Now where did I put the…

In every home, there tends to be a basket on the kitchen counter containing mail, coupons, keys, chargers, loose change and pens.  Maybe you relegate these items to the junk drawer in the kitchen or toss them on the kitchen counter. 

When discussing kitchens with our home owners, sometimes the topic of organization comes up, specifically kitchen organization.  I have had people ask me where they should put different items in the drawers and cabinets, in an effort to streamline cooking and storage items. I am happy to advise them, recommending they take note of how they move around the kitchen in their current home to get an idea of how they use the space.  Everyday items need to be on lower shelves, holiday dishes can be stored on upper shelves or even in a storage area in another part of the house.


One of the areas that always seems to come up is that bit of counter space near the phone or near the back door where you come into the house most often.  This is where the basket ends up, gathering loose papers and odds and ends that need a home.  In our new home plan designs, we are incorporating a Drop Zone in the homes, typically near the entrance from the garage and near the kitchen.  This area serves as a place to recharge the phones, stash your handbag or briefcase, house the family calendar and put items for easy retrieval the next morning.

With a counter area at a convenient height, wall cabinet above and base cabinet below, this can serve as a mini command center for your home.  Instead of just tossing items into the cabinet above, consider organizing your cabinet like the photo above.  I found this photo here and thought they did a great job with their organization.

The family notebook that she refers to has become quite popular in recent years as it holds information for each member of the family, including medical information, insurance cards, pertinent phone numbers and emergency information.  This book would be quite handy in an emergency as you can grab it and go.
The magnetic panel on the back of the door is a great place to display a lunch menu or class schedule. I  keep a list of my neighbors phone numbers as well in there.  Magnetic hooks hold spare keys or those customer courtesy cards for your favorite stores.

The charging station is great if you come home and want to plug your phone in to charge while cooking dinner and find it easily accessible when you are out the door for sports practice or dance lessons.

At Atlantic Builders, we want to help keep you organized and able to find items at a moment’s notice.

~Melanie Edwards, Atlantic Builders' Design Director
  

What is your favorite color?

How many times have you been asked that question? Perhaps when shopping for clothes, getting your nails done, or even buying a car. And when most people are asked that question, they have a ready answer. Pink! Blue! Green! Yellow! Red!

We are drawn to our favorite colors when selecting the simplest of things – a notebook, a pen, a box of paper clips.  I know that when given a choice of a pen in blue or green, I will always choose green. We often define our style by the colors we wear or in the way we decorate our homes. When helping people make their selections for their home, I’ve noticed that sometimes they will identify themselves as a “blue” person or a “green” person. They are drawn to colors that they love and take comfort in surrounding themselves with these colors.

 Color schemes can be monochromatic, meaning several shades of one color; or complementary, meaning shades that are opposite each other on the color wheel.  One favorite is the analogous color scheme, which is using colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel, such as blue and green.

You can easily add touches of your favorite colors to brighten up a room by using accent pieces that compliment your décor. If your favorite color is hot pink, are you really going to decorate your home all in hot pink? Probably not!  But pink throw pillows might hit the spot.  While aqua might be your favorite color and you have 16 aqua shirts of various styles hanging in your closet, a whole foyer painted in that color might be too intense. Instead, consider adding an aqua vase in an otherwise neutral space to inject a burst of color. Or if bright chartreuse makes you happy, how about using it on an accent piece of furniture, like this candlestick table.

At Atlantic Builders, we help you make your selections based on how you will be living in your space, and are always ready to help you find a bright spot of color in your day.

Visit our Chelsey Model at the Estates of Idlewild in Fredericksburg and see how we used touches of color to brighten up this brand new home.

Meet Sid Means, Atlantic Builders' Purchasing Manager

When Sid Means played second base growing up in West Virginia, he felt “consistency” was his hallmark as a player. His favorite ball player then was Roger Maris, the quiet, steady home run hitter who edged out the more flamboyant Mickey Mantle in 1961 to break the single season home run record held by Babe Ruth. Sid brings his vast experience in construction and “day in, day out” consistent hard working ethos to Atlantic Builders as our Purchasing Manager.

Sid’s first job at 10 was a laborer for his father who was a trim carpenter and also Sid’s baseball coach. Sid grew up to love coaching baseball and coached his own son Wes from ages 6-19, including from 2003-2005 at Massaponax High School in Spotsylvania, VA. Last month, Sid enthusiastically arranged a fun outing to the Richmond Squirrels for almost 50 Atlantic Builders team members and their families.

When he is not working hard, Sid also manages to ride his Harley, which he loves to ride on weekends or often to the Myrtle Beach Bike Week. What happens while in Myrtle Beach stays in Myrtle Beach as Sid jokingly says, “Some stories can’t be shared”.

Sid takes construction and home building very seriously, though. His tremendous knowledge of construction and thoroughness have been key to Atlantic Builders’ updating of our home designs to comply with the recent March 2012 adoption of the most recent building code standards in Virginia. Sid feels that the newer, higher standards make today’s homes superior to others he has built in the past. This is from a man who has been involved in building over 3,703 homes in his career and counting. Sid feels home buyers will appreciate, for example, that new wind bracing requirements require homes to withstand up to 90 mph winds in the Fredericksburg area. He also feels that municipal building departments and inspectors are more thorough and professional today than ever before.

Sid is key to the Atlantic Builder’s team effort in designing new homes like the new townhomes in Ladysmith Village in Caroline County and our expanded and revamped line of Executive Homes designs. Sid combines great value engineering skills with a wise understanding of customer preferences for style and included features. He is proud of his longevity with the few companies he has worked for over his long career, but says he loves being at Atlantic Builders since our culture encourages collaboration and continuous improvement. We hope he remains here for the rest of his long and continuing career.
 

What Makes a Home Energy Star Certified?

To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes.

And with homebuyers increasingly interested in green building, energy efficiency is the place to start. That's because the energy used in homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and risks of global warming. So, the less energy used, the less air pollution generated. And the easy way to make sure a new home is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGY STAR mark, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.

ENERGY STAR qualified homes can include a variety of 'tried-and-true' energy-efficient features that contribute to improved home quality and homeowner comfort, and to lower energy demand and reduced air pollution:

1. Effective Insulation

Properly installed and inspected insulation in floors, walls, and attics ensures even temperatures throughout the house, reduced energy use, and increased comfort.

2. High-Performance Windows

Energy-efficient windows employ advanced technologies, such as protective coatings and improved frames, to help keep heat in during winter and out during summer. These windows also block damaging ultraviolet sunlight that can discolor carpets and furnishings.

3. Tight Construction and Ducts

Sealing holes and cracks in the home's "envelope" and in heating and cooling duct systems helps reduce drafts, moisture, dust, pollen, and noise. A tightly sealed home improves comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility and maintenance.

4. Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment

In addition to using less energy to operate, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems can be quieter, reduce indoor humidity, and improve the overall comfort of the home. When properly installed into a tightly sealed home, this equipment won't have to work so hard to heat and cool the home.

5. Efficient Products

ENERGY STAR qualified homes may also be equipped with ENERGY STAR qualified products — lighting fixtures, compact fluorescent bulbs, ventilation fans, and appliances, such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines.

6. Third-Party Verification

With the help of independent Home Energy Raters, ENERGY STAR builder partners choose the most appropriate energy-saving features for their homes. Additionally, raters conduct onsite testing and inspections to verify the energy efficiency measures, as well as insulation, air tightness, and duct sealing details. 

Interested in an Atlantic Builders Energy Star certified home??  Visit our website here to learn more!

Green Building Practices Save Homeowners Serious Money

The current economy has definitely heightened people’s “green” awareness. Green – as in ecology AND economy!

The hard truth: It costs a lot to build – and maintain – a home. From material costs to heating & cooling, owning a home can be an expensive proposition. Luckily, Atlantic Builders has embraced the elements of green building, and has been able to incorporate them into our homes. From careful site designs to right-sized floor plans, green materials to energy-efficient systems, air quality to water conservation, there are dozens of ways for homeowners to build a “green” home.

Come see us and we’ll get you started the green home of your dreams!

What is the HERS index?

HERS stands for Home Energy Rating System. It identifies the rated home’s energy performance compared to a home built only to code requirements. A standard, code-built home has an index of 100. Each point below 100 represents a 1% improvement in overall energy performance. For example, a home with a HERS index of 70 is 30% more efficient than a standard, code-built home. Note that a home can be Energy Star-certified with a HERS index of 85. Atlantic Builders’ homes perform much better – with average scores of 62 – 65. And a better HERS index means more savings for our homeowners!

HERS scores:

Atlantic Builders – 62-65 avg. HERS score

Energy Star home – 85 avg. HERS score

Standard new home built to code – 100 avg. HERS score

Existing home – 130 avg. HERS score

Estimated average utility bill:
Atlantic Builders - $138/month
Energy Star home - $180/per month
Standard new home - $223/month
Existing home - $431+ /month

Atlantic Builders Sponsors Student Scholarships

Atlantic Builders is proud to sponsor scholarships to worthy students at Germanna Community College. We believe in education as a critical path for individuals to achieve more in life. We also believe the future of the world depends on getting everybody the chance to continue learning and growing. Germanna Community College serves the Fredericksburg region. It is an excellent value for students and has seen full time enrollment of students surge in the past 5 years by 50% to 11,000 students.

Elliott Fairhurst and Tracy White are 2 of the 3 Atlantic Builders sponsored Germanna scholars in 2011/2012.
Elliott was homeschooled and at 18 years old is working toward a 2 year associates degree in engineering. He plans to complete his B.S. in engineering at VA Tech. He is interested in aeronautics, particularly drone aircraft.

Tracy is pursuing her nursing degree. She is a single parent with 3 children. While her mother helps her watch the kids, it is a great financial strain to attend Germanna given her family’s needs. Atlantic Builders is proud to help Tracy make her dream of becoming a nurse a reality.
If you wish to make a pledge to financially support Germanna Community College, please contact Mike Catell at mcatell@germanna.edu