2019

All posts from 2019

Home Colors for 2020

by Bevony on 25 December 2019 Comments Off on Home Colors for 2020

When it comes to home decorating, most people don’t consider their paint color. Sharon Grech, Benjamin Moore Canada’s Color Consultant ad Spokesperson agree. Color is one of the easiest things to change and maybe one of the least expensive elements of a home renovation. Color is very powerful as it can determine the mood of your room.

What is the Color for 2020?

Benjamin Moore – First Light – a soft, neutral, light pink. 

Dulux – Chinese Porcelain – a traditional hue of blue with navy blue undertones. 

The stain of the Year – Teak – A medium-toned, semitransparent stain with a 70’s vibe.

Benjamin Moore’s First Light

Benjamin Moore has selected their color for the year 2020 – First Light. This color is a soft and light pink hue that departs from darker, moodier shades which have been the dominant pain trend for the past couple of years. This also shows a movement away from neutral colors such as grey. FirstLight is playful and happy while being neutral enough thanks to its lighter hue. This makes the color versatile enough to work with pretty much any room.

The Mood of This Color

You want to feel good inside your home. This color looks good and feels good. It is the type of color that is flattering on all skin tones making everybody look good against its background. Neutral and soft, it will work with different elements including metal and wood in various colors and finishes.

Dulux’s Chinese Porcelain

Dulux has selected its color of the year; Chinese Porcelain. Color and Decor expert Susan Forint describes the color as a muted undertone of dark navy.

The Mood of this Color

The color is said to provide a calming element for our fast-paced world. Blue is quite a popular color across the globe, it makes people feel safe inside their homes. It is a classic and with a muted undertone it is also a staple color that can work well with various colors and materials in your home. It is neutral enough to work well with other colors from orange to white.

The Stain of the Year – Teak

Canadians are embracing more and more natural elements in their homes. As a result, we are seeing a rise in more wood being used. The trend is going away from white kitchens and so the stain for 2020 is Teak. This tone is a medium, semi-transparent tone that provides a bit of a 70’s vibe but still looks very modern to fit in with our modern appliances and designs.

Getting Inspiration

The style influences of home design as been widening. Home design now reflects the pop culture, fashion influences, movies and more. These are just some of the places you can get inspiration from for your home design including colors.

Will you be going with these new color trends for 2020? Whether you are renovating your home or building a new home, it is a great time to embrace these trends. We can guide you with the building of your new custom home and all the most current trends that can meet your needs. Contact us today.

read more
BevonyHome Colors for 2020

Decorating Your Home for the Holidays

by Bevony on 18 December 2019 Comments Off on Decorating Your Home for the Holidays

It is around that time of the year when the Christmas lights go up. But you may have not already put them up and are strapped for time and creative motivation. Who says you need to follow traditional home decor trends? You don’t, take the minimalistic approach this year with these tips for decorating your home.

Subtle Touches of Christmas

If you take note you may notice that a lot of people are choosing to be more subtle with their Christmas decorations. Some forego house decorations all together and simply opt to decorate their dining table. Add a couple of festive colors in the form of your table dressings or even in your cutlery, you can forego the mistletoe toe designs and use plain reds and greens with gold or silver accents for a finishing touch.

How to Decorate Your Dining Table

There are so many options for decorating our dining table. You can use a runner tablecloth, placemats, etc. Fabrics alone can make a huge difference in a room. When you fully set your table it can be all the holiday decor you need in your home. 

Use centerpieces that offer candlelight and use candle stands that offer a long and low design element.  These allow you to have dinner conversation without the decoration being in the way or without having to move it off the table. 

If you are not doing a formal sit down dinner you can still decorate your island or buffet with causal but holiday-friendly decor. Use mixed heights and mixed materials as you set your buffet. Use glass and wooden elements and throw in color in the napkins which can be in prints, plaids or plain colors. Opt for footed serving trays of different heights and add some flowers to your display as well. Ensure you have ample lighting. If you need extra lighting you could always get a set of string lights to light up the area and also had to the Christmas feel of the decor. 

Asymmetrical Decor

There was a time when holiday decorations were always symmetrical. This year we are seeing a lot of asymmetrical decors. So hang your garland off to one side instead of in the middle. 

Color Choices

Choose a classic white or green or go with the on-trend gold/salmon color that seems to be in season this year.

Eco-Friendly Options

A lot of holiday season products including decor and decorations are being made more eco-friendly. You can find wooden pegs that are ideal for gifts. Use let glitter and bows and reuse more things you can find around the home or that are from sustainable sources.

read more
BevonyDecorating Your Home for the Holidays

Transforming Your Family Home into An Empty Nest

by Bevony on 4 December 2019 Comments Off on Transforming Your Family Home into An Empty Nest

When all your kids are gone, we understand you want to update your home to make it more you. For many there is the option of selling and finding a new home. For others, this route will be riddled with too many obstacles. If you are the latter, you can transform your current home into a home that reflects who you are at this stage of life. And you can get it done with a bit of renovation and restoration.

Bidding farewell to your adult children can bring on a number of emotions. You may be excited, you may be sad and there may be days when you fluctuate between the two. Most people ponder on what they are going to be doing with all this space after their adult kids leave. 

Statistics show that a large majority of aging Canadians are opting to renovate their homes instead of moving. Let’s face it, moving can be a lot more expensive than renovating. We think that is the main factor driving all these renovations for aging Canadians finding themselves with an empty nest. Not only is it less expensive, but it also less daunting and provides less stress on homeowners. Many homeowners can see grandkids in their future if they don’t already have them. Staying in their current home allows the grandkids their own space when they come over to visit as well.

Renovating a Dated Home

For many empty nesters, their home has become very dated. This allows them the opportunity to finally get some modern touches added to their home. They can now have space for the grandkids and can have room for entertaining their friends and other family members.

The Kitchen

The most common place to start any renovation is in the kitchen. This is typically the hub of most homes and so it will be the first place that a homeowner wants to update. This gives the homeowner a chance to get modern appliances that may offer more convenience especially when homeowners have limited mobility. Modern appliances can help to boost their confidence as they may be able to get more done with these newer and innovative pieces.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is another popular room high on the list of renovating when a homeowner is doing renovations. A master bath that meets the needs of aging homeowners can also help to boost their confidence and help them to maintain their independence while ensuring they are safe in their homes.

Bedrooms

Children’s empty bedrooms ( well at least 1) can be turned into a home office. A room can also be opened and used to expand a master bedroom or bathroom which can provide added space which aging parents could use later on if/when they have problems with mobility.

It is a great idea to renovate your empty nest instead of moving. Make wise decisions, think about the long term and your needs for the future. Consider the widening of doorways and installing cabinets that allow for easy accessibility. For bathrooms, you want to consider installing curbless shower entry and forego the use of polished tile. Consider a shower instead of a tub or shower/tub combination.

Remember, if you are going to be in your empty nest for the rest of your life, the renovations could really add up depending on the number of changes that need to be made and based on your needs. 

read more
BevonyTransforming Your Family Home into An Empty Nest

Closing Day – What You Need To Know

by Bevony on 6 November 2019 Comments Off on Closing Day – What You Need To Know

When it is time to close, you may think that it is the end of the road and all will be easy and well. But as it turns out, closing day can be one of the most stressful days of the entire process. Let us get you through closing day.

General practices will often vary but you will find yourself working with several different parties throughout the process of closing. You will find yourself interacting with, the seller or builder, the realtor, a lawyer/ closing agent/ notary and the lawyer or notary of the seller. There will be several financial and legal documents for you to review at closing. There will also be the closing costs which will be many fees including;

  • Your down payment
  • PST and mortgage insurance premiums
  • Title insurance
  • Land transfer tax
  • Property tax
  • Utility bill adjustments
  • Notarial or Legal fees and disbursements Upgrades for your new home construction

Additional Closing Costs

In addition to the above-mentioned costs, you can also have costs related to appliances, furniture and carpeting.

What to Bring to Closing

You should bring to closing, a bank draft for the amount of your closing cost balance. You can find this amount for closing on the document labelled the “buyer’s statement of adjustments”. You will also need to bring your proof of property insurance along with two different forms of ID.

What to Do Before Closing

Ensure you review all documents. This way you have a better understanding of your mortgage, the various fees, the interest rate, the schedule and the payment amount. If you need confirmation, ask questions before you sign any documents. All the experts will be there to answer the questions you have.

When you are comfortable with everything you can now sign your closing documents and the keys to your new home!

read more
BevonyClosing Day – What You Need To Know

Simple Solutions for Decluttering Your Home

by Bevony on 13 October 2019 Comments Off on Simple Solutions for Decluttering Your Home
You can achieve a well put together home, it all starts with decluttering and purging.

If you want to organize your home better, the first place to start is with cleaning your home; purging and decluttering. There is no magic bullet, and no magic storage solution to help you get your whole house together. You will have to get rid of some of your stuff and will need to change your behaviors that led to your home being a disorganized mess in the first place.

Storage solutions help, and if you don’t have any of those then you should consider a few. Before you go purchasing storage solutions you won’t be able to use, ensure they meet the design needs of your space and the items you wish to store in them. You will not lose when you choose from basic storage items that are built with function and esthetics. Items such as shoe racks, coat hooks, umbrella stands – these products are often overlooked but can make a big difference in completing a room.

The KonMari method has gained a lot of popularity and as such more and more people are considering cleaning their homes and clearing out stuff. It is the best way to go about organizing your home for the better. You want to do this before you start buying more things to help you organize. You can throw things out, donate some and recycle others. But your first step should always be minimizing and discarding. Once you are reduced your items, it will be easier to organize the remainder of stuff.

Say Not To Storage Facilities

One of the things that professional organizers advise is that you don’t put your stuff into storage. When you place your things into storage, you are not in effect dealing with it. They will then stay there and collect dust while you pay to keep them out of sight. But if you aren’t using them anyway, why not give them up? Be honest about the amount of space you have and look at the reasons behind your attachment to your stuff.

Do a walk through in your home. In each room, identify six things that you can’t do without in that room and start reducing the rest. Space is a luxury so if you are losing space you need to act now. Many people are now living in smaller spaces because of budgetary constraints so more modular items are better options. These not only can help save space but can also be dual-purpose items and can be used from room to room.

If you are living in a small space and have limited storage you may consider choosing furniture that has storage built-in. so beds with drawers, or sofas that have storage space beneath their cushions. You can also opt for storage containers that can fit into your peculiar corners and under stairways etc.

read more
BevonySimple Solutions for Decluttering Your Home

High-Performance Homes – All the Rave

by Bevony on 14 August 2019 Comments Off on High-Performance Homes – All the Rave

Everybody is into energy efficiency these days and as such, high-performance homes are in high demand. High-performance homes offer more than your typical energy efficiency via many means.

If you are looking for a new home; a high-performance home, you will want a team of experts. Here at SilverBeam Homes, we can help you create a house design that meets high-performance standards. We can deliver higher energy efficiency at lower costs. Our team has been building high-performance homes for a while. The team here includes architect, structural engineer, builder and energy consultants. They all work together to ensure that your design meets all your needs for energy efficiency.

SilverBeam High-Performance Homes

We ensure we consult the BC Energy Step Code for all new construction as much as possible. We do this because the city plans to get all high-performance houses by the year 2032. Along with this roadmap, there are several industry criteria and certifications. These relate to the construction and categorization of high-performance homes. There are several BC municipalities where companies such as ours have to build according to Step 3 of the Step Code. This way new homes have to provide at least 20% less energy usage than homes built before the BC Building code.

Reputable certifications that are out for energy-efficient homes include;

  • The Net Zero Home Labelling Program through the Canadian Home Builders’ Association
  • The Passive House Canada certification

The latter can be attained by implanting the Passive House Planning Package. Following this plan allows for lower energy costs, higher quality air levels and a more consistent temperature indoors. According to the CHBA, net-zero homes are as much as 80 % more energy efficient. This when you compare them to typical new homes even those using renewable energy systems.

Building a high-performance home requires an approach that is coordinated. Here at SilverBeam Homes, we have that approach. We can help you create your high-performance home with the use of our airtight envelope. We create homes that are airtight with each door and window being energy star certified and each slab of wall or roof is well insulated.

Myths about High-Performance Homes

If you do a little research about high-performance homes you will come upon two myths:

  • They are unattractive
  • They are expensive

The truth is each company in the building industry now understands the importance of creating products that are aesthetically pleasing while ensuring they are energy efficient. As such you can have a modern and aesthetically pleasing home at an affordable price that is considered a high-performance home. Your high-performance home can still have style features such as cantilevered floors – it is all in the design and the choice of elements used for the construction.

With an integrated approach, our team of professionals can create for you a home that is energy efficient but still aesthetically pleasing. All key advisors in the team set clear objectives based on your needs from the beginning. This ensures your home is built in the most economical way to match your budget. Step 5 of the BC energy code will be the standard in 2032. We understand how important it is to start building homes now that are following the code.


You are building a home for the long term and we know just what specifications to use. We can ensure that years from now, your home is still compliant with all high-performance specifications. Here at SilverBeam homes are created to be socially and environmentally responsible. Our aim is to bring our customers into the future with our ability to create high-performance homes. Homes that will lessen greenhouse gas emissions, saving the environment and helping you to spend less money on bills.


Give us a call today, let us help you build your new high-performance home.

read more
BevonyHigh-Performance Homes – All the Rave

Read This Before You Paint Your Home

by Bevony on 17 July 2019 Comments Off on Read This Before You Paint Your Home

The exterior of your home should speak well of it, if you are considering painting the exterior of your home, you want to read some of these pointers before you do. You want to start by thinking about the number of colors you will have in your home. You don’t want to have more than four colors out there. These colors include any paint used on the main parts of the house as well as on the trim which includes garage doors, door frames, and window frames. Then other places you can consider colors are on your shutters or other decorative details and your front door.

When you think about painting the outside of your home, you want your home to look nice, you may even want it to look unique. But what you don’t want is for it to stand out in a daunting manner. If you don’t get it right, your house may turn into an eyesore in your neighborhood and fixing it could be costly and time-consuming. Here are a couple of things to consider when you want to paint the exterior of your home.

Reason for Repainting

Are you simply tired of the exterior of your home? Or are you considering selling your home and want to make the palate a bit more neutral so the house can appeal to a larger population? It is important to consider the reason for painting your home’s exterior before you start looking for paint colors.

If you will be moving we can help you find your next home and can even help you to create your dream home from the ground up.

Who Will Do the Painting?

So you’re planning on painting the exterior of your home. Will you be hiring a professional, or do you plan to do the painting yourself? Some colors may provide a better finish if they applied in a particular way, in a certain amount of coats, etc. If you don’t have all the information necessary and start to paint your home yourself, you could end up being frustrated with a paint job that doesn’t meet your expectations.

The Architectural Style of Your Home

Some colors will go better with particular architectural styles. How did you come up with your colors of choice? Are you just painting your house green because green is your favorite color? Are there colors already there that you won’t be removing, for example on your patio or deck?

Materials that Will Be Painted

You will need to consider the types of materials that will be painted. You also want to consider the condition of the surfaces that will be painted. There may be necessary prep work such as sanding and stripping that needs to be done.

You will find that some materials will require a specific type of paint or prep product. So you may need a different type of paint for metal than you would need to use for wood. Your paint retailer can provide you with guidance on choosing paints that will work well with the materials used on your home.

Weather at Time of Job

What time of year are you considering painting? What is the weather forecast like for the week you are considering having your home’s exterior painted? The paint quality and finish can be affected by direct sunlight, rain or humidity.

Colors and Paint Quality

You want to choose a high-quality paint as these will provide more durability and colorfastness. You will also find some paints that offer additional benefits such as mildew resistance.

As far as colors go, white, black and grey are popular options for painting the exterior of your home. Trending currently is pale neutral grey colors that coordinated with stone landscaping complete with black and white trim detail.

If you have remarkable landscaping and want your landscaping or foliage to be more visible you can choose to go for dark grey colors. These darker greys will allow your foliage and landscaping to be the forefront of your exterior home detail.

If you have a lot of natural elements in your yard you can opt for earthy colors.

Lighting when Choosing Paint Colors

When you find a color you are happy with, you should test it out before you order the full amount of paint needed for your project. Viewing your selections in natural outdoor lighting is the best option. Further testing a portion on your walls will give you a better idea of how well the paint will perform and look as well. You a pint sample to paint a small section at the side of your home and if possible do this in different areas where you may have different lighting scenarios to contend with.

A Pop of Color For Your Front Door

Your front door is probably one of the most exciting things to paint. You can go completely wild here as repainting will be easier to get done if you don’t entirely like your first choice of color. When choosing a paint color for your front door you want to pay attention to what is going on your street. You can opt for the classic red door or you can add a twist by choosing a berry tone, coral or even orange tones also do great. If you are not into those shades you can consider shades of blue especially if your house color is white or pale grey.

read more
BevonyRead This Before You Paint Your Home

The SilverBeam Process

by Bevony on 9 July 2019 Comments Off on The SilverBeam Process

If you are looking to build a home we are your full-service construction service company. We offer our customers a design-build process encompassing all the steps from design to handing over the keys to your new home. We have all the necessary staff members to devote all the expertise necessary to make your dream of owning a home a reality.

OUR TEAM

We have a team of professionals with a number of different job titles. You have designers, consultants, carpenters, and site supervisors, all trained or skilled personnel along with the administrative staff necessary to keep it all together. Not only do we have professionals on our team but we also have associates in the industry to help you reach all the people you need to reach as it relates to owning a home.

With a versatile team, we cover a wide array of services to ensure that all your needs are met right in our offices from start to finish.

OUR PROCESS

Our process starts out with a consultation where you let us know what you are looking for. We will then provide our expert opinion on how we can meet your needs. We provide you with information on estimated timelines and projected costs.

The next step in the process is the design service. This is when our creative team gets together and designs concepts. We take into consideration the needs you deemed essential in our consultation and other lifestyle information you supplied to us. These concepts are presented to you and upon your approval, we move forward to the final step in the design services process.

At this point, we create preliminary drawings and can create a detailed estimate. This is the part of the process where you the homebuyer will get into a cost agreement so we can begin building your home.

With your contract in place, any additional drawings and documents necessary will now be completed. These include section drawings, elevations, spec documents and more. This additional documentation are used to get a permit from the city and then we move to the build process.

Once all paperwork is done and approval granted, the construction crew is chosen and prepared. Then the real magic happens.

Here at SilverBeam Homes, we pride ourselves in offering top quality customer service to our customers. We keep you informed every step of the way and ensure that your home project comes off the ground exactly how it is supposed to.  Let us help you get the keys to your new home. Contact Us Today!

read more
BevonyThe SilverBeam Process

West End Vancouver

by Bevony on 3 July 2019 Comments Off on West End Vancouver

West End Vancouver can be found between downtown and Stanley Park. This urban village is very densely populated and is one of Vancouver’s most diverse communities. Here is where the first visitors and newcomers usually end up whenever they visit Vancouver.

West End History

The history of the area dates back to 1862 when the area was heavily forested. The land was purchased by three English prospectors known by locals as “the Three Greenhorns”. They were known as this because it was thought that they paid too much money for the land. The original intention of these gentlemen was to set up a brickworks. As such, the area was named Brickmaker’s Claim and then the name was changed to New Liverpool. After which the gentlemen sold their claim to John McDougall who later developed lots.

The potential of the area started to become recognized in 1888 and therefore the city became the first upscale neighborhood. It was home to a number of rich families thanks to the terminus that was built at Coal Harbour by CPR.

The Modern West End is a very thriving neighborhood with plenty of restaurants, shopping, bar, and inclusivity.  Therefore, you will have access to parks, beaches, and Seawall. The area is famous for artwork such as the Inukshuk statue which was the inspiration behind the Paralympic and Olympic of 2010 Logo. The town is also known for the Giant Laughing Statues that can be found in Morton Park which is a very popular tourist attraction. The West End is home to the first rainbow crosswalk in all of Canada.

The community continues to grow with people wanting to live in an inclusive neighborhood which allows them to drive less for a commute. The area is known for its big community feel with many people indicating that once they moved there they felt they were home. You will find people even move away and still indicate that West End is the only place that ever felt like home for them.

Living in The West End

The West End is a very dense neighborhood with an approximate population of around 45,000 people. Approximately 50% of the population here is between 20 and 39 years old. 34% of the population is between the 40 and 64 age bracket and then there are the seniors which make up for around 13% of the population while the remaining 6% are under 19 years old.

According to moving2canada.com, the West End has the most affordable apartments when compared to other communities downtowns such as Gastown, Coal Harbour, and Yaletown.

Working in The West End

The West End is very close to Vancouver’s downtown and the banking district. As such it is a great place for persons who work in finance. Of course, there are many other options for work as there are many restaurants, bars, and cages making work in the food and beverage industry very popular as well.

Dining in The West End

The West End is known for being fast-paced when it comes to change. There are new restaurants and bars opening up on a very rapid scale. Some are being replaced while others are changing their branding, adding to their offerings to make the dining experience a more versatile and varied one. You can find local food, seafood, French-Japanese fusion. English food, Korean and so much more.

Shopping in The West End

Robson Street is one of the most popular spots for locals and tourists alike. You can find a busy hive of shops and restaurants on Denman Street and Robson Public Market offers a vast variety of international food, wine, produce and more.

Playing in The West End

Davie and Denman are areas of the West End that are always buzzing with locals and with tourists. The neighborhood gets very hype during the Vancouver Pride Festival and during the Celebration of Light which is a summer fireworks competition. The Vancouver Sun Run is hosted in the West End annually when people run in the streets. This is a car-free day.

read more
BevonyWest End Vancouver

Canada Day 2019 Decor Ideas

by Bevony on 24 June 2019 Comments Off on Canada Day 2019 Decor Ideas

Monday, the 1st of July is Canada Day. Will you be celebrating?… great food aside. You definitely should and therefore we have just the tips and tools that can help. Get your yard into the day’s festivities with some of the ideas here. Get your maple leaf and celebrate with red and white. But instead of the usual fare, check out some of these ideas for decorating your home this year.

Throw Pillows

Throw pillows are an affordable and quite an easy way to get your space all dressed up. You can find a number of Canada inspired pillows and cushions on the market. So get some for your chairs even those outdoor ones. These don’t have to all be maple leaf, red and white throw pillows. Remember that forests, tents, moose, campfires and so much more definitely say Canada.

Serving Trays

Canada Day is a day when family and friends get together. Inspire your guests with some Canadian inspired serving trays.  

Mugs

Start your celebrations with a mug of hot coffee or tea or end your celebrations with a nice cup of hot chocolate in a nice Canada inspired mug.

Canada Day Décor

From photo boot props to cake toppers there are many options for getting Canada inspired décor into your day. These smaller one-time use products are great for all your Canada Day get-togethers.

Red Barbeque

Canada Day Festivities

Why not get your barbeque all red with different products from mittens, thongs and more for celebrations this year.

Canada Inspired Books

While you are spending time with family, why not get a couple laughs or learn something new and interesting about Canada. Check out these books about Canada which can also be great gifts for your non-Canadian friends and family members.

Canada Candles

Candles are one of those things that most people love. We love to receive and give them as gifts and we love to have them in our homes. Pick up a couple of Canada inspired candles to help set the tone for your Celebrations.

Whatever you choose to decorate with, this Canada Day, remember that Canada is not all red and maple leaf, find creative ways to capture your memory of Canada Day 2019 and officially kick off the summer.

read more
BevonyCanada Day 2019 Decor Ideas