New Years Resolutions for my Home Decor

Happy 2012 to you! 

January is a time to reflect on the past year, look forward to a promising future and set goals for the year ahead.  My personal goals are pretty standard - eat better, lose weight, exercise more and continue to focus on building my business. 

We all have the pieces to get to where we want to be, we just have to put them in place.

Soon I will be publishing a post called 'Renovate or Relocate'.  This is a topic my husband and I have been wrestling with over the past few years.  This year we are seriously contemplating a move and need to start thinking about what projects to focus on in the house to make it more 'sellable'.  Therefore, I have made a second list of New Years' Resolutions for improving my homes' decor.

In my post about  Home Staging I addressed the importance of having your house appeal to potential home buyers and some of the key elements that should be looked at prior to placing your home on the market.  I know the earlier I start getting things organised the less stressed I will be when the right house comes along and we want to put the 'For Sale' sign on our front lawn.

#1-  Complete the basement renovations.

My husband is doing a great job creating these built ins that I designed.

The other half of the basement is as good as finished but is unlivable until the other side is completed.

We are lucky that our basement is so large and I am confident that it will be a great selling feature.  Once it's finished we may change our minds about moving, because I know it will look fantastic and function much better than it did before.

#2.  Placing hardwood on the stairs.

As we live in a Bungalow, the only stairs we have lead to the basement.  Despite having the carpet professionally cleaned, over the years you can see where the dirt has set in.  Pulling up the carpet and staining the natural hardwood will make them more hygienic, practical and pretty.

#3.  Tiling the floor in the bathroom.

If you are not prepared to go all the way, sometimes you have to do your best to work with what you've got

It's no secret that bathrooms and kitchens sell a house.  Since moving here seven years ago, we have done some major renovations including the kitchen and a full bathroom in the basement.  Although we did do some updates to the main floor bathroom, we never got around to completely gutting and redoing it.  In my opinion, the best thing we can do now is simply re-tile the floor.  Currently the floor has those nasty and cheap stick on linoleum tiles. By updating the floor this will be a fairly easy and inexpensive way to improve the overall look of the bathroom. 

#4.  New Window Treatments in the Kitchen.

In this post I asked if you were making the mistake of not incorporating the cost of window treatments into your budget when re-decorating.  I have to confess that I have not updated all of my own window treatments, but always try to leave room in the budget for draperies or blinds when working with a client.  Window treatments really are a necessity for giving a room its 'finishing touch'.  I am leaning towards the idea of fabric roman blinds like the one in the picture below to update and add softness to my kitchen space. 

I may go with a patterned fabric but need it to be transitional in style

#5.  Continue to purge and keep things tidy.

This makes me feel happy

Keeping storage areas like closets, drawers and even kitchen cabinets organised is essential to ensure these spaces remain neat and de-cluttered.  When potential home buyers walk through your home you can bet they sneak a peek behind these closed doors and it's not  just to be nosey.  They are also looking to see what storage space is available for their things - so the more effective you utilise these spaces the better.

Although there are many more ideas that I have and could do in the house, I must stay focused on these top 5 as a priority.  Being passionate about interior decorating can be a curse when the ideas just keep on coming, just ask my husband!  

If you are thinking of doing any renovations this New Year and would like professional advice, please contact me.   I offer a free initial consultation and would be more than happy to help make your dreams for your home a reality.  You can e-mail me at the following address to make an appointment:  claire@creatingcontrastdesigns.com.

Before and After Pictures

My piece of furniture is done and I love it!  Unfortunately my basement is undergoing some renovations at the moment so it will be a while until I can move it to it's new home.  Here is a picture of my buffet and if you didn't see what it looked like prior to being sprayed, then click here to see the photo.  To see it in my beautifully renovated basement all dressed up and pretty, read this.

I am very pleased with the colour and can't wait to add hardware and dress it up with accessories.

Paint it Like New has done some amazing work and I am dedicating this post to sharing some of my favourite before and after transformations with you.  If you are still hungry to see more once you've read this post, please go to their  website for lots of other pictures that are sure to inspire!

Oak cabinets tend to require an extra coat or two of paint because of the nature of the of the wood.

One of my clients had oak cabinets like this and then had them sprayed CC 130 - Ivory White by Benjamin Moore and it looks fantastic.  The hardware still needs to be chosen but I can tell you that the difference in the overall look of the kitchen is amazing.  Even with Oak cabinets the make over will still look incredible when it's done, just look at this kitchen below!

New back splash & counter top to be installed.  This kitchen will be as good as new for a fraction of the price!

Many people have their kitchen cabinetry painted because it is a quick and cost effective way to beautifully update a kitchen.   Creamy Whites are usually the most frequently requested colours, like Benjamin Moores' cloud white, oxford white or steam - from the affinity collection.

Although when other colours are used such as black or an espresso, they tend to have a more customised look as well as covering up any imperfections better than white can.  Janet especially loves when customers' request to paint something a funky colour too, which leads me to this next item. 

Here is another buffet before being painted.

And here it is after.  How bold and fun!

This bright orange hue for the buffet is risky but it works sensationally with  the wallpaper and I'm sure it is the conversation piece of the entire house! 

These pictures below are of  4 very cool planters that would make a statement in any garden or porch.

I have to admit I kind of like the character of the worn and weathered look, but.....

How fierce do these lions look now?!!

If you have something you are considering having painted to freshen up its' appearance, contact Paint It Like New and Janelle would be more than happy to provide you with a quote.  If you would like to give something new life but don't have anything yourself, check out  Upcycle Furnishings.   You can choose from one of the pieces for sale and pick the colour to best suit your decor.  Here is a previous post on Upcycle furnishings if you are looking for some ideas.

I am very excited to announce that Creating Contrast Designs has teamed up with Paint It Like New to offer the following Christmas promotion:   Simply visit 'Paint It Like New' between November 24th and December 24th and be entered into a draw to win $100 towards your next spray painting project and a two hour Interior Decorating Consultation.  The winner will be drawn on Christmas Eve and will be notified by phone or e-mail.  What a great way to start off the Christmas holidays!

My first Christmas newsletter will also be sent out this week to all my subscribers.  If you haven't subscribed and you don't want to miss out on my 'Top Ten Tips for Home Decor at Christmas' then be sure to subscribe at the top right side of my blog and enter your e-mail address.