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Retractable awnings have been a popular home feature in Europe for years now. More and more homeowners in the US are entertaining the idea of an awning for their home, and for good reason! Awnings provide several benefits to homeowners, from weather protection to reduced electric bills. Here are a few of the major advantages that are intriguing to homeowners:

 

Shade From The Sun

The summer months don’t last long, so us New Englander’s love to spend as much time outside as possible! However, the harmful UV rays of the sun may be causing you to rethink your time outside. By using a retractable awning, you can create an area of shade for those concerned about the UV rays. It provides protection, as well as a shady, cool area to enjoy on hot days. On less sunny days, you can retract it to get direct sunlight.

Protection From The Rain

Let’s face it, New England weather is unpredictable. The forecast could be clear as day,  but as soon as you invite guests over- Surprise! It starts to drizzle. With a retractable awning, you’ll have a little extra space for guests to still hang outdoors, without getting soaked. An awning extends your outdoor living area, no matter what the weather may bring.

Save Money

If you have a room that is exposed to constant sunlight and gets too hot in the summertime, a retractable awning can help deflect these rays. An awning will provide shade to the room, saving you from cranking up the AC and fans inside. With some natural cooling tactics like a retractable awning, you could save big on your electric bill this summer!

Attractive

A retractable awning is a much more affordable, and simple addition to your house than many other home improvement projects. Awnings can add a burst of color or texture to your home or office space. Choose from different sizes and patterns to put a personal touch on your home!

Easy to use

With a manual awning, all you need is a little elbow grease to crank and unroll. And with an electric awning, it’s as simple as pushing a button to retract or extend automatically! All of our awnings are motorized for your convenience.

 

Contact New England Hearth & Home

New England Hearth & Home offers 0% financing on all major awning purchases! Choose from our selection of motorized awnings, available in numerous different sizes and styles. Stop by our showroom, or contact us at  781-562-0771  to learn more!

 

Moving into a historic home can be very exciting! After all, you can’t replicate the character and history of an old house in a new construction project. There are, however, also some challenges that come with living in an older residence. Fireplaces can be one such issue.

While most families enjoy having fireplaces, they are sometimes very unhappy with the appearance of older ones. They often look outdated and bring down the overall appearance of an entire room. This guide will give you a few ideas for how you can bring new life to an old fireplace. There are dozens of different kinds of updates you can do; you are only limited by your creativity! Here, however, we will look at three awesome options.

1. Paint – If your budget is tight, but you want a quick, dramatic change for your fireplace, a little bit of paint can go a long way! Painting a red brick fireplace bright white, for example, will completely change the look of your room. Paint is actually an especially good option for brick fireplaces because the paint will adhere easily. To further update your old fireplace, consider adding a new mantle made from affordable materials, such as pallet wood.
2. Tile – Cool tiles don’t have to cost an arm and a leg. In fact, you can find gorgeous, affordable tiles at salvage yards, thrift stores, and even brand new from home decor shops. Tile work can be a bit challenging, but if you do your research, you should absolutely be able to DIY your fireplace project. If, however, you think you need professional help, don’t hesitate to hire a contractor to help.
3. Stone Veneers – Stone veneers are a great way to update an older fireplace because they’re incredibly easy to install and are relatively affordable for a small space like a fireplace surround. These veneers give the look of real stone without all of the efforts, plus they’ll completely change the appearance of your outdated fireplace. They are especially good for homeowners who are going for rustic or Northwoods themes in their houses.

Your fireplace should be a source of enjoyment for you and your loved ones. Don’t let the idea of updating it stress you out! Hopefully, these ideas have gotten you thinking about what you can do to make your fireplace truly fit into your home for decades to come.

Contact New England Hearth & Home!

At New England Hearth & Home, we have some of the best fireplaces in all New England & Massachusetts as a whole. Fireplaces can provide all the benefits above and MORE! If you are interested in getting a new fireplace, contact us today at New England Hearth & Home by filling out our contact form, or by giving us a call directly at 781-562-0771.

Painting fireplaces made of brick and other materials has been a huge trend this year, with a more artistic aesthetic than we have been seeing in the past. By painting your fireplace, you can allow for a bit more of a pop of color than before. Let’s take a look at some of the color trends for this year so far.

• Bright Yellow: These tones of bright yellow are amazing in that they can really make your fireplace pop more than normally. With bright yellows, you can see that the room really brightens up by attracting light, as well as matching perfectly with tones such as greys.
• Bright Blue: Dark, ocean-colored blues can be the perfect way to really add some depth of color to the room. If the room is extremely light, sometimes a darker color is what is needed to really pull the room together.
• White: This classic color is amazing for almost any kind of room, including rooms with slightly muted colors. The white on a colorful background can really make your fireplace the centerpiece of the room and allow you to really highlight the fireplace as the hearth of the home.
• Burnt Orange: a nice burnt color is perfect if you are looking for a more colorful room. From reds to yellows to warm colors in general, the burnt orange is the perfect complement to these colors.

Contact New England Hearth & Home!

At New England Hearth & Home, we have some of the best fireplaces in all New England & Massachusetts as a whole. Fireplaces can provide all the benefits above and MORE! If you are interested in getting a new fireplace, contact us today at New England Hearth & Home by filling out our contact form, or by giving us a call directly at 781-562-0771.

Often you see that living areas have the opportunity to upgrade over the years. From kitchens making the switch from homey to more modern, as well as rustic kitchens versus a more industrialized area. This also plays into specific items in your kitchen, including countertops and appliances. While it is easy to upgrade your kitchen, there are also some things you can do to upgrade other parts of your home, such as your living room, such as flooring, and similarly, adding a fireplace. Fireplaces can add a lot of home value, which you may not expect. Let’s take a look at some more information pertaining to fireplaces adding home value.

How Much Value Does A Fireplace Add?

On average, fireplaces can add up to 12% more value to your home. This is an immense amount that can really make a difference in how much you get for the home you are moving onto. If you think about it, if your home is worth $300,000, you could get that home value up to $336,000, which is a difference of $36,000. Some of the top items for increasing your home value is fireplaces, wood floors, carpets and granite countertops.

Similarly, one of the things to take into consideration is that you could make a larger or smaller return depending on where you are geographically located. If you are in the north, for example, you will want to cozy up to a warm fireplace in the wintertime, whereas you may not want a fireplace if you are in a place that is hot year-round, such as Arizona.

Contact New England Hearth & Home!

At New England Hearth & Home, we have some of the best fireplaces in all New England & Massachusetts as a whole. Fireplaces can provide all the benefits above and MORE! If you are interested in getting a new fireplace, contact us today at New England Hearth & Home by filling out our contact form, or by giving us a call directly at 781-562-0771.