Hiring an Interior Designer for Your New Home

September 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

If you have just purchased a new home, you may find that there are many things you want to do to make it feel more like your own. For some, it may just be getting your furniture in the house or painting a few walls. For others, however, it is a much bigger prospect. If you are thinking of completely redesigning the interior of your home, you may want to consider getting an Interior Designer.

Why Hire a Designer?

A true Interior Designer has gone to school to study their profession. They know what goes best together and what will look amazing for your home. They understand how colors and furniture placement work. Hiring an Interior Designer can save you time and frustration. You will get a beautiful home without the stress of doing it yourself.

How to Find a Designer

There are many ways to find the perfect Interior Designer for your home. You can look at directories, such as Canada 411 or the Yellow Pages. This gives you the option to specify someone your area. Another great option, if you are looking for something more cost-effective, would be to contact the design schools in your area. Student or recent graduates may be willing to work with you at a reduced rate to build their portfolio.

Having an Interior Designer is not for everyone. But if you want perfection and a great looking house a designer is a great option to consider.

Filed Under: Decor and Design Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Best Home Renovation Choices

July 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment

 

BURBANK, CA - APRIL 11: A customer looks in t...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Unless you’re planning on putting your home on the market immediately, you should always choose a home renovation project based on what your family will enjoy the most. However, some additions or changes will add more value to your property than other choices. Although you will probably enjoy an in-ground pool immensely, this option usually adds the least amount to your home’s value although it can cost $10,000 or more. In some areas, a pool is almost a requirement, but it can actually decrease the marketability of your home in others.

 

Most experts agree that upgrading your kitchen or adding a new bathroom can deliver the best return on your investment in addition to years of enjoyment for your family. Carefully plan this project to make sure you don’t overshoot your budget while including the modern conveniences that you will use the most. Many new kitchens feature warming ovens, mar-free countertops, dual stovetops, and decorative tiles. For the bathroom, consider adding a bidet, a whirlpool tub, towel warmers, and maybe even a heated floor.

If you have unused space like a room above the garage or an unfinished basement or attic, this is the perfect way to increase your square footage without breaking the bank. With a little sheetrock, some flooring, and a fresh coat of paint, these areas can be turned into the perfect game room, home theater, or private retreat. By planning carefully, your family will enjoy this addition and you can recover most of the expenses when you sell your home.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Decor and Design, Home Owners Tagged With: , ,

To Decorate or Not to Decorate

July 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

 

Jotun decorative paints

Image via Wikipedia

Most real-estate experts recommend a neutral palette when selling a home. Basic colors achieve several goals. They allow the buyer to more easily imagine their own belongings in the space without the need to see through the owner’s sense of style. Whites and beiges make rooms seem larger by capturing more light, and lighter rooms appear cleaner and free from defects compared to dark spaces.

 

Of course, no one wants to live their entire life in a complete wash of white. If you plan on living in the home for five years or less, it may be smart to leave the colors alone. However, you’ll need to repaint after about five years regardless of your cleaning habits. Long-term homeowners should choose colors that make their home feel like a real home and worry about pleasing a new buyer when the time comes. Some homeowners now choose to gift their buyer with a redecorating allowance instead of repainting. This allows the new owners to pick their own colors in the first place instead of wasting that fresh coat of white paint.

In the past, decorators avoided dark colors because they were hard to cover with lighter tones when the time came to sell the home. However, new one-coat paints and heavy-duty primers have made this task a little easier. Even if you paint a wall jet black, you can usually turn it back to pristine white with as few as two coats of paint. In the meantime, you’ve enjoyed a color that truly speaks to your inner self.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Decor and Design, Home Owners Tagged With: , ,