While we all yearn to own the perfect home, is it possible we’re overlooking the perfect spaces that already exist? It might be a quiet breakfast nook, a tucked away computer desk or even a comfortable reading chair with just the right light for reading. Whatever the case, those perfect spaces are worth celebrating.

If your home is without one of these perfect spaces, it’s time you created one.

Samantha Shoech over at Houzz has photo inspiration for creating standout spaces in your home. They can be as simple as a wall organizer or as complex as a reading den (like in the photo above).

If your home already has one of these spaces, what is it, where is it located and what does it mean to you?

[Photo from Susan Jay Design]

A Whole Different Animal
Houzz
Your home  doesn’t have to be country or rustic to incorporate animal inspirations. (You don’t need to shop for a leopard-print rug, either.) See how some homeowners have added character to their home by bringing barn animals indoors.

Green & Affordable Prefab Home Debuts in Palm Springs
Dwell
Imagine living in a brand new, stylish, LEED Platinum-certified home in Palm Springs for a cool $180,000. Imagine no more. The LivingHomes C6 might be a prefab, but your jaw will drop when you see this slideshow. Vacation home, anyone?

Piles and Piles of Tile
Centsational Girl
CG is in pursuit of the perfect tile backsplash as she takes on an ambitious hallway bathroom remodel. Turns out selecting the perfect tile isn’t for the faint of heart.

Tour the Art-Filled, Luxuriously Appointed Gramercy Park Hotel
Casa Sugar
Need a little color inspiration? The Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City employs a bold Raphael-inspired color palette that fearlessly blends colors from the across the spectrum. (The photo at the top of this post is from the on-site Jar Bar.)

Any realtor will tell you it’s wise to purchase the worst home on the best block, but who wants to live in the neighborhood eyesore?

For those who prefer their home be the envy of the neighborhood — that’s most of us, right? — Margaret at the Calfinder Remodeling Blog whipped together a list of eight focus areas sure to make the neighbors jealous.

This isn’t just about vanity. There’s a practical element to owning the home everyone wants. As you’ll see, focusing on the right areas around the house will not only boost your home’s profile in the short-term, but it can provide a major advantage if and when you decide to sell.

Here’s a few focal points included on Margaret’s list:

Attractive Siding
Fresh, tasteful siding make can make a huge impression. While a home may be beautiful on the inside, worn, dingy siding on the outside suggests the home has fallen out of repair.

Energy-Efficient Heating and Air
Nothing can date a home quite like an old furnace or air conditioner. Central heating and cooling isn’t enough, either. If you live in an older home, installation of energy-efficient heating and air will cut decades of your home’s age. Outdated systems are one of the biggest drawbacks to owning an older home.

Great Flooring
Ditch the matted carpet and laminate flooring. Think tile, cork or concrete. Quality flooring will assist in sound reduction and improve heat retention. If you want to take things a step further and you live in a colder climate, consider heated floors in bathrooms or the basement.

To see the rest of Margaret’s list, check out Calfinder.

[Photo from Houzz]

At the last week’s International Builders Show in Orlando, Marvin Windows as pleased to be visited by renowned designer Marianne Cusato.

We were able to take a few minutes of her time to discuss her approach to design and using a home’s space efficiently. She shared some great thoughts on how to use windows wisely — thinking about their size and placement as a way to make a home feel larger and more enjoyable and even helping add value to the home.

Not all square feet are made equal, Cusato said. ”Paying attention to little details — simply where a window is located, the size of the window — will exponentially make a house feel larger, live larger and be much more pleasant at all times of the day.”

Windows don’t just let light in. They let you look out, so you are, in effect, “borrowing space from outside,” Cusato said.

Many homes have lots of windows concentrated in the front of the house, which looks nice and can, at times, provide nice views. But spreading the windows more strategically throughout a home can add tremendous value as it helps establish a connection with the outdoors. Letting people interact with the outdoors — either physically or simply through well-placed windows and great views — is an important part of making a house feel like a home.

Here’s a brief video that includes some more thoughts from Cusato:

Here at Mluxe, we aim to inspire homeowners to build or remodel their home so its truly theirs. That’s why we’re excited about the Remodel Your Life sweepstakes taking place over at the Marvin Facebook page.

One lucky grand prize winner will receive $4,000* toward custom Marvin windows or doors. Even better, the windows or doors will be designed by the winner.

Secondary prizes include chances to win a $100 Visa gift card or 10 Better Homes and Gardens book-a-zines.

Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m., E.T. on April 3, 2012. Open to legal residents of the continental United States, and the District of Columbia,21 years or older. One entry per person with a valid Facebook account. Void where prohibited.

Swing over to our Facebook page now and enter. Who knows – your next big home project might be on us.

*Grand prize winner will receive $4,000 in credit for Marvin.

Each year, around the time of the International Builders Show, Marvin Windows and Doors compiles a list of the top trends in home building and design. These compilations tend to be among the more popular posts we share throughout the year, so without further ado, here are our top 10 home trends for 2012.

1. Energy efficiency: Americans are looking for superior energy efficiency in every important feature of their home. ENERGYSTAR-rated windows, high-efficiency furnaces and air conditioners, quality attic insulation – they’ll all save money and make the home more comfortable year-round. Marvin offers more energy-efficient window options than any other manufacturer, including a new Tripane with Krypton gas option. It’s our most energy-efficient solution.
2. High quality, high function: Today’s homeowners want items that not only look good, but perform flawlessly. Fit, finish and smooth operation are essential – whether it’s a refrigerator, a sofa or
   a window. Consumers want both beauty and practicality. Marvin’s new Ultimate Glider is a complete re-engineering of a classic window style that combines elegant simplicity with tough performance.
3. Not-so-big living: Architect Sarah Susanka first proposed this idea more than a decade ago, and it’s been spreading ever since. The not-so-big house is carefully planned for the owner’s needs, not designed to impress others. Investing in high-quality components and finishes for the home offers more lasting value than paying for poorly used square footage.
4. Renovation nation: Americans are putting down roots; we’re moving less than at any time since World War II. Instead of moving, we’re staying in our homes longer and renovating the living spaces to fit our lifestyle. New kitchens, new windows, reconfigured living spaces – they’re all part of creating a home “built around you.”
5. Let the sunshine in: Screened porches, sun rooms and window walls – they’re all
   geared toward bringing the outdoors in. And with modern, energy-efficient windows and patio doors, there’s no penalty in comfort or energy efficiency.
6. Keeping it simple: Clean, simple lines are the order of the day.
   Furniture, tile, moldings, backsplashes, appliances – the less fussy, the better.
7. Make room for family: With multiple generations living under one roof more often these days, more Americans are making the house accommodate the extended family. In-law suites, bedroom additions and basement makeovers (including egress windows) are becoming more popular.
8. Aging in place and universal design: Older Americans not living with their children want to maintain their independence for as long as possible. That means universal design that allows them to age in place. Easy-opening windows, large showers with benches and grab bars, lower countertops – all help make homes more accessible and comfortable for older residents.
9. Indoor/outdoor living: Americans love the easygoing back-and-forth between
   their kitchen and a deck or patio. It makes entertaining easier and makes the house live larger. A quality patio
   door is a must for these high-traffic areas.
10. Lighter and brighter: Lighter colors and natural light make a home feel cheerful and energizing. “Daylighting” – using windows to bring in as much natural light as possible – also can help lower energy bills.

5 Brilliant Small Bathroom Layouts That Work in Any Home
CalFinder Blog
“It goes without saying: a bathroom is an important place in the house. The bathroom provides a huge percentage of your home’s functionality—and has to look great for when guests are over. But remodeling a small bathroom can be especially tough. You want a shower-with-vanity set-up, but limited space doesn’t seem to allow for that without feeling cramped. Well. Here are some bathroom ideas that make everything work, and with great style.”

Top Before and Afters of 2011
Hooked on Houses
Yes, we know — we’re 5 weeks past the New Year. But still, these are some great-looking projects. Too good to not share.

Imperfections Make It Perfect
Remodeling Guy
“But the thing that really made me stare for awhile was the authenticity of this look. It’s not easy for most people to pull-off. I’ll give you the secret… Mess Up On Purpose! I’ve built rooms like this and one of the biggest challenges, yet most important requirements, is to get the carpenters to go against their training.”

8 Colors for South-Facing Rooms
Houzz.com
“In many homes, the south-facing room is the sunniest spot in the house because windows that face south receive the most direct sunlight throughout the year. These sun-drenched spaces are warm and well-lit during the day which can be a blessing in the winter, but it can also be too much of good thing. South-facing rooms sometimes benefit from a drop in visual temperature. The best way to accomplish this is by using cool colors.”

Not far from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan you’ll find Tarrytown, a small river community with a tradition of beautiful design that harkens back to the late 1800s. Such elegant design inspired the 36 townhomes in the Hudson Harbor modeled after historic brownstones. For this ambitious undertaking, National RE/sources relied on custom options from Marvin Windows and Doors to recreate the 19th century feel.

5 Ways to Make a Better Entrance
Houzz.com
“The entryway is the first visible part of a home’s interior, so it’s important to keep it neat and stylish. But it also has the inevitable tendency to become a catch-all for everyone’s junk collected throughout the day. The key is to keep both functions in mind when setting up your entry. This is one space guaranteed to be used every day, so treat it as a room and not just an awkward transitional area. These 5 tips should help you create a functional and tidy and welcome to your home.”

Plugwise Eliminates Excess Energy Use
Jetson Green
“California-based kWh Power is tackling phantom energy loss by introducing the Plugwise system in the United States. Developed by Dutch company Plugwise in 2006, this system allows you to monitor, track, and control unnecessary energy use throughout your home or office. The system consists of ‘Circles’ which are plugged into standard wall outlets to measure load on that outlet, and a ‘Stick’ that wirelessly relays data from the circles to your computer, where Plugwise Source, the monitoring and management software, allows you see and control usage. Data can also be uploaded to the web for remote access via laptops and smartphones.”

Small Kitchen Layouts to Inspire Your Remodel
CalFinder Blog
“The kitchen seems a straightforward thing. It’s a place to cook. Entertain. You have a refrigerator, a stove. Often a dishwasher. Food comes in, food gets served. But it’s not as simple as that, of course. Especially if you’re looking at your existing kitchen that your home may have come with, and reconsidering how you can create the exact kitchen you want. Perhaps you’re doing a full kitchen remodel, and have no idea what kind of kitchen will benefit you the most. Well. We are here to serve and help you.”

Thinking about redesigning or just sprucing up an existing space?
Home Renovation Guide
“Unlike the homes in the magazines, most of us will never own a Schonbek crystal chandelier to tower over a twelve-seater dining table. In fact, these days we’re lucky if there’s enough floor space in our homes for a dining room at all! Multi-functional, small scale and affordable is the way many of us live. And as more people move into and vie for premium spaces in the cities, large spaces will continue to be an expensive option. We all want our homes to look good. But money, time and resources often limit what we can accomplish in our homes.”

No matter the home, a remodeling project is a big undertaking, and the reasons we choose to remodel are virtually infinite.

That’s why we’ve created a new feature for Marvin.com, the myMarvin Remodelers Gallery, which features several case studies complete with before and after photos and homeowner stories on what inspired their project.

We hope you’ll visit the gallery to explore the many visions realized through some of the most impressive remodeling projects in the country. And if you’ve recently completed a project and you would like to have it featured in our gallery, encourage your contractor to send before and after photos to us for consideration.

For now, enjoy three gorgeous projects that injected new life into older homes.