BRAND NEW YEAR - BRAND NEW LOOK

If you follow my blog at all, you know how important I believe 'freshening' and 'updating' your home is to keeping or improving its overall value.

For most of us, our homes are our largest and most emotional investment.  Reams of research has shown that if your house is antiquated and out of date visually, it can devalue that investment when it comes time to sell. While you may not be anticipating a sale or refinance in the near future, when that time does come around it is much easier to deal with a few changes because you have kept your home updated, than to drown in a sea of changes and their overwhelming cost to be able compete in the current market and get the best possible return on your investment.

So, while you are making resolutions for change in the brand new year, why not set a few goals to update and freshen your home.

With that in mind, here are a few items on my list, as well as some suggestions:

Create that built-in you've been dreaming about.

Photo by Burnham Design

Built-ins are a great asset - I mean who doesn't need more storage?  A built-in bookcase or window bench with storage, always makes a room more beautiful and more useful.  It's on my list, too.

Mine will be in my master bedroom - the first room I'm tackling for the New Year.  I want built-in clothing storage (dresser) on the bottom and miles of shelves above - and no other furniture except for the bed and bedside tables....  

Create a statement at your entry - a fresh new first impression

Photo by Burnham Design

Go take a look at your entry as if you were a visitor coming to your home for the first time.  What impression does your front entry give?  You may not have a true 'entry' space - mine is a tiny landing and then a step down into the living room - but you can still create an 'entry' area that looks inviting and pulled together.

It's also on my list for 2017... I have these large antique corbels - just dying to make them into an entry shelf.  With such a small space at my front entry, this may just be the ticket to add function and a little drama!

Update your color scheme: change out fabrics and accessories

Photo by Carolyn Greco [Interior] Design

I know a lot of you are living with decades old color schemes.  I know this because I see it every day. Nothing dates a home more than old fashioned, dated colors.  The ticket to avoiding the curse of the outdated color palette is to have a base of neutrals.  I'm not talking beige here - nearly every color out there has a neutral - its a matter of finding a grayed down version of that color you crave.

I recently updated my own color scheme.    I went from color to neutrals and was blessed with instant calm.  This soothing new palette of cream, taupe and cool grays greets me with soothing bliss when I come in the door.  I can accent this palette with any hue I choose, because it looks good with virtually any color.  I chose to accent with navy/indigo - which is also a neutral - deciding against a pop of color just now in lieu of my new found calm and soothing palette.  I just found wonderful new navy accents at Pottery Barn I have my eye on to add more of that lovely color throughout the living room, so adding more of the accent color is on my list for 2017. I'm planning on pulling in a tufted navy or indigo blue ottoman as a coffee table and a fresh new rug for the family room.

But the future is wide open to whatever color strikes my fancy. All I have to do is change some accessories and a few pillows or an area rug to get a whole new look.     

Update your interior paint colors - 

I'm telling you: new paint will change your life....

I'm not kidding!  If you are living with decades old wall color, you deserve the lift fresh, current wall color can give you.  Warm tones were big the last decade or two - but warm colors move toward you, bringing those walls closer.  Try a gray toned color - your room will feel soft and soothing, cool and spacious.

I can't wait to change mine with brand new colors in the master suite!  It's definitely on my list for 2017!  I'm currently looking at Sherwin Williams COLLONADE GRAY and WORLDLY GRAY - with fresh white trim....   Any suggestions? 

Have you looked at that front door lately?  

Give it a fresh coat of a new color!  

Make it pop!

A shabby front door is the worst!  It's one of the first impressions of you and your home.  We repaint ours nearly every year, so its definitely on our list for 2017.  The sun hits our front door and after a while the paint starts to crack and fade a little.  The Hubs likes a nice fresh looking door - so he keeps it painted.  He fell in love with the dramatic glossy black doors in London, so we have a black front door, but I love it too.  Front doors should never blend in with the rest of the house.  Here, you can definitely use a bright pop of color, or a deep dramatic contrast.  Make sure there is no question as to where your door is, and make a statement!

Fireplace need a face lift?  

Upgrading a fireplace is really pretty simple.  I'm always a little surprised when I see a decades old home with the same builder grade brick fireplace it came with. 

We were fortunate in that the previous owner of our home upgraded the fireplace.  It has a nice deep painted wood mantle and surround and a nice stacked stone facade.  Still, the Hubs wants to change it a little - it has a little weird molding thing in the front that he can't stand and he's dying to get rid of - so its on the list for a little face lift for 2017.  

If you are living with ugly brick - here's a remodel that doesn't take a lot of $$. Notice here how the only demo was the raised hearth - they simply dry-walled over the existing brick and built the look they wanted from there.

You can also simply paint that brick and beef up your mantle...

 Or whitewash it.

 or cover it with a stone or faux stone veneer...

If you currently have a mantle and surround that needs a fresh look - paint it a fresh white and add some shiplap or paneling to the ceiling.

 Get rid of outdated yellow oak everywhere, 
especially on the staircase.

The men in our lives tend to hold wood grain sacred.

Even yellow-ish, orange-ish oak.

It's not about the wood.  Seriously.  

Its that particular type and color of wood that designates a certain era and says 'outdated'.  Let's be accurate... it SCREAMS 'OUTDATED'.  It can bring the whole house down.  It can devalue your home.  A fresh coat of white and a little detail molding will work wonders.

Of course, if you want to tear it out and replace it with beautiful, more current wood - be my guest!

I'm a fan of beautiful wood - but it's a pricey fix.

 The first thing I did when I moved into this house was to get rid of the horrible yellow oak banister and spindles by painting. It was the first thing you saw when you stepped in the door - it screamed 'welcome to the 90's'.

Once that was complete, I paneled the walls, removed the carpet and installed hardwood steps.

The staircase is now one of the best features of our home.

Give an old, tired, dark wood piece a fresh coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

and watch it gain a new lease on life

Sometimes you need a break from all the wood toned furniture in a room. Painted furniture gives your eye a chance to rest, a change, and can save you money by extending the life of an old outdated piece of furniture. Save the life of an old outdated piece by giving it a fresh new coat - Annie Sloan's Chalk paint seems to be a pretty simple DIY project.  I have several pieces at my house that would qualify for this project..... uh, Hubs...?  I have more to put on the 2017 list.....

How about some fresh new bedding?

Bedding can cost you a bundle.  I think that's why we tend to keep the same look for so long.

I've determined that a layered look is the easiest to change.  A neutral or white bedspread.

A colorful duvet or quilt folded down and matching shams and a few accent pillows - 

and when change feels necessary - changing the accent pillows or a duvet and shams is pretty simple

Redoing the master bedroom/bath puts this on my list, too.

Updating your lamps and accent pillows are inexpensive changes that make a big difference

I love changing out lamps. Especially the shades. Sometimes you can get away with an older lamp if you update the shade. Nothing dates a home faster than a really elaborate beaded or fringed lampshade -

it's amazing how a simple linen clean-lined lampshade can freshen a room.

Neutralize your living spaces.  

When you think about it, we wouldn't even be in this outdated rut if we invested in neutrals.

Changes are so much easier when you have a neutral background -
achieving a new look is as simple as bringing in a few new accessories and colors
 to add to that fresh neutral palette.

These two rooms have basically the same neutral palette for the large furnishings and wall color.
Virtually any color can be added to transform them into an entirely different look.
So simple.

Can't afford new flooring or carpet?  
How about a fresh new area rug.

Flooring can be a big dollar item to change.  If yours is really outdated and you crave new carpet or hardwood or tile - but that's not looking like an option anytime soon - find a way to disguise and freshen it by bringing in a new area rug.  Even if you have nice flooring - an area rug is a great way to add pattern, color and freshness to a room.

Change What You Look At

While we are at it, how long have you been looking at the same old photos, in the same old frames?

Or the same stale art on your walls?

I know those old oak framed school pictures are sentimental... but... can we please update them?

Put those in the photo album and have more current ones printed for the walls.

Your kids will thank you.

Try new updated frames, or new subject matter...  Bring in a little nature!

Light Up Your Life

Change out your light fixtures - get rid of those old dated pendants and chandeliers for new fresh

clean updated lighting.  An added perk is they will be more energy efficient, too.

Back-splashes are a quick change you can make 

for not a lot of dough

Its amazing the impact a few square feet of new tile will have on your kitchen!  There are so many amazing choices out there, too.  Consider expanding the area you cover in backsplash tile - surround a window or cover an empty wall.

Bathrooms should always be fresh!

Bathrooms are relatively easy to paint.  Not a lot of wall space in comparison to other rooms of the house.  A fresh coat will change your look, but while you are at it take a look at the faucets and the light fixtures.... need a change?  It's one of the best places to put your money - as dated bathrooms definitely scare buyers away...

What do you have on your list?
Are you planning bigger projects this year, or just quick refreshers?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  May it be prosperous!

SOLANA BEACH AND MORE DECORATING QUESTIONS.

I took a much needed 'girls day out' a few weeks ago with some friends.
I've had such a busy season that I jumped at the chance when Linda suggested we take the train south to Solana Beach for some fun.  That's Southern California coast to those of you who dwell in other parts!

It had been ages since I'd been on the train.  Not since my son was a pre-schooler and we decided it would be fun to take Amtrak down to San Diego and go to the zoo.  Which, by the way, was fun.

Back then it was the old silver and red single level train.  It is no longer red and has graduated to a double decker.   Now you can sit on the upper story and have ocean views all the way.

The train was very pleasant!  The hour long ride 'flew' by.

I didn't realize the town of Solana Beach was so small.  In fact I'm pretty sure I had it confused with Carlsbad... but we did find a little shopping area on Cedros Street and found an adorable store there called Ta Dah!.

They were kind enough to let me take some photos to share with you - be sure to visit them whenever you are in the area.  They have lots of lovely treasures - like the corbel wall lamps below - so cool, right?

So many cute things! And fun, creative displays.  Kristy has found something, too!

I loved the eclectic mix of old and new

 I brought home a starfish topped bottle for my collection and the most amazing smelling candle....

After shopping, we had lunch at Claire's on Cedros.  Honestly, the food was so good - another must if you are in the area!

So, I'm apologizing again for being too busy to get to reader questions in a timely fashion.  I'm really, really behind. I've been busy!  Not complaining, mind you.

So today is catch up day and I'm devoting this entire post (another thing I haven't been keeping up on) to answering questions from my valued readers!!

First - a question from Lynn:

Hello to you! I have been reading some of your posts and thought I would ask your suggestion for a paint color. I am wanting to update our small bathroom and am undecided on which approach I am needing. While I am wanting an updated color choice, I am also looking to create a spacious appearance. The major holdback for me is the fixed element in the room, being ceramic wall tile. Since it would be cost prohibitive to remove it, I have opted for the alternative for the time being. The border outline trim of the tile is probably a muted warm brown (think of cinnamon w/o the orange cast).

The field tile is a light creamy "butter" color, with specks of the brown color throughout. It is not a full fledged yellow, but more of a soft buttery cream color. I will be painting the wall surface above the tile,
as well as the vanity in the room. There is only one very small window for the room, and it lends very 
minimal light to the room, faces northwest direction.  Would I need a darker color, or should I be 
focusing on a basic light color choice? Will the vanity need to be painted the same color as the new 
color going on the wall or a color of its own ? I've been tempted to try something in the brown-grey 
category as you describe in your post about How to Pick the Perfect Wall Color. The only things that 
will be painted are the vanity and walls..possibly the two doors...and for now the floor will remain. I plan
on using a rug to camouflage it for now. The light bar will be replaced, and the window valance has 
already been removed. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated...many thanks! Lynn



Lynn,
Ah...the outdated bathroom dilemma.  Lucky you!  Lol!
Two possibilities come to mind.  A gray, or greige, as you mentioned - however, with the warm tone of 
the tile, you may need to go more gray.  A cooler contrast will probably look better.  In fact the second possiblity was a gray with a blue-ish undertone - I think that will play nicely against the cinnamon.
Have a look at these color combinations and see if you like that look.




 Sherwin Williams PEACOCK PLUME may be a little dark...so try something softer, like RAINWASHED or SEA SALT.





 Try Behr PRELUDE for this look.








Benjamin Moore SMOKE or PALE SMOKE








These are a couple of suggestions - but again - you will have to be the best judge as you see the 
samples of the colors in the actual room.   Good Luck!

Hi. I was online looking for help with paint colors last night and ran into some of your work. We had a room addition put on our house and I don't know where to begin. .. we have honey oak hard wood in our existing kitchen so we will continue it through out our new room with a large area rug.  Our furniture is dark brown leather sectional with oak trim around the windows. We will be ready to paint in two weeks,  there is also a small living room on the other side of the kitchen!  Excuse the mess. Thanks so much, frances 

Hi Frances..... Will you be applying a backsplash in the kitchen, or are you painting this area? I'm looking at colors that are neutral to combine the two rooms and that will not darken this space further.  Here are two colors that go very well with grays (counter top), and the pine and oak woods you have in the home.

Sherwin Williams:  ACCESSIBLE BEIGE 

Houzz

Elite Staging and Redesign

Sherwin Williams:  WORLDLY GRAY

Houzz

Houzz

Worldly Gray is one of my favorite, calm soothing colors - easy on the eye and has a warm beige undertone.  Accessible Beige is a cool beige color that goes with everything.  Both are neutral wall colors, so you can bring in any color in cushions, fabrics, and accessories that you desire and it will look great.  In addition, I would paint the oak trim white.  It needs to be a background, not a feature and oak has a way of jumping into the forefront.

Good luck!

Claudine
(I did hear back from Frances that she was going to use a subway tile backsplash in her kitchen... sounds great!)SaveSave