Treasure Hill Cottage

Let’s face it, selling a home isn’t what it used to be, and sellers need to use all the tools at their disposal to market their home to potential buyers. When it comes to rooms and living areas, the homebuyers can often see past poor choices of lighting, flooring, and paint, but updating a bathroom or kitchen can seem insurmountable. The fact is, no one wants a home with a bathroom or kitchen that looks like it belongs at grandma and grandpa’s house. It’s important for sellers to recognize that the bathrooms and kitchen are the two most important areas to market to buyers. This might include some expensive renovations like updating the countertops and appliances, but the investment will be returned to the seller, in addition to an offer on the home. When it comes to bathrooms and kitchens, the newest fad is granite slab countertops and stainless steel appliances. Homebuyers that see a home with these kinds of updates will have a whole different outlook.

It’s also a good idea to add some simple bathroom décor and kitchen décor to both spaces, as this will make the areas seem more livable, like a home rather than a house that could be a home.

You can decorate with a summer theme such as fruit (apples, strawberries, grapes), flowers (roses, carnations, daisies), or seaside nautical in addition to following some of the ideas listed below.

Add summer accessories around your home such as birdhouses, sea shells, bowls of fruits or vegetables, and summer reading materials.

If you have dark lampshades, replace them with lighter ones.

Repaint a dark hallway in your favorite hue such as buttery yellow, a creamy tan, or a fresh apple green.

Display a grouping of floral plates on a wall, hutch, or fireplace mantle.

Clean out the ashes in your fireplace and fill the firebox with a large artificial fern or a basket of colorful flowers.

Place twigs in tall vases and set on each side of the fireplace mantle.

To add summer whimsy to your bathrooms, hang lightweight fabric shower curtains printed with ladybugs, bees, flowers, or palm trees. Display matching hand towels and rugs to continue the summer theme.

Change the layout of your furniture to give your rooms a fresh, new look.

As you can see from the ideas listed above, a new lamp shade, adding new fabrics, or changing the paint color of a room can breathe new life into your interior design. So, have fun and use your imagination to bring some fresh new looks into your home for the summer season.

It is hard to believe that summer is only a few weeks away and that now is the perfect time to get ready to decorate.  Summer decorating is a wonderful time to lighten up the colors and fabrics in your home. While you may not be able to decorate every room, there are numerous ways to add summer flair.
 
Replace heavy drapery with light sheers. The sheers provide an airy appeal while letting in the sunshine. If removing your existing drapery is not an option, consider changing just the valance and tiebacks to a lighter color. Another option is to use grapevine wreaths, strands of beads, artificial flowers, or decorative ribbons as your tiebacks or swag holders.

Items that are not useful in the summer such as blankets, throws, and heavy quilts should be stored away and replace them with more colorful accent pieces.
 
Lighten up the color of your sofa by placing a slipcover on it or replacing your dark colored pillows with lighter colors.

Give the dining room and kitchen summer flair by placing light colored slipcovers on your all-wood dining room or kitchen chairs.

To add a lighter summer touch to your dark wood tables, use white lace or doilies as runners or tablecloths.

If you have a heavy bedspread, considering replacing it with a lightweight linen blanket.

Bring in the outdoors by adding fresh flowers in vases or baskets to counters, tabletops, and nightstands.

Decorating your home for the summer does not have to be complicated or cost a lot of money.

In order to get the best sound out of stereo speakers, it’s important to put them in an area that allows the sound to project outwards towards the listeners. For the most part, a corner in between two walls is the best place for a stereo receiver and speakers. Stereo surround speakers are a bit different of course, but for the standard two speaker stereo, placement in a corner will project the sound throughout the area. It’s also a good idea to have the speakers suspended about three to five feet above the ground. This can be done with wall mountings, or a standard corner cabinet. Because wall mountings are expensive and often incompatible with a lot of speaker sizes, the corner cabinet is a safer option for most people, plus it can also house the receiver as well as CDs and other media.

When choosing a stereo, don’t skimp on the speakers. Even if the receiver isn’t of premium quality, poor speakers and an outstanding receiver will still produce a terrible sound. While a lesser quality receiver and excellent speakers will sound much the same. It’s the speakers that make all the difference, and in addition, it’s possible to attach the same speakers to a better receiver at some future date.

When designing the bathroom, it’s important to mix function and fashion.  There are numerous benefits to having extra storage and space in the bathroom, which is why it’s best to start with the cabinets.  While a stand alone sink can be fashionable, a sink with a cabinet is much better for storage.  You might also consider installing a wall cabinet or an old fashioned mirror cabinet.  Having a bathroom linen cabinet is also a great idea; there’s nothing worse than having to run down the hall to get a towel or washcloth while you’re taking a shower!  Once you have the cabinetry picked out, the rest of the bathroom will fall into place much easier.  Select a color of paint or wallpaper to compliment the cabinetry, and use bright lighting to illuminate the space.

The most functional bathrooms should be bereft of a lot of accessories that clutter up countertop space.  Pictures and portraits can be a nice addition in the bathroom, but keep photographs out unless you want your guests to feel weird! 

My last article spoke of some of the different patio surfaces that are available. This article will touch upon multi level designs.

The higher your door is above the ground and the topography of your landscape will govern how high your patio will be and if multi levels are needed. If there is a four inch to eight inch difference, you can plan on just stepping onto the patio. However, if your doorway is higher, some creative design work must be done. Many times a nice sized landing to step onto, then a few steps down to the patio. This provides a comfortable area to step onto, rather than just a narrow step. If your door is very high, you can also add some steps off the patio. The idea is to create a gradual transition to ground level.

Seat walls are a nice addition to patios. They not only provide something attractive and vertical to look at, but also offer additional seating and a nice place for conversation. Seat walls should be eighteen to twenty four inches high and a minimum of twelve inches deep. The top of the wall should be flat. For example, if the seat wall is to be made of natural stone, a bluestone cap provides a comfortable seat and also a resting place for food or drinks.

Think about some nice features to add to your patio. The sound of water from a natural or formal pond or fountain at the edge or nearby is both beautiful and peaceful. Perhaps a special sculpture works well in the design. If your patio is in a hot and sunny area, consider a pergola or trellis for shade.  

Considering all of these design elements will lead to a patio project that is aesthetic, functional and enjoyable.

Thinking about an outdoor patio design can be both fun and confusing. You might be imagining entertaining your family and friends. Perhaps relaxing quietly enjoying the peace and quiet is a nice thought or even listening to some trickling water. Yet, how do you go about creating a patio design that you will really be happy with? Where do you start? There are many design aspects to consider.

How large do you need your patio to be? As a guide, a sixty inch round table and chairs would need about fifteen feet of space. This allows for chairs to be maneuvered and also allows for access around the furniture. A lounge needs approximately ten feet of space. A patio about 300 square feet is a decent size. (15ft. x 20ft. = 300 sq. ft.)

Work with a design that compliments the architecture of your home. Sometimes the simplicity of interesting geometric shapes and paving patterns look elegant. In other situations, arched design might blend in better with natural surroundings.Are you looking for an inexpensive solution?

Are you looking for an inexpensive solution? If you have a large area to do and a small budget to work with colored concrete may be the way to go.  There are many design patterns to choose from or create one of your own by setting decorative stepping stones into the concrete.  Use Travertine pavers for the natural stone look.  They are actual stone but are cut into regular shapes for an easy, dry laid installation. Bluestone is always beautiful whether it is laid in mortar or dry laid. You can choose irregular shapes for an informal look or regular shapes for a more formal area.

When it comes to decorating the home, there are thousands of different options in terms of paint, furniture, and accessories, and it can seem a little overwhelming.  When decorating, it’s important to have a theme in mind for the space.  You might apply a theme to the entire home, or just to one specific room, but having a theme in mind will help to select the right home décor.  Some of the most common themes include rustic, classic, and Asian.  Rustic home décor includes soft earth tones for the paint, as well as rustic Southwestern style furniture and accessories.  The classic look is one of refinement; including rich wood, plush leather, and colors like dark blue, black, and crimson.  Asian home décor is becoming more popular in the West, with wooden screen doors, tatami mats, and accessories ranging from dragons to wall scrolls featuring Chinese characters. 

Once you’ve selected a theme for the home décor in a room, finding the right pieces to complete the motif becomes much easier.  Don’t be afraid to use your imagination, the more there is of you in the room, the better! 

Big or small, a beautiful garden has more to offer than just pretty flowers – it creates color and texture, interest and conversation, relaxation and enjoyment. And, depending on the gardener behind the trowel, it can convey a sense of whimsy, personality, enchantment or class. One of the best – and easiest – ways to add a little character to your outdoor living space is to add the right garden décor.

Who wouldn’t love to live in their dream home?  Whether it’s a classic Victorian, a Southern plantation, or an upscale condominium, it’s fun to think about what would be included in our dream homes.  While most people will never have their dream home, it’s nice to provide such a home for our feathered friends who live in our backyard.  Now birds might not be too particular about the space they nest inside (other than having four walls and a roof), but it’s fun to think about animals living in a little birdhouse that matches the idea for your dream home.  Decorative birdhouses make a great addition to the backyard. 

It’s important to remember that birdhouses serve as more than decorations, they’re also replacements for bird habitat.  We chop down the large trees and shrubs that birds might nest inside to build homes, and when we replace those objects with viable nesting locations, we are repairing the bird’s natural habitat.  It’s the duty of all homeowners to have birdhouses in their backyard to accommodate our feathered friends.  In return, the birds keep our yards free from harmful insects and provide aesthetic entertainment.