Kitchen Remodeling Tips

The kitchen is no longer an area of the home exclusively for preparing meals and washing dishes.  The kitchen has gradually become a hub of the home for family gathering and entertaining.   A well designed kitchen layout is a reflection of the home owner’s personality and lifestyle.  Kitchen remodeling projects nowadays have gone overboard with traditional functional kitchen design layout.  A kitchen remodeling project will most likely be the most expensive project for any home owner.  However, the end results are worth the investment and time mainly because a newly remodeled kitchen adds value to the home.

Consult with an interior designer who specializes in kitchen and bath design if you are planning on remolding your kitchen.  A kitchen and bath design expert knows more about the different elements to consider in an interior kitchen remodeling project that would help you save some money in the long run. 

Before taking up a kitchen remodeling design project, set a realistic budget.  Your budget will determine the extent of the design project. It will help you decide if you want a complete kitchen design makeover or change a few things in the kitchen.  If your goal is to have the ultimate gourmet kitchen, it is more than  likely a bulk of the budget would be spent towards the purchases of appliances and food preparing surfaces and less on the aesthetic of the kitchen.  On the other hand, if aesthetics means more to you than functionality, a bulk of the funds would be invested in the details of the cabinetry, hardware, faucets, lighting and other aesthetics.

Kitchen cabinetries have evolved from plain and traditional looking cabinetry to customized ones.  Today’s kitchen cabinets are fabricated in different materials and colors.  You are sure to find the perfect kitchen cabinet design for your kitchen project.  Since the kitchen is an extension of the living area, it is best to integrate the overall design concept of the home into the kitchen remodeling design.  Kitchen cabinets are the furniture of the room as such they are the decorative focal point of the space. 

For your kitchen remodeling project, below are kitchen design helpful tips.

Start of the project by determining what design style or theme appeals to you.  You have to make the ultimate design decision on what decorative style to go for in the kitchen – French Country, Contemporary or Traditional. 

Select a color palette that blend effectively with each other to create a harmonizing décor.  The color palette should encompass the cabinetry finish, wall paint, decorative accessories, hardware and furniture.

Lighting has a tremendous impact on interior design details.  A remarkable lighting plan can be used to emphasis the unique design details in the kitchen.  Accent lighting can be used to focus on original displays and architectural details.

A functional kitchen layout focuses on the work triangle and the right appliances.   For the best kitchen design layout apply the concept of the work triangle.

Use customized kitchen cabinetry if your remodeling objective is I to have one of a kind kitchen design. 

Quick interior decorating tips on creating a spa bathroom

The bathroom is one room in a home we cannot live without.  A well decorated bathroom has an element of elegance, softness and sophistication.  Redecorating a bathroom with a spa theme can pay off right from the start.   Bathrooms in new homes have hand-made Italian tiles, custom cabinetry, crystal light fixtures, floor and towel warmers, marble flooring and top of the line faucets. 

If you are thinking about freshen-up or transforming your bathroom into your own personal sanctuary you’ll want to read the article on bathroom rejuvenation.   Use the interior decorating advice below to give your bathroom the feel of tranquility and relaxation of a spa. 

1. Keep the bathroom clutter free.  Organize cosmetics and only keep essential toiletries on countertop.
2. Invest in plush white bathroom towels and a heated towel bar or better yet a floor-warming system.
3. Use decorative accessories made of natural materials.
4. Display botanical artwork to evoke a calm atmosphere.
5. Color palettes of calming, warm neutral colors are the ideal color choices for spa bathroom design.  Use shades of chocolate, tan and mocha.  Don’t be afraid to paint the bathroom white and use any of the neutral paint colors as an accent wall.  In a smaller bathroom, white gives the illusion of a large, open space. When using white, it’s best to blend various shades of white.
6. Upgrade your light fixtures and use dimmers so that you can adjust the lighting level to reflect the mood. 
7. Use invigorating aromatherapy diffusers or candles.  When using candles, make sure you do so safely and they are out of the way of anything flammable. 

Real Estate Staging – Help tips for staging a house for more money

With the recent reduction in interest rates, sellers are looking to closing on their properties whiles buyers are looking forward to closing on their future homes.   Selling a house on the market implies that your property has to be in tip top condition.  It has to be the best house on sale in the community.  

The process of showing and selling a house is about staging the house to impress buyers for the best offer and price for the property.   Home staging is an important part of the selling process of a house.  By staging your house, you would immediately pull the house ahead of the competition by showing off the best points of the house. 

The staging process helps get rid of all those things that distract the potential buyer from the house.  Staging is about getting a property sold. Staging is mandatory for a PERFECT SALE. 

Home staging is involves decluttering and reorganizing the exterior and interior of a house to attract potential buyers.  A professionally staged house can help a buyer mentally envision themselves living in the house.   A professional home stager or an interior designer uses  home furnishing and decorative accessories in  new ways to create a warm and inviting appeal to a potential buyer.  

Staging is a great opportunity to audition existing furnishings in new roles.   For the best investment return on a real estate staging, consult with a professional home stager or interior designer to assist you with the staging process. If you are ready to put your property on the market, take time to tackle all major and minor repairs such as damaged walls, leaks, paint touch-up, carpet cleaning, removal of clutter and debris.  Remember to do all necessary cosmetic home improvement repairs to help sell the house quicker.  Below are valuable exterior and interior staging check list to help you identify home improvement repairs you might overlook as you stage you house for sale.   

Exterior Staging Check List 

• Ensure that the landscape is in good condition.  It is important to make a good first impression. Treat lawns with brown spots or bare patches by either reseeding or fertilizing for a green, thick and lush lawn.  In addition, water the lawn more frequently to maintain a healthy lawn.  Consult with a professional gardener or landscape architect on ways of sprucing the front and back yard for a great curb appeal.

• Welcome potential buyers with a warm welcome at the front door by planting colorful flowers in logical places around the front of the house and the corner of the lot where it helps to define the property.  Good spot would be near the pathway, leading to the front door.

• Remove kids toys, debris, dead plants, leaves and wash-off mud from the last rainfall in the driveway, sidewalk, front deck, porches, patios and backyard.  In addition, remove excessive patio furniture, plants, old barbecue equipment on patios and decks, all lawn mowers, rakes, tools, and construction materials such as paint cans or fertilizer bags left in the front or back yard. 

• Driveways, walkways and sidewalks should be clean, swept and all oil stains removed. Repair the driveway to fix cracks where needed.  If you have a basketball hop, be sure it is in good condition.

• Paint or restrain the front entrance door and put in new door light if necessary.  Repaint dull and old stained coated exterior walls and shutters for a fresh, bright and shiny new appeal. 

•  Change old tarnished and dilapidated door handle and locks on front entrance door.  Power-wash the exterior walls and deck for a spotless appeal.

•  Keep all windows spotless clean both in and out.  Repair and replace any broken panes, damaged or missing crews that secures the windows.  Make sure all the windows operate freely.

•  Fences should be in good repair.  Fix and paint them if necessary. 

Interior Staging Check List

• Clean houses are refreshing and appealing. They look better and potential buyers assume a clean house is well cared for over the years.   Aim to keep all rooms organized, boxes neatly stacked and any larger items folded in the corner of the room.

•  Clean baseboards, the floors, the inside and outside of the tub, the blades of the ceiling fan, the exhaust hood above the stove and the vents in the hallway. 

•  Clean the top of refrigerator, scour the stove, shampoo the carpets, wipe away cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling, and really clean all bathrooms. 

•  Ventilate your home by opening windows and opposite ends of the house to eliminate pungent odors.  An air cleaning and deodorizing machine and exhaust fan can help eliminate all unpleasant odors and mildew problem

• Clean the windows, carpet and curtains. Hire a professional cleaning company to shampoo carpet and clean windows and curtains.  Replace stained or worn carpet with light- colored short plush.    Beige carpets (real estate beige) works well with most people furnishings and flows well from room to room. 

• Remove any knickknacks and clutter in the foyer and doorways leading to each room.

•  Less is more.  Remove newspaper, magazines, stuffed animals, clipped recipes, china roosters and other items that clutter all rooms.  Remove books cluttered on a shelves or bookcases. 

•  Repair and repaint all cracked interior walls and ceilings.  Repainting helps to eliminate marked and scarred walls, cover up walls in bad shape and unappealing distinctive colors throughout the house.  Off-white paint creates a simple color scheme.   Warm whites are more inviting than cool whites.  Most furniture look good against off –white walls which make it easier for a buyer to envision moving in. 

•  Replace burned–out bulbs and increase the wattage of bulbs especially in dark hallways and corners.  Make sure all light fixtures work properly. Repair or replace broken light switches and switch plates and clean area around them.

•  Remove dark, heavy curtains or draperies that overpower a room.

• Windows are the eyes onto the world outside the house.   Therefore it is wise to always leave shades up and curtains spread apart so potential buyers can see in and get a taste of what to expect inside. 

•  Clean soot from the outside of the fireplace, ashes and close the fireplace screen.  Repaint or respray rusted fireplace screens. If your house is on the market in the summer when the fireplace is empty, put a lush plant in front of it or inside the firebox to add some greenery to the room. 

• Repaint the face of the fireplace to eliminate detracting marks on bricks or stones.  This will make the fireplace look bigger and better.  Test semi-gloss white brick paint on a small out-of-the-way area before applying paint on the face of the fireplace. 

• Too many heavy pieces of furniture makes a room look and feel crowded to a buyer.  As such, remove or reduce the number of furniture pieces in a room to gives the room and illusion of a larger space and a clean and airy feel.

• Remove extra throw pillows in the living or family room and leave two or three. Remove items from under the couch.

• Take stereo equipment from the floor and hide all electrical codes.  Store all items such as DVD’s, CD’s, remote controls in a storage basket or bin.

• Remove excessive accessories, family pictures and mirrors that dominate a room.

• Remove all kitchen appliances on kitchen counter.  Dishes in sink, unattractive dishrack, items on the window-sill and shelves packed with cookbooks should be put away.  Anything that has not been used in three months can be put away or given away in storage.

• Keep kitchen sink clean and empty every day.  Store soap dispensers, scouring pads, dish drainers and paper towels under sink.

• Clean the exhaust fan, filter, hoods, stovetop, oven and microwave and replace burner pans if they are badly stained.

• Empty the garbage regularly to prevent kitchen odors.

• Remove dog or cat dishes. Put them in places that are out of sight.

• Remove all photos magnets, comics and recipe from the refrigerator.

• Clean the top of the refrigerator.  Scrub the refrigerator from top to bottom, inside and out and put in a box of baking soda in both fridge and freezer.  Clear out extra food and condiments.

• Repair broken cabinet doors, leaking pipes and faucets and replace missing cabinet door handles.

• Repair tile, damages and unglued Formica countertops or edges.  Clean stained tile grout with bleach. 

• Make the bed everyday with pretty sheets, shams, a bed-skirt and comforter.   Invest in a new bedspread or dry clean existing bedspread for a fresh look if needed.

• Scrub all bathrooms to remove all soap scum and mold. Clean dirty grout and repair cracks in tiles. 

• All counters, sink, toilets, shower stalls, mirrors and soap containers should be sparkling clean. 

• Remove all unnecessary items in the shower and around the tub, cosmetics, brushes and perfumes.  Put them in a basket and place them under the cabinet. 

• Keep the lid on the toilet and hide the wastebasket.

• Display attractive towels that coordinate with the color scheme of the bedroom and remove extra rugs to showcase a beautiful tile floor.

• Clean out the closet of excessive clothing and shoes.   Pack most of the clothes so that the closet looks roomy.  Hang a few cloths neatly on pretty hangers.  Remove excess shoes from the closet and get them off the floor.

• Neatly fold few towels and sheets in linen closet and freshen up the laundry room.

• Remove excess soap and cleansers and do not hang laundry to air dry in laundry room.

• Remove all dirty clothes from laundry room floor. 

•  Playing soft music at all times during showing of property.  Choose an easy-listening or light jazz station. 

Livingroom furniture arrangement

Designing a living room is more than bringing together a collection of furnishings.  It is about creating an atmosphere where you want to relax and entertain your guest.   As such, the room needs to be comfortable for every one to enjoy the space.  Home interior decorating requires great space planning, imagination and careful organization.  Space and light are the most important luxuries in all living rooms. 

For the very best decorating home ideas for furniture arrangement, below are helpful interior decorating tips used by current crop of designers. 

Begin the furniture arrangement by identifying your focal point or wall of the space. The focal point or wall in a space – a fireplace, a large artwork, a large floor mirror, or a large window – anchors the room.  The successful juxtapositioning of home furnishings and home accents in a room is created around the focal point or wall.

Arranging furniture for an open floorplan requires the discipline of simplicity. A well dressed room does not need to be overdone to feel finished. For an intimate space planning:

• Place a chaise, a day bed, a sofa or a chair no more than 8 feet within each seating piece  to encourage conversation. 

• Place an accent table within reach of a seating piece. 

• Create a path for circulation to allow easy movement within the space.   

To maintain a room’s tranquility, apply the concept of balance and harmony in your space planning layout.  A harmonious mix of furnishing pieces in varying sizes, textures and finishes adds visual interest to any room design.

2008 Color Trends

The interior design industry derives it color inspiration from the fashion world.  According to color expects, the hottest interior decorating color trend for 2008 include varying hues of soft pink, blue cruise, forest green, bold black and white colors. 

The new color inspirations for 2008 will influence consumer’s awareness of self- expression, the environment and lastly enriching their life by experiencing a luxurious and glamorous lifestyle.

With continuous education and campaign on green design, green will be representative of the growing environmental awareness on preserving our ecosystem.   For an eco- friendly décor, tones of garden sage, sprout, bamboo shoot, olive groove, palm leaf, edamame can be used as the newest neutral.  These colors can be coupled with other mid-tone hues of sand, khaki, cork, tranquil aqua or sky blues to create an earthly toned décor.

Rich nurturing colors in sundried tomatoes, antique red, warm browns, and pumpkin orange reflect a sense of stability and secured environment.   These popular colors that are part of 2008 hottest color trend are excellent color choices that add soulful and personalized feel to any space.    

The two strongest colors that represent a sophisticated interior are black and white.  Believe it or not, black and white will be used extensively to enhance opulent living spaces.  Interiors will be filled with decorative accessories, lighting, mirrors and rich fabric in black and white tones.  For a more dramatic and sophisticated appeal, home decorative accessories would be fabricated in rich lustrous textures,  silver metallic and high sheen finishes.

Decor changes for Fall

With the cooler weather, families will focus more on indoor entertainment and activates.  To make your home feel cozier and inviting you can revitalize your home to reflect the change in season without breaking the bank.  To help you transition your décor from summer to fall, below are helpful decorating ideas for your home.

Introduce richer color tones in red, gold, orange, yellow  and brown into your décor.  A great way to implement the season’s harvest colors is to use inexpensive decorative accessories like vases, accent pillows, throws, floral arrangement and artwork.    

Use tactile decorative accents to accessorize the room.  For example, you can use a faux fur, chenille or mohair throw on a contemporary sofa, bedding on a platform bed or bath rug in a zen bathroom. 

Change in seasons is a great opportunity to rearrange decorative accessories in a room.  Rotate decorative accessories like candle holders, books, family portrait pictures and vases throughout the home.

If you have bare floors, add texture and color to the space by investing in a beautiful oriental rug. 

Create layers of lighting by using different light techniques to create an effective lighting in a space.  Fixtures like chandeliers, pendants and wallsconces provide ample amount of ambient lighting.  You can update the look of a chandelier by replacing the shades with new shades that compliment  fall’s color palette.   A table lamp or a floor lamp is a great source for task lighting.  Likewise, the shade on a table lamp can be replaced to coordinate with decorative accessories that depict the season’s color scheme.  Accent lighting adds drama to a room by creating visual interest.   Use the fireplace to provide both warmth and dramatic lighting.  Candles are great decorative accents that also provide ambient light.   For the best lighting results use all three lighting techniques to create a cozy room for the season.

Decorating ideas that make a difference in room design

Details matter in home interior decorating.  The style of your home is reflective of the details of the various home furnishing you use in the overall room design.  

Below are decorating helpful hints you can implement to make a tremendous difference in your décor. 

Home Furnishing:     Use home furnishing pieces with elegant details.  If you decide to invest in either used or new furniture like an upholstered chair, an antique coffee table, a contemporary end table or a leather ottoman, base your final selection on key factors such as price, size, scale, finish and the uniqueness of the fine details of the piece.

Lighting:        Is your design challenge finding the appropriate chandelier for the dining room?   If yes, it’s best to invest in a chandelier that is half as wide as the dining table.  Interior designers recommend hanging the fixture at least 30” above the table top. 

Color:  Color is the most important interior decorating element that can totally transform a room.  A neutral color palette is ideal for creating an airy, sophisticated or classic décor. A cool scheme is great for creating a serene or tranquil décor whiles warm colors like reds and yellows stimulates our sensory glands.  Darker colors like charcoal have the ability make a larger room appear smaller.  No matter what your personal color preferences are there are many ways you can combine colors into your home.   

Flooring:        Use an area rug as a floor accent piece to reflect your personality. 

Home Accents:        Arrange a collection of vases as decorative accents on a coffee table or in a built-in bookcase.  Decorative accessories like glass compotes,  trays, hurricane candle holders, decorative mirrors, accent pillows and candles are decorative accents that add ellegance and a splash color to any décor.

Tranquil Bedroom Design

The bedroom is a private space most people neglect when it comes to decorating rooms in a house.  The bedroom should be treated as an oasis or a welcoming haven from the stresses of the day.  The bedroom should be a beautiful space you enjoy spending time in and a calming space to get a peaceful rest.  A great bedroom design has a soothing vibe, a tranquil and sophisticated and elegantly appeal. As an interior designer my advice to client is not to overlook decorating their bedroom but rather invest in furnishings that would transform the room into a tranquil retreat.   

Read on to find out on tips that would help create a lush cocoon for your bedroom: 

Select furnishings that are essential and also proportional to the size of the room.  Unless the bedroom is huge avoid purchasing over-scaled furniture.  For example, always invest in low-headboards instead of poster beds if the room has low ceilings.  Take into consideration the dimensions of the nightstands, armoires, chest and seating you might need. Larger furniture piece in a small room will make the from feel overcrowded.  On the other hand, small scaled size furniture pieces would disappear in a large room.  When purchasing bedroom furnishings, take the dimensions of the room into consideration and also that of the furnishing to ensure that the various pieces complement each other as well as the space.  

Use decorative accessories sparingly.  Invest in one of a kind a simple, beautiful accessories and artwork that complement the overall design scheme. 

Choose the right color palette for the room.  It is best to stay aware from vibrant color palette for bedrooms.   When selecting paint colors, select restful color plate in shades that are soothing and monochromatic.  Soft greens, blues, and lavender create a subdue effect which is very calming to the soul.  Brown and amber on the other hand create a cozy warm effect.  To add another point of interest to a bedroom, paint  the ceiling in a slightly lighter shade of the wall color.  Adding color to a ceiling visually lowers the ceiling and it  makes the room feel more intimate, cozy and comfortable.    

Similar to any other room, create layers of lighting in the bedroom.  Use a ceiling mounted fixture as your ambient lighting.  This will illuminate the entire room.  If you enjoy reading in bed, a task light, such as a table lamp would provide you just the right amount of light for reading.  Lastly, ambient lighting such as wallsconce would add a dramatic impact to the room.  Use dimmers to control the dramatic lighting effect in the bedroom.   

Select luxurious tactile bedding.  Invest in natural fiber linen with high thread count, plush pillows, cozy covers and a tactile throw.  For a hotel boutique look invest in hotel-level linens and bed set available for sale in selected hotels like the Marriot. 

Dress up the window with beautiful drapery treatment that would add color, texture, pattern and softness into the room.  Use drapery opaque fabric that can block out natural light or even better use black out lining in custom draperies to block the suns glare.  

Place to Entertain

Kitchens are becoming the place where everyone hangs out all the time.  For many new homeowners, their kitchen is being designed to incorporate fine detailed bar in high visibility area of the kitchen or great room.  Most homeowners want to have a cozy, inviting and accessible entertaining area for friends and family as well as additional space to store distinctive silverware and other entertaining essentials. 

The custom wet bar featuring top of the line fixtures and fabulous durable countertop is designed as a butler’s pantry to serve drinks, snacks and hors d’oeuvres.  A butler’s pantry bar  is designed to be either small or large, wet or dry to carter to the homeowner’s lifestyle.  The butler’s pantry bar functions as an efficient transitional entertaining space between the kitchen and dining room.   

The butler’s pantry is designed as an extension of the kitchen with beautiful custom oversize furniture piece, long precious stone counter top and upper cabinets.  The cabinets are idea for holding  wine or martini glasses whiles the long versatile counter space provides ample work surface for serving mouth watering appetizers.

Behind the custom cabinetry are serving glasses, placemats, wine coolers, keggeries, dishwashers, microwaves, icemakers and other essential  accessories required to make entertaining an easy breeze.

Natural Stone

Granite is a durable stone that makes fabulous counter tops.  Over the years granite has become interior designer’s number one preference for kitchen and bathroom countertops.  Granite gives a luxurious and elegant appearance to kitchen and bathrooms.  Inaddtion, it is resistant to all kinds of damages thereby making it a desirable material for countertops in home design.  The warmth, color and natural beauty of granite complements different tones of wood or style cabinetry.  From sleek, clean-lined contemporary to French country. 

Granite slabs are available on the market in various colors and price points.  Granite is available in blacks, white, brown, reds, greens and blues tones.  The most popular colors are those with brown or beige tones.  Granites worktops are made from natural rocks. Each piece of granite tile is unique from another tile cut from the same rock. No two granite tiles are identical.  The premium cost of granite is not in the stone but rather in the quality of stone from which the granite was selected from, the country of origin, patterns, and thickness of slab, amount of soft minerals in stone, transportation and design trend.  The price of granite countertop ranges from $50.00 to $120.00 a square foot which may or may not include installation charges.  The least expense granite countertop available at discount stores could be less than $40.00 per square foot. 

 No matter how big or small your design project, you are certain to find the perfect granite tile for your project.  When shopping for granite, visit reputable retail stores that will help you with all of your design questions or challenges.  There are a number of retail stores that carry both polished and unpolished granite.  Most stores will offer you a sample of the tile.  However, it is ideal to visit the workshop to see the actual slab before making the final purchase.   This is to ensure that the actual slab matches perfectly with your design scheme and also is cut accurately to your project specifications.