Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Designed to sell with budget-friendly decorating details!

Style at Home magazine did a beautiful write-up about budget friendly decorating to help sell your home. "When her builder husband Rob completed a new subdivision in South Surrey, B.C., Kimberley Wiens of Laurel Ridge Homes set about decorating the 3,300 sq. ft. show home. Her goal: to appeal to as many buyers as possible as cost-effectively as possible." She created a neutral but inviting palette enhanced by decorating details that make a big impact on a budget.

Style at Home How did the design process start?"Kimberley Wiens We get a lot of rain on the West Coast, plus the house wasn’t going to be huge, so we decided to design it with a lot of windows and French doors across the back to make it airy, open and bright, and thereby seem bigger. When decorating, we went with simple furnishings and reflective surfaces for
that same reason."
S@H Is that also why you went with neutrals?"Jeannine Foley We had to think about all the people who might be walking through the show house, so we kept the colour palette light throughout and added lots of texture. We used a lot of soft greys and blues -- beach tones -- which is very South Surrey. The beach is only a five-minute walk away." S@H Any other lessons learned?"KW We take great pride in attention to little details and workmanship -- nothing builder's basic! But that doesn't mean you have to blow your budget either. Do little things, like updating cabinetry hardware, when renovating or reselling. If you can’t afford to do so everywhere, invest in a key area.S@H Can you give us an example?KW We didn't have the budget for wainscotting throughout, so we focused on the front entrance. It's impossible for anyone entering the house to miss the coffered ceiling and panelled archway. Those little details make a lasting impression."
http://www.styleathome.com/

I wanted to share this article with you to show what you can do on a small budget, just a bit of imagination is needed to give the illusion that you spent more then you did. Also clean simple lines always showcases a house better, so if you are selling your house, take pictures of your space this will give you an idea of how people receive your home. Pictures don't lie and it will help point out the cluttered areas in each room. This Blog might not be angled at a Green venture however being cost effective with your money is. So challenge yourself and see what you can do with your own space on a beer budget but champagne taste!
Stay green my friends!
until next time,
w&c designer girl!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Go ECO-CHIC with your Summer Garden Parties!

For those who love the convenience of paper plates but not the waste, there's an environmentally friendly alternative that's better looking to boot. New York-based Bambu's disposable Veneerware plates and cutlery don't use bleaches or dyes and are made from organic bamboo, a fast growing renewable resource. Intended for single use, each piece is lightweight yet durable an enough to handle messy BBQ dinners. Best of all, they biodegrade within six months if tossed into a compost pile or bin. An added bonus; the eco-minded company donates a percentage of sales to environmentally causes. Guilt-Free Dining! http://www.bambuhome.com/


For those Garden lovers - Nature Mix, 100% chemical-free and rich in organic material like peat Mose, humus, perlite and compost. Premium Nature Mix soil makes any garden bloom and NATURALLY beautiful!


Recycled Patio Furniture. These quality pieces of handcrafted furniture are made of polyethylene. The high density polyethylene raw material utilized in poly lumber is derived from post-consumer plastic bottle waste such as milk containers. This material is cleaned in a decontamination's process to a purity level of over 99% HDPE. It is then compounded into rigid board stock material; the resulting finished product containing over 90% recycled post consumer waste by weight. Any shavings and/or cut offs created during the making of a piece of furniture, are sent back to the factory to be re-used, so nothing is wasted. Poly furniture is a maintenance free furniture that can be left outside all year round.

Beautiful jute runners/carpets for that indoor outdoor feel. All natural and easy to clean you can't go wrong with any colour choice that is offered. You can find the product in store across Canada and the US. Make sure you buy a colour you like because this hardy product will endure the rigours of a cottage life and will hold up over time.


Happy summer garden parting to all, who said you can't be GREEN even outdoors!

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

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