern is likely to set you back a few thousand dollars, what we like about this trend is its achievable on different levels. Paper lanterns are now sold in many places for lower prices, say Jesse Rudolph and Joelle Kutner of design studio Ome Dezin, who used a Noguchi piece in this room design, so you can create your own take on this design pretty easily.

(Image credit: Garrett Rowland.)

Its hard to pick just one color trend that defines the mood of 2024 so far, but if theres one thats most captured our imagination here at Livingetc, its got to be pale blue. This shade came out of left field when it was announced as several paint companys Color of the Year for 2024, but weve quickly come around to the vision.

The thing about light blue is that its a total shape-shifter, says Ellen Finch, Livingetcs deputy editor. Its a calm, restful shade, a little bit dreamy, a little bit ethereal, but at the same time, it can be really fun and energetic. It really depends on what you pair it with, both in terms of decor styles and other shades. Fortunately, theres a lot of inspiration for colors that go with light blue to get you started using this trend.

(Image credit: Eve Wilson. Design: Chelsea Hing)

It may not be a new trend for 2024, but if it wasnt official before, it is now color drenching is how we decorate our homes these days. If youve not come across the term before, it basically refers to a style of decorating where everything is painted the same color think walls, ceilings, trim, baseboard and doors. It can even go one step further, incorporating furniture and decor into the monochromatic look.

This paint trend has replaced harsh contrasts generally between walls painted in color and ceilings painted in so-called Brilliant White for rooms that feel more harmonious, and enveloping. These days with all the chaos in the world, creating a cocoon in one's personal space is more important than ever, Lia McNairy from LaLa Reimagined tells us. This is why we love to paint the ceiling, walls, crown molding and baseboards all in one color to give us a sense of security and make us feel like we are living in a jewel box.

(Image credit: Stacy Zarin Goldberg. Design: Hendrick Interiors)

It hasnt been fussy prints or accent walls that have been the emerging trend in wallpaper this year its the return of the traditional-style mural. We might have seen modern wall mural ideas peak in popularity a few years ago, but designers are now instead turning to heritage and heritage-inspired designs wrapped around every wall in a room.

Transportive vistas that take you to another time and place whether exotic botanicals or picturesque waterscapes have undoubtedly come through as the big wallpaper trend, favored by A list designers, says Lilith Hudson, Livingetcs trends editor.

(Image credit: Roger Davies. Design: Sara Story)

Choosing the era thats most inspiring design right now was a tough choice between the 1990s and 1970s. Both are pulling through in fashion right now, as well as interiors. For the 1990s, nostalgic throwbacks and a ravecore aesthetic are proving popular with Gen Z, and were even seeing materials return like chrome that encapsulate a return to pre-millennium kitsch.

However, when it comes to luxury design, its really the 70s thats making waves. At Milan Design Week this year, retro textures and color pairings were everywhere think shag pile, chenille and combinations of purple, green, orange and burgundy.

Italian design brand Baxter perhaps captured in best this year, says Livingetcs executive editor Pip Rich. Its 70s style but there's a filter of elegance, a more grown-up vision laid on top, where the colors have richer, deeper tones, and are complemented by materials that elevate them.

(Image credit: John Merkl. Design: K Interiors)

More than materials, theres a trend coming through in dining furniture that looks to reimagine how we interact around the dining table. Its a dining room idea that introduces unusual angles into the furniture itself, breaking the traditional set interactions of a rectangular, oval or round table, and ensuring more of your guests can enjoy each others company.

Its an idea Ive seen introduced into schemes like this Napa Valley house by Kristen Pea, founder of San Francisco-based K Interiors. It changes the whole dynamic of a dining space, Kristen says. Its a table that dismantles what it means to be at the head or the end of the table everyones a lot more involved.

(Image credit: Tessa Neustadt. Design: Ome Dezin)

Last years sofa trends are still going strong think the curved boucle sofa or the Camaleonda. However, theres a little bit of an evolution in the homes of designers looking to choose seating that transcends these trending styles.

The classic, iconic curved sofa weve come to love is most inspired by Sofa 280 by Pierre Augustin Rose; however, the evolution on the trend is looking at shapes with a little lower back, and more of a croissant shape.

For Lauren Moore, of Design Assembly LA, this shape better helps to root a curved sofa away from the wall, useful when its in the center of the room, too. With open-concept floor plans, I think it is best to have a low-backed sofa for that reason and also because you don't always have the wall space for the sofa to be pushed against a wall, she says. it's important to consider how it will look from all sides. I love a piece looks as cool from the back as it does from the front.

(Image credit: Hugh Metcalf)

Theres a reason we think chenille, a textile wed have once considered dated, is making a comeback right now. And it undoubtedly is this fabric was everywhere at both Paris and Milan design week this year.

Think of chenille as an evolution of the velvet trend. The velvet sofa has become inescapable, at every level of decor but its also getting harder and harder to tell an expensive and a cheap velvet sofa apart. Enter chenille its a fabric thats got a little more depth, richness and texture than a classic velvet has. It has some of those tactile qualities that a boucle has, too, as well as feeding into the retro-yet-elevated aesthetic were seeing filter in through 70s style.

(Image credit: Anson Smart. Design by Studio Doherty)

Brass is the metallic trend thats not going anywhere anytime soon, but cool metallics silver, aluminum, polished chrome, brushed steel have all made a surprising comeback this year in interior schemes.

There is something about a cool metallic that has a level of sophistication that sometimes brass can't pull over, New Jersey-based designer Sarah Storms tells us. And we know what she means. Chrome, and finishes like brushed steel, have an understated effortless about them they make a room feel less-considered, less-designed which, in the right place, equates to just the right amount of chic.

(Image credit: Gonzalo Machado. Design: Casa Muoz)

You might be so over the boucle accent chair as a trend, but let me re-assure you, its not going anywhere. This fabric is the overwhelming trend seen throughout projects and design fairs around the world though there is a point of difference in how were using it in 2024.

The monolithic, bright white boucle of last year has been replaced by something that feels a little more sophisticated. Think a looser texture less one note, and more slubby, with more peaks and troughs. As well as looking beyond white altogether when it comes to boucle, were also seeing white boucles with a less pure base something like a beige, gray or black that gives a greater depth to the fabric, and avoids the now-cheapened teddy bear textile aesthetic that an all-white boucle can sometimes feel like.

(Image credit: Prue Ruscoe. Design: YSG Studio)

Burled wood is also having a real resurgence as we opt for textural designs and move away from minimalism. But why the sudden desire for such a distinctive patterned wood, in particular?

'The answer lies in its nostalgic appeal and adaptable nature,' explains Nina Lichtenstein, founder of Nina's Custom Home Design. 'Burlwood, often associated with mid-century aesthetics, brings to mind vintage charm and craftsmanship qualities that resonate with a growing appreciation for artisanal, handcrafted pieces in interior design. Moreover, its unique grain patterns and warm hues offer a refreshing departure from ubiquitous minimalist trends, allowing designers to inject personality and warmth into spaces.'

While it remains a classic choice for furniture, such as the likes of credenzas and headboards, Nina anticipates seeing more innovative applications of this timeless material in the year ahead, enriching living spaces with its charm and character.

(Image credit: Note Design Studio)

Irregular rugs are striking designs that undoubtedly have all been created to own the floor. Not only do these living room rugs have an eye-catching print, but theyre also all shaping a new outline in design, quite literally, as they all sport an unconventional shape.

Whether youre going curvy, geometric, or angular, these top sports all boast a little bit of out-of-the-box thinking, and were ready to embrace it. 'Scallop edges are not going away for a while and I'm here for it,' says Cat. 'We love a playful moment, so we have just proposed Henry Holland's Diagonal melt carpet as the stripes literally 'melt' in the corner of the rug which is such a piece of art.'

A big decorating trend for 2024 is natural, earthy, close-to-nature spaces. 'The rooms I design have the sensibility of a spa,' says the interior designer Noa Santos. 'Natural materials like marble and stone work together to feel almost monastic, especially in soft neutral tones like creams and beiges.'

Materials to use for this look include marble, concrete, and Taj Mahal quartzite. 'It still looks beautiful after plenty of wear, and means you dont have to always be policing the use of coasters,' Noa says. 'I also like silver travertine, and were using a lot of limewash. It has the same softness and subtleties as Venetian plaster, but if Venetian plaster cracks you have to replace the whole thing. Limewash can easily be touched up, which is so refreshing from a design point of view. As is Tadelakt in a wet room. Imagine all that time saved from not having to scrub grouting clean!'

'Colorwise, we work with a lot of natural shades like ivory and beige, which feel more long-lasting than jewel tones. Though I do love blue stone and a green marble called Guatemala Verde. Its so dramatic.'

'Soothing, sophisticated and stylish, deep tones will be big in interiors in 2024,' says designer Gabriel. 'Specifically in bedrooms, were often asked to customize pendant and sconce lighting fixtures to blend with, or stand out from, a dark interior.'

'Highly coveted material such as marble, onyx and granite will continue to be as popular as ever,' says Gabriel. 'Combining precious stone with interesting natural materials, warming metals and an interesting color palette will be the go-to combination for luxury interiors.'

Read more:
Interior Design Trends The 16 Ideas You Need to Know for Decorating Your Home in 2024 - LivingEtc

Rough Cut Handyman Services Logo

Trussville, AL - July 17, 2024 - Rough Cut Handyman Services, a prominent home improvement company, has received the 2024 Quality Business Award for The Best Handyman in Trussville, Alabama. This accolade acknowledges Rough Cut Handyman Services for its exceptional customer service, high-quality products and services, and overall business performance.

The Quality Business Awards annually acknowledges businesses exhibiting excellence within their industry. Selections are determined by taking into account their reputation, feedback from customers, and overall performance within their respective industries.

Rough Cut Handyman Services is a leading home improvement company in Trussville, Alabama that is veteran owned and operated. Rough Cut Handyman Services' slogan is, 'You may be hiring a handyman, but you're getting a Craftsman.' Some of the many services offered by Rough Cut Handyman Services include: kitchen remodel; bathroom remodel; attic remodel; drywall repair; garage epoxy; deck refresh; fans and lights; tiles and floors; pressure washer; and doors and locks. The incredible Rough Cut Handyman Services team strives to provide quality, affordable, stress free home improvement services for all of their customers. Rough Cut Handyman Services are proud to serve Greater Birmingham and surrounding areas.

When the time came to choose this year's recipient, Rough Cut Handyman Services emerged as a noteworthy company in the home improvement sector. Their experienced and approachable team is well-regarded within the Trussville community and beyond, and positive reviews of Rough Cut Handyman Services are abundant. Here are a few of the numerous positive testimonials penned by satisfied customers who were thoroughly impressed with the communication and services offered by Rough Cut Handyman Services. We are over the top thrilled with the job done! Everything looks fantastic. The communication was excellent as well. Heck they even brought our Amazon package inside! We are working on a new list... Communication, customer service, and craftsmanship are beyond five stars. They provide good, old fashioned workmanship. Could not be more pleased with their services. Deck addition matched our existing deck perfectly and looked like it had always been there... making our outdoor area perfect. They keep everything very clean and leave the worksite free from debris. Will definitely use again and highly recommend. Uncommonly professional. Exceeds expectations. I was very impressed with the professionalism, on time and quality of work." Two Craftsmen arrived at our home and both were extremely polite and skilled. They handled everything to perfection. My stairs, attic, ceilings fans, etc. They even fixed my dryer! Which was not part of the job. I will not hesitate to hire them again! The entire Rough Cut Handyman Services team consistently exceed expectations by delivering excellent project outcomes for each customer.

The Quality Business Awards recognizes businesses achieving an average quality score of 95% or higher throughout the preceding year. To be eligible, a business must garner outstanding customer reviews from at least three different platforms. Those upholding sterling reputations and track records over multiple years with minimal complaints receive high scores. Moreover, businesses that consistently engage with and respond to customer feedback are held in high esteem. Additionally, adherence to integrity, community involvement, and proactive efforts to reduce environmental impact are important criteria. Receiving a Quality Business Award shows a dedication to delivering superior products and exceptional customer service.

For more information about Rough Cut Handyman Services, please visit the company's website at [www.roughcut.pro].

Contact:

Quality Business Awards

support@qualitybusinessawards.com

Media Contact Company Name: Rough Cut Handyman Services Contact Person: Daniel Cox Email: Send Email Country: United States Website: https://www.roughcut.pro/

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Rough Cut Handyman Services Wins the 2024 Quality Business Award for The Best Handyman in Trussville, Alabama - Financial Content

Leading Home Maintenance, Repair, and Improvement Company Invites Homeowners Nationwide to Enter for a Chance to Win a Free Handyman

WACO, Texas, July 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --If your list of home repairs is a mile long, checking things off is about to get easier. Mr. Handyman, aNeighborly company and the nation's leading home maintenance, repair, and improvement franchise, is launching a nationwide "Win a Handyman for the Day" contest starting this month.

From this week through July 21, 2024, individuals can enter the contest by visiting Mr. Handyman's official entry page and filling out a short entry form. Five winners will be randomly selected to receive up to eight hours of handyman services, valued each at approximately $2,000 USD. This unique opportunity allows winners to tackle their to-do lists with the help of professionals.

"We are thrilled to launch our Win a Handyman for The Day contest for the first time," said Ron Shimek, President of Mr. Handyman. "We understand that it's difficult to get everything checked off your to-do list, so this contest is our way of helping where we can. It's an exciting opportunity to showcase what we can do while helping others. We encourage homeowners nationwide to enter and get those to-do lists ready!"

Mr. Handyman's services include a wide range of tasks inside and outside the home, such as remodeling, repairs, assembly, installation, and organizational tasks. Mr. Handyman operates under the Neighborly Done Right Promiseif it's not done right, they promise to make it right.

To learn more about the "Win a Handyman for the Day" contest, visit Mr. Handyman's websiteand Facebook page.

For additional home improvement inspiration, please visit mrhandyman.com or contact your nearest Mr. Handyman location for your home maintenance, repair, and improvement needs.

About Mr. HandymanMr. Handyman is North America's leading commercial and residential property maintenance, repair, and improvement company. With more than 300 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, Mr. Handyman is recognized as one of the fastest growing handyman service franchise systems. Acquired in 2015, Mr. Handyman is part of Neighborly,the world's largest home services company with more than 30 brands and 5,500 franchises in six countries that have collectively served 14 million+ customers by repairing, maintaining, and enhancing their homes and businesses.ThroughNeighborly.comand the Neighborly mobile app, we connect consumers to local service providers that meet rigorous franchisor standards across 19 service categories. For more information about Mr. Handyman, visitMrHandyman.com. To learn about franchising opportunities with Neighborly,click here.

Media Contact:Ali Molina, Fishman Public Relations, [emailprotected]or 847-945-1300

SOURCE Mr. Handyman

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Mr. Handyman Launches "Win a Handyman for The Day" Contest - PR Newswire

Weather warnings were in effect for parts of north-central Arkansas on Wednesday morning, July 17, as heavy rain caused life-threatening flash flooding across the region, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

According to the NWS, between 6 and 12 inches of rain had already fallen as of 8:27 am across north central Arkansas, with additional rainfall amounts up to 3 inches in the forecast.

A member of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Research and Extension Service, Brian See, filmed this footage from his office in Yellville on Wednesday morning. Oh my, he says in the footage as he surveys the scene. Our shed has been moved.

Be safe out there today! the department wrote on social media. Credit: Brian See/Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service via Storyful

Here's our backyard.

Oh, my, our shed has been moved.

Wow.

Here's our backyard.

Oh, my.

Our shed has been moved.

Wow.

Here's our backyard.

Oh, my, our shed has been moved.

Wow.

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'Our Shed Has Been Moved': Northern Arkansas Wakes to Flooding Aftermath - Yahoo News UK

Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey is one of the top players in the league as he is on his way to becoming a multi-time All-Star due to his maniacal work ethic and his immense talent. He averaged 25.9 points and 6.2 assists in the 2023-24 season.

However, while he has proven himself at this stage of his career, it isnt like he was a sure thing. He was the No. 21 pick in the 2020 NBA draft and was in a reserve role in his rookie season playing behind Ben Simmons. He received an opportunity in his second season thanks to the Simmons saga, but even in his third season, Maxey came off the bench for 19 of the 60 games he played.

Now, he is a max player and is among the top guards in the league. Maxey is one of the leaders for this Sixers team and will look to take another step forward in the 2024-25 season.

Agent Rich Paul hopped on The Pat McAfee Show and praised Maxey for what he has been able to achieve and shed some light on his rookie season:

They wanted to send him down to the G League. They wasnt even going to draft hm, first of all, then they were gonna send him down to the G League. Then they decided to play him a little bit. It was COVID. It was a game that guys sat out. He scored 40 points against Denver, I think. We talked after that game. I said Tyrese, great game, but you wont play the next 10 games. He was so confused. I was like Yeah. Those 40 points mean nothing in terms of where youre at in the pecking order. Now today, hes a max player, but hes never allowed himself to make it about him.

To correct Paul, it was actually 39 points Maxey scored against the Nuggets in the 2020-21 season. He continued to play even when the Sixers did get healthy again, but his minutes understandably went down due to the fact that Simmons and Seth Curry were able to return from the health & safety protocols.

Either way, Maxey does deserve a ton of credit. While the Sixers were hopeful that he would be able to make that next step into stardom, it wasnt a sure thing that he would. He has proven himself at a high level and Philadelphia will be looking to him to lead the way on its continued path for a title.

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Imagine closing your eyes and seeing vivid images as if your eyes were still open. This fascinating phenomenon is common during the ingestion of psychedelics like psilocybin, a substance found in certain magic mushrooms. In a new study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, scientists have used sophisticated imaging techniques to explore the neural underpinnings of these eyes-closed visual experiences, offering new insights into visual perception and imagery.

In recent years, psilocybin has gained attention for its potential therapeutic benefits in treating mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The compound works primarily by activating serotonin receptors in the brain, leading to altered perceptions, enhanced mood, and profound changes in consciousness.

Despite its long history and growing interest in its therapeutic potential, the precise mechanisms by which psilocybin induces its effects, particularly its visual hallucinations, remain poorly understood. Traditional methods of studying hallucinations are limited because they occur unpredictably in clinical disorders. However, psychedelics like psilocybin reliably produce vivid visual experiences, making them valuable tools for exploring the neural basis of visual perception and imagery.

Previous research has indicated that psychedelics affect various brain regions involved in perception, but the detailed pathways and specific neural interactions have remained elusive. By using advanced imaging techniques and a well-controlled experimental design, the authors of the new study sought to elucidate the changes in brain connectivity that underlie the unique visual experiences induced by psilocybin.

Visual effects are one of the main subjective phenomena induced by serotonergic psychedelics. Their underlying mechanisms remain a curiosity in psychedelic science and other research domains such as psychosis and dream states, said study author Devon Stoliker, a postdoctoral researcher at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health at Monash University.

These visual phenomena also complement more profound experiences related to the dissolution of self and self-related boundaries, potentially having therapeutic relevance. For instance, visual experiences can be perceived as personally meaningful, and dissolved boundaries may facilitate insights or visions, potentially linked to visual brain areas. Although only a subsection of these ideas are explored in the article, they provide a compelling area for further research.

The researchers conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, which is considered the gold standard for minimizing bias and ensuring robust results. This design means that neither the participants nor the researchers knew who received psilocybin or a placebo during each session, and each participant experienced both conditions at different times.

The study included 24 healthy adults aged 20 to 40, ensuring they had no history of psychiatric disorders. These participants underwent two sessions spaced at least two weeks apart. In one session, they received a dose of psilocybin (0.2 mg/kg of body weight), and in the other, a placebo. During each session, resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) scans were taken 70 minutes after administration, a time point corresponding to the peak effects of psilocybin. Participants were asked to keep their eyes closed during the scans to focus on the internal visual experiences.

Under the influence of psilocybin, brain regions involved in visual processing showed increased self-inhibition. This means these regions became less responsive to incoming sensory signals, reducing their sensitivity to external stimuli. Essentially, the brains internal activity took precedence over external sensory input.

The researchers also found strengthened connections from higher-order brain regions (like the inferior frontal gyrus) to lower-order visual areas (such as the early visual areas). This suggests that internal thoughts, memories, and associative processes had a greater influence on visual perception under psilocybin, leading to vivid and complex visual imagery.

There was a noticeable decrease in the brains response to external visual stimuli, aligning with previous preclinical findings. This reduction in sensory input allowed internally generated imagery to become more prominent, supporting the hypothesis that psychedelics enhance the brains reliance on top-down processes for visual perception.

The vividness and complexity of the visual imagery reported by participants were strongly correlated with specific patterns of brain connectivity. For example, connections from the inferior frontal gyrus to the fusiform gyrus and from the fusiform gyrus to the early visual areas were linked to the experiences of elementary and complex imagery, respectively.

Psychedelics appear to inhibit the primacy of activity in visual areas, making these regions more susceptible to top-down influences from the brain, Stoliker told PsyPost. This aligns with the concept of psychedelics as mind-manifesting substances, enhancing top-down processes. This notion also resonates with past research on alpha wave inhibition, suggesting that psychedelics may inhibit mechanisms that normally prevent us from seeing visual effects when our eyes are closed.

Despite its robust design, the study has some caveats to consider. The small sample size of 20 participants (after exclusions) limits the generalizability of the findings. The study also used a moderate dose of psilocybin, so the effects of higher doses remain unexplored. Additionally, the study focused on a few specific brain regions and resting-state conditions; a broader exploration of brain areas and task-based research could provide a more comprehensive understanding.

Psychedelic science is still developing, and methodological pipelines influence results, Stoliker said. Therefore, its wise to consider these findings as preliminary. Confidence builds when the majority of studies yield similar results.

Nevertheless, the studys results suggest that psychedelics could be used as tools to explore the brains intrinsic connectivity and its role in generating conscious experiences. Understanding how psilocybin affects brain connectivity could inform the development of new therapeutic approaches for conditions involving altered perceptions, such as schizophrenia or certain types of hallucinations.

I aim to understand changes across the brain that inform our understanding of associative and sensory processes, and how they influence respective top-down and bottom-up mechanisms, Stoliker explained. Understanding these alterations can reveal how specific subjective effects are produced. While this research informs us about psychedelics, it also has the potential to reveal the mechanisms perception and nature of conscious experience.

I have an expansive exploration of the neural mechanisms and psychology of psychedelic ego dissolution published in Pharmacological Reviews, which may be of interest to readers: https://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/content/74/4/876.

The study, Neural mechanisms of psychedelic visual imagery, was authored by Devon Stoliker, Katrin H. Preller, Leonardo Novelli, Alan Anticevic, Gary F. Egan, Franz X. Vollenweider, and Adeel Razi.

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Brain imaging study sheds light on how magic mushrooms paint vivid images behind your eyelids - PsyPost

Flaujae Johnson may now be known as the championship-winning LSU guard, but her first shot at fame came when she appeared on Lifetime's The Rap Game at the age of 12. Johnson competed in the reality series against other budding hip hop artists for a shot at scoring a record deal.

Later, the Savannah native joined America's Got Talent where she performed her self-written song called 'Guns Down'. She advanced to the quarterfinals and received the judges' coveted golden buzzer. However, due to insufficient public voting, she did not reach the semifinal despite great reviews from the judges.

Johnson spoke about her journey from her hometown to LSU during an interview with Cam Newton that was released on Monday via his YouTube channel.

Johnson owes her rap career to her father, Jason, who was known by his stage name: Camoflauge. He was fatally shot a few months before his daughter's birth. She spoke about the impact of his death in a 2019 feature in St. Joseph's/Candler.

While much of her music is inspired by her late father, she also pays homage to her roots as she emphasizes the importance of giving back to her hometown.

Johnson is currently promoting her new EP called "Best of Both Worlds" where she raps about her life as a basketball player as well as a musical artist. At the same time, she is also preparing for her junior season with the LSU Tigers.

Also read: "I love old school": LSU's Flau'jae Johnson reveals her list of top 5 rappers ft. feud embroiled Drake

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Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley was one of the best players in the NFL for the majority of his career until knee issues detailed everything. Years following his retirement, Gurley is shedding more light on what happened.

Gurley is still young enough to be playing in the NFL today. He turns just 30 years old in August, but the former first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft has been out of the league for three seasons now.

Related: Los Angeles Rams move up in latest NFL offensive line rankings

Whats most remarkable about Gurley is the fact hes still among the NFLs scrimmage touchdown and yardage leaders since 2017. This is despite the fact his final two seasons in 2019 and 20 were by far the worst of his career and he hasnt played since.

A three-time Pro Bowl selection who twice led the NFL in rushing touchdowns and earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2017, Gurley is now offering more insight into his decision to walk away.

Also Read: NFL defense rankings, see where Los Angeles Rams land

During an appearance on the 25/10 Show hosted by DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy, Gurley talked about falling out of love with football and retiring as a 26-year-old.

I remember when I signed my extension with the Rams, my agent was breaking it down. He said if they cut you, youll be 26 with a lot of money and youre youngthats exactly how that s played out I live in LA, Im chilling. I did everythingWould love to have a ring and stuff like thatwent to a Super Bowl, lostI did a lot of stuff that I never would have thought I wouldve ever did

Gurley also addressed the end of his Rams tenure and how his role was reduced by McVay. The former Rams running back also mentioned that he thought being traded out of Los Angeles was a possibility, hearing the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers mentioned.

It wasnt like F him Still trying to be the team guy, not really trying to really trip. But at two, Im also like shit, yall (expletive) want to pay me to sit down, s, god damn, so be itI knew the writing was on the wallI knew they was either gonna cut me or try to trade methey said something about like Buffalo and Pittsburgh and I said F no.

Related: Highest-paid NFL players

As an All-American running back with the Georgia Bulldogs, Gurley suffered an ACL tear in November 2014 against the Auburn Tigers. He would still be taken with the 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft, but it was the start of knee issues that ended his career early.

Also Read: NFL Power Rankings 2024

Gurley was diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis, a result of the knee surgery he received. In 2019, Gurley confirmed the diagnosis and explained the trouble his knee had been causing him.

After averaging 4.4 yards per carry and 78.4 rushing yards per game in his first 58 career games from 2015-18, Gurley averaged just 3.8 yards per carry and 57.1 rushing yards per game in 2019 with the Rams. He was then released and returned home to Georgia, spending the 2020 season with the Atlanta Falcons. After averaging a career-low 3.5 yards per carry with only 842 scrimmage yards in 15 games, Gurley retired.

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Todd Gurley Sheds Light On Retiring From NFL Early, Talks Being Cut By Los Angeles Rams - LAFB Network

Joe Biden called a family meeting a couple of weeks after a terrible debate performance, pulling together his relatives and a handful of longtime advisers.

During the session, Bidens advisers pointed to the debates negative blowback, arguing that it would sink polling and dry up fundraising for his presidential campaign. But Bidens children believed that abandoning the race would cement Bidens debate screw-up as the thing everyone would remember, dishonoring Biden if he didnt fight on.

The year was 1987, nearly four decades ago. The setting was Bidens first campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Biden then a senator from Delaware opted to pull out of the presidential campaign, heeding advice from his family and choosing what to him was a larger purpose.

In that long ago moment, captured best in a pair of political books one an autobiography Biden chose a different path from the one he claims he will follow today. After a halting debate performance two weeks ago, Biden insists hell stay in this race.

Back in 1987, some aides and family members argued that he should stay the course. Others contended that he could not win. But one senior aide found a different rationale: The more Biden focused on the campaign, the more he was distracted from critical work in the Senate.

Senate hearings had just begun for Robert Bork, an extremely conservative nominee to the Supreme Court. Biden chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings. His debate mistake had come at the Iowa State Fair a few weeks earlier when he lifted many lines from the British Labour Party leaders campaign literature with no credit and spawned stories about plagiarism and law school rsum inflation.

As he would later write, Biden asked his wife, Jill, alone in their bedroom that night, the key questions: Could we save my presidential campaign and stop Bork? And which was more important?

He announced his withdrawal from the campaign the next day in a Senate office next to the committee room, then went straight to work, helping defeat Borks nomination in the weeks ahead.

In 1987, Biden found his exit ramp off the presidential campaign: His own honesty had become a central character in the Bork hearings. The incident, and the deliberations behind it, shed light on why Biden wants to remain in the 2024 reelection contest and the factors most influencing his thinking.

For those wondering what it would take for Biden to bow out of this years election, the best reading material comes from Promises to Keep, his 2007 autobiography; What It Takes, the late Richard Ben Cramers epic recounting of six candidates running for president in 1988; and Promise Me, Dad, his second autobiography, recounting his son Beaus death in 2015.

That most recent book, published in 2017, recounts another politically dramatic moment when Biden also decided to abandon a bid for the presidential nomination in 2016 though in that case he hadnt yet launched his effort. Then, as in 1987, Biden realized that he had another, more important job: Tending to his family, still heartbroken after Beau Bidens death from brain cancer.

In both 1987 and 2015, Biden faced long-shot odds of success. Pundits and other Democrats had largely written him off. But he would never admit defeat while on the way to the exit.

Instead, Biden would explain that the stakes of his divided attention were too high for him to pursue the presidency.

In 1987, that meant possibly tilting the Supreme Court toward the far right for a generation. In 2015, it meant abandoning his still grieving family for the campaign trail grind.

Its the right thing to do for the family. Its the right thing to do for me, Biden told longtime adviser Michael Donilon, according to his 2017 memoir, about giving up the 2016 race.

Those decisions provide the best insight into Bidens decision-making as he weighs his options in the wake of the debate.

The president, 81, is currently defiant, insisting that he is not too old to do the job and that, despite a couple dozen Democrats in Congress saying the contrary, he will defeat Donald Trump just as he did four years ago.

As these books make clear, no one has been able to convince Biden himself that he will be defeated at the ballot box. Tell Biden that he has to get out because hes going to lose, and the history suggests he will dig in for a fight.

The past suggests that different arguments might stand a chance.

Tell him that the world needs Bidens full attention as president for the next six months, and maybe things unfold like in 1987 and 2015. Tell him his last six months in office will focus almost entirely on shoring up the Ukraine coalition and negotiating a cease-fire in Gaza. Tell him about potential Nobel Prizes.

Tell him to let an understudy perhaps Vice President Harris run for the second Biden term that he so covets. A full-time president would allow for a full-time candidate to prosecute the case against Trump.

But these points would face an I-told-you-so rebuttal: Republicans ended up winning in 1988, with George H.W. Bush notching an electoral landslide, and Trump stunned the world in 2016.

The current drama has already outlasted the 1987 political implosion. It took just 11 days between the first New York Times story, by Maureen Dowd, about the Iowa debate speech and the withdrawal speech next to the Senate hearing room.

Biden, just 44 at the time, launched that campaign in June 1987, and for a few months he took command of the race. Until the Dowd story broke and other opposition research flowed into the open.

In public Biden turned angry, lashing out at a New Hampshire voter who asked about his qualifications for president. I think I probably have a much higher IQ than you do, Biden barked at the man.

Privately, he bemoaned the newspaper columnists and late-night talk show hosts who mocked him. In his 2007 memoir, he devoted several pages to the New York Times coverage, particularly R.W. Johnny Apple, the senior political correspondent who wrote some scathing pieces.

Biden, a University of Delaware graduate in a Senate filled with Harvard alums like Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) or Yale grads like John Chafee (R-R.I.), always embraced Middle Class Joe as his nickname. He clearly carried a state-school chip on his shoulder toward the elites.

And the Times came to embody that worldview. He craved the papers affection but was also enraged when he faced criticism from it.

If I quit the race, I was conceding the Johnny Apples were right, he wrote in Promises to Keep.

He called a meeting at his Wilmington home, dubbed The Station. His inner circle included his wife, two sons, his sister and her husband, his two brothers, his parents and a handful of his longest-serving advisers.

Beau and Hunter, 18 and 17 respectively at the time, were encouraged to speak up and share their views like full-fledged political consultants.

Ive never been a quitter never quit anything in my life, Biden said, according to Cramers What It Takes.

Thats right, Beau said.

Hunter worried that quitting would be an admission of guilt. The only thing thats important is your honor, he said, according to his fathers 2007 book.

Back then, his advisers contended that Bidens campaign could still limp forward, though others worried that the air had gone out of his political balloon. His top press aides warned him that other negative stories from the media were coming, including about Bidens brothers James and Frank.

But then Mark Gitenstein, Bidens top lawyer on the Judiciary Committee, explained that all the time Biden would have to spend on the campaign trail would make him look like an absentee chairman when it came to the Bork hearings.

If we win Bork, it will be despite us. If we lose now, its going to be because of us, said Gitenstein, who is now Bidens ambassador to the European Union.

In Bidens book, his mother, Catherine, delivered the final vote: I think its time to get out, she said.

But in Cramers telling, another voice weighed in just as heavily.

Get out, Ted Kaufman said.

Kaufman, 85, has been by Bidens side since his first days as senator in 1973 and was his chief of staff in 1987. He has remained his closest nonfamily confidant even without officially working for Biden the last three decades.

Leap forward to October 2015 and another family meeting. Theres Kaufman, along with Hunter and Jill Biden; Valerie Owens, Bidens sister; and four other longtime aides, including Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, then his vice-presidential chief of staff and now White House counselor. Democratic superlawyer Robert Bauer and his wife, media expert Anita Dunn, also joined, two newcomers to the fold who have grown close to Biden in the past nine years.

The political circumstances were completely different from 1987.

Bidens popularity rose as the public watched the vice president publicly grieve Beaus death, but the presidential race had taken off without him. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton corralled massive support from the Democratic establishment while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) built a strong insurgent campaign.

But Biden and his team saw a lane. Friends like Bill Bradley, the Princeton basketball star and thoughtful three-term senator, gave encouragement. George Clooney, a supporter who now wants Biden to step aside, told Ricchetti he would step up with any and all assistance, Biden wrote in Promise Me, Dad.

Even Dowd, now a Times columnist, wrote favorably about his chances. The elites, the bane of his existence in previous runs, liked him.

One final family meeting came Oct. 20. Plans for an announcement and campaign rollout were set. These late-entry bids for the presidency had failed every time in the modern era, and he would be way behind Clinton and Sanders, but everyone seemed on board.

This time, Donilon realized there was another, more important, mission. Donilon, who was a top aide to the vice president and now serves as senior White House adviser, had been one of the main drivers behind Bidens decision to enter the campaign. But that night he saw panic in Bidens face, his jaw clenched up.

What is it, Mike? Biden asked.

I dont think you should do this, Donilon told him, according to Bidens book.

Biden needed to focus on the most important job at hand, trying to heal his family.

That was the message that got through to the man who had spent decades chasing the presidency, convincing him that there was another, more important challenge to tackle.

Biden announced the next day that he wasnt running, just as he announced his withdrawal in 1987 the day after Kaufman and Gitenstein told him to bow out.

I had to do my duty for the duration, Biden wrote on the last page of his 2017 book. I had to do my job.

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Analysis | History sheds light on why Biden skipped previous presidential bids - The Washington Post