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If you have wall to wall carpeting, try layering an area rug on top. I know…I know…sounds strange. It’s a little tricky to pull off, but trust me when I say the results are worth it when it’s done right.  Layering rugs, like layering clothes, adds texture, color and dimension. It also defines spaces (like a sitting area) and anchors furnishings. The idea works best with a tightly woven, low pile carpet in a solid tone. Also, choose a rug that is complimentary in color to the carpet.  It does NOT work well with shag or high pile, thick carpets. The area rug may not lay flat and also moves around. Plus it just looks funny. Also, if you have wood floors, you can layer area rugs on top of one another.

Does your home give you a big sigh of relief when you walk in?

I think this is a big improvement over standard metal window wells. These faux rock liners are pricey, but if you spend a lot of time in your basement, it might be worthwhile. What do you think?

My favorite kitchens have always been white. Which is funny because my own home does not have a white kitchen. We remodeled (rebuilt, really) our 1930 home in 1998 when cherry cabinets were very popular, and decided on inset cherry cabinetry in a shaker style. Well, that look came and went and I’ve been wanting to paint them white for a while now.  Seems a shame because the wood is still perfect and so beautiful, and the feel is warm and welcoming. But my kitchen has an overall “reddish-orangey” look I no longer want.

With my staging and redesign business, I regularly suggest painting dated wood cabinetry white. People love white kitchens…it’s great for resale. It makes a kitchen feel larger, more open, clean and fresh. All things buyers like in a home.

Whether your taste is traditional, contemporary, urban or rustic, white works with all design styles. I also love the design flexibility it gives: you can change the look dramatically just by painting the walls a different color or changing out hardware & accessories.

But, too much white on white can make your kitchen feel cold and unwelcoming. Kitchens with white walls, cabinets, and appliances just look sterile to me.  I think the most successful white kitchens also include natural wood and organic touches in some way.  It can be done by combining a wood floor, a jute rug, and wooden bowls, for example. The white creates a neutral backdrop, but it needs some contrast to give the eyes a place to rest. Wood accents look rich against the white, accent colors pop more, and even  a beautiful light fixture can become a focal piece.

Also important is which shade of white you choose…if you want a warm feel to your kitchen, go with a creamy white, not one mixed with grey or blue. Same goes with the lighting.  White kitchens can have plenty of style and warmth, and they are classic and timeless. Can’t wait to get mine.

Style is not eternal. I was having a really fun conversation with a fellow designer the other day, and we were deciding which bad home design ideas over the years made our Top Ten Most Ugly list! Interestingly, most came from the 70’s and 80’s. Here is what we came up with:

1. Pastel Colors
2. Upholstery with Large Floral Prints
3. Valences and Balloon Shades
4. Wallpaper Borders
5. Brass anything
6. Paneling
7. Faux Finishes for walls and ceilings
8. Traditional Recliners
9. Matching Oak Bedroom Sets
10. Vertical blinds

I see still see some of these when I walk through a house for a staging consult. Lucky me, I get to tell the homeowner that its “gotta go” if they want to sell the house!

Give your deck a big style update by replacing wooden railing with wrought iron or stainless steel cable.

I’ve been recommending porcelain tile for kitchen & bath remodeling a lot lately. I like the new varieties that really look like stone. The bonus is that porcelain is not porous (won’t stain) and much more durable than natural stone, not to mention less expensive. Now imagine a porcelain surface as big as a slab of granite, only much thinner and lightweight so it can be used vertically as well as horizontally. It’s really beautiful and comes on many varieties that mimic marble, granite and other natural stone. It’s called MAXXtile. For those of you that are local, they have it at Capco Tile & Stone.  Very cool.

Are you not loving your house and having a difficult time deciding whether to move or just do a little remodeling? You might compare the cost of moving to remodeling. Moving is more expensive than you might think. Usually it involves a 6% commission on the sale of your house, plus another 2-5% for closing, movers, and related costs such as staging. If you really like your current neighborhood, and you think 10% of your home’s value would cover the renovations you would want- you might decide to stay. First, it’s important to get a cost estimate from a contractor (then add 10%), and find out if the improvements will add to the home’s value (will you get that money back if you eventually sell). With this approach, you probably won’t run the risk of over improving your property.  You do have the remodeling hassle to deal with, but moving is no picnic either.

If you want to really enjoy your basement, finish it with similar materials, colors, lighting and style as the upstairs. It should feel like a continuation of the home, not the poor, distant cousin. Don’t have it be your catchall space for leftover, mismatched furniture and old, odd pieces.