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NORTHJERSEY.COM ❚ THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2020 ❚ 1H
A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION OF THE RECORD
Homescape
Designed For Living:
Mastering a sizeable master
suite.
4H
INTERIOR DESIGN ❚ HOME IMPROVEMENT
Accent walls
transform dull
into dramatic
SPRING PROJECT
Mix of materials and
treatments add texture
and dimension to walls
By TERI GATTO
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
C
Spring is the ideal time of the year to install energy-efficient windows. Managing solar heat from outside a home can
help lower air conditioning costs during the warmer months of summer as less heat is transmitted by the windows.
Window upgrade adds
looks and energy efficiency
Keep cost and demolition down with replacements
By FRAN J. DONEGAN
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
F
ew home improvement proj-
ects offer the potential upside
as replacing your existing
windows. New windows can
enhance the home’s curb appeal,
make the home more comfortable
and reduce the monthly energy bills.
Some signs that you may need new
windows include windows that don’t
stay open on their own or are diffi-
cult to open, window frames that are
drafty and uncomfortable to be near,
and those that detract from the look
of your house. And very old single-
pane windows are energy wasters
compared with the models available
today.
REPLACEMENT VS. NEW
CONSTRUCTION WINDOWS
When considering new windows, it
is important to learn the terminology.
In the trade, replacement windows
are window sashes, the part that
holds the glass, that are placed inside
the existing window frame, provided
the frame is in good condition. New
construction windows include both
the sash and the frame. They are
the type used when building a house
or room addition. New construction
windows can be installed in existing
houses if the existing frame is badly
damaged and needs to be replaced.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES
Choosing the right style of window
is necessary to preserve the original
look of a home.
The difference is important because
installing new construction windows
means removing the existing drywall
and molding around the window on
the inside of the house and the siding
material on the outside. It may be nec-
essary, but it’s a big and expensive job
on any house. “A lot of older homes
still have plaster and lath on the walls,”
said Bill Dunn of Home Supply
Window and Door in Hawthorne. “To
do a full rip out inside and out is a big
problem and leads to collateral dam-
age around the window.”
Installing replacement windows
usually involves fewer changes to
the area around the window. In the
past, vinyl windows were the only
type available in the replacement
market. “But all of the major window
manufacturers have come out with
new construction window styles in a
replacement version,” said Eric Garcia
of RWC Windows, Doors and More in
West Caldwell. “While there are many
good vinyl windows, people are not
limited to just vinyl. They can choose
from wood, fiberglass and wood clad.”
CHOOSING
REPLACEMENT WINDOWS
The most popular types of window
materials are vinyl, wood, wood clad,
fiberglass and composite materials.
The prices for each overlap greatly, but,
in general, vinyl is the least ex-pensive
and starts at about $100 per window,
to fiberglass, which starts at about
$450. But there are good-quality vinyl
windows that will cost more than low-
end fiberglass. And prices on all types
of windows can increase dramatically.
Individual windows costing $1,200 and
up are not unheard of.
See WINDOWS, Page 4H
reating an accent wall is a quick and often eco-
nomical way to convert a drab room into a stunning
space. Paint, wallpaper, wood, tile, stone or wall
panels are just some options available to achieve
the transformation. And, since many of the products
are designed for the DIY crowd, an accent wall can be a
reasonably priced weekend project.
“Accent walls have been popular for many years but
started to fall out of favor because people were limited
to using just paint or wallpaper,” says Bob Palmarozza of
Mr. Handyman Tri-County in Wayne. “Today, people use
all types of materials to create accent walls, but wood is
among the most popular.”
One of Palmarozza’s clients wanted a large master
bedroom partitioned so they could have a small office.
Palmarozza built a partial wall facing the bed, installed
a flat-screen TV and finished the area with vertical slats
of wood. “We created an accent wall that looked like it was
floating in the middle of the room,” he says.
Currently, Palmarozza is working on transforming the
basement of a 110-year-old house into a dramatic, usable
space accented by a section of exposed rubble stone foun-
dation.
“We are covering most of foundation with a false wall,”
he says. “But there is a section of the rubble stone wall
that the customer really loves, so we are cleaning a 7-foot
x 10-foot area by hand to bring it back close to what the
stone probably looked like when the house was built. The
room has a high ceiling and a pool table; the exposed wall
will make the room quite memorable.”
See ACCENT WALLS, Page 3H
PHOTO COURTESY OF STONE AND TILE EMPORIUM
Calming waves frame a gas fireplace for a zen-like effect
on the feature wall behind the freestanding soaking tub.
First home? Prioritize furniture and buy quality
By KATHIE ROBITZ
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
T
he spring real estate market is
beginning to bloom. If you’re shop-
ping and hope to find your dream
house, remember you’re going
to have to furnish it. And that can be over-
whelming, especially if you’re tightening
your belt a while after making this major
purchase.
So, the experts say, begin with the
basics and strive for quality.
ONE ROOM AT A TIME
“You should set up the spaces you live
in first,” advises interior designer, Sharon
Sherman, whose firm, Thyme and Place
Design, is located in Wyckoff. “Think about
what you really need. Maybe that dining room
table and chairs can wait. A bedroom with
a great bed and mattress, a pair of night
stands (if there is room), and a dresser
are important (unless you have a tricked-
out closet) and is the place to start. This
is where you begin and end your day. If you
are not well rested and in a place of calm
for recharging, you can suffer ill effects
physically and emotionally.”
Sherman then recommends setting up
an office space if you plan to work at home,
followed next by a place to gather with
family and entertain guests. “Comfort is
key here,” she notes. So…
PHOTO COURTESY OF GAT CREEK FURNITURE
The Nicole platform bed from Gat Creek Furniture has softly sculpted lines for a
modern look that showcases the wood grain. It is built-to-order in sustainably harvested,
solid Appalachian hardwood and signed by the craftsman. Board-by-board lumber
selection captures the beauty of the wood, whether in walnut (shown), maple, cherry or
ash. It retails for about $3,141 in queen. The nightstand in walnut is about $1,494.
BUY THE BEST
YOU CAN AFFORD
Says Pat Bowling, vice president of
Communications for the American Home
Furnishings Alliance (AHFA): “For many
people, upholstered seating and a console
for the TV are priorities. A sofa takes the
most wear and tear; therefore, you want
to buy the best quality you can afford.
Fabrics combining a tight weave and dur-
able fibers such as nylon or polypropylene
are good choices for active use. Leather
is also a popular choice for durability. And
you’ll hear a lot today about performance
fabrics. These can be natural or synthetic
and may or may not include a chemical
treatment that helps with fade-, water- and
stain-resistance.”
When it comes to quality furniture, you’ll
get what you pay for. According to Andy
Leeds, owner of Ethan Allen in River Edge,
“The difference between a $700 sofa and
one that’s $1,800 is something you can’t
see because it’s on the inside. For example,
our frames are all durable, engineered
hardwood either maple, birch, or ash with
mortise-and-tenon joints for extra stabil-
ity. The cheaper sofas use particleboard or
other manmade wood-composite materials
that aren’t as strong. Also, our cushions have
individual-seat, drop-in coil spring units as
See FURNITURE, Page 2H