Archive for the ‘Household Care Series’ Category

Often the roof is a neglected area of maintenance.  An inexpensive service makes it easy and safe to clean the roof and make it look like new.  The company we used here was the Roof Medic.  It is important to not overlook this detail, as a dirty roof can make a buyer think it is old or may be problematic. Even  if you are not selling your home it is a good idea to clean the roof for your own curb appeal.

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From the Roof Medic web site: “The type of growth you have determines the amount of damage. The least damaging are the algae and molds. These growths hold moisture, which very slowly causes rotting of the shingle. The worst growth we encounter is lichen. We find it growing on roughly 30% of the roofs we clean. Lichen is such a hardy feeder, it creates enough damage to the roof, in as little as 3 years, so as to cause granular to fall off. Customers often forget the visual damage growth causes to their roof. Most roofs are replaced today due to the way they look. We are finding many people are repairing or replacing their 25-30 year roofs in as little as 10 years because they look so bad. Often a roof cleaning is all they need.”

For more information on this service contact Roof Medic.

Project: we expanded our concrete paver patio to make it larger. This resulted in having pavers of very different colors. To start with, our old pavers were very worn and of 2 different colors to begin with.

After expanding the patio, we used a concrete paint to unify the color. To keep it simple, we used the trim color from our house. The before photo shows pavers half painted with the first coat. After painting we re-filled the gaps in between with slag sand.

Now we are ready for spring and summer out door entertainment!

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After a long, Michigan winter we welcome spring with open arms. April showers give way to sunshine and longer days; it’s time for renewal and an re-awakening of our senses.

It’s also the season for that tried-and-true household tradition: Spring cleaning. I don’t know about you, but I tend to really notice the winter’s accumulation of clutter, dust and grime when there’s more natural light pouring into my home! That means it’s time to stock up on cleaning products, buy a new mop and a pull on a fresh pair of rubber gloves. Years ago, spring cleaning meant days of dusting, mopping, wiping and scouring; a job that usually landed on the shoulders of the lady of the house (with assistance from the rest of the family). It meant a complete top-to-bottom cleaning of every square inch of the home and often included removing, cleaning, and replacing an extensive list of household items to create that spring-fresh feeling. Who has time for a project like that in today’s busy world?

But let’s be honest; nothing feels better than a home that looks and smells clean,fresh and uncluttered, and this is the perfect time of year to make that happen. (And if you’re planning on putting your home on the market, it’s not an option…it’s a MUST!) It’s also a great time to add a few easy, inexpensive (but high-impact) improvements. Whether you’re selling your house or simply enjoying living in it, this short list of “must-do” Spring chores and a few quick spruce-up tips will help make your house look as beautiful as the season. –Darla

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Many individuals use the New Year as an incentive to take on challenges and or desires for changing lifestyles in the New Year.  As homeowners we all have the “honey do list” of projects needed to either sell a house, or simply live better in the house they are living in.  Homeowners often just do not know where to start.  Impact can make this process much easier by helping to prioritize and coordinate the implementation of the plans.  Summarized below are some New Year’s resolutions Impact Interior Design Solutions can help you with:

Getting organized:
Our team of stagers and organizers can make a huge difference in just one day.  For many getting organized is a huge breakthrough.  It can be as simple as getting the basement cleared for making a play space, or office paperwork.   Organizing a house can be a big challenge.  We recommend breaking in down into smaller projects, and tackling them one at a time.  At the same time put in place a structure that will allow for you to find things, and keep it organized. Read the rest of this entry »

by Donna Kosnak

Donna Kosnak, ImpactIDS.com Customer Solutions Representative

When you invite people to a party you make sure everything looks nice because you know your guests will be looking at your home.  Have you heard about “party-peekers?” They’re the people who use the opportunity to peek in private places like closets or your medicine chests. It happens to nearly everyone at one point; you may even be a “peeker” yourself.
Well, you will be inviting lots of people to shindigs at your house, but you will be calling them “showings.”  Be prepared!

Things a homeowner looks past everyday can really stand out to buyers; they look everywhere!! Make sure your closets are cleared of anything you don’t use on a weekly basis – get rid of the rest or put it in storage. If your closets are crammed buyers won’t notice how big it is, only that your junk takes up all the space. The same goes for cabinets; keep only what you use. You can put your things in baskets to make them easily movable and it will look neat and organized.  Here are some easy tricks I have found to help me keep up surfaces that everyone looks at:

1.     Magic erasers.  You know, those white foam sponges. They really are magic! It doesn’t matter if you buy the national brand or the store brands.  I use these on my walls around light switches,  on cabinet doors where little (and big) fingers have been,  that inevitable coffee drip right down the cabinet door,  any scuffs or marks on painted surfaces or anywhere you don’t want to use an abrasive cleanser.  These are especially good on surfaces with texture so you can get into the nitty-gritty; the door handle on my refrigerator is the usually suspect. Read the rest of this entry »

As a stager we often need to find excellent products which solve staging dilemmas.    Many of our sellers have the charm of hardwood floors, but in many cases they are worn or lightly distressed.  One of my favorite products is by Minwax Hardwood Reviver.   For under $19.00, one bottle will easily cover a medium size room.   As you can see from the picture, this product offers a quick solution, and adds instant value.

This is a good product for reviving any wood needing a little pick me up.  I frequently use it on kitchen cabinets or on other wood furniture.  It comes in different sheens to match your original finish.  It does not add color.  I suggest you always test the product on a small corner or discreet area before apply to large area.

Please share with me your favorite household care product; I would love to see how many we can come up with and then publish a list of recommended products we can all share with our clients, friends and families.

If you’re a U.S. consumer with too much stuff, you have a few options. You’ve probably already tried to downsize – Goodwill, thrift store, and antique shop your way out of clutter. This is a great practice for any homeowner, but rarely yields the type of results a household really needs. You can try to organize your way into a home in which every nook and cranny has a place for stuff, but this really equates to buying more things (containers, bins, baskets, shelves, etc.) that happen to serve as a place for other things. It’s a temporary solution to a very persistent problem. Probably the best and quickest approach is to find some cheap self storage.

Believe it or not, the phenomenon of having too many things and not enough space is an issue unique to the culture of the United States after the industrial revolution. Over consumption is America’s middle and last name. A great example of this is the storage industry, a type of business that was originally dependent on business clients when it began in the 1800s. Since the mid 1900s, the broader demand for self-service storage (or “self storage”) led to the creation of a consumer storage industry that clearly capitalizes on Americans’ propensity to acquire too much stuff. According the Self Storage Association, there are over 50,000 storage facilities in the U.S., but only 58,000 total in the world. That means roughly 86% of the world’s consumer-facing storage facilities are in the United States. Read the rest of this entry »

A common complaint for many sellers is that they do not want to invest in updates or repairs for their old house.  They typically want to save this money to be used in the next house.  Many equate this situation as an expense or cost of selling.  The fact is it is not!

In actuality, the “cost of selling” includes expenses like movers, real estate fees, staging, etc.   The cost of repairs is a cost of living.  Don’t be confused, minor repairs or updates that have been put off over time are not a cost of selling.

The situation is compounded currently because not only do most homeowners put off repairs; they are also saddled with lower property values.  So if you try to sell you are going to absorb an even greater loss than if you had maintained the home or taken care of deferred items before selling.

I encourage individuals who are thinking of selling in next 2 or 3 years to start working on deferred project as soon as possible.  Enjoy the updates before your move.    As a general rule, home owners should be reserving a minimum of $500 to $1500 per year to tackle home repair and update projects.  This will help you preserve your home’s optimum value as well as optimum enjoyment.

Most people start with a paint color when beginning a design project.  Then they call me later when they can’t find a sofa or window treatments to coordinate with their “unique” selection.

It is my opinion that the paint selection should be the 3rd or 4th step in the process, especially when you are purchasing furniture and window treatments in same project.    Paint is easy to pick (to me anyway) because it comes in so many colors, you have a virtual rainbow of options.   When you look at furniture and window treatments the choices are fewer, especially if you have a tight design budget.  If you pick a paint color first you are reducing your décor options significantly.   I think it is helpful to pick a color as a tentative strategy, but be open to change if you find a piece of furniture or curtains that inspire you more.

1.      Find an inspiration:  Find a rug, or curtains or accent pillow, or piece of art which inspires you.  Select a general palette you are working towards. (Keep an open mind). I sometimes use magazines, or window treatment catalogs.  These provide visual presentation of ideas a homeowner can easily embrace.

2.      Furniture placement and design plans for key elements: incorporate what you want to keep and use, and reserve space for items you want to add. Review the scale and ensure they will fit and proper walkway aisles and spacing is allowed for each piece of furniture.  A plan will help you determine scale for any new items purchased so you know they will fit.

3.      Functional needs: ensure if you identify special needs for organization, hobbies, or kids. The ability to live efficiently should be designed into the room at the beginning of the process.  These needs may influence final décor and furniture choices.

4.      Furniture purchase:  Purchase the key pieces, like a sofa, before paint.   The sofa and existing carpet should complement each other.

5.      Paint:   Confirm paint color after final furniture choices are made.

6.      Accessorize:  This is the frosting on the cake… add contrast and texture.

This week I worked with a design client.  A simple design project which included color, window treatments, furniture placement and décor elements.

As a decorator it is my job to stretch the comfort levels of my design clients.  I like to provide them with ideas they would not have thought of on their own.   Most clients just need a little encouragement to take some small “risks.”    I love when they love the new colors and they would have never picked them without my help.  Remember worst case situation, it is only paint.