Make Your Next Home Renovation and Interior Design Project Shine

Knowing when it’s time for a home glow-up—and where to get started—can be difficult. Whether you want to spice up your lawn, seek design inspiration or need advice on HVAC systems, we’ve got you covered. In this article:

• Concepts by Design shares five signs it might be time for a home refresh.
• 888 Log Guys details the distinct process of restoring a log home. 
• Erica Lea Design Studios shares a beautiful before and after home glow-up.
• Lorenz Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning provides advice for homeowners on maintaining their heating, plumbing and air conditioning systems.
• JAG’s Lawn & Landscape offers three tips for enhancing your curb appeal. 

Much goes into a home renovation, so we’ve gathered tips and tricks from the best in 417-land.

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5 Signs It’s Time for a Home Refresh

Concepts by Design

Location: 4123 N. State Hwy H, Springfield
Specialty: Custom cabinets, closets and storage solutions

Luxury meets functionality at Concepts by Design—a high-end custom cabinet and closet company. Their skilled designers and craftsmen specialize in creating unique storage solutions that enhance living spaces. Wondering if it’s time to refresh your home? Shelley Wehner, owner of Concepts by Design, shares five signs it may be time for an update:

1. Lack of functionality
If your current layout or organization no longer suits your needs, it may be time to update your living space for better functionality. The Concepts by Design team can incorporate pull-out shelves, drawer organizers or vertical storage solutions in the design to maximize space and keep items organized.

2. Change in lifestyle
Major life changes, such as a new family member or working from home, can make your existing setup less effective. Updating your space to accommodate these changes ensures your home continues to serve your needs.

3. Signs of wear and tear
Visible damage—such as cracked or peeling finishes, scratches, dents, water damage or hard-to-open drawers—can signal that it’s time for a refresh. Addressing these issues not only improves aesthetics but also functionality and durability.

4. Outdated decor
If the decor throughout your home feels out of date or no longer matches your personal style, it may be time for a refresh. 

5. A desire for a fresh look
Sometimes, a desire for change or a new aesthetic direction is all the motivation needed to update your living space.

“When in doubt or unsure of the direction you should go, reach out to an expert,” Wehner says. “An expert can save time, money and many headaches for the client.”

Restoring a Log Home

888 Log Guys

Location: 6701 Selmore Rd, Ozark
Specialty: Log home restoration

888 Log Guys has been in the niche business of log home restoration for over 25 years, with team members who have decades of hands-on experience. The restoration process begins with detailed communication to understand clients’ needs and develop a tailored care plan for long-term protection and beauty. Their success is measured by building lasting relationships and providing ongoing maintenance for clients’ homes. Here’s what the restoration process involves: 

​​Prep: The team takes great care in protecting and masking off every area of the home for the restoration process. The restoration process involves media blasting and sanding, discussed with clients beforehand for expert recommendations.

Preserving the wood: Preserving structural integrity is crucial. Their approach includes washing the house to remove dust and sanitizing the surface before applying preservatives. This ensures deep saturation and effective preservation.

Sealing the home: The mortal enemy of a log home is water. To protect against water, cold air and insects, they seal the home using chinking or caulking, which, luckily, requires only one application. 

Connected structures: The team restores decks, porch ceilings, rails and staircases by stripping failed stain back to bare wood and, if needed, sanding before applying high-quality deck stain.

Staining the home: Customized stain sampling allows clients to choose their preferred color, completing the home’s transformation. Whether it’s light golden oak, rich mahogany or earthy walnut, this will be the step that finally makes the home transformation.

888 Log Guys has developed strong relationships within the log home industry to ensure they are using the best quality products and techniques on their clients’ homes.

Check Out This Stunning Before and After

Erica Lea Design Studios

Location: 380 E. State Hwy CC Suite D105, Nixa
Specialty: Interior design

Erica Lea Design Studios, based in Nixa, aims to create a positive sense of place in homes, enhancing family belonging. “Our goal is for people to enjoy an exciting design experience and beautifully finished project,” says Owner and Founder Erica Hendrix. 

Recently, they renovated a home for a couple, creating a more inviting space for friends, children and grandchildren. After decades in their home, it was time to elevate the way they wanted to live for the next phase of their lives. “One of the first things I noticed was Helen's posh, colorful and preppy outfits,” Hendrix says. “She was a ray of sunshine in contrast to her husband who is equally kind but analytical, and her balance. I loved them from the start.” 

The team focused on enhancing and elevating the layout, ensuring the homeowners had a cozy place to read, a functional kitchen with easy movement and places to store their treasured antique items and family heirlooms.

The redesign included brightening the kitchen and dining room by replacing dark wood cabinets with white ones, complemented by gold accents for cohesiveness. Serving beautiful dinners, snacks and beverages is now easy with a new orientation of each space. 

In the living room, new shelving was installed for the couple’s antiques and heirlooms. “Nothing gets me more excited than organizing someone's lifetime of love and tchotchkes,” Hendrix says. Furniture was carefully selected to meet the couple’s evolving needs, adding both elegance and comfort. “While I love the result,” Hendrix says, “what brings me the most joy, is their new enthusiasm for life in their little slice of heaven.”

Maintaining Heating, Plumbing and Air Conditioning Systems

Lorenz Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning

Location: 1429 N. Cedarbrook Ave., Springfield
Specialty: Heating, plumbing and air conditioning systems

When it comes to their home, owners shouldn't have to worry about heating, plumbing or air conditioning. As a local, family-owned business, Lorenz Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning takes personal responsibility for delivering dependable service to homes and businesses. Their goal is to provide excellent workmanship, consistent service and fair prices every day. 

Lorenz also provides advice for homeowners on maintaining their heating, plumbing and air conditioning systems:

Regular maintenance: Regular HVAC maintenance keeps your equipment running smoothly and efficiently. HVAC systems without maintenance have to work harder due to dirt buildup or old filters, leading to premature failure. Similar to regular oil changes for cars, biannual maintenance for your AC and furnace ensures they remain in peak condition and last longer.

Changing filters: The team at Lorenz often sees dirty filters in furnaces and recommends changing them at least every quarter—more often if there are pets in the home. 

Picking the right company: The team at Lorenz highly recommends getting at least three bids from HVAC companies if replacing your system. “If you get a great bid from a competitor of ours, we’ll let you know it’s a great deal if we can’t beat it,” says Owner Mike Polino.

Lorenz Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning is continuing to grow, expanding its services to the Branson and Table Rock Lake area while maintaining a strong focus on customer satisfaction. With over 40 years of experience, they have extensive knowledge in these fields and have likely encountered any issue you might face.

How to Enhance Your Curb Appeal

JAG’s Lawn & Landscape

Location: 4913 S. Farm Rd. 223, Rogersville
Specialty: Landscaping and lawn maintenance

JAG’s Lawn & Landscape is a seasoned landscaping and lawn maintenance company with over 30 years of experience. What makes JAG’s stand out amongst its competitors is its ability to design and install new landscapes, while also providing the proper services to maintain and make improvements for each of its customers. Their business thrives on building and nurturing long-term relationships with clients and addressing all their landscaping needs, whether they are new or old projects.

The team at JAG’s has a wealth of knowledge and is offering three tips for enhancing your curb appeal:

1. Sign up for monthly maintenance
JAG’s provides monthly maintenance services, including mowing, irrigation and weed control. They take pride in their work, delivering the quality and attention to detail that their customers deserve. Simply switching to JAG’s for your monthly maintenance needs can significantly boost your curb appeal.

2. Update or renovate your flower beds
Speak to one of JAG’s experienced landscape professionals about refreshing your flower beds. They will consult with their customers and plan plantings that will provide changes of color all season long so there is never a lack of curb appeal.

3. Add landscape lighting
JAGs’ customers all have beautiful landscapes, but what really sets them above the rest is their landscape lighting. Outdoor landscape lighting is a great way to accent some of your favorite parts of your landscaping or even your home, and this can provide a huge boost to the curb appeal of your home all year round.