Bathroom Design Questions

A recent question I received in The Home Stylist mailbox:

"I was wondering what your opinion was on me keeping my really-good-shape pinkish tub - or spend the $500 to get it refinished in white? All the rest of the bathroom will be white w/blue pearlescent accent tile in shower, and a tan floor. I'm just about done with getting bathroom remodeled but I do still have one small wall that has wallpaper with the small pink roses that I still love - so I thought maybe I could get away with it? What do you think?"

My answer:

Even though you are not getting ready to sell (at least not for the next couple years) I would definitely change the tub to white. It is more universally appealing and will shave decades off the room. Bathrooms are something you use everyday, several times a day. You want the bathroom to assist you in making you feel good, refreshed and up-to-date. A pink bathtub is an old color (like a grandma house) has limiting decorating choices. I also recommend removing the wallpaper. It sounds like it is been up for a while and a dated motif. A fresh new paint color or a hip new wallpaper will start you day with a smile and a lift to your spirits. These small cosmetic changes are well worth the money.

Decorate with small treasures without the clutter

One of the concepts I always educate my decorating clients about is that your house should reflect you and your passions/interests.

The tricky aspect of that is to add collectibles and small treasures but not add clutter.

One solution for this decorating dilemma is a clear glass lamp in which you can add your own content.

Here is an example:





In this lamp I would put a collection of:

wine corks - if you like wine
theatre ticket stubs - if you love Broadway shows
seashells - if you love the beach
vintage buttons - if you love to sew

Use your imagination and your interests to liven up the room.

(The above lamp is from Pottery Barn but I have seem examples in different stores and different price points)

Home Staging works. Here is a true story.

Here is a recent note I received:

Dear Julie,

Our friends John and Chris gave us a copy of your book (The Complete Idiots Guide to Staging Your Home to Sell) before we put our house on the market last spring. We read it, followed the advice and it worked.

In addition to making the bathrooms and kitchen shine, we decluttered rooms, added new plantings, and moved furniture around to clarify the purpose of each room. The house looked great when we were done. (So good that we wished we had done this years earlier!).

The real sign of success came when we received two offers on our house within 10 days of putting our house on the market. We ended up accepting an offer over our asking price in the midst of a slow market in a small town that often has houses that languish on the market for months on end.

We were thrilled.Thanks for your great guidance and your great ideas. We'll pull the book out again when we move into our next home!

Amy and Hans Walter-Peterson

Do you want a success story like this?

Contact me and I will help you get that SOLD sign in your yard.

Taking the best real estate photos: Put a lid on it Fonzy!

When you are selling your house and the real estate agent has taken photos, please review them! You can ask for them to be replaced or taken again.

One of the biggest buyer turn-offs is having the lid of the toilet seat up. Come on....Put the lid down!

The real estate agent who took a photo like this just needed to spend 2 seconds to make the photo more professional by putting the seat down. (OK maybe another 3 minutes washing his/her hands) but details count! as does customer service!

Staging article on MSN

I was interviewed about a month ago for a MSN article on home staging. The reporter also asked for before and after photos. The article went live today. (My website almost crashed with so many hits!)

I think the article turned out well and the before and after photos (some mine, some from others) showed some good examples.

Here is a link to the article:

10 tips on staging your home to sell
It doesn't take long for a prospective buyer to form an opinion about your house. Here's how you can tilt the odds in your favor by making your home appeal to the widest clientele possible.

Simple switch makes a difference in your home

Here is a simple decorating tip to make your room look more professionally decorated:


Make sure the switch plates blend with your paint color.


This picture is of "what not to do".





When switch plates are a contrasting color (like above) they are more noticeable. They add an extra visual element to the room - aka clutter.


Solution: Paint or cover the plates to blend in. It is a simple switch (pun intended) that will make a difference in your home.

Decorating question from my mailbox.

Here is a question I recently received:

Is the hardwood floor supposed to match your kitchen cabinets ?

My answer:

I usually don't care for hardwood in the kitchen. Kitchen floors get really dirty. Being able to use a really wet soapy mop and strong cleaners are often necessary. Hardwood floors usually can't take that. The wood warps and discolors. I prefer ceramic tile. If you do really want hardwood floors in your kitchen I would go with contrasting, not matching.

Here are some photos:

Don't you think contrasting looks better? I think it is more interesting to look at.






If you have a question, sent it in! I would love to hear from you.