Integrating Fall Colors in Your Luxury Home

Dallas Botanical Gardens Pumpkin House

Fall is officially here, and that means a lot of us – at least the procrastinators – are running around doing last minute shopping to decorate our luxury homes with fall décor. Fortunately, there are so many varying fall decoration styles and methods. Anyone who is buying or rearranging their current décor knows that fall is all about the colors. The colors used in fall décor can be the defining key in a uniform and beautifully decorated house.

How to Integrate Fall Colors in Your Home

There are so many different ways you can bring fall colors into the mix at your house. Every mantel, shelf, pillow, centerpiece – you name it and it can be used to bring all your décor together. Here are a few of our top tips on how you can integrate fall colors in your home this fall season!

Pillows

Ok, we know that’s an obvious one. But pillows can actually be a great way to give your fall décor a bit of a color twist this season. With so many reds, oranges, and yellows that are bound to scatter the house, couch pillows can be used to bring in an unexpected color pop.

Purple, for example, can be an excellent fall accent color but only when used in moderation. Too much color gets out of hand and seems disjointed. If you have any center couch pillows, try swapping them out for a basic purple or royal blue pillow and see how it meshes with the rest of your home’s design!

Table Centerpieces

Table centerpieces are usually neglected when it comes to decorating. We throw a couple fake flowers in a vase and call it good! But this is an excellent area to focus if you want to bring some interesting statement colors into your fall décor.

Try using a pumpkin (we definitely recommend fake ones!) in replacement of a vase to hold the flowers. It goes the extra mile to make a fall-design statement and will look great with the rest of your home’s decorations.

Conclusion

Fall doesn’t need to be an intimidating season to design for. We seem to place so much attention on rallying up our fall décor and often forget that it can be a fun season to experiment with fall décor. Try introducing some accent colors, like rich purple or blues, in a few pillows throughout the house! Table centerpieces are also a great opportunity to play with fall design ideas. Swap out vases with a fake pumpkin or log and use that to bring a bit more fall color pop into your luxury home this season!Fall is officially here, and that means a lot of us – at least the procrastinators – are running around doing last minute shopping to decorate our luxury homes with fall décor. Fortunately, there are so many varying fall decoration styles and methods. Anyone who is buying or rearranging their current décor knows that fall is all about the colors. The colors used in fall décor can be the defining key in a uniform and beautifully decorated house.

The Dynamics of a Custom Home Builder

Are you looking for a custom home builder who could build your dream home? There are a lot of luxury home builders out there, but it is important that you decide to work with the right choice. The perfect home will be where you make memories and truly live your dreams.

A Home is More Than A House

A home is not merely a place where you reside. Your home needs to have the right substance and character and it should speak your story. This is why Tony McClung makes it a point to add the personal touch to every home he builds. Having a well known reputation as a custom home builder in Dallas Texas, Tony McClung is known for his keen eye to detail and the smart sense of architecture and designing.

The Exteriors

A perfect luxury home is the one which makes a statement both inside and out.  Be it the foundation of your home, the roof shingles, the color of the paint, the textured walls, the entrance gate, the design of the lawn, or whatever it is that is a part of the exteriors, Tony McClung is sure to work on every specific detail. The eye to attention infers that he would ensure that every single brick used for the making of your custom home speaks of perfection.

The Interiors

As much as the outer appeal assumes gargantuan importance, there is no denying the fact that your home should have a breathtaking interior. The interior is what makes the home unique and personal. Once again, being one of the top luxury home builders in Dallas, he knows the exact style that seems to work best.

He is known for creating some of the most dramatic spaces and posh interiors. Based on the requirements of the clients and their specifications, he can make smart use of upholstery, tapestries, paintings, modern day décor, and more. Every single element is carefully chosen to ensure that it adds the right magic to the appeal of your home.

So, if you want your home to breathe the wave of perfection and exude the rich vibes of luxury; the smart thing to do is explore the different kinds of homes which he has already done. Check out some Interiors and Exteriors to get an idea of some of Tony’s past work.

Along with this, one has to make sure that the kitchen and bath is done elegantly too because it is not just a necessity. When you are looking to have a luxury home built, every inch of you home should exude sheer perfection. With the best quality of materials used and the most artistic of designs implemented, the finest custom homes are sure to be made. Check out some of Tony’s bathroom designs too!

We are sure that when you avail the services of Tony McClung, you will be able to get the perfect home of your dreams. The homes should always have an artistic, modern, yet contemporary touch. So, be all set to own the perfect house of your dreams. We look forward to working with you to develop your dreams!

Decorating Your Porch for Fall

The fall season is one of the most important seasons when it comes to design. Everyone is waiting for leaves to change colors, the weather to begin cooling down, and fall décor to make its way out of storage and into the house. But fall décor shouldn’t be limited to the interior of a house – something that all too many of us fall victim to.

Decorating Your Porch for Fall

The porch is such an excellent place for seasonal redesign, and fall is the perfect season to add some spice to the front of your house. Here are a few design tips for sprucing of the front porch this upcoming fall season!

1)  One Pop of Color

The front porch is generally a place for neutral colors – brick, natural wood, wicker furniture, and mid-tone cushions. But adding a simple pop of color – red, yellow, purple, etc. – can be a great way to bring a fall “feel” into the mix. Simply add a couple of accent pillows in your favorite color and you’re done!

2)  White Pumpkins

White pumpkins are a very simple but effective fall decoration. Since you’re steering clear of the traditional orange pumpkin color, white pumpkins can be placed with nearly any color scheme or setup to bring a very clear “fall season” visual cue. They are generally small, so you can place them in front door wreaths, on doorsteps, or any other corner or small area that needs a little seasonal design boost.

3)  Warm Lighting

You can get creative here. Nothing can beat the creative addition of warm lighting concepts on a brisk fall evening. For some, it means spreading a few real or fake candles throughout the porch to be turned on at night. For others, finding unique string lights with incandescent or other warm light bulbs is the answer. Lighting is unique to each home depending on location, preference, and the size of the area to cover, so get creative!

Conclusion

Decorating for fall should never be limited to the interior of your home! There are so many unique ways you can add fall colors and décor to the outside of your house for an extra seasonal lift in design. Start looking for unique lighting and accent colors to bring your front porch to life this fall season!

4 Things To Consider Before Renovating Your Home Yourself

You and your partner have probably had many nights where you discuss renovating your home. As time goes on, the topic of renovating your home inches closer to becoming a reality and it starts getting to the point where you need to start ironing out the details of your home renovation. Although, before looking into home renovation you need to ask yourself: should you attempt it yourself or hire a professional? You might go to YouTube or DIY websites and feel confident that you could pull off a task like home renovation on your own. Chip and Joanna make it look so easy don’t they?? However, before you reach for a hammer for demo day, you should look into these 4 things to consider before renovating your home yourself.

 Do You Know What You’re Doing?

Websites and videos might look easy, but can you confidently stand in the archway of the room you want to renovate and say you know what you’re doing? Home renovation isn’t as simple as taking a sledgehammer and going crazy on a wall. It might look fun on home renovation shows, but there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes planning done before they start wailing away at the wall.  

Do You Have The Necessary Tools?

You might have the will and DIY knowledge to remodel, but do you have the tools? If you open the toolbox in your garage and only see a saw, a hammer, and some nails, then you might not be well-equipped for minor plumbing or electrical work (maybe also invest in a pair of jeans that won’t reveal too much plumber’s crack). You also need to consider if you need a permit for your remodeling task.

Do You Need A Permit?

Many homeowners aren’t aware that for small projects, they need to seek a permit from their city. Even the smallest remodeling projects beyond basic repairs could require a permit. New windows, siding changes, or even installing fences could require a permit from your city or country.

What Is The Cost Of Renovation?

One of the most important questions to ask yourself is if it’s worth doing it yourself versus hiring a professional. You have to consider that you might need to purchase expensive tools and hardware yourself. You also need to consider that if you don’t do it correctly, you might need to hire someone to fix what you messed up anyway. Which means you’re stuck with the cost of doing it yourself and the cost of hiring someone to do it for you. You might want to just remove the headache and hire someone off the bat.

Before launching into any kind of home renovation, whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, you need to map out everything from the cost of renovation to the return on investment if your purpose is to increase the value of your home. Finally getting the topic or renovating your home off pillow talk and into reality can be very rewarding and give you a sense of accomplishment (whether or not you do it yourself). Just keep in mind if you don’t have the proper planning, whether it be structurally or financially, it could be potentially disastrous. Make sure you reach out to a professional like Tony McClung before attempting any renovation, even if it’s just aesthetically replacing tiles, so you can make the best decision for yourself, your family, and your home. Tony and his team will take care of everything for you - to make sure your renovation looks just as luxurious as your dreams!

Preparing for Fall: Home Care Necessities

Happy Labor Day!!! Today is the day that we feel that summer is finally ending and fall is just around the corner. We know, September in Texas is still hot, but fall is coming soon!

The summer always seems like the most important months to maintain your home during. The spring usually necessitates tons of summer preparation projects and most renovations are done far in advance to the warmest months of the year.

However, fall and winter have huge impacts on the quality, health, and longevity of your home and yard. While the pre-summer landscaping and home renovation projects may be exciting, its important to pay due diligence to the necessary tasks of getting your home ready for the fall. So, on this “Fall is almost here day”, take some time today to prepare for the coming fall!

Preparing Your Luxury Home for Fall

Fall is a beautiful season, and with the right type of preparation and home care, you can have your stunning luxury home ready for the new season. We know fall chores don’t sound all that fun, but truth be told, it isn’t that hard to get your home ready for the fall!

Here are a few of our tips on how to get your home in the best condition for the fall season:

1)  Fertilizing Your Lawn

“Wait, isn’t fertilizing meant to be done at the beginning of the summer?”

Well, sure! It’s a good idea to renew the fertilizer at any time of the year, but research shows that fertilizing a lawn right before the fall actually improves the soil structure for the following year much more than a last-minute refresh in the spring. This is especially important if you live in dryer areas of the country.

If you use a great, carbon-based fertilizer, it will build up the structure of the soil, rather than offering the short-lived boost of most petroleum-based products.

2)  Cleaning the Gutters

Ick - we know, we know. Cleaning the gutters isn’t fun, but it doesn’t take long and it will increase the longevity of your home by preventing flooding, roof damage, and potential foundation issues. And yes, you read that right – improperly maintained gutters can lead to serious structural issues for your house. After all, that rainwater has to go somewhere!

3)  HVAC Servicing

A lot of people get their HVAC serviced right before summer, as they want to avoid the potential complications of it failing on a hot, humid day. But the truth is, your HVAC takes the most pressure during the summer months. The best time to service it is immediately after the hot months, somewhere around July-September, to make sure that everything is in good shape for the fall and to prevent any minor issues from becoming larger ones during the fall and winter.

Conclusion

There you have it! Fall preparation isn’t that difficult. It just takes a day or two of your time to diligently prepare your home for the new season and ensure your luxury home is always in tip-top condition. Pay special attention to the quality of your fertilizer and update it before the fall, make sure your gutters are clean to avoid flooding, and get your HVAC checked after the strenuous summer months and you’ll be well on your way to a beautiful fall season!

Preparing Your Home for the Back To School Season

The “Back To School” season is a major event not only for the kids, but for the entire family as well. Going back to school means busier schedules for everybody and more events, which equates ultimately to a much more dynamic, constantly-shifting lifestyle.

Preparing the Home for Back To School

Believe it or not, preparing for the back to school season has to do with more than buying notebooks and backpacks. The most important part to have ready is your own home. The more organized and prepared your home is for the school season, the less busy-work you’ll have to deal with when everyone is back to the grindstone.

Here are our tips on how you can prepare your home for the back to school season:

1)  Creating Working and Studying Areas

This can be as simple or complicated as you want. You don’t need to renovate a whole room to make an office or redo a section of the home to create a study area. A good work area should have plenty of natural light and be spacious enough to not feel stuffy.

Creating an effective study area can be as simple as placing a desk in front of a window, removing a TV from a room, or clearing out a cluttered area. Get creative with the space you have available!

2)  Cleaning the Entry Way or Mudroom

Yes – it actually is possible to organize the family’s shoes and jackets to make more space. It’s a bit of a project at first, but once you organize and clean your entry way, there will be less backpacks and school supplies laying in the middle of your living room.

3)  Set Up a Breakfast Station

It’s not too difficult. A simple, “serve yourself” buffet or hotel-lobby styled breakfast station can be hugely beneficial to you and the kids. Everyone knows where to go for what, and you’ll be doing less last-minute prep each morning before the kids run out the door.

Conclusion

Preparing your home for the school season is huge.A clean house and defined work-spaces can make for more focus and a less-chaotic household. Spend the extra time to create a few defined work and study areas, clean the entry way for school supplies and backpacks, and set up a simple morning breakfast station for the family! And, welcome back to school Dallas students!

Making Your House a Home

A home is so much more than another building; it is a representation of the journey of your life. It reflects the real you and sends across the right vibe as well. Tony McClung believes in the same ideologies and this is why he doesn’t just design homes per se, he treats each one of them as an artistic masterpiece which will become one of the most coveted possessions for the owner.

The Man of Several Professionals

Tony McClung is not just a luxury home designer, but he is a jack of several trades. From honing the skills of a builder to that of an architect, foreman, and an architectural designer; he brings a lot more to the table which truly draws in the attention of his clients.

Giving It the Custom Touch

We believe that every home speaks a story and the story should always be yours. This is why adding your own customized and personal touches to your home are absolutely vital. Tony McClung is willing to be all ears to any special request you may have and he entertains them whenever they are erasable.

Based in one of the most upscale areas in Texas, most of his Highland Park homes truly stand out as they bear a testament to the amazing creative finesse and architectural brilliance he has. The best part about hiring him is that you do not need to be magnate to avail his services. He is aware that almost everyone has this dream to own the perfect house. So, he can craft the home to fit the budget you have in mind. His magical hands will add the wow factor and transfer the ordinary to extra ordinary.

Old or New – He Does it All!

Tony McClung is aware of the changing requirements of people. Some of us are on the lookout for a new home as we want to start afresh, with a clean slate and raise a toast to new beginnings. At the same time, there are a few people who want to hold on to the old memories and cling on to the place which has gifted them too many moments. They simply want it to have the artistic touch of new so that the old abode can reek of new memories and yet hold the nostalgia of the by-gone days.

So, no matter which category you fall into, Tony McClung is there to help. He can renovate your home artistically and let you hold on to the whiff of yesterday; while refining the image of tomorrow. At the same time, for the harbingers of change looking for a fresh start, you can be all set to witness an architectural masterpiece with his skilled magical ideas and vision.

So, if you are ready to weave magic to the place you call home; you know who you need to contact. Take a look at some of the current projects and the past work to gauge an idea as to what you should expect from this maestro of architectural designing. Give Tony McClung a call today at 214-668-7802!

Summers In Texas: Preparing Your HVAC for the Hot Season

HVAC can be a pain on finances and time. You spend so much throughout the year on electricity and gas for maintaining heating and cooling systems in your home, and right when you think you’ve spent enough, something breaks…

While some damage and general wear-and-tear is unavoidable, there are tons of helpful precautions and steps you can take to ensure longevity of your HVAC system and lower costs this summer season in the hot state of Texas. Here are some of our top recommendations!

Tips: Preparing Your HVAC System for Summer

Your primary objectives when preparing your HVAC system for summer should be to reduce the amount of wear that components of your system receive, as well as reducing the level of work your system does to a bare-necessities level. Here are our tips:

1)  Change the Filter

You’ve probably heard that more times than you count – it almost feels like servicemen are trying to upsell you for no reason. But in actuality, the filter in your HVAC system has huge implications on the health of your appliances.

When your filter gets dirty, the system must work harder to force air where it needs to go. If you frequently replace the filter, you’ll end up spending less on the additional components than you will on the monthly cost of electricity (and ultimately, the final price of replacing a broken HVAC system).

2)  Programming Your Thermostat

If you have a programmable thermostat, you could be saving tons of money on electricity. Believe it or not, raising the temperature of your HVAC system a mere 4-5 degrees while your gone at work for 8 hours can save you a few hundred bucks annually. Furthermore, the less the system must work to cool down your house, the longer it will last.

3)  Servicing Your System Frequently

It doesn’t cost much to hire a service or repairman (or to learn how to do these basic checks yourself.) There are plenty of key components in an HVAC system which can be easily and frequently checked for damage or wear-and-tear. If you check these on a continual basis, you can save yourself from hefty expenses in the future. There’s a large domino effect that the small components have on the larger ones.

Conclusion

In these hot Texas summers, we fork out a lot of money keeping our homes’ temperature regulated well. But many of us don’t realize we are spending more money than we need to. If you properly check your HVAC system’s components on a frequent basis, replace your air filter, and program your thermostat to raise in temperature while your gone at work, you will reduce the overall work your system needs to do. This will lower monthly electric costs as well as increase the longevity of your system overall!

Selecting Patio Furniture for Your Luxury Home

Most spring and summer home preparation happens to the exterior of your home – everything from cleaning the gutters, to reapplying asphalt for a driveway, mowing the lawn, landscaping, and power washing your house.

But while these are all necessities for a nice looking home, you’ll want an outdoor space that is welcoming and inviting for hosting friends, or at the very least, enjoying the outdoors in your own yard. Getting the right set of patio furniture can make the hot Texas summers so much more enjoyable. Here’s what we recommend you look for!

Selecting a Patio Furniture Set

There are so many different variations in color, design, and functionality of patio furniture. If you are looking for a simple, quick rundown on what to look for in different styles of patio furniture, here it is:

1.  Wicker Patio Furniture

Wicker, or resin wicker, is a weather-resistant synthetic material that gives a “woven” appearance to furniture made from the material. It has a very outdoor, natural appearance and often works well with both contemporary and modern looking homes.

While wicker patio furniture looks great, the drawback is that it tends to break down through the seasons. After a few years, many of the wicker strands unwind or break and can be a bit of a pain to manage. However, if you properly care for the patio furniture, it should last a while.

2.  Metal Patio Furniture

There are tons of different styles and types of metal patio furniture. The molding and shape of the metal, as well as the type of metal and build structure can all contribute to the quality and appearance of your patio furniture.

Steel

Steel patio furniture is relatively cheap. It’s sturdy and will last a while, however, steel (even stainless) will rust from rainy or humid environments over time. If you are in a generally dry area, this isn’t much of a factor to worry about, but always something to keep in the back of your mind.

Aluminum

Aluminum is perhaps the most popular version of metal patio furniture. It is great for its light weight and durability. Aluminum patio furniture will far outlast wicker patio furniture – the only thing you need to watch is the paint. Over time, paint can wear off or chip from the aluminum if not properly cared for.

Conclusion

Selecting patio furniture can be a difficult endeavor – there are so many different types of materials, construction, looks, and feels that vary between sets. While you will want to select a patio furniture set that you think looks best for your luxury home, make sure that you take durability into consideration. Once you’ve picked the right set, sit back and enjoy the warm season! Be sure to check out the outdoor patios that Tony McClung has designed and happy Summer Texas!

Home Renovation: Building An In-Ground Pool

Texas summers are HOT, right??

So, we can almost guarantee that nearly everyone has entertained the idea of getting a pool at one point or another, but unless you moved into a home with one already built-in, few have legitimately taken the steps to start installing one.

Building an In-Ground Pool

This post is all about in-ground pools and what types you should look into buying. Various different builds and materials are well-suited for different situations, so do your research and think carefully regarding which is right for you. Here are a few different types to check out:

Fiberglass

Fiberglass is perhaps the most well-known and commonly used material for building pools. The reason? They require an incredibly low-degree of maintenance due to their non-porous structure. They are easy to clean and take care of throughout the season.

Fiberglass pools are also relatively inexpensive to install, making them a great option for those trying to keep costs maintainable.

The only big drawback to fiberglass as a material is that it is not very customizable. If you are the type who wants to blueprint out their dream-pool shape and size, fiberglass won’t be a great material to work with.

Concrete

Concrete tends to pick up well on the areas where fiberglass fails – particularly in terms of customization. It’s easy to build a pool of any shape or size out of concrete, as the material gives you near limitless moldability.

One of the primary drawbacks to concrete is the higher maintenance costs in the long run. While it’s easy to work with during the installation and building phase, it’s pretty difficult to clean. Concrete creates rougher and more porous surfaces than fiberglass and accumulates dirt and grime over time that needs to be washed down.

Vinyl Liner

Vinyl liner pools are great for first-time pool owners, as they are quite affordable to install. They have a very smooth finish and are relatively easy to customize the shape and size of (not as much as concrete, but significantly better than fiberglass).

The only major drawback to vinyl liner pools is that the liner needs to be frequently replaced – every 6 to 8 years. So, while they have a low initial cost up front, there’s a bit more work involved in the long run.

If you are thinking about an in ground pool, or backyard renovation, be sure to contact Tony McClung today at 214-668-7802.