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8 HOME IMPROVEMENTS TO BOOST YOUR HOME'S VALUE!

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:17:12 +0100

DECK – A deck adds enormously to the appeal and value of your home, in the neighborhood of around 80% of its cost when you decide to sell.

LANDSCAPING & HARDSCAPING – The front landscaping of your house goes a long way toward giving your house that WOW factor. How much the value is increased depends on the extent of change. “Smart Money” magazine said that quality landscaping could increase home value as much as 15%.

BATHROOM UPDATE – Bathrooms are close to the top. You can do as little as replacing faucets to as much as an entire gut rehab that includes new flooring, vanities, toilet, garden tub and freestanding shower and get from 75 to 100% of your costs back when you sell and boost your value accordingly.

KITCHEN – Updates range from replacing cabinet fronts and hardware to installing new counters, flooring, sink, faucets and wallcovering or paint and see your value jump from 75% to nearly 100% of what you spent on the remodel.

NEW APPLIANCES – Adding new, energy-efficient appliances to a kitchen remodel ups the ante and is likely to push you closer to the nearly 100% number when it comes to how much it increases your home’s value at selling time.

HARDWOOD FLOORING – Flooring is one of the first things noticed by home buyers. With the increased popularity of hardwood flooring it will make your house more appealing, a real plus in a down housing market.

FRONT DOOR – Every real estate agent’s mantra is curb appeal, curb appeal, curb appeal! Replacing or renovating your front door, one of the first impressions buyers get of your house, is likely to recoup just about 100% of what you pay.

WINDOWS – You’ve heard that the eyes are the windows into the soul, likewise windows let you see into the soul of a house. Expect to boost your sales price by about 80% of what the improvement costs.

Let JR help you with any of the above improvements!

Ideas for Clutter-free Living! (Living Rooms)

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:41:58 +0100

Buy bigger bookcases than what you need. They will look good even if half-empty.

Hide unsightly CDs and remote controls in decorative boxes or baskets. Put some of the baskets in your half-empty bookcase.

Keep your entry console, desk or cabinet under control. Store bills, invitations and keys in drawers or attractive boxes.

Use cable covers for all those cables and unsightly wires.

Do you have picture lights? Paint the wire the same color as the wall so it disappears.

Invest in an attractive rack for your magazines and put in your bookcase.

Drape a shawl, sari or tablecloth over a table and store your STUFF underneath!

Pull your sofa away from the wall and put a console table behind it.....this is where I hide my stereo and speakers!

Stay tuned for clutter-free kitchens!!

Uncluttered But Not Uninteresting Home Decor!

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 02:46:15 +0100

UP the visual impact of your interior by creating the perfect uncluttered contemporary space. To master the art of "paring down" or "scaling down" adopt an entirely different approach to furnishing your home or office. You may be saying "yes, but where do I stash all the piles of paper, children's toys, books and magazines I want to read"? First, opt out of the buying mode. It's not easy especially since we have been programmed in the belief that stuffing our homes with designer objects and accessories will automatically make it stylish. Well chosen piece of furniture, fabric or art will, of course, favor any interior. Don't dilute the visual impact of what you buy. I believe that less stuff looks better.

Take things gradually. Getting rid of an outdated or unwanted item is very therapeutic. Don't live with what you don't love. Do you still have a hand-me-down you accepted because it was a freebie; a wedding present still in the original box; the out-dated drapes that you've been meaning to replace. Step back and take a good look at what you've got and dispose of anything you don't need or like.

Stay tuned for Ideas for Clutter-free Living Rooms!

Candlelight

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:45:10 +0100

Scour thrift stores, resale shops and craft shops for different height candleholders. Spray paint them silver and gold or a color that matches your decor. Arrange them on a small table or a tray. Buy squatty candles in one color that are a tiny bit smaller than the diameter of the candleholders. Arrange them with the tallest in the back and the shortest ones in front. My cost for this display was approximately $65 for 10 candleholders, candles and paint. Big impact at a low cost!!

Tutorial for Twin-Set into 4-pieces

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:46:31 +0100

Cut off the sleeves of the cardigan a half-inch into the body of the cardigan. This will be the seam edge. Fit the sleeves into the opening of the shell and sew on top about 1/4 inch from edge of shell.
Cut off the button placket with a 1/2 inch seam and turn under and top sew for a finished ribbon-like band:

Sew to neck edge of shell...centering it and stretching a bit when you sew so it will lie into the curve of the neckline:

Cut the remaining body of the cardigan and make a tube.......mine measured about 13 inches.......and sew a seam and top and bottom hems. I added wide straps......depends on how much fabric you have available.

This piece can now be used as a cowl neck scarf, a tube top or a hood:

Not bad for an investment of $7...and of course, my time!

Turn a Boring Twin-Set into a 4-Way Garment

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:44:33 +0100

Twin-sets, sleeveless pullover shells with matching long-sleeve cardigans, have sashayed in and out of style for the last 50 years. I snagged five sets for a paltry $5 to $7 each at various Goodwills and Thrift Towns. The one shown here was brand new and is labeled "August Silk"....made of silk and cotton knit:
I cut off the sleeves from the cardigan and sewed them to the sleeveless shell. Cut the strip with all the buttons on the cardigan and used it as trim on the round neck of the shell.
Took the remaining body of the cardigan and made a tube top that can be used as a cowl neck scarf, a tube top or a hood! If you get inspired go to the tutorial here.

Now I have four pieces that I can mix and match with other pieces of my wardrobe! Do you have any other ideas on how to restyle a twin-set?

4 Eco-friendly Tips for Office Interiors

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:13:27 +0100

More and more people are gearing up towards conserving nature. Environmental knowledge is steering us toward green office furniture that many organizations now prefer. Here are four eco-friendly tips that you can use to go green now:

Modular offices go a long way in conservation of nature. Less material is required to set up such offices so less funds are needed to pay for a new set-up. Modular offices that are small in size mean a lower price for the square footage.

Using recycled or used furniture makes a great contribution towards environmental conservation. The recent economic climate has caused many firms to downsize so this generates huge opportunities for new businesses and saves trees from being felled.

New furniture can be as eco-friendly as second-hand if you make sure that the new furniture's materials can be recycled and have been manufactured locally to cut down on heavy emissions.

Assure that the woods used in the products are not endangered and NEVER buy furniture with foam whose production has released CFC's into the atmosphere.

Remember that Eco-friendly+Eco-nomical=Eco-fabulous!

8 Down and Dirty Tricks Interior Designers Use to Increase the Value of your Home

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:55:40 +0100

Do you want to remodel your home to get the best price in the market or do you want to remodel for a better quality of life? Are you asset rich but time poor? An interior designer can achieve amazing results, save you time and aggravation and give your home or office a "WOW" factor. An upgraded kitchen and bath lead as the top improvements that increase the value of a property. If you do not want to gut them and start from scratch, here are 8 down and dirty tricks that are low-cost but high value.
   1. Paint your kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Don't skimp on the paint in these areas. They need to be high quality.
   2. Change out all the door and drawer hardware. This is fairly inexpensive and you can do-it-yourself.
   3. Change the light fixtures. Go modern or go eclectic by spray-painting a crystal chandelier in glossy white, black or red depending on your color scheme. If you painted the room in gray with off-white trim, the red chandelier would make a great "wow" factor.
   4. Paint your floor. I painted an old cork floor in black and white squares and sealed them with a clear sealer. If your wood floors have seen better days, paint them with a cool design or squares.
   5. Is your backsplash plain and boring? Find a colorful wallpaper remnant, attach a piece of clear acrylic to protect the wallpaper and voila, you have a unique, one-of-a-kind look!
   6. If you have a plain, unadorned wall in your home, make it a focal point. Buy a calendar with themed pictures and mat and frame them. Hang them as a collage of four, six or nine. Be sure to use the same color and style frame. If you like black and white photo walls, print the pictures you have chosen in black and white.
   7. Get new faucets in kitchen and bathroom. You can buy them at home improvement stores and are pretty easy to install if you are handy.
   8. Replace your doorknobs with lever handles. They are easier to use if you have a disability or arthritis.
So there you are. You can do these low-cost improvements or you can hire someone to do them for you. How much is your time worth?

Living Large on a Small Budget

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:13:10 +0100

Survival means adjusting our lifestyles to fit a new economy. Everybody has had to confront how to live in a challenging economic time. I think it's important that we come up with solutions that will work for homeowners across the country.

Homebuilders are looking for ways to decrease the size of the home without having a major impact on buyers. The average home size is down 20%. Mortgage payments that people can afford means adjusting lifestyles to accommodate a smaller home. My challenge as a designer is how to make that smaller home as comfortable as a larger home.

(c) 2009 Scott Hargis Photo

A few things to consider:

Forego formal living and dining rooms and instead design a more livable, usable space such as the "Big Room". This design eliminates hallways for a smaller footprint that costs less to build. Select smaller furniture with straight lines and use fewer but larger accessories and pieces of art.

Color creates ambiance and value. Grays are replacing beiges. Accent colors that are "in" this year are purple and yellow. We're seeing a lot of blue in the design palette and white is making a comeback on furniture and furnishings.

Many new communities have a rec room or clubhouse that can be used for entertaining. If you have input, recommend that your rec room be outfitted with upgraded surfaces such as cork or bamboo floors and a kitchen with quality energy-efficient appliances and anti-bacterial counters.

Your outdoor area can act as an extension of your home's living area and with the right planning can add valuable square footage. Kitchens and baths are the most expensive parts of a house but with an experienced eye and knowledgeable purchasing they can be functional, beautiful and eco-friendly.

As we design homes and offices to complement the owner's lifestyle, flexibility in the design is critical. The home has to be comfortable, well lit and functional. People are staying home and entertaining more so kitchens and outdoor areas are even more important now than a year ago.

It is very important that the owners, architect and designer work together from the beginning of the planning stage in order to come up with an eco-friendly plan that does not have to be changed once work has started.

What other ways have you found to live large on a small budget?

Oh Scrap!

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:14:26 +0100

Am always on the "hunt" for treasures. I heard about "Scrap," a warehouse that is tucked away in an "iffy" industrial area of San Francisco. It is a step-up from the dump. So, I ventured out in jeans and a cashmere sweater ($7 at Thrift Town), tote bag, camera, cash and a sense of adventure.

Right away I knew that it would be a productive hunt--in the front yard were barrels filled with bolts of knit fabrics for $3 to $5 each. I selected a black, tan and rust one that had "comfortable travel outfit" written all over it! I predict a straight pull-on skirt and a loose tunic. I already own a wide black leather belt for just the right touch. If there is any fabric left over I will make a headband that also can double as a hatband. Awesome!! (Here's how the project turned out)

Right inside the front door were boxes and boxes of calendars of Frank Lloyd Wright's houses, Japanese artist Hokusai, fruits and vegetables and modern art masters--all for $1.00 each. I will frame and hang them in groupings of four, six or nine for a frugalicious display. A huge wall had quality blank cards for 10 cents each plus 5 cents if you could match an envelope. I make my own envelopes at times from colored paper or old maps.

I bought 3 x5 post-it note pads with Zyrtec written on top for 50 cents. It beats paying $3 for one regular post-it. At least it didn't say Viagra! Another item I couldn't pass up was a wood antler holder for $1 which I can utilize as a plant stand.

In total I spent $9 for an hour and half of rummaging through this big warehouse. I passed up lucite panels, 1x6 inch pieces of wavy brown glass, buttons, corks, copy paper, fabric remnants, binders, wreaths, rhinestone buckles, patterns and tote bage. There was more but I left it for another day. There is only so much excitement I can stand!!

Two weeks later I invited my girlfriend Jane for lunch to celebrate her birthday, but after I told her about my great finds she decided that she would rather shop at Scrap. Another frugal diva! Yes!
Here is Jane signing up at Scrap:

Eco-friendly+Eco-nomical=Eco-fabulous!