Yves Saint Laurent astutely noted that “Fashions fade; Style is eternal.”
I believe that this concept is applicable to your home. I also believe that your home should be an expression of who you are and how you feel at any given point in your life (fashion), and that it can also have timeless, iconic features that will flow with you seamlessly into each of these stages (style).
So, what are some elements that you can easily enhance which will give your space lasting viability while accommodating subtle or dramatic transitions to the more subtle features of your home, such as décor, accessories, etc.?
Here we will discuss a few ways you can create a perennial characteristic without having to undergo any major remodeling.
1) Creating More Open Space: Getting rid of an unnecessary wall to open-up a room can have a major effect on your home. We’ve had several clients ask us to remove obsolete walls which gives you the appearance of more usable square footage.
Another way to create more space is learning how and where to place furniture and accent pieces to achieve fluidity.
You can also do-away with archetypal notions of what each room’s purpose is; if you have no real use for a formal dining room, convert it into an office, a lounge, a yoga studio, whatever. You are not there to conform to the space, the space is there to conform to you.
2) Adding New Lighting: It’s amazing how much of a difference your fixtures can make. If they’re bland, outdated, or just don’t suit your style, CHANGE THEM. It’s an easy, cost-effective fix that can take years off of a room.
3) Updating Your Cabinetry: Whether you have an older-model home or just don’t like the current look of your cabinets (kitchen, bath, laundry, etc.) simply having them repainted and changing out the hardware can completely revamp a room. (Please note that cabinets are tedious projects; the hardware and doors need to be removed, every surface must be deglossed, sanded where needed, and then painted – it’s recommended that you have a professional painter assist if you don’t have a LOT of experience with this type of work.)
4) Revitalizing or Updating Your Flooring: Carpet, while comfy, can also be messy, unhealthy, and extremely dated if you do not vacuum or deep-clean on a near-constant basis. Certain types of hard flooring can take on these aspects, as well. Having carpet or existing flooring removed and updated can create such a dramatic change you’ll wonder why you ever waited. Also, wood flooring can be resurfaced (by a professional, please) by having the floor completely sanded and smoothed, and then re-staining. These are easy, minimally-invasive tricks that will change the game for your home.
5) Painting: Rejuvenating the paint throughout your home not only makes everything look shiny and new, but also makes everything feel fresher. After years of lying dormant, most paint begins to fade, chip, become smudged, and so on.
[We’ve also encountered, on a near-constant basis, that many “painters” are not professionals and utilize haphazard, sloppy techniques accompanied by cheap materials. Walk through your home and really look at your walls and trim from different angles; do you notice run marks from the paint? Can you see roll marks on the walls? Is there wall paint on your trim, or vice-versa? Were your walls/ceiling appropriately cut-in before they were rolled, or are the edges thin and you notice a stark contrast in the coverage? It should have also been explained that certain colors, when being painted over other colors, will require different levels of care.]
We will continue the discussion about painting in subsequent posts, but what’s important to demonstrate now is that refreshing or updating the paint in your home can have such a powerful, impressive response.
6) Washing: In an ideal world, washing the exterior of your home should be completed semi-annually. At minimum it should be done once a year. The exterior of your home takes on a lot; rain (and harsh storms), wind, heat, sun, snow, and a variety of other extreme circumstances. Subsequently, it has a lot of build-up. Pressure-washing mitigates some of these issues, though our new favorite (and a favorite of all of our clients) is soft-chemical washing. It allows a non-astringent cleaning agent to do the work of cleaning all of that grit and grime and then using the washer on a low setting to rinse that all away.
Also, one of our most popular services, especially going into spring and summer, is surface cleaning your driveways, sidewalks, patios, porches, decks, and stairs. Think of this as a super-duty, motorized mop for exterior projects. The difference will be night and day for your wood or concrete.
*Please note that the recommendations listed above are also applicable to your office/business.
Comments