It’s that time of year when we think about plants and gardens. I’m not a gardener but enjoy plants and love the colors that they can bring to any space. With that in mind, I wanted to offer a few indoor plant ideas that are easy to care for and anyone can find success:
All About Light
The first thing I notice when I go into someone’s home is the lighting. The #1 reason why a room may not “feel” right to you can be because of the color and types of light you use in a room. Every kind of light throws a different color, look and feel.
Planning Spring Outdoor Projects
I don’t know about you; I am very ready for spring, warm weather, and outdoor entertaining! As we head into April, it may be a good time to come up with your outdoor decor and decide if there are any outdoor projects you want to consider doing and to take stock of what you have and what you want to change. Continue reading Planning Spring Outdoor Projects
Home Staging: Top 5 Issues
I wanted to end my series on home staging with an article on the top five issues I run into while staging properties and how to correct them. In case you missed my other two articles they are, “Are you selling your home this year?” and “5 Point Checklist for Getting your Home Ready to Sell.” Continue reading Home Staging: Top 5 Issues
5 Point Checklist for Getting Your Home Ready to Sell
Moving is in the top 10 list of life’s most stressful events. As a move may be a result of downsizing, or dealing with challenging life events, managing the transition can be difficult. As a professional stager, I offer a fresh perspective on a home, and I understand the emotions involved in moving. I have personally relocated over fourteen times in my life, trust me I get it. Buyers like a home based on how they feel when they walk into it, they make an instant impression. As a home stager, I understand how to maximize your home’s assets so that you can sell your home quickly and for the most money. Continue reading 5 Point Checklist for Getting Your Home Ready to Sell
Are you selling your home this year?
The start of the best time to sell your home is after the Super Bowl and springtime historically has been an excellent time to put your house on the market. I recently read an article on Zillow that pulled together country-wide statistics, though this varies by area, for home selling that said: Continue reading Are you selling your home this year?
Surviving a Kitchen Renovation or Remodel
This article is part three of my kitchen renovation series and focuses on how to live without a kitchen during a renovation. If you missed the other two articles here are the links: “2018 Kitchen Trends” and “You Want to Remodel your Kitchen, What’s Next.”
The first step is to determine what you will need during the demo and construction phases. Also, ask your contractor for a schedule of expectations, that way when delays occur you have documentation. Understand that you need to have all of your fixtures, colors, elements selected and purchased before the remodel begins. If you add extra items or work that are outside of the contract scope, this can cause delays in completion.
Be patient and realize you will have a beautiful kitchen when you are done!
Discuss with your contractor how they will minimize the mess and dust during construction. Be sure your kitchen is ready for the workers. Therefore, your kitchen will need to be emptied. Take this opportunity to get rid of things that are old or that you do not want or need. Give away what you no longer want, store what you want to keep, and keep daily used items in bins.
5 Steps to create your temporary kitchen area:
- Set up a table that can hold your necessary small appliances: coffee maker, toaster or toaster oven, microwave. If you don’t have an extra table, you can pick up a folding table inexpensively from Target. Or purchase a cart for your needs that can be later repurposed in another room, or incorporated into your new kitchen.
- If you plan to replace your refrigerator and will be removing it from the house, see if your contractor can move it to an area where you can continue to use it and have them remove it when the job is done. Or find a mini-frig on your local Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist if you don’t want to buy a new one.
- Stock up on Biodegradable Products: Plates, utensils, cups. Clean up will be a breeze!
- Use boxes or plastic bins with lids marked for day-to-day use.
- Have ready meal options: Think sandwich fixings, peanut butter, healthy snacks (protein bars), dried fruit, nuts, soup. Plan to use your grill for dinners, buy ready-made salads at your grocer.
If you are stuck pulling your design elements together, I can help you pick the right colors and accents, so you do not make costly mistakes or feel like you have to live with something you don’t like. Call me 
610.955.8202 or email, and I can help you create the beautiful kitchen of your dreams!
By Debbie Correale, founder and owner of Redesign Right, LLC. You can learn more about her at RedesignRight.com. Find her on Facebook.com/RedesignRight, Twitter @RedesignRight, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Houzz, Google+ and Instagram. Feature photo from Houzz: Witt Construction.
You Want to Remodel Your Kitchen, What’s Next?
It’s exciting and daunting when you start down the road of a remodel, especially when it’s your kitchen. Since the kitchen acts as the central hub of the household, it’s a challenge when it’s out of commission. This article helps you to create a plan to get you started.
What do you want?
Have a family meeting, discuss and decide what you do not like about your current kitchen. I would suggest having a separate notebook or folder where you keep your kitchen remodel documentation.
Ask yourself and all family members what they think they need in the kitchen, and be sure to document this information. The next step is to prioritize the order of the items you do not like. If you need direction, HGTV offers worksheets you can print out: How do you use your kitchen? and What are your kitchen goals?
Next, determine what style you want in your kitchen. The number of products and colors can be intimidating so you will want to be prepared with ideas and a plan when you talk with a contractor. Save ideas and pictures in an IdeaBook on Houzz of all the features that you want in a kitchen. Determine your timeline. Custom kitchen cabinets can take three months or more to get to you; prebuilt cabinets may take up to six weeks.
What is your favorite kitchen style?
In my experience, this is where people seem to get bogged down in the process. If you have ever walked into a kitchen store, you are overwhelmed by the choices, unsure how to pull it together. Go through these photos to get an idea of things you like, and reach out to me for a consultation to help you pick the right elements. Making the right choices can save you money and aggravation. Keep on the latest kitchens trends as detailed in my last post, “2018 Kitchen Trends.”
Create a Budget
The hardest part is matching what you want with your budget, that’s why it’s important to sit down and create a list of what you want from your kitchen. The types of remodels that involve changing plumbing, adding new electrical wiring, structural changes all mean higher costs. Understanding the cost of items will give you some idea of the overall project scope. According to HomeAdvisor, the basic rule is that a remodel should cost no less than 5% of the home’s value and no more than 15%.
Breakdown of the budget by Home Advisor and the National Kitchen & Bath Association:
- Cabinets 30%
- Countertop 10%
- Flooring 2-7%
- Appliances 14%
- Plumbing – keeping the pipes intact 4-5%
- Electrical 5%
- Generally, labor is 20-35% of your budget. That tells you if you can do it yourself, try to. Always save a portion of your budget toward the things that will bring you the most joy.
Get Quotes
To find a Kitchen Remodel Contractor you can use the Find a Pro feature in Houzz, and they will contact you. Another idea is to reach out to your neighborhood on Facebook and ask if they would recommend a contractor or ask your friends.
Next week I will offer some ideas as to how you can survive a kitchen remodel. If you need help picking the palette of your kitchen walls, cabinets, backsplash, countertop, and flooring colors give me a call 610.955.8202 or email for a consultation!
By Debbie Correale, founder and owner of Redesign Right, LLC. You can learn more about her at RedesignRight.com. Find her on Facebook.com/RedesignRight, Twitter @RedesignRight, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Houzz, Google+ and Instagram. Featured photo from Houzz: Right Arm Construction.
2018 Kitchen Trends
Are you planning on a kitchen renovation or remodel this year? Houzz released their US kitchen trends study, and I wanted to give you some of the highlights that may help you with your decision making process. They surveyed 1,734 homeowners about their kitchen renovation projects and here are few of the results:
- Engineered quartz is the most popular countertop material over granite in urban and suburban areas.
- Regarding kitchen style, more homeowners are choosing a transitional style with contemporary and farmhouse styles.
- One of the homeowners’ biggest issues was dealing with clutter. They wanted fewer things on the counter and more built-in areas to store appliances and ways to remain organized.
The cost of remodeling varies on many factors such as the size of your kitchen, the extent of your renovation, and where you live. Houzz offers some cost information so you can compare in your area, click here to download the full survey results. Another resource worth visiting is Home Advisor, they offer costs for each area of the project, click here to review.
Overall, of those surveyed, the most popular kitchen included stainless steel appliances, engineered quartz countertop, wood floors, and white shaker-style cabinets. The white backsplash is still popular as homeowners want a clean look in their kitchen, also, the most popular wall color, gray.
Examples of popular kitchen designs:
Now that I’ve got your creative thoughts going, next week I will offer the steps to take to get your project started!
For all your redesign, color consultations, and home staging needs give me a call 610.955.8202 or email.
By Debbie Correale, founder and owner of Redesign Right, LLC. You can learn more about her at RedesignRight.com. Find her on Facebook.com/RedesignRight, Twitter @RedesignRight, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Houzz, Google+ and Instagram. Feature photo from Houzz: Dijeau Poage Construction.
New Kitchen and Bath Products 2018
By Rev-A-Shelf Louisville – See more Home Design Photos
The Kitchen & Bath Industry along with the National Kitchen & Bath Association held their 2018 industry show in early January, and it’s always fun to see the fantastic products that will be coming our way soon. First, a brief explanation of KBIS:
“KBIS, in conjunction with the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), is an inspiring, interactive platform that showcases the latest industry products, trends and technologies. KBIS is the voice of the kitchen and bath industry and has been for 50 years.”
Each year they select the “Best of KBIS” products, and I wanted to share that information with you, here is the rundown:
I have created a Pinterest Board for the products so you can easily see and read about them, click here to view the Best of KBIS 2018 Award Winners. The list:
- Best of Kitchen: Gold – Tresco Lighting by Rev-A-Shelf – Snap Panel Lighting
- Best of Kitchen: Silver – FlexWash + FlexDry by Samsung Electronics
- Best of Bath Gold and Best in Show – Grid by Kallista
- Best of Bath: Silver – DeKAURI designed by Daniel Germani for Cosentino
- Best of Smart Home Technology – Front Load Washer with QuickDrive by Samsung Electronics
I also wanted to share a technology highlight from the show. Have you always wanted a magic mirror that you could talk to in the morning? Your wish has come true with Kohler’s Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror that has a built-in Amazon Alexa system.
Find the perfect medicine cabinets on Houzz
Other technology news from the Consumer Electronics Show 2018 also held in January highlighted Samsung for their next generation of refrigerators, the Family Hub series that monitors what’s in your refrigerator and helps to manage your food, shopping, and communications it’s all part of making our homes “smarter.”
I know this won’t surprise you, they’ve advanced the Family Robot system, Buddy, the family assistant. What next?
Next week you can look forward to an article on Kitchen trends, designs, and product choices.
For all your interior redesign, home decorating, color consultations, home staging and training needs, contact Debbie 610.955.8202 or email.
By Debbie Correale, founder and owner of Redesign Right, LLC. You can learn more about her at RedesignRight.com. Find her on Facebook.com/RedesignRight, Twitter @RedesignRight, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Houzz, Google+ and Instagram. Feature photo from Houzz: Rev-A-Shelf.