There are a few ways you can design your executive retreat to fit your scholarly needs.

To start, you will need proper furniture to hold your books. Floor-to-ceiling recessed bookcases are best and act as a natural focal point for the room. Mid-Atlantic offers several options for built-in bookcases, something you should consider when customizing your floor plan with our interactive design portfolio. Think about using dark finishes to match your stately hardwood flooring.

Comfortable seating is also very important. Besides a desk and chairs, I would suggest a nice reading chair or chaise for lounging. A simple side table and reading lamp will create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Before focusing to acutely on furniture, consider architectural details and other accessories that might elevate your scholarly side. Molding is an excellent feature to add architectural sophistication. A small detail that goes a long way is paint selection.  Coordinating the molding color slightly darker than your furniture and walls will help create an intimate setting. An antique chandelier and a Persian rug will establish a posh but regal style.

There are personal accents you can add to the library to create your own touch. The most important are books. Books can say a lot about your background and experience, and, when displayed proudly, they will quickly personalize your space. Memorable gifts or souvenirs from travel can help you fill space on your bookshelves in places where your collection feels limited. Also, when decorating the walls, keep in mind you don’t want the space to look too busy. A vintage map or inspirational painting will keep your mind active but not distracted.

Despite a projected dip of 0.8 percent in the demand for existing homes in January, NAR reported a 2.7 percent increase nationally. The Wall Street Journal covered this story adding, “Last year was the worst year since 1997, with about 4.9 million homes sold”. But with the sale of existing homes continuing to rise for the third consecutive month, 2011 is expected to be a much stronger year.

On the foreclosure front, filings have continued, though the month-to-month figures are down. NAR reported just 261,333 new foreclosures in January only slight more than in December. More importantly, cash-rich investors have started surging into the market for these foreclosed properties and are “scooping up foreclosed properties at bargain prices” ReMax wrote in its Monthly Industry Report.

Of course the one piece of data difficult to summarize into a national trend is prices. Housing prices remain entirely dependent on location and in the Washington metropolitan area prices are beginning to rise, and quickly.

Clear Capital spokesman Alex Villacorta was quoted in an article from the Washington Examiner yesterday saying home values are roughly 16 percent above the bottom of the market in mid-2009, when home values were 42 percent off the peak. Local experts credit this rise to the stabilized foreclosure market which is starting to dry up. According to the Examiner, the region’s February foreclosures dropped 65 percent from a year ago and Prince George’s County, which caught the brunt of the region’s foreclosure crisis, saw filings decrease by 75 percent. These key points are forcing real estate prices in the Washington, DC area higher. Already, home prices in the area have risen 13.2 percent since 2010.

If you were waiting to purchase a new home until the housing market hits bottom, I hate to tell you, that day has passed. Don’t wait for prices to climb even higher. Stop by one of Mid-Atlantic Builders’ communities of new homes in southern Maryland. Visit us at Beechtree in Upper Marlboro, Woodmore North in Mitchellville or our new Villages of Savannah in Brandywine.

Before getting your hands dirty with interior designing get inspiration from magazines and personal items, know the purpose or mood of each space and spend time thinking how your family lives. Knowing these things will help you create an atmosphere in your home that will feel comfortable for years to come.

Here are a few elements you should consider before investing your time and money on the interior design of a room.

Function – Decide the purpose of the room up front. As an example, a family room should have furniture that is both durable and comfortable as you will likely spend a lot of time in that room. The function of the space will help determine fabrics, furniture placement, lighting and what color scheme to use.

Scale – Fitting properly sized pieces into the appropriate space helps to bring out naturally beautiful features of your home. Most Mid-Atlantic Builders’ homes have natural focal points such as beautiful floor to ceiling windows and fireplaces in the family rooms. A room that is designed with scale in mind will have the right size furniture and a fitting amount of wall treatments with a noticeable focal point. In rooms with natural focal points, the furniture should be oriented in a way so as to accentuate those features.

TIP:
• Use graph paper to decide on furniture arrangement and size before investing in new pieces.
• There should be enough room for traffic to navigate between the furniture.
• Avoid placing many small pieces of furniture in an oversized room. Instead use two larger pieces complimented with a few smaller pieces such as side tables or accent chairs.

Mood and Personality – Each room should be a reflection of your individuality. The mood of a room comes together by the color scheme, style of furnishings, fabric textures, patterns and accessories. An inspiration piece such as an antique sofa or painting can lead the way for the rest of the room’s design.

TIP:
• Make sure all the fabric patterns in a room have at least one color in common.
• Resist the urge to be trendy. Trends come and go, and not every trend will fit your personality or your lifestyle.

If you think you don’t have the time, eye or energy to design your own spaces, hire a professional interior designer. Most designers will work with a variety of budgets and can help you select carpet, paint or just select accessories.

Yesterday, the Institute for Supply Management reported that its December index of activity at non-manufacturing businesses showed the strongest pace of growth since 2006. This means that more companies are spending money on services, which in turn means more businesses may be preparing for future growth.

ADP, the large payroll-processing firm, reported that private firms added 297,000 jobs in December, three times what economists had originally forecasted. This will eventually lead to a reduction in unemployment–we saw a glimpse of this on Friday when unemployment dropped from 9.8 to 9.4 percent, the lowest it has been since May 2009. Here at Mid-Atlantic Builders, we are reflecting similar growth. This week we rehired someone we were forced to lay off due to the recession and we expect to bring on at least two additional new employees.

Other signs of a recovering economy come with resurgence of auto sales.  The U.S. auto industry grew by 11 percent in 2010, which is amazing when you consider it was virtually dead in 2008. Retail sales from this past holiday season are also cause for some New Years cheer. They hit the highest mark since 2007 when the recession began, an encouraging sign that consumers are not scared to spend some money.

Finally unemployment insurance benefits fell to their lowest point since the summer of 2008.

All of this points to an improving economy and ultimately a housing market recovery. 2011 looks very encouraging. So if you are thinking about buying a new home don’t be a lagging statistic. Get ahead of the surge.

Mid-Atlantic Builders has always been about building homes with the highest degree of comfort possible. From luxurious spa bathrooms to your own gourmet wonderland, we have always looked for ways to make our homes stand out.

Sometimes, though, comfort goes beyond sight. Mid-Atlantic’s indoor air package insures that your home has cleaner and healthier airflow. By using high quality building materials we are able to reduce sources of pollutants and improve air quality in our homes. Additionally, our heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems are top of the line resulting in more efficient air circulation and lower monthly utility costs. Your home is safer, too. With moisture control features and a combustion-venting system your home will have fewer harmful pollutants like mold and combustibles.

Start breathing cleaner air and join our green movement. Stop in to any one of Mid-Atlantic Builders’ five communities in Southern Maryland to find out more about our Energy$mart program. Visit us at Beechtree in Upper Marlboro, Woodmore North in Mitchellville or our new Villages of Savannah in Brandywine.

To qualify as an Energy Star partner, homes must be at least 15 percent more efficient than the current energy code. Mid-Atlantic Builders exceeds these standards, achieving an average efficiency of up to 30 percent.

Twice during the construction of each home, our Home Energy Rating System (HERS) certified heating contractor inspects and evaluates the efficiency of each home—once before drywall is installed to ensure proper placement of insulation and again just before  the homeowner closing to perform an air leak test.

Advancements in home heating and insulation technology have made our products more energy efficient, saving you on your monthly energy bill and keeping you warmer. We are proud to be able to provide a more environmentally friendly home. Our R-38 cellulose attic insulation contains more than 75% recycled materials and helps reduce heat loss, and an included R-42 sealed attic access panel provides superior insulation with minimal air leakage.

So join our green movement. Stop in to any one of Mid-Atlantic Builders’ five communities in Southern Maryland to find out more about our Energy$mart program. Visit us at Beechtree in Upper Marlboro, Woodmore North in Mitchellville or our new Villages of Savannah in Brandywine.

Many other local builders are cutting building costs by turning once-standard features into a la carte add-ons. At Mid-Atlantic, though, a home just isn’t a home without a fireplace.

Even as a standard feature, our fireplaces are larger (42”) than the optional (33”) fireplaces offered by our competition. And because each unit is entirely gas operated they are safer to use, easily started (just a flick of a switch) and can be a cheaper way to stay warm this season.

Additionally, Mid-Atlantic Builders allows customer’s to add several fireplaces throughout their home. Enjoy a romantic evening in your Owner’s Suite while the blazing embers set the mood, or relax with a book in the lower level Recreation Room while warming your toes in front of glowing logs. With the largest selection of mantels and surrounds of any builder in town, there are plenty of choices as to how you want your fireplace to look.

With fewer hours of daylight and cold and icy weather ahead, finding joy in the small comforts of your home shouldn’t be about costing more, it should be about enjoying more.

Learn how you can stay warm this winter. Stop in to any one of Mid-Atlantic Builders’ five communities in Southern Maryland. Come in to one of our models to discuss our current promotions, from a free Finished Rec Room to a contribution of $10,000 toward closing costs. Stop by Beechtree in Upper Marlboro, Woodmore North in Mitchellville or our new Villages of Savannah in Brandywine.

Take a quick walk-through the stunning family room with its beautiful wall of windows, the large family gourmet kitchen, and the luxurious and spacious Spa Bath, a signature feature from Mid-Atlantic Builders.

Woodmore North offers homesites up to one acre and is located between Annapolis and Washington, just minutes outside the Beltway. Bowie Town Center and Bowie Plaza are just around the corner with theaters, shopping, dining, and Woodmore Country Club & Enterprise Golf Course are both nearby.

If you’d like more information about this or any other Mid-Atlantic Builders home at Woodmore North, please call (301) 352-9111 or visit today for more details. The Woodmore North Sales Center is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

New Luxury Homes in Maryland, New Luxury Homes in Prince George’s County, New Homes in Upper Marlboro, and Maryland New Homes in Bowie, Maryland: Mid-Atlantic Builders creates Luxury, Style, and Design all personalized for your family. We craft only the finest PG County New Homes in the most advantageously located, luxurious, and amenity-rich communities including Meadow Creek, Woodmore North, Ashleigh, The Villages of Savannah, and Beechtree.