Author Archives kathyregini

When Pantone announced that the Color of the Year 2013 was Emerald, I wasn’t that excited. Can’t say I love it and I’ve been hesitant to incorporate it anywhere unless someone asks for it. I’m a bigger fan of Chartreuse!  My favorite combination right now is a background of neutral grays with chartreuse and plum as accents. Just love it.

1. Price it right to begin with. If anything, list it just a tad under market value to get tons of showings and hopefully they’ll be caught in a bidding war!
2. Curb appeal. Make a great first impression with things like a newly painted front door and pots of colorful flowers by the front door. Think: warm and welcoming.
3. Replace anything worn or broken and make needed repairs. Your home must look well maintained, inside and out. Clean goes without saying.
4. Update your kitchen and baths. New hardware, faucets, whatever you can afford…put the bulk of your money here.
5. Have the home professionally staged and keep show ready. A stager will declutter, depersonalize, and arrange the furniture to showcase the floor plan. Your house will be more appealing to a greater number of people.
6. Lighten Up. Keep all curtains and blinds open during the day and put high voltage bulbs in all light fixtures. The home must be bright and cheerful!
7. Empty out your closets/storage areas. Remove whatever you can live without for the next three months and place in storage. Organize what’s left…buyers do look inside! Over stuffed closets signal not enough storage.
8. Remove all signs that a pet lives here.  Some equate animals with dirt ,smell and a wornout house. Don’t plant that seed.

You know how you can put on a great little black dress, but without jewelry, heels and a cute bag, it won’t look amazing. You have to accessorize! In your home, accessories are the touches of color, texture and shape that finish a space. They make a room come alive and are an integral part of the design. It’s important to set aside a budget for these elements when you are creating a new look.   Here are a few ideas for successful accessorizing. 1. Use special items that speak to you. 2. Your accessories should reflect your personality. 3 You can have a theme-modern, beach, etc. 4. Choose colors that add interest and coordinate with the color palette of the room. 5. If you have a neutral color scheme,  add a pop of color and repeat three times. 6. Create groups of 3 or 5 by similar object or color. 7. Vary the height of tabletop accessories for balance and interest ____________________________________________________________________________________________

There are fads and there are trends. A fad comes and goes very quickly. It’s a “flash in the pan”…very short term with lots of enthusiasm around it. People run out and buy the same few “hot “ things! All of a sudden everyone has the same area rug!

But trends can go on for years, even a decade or longer. It has long term influence and staying power.  So, it makes sense to stay away from the fad and adopt the trend. But only if it really speaks to you. If you just love it  and it’s in your budget, get it! But don’t do it just because it’s popular. Better off sticking with the classics…looks that stand the test of time.

My new favorite magazine is House & Home. It is Canada’s number one selling interior design magazine, and I can see why. The rooms are beautiful and on trend,  but most important, totally livable. Not just rooms for the rich & famous. Next time you see one at the new stand , pick one up and you’ll see what I mean!

From everything I’m reading these days, it seems that Americans just have too much stuff. A huge number of garages can’t fit cars because they are used for storage. People are even moving to larger homes to accommodate their growing piles of stuff. Which is crazy! All the excess is NOT improving the quality of your life and maybe you can live without a good part of it. When I stage a home to sell, I regularly have the client put about a third to a half of their belongings into storage. Too much stuff is visually unappealing, adds to the feeling of clutter, and makes rooms feel smaller. Even if you’re not moving, it’s hard to find the time to sort, organize and manage lots of possessions. Think about the time spent moving piles around trying to clean, the time spent looking for something to wear, and time spent looking for “lost” things. It adds stress to your life! So in 2013, make it a priority to not buy anything new unless it is really something special, and donate/sell the things you don’t need anymore.

2013 is just around the corner! What can we expect for next year?

The eco-friendly focus on using sustainable/reclaimed materials continues in 2013, along with gray as the the main neutral. Raw wooden surfaces, and combinations of wood and metal will also continue (mixing modern and rustic.)

Wall paper is back-but not your grandmother’s wall paper. Modern, bold patterns.

As far as color, everyone seems to have differing opinions on what the next hot color will be. We’ll have to wait and see! Happy holidays, everyone…talk to you in the new Year!

It’s fireplace season , and there’s some really cool stuff out there. I’m really fond of the new concrete surrounds. They’re earthy, rustic and modern.

My favorite Christmas decorations are made of natural materials. It provides an understated color palette and an organic quality that looks great with any décor. Of course you must add a little bling, or it can be a bit drab. Take a look.

“Color, texture and luster are equal partners when it comes to endowing a room with enduring visual interest and tactile pleasure”. -Jaime Drake, New American Glamour