At Ann Arbor Builders, we're celebrating more than the start of the new year.  We're celebrating our 50th anniversary!  And we can't help reminiscing about how far we've come in all these years.

Says owner Alex de Parry, "We've certainly seen trends in housing change, but more importantly, we think back with great appreciation on all the wonderful people who have helped us to grow."

Not just the title of a racy novel, 50 (or more) shades of gray – from the palest silver to the darkest charcoal - have been popular over the last several years. 

But finding just the right shade can be a challenge because the undertones can make grays cool or warm, and a color that looks gray on a paint chip can be tinged with purple or blue when applied to a wall.  Too, natural light influences how a shade looks.

Today, kitchen backplashes no longer simply protect walls from splatters and spills.  The seemingly endless array of eye-catching materials have turned them into focal points. 

What if you don’t want switches and plugs to interrupt it?

The solution is under cabinet power strips.  The result?  A seamless backsplash.

Football games.  Pumpkin picking.  Apple cider. Halloween.  Fall is so much fun!  If you can squeeze a little preventive maintenance in between all the activities, you can help keep your home in top condition.  Now is a good time to check the following areas of your home...and a way to make the chores a little more fun.

We've installed plenty of whirlpools. In the 90's and early 2000's, you could hardly build a home without one.  But we kept hearing that they were good for soaking the mini-blinds and not much else.

And so in 2005, we decided to build a spec home that had neither a whirlpool nor a soaking tub in the master bath.  Instead, it had a large walk-in shower.

“You’ll never sell it,” said a good friend who happens to be another builder.  The house sold overnight without a single peep about it having no whirlpool.

Brought to us by Mother Nature, granite is a 100% natural stone that’s beautiful, durable and easy to maintain with a few simple steps.

For daily cleanup, use warm water and/or a mild dishsoap applied with a washcloth or microfiber cloth.  Avoid harsh or abrasive cleaners, glass cleaners, any products with ammonia or bleach and any acidic cleaners like vinegar, lemon or lime.  These chemicals will dull and weaken the sealant over time.

Back in the 90’s, granite became the status symbol in the world of countertops but in the last several years, quartz gained ground and took over in popularity.  And we’re often asked, “What’s the difference?” Here's a primer. 

Granite is a 100% natural stone material that forms under immense pressure deep within the earth over millions of years.  It consists of different minerals that give it both color and texture, but quartz and feldspar are always components. 

It would be easy to think that large walls of folding glass doors would be limited to homes in year-round warm climates like California and Florida.  Not so fast!

As all of us who live in Michigan know, we really do enjoy the great outdoors for several months. And what better way to enjoy it than by uniting indoor and outdoor living spaces and by expanding our living space to a beautiful deck or patio?

Sounds are wonderful.  Think Beethoven or the Beatles. 

These days, without ever leaving home, we can hear them as well as we could at a live concert.  We can watch movies and hear the sound effects as if we're at a cinema. 

But that doesn’t mean we always want to hear them.  

Sound is produced by vibrations that travel through the air, and the best way to stop it is to block its path.