BLOG interiors + staging + lifestyle

Julea Joseph 5/17/20 Julea Joseph 5/17/20

Baby got Back(yard) - Outdoor Space Consultation

With most of us sheltering in place, that forgotten, seldom used backyard has become valuable real estate. So baby, if you got back(yard), use it!

It’s right outside the kitchen window, the sliding glass door, or like my client’s situation yesterday, they can see it, but can’t get to it - the Backyard. With most of us sheltering in place, that forgotten, seldom used backyard has become valuable real estate. So baby, if you got back(yard), use it!

I hadn’t worked with this client since 2011, and although we couldn’t hug, it was great to see her and again help her with her home. This project outside is perfect for socially distancing. Most people think I can only help with the inside, but my consultation services can be used for your outdoor spaces too. This consultation was about planning a new deck. Their current deck has no stairs, which doesn’t allow them to get down to their yard. With our home truly a shelter from the storm, and summer on the horizon, why not make your outdoor spaces as usable as your indoor space?

Here are a few tips we discussed yesterday about utilizing your backyard.

1.) Consider how you get out there. What space on the inside gets you to the outside? Are there multiple options? A door out from the breakfast area, and from the family room? Can you easily walk around to the back yard from the front yard? These traffic patterns may determine how each usage area of your backyard is planned out.

Connecting indoors to outdoors (photo: source)

2.) What do your want to do out there? My client had grand plans for her outdoor space: Hot tub, firepit, gazebo and dining/cooking. With those needs, which areas of your backyard are suited for these activities.

3.) How big do these areas need to be? The stuff you need to use for the activity determines the size of the space. If you want a fire pit area - the key element is the firepit . Size that, then add in the seating around it with correct safe distances from the heat and flames.

Establishing activity areas (Photo:source)

4.) What surface hosts these activity spaces? Grass, concrete, decking, paving stone?

5.) What are your backyard existing assets or hindrance? Do you want to use that tree as part of the design, or will it need to go? Take advantage of a great view, or not block a view? My client had a beautiful pond in her back yard, and wanted to make sure that gazebo wish didn’t block her neighbors from the great view.

Lastly, have fun with your backyard. You can be inspired by your indoor space color theme, but that’s not a rule. There are oodles of ideas to peak your patio design, but if you need a keen eye, or extra ideas, there is help a phone call away.

Julea - Reinventing Space 708-448-7500 B 708-543-8597 C Julea@Julea.com

Julea Joseph 4/29/20 Julea Joseph 4/29/20

!ZOOM that ROOM! E-Design Services

From creating a lovely space with the help of on-line shopping to remotely evaluating a home that soon will be going on the market - Let’s Zoom that Room!

I was chatting with a colleague about how we have to evolve how we do business. I’ve always been a glass half full gal and look at this new form of life not as an obstacle, but as a challenge to stay connected, and to keep my business current. Although I can’t just hop in my car and head over to see a client, I can hop on the internet and phone and resolve a decorating dilemma. From creating a lovely space with the help of on-line shopping to remotely evaluating a home that soon will be going on the market - Let’s Zoom that Room!

With most of us staying at home, we’re finally getting some of those home projects done. From painting a space to re-decorating a whole room. And I should be your first step. Since our ‘stay at home’ chapter, I’ve been busy with remote home staging evaluations, room re-decorating, and even a new Florida townhouse decorating plan for a client that is relocating soon to the sunshine state.

Here’s how it works - take pictures of the space (s) that has a design dilemma, add any burning desires, notes, or rants about the space. I’ll review and suggest in a presentation - then we’ll setup a time to go over it all. It’s as easy as that. You get to work on your space, I solve your design dilemma, and the end result is a beautiful room. Text me to begin 708-543-8597.

SHOP E-DESIGN

Julea Joseph 4/8/20 Julea Joseph 4/8/20

Decorating Ideas to Refresh your Space While We’re Staying in Place

With home the focus of our daily life right now, it’s a great time to rethink some of our spaces.

With home the focus of our daily life right now, it’s a great time to rethink some of our spaces. Whether re-styling a bookcase, seasonally decorating, up-styling something we already have, or leaping into a bigger project - here are ideas to refresh your space while we’re staying in place.

Paint. -A new color can give a room a fresh look. From spring greens or trending blue hues, paint packs a big punch to giving a space a new view. Most paint stores will let you phone in, order on-line, and offer curbside pickup. From painting an accent wall, up-styling a bookcase by painting the back, or painting a piece of furniture - infusing a new color into a room can really reboot it.

Rearrange. -Spring has arrived! It’s a perfect time to rearrange a room for a new season. Give your space a new perspective with a new furniture arrangement. Perhaps swapping pieces from other rooms. Try switching a chair, a table, art; they’re all good swapping ideas to give a room a different look. Lighten your space by removing heavy rugs to simplify a room. Change the sitting area to a new focus from the fireplace view to taking in the nature from the view out the window. By giving your space a new perspective, it gives you one too.

“Give your space a new perspective with a new furniture arrangement. By giving your space a new perspective, it gives you one too.”

— Julea Joseph

Pull out that Sewing Machine. - If you have forgotten how to use it, YouTube has hundreds of instructional videos on how to sew and use your machine. Sew up a new pillow cover, table runner, or add contrasting fabric trim to a ready made window panel on the edge, top or bottom. Re-purpose table clothes, napkins or tea towels into usable yardage. Fabric can too transform a lampshade, or cover an ottoman.

Discover Your Styling Skills. After you’ve painted the back of your bookshelves, you’ll need to fill it back up. Refill it with accents from other spaces, organize your books by color, or even recover them with bright papers. Small art that was lonely hanging on a wall, can find a new home on the bookcase back, or perching on an easel decorating a favorite table. Style an entry table with accessory, or seasonal odds and ends to tell a story - books are great to add height, color and interest to a vignette.

Need additional inspiration or help with styling and decorating? We now offer consultation remotely.

-Julea

RESOURCES

https://www.acehardware.com/onlineorder

https://jclicht.com/jc-licht-open-coronavirus-response/

https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/special-offers

https://www.lowes.com/l/store-pickup.html

Julea Joseph 2/13/20 Julea Joseph 2/13/20

Falling Back in Love With Your Home - Fresh Ideas for February

Re-Arrange Your Furniture.

This gives your rooms a new, fresh perspective and offers a chance to love the stuff you already have. Keeping furniture in the same spot makes your home stale and boring. Try re-positioning your seating first, followed by tables, then lighting. With the new arrangement, your accessories will get a needed shake up too. Don’t be afraid to flip flop pieces from other rooms.

Celebrate your Heirlooms. We all have them. Inherited, passed down, or gifted from our wedding. Don't let them languish in a dark closet - get them out and celebrate their heritage. Use your wedding vase with a big bouquet of tulips you picked up from the market. Re-purpose a passed down dresser or desk with a trendy paint color and some sassy new knobs. Pick up some fun wallpaper and line the drawers. Plant a succulent garden in Grandma's tea cups and put it on your window sill.

Buy Something Fancy. Invest a cashmere throw to keep you cozy till spring. Splurge on crisp, high thread count sheets for your bed. Buy your very favorite expensive candle. Even better, buy all three!

Photo: Throw found on William Sonoma Home

Paint a room. Paint is easy. Paint is fast. Paint can change a room's environment in a day. 2020 has some great paint color inspiration that can reinvent a space. Be daring and paint away.

Photo: Behr Paints Color: Back to Nature

Buy a Plant. Whether blooming, 7 feet tall, or hanging from a retro macrame holder - plants make any space come alive, clean the air and make you think of warmer days.

Julea Joseph 2/5/20 Julea Joseph 2/5/20

What I'm Shopping - A Buffet for Home Staging

I had two home staging clients last week in need of pulling the dining room together in preparation to sell their home. Both had the essential table and chairs, but lacked additional ingredients to create that visual & emotional recipe of an authentic dining room.

I had two home staging clients last week in need of pulling the dining room together in preparation to sell their home. Both had the essential table and chairs, but lacked a buffet to create that visual & emotional recipe of an authentic dining room.

Although the dining table is the emphasis of the space, the buffet is the styling muse of the dining room. A staged dining room should tell a story of visual appeal and a lifestyle of family and friends celebrating. Add art or a mirror above the buffet and its top surface has unlimited options for accessorizing for a visual and lifestyle win.

STAGING TIP: Dining rooms have an important mission when selling a home - They are one of first rooms a Buyer sees when viewing the home, and need to make a GREAT 1st impression.

Although the dining table is the emphasis of the space, the buffet is the styling muse of the dining room.(Photo: Danielle Moy @Properties)

What I’m Shopping -

My 1st client’s existing dining set was a simple dark wood IKEA set. I found a buffet at HOME GOODS that would fit perfectly in their space and will add interest and elevate their simple table with it’s textural doors and varied wood tones. It looks much higher end for its price tag of under $300.00.

My 2nd client’s existing table was a well loved Shaker style table and chairs in natural oak. Because of its age, the table had a yellow undertone. I found an up-styled painted buffet on FB MARKETPLACE that would complement and modernizes the Shaker set, and with its gray Chalk Paint. The gray color will tone down the aged oak table hue and catch the buyer’s eye with its casual, farmhouse look. The price tag was under $200.00.

The BONUS for both of these home sellers is, they get to move these pieces to their next chapter of home. Either piece can be used as a media piece, in a guest bedroom, or right back into a dining room.

Join me next week for “ What I’m Shopping”.

Julea Joseph 5/31/19 Julea Joseph 5/31/19

5 Easy Updates - Home Staging Advice

She enlisted my help with making just the right choices and improvements to take the home from bland to grand.

My interior design client Susan bought an investment property a few months ago. She plans on renting the condo, and really wanted to make this home a winner on the rental circuit. The condo is in a great location, is close to the train, and has good bones, but just needed a shot of decorating Botox. She enlisted my help with making just the right choices and improvements to take the home from bland to grand.

GOAL: Make simple, dramatic changes to this space to get it rental ready, and set it apart from other properties in the area.

With simple changes, the space went from kind-of dated, and definitely boring, to a front-of-the-line rental, with a fresh and airy style.

PAINT TRIM & WALLS: Want to appeal to everyone? Paint the trim. By painting the trim, the entire space expands, making the home feel large and airy. I picked white dove paint color by Sherwin-Williams. Paint the Walls one color. We painted all the public spaces one color choice - Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray HC-173 -one of my go-to Home Staging paint colors. The result is a move-in ready space; one that feels large, open and ready for the new renters decorative personality.

PAINT CABINETS: Just like the trim and walls, painting the cabinets will give you the same result and improvement. In this project, we chose two colors. Black on the bottom, white on the top. This makes the existing floor tile and lighting work, adds height to a galley kitchen, and creates a super high-end style. I chose white dove paint color by Sherwin-Williams on the upper cabinets, Iron Ore paint color SW 7069 by Sherwin-Williams on the bottom cabinets. Note: The cabinet pulls didn’t even have to be changed. Bonus!

“Contrasting colors that sell include “tuxedo kitchens,” where the upper and lower cabinets are painted in two different colors; these add a $1,547 premium. White cabinets contrasted by a dark navy blue or black kitchen island were some of the most common tuxedo kitchens in top-performing listings.”

— Forbes - How Color Impacts How Much Your Home Sells For

NEW LIGHTING: Dated light fixtures make a home look dark, dull and tired. Look for trend forward, space functional, but budget friendly new light fixtures. In the dining room, I choose a modern statement making fixture. Lowes, Catalina Sputnik Chandelier.

NEW COUNTER TOPS: If the counters are beat up, a dark color, or really dated, new counters are an important upgrade. Since counters are used to prep foods, or for personal care - by replacing the counters with a new product, it gives the new homeowner a clean, fresh slate. We choose a Quartz counter in a white.

HIGH-END LOOK DETAILS: A few high-end details will elevate the property to a new level. These all don’t have to be expensive, they just need to LOOK expensive. These lifestyle design upgrades, take the home to a whole new level and really connect emotionally with the potential renter (buyer).

HERE ARE SOME OF MY IDEAS TO MAKE THE SPACE REALLY GO FROM BLAND TO GRAND!

-Beef up the base trim. Add an additional trim piece above the base board to desired height - paint all the trim color, trim, drywall, base board.

-Trim out the door opening. We did the opening to the bedroom spaces - this became a focal point of the space. By just doing this one opening, it makes the home feel very custom.

-Add a fun, tile back splash in the kitchen sink area. Just enough to add a splash of chic, bring the entire black and white theme together. Cement tile look - Encaustic tile from Lowe’s.

-Replace the wood blinds with fabric Roman Shades. Everyone would do a basic wood look blind, instead, a fabric Roman Shade gives the makeover a custom, high-end feel.

-Add a one-of-a-kind piece. Another one of my clients was getting rid of a buffet island. I had just been to her home, and thought the piece would be perfect for Susan. Just the right size, painted to match the lower cabinets, it made for the needed extra counter space.

High End details: Beefing up the base board, adding custom trim around the large doorway elevates a space.

HIGH-END details - Added fun, black and white concrete tile back splash behind the sink area. Which pulls all of the elements of the room together.

HIGH END Details: Fabric Roman Shades, One-of-a-Kind Custom Re-Purposed piece make the home inviting and custom.

ONE-OF-A-KIND- PIECE: BEFORE: The mother of reinvention - Another client’s discard turned into just the right custom piece to make the kitchen shine.

The results of Susan’s changes are exciting and I can’t wait for her text that her new investment property is quickly leased to a great renter. Need helping get a space pull together? - I offer both in-person and remote consultation services to make the most of your home. Call or text 708.543.8597.