It’s almost Tax Day! It might not be the biggest day of celebration, but there are some tax breaks for homeowners that we heard about from Bob Vila. Will you get a tax credit for anything home related?

• Energy-efficient home improvements can help land you a tax break. If, for example, you replaced your windows with energy efficient ones, you could be eligible for this tax break on your primary home.
• Unfortunately, if you built a new house, the energy efficient breaks aren’t available to you. But if you replaced, renovated or retrofitted, you might qualify.
• Sometimes you can get a tax break for installation costs, and sometimes not. Check carefully.
• Save ALL documentation of your energy-efficient replacement efforts. You’ll need to submit documentation and you don’t want to be caught short during an audit!

As always, remember to consult your tax professional if you have any questions about tax breaks for home improvements.

Image courtesy of401K on Flickr.

While perusing Twitter, we came across Nigel Maynard’s Tweet about these interesting hooks. As HomeIQ says, these “will either make you smile or freak you out.”

By artist Nick Davis, these bronze hands and feet are perfect for hanging coats, acting as 3D art and scaring your guests. What do you think? Would you want these in your hallway?

Images courtesy of HomeIQ. 

Sometimes everything seems to be upside down — including houses! This kooky house is the brainchild of Alexander Yee, who designed this Malaysian house (called Rumah Terbalik) to mimic the neihborhood it is in. The only difference is that everyhting is upside down. The sofa is on the celing. The car in the carport is bolted to the roof.

It might be dizziness-inducing, but this house literally turns everything on its head!

A while ago, we asked you if you could only change one thing in your kitchen, what would it be? Let’s expand that to asking what one thing in your entire house would you change? Here are some ideas:

• Have you always wanted a fireplace for cozy winter evenings?
• Maybe your “vintage” kitchen doesn’t have a dishwasher
• Are your white walls bothering you?
• Would new windows make your house sparkle? (Hey, we know who can do that!)
• Do you want to rip out your old carpets and install gleaming hardwood floors?
• Does the thought of an additional bedroom or bathroom make your mouth water?
• Or maybe a walk-in closet or finished basement would be the way to go

Tell us in the comments what one thing you’d change in your house if could. And maybe search around this site for some ideas and tips, like in our remodeling category.

Jeff Murphy of Murphy & Co. Design meticulously restored a Minnesota barn for comfortable functionality. Inspired by an enthusiasm for historic outbuildings and barns found in mountain regions in the U.S. and Europe, converting this rustic barn into a masculine enclave seemed like the perfect fit. The design called for a classic study and hunting shop that appealed to the homeowner’s love for history as well as the outdoors.

A rusted steel roof over a reclaimed and battered stone exterior gives way to an inviting interior comprised of reclaimed barn boards and timbers with large pieces of Loon Lake flagstone for flooring. A desk alcove in the study is surrounded by large double hung windows and warmed by a large stone fireplace.

The hunting shop includes a track-mounted ceiling hoist for raising deer out of the back of a pickup, an ammo loading workbench, washer and dryer for hunting clothes and a modern-day outhouse.

Marvin wood windows (including double hungs and awning windows) were an easy choice because of the availability of fir to help maintain the authenticity of the exterior. This, along with the sash detailing and the ability to customize without complications, made Marvin the perfect fit for the project.

Images courtesy of Susan Gilmore.

Are you looking for a multi-person seating alternative to the couch? Have a dream of “swimming” in cushions? Do you really love birds? Then this seating option might be for you!

The Giant Birdsnest by O*GE is “a prototype for new and inspiring socializing space, which can be seen as a morph of furniture and playground.” It looks like it could be used as an unusual sleeping space in addition to seating. Think of the great conversations you could have while in this nest!

Would you ever put something like this in your family room?

Image courtesy of O*GE

Marvin is pleased to announce a cool new feature on our website: online user reviews. If you’ve ever bought Marvin windows or doors, or had them in your home, this is the place to let us know what you think.

We’re offering both product and experience reviews so you can review specific products as well as your overall experience working with Marvin. When you write a review, please include as many details of your experience as necessary. You can even include photos if you want!

Marvin is committed to protecting your privacy and will not publish your email address. We want to hear from you! Let us know your opinions on our products and company here.

Are you remodeling a princess-themed bathroom? Or maybe one in Vegas? Well, look no further than this sparkly bathtub by SICIS. It’s made out of glass that l00ks like pink sequins.  A perfect present for the sparkly shoe-lover in your life!

We want to know if the heel of the “shoe” could be used as a water slide into the bath for an extra dash of fun. What do you think of this fun and unusual bath?

Copper and wood are two of nature’s most beautiful materials. Tamasine Osher has used copper piping, along with wood, to create some gorgeous industrial-chic pieces. It’s a very innovative use of a material that might otherwise have been used for scrap! What do you think?

Images courtesy of DigsDigs.