Take a Second Look at Your Paint Finish
No more shiny walls for bathrooms and kitchens!! In the past, it was routine to recommend an eggshell or satin finish for bathroom and kitchen walls because it would hold up better than a flat finish in these heavily used areas of the home. Flat wall paint has always been great for hiding wall imperfections and roller lap marks on large, difficult to paint areas but the lack of durability has hounded this finish for years. Known to pick up stains and marks more easily than shinier paint finishes, flat paint was much more difficult to clean, often removing the paint or leaving shiny spots where cleaning was attempted.
Beach House Dream Becomes Reality
“Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go…” This client had always dreamed of owning a beach house and the opportunity to realize that dream presented itself while visiting with friends in a seaside community in Rhode Island. She and her new husband focused in on a small ranch for sale and began to consider the possibilities! Although many of us may have fond memories of visiting our grandparent’s house, their popular Colonial décor was a far cry from this client’s vision of a casual beach house! The first impression of this home challenged her to hold fast to her dream and see past the miles of vintage drapery, dark trim, and braided rugs.
Window Treatments – 3 Tips for Choosing
Since window treatments are one of the most important elements in decorating and most difficult for clients to select, we are delighted to share our three best tips! Tip #1 - Ask Good Questions! Do you need to control the light or manage privacy in your home? Does glare interfere with TV or computer use or is the sun apt to damage your furnishings? Would you like to preserve the natural light while you manage the need for constant or occasional privacy or hide an unpleasant view? Is ease of cleaning important due to allergies or the risk of cords worrisome with children and pets? Every answer will bring you closer to the perfect solution!
Staging Tips for Selling Your Home
Perhaps you’ve already realized, there are any number of different interpretations of “Home Staging”. Even real estate agents have different opinions of what to do and how to do it. Although there are common sense guidelines for repairs and cleaning, many are confused about changes beyond these basics. The general definition of Home Staging is “to present property that is attractive to many buyers, which increases interest and offers”. The items that attract buyers are fairly easy to identify like hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops on their short list. However, there are ways to improve the presentation of a property without a major renovation!
The Question of Style
Keep the home’s architectural style in mind during renovation. In our previous highlight, we discussed empty-nesters updating their home. They intended to stay in the home for the foreseeable future and wanted their redesign changes to withstand the test of time. We were able to prioritize the project and manage the budget. As the project progressed, we found that the incredible variety of materials and furnishings available to homeowners today can be a distraction and cause them to lose sight of the architectural style of the home. In this home, the wood cabinets were made of oak in a medium stain in a simple, casual style.
Empty-Nesters Update Their 25-Year-Old Home
These empty-nesters decided to replace the windows throughout their twenty-five-year-old home. This opened a “Pandora’s Box” of questions: Should we keep the stained wood or switch to white? How does this affect the rest of the woodwork? If we update the kitchen, do we keep our cabinets? The couple intended to stay in the home for at least the next ten to fifteen years and wanted the changes to stand the test of time while working within a conservative budget. The first question was whether to stay with the wood stained trim for the new windows or switch to white. This was a critical decision because it would impact most of the woodwork throughout the house.