There’s no one right way to remodel a home. From layouts to finishes, fixtures, colors, and décor, you can take any project in countless directions. Each unique and each with its own flavor, advantages, and disadvantages.
But no matter your style or theme, there are plenty of reasons why you should consider using real, natural, renewable materials like stone, brick, hardwoods, softwoods, bamboo, and cork in your next major West Michigan home renovation.
Here’s why:
Wood and Stone are Eternal
There are countless stories of homeowners ripping up damaged, dirty, beat-up, or dated carpets in fixer-uppers only to excitedly find truly stunning hardwood waiting underneath, ready to be restored. Or situations in which marble or granite stone countertops are salvaged from bathrooms otherwise consigned to full and complete demolition. Or original woodwork or wooden beams are carefully worked around and kept from remodel to remodel, generation to generation.
This is because, unlike vinyl and other plastics or engineered materials, wood and stone simply don’t degrade, discolor, or turn brittle over time. These natural materials have staying power and can stand up for generations or even longer without needing to be fully replaced.
Update and Refresh
Stone and hardwoods are famous not only for their beauty and toughness, but also their ability to be updated, restored, maintained, and refinished decades or even sometimes centuries into the future.
So even if your floors or walls do eventually begin to show their age, you can use different processes and products to bring the natural high-quality materials you buy today back up to beautiful condition. Or, with wood, you can stain and refinish the material to keep it looking great decades from today.
It Goes with Everything
Modern, retro, industrial, or farmhouse, natural stone and wood just don’t go out of style. And even brick can stand out as a centerpiece in most schools of interior design depending on the décor and accents you opt for.
In fact, when you think of highly dated designs from decades into the past, it’s almost always the trim, trappings, and cheap material that’s gone out of style. Things like vinyl floors, furniture, furnishings, or paint colors. Never the heavy, natural building materials that have always been associated with quality and luxury.
Invest And Recoup
Home buyers love the look and feel of “genuine” materials, and many of those who remodel their homes using higher-end natural materials will recoup a large amount of the cost of their investment when it is eventually time to sell.
And it’s hard to overstate the value of buyer-interest stemming from the overall appearance of high-end remodeled kitchens living rooms, and bathrooms.
Go Green
Wood and stone come from nature and to nature they can return. Not only are these products typically less toxic and energy-intensive to produce, but they can also often be re-used, recycled, and safely disposed of if needed. And, if taken care of correctly, they can have extremely long and hard-working lifespans as we’ve mentioned.
This low-impact, green advantage is especially true of products like bamboo and cork, which are extremely sustainable, fully natural products that can still perform admirably in a modern home.
Peace of Mind
Engineered or fully-man made materials and facades done up like wood, stone, tile, and brick can look and feel extremely close to the real thing, and can offer a compelling balance between style, substance, and cost.
But, whether you’re up close or far away, there’s really nothing like the real thing. And, as numerous studies have shown, regular exposure to natural materials and settings (think natural light, plants, trees, stone, and more) will help to reduce the body’s stress responses, improve mental clarity and cognition, and boost mood.
This is part of the reason why older, more grounded, nature-connected country cottages, beaches, and farmhouses with wood or stone floors, brick walls, and big windows are so refreshing to visit. And its beneficial effect that you can bring into your own home as well.
Local Sourcing
We can often locally source hardwood floors and finishes as well as marble or granite countertops, stone tiles, brickwork, and other natural products, pouring your investment back into our local community so your dollars keep working here at home.
Call Today
If you’re remodeling and would like more information on your options, including real, natural wood floors, bamboo or cork flooring, stone tiles, marble or granite countertops or tilework, and other elements, please call Amber Valley Construction today.
Our team would be more than happy to make you an appointment and walk you through your options. And, of course, we offer comprehensive home construction, roofing, remodeling, and restoration services right here in Grand Rapids and greater west Michigan.
So, if you need a home contractor, Amber Valley is here to serve you! Call today.