Presuming you have a design, licensed contractor and building permits; there are some things to consider before bringing in the wrecking crew.

1. Temporary Kitchen. Patios are ideal. Water and drain lines in exterior walls, can occasionally be temporally routed to a utility sink. It beats washing dishes in the bathtub.
2. Construction Zone. Stay out of the way. It’s for your safety.
3. Be flexible! Unexpected situations will occur.
4. Contractor’s Aid. Designate a bathroom; keep snacks and nonalcoholic drinks coming.

Keep your sense of humor! You’ll soon have the home you desired.

Here are some tips, to get them to say “I got to have it!”

1. Declutter! Your home will be more inviting.
2. Accessorize, less is more. Remove potentially offensive objects; this includes game trophies. Fresh flowers are safe.
3. Color is the primary reason why people purchase, more than 60% of the time. Paint your home in color.
4. Curb appeal. The outside speaks about what’s inside; have it speak well.

-Paint door
-Polish hardware
-Replace welcome mat

By highlight your home’s strengths and downplay its weaknesses it appeals to the largest amount of prospective buyers.

Floors:

• Tumbled stone, weathered tile, accented with painted tiles reminiscent of an Italian farm house

Cabinets:

• Cozy aged woods
• Storage nitches for an unstructured look
• Hand-hammered hardware

Counters:

• Granite or quartz surface
• Tumbled stone or tile backsplash

Walls:

• Faux finish in Terracotta’s and oranges
• Artisan details, painted grape vines or flowers

Windows:

• Roman shade
• Gossamer fabric on an iron rod

With these simple tips your Tuscan kitchen is not that far away.

Here’s how to maximize your home’s space without increasing its square footage.

1. If your refrigerator backs up to the garage or closet, many times it can be recessed so that there is more kitchen space.
2. Multifunctional furniture is critical. Storage ottomans serve as coffee tables and a place to conceal items when unexpected guest arrive.
3. Tankless water heaters save space and money.
4. Table and floor lamps add clutter. Recessed can lights free up valuable floor space.

Most importantly, small homes encourage family interaction; they are less expensive to power not to mention quicker to clean.

Since the bedroom is a private space it’s generally the last to be designed: unfortunately with the smallest budget, often making it the houses’ stepchild to the beautiful abode.

Bedrooms should be tactile and sensual. We spend one third of our lives in bed — we might as well do it in luxury.

TIPS:

1. Neutral, earth based color schemes are nurturing; medium to dark browns are ideal because they soothe the soul.
2. Selecting furniture in the right scale is critical. Make a to-scale drawing of your bedroom before buying furniture.
3. Use high thread count linens.

Remember bedrooms should support the three R’s:Rest, Rejuvenation, and let’s not forget Romance.

1. Color! You can wildly spin your color wheel on the interior, but not on the exterior.
2. Consider the neighborhood’s palette; do you need to comply?
3. Most paint companies have excellent palettes to choose from.
4. To be safe! Paint areas with test quarts on your home; view it at different times of the day.
5. The direction of the sun’s exposure impacts the color. UV light hits the Southern exposure the most; causing the most damage.

Paint will give you the biggest bang for the buck; it protects your largest investment.

Have you ever applied cosmetics, walked outside and said….EAK!! Blame it on your bathroom.

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you select color that complement color your skin tone. When creating custom interior color palettes, I place paint chips next to my client’s face to find their ideal color.

Valspar Au Lait Ole would be a good choice

Benjamin Moore’s Cappuccino could also work nicely

Latte-like hues with pink/red undertones work for most, unlike sage green or teal.

Also keep in mind that fluorescent lighting may be energy efficient; however they aren’t created equal. Installing quality lighting in your home prior to selecting colors…or applying make up…is recommended.

If you like the idea of dark, dramatic colors for the bath reserve them for a guest baths. Lighter hues are better for primary baths.

Resources:

Both rooms pictured were created with House Beautiful PaintBrush

Find your local Valspar retailer

Find your local Benjamin Moore retailer

**Please note: Due to individual computer monitor limitations, colors seen here may not accurately reflect Valspar or Benjamin Moore paint colors. Please refer to an actual product sample for an accurate rendition of the color.

You have alerted your relatives and friends. Now you can just kick back and wait, right? Wrong!

You have several things to do prior to baby’s arrival, one of which is to “Feather The Nest” (design the nursery).

This room was designed for the NSO Showhouse by Bixler Studios

Tips:

• Yellow is a color that encourages communication which in turn may mean your baby will cry more in a yellow room; calming colors in greens, blues and browns may allow both you and your baby to get a better night’s sleep.
• Keep the bed away from the window; drapery controls are dangerous.
• If using antique cribs make sure the distance between the spindles do not exceed 3”.

Most importantly, the room should stimulate your baby’s senses while providing a soothing, nurturing environment in which they can grow.