You’ve finally decided to remodel that 1970s kitchen. Out with the Avocado Green; out with the Harvest Gold tile. Wait! Those colors are back.

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.   

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So, you want to sell your home? The days when sellers could slap on a coat of paint and stick a FOR SAL E sign in their lawn are gone.

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.   

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The Tuscan style with its warm sun-kissed palette is a one of the most colors popular kitchen trend today. Here are some tips to bring that Old World charm into your home.

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

(more…)   

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In recent years, the answer was to call a contractor to make it bigger. However today’s soft housing market and high-dollar home equity loans have tempered consumer spending.

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.   

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Even the most beautifully designed homes have a dirty little secret: a cluttered, dull and dreary bedroom.

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.   

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Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping and paint is cracking. Yes! It’s spring time again. Here are some things you need to consider, before heading out to the paint store.

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.   

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