The Boston Globe provides a photo tour of an ocean-front home in Marblehead, MA that has received an environmentally-friendly rehab.
The home's "green" makeover is inside and out, from the recycled rubber roof to the cast iron (not plastic) pipes, and, of course, the energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances.
How about wall decals that make a bold design statement?
A February 28, 2008 article in The Boston Globe discusses the use of wall-size decals that can be pasted on and taken off anytime you want. The decals are paint friendly too.
Bold design ideas can be scary. No one wants to be stuck with what they thought was a good idea.
"But wall-size decorating ventures can be stress-free thanks to removable decals. Whimsical yet surprisingly sophisticated, these paint-safe stickers allow free-spirited aesthetes to try out huge (and conversation starting designs) with little risk."
The sofa can make or break a room.
A March 13, 2008 article in The Boston Globe makes it clear how important choosing the correct sofa is to your room.
"The couch is the most ulcer-inducing of furniture purchases. Get it right, and you've found the linchpin to your living room. Muck it up, and you're looking at a decade of buyer's remorse, slipcover experiments, room rearrangements, and an ever-evolving speech about why a purple chaise lounge does so go with everything."
RISMedia published an article on November 30, 2007 titled, "What's In, What's Out with Home Buyers in 2008." The data comes from annual survey conducted by real estate author Mark Nash.
Here are some trends to anticipate to get the most value out of your home improvements.
1. Destination Bathrooms. The master bath has evolved into a luxurious destination with multiple task areas. Freestanding or “throne” bathtubs in the center of a soaking room, multiple flat screens televisions and wireless Internet access, so you don’t miss anything as you move from bathing to grooming to lounging. These bathrooms are outfitted with serving bars, featuring wine coolers, espresso machines and yummy snacks. In-home hair salons also are catching on.
2. Pet Showers. The kitchen or work sink is too 20th Century for Spot. Dedicated dog showers are an emerging trend. Be it in a mud or utility room, garage corner or basement, dog lovers want a place to clean their favored pooch after a visit to the neighborhood dog park. Common dog showers feature a 3′ x 3′ shower base, surrounded by ceramic tile 4′ up the wall. Pet showers are all about the convenience for Rover to step in, and eliminate the need to lift.
3. Home Elevators. The Baby Boomer generation wants their vertical palaces with elegant mini elevators. No more unsightly and very 1970s chair-on-the-rail-system for these financially flush, forward-thinking home buyers.
4. Outdoor Living Spaces That Look Interior. Massive, soaring , in-your-face fireplaces of cut stone, heated (think bathroom floors) flooring and walkways, entertaining-sized, custom kitchens and indoor-looking artwork, fabrics and finishes, but ones that can stand up to the elements, are all the rage.
5. Concealed Appliances. Buyers now bypass matching cabinet panels that are used to disguise the ubiquitous refrigerator and dishwasher. Hinged and pocket doors are the latest way to integrate visually those boxy necessities and make the kitchen more non-traditional and less functional looking.
For more of the latest home buyer trends, read the entire "What's In, What's Out with Home Buyers in 2008" article.
Buy a vintage tub set and receive $150 off your order at Vintage Tub & Bath. Use coupon code anytub150 at checkout to take advantage of this limited time offer. You'll also receive free shipping. What a great holiday gift for your spouse and the whole family!
The following tips come from the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Anywhere the temperatures dip near or below 32 degrees, pools and spas should be winterized by cleaning and treating the water and protecting the equipment from freezing, according to the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals.
Here are some tips for protecting your investment in a pool:
As the weather turns cooler, mice begin to seek cozier surroundings, and the perfect place for the little critters to settle is your home.
Even seemingly well-sealed houses are susceptible, as mice are excellent swimmers and climbers, are able to jump over a foot off the floor and can squeeze through openings as small as ¼ of an inch. That's about the diameter of a pencil.
It's important to make your house as hard as possible for the mice to get into.
Don't leave doors ajar. Inspect the outside of your home and use steel wool and caulking to seal up gaps like those around outside faucets and basement windows, where television and phone lines enter the house, and small cracks in a brick or stone foundation. Other preventive measures include blocking exhaust vents with hardware cloth and eliminating breeding areas like piles of leaves or old newspapers and food sources like dirty pet food dishes.
Apparently, natural peppermint essential oil (also called "oil of peppermint") offers a safe, effective and humane way to discourage these damaging and potentially disease-carrying rodents from entering your home. Although the scent is pleasing to humans, it repels mice. Simply put a few drops of peppermint essential oil on cotton balls and place them around the house, sprinkle the oil directly on items, or make a scented spray with two teaspoons of peppermint essential oil per cup of water.
The peppermint will remain an effective repellent for as long as the scent lingers. This varies according to conditions, of course, but you should get good results in most cases if you replenish the oil every two or three weeks.
The peppermint oil helps keep mice away without the danger of poisoning pets and eliminates the need to handle repulsive traps or glue boards.
Aura Cacia Peppermint Essential Oil
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A thick green lawn does wonders for curb appeal, and, although the end of summer is upon us, now is the perfect time to improve your lawn.
The following nine steps comes from an article at REALTOR Magazine Online.
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During the upcoming holiday season, the kitchen will be the most frequently used room in the house.
The kitchen is the number one location for working and socializing.
Want to make the room where you’re going to be spending so much time more enjoyable? You can give yourself the gift of a mini-kitchen makeover, just in time for the holidays.
“When people hear the word makeover, they usually think that means replacing the cabinets, counter tops and appliances, which can be an expensive venture, not to mention inconvenient. With all the stress you’ll soon be under, why not start small with some dramatic changes that can be made by a do-it-yourselfer in a day or two?” asks Dan Auer, of Decorative Product Source, a leading online retailer of decorative home products.
Among the projects he recommends you consider: painting the walls, updating the lighting fixtures and getting a new kitchen sink and faucet
. Not sure what you want to do? Pick up some home magazines, or visit a couple of model homes in your area to get some ideas.
If you’re looking to modernize your kitchen, for example, you’ll want to shop by style. A good place to start is by getting a look at your options for faucets. They come in a wide variety of shapes, styles, designs and finishes. Some of the options include the very common two handle and single handle faucets, pull-out spray faucets, wall mount faucets and pot filler faucets, which are installed on the wall or counter next to the stove to provide easy filling of pots on the stove.
While browsing, you’ll also find a variety of accessories designed to save time, eliminate counter clutter and help keep areas clean and usable, such as soap dispensers, drain strainers, rinse baskets and pot racks. Cabinet hardware is also available.
You can have fun, enjoy your makeover and not bust your budget.
Tired of your loud dishwasher?
Here's a quick video with some tips for installing a dishwasher.
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The garage is very often the last place to be recognized as a space you can decorate. Indoors and out our houses are decorated and updated with state-of-the-art features, even patios have outdoor elaborate kitchens and stylish stone underfoot.
The garage is one of the highest traffic areas of your home, so adding the same style there increases square footage and value to your property.
No longer just a place to store your junk, the garage has become a place to spend time and many are even heated. Freezer and pantry shelves make it an extension of the kitchen; furniture, sound system and TV make it a great place for watching football or a kids’ play area when they can’t play outside.
For some, the garage is the biggest room in the house. Start with floor decorating to bring your garage to its full potential and increase your home’s value and your enjoyment of it.
Once you have flooring down, add cabinetry, organizational wall units and lighting. The right cabinets give you a place for everything so your work bench stays clear of clutter. With adjustable legs to keep them off the floor, you can sweep and hose out from underneath, and don’t need to worry about things inside getting wet. Wall storage systems give you unused space to hang large tools and equipment that don’t fit in a cabinet and keep them in plain sight for easy accessibility.
Lighting ties a space together and gives it the real workability you need. A few well-placed overhead with some additional spot lighting can make your garage the work shop you always dreamed of.
Also, read this blog post entitled "Pimp My Garage" from MassHomeBuyerGuide.com.
“A window will tell you what it needs,” suggests noted interior design expert, Donna Talley.
“Stunning artwork, fabulous wall or floor coverings and fashion-forward furniture are often the primary focus of home decorators,” notes Talley, who has styled magazine covers for some of the most prestigious design publications. “Using window treatments in much the same way that gorgeous frames accent cherished photos or paintings can make all the difference.”
Talley offers the following tips to bring out the best in windows throughout your home:
Scale and Proportion are Key
The most common mistake homeowners make when doing their windows is getting the proportions wrong - a valance or cornice that’s too small; draperies that don’t stack off the window and cover up too much of the view; or skimpy side panels made with too few widths of fabric. These little design flaws make all the difference in the finished appearance of a window and a room.
“Getting proportion right takes a good eye and a lot of experience,” notes Talley. “One size definitely does not fit all, so it can pay to have treatments created specifically for the windows in your home.”
“Custom furnishings are often comparably priced to ready-made, and can represent great value when you factor in the time and expertise of professionals,” adds Talley, the national spokesperson for Calico Corners, an interior design retailer creating over 100,000 custom window treatments per year.
Functional or Decorative?
This has a lot to do with the design and proportion of a window treatment. Does it need to clear French doors? Protect from hot afternoon glare? Provide privacy? Or enable you to see a television or computer screen without an eye shade? Understanding what the room requires will help create the appropriate design solution.
A room that requires privacy will need blackout shades or interlined fabric panels, wood blinds, woven wood or cellular shades to provide functionality. A second layer with soft fabrics and pleasing color accents adds an inviting decorative element. A more formal room might benefit from a third layer in the form of a valance, cornice or other top treatment.
“The different elements of a room, or a window, should be in harmony,” advises Talley. “Even a simple decorative band of trim in a pretty, complementary pattern on a solid fabric panel can add visual interest to a window and tie in the other design elements of a room.”
Finding the perfect window treatments for your home is all about the details. Using the right materials, determining the proper scale and proportion and addressing both functional and decorative concerns will help make your home more comfortable, more stylish and a distinctive expression of your design savvy.
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