“Over the years we’ve probably all learned a few lessons the hard way. Hopefully, we were able to move on from them and not repeat them. Here are some that we particularly like.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
Category Archives: Home Decorating
8 Quick and Simple Strategies for Holiday Entertaining Prep
“Looking for some ideas on how to do a better job getting ready for the holidays? Here are some really simple ways to reduce the stress of the holidays. Just click on the Christmas Picture below to learn more!”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
American Home Shield Ideas
Tips on How to Prepare Your Home for Holiday Guests
“Want to be ready for when your guests arrive for the holidays? It only takes a little extra effort to show you care.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
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Tips on How to Prepare Your Home for Holiday Guests
Is your home ready for holiday visits from friends and family? Here’s how to prepare for the invasion. Read
Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2016 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
15 Design-Friendly Places to Hide the Cat Litter Box
“Where to put the litter box? It’s tough decision to make since you don’t want it too open, but the cat has to actually get to it. Here are some interesting ideas that approach things a little differently.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
Photo Flip:101 Ways With a Mirrors
“Mirrors are a great way to give a small space larger feel. They can also serve as a great expression of how you feel about a room, or set the tone as you enter room.” Take a look at these and get inspired!”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
Prepare Your Home for Trick-or-Treaters
“Is your house ready for Trick or Treaters? You can make your home spooky, but don’t forget they still need to be able to make it to the door without a lot a trouble.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
Your home might not need a costume on Halloween, but it does need to be ready for any neighborhood ghosts, goblins or witches who drop by for a treat. If you plan to participate in the festivities, here are a few helpful tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics and National Fire Protection Association to help ensure that trick-or-treaters have a safe, yet haunted, night.
Turn on the light. A front porch light signals to trick-or-treaters that you’re ready for them to knock on the door. If you run out of candy or don’t wish to participate in Halloween, you can let people know by turning off the porch light.
Display holiday decor. A pumpkin here or a floating ghost there lets people know that you’re excited about the holiday.
Clear a path. If you put out Halloween decor, leave a clear path for anyone coming to knock on the front door. Extra personal objects like bikes, potted plants or children’s toys should also be removed from the sidewalk and porch so that no one trips on them.
Sweep the sidewalk. Fall means leaves littering the ground, which fits the season but could be a slipping hazard. Before trick-or-treaters arrive, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sweeping away any debris or moisture from the sidewalk or driveway.
Check lightbulbs. Once you flip on the front porch light switch, check to see if you have any burned-out bulbs. Replace them so that your front door and steps are well-lit.
Turn on extra lights. You may not normally turn on every light in the front of your home, but doing so will assist infrequent visitors who are coming to see you. To make their journey a little easier, switch on any additional lights, such as garage or stair lights. This gesture will help make sure that everyone can safely get to the front door.
Add safe and festive lighting. A few lanterns along the path put light right at trick-or-treaters’ feet. Battery-operated lights offer illumination without the hazards that come with an open flame, says Judy Comoletti, division manager for public education at the National Fire Protection Association. If you use a real candle, she says, a trick-or-treater’s costume could drape onto it and catch on fire. “If you absolutely need to use a real candle, you have to be more vigilant,” she says.
Homeowners who choose to have open flames need to watch them at all times, keep them 1 foot away from anything that can burn, and sit them on a sturdy, level surface.
Put away pets. Your family pet may be the nicest on the block, but not everyone knows that or likes animals. You also don’t want your pet to inadvertently hurt any candy-seeking visitors. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that homeowners keep pets inside and away from the door for everyone’s benefit, including the pets’.
Greet guests. If you plan to spend the whole night passing out treats, sit on your front porch swing or create a seating area for yourself. This lets visitors know that you’re ready for them to stop. Plus you can watch the parade of costumes.
Prepare for a spooktacular evening. Once you have the lights on, decor out and hazards put away, you can enjoy a safe, spooky night in the neighborhood.
By Brenna Malmberg, originally appearing on HOUZZ
To-Dos: Your October Home Checklist
“As we turn to Fall it’s time to get ready for the colder months by taking care of a few maintenance items and preparing for other Winter activities.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
The leaves are falling, the farmer’s markets are bustling and the cozy comforts of home beckon — it must be October. Make the most of this month’s bountiful harvest, get some exercise raking leaves in the brisk air and button down your house in preparation for winter. Then sit back, relax and warm your hands around a mug of hot apple cider. Fall is here.
1. Rake leaves. To make quicker work of collecting leaves from a large lawn, rake the fallen foliage onto a large plastic tarp. Then bag it or add it to your compost pile.
2. Trim dead tree limbs. Dead limbs are more likely to fall during winter storms, making them a potential safety hazard. Have an arborist inspect and trim large trees.
3. If you haven’t already, clean gutters and downspouts. Wait until most of the leaves have fallen to schedule a rain gutter cleaning. Inspect gutters and downspouts for cracks and loose parts and make repairs as needed.
4. Neaten up the mudroom. The back-to-school (and work) flurry can leave the mudroom looking as if a hurricane hit it. Take some time to regain sanity — sort through papers and put away stray summer items and extra coats. Clean the floors and invest in a new doormat if needed. Keep a recycling basket near the entrance to make sorting mail and school papers easier, and dedicate a tote or bin for items that need to be returned (like library books).
5. Keep seasonal decorating low-key with natural finds. Pumpkins and gourds, fresh heirloom apples, quinces, pomegranates, figs and fall foliage all make wonderfully simple decor.
Bring in cut branches from your yard, stop by a pick-your-own farm or scoop up fall’s bounty at a farm stand.
6. Maintain your wood stove or fireplace. If you have a fireplace or wood stove, it’s essential for safety that you have it serviced before lighting the first fire of the season. If you haven’t done so already, schedule an appointment to have your chimney inspected and, if necessary, cleaned.
7. Check safety devices. Test all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the house and replace batteries as needed. Check the expiration date on the kitchen fire extinguisher and replace it if needed.
8. Start a gift list. It may seem like the holidays are a long way off — but that’s why it pays to start getting organized now. Start a list of everyone you plan to give gifts to this year. Then, as ideas strike, jot them down on your list. You can also use your list to keep track of a holiday gifting budget. And if you want to make any gifts by hand, October is a great time to get started — handmade gifts always seem to take longer to make than expected.
9. Cover or store outdoor furniture and grills. If you plan to leave your patio furniture or grill outside through the fall and winter, cover them well and stow them beneath an overhang that will protect them from rain and snow. Even if you live in a mild climate, covering your grill between uses is a good idea to protect the finish.
10. Shut off exterior faucets and store hoses for winter.Disconnect, drain and roll hoses before storing them for the winter. Shut off the water supply to exterior faucets to prevent frozen pipes.
Originally Published on HOUZZ by Laura Gaskill
10 Home Hacks for Every Room in Your House
“We always love to find little ‘Hacks’ to make life easier. Here are some for each room in the house.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
Our list of top home hacks will help you organize your home and get the most out of each room.
Photo by: Shutterstock
Life is a lot less hectic when you find ways to keep your home organized, simplify storage and find DIY solutions that are affordable and easy. Here are some of our favorite clutch tips for your home.
via The Sweetest Occasion
1. Kitchen
Add personality to every meal with customized dishware that you can make yourself in minutes. You don’t need to be an artist or have special art supplies. Just grab a Sharpie® and draw your design freehand (or use a stencil for more intricate patterns) on your dishware or mug. Clean, white enamelware works well. You can personalize your creation with a name, signature monogram or even a favorite quote. To make it permanent, bake your finished design at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Tip: Start with a cold oven to allow the dishware to gradually come up to temperature. Also, hand washing will help your artwork last.
via Storage Talk
2. Family Room
Family rooms often have to do double duty as a playroom and entertainment hub. But finding room to store all your playthings without compromising your sophisticated style can be challenging. This hack meets that challenge head on: Simply store your puzzles, dice and other game pieces in decorative jars. They’re even fun to look at and provide a unique storage solution so you don’t have to make room for bulky game or puzzle boxes. Choose jars in different sizes, shapes and colors to add visual interest and to match your decor. Mason jars, apothecary jars, etched glass jars or pressed glass jars are all great options.
via Buzzfeed
3. Bedroom
Seems you can never have enough storage, especially in the bedroom. This hack lets you add storage and a decorative wall detail at the same time. Just create instant shelves from old drawers. Vary shapes and sizes for an eclectic look. Line the bottom of the drawers with patterned paper or paint for added color. Look for dressers with unusual curved drawer fronts or undulating profiles. Tip: You can often find reasonably priced dressers/drawers at garage sales, resale shops, vintage stores or estate sales.
via Make Space
4. Clothes Closet
It can be frustrating fighting to find your favorite jeans in a cluttered closet. If you’re not ready to slim down your wardrobe, have no fear. This hack lets you retain all your perfectly worn-in pairs, but in a more organized manner: Hang your jeans on shower hooks. Saves a ton of closet space and makes finding your favorite pair a snap!
via Buzzfeed
5. Bathroom
Sure bathroom hooks are essential for hanging wet towels or robes, but no one says you have to use standard hooks that are purely functional without any decorative appeal. Instead, use old doorknobs as hooks. This super simple hack adds a ton of character to your bathroom while it maximizes wall space. Tip: For a cool shabby-chic vibe, use a grouping of vintage doorknobs that have finishes with a little wear and tear.
via Green Idea Reviews
6. Laundry Room
Bet you didn’t know that you could easily conquer dryer static with just some ingenuity and aluminum foil. It’s true! It turns out balled-up aluminum foil can minimize dryer static. Here’s how: When you’re ready to dry your washed laundry, just throw three aluminum foil balls (about 3 inches in diameter each) in your dryer and tumble dry your load as normal. These anti-static wonders are easy to make, economical, reusable for up to 6 months, recyclable and help you avoid toxic chemicals found in dryer sheets. Tip: Heavy-duty foil works best. Wrap a tennis ball in foil. This will help you use even less foil to make a sizable ball and the tumbling tennis ball helps fluff your laundry as it dries.
via Mashable
7. Home Office
Smartphone accessories, like a phone stand, can be kind of pricey…unless, of course, you know how to make it yourself with inexpensive office supplies. This hack makes good use of binder clips, which you probably already have at home. When positioned in just that right way, your binder clips can make a quick and functional phone stand. When you’re done using your ingenious phone stand, just slip the clips back in your desk drawer. Job well done!
via House Logic
8. Garage
Rusty tools are the bane of any true handyman or handywoman. Here’s a great way to make sure you won’t have to worry about that: Use blackboard chalk to prevent your tools from rusting. Just place several pieces in your toolbox. The chalk traps dampness, which helps keep your tools rust-free, giving you one fewer excuse to not be handy around the house.
via Childhood 101
9. Playroom
Playrooms can be a messy prospect, but they don’t have to be with this awesome household hack. Just use an over-the-door shoe organizer for toys or art supplies. The clear compartments make for easy access and easy clean up. So simple, it’s like child’s play.
via Olives ‘n’ Wine
10. Dining Room:
Chances are if you’re hosting and elegant party in your dining room, you’ll want to break out the good china and silver. That means making sure your silver sparkles and shines. Here’s how with just some baking soda and hot water. Line a pot or your kitchen sink with foil. Fill it with very hot water and mix in about 1 cup of baking soda. Add your tarnished items and let soak for about 30 minutes or until you see the black residue lifting off the surface. Then just rinse and dry (or first clean with a mild dish detergent) to use right away! Et voilà, dinner is served!
Originally Published on AmericanHomeShield.com
These Dining Rooms Know How to Have a Good Time
“Regardless of your decorating style, there are always interesting things you can do to add a little ‘fun’ to your dining room.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
To many people, a formal dining area brings to mind a certain antiquated stiffness that doesn’t seem to dovetail nicely with a fun-loving modern world. But this notion couldn’t be further from the truth. The following dining spaces show how any style can convey a feeling of formality while not taking itself too seriously.
1. Transitional
Designer: Nicole Guthreau and Stephanie Tamayo of Dalliance Design
Location: Summit, New Jersey
Size: 272 square feet (25.2 square meters); 16 by 17 feet (4.8 by 5.1 meters)
Homeowners’ request: Bump out a bay window for more space and add bigger, transitional windows. Replace dated furniture and add new finishes. ”Our client really wanted the space to be one-third transitional, one-third midcentury and one-third Hamptons, so to do this we needed to take an eclectic approach,” designer Nicole Guthreau says.
Fun factor: Large (60-inch-diameter) capiz chandelier from a Brussels hotel.
Other special features: Dramatic dark blue-gray ceiling pops against neutral walls. Vintage 1940s dining table. Hardwood floors in half Jacobean and half classic gray stain. Regal tufted wing chairs in denim-like blue woven fabric for the host seats. Lucite drapery hardware.
Designer secret: “Painting the ceiling a darker hue is a simple trick anyone can use to add depth to their space,” Guthreau says.
“Uh-oh” moment: “When the chandelier came in from overseas, we realized that it only had one bulb,” Guthreau says. “We assumed there were going to be additional recessed lights added to the ceiling, but alas the architect probably thought that we would add a fixture with more light output. Cut to the paint already being done and we couldn’t get back in the walls. Luckily, the space gets ample amounts of natural light, and with the addition of some lamps we were back in business again.”
Also on the team: Custom Creations (cabinetmaker); R. Keller Construction Co.; Rosen Group (architect); Andrew Frasz (photographer)
Dining table: The Harp Gallery; host chairs: Jessica Charles; side chairs: Baker Furniture; rug: Restoration Hardware; drapery fabric: Waterpolo Cloud, Kravet; drapery hardware: Lux Holdups; lamps: Visual Comfort; decanters: Joe Cariati; artwork: Julia Contacessi; chandelier: 1stdibs; buffet: Custom Creations
2. Traditional
Designer: Leigh Jones of The Very Thing
Location: Burlington, North Carolina
Size: 156 square feet (14.4 square meters); 12 by 13 feet (3.6 by 3.9 meters)
Homeowners’ request: Replace old grass cloth with wallpaper that would work with the existing window treatment and rug.
Fun factor: Large-print wallpaper.
Other special features: Antique walnut drop-leaf dining table, made by Hinkle-Harris.
Why the design works: “Wallpaper often works to balance spaces that are not symmetrical or have no architectural interest,” designer Leigh Jones says. In this case, where the dining room is open to the living room, the wallpaper consolidates both spaces.
Designer secret: “The rugs in both spaces are nearly identical, which creates a flow between the spaces,” Jones says.
Also on the team:Smith Cameron Photography; Mary Beth (stylist)
Wallpaper (discontinued): Designers Guild; valance: Scalamandré; rug: Rosecore; chair fabric: Nina Campbell; lamps: Bradburn; furniture: antiques
See more of this home
3. Contemporary
Designer: Julie Dunfee
Location: Wheaton, Illinois
Size: 336 square feet (31.2 square meters); 21 by 16 feet (6.4 by 4.8 meters)
Homeowners’ request: A clean, contemporary feel with a lot of color and warmth.
Fun factor: Square, lightly distressed table that can seat eight people.
Other special features: Fireplace focal point wrapped in quartzite stone. Colorful dining chairs.
Designer secret: “I love to add a bit of height to any room I design by placing the drapery to the ceiling, and hide the hardware so the drapery can really shine and become its own work of art,” designer Julie Dunfee says.
“Uh-oh” moment: “At one point in the build of the kitchen, the island was made bigger than the original plan, thus making the space where the table was to go a bit smaller,” Dunfee says. “Seeing as we had already purchased the table and chairs, we had to modify the depth of the countertop on the island to make sure everything would fit.”
Also on the team: Davidson Custom Homes (builder); Tommy Nguyen of Flooring Impressions (tiler); Mike Kaskel Photography; Elegant Custom Drapery
Drapery: Kravet; table: custom, Mackenzie Dow; chairs: Designmaster Furniture; fireplace stone: Night Glitter quartzite ledgerstone, Lewis Floor & Home; light fixture: Elegant Lighting; wall paint: Shoreline, Benjamin Moore; chair fabric: Fabricut; hippo sculpture on table: Neiman Marcus
4. Farmhouse
Designers: This project was a collaboration among Nancy Gracia of Bare Root Design Studio, Molly Hanisch of Sullivan Building & Design Group, Bradley Sullivan of Cider Press Woodworks and the homeowner.
Location: Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Homeowners’ request: A new home that would emulate the Colonial style of the town, with a dining area and kitchen that would appear to have been added on over time.
Fun factor: Window bench with custom cushions.
Other special features: Wood beam that helps define the space. Farm-style table and chairs.
Also on the team:Ralph C. Fey (architect); Paul S. Bartholomew (photographer)
Thomas O’Brien Reed 1-light sconces: Visual Comfort, available on Houzz; New England Stretcher Base table: J.L. Treharn; Windsor-style chairs: similar available on Houzz; rug: Restoration Hardware; 3-light aged brass chandelier: Menlo Park Collection, Hudson Valley Lighting, available on Houzz; cushions: custom; throw pillows: mix of custom, Pottery Barn and HomeGoods
5. Modern
Designer: Alisha Gwen
Location: Pittsburgh
Size: 180 square feet (16.7 square meters); 12 by 15 feet (3.6 by 4.5)
Homeowners’ request: Use the colors in the existing artwork as inspiration for a top-down redecorating effort.
Fun factor: Bright colors and patterns.
Other special features: Original artwork. Glass-like tabletop made by applying an aniline dye finish to the wood top. “It brought out the wood pattern in the tabletop and complemented the artwork,” designer Alisha Gwen says.
“Uh-oh” moment: “The window is arched, and the placement of the window trim in connection with the ceiling left no wall space to mount a standard rod and brackets,” Gwen says. “We had to get creative and source drapery hardware that mounted to the ceiling.”
Also on the team: Fischer Renovation (construction); Erin Alvarez (photographer)
Drapery fabric: Quadrille; drapery hardware: Kravet; dining table and buffet: Century Furniture; dining chairs: Vanguard Furniture; chandelier: Arteriors
Originally Published on HOUZZ by Mitchell Parker
Inherited an Antique? Here’s How to Work It Into Your Home
“Sometimes it’s tough to know exactly what to do with an antique, when most of your furniture is more modern. Here are some ideas on how to work them into the rest of your decor.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
It’s wonderful to be given heirloom textiles, cherished ceramics or an old artwork. Antiques have a history and quality worth showcasing, but it can sometimes be hard to make them work with modern decor. Here are some effective ways to incorporate inherited pieces into your home and show them off to their full potential.
Celebrate antique style. Antique oil paintings with rich, layered colors look stunning when paired with gray-blues and crisp whites. Here, the pale blue wall contrasts beautifully with the dark tones of the canvas. The red pillows pick up on the dark roses in the painting and tie together the modern bed and antique artwork.
The smaller pieces sitting casually on the floor are a relaxed way to show off art. The room has an “undone” feel that’s stylish without trying too hard. Resting artwork on a floor, shelf or mantel can take away the formality of the piece and give it a modern look.
Make the most of scale. If you’ve inherited a large artwork, show it off by giving it a featured spot on a plain wall. Using a vivid wall color behind it will make it stand out. This painting could have looked quite formal on a neutral wall, but the bright teal behind gives it a contemporary twist.
Be brave with your color choice and even pick out a hue that appears in the painting. These homeowners have added to the gallery effect by placing a wall light above the canvas.
Display a collection. Inherited an old clock or figurine? It could look a little lost sitting alone on a modern mantel, but it’s a different story if you group a few pieces together to create a display.
Hunt for items of varying heights, perhaps a few with a theme, as these homeowners have done with the giraffes. Visit thrift shops and flea markets to find items that will complement your new addition, and arrange them until you’re happy with the vignette.
Use the piece to create a new color scheme. Rather than finding a room where the art fits, why not fit the room to the art? Be inspired by the beautiful tones within a painting and create a color scheme around it.
Here, the painting on the wall has inspired the palette of the living room. The inky walls make a dramatic backdrop, while the soft furnishings and decor items pick out the greens and yellows in it.
Mix it up. If you’ve been given a few items that feel unlike anything else you own, you can still incorporate them into your interior. A collection of vintage belongings, such as art, plates, frames, clocks and mirrors, can look great when hung together on a wall.
This is a beautiful way to enjoy random things you’ve inherited. Even an old tennis racket or theater program could be part of the display — anything goes with this one!
Create something new. What do you do if you have Granny’s beautiful old scarf or embroidered tablecloth? If you won’t use it in its current form, there’s nothing sacrilegious about turning it into something like a pillow cover or quilt. It’s far better that it be used and loved — and then one day passed on to a new family member.
Another option is to cover a lampshade. Search online for kits that contain lampshade frames, panels, adhesive and finishing tools, as well as instructions that will walk you through the process.
Give it a facelift. If you’ve been given a large piece of family furniture that you like but can’t find a home for, you could always paint it. This is assuming it’s not a highly valuable antique, of course.
Highlight its contrast to your decor by painting it a bright color. Rub down all the wood with fine sandpaper and cover any glass panels with masking tape around the edges and newspaper in the center. Brush on a layer of primer or undercoat and top with eggshell paint to protect the piece. You can then add the finishing color.
Once you’ve painted it, turn your attention to the details. Handles, for example, are easy to change.
Get creative. You could take the room color scheme a step further and paint a piece of furniture to echo your new painting. It works particularly well if the painting is small and modest, like the one propped on this sideboard. The unusual paintwork on the furniture has created a modern, eye-catching piece that contrasts with the antique canvas.
To paint a similar sideboard, work from the top down and start by painting the pale blue sky area. Let this dry, then apply the lilac. Continue working down, one color at a time, until complete.
Showcase a collection. It can be lovely to display and enjoy collections. If you like the pieces, use them rather than hide them away at the back of a cupboard. Display them on a dresser or open shelves so the items can be seen and your own pieces can be added.
Embrace the fact that a collection is eclectic and that that’s what makes them special. They span decades and can be added to over the years.
Originally Published on HOUZZ by Becky Clarke