Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner^® and home expert for The Weather Channel

In this episode we’ll give a whole new look to a vintage 1970s house that is in need of some serious updating. Not only is the kitchen to be completely remodeled, but the wall between the den and living room will be removed to open up the living space.

We’ll examine some innovative ways to utilize wasted space, maximize storage, and add additional square footage without increasing the footprint of your home. Typical closets contain little more than a clothes rod with a shelf above it. To provide better use of the space, a complete makeover can be done by a company that specializes in home organizational solutions.

Whether you’re planning to build a new home or simply renovate the one you’re in, there’s no better place to see the latest trends than a parade of homes. You’ll find everything from innovative new products and improved construction methods to unique furnishings and cutting edge interior design.

The bath we are renovating is about 50 years old and measures only 4’ wide by 9’ long. With the exception of the shower, all of the fixtures will be replaced and a vent fan mounted in the ceiling. While many of the items we used were available on the shelf at the home center, we were able to special order hard to find items from their catalog.

Capitalizing on a popular new trend, a morning bar was added to our Today’s Addition. Merillat helped design the cabinets maximizing convenience by integrating a high end coffee maker, a water supply, refrigerator, and microwave. The cabinets are from Merillat’s Classic line. Although the cabinets are very affordable, they included some great features including fluting, a tilt-out sink tray, a refrigerator door panel, and self-closing drawers. The end result is not only a mecca of late night convenience but also appealing to the eye.

Windows and doors are an important part of any addition. With Today’s Addition, it was important to match the existing vinyl windows on the outside and the new trim and warm-stained wood recently added in the inside of the addition. Energy efficient Jeld-Wen Premium Clad Wood Windows provided the solution. These windows featured a low maintenance aluminum exterior and clear pine wood on the interior.

While composite decking is virtually maintenance free, it does require some cleaning from time to time. Corte-Clean is formulated specifically for composite decking. When combined with warm water, it breaks down mold, mildew, dirt, pollen and even barbecue stains. This cleaner works without bleach or other harmful chemicals that harm your lawn.

Danny revisits a couple of NuTone products used during Today’s Addition. The NuTone video answering system helps bridge the distance from the addition in the back of the house to the front door. The system uses a Cat5 cable to relay video from a small doorbell camera back to a LCD display in the master bedroom. Above the breakfast bar, a NuTone recessed light performs two functions. It provides a cone of light and with a flip of a switch it removes humidity and odor as an exhaust fan. The exhaust function is completely housed inside of the lighting unit.

Danny takes a look at the Uponor radiant flooring system installed during Today’s Addition. He talks with the installer, Wes Sisco to see how it was installed. Wes demonstrates how the system known as Quick Trak® works. ½” plywood with a heat emission plate on one side and a dovetail groove on the other is installed under pre-finished hardwood. 5/16” plastic PEX tubing fits in the groove and conducts to the heat emission plate distributing heat across the floor.

If you’re looking for a project that will really dress up your home, then look no further. We’ve got eight great do-it-yourself ideas that are just right for weekend warriors. A fireplace mantel is often the focal point of a room. While factory made mantels are available, do-it-yourselfers with a well equipped shop can make one themselves from stock molding and medium density fiberboard or solid wood.