Office Interior Design Ideas

Designing an office interior is the easy thing, but designing an interior office efficient, beautiful and elegant is not easy matter. Many things that must be considered, sometimes trivial things become the factors that give good affect for office.

Some things you should try when designing an office is.

Work space needs

Each office has a different need of room. an office accountant would have different companies with the design of a multimedia office. Determine how much space needed, calculate carefully, lest office space becomes narrow or too wide, so consuming space that could be used for other purposes.

Office furniture

Determine what kind of office furniture you want to make, No matter if you want to use minimalist furniture or classic design with full ornaments. However, the important thing to consider is, select office furniture in accordance with the character of your company, and don’t disregard the comfort, if you intend to make employees wood chairs, consider the convenience whether employees will be comfortable sitting on the office chairs all day or not.

Lighting Office Interior

Office Interior lighting point should be adjusted to sitting position or reading position of employee, layout also must be adjusted to light, so when you see the screen your eyes don’t glare due to light lamp.

Ventilation

Good air ventilation will impact positively in the long run, the air should be easy exit and entry on a regular basis, consult this with your interior design architect.

That’s all easy things you can do when decorating an office. Well, if an office has a good interior design, it will be good results for employees in the work.

10 Ways to Change your Space with Tone on Tone Color

Have you ever been in a space where only 1 or 2 colors were used but it seemed as if there were 20? Tone on tone coloring or layering, is a decorative technique that takes a single or a few colors and uses different saturation of that color(s) throughout the space. The result is a room that can be dramatically transformed just by lightening or darkening of that color.  If you are happy with the color of your space, but would like to give it more definition and style, look at these 10 ways to change your space with tone on tone color.

1.) Layer your wall coloring: Tone on tone coloring works well with any color, and thus is the magic! For a dramatic look in your space use a dark wall color as an accent color, then ask the your paint supplier to bring that tone 2 – 3 shades lighter.  For a subdued look only use 2 shades, for more drama, use more shades on different walls – all within the same color.

2.) Pull inspiration from art: If you have a piece of art that you love, but don’t know how to decorate around it, choose your 1 favorite color and use tone on tone variations throughout the room.  This will prevent making the room too busy for the eye, and will blend beautifully with your art work.

3.) Mix and match patterns: A new trend in décor is mixing and matching materials and patterns, but keeping all within the same color family.  In a living room use one color for the walls, and then lighten the same color in throw pillows, accent rugs, and adjacent spaces. The result will be a pulled together look.

4.) Neutral room, one color décor: If you prefer a crisp neutral palette in your space, keep your furnishings neutral and add a pop of color in your décor.  A turquoise vase, or a yellow table setting will keep the room neutral, buy add whimsy and visual interest.

5.) Bring color into door and windows: From window and door frames to window treatments – don’t forget tone on tone color isn’t just for walls and furnishings. The more variety you use throughout your space, the more warm and personalized it will become.

6.) Window treatments can match the walls: If you have very high ceilings and want to make the space feel more intimate, match your wall treatment color to the walls. Choose to use a lighter or darker tone for either the wall or to complement each other. Use this same color throughout the room to add dimension.

7.) Pair color tone with black or white: Tone on tone color works beautifully with black and white too. Since these are neutrals they seamlessly will meld together with little effort. Use black or white in fabrics, and trim colors to accent beautifully your tone on tone color palette.

8.) Exterior paint colors work too: The outside of your home can use tone on tone color palette for field color, trim, shutters, gutter and downspouts. For contrast use dark and very light tones for the accent exterior pieces.  Tone on tone color works well in neighborhoods with strict covenants and restrictions about paint color!

9.) Flooring can use tone on tone colors: For open space floor plans you can choose to break up the spaces with different color flooring. So the spaces flows from one space to another choose lighter and darker tones of the same color. Wood and concrete flooring work best for this color concept.

10.) Tone on tone in any room: Bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and living spaces are the most common spaces to use tone on tone color palettes. In fact the color concept can be used throughout your home and gender neutral shared offices and nurseries especially work well with tone on tone coloring.

Change up your space by using tone on tone colors; you will be pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Consider bringing samples home of the colors from the paint store before transforming your entire space.  Once you’ve chosen the paint colors, take these to your local fabric store to bring in patterns to your living spaces. What a difference one color can make!

Freshome reader’s have you tried using tone on tone color in your home? Tell us how you incorporated it into your home!

Why You’re Going To Love a Smaller Home with Richard Taylor

Freshome is always intrigued with small places and learning how to love them is always a challenge.  When we find designers or architects who specialize in working with homeowner’s to design their homes, we love to hear what there is to love about our small homes! Architect, Richard Taylor, A.I.A. shares with us the great advantages of not living in an oversized, impersonal space.

 Boy how things have changed.  One moment you had a house full of kids – yours and all their friends – and the next they’re off to make their own way in the world, leaving you alone in the nest.

A house once full of life and family now seems empty, and well, huge.  In fact as you think back, the house has always been huge.  Why did you think you needed so much space back then?  You vaguely remember the real estate agent (or was it the builder?) raving about the virtues of a huge new home, how you’d have all these rooms to decorate, how you’d have plenty of space for entertaining, how valuable it would be someday.

But with three kids you never got around to buying all new furniture, and when you did entertain, it was either in the kitchen (no one ever seemed to be comfortable in the dining room) or in the TV room.  There’s a lot of space in this house you just didn’t need, and oddly, not enough space in the places you needed it.

You hate the word “downsize” (it sounds like you’re lowering your quality of life), but you can’t fathom one more day of heating, cooling, cleaning, and rearranging furniture in all these empty, useless, echoing rooms.

Ugh.

Could you be happy in a smaller home – maybe even a much smaller home?

Imagine a home with everything you’ve always wanted, and none of the things you don’t.  Let go of the “resale” mentality; picture a home without a formal dining room; without a two-story “great room”; without an Olympic-size whirlpool tub (that you never use) in the “Master Retreat”.

Get rid of all the real estate and builder clichés of “luxury”. Your home should be your most personalized of possessions – it shouldn’t have anything that exists only to satisfy some imagined future owner.

 That custom, personal home is the home you’re going to love more than any other, because the money you spend to design and build it will go towards quality and detail rather than area and volume.

That home is going to be smaller than the home you’re living in now; the useless rooms and hallways are gone and the spaces you keep are just the right size for how you live.  You’re going to love making each room do more than one thing (the guest bedroom doubles as a great home office) and how to carefully plan each space around your furnishings.

You’ve always had an inkling of what “scale” means (your old house must have been designed for a race of giants), but in your smaller home you’ll find out how proper human scale makes a room cozy and comfortable – for you and three friends, or just you.  No more “family room in an airplane hangar” feeling.

The kitchen, eating area, and living area will have great “flow”; you’ll find yourself using these spaces as if they were one, chatting with friends in the kitchen and not feeling disconnected from the rest of the house.  For once, this part of the house will actually make sense to you.

And all of these spaces are going to be properly detailed with all of the finishes and fixtures that bring them alive.  No more twenty-foot tall slabs of dreary drywall that you have no idea how to decorate (your big framed family portrait looked like a postage stamp on that wall!). Instead, you’ll have a cozy built-in window seat in a sunny corner – a place to read and relax, sip tea.  You’ll have bookshelves that help define space but don’t close off the rooms.  You’ll actually be able to warm yourself by the fire, because the fireplace will be designed to be used, not just as a feature to fill up an otherwise empty wall.
You’ll love that your home is filled with light, with warmth, with color, and with comfort.
Inside and out, your smaller, cozier, more comfortable home will connect – to the past, when neighbors chatted on sidewalks, when the front porch was the living room; and to the future, when grandkids look fondly back on weekends at “Grandma and Grandpa’s house” and appreciate its feeling of “home” just as you do.

And you’ll love the look of your smaller home, properly proportioned and scaled (this is SO much easier to accomplish with a smaller home!) and definitely unlike your old huge house, which was designed only to impress your neighbors (you’re so over that, right?).

10 Reasons to Invest in a Home Alarm System

The safety of your home and family should be your number one concern when you’re at home and away. Home alarm systems have come a long way from 10 years ago. Today they do more than just ward off intruders. From calling emergency personnel to controlling the lights from your smart phone, home alarm systems should be in every home.  Here are 10 reasons to invest in a home alarm system today.

1.) Alarm systems are for apartments too: Whether you live in a house or an apartment, safety is a concern for everyone. If you’re an apartment dweller home alarms can help you and your family stay safe and have peace of mind.

2.) Your home is protected continuously: Home owners often forget that they can’t watch their homes around the clock. When you leave to go to work, or store, in 15 minutes, anything can happen! A home alarm system watches your home all the time.

3.) Monitoring available: Depending on your locality, home alarm systems can offer many services. Monitoring will listen for alarms, but some have an enunciator panel or speaker put into your home to listen for an emergency, once the alarm goes off. This prevents false police calls and increases the safety for your home. Locked your key in your house? Your home alarm system can be called to disarm the system, without you tampering with the door!

4.) One touch emergency personnel: Many alarm systems come with a one touch button for fire, ambulance, or police. This can be invaluable if you must leave your home quickly or you need to tend to a sick or injured individual in your home.  Most alarm companies will respond with emergency personnel after a few minutes of non-response after home alarm has been sounded.

5.) Lower home owner insurance policy rate: If you own a home you may receive a discount from your home owner’s insurance company. Homes that have an alarm system are looked at as a lower liability than those without by your insurance company.  Check with your company to see if they offer a discount.

6.) Alarm systems now offer remote control of systems: Did you forget to turn your air conditioning up before you left the house? Did you stay later at the office than expected and the lights aren’t on at your home? Check to see if your alarm company offers home system monitoring. From your air conditioning/heating systems to interior and exterior lighting control.

7.) Ward off intruders: Often times just the presence of an alarm sign in your yard or sticker on your door or front window will ward off intruders.  These visual signs will make an intruder think twice before entering.

8.) Small home based business write off: If you are a small home business you may be able to write off the alarm system expense for that portion of your home on your income taxes. Check with your local/federal government tax rules to see if it applies to your home and business.

9.) Internet & smart phone access: Several alarm companies are giving the option to have access to your home alarm system through the internet or smart phone. This would enable you to turn on/off your alarm remotely as well as monitor when your children come home and other conveniences.

10.) Home alarms systems can help the neighbors: Many neighborhoods, including apartments don’t know when you come and go in your home. If you install an alarm system, the neighbors will know instantly when there is an emergency. This is crucial for your safety and for your neighbors to keep alerted of intruders in your building or neighborhood.

Having a home alarm system is an excellent idea for any home. Use these 10 tips and do research on your own, to see if a home alarm system is your family.  The majority of home owners that have one will tell you it is well worth the money.  After all, you can’t put a price on your home and family’s safety. Freshome reader’s do you have a home alarm system on your home? Tell us what the pros and cons are? We’d love to hear your comments.

How to Purchase the Right House Plans

Are you ready to start building a new home and are not sure where to start in choosing a floor plan? There are countless resources for purchasing house plans that will fit your budget, lifestyle and style of architecture. From house plan magazines to online home manufacturer websites, the resources are abundant for purchasing a house plan.  Before you go and choose a floor plan for the beautiful room layout, have you: chosen your property, consulted with your local building department or looked into construction costs? Before you buy the house plans, here is what you should consider first.

Know where you will build: Before choosing a floor plan, ensure you have a piece of property to build it on first. This may seem obvious, but many home buyers think the floor plan should be considered first and they forget certain plans can only fit on certain sized lots.  If you are buying 10 acres of land, than this factor may not apply to you.  For those with a smaller budget and property size to work with, buy your property first.

• Know your budget: When shopping for homes with developers, you have the advantage of having the floor plan, and builder chosen and the ‘price tag’ is already predetermined.  When you purchase house plans you are going through a catalog of plans and will need to add up the components on your own.  While a house plan may seem reasonably priced, remember you will still need a contractor to build and their fees must be taken into account, along with the property price. Before purchasing floor plans, know what your overall budget would entail.
• Research local building codes: Before you purchase plans, seek the advice of a building department official in your local jurisdiction of where your property is located.  They can provide you guidelines on the height, size, and how far away from the street it can sit, etc… These guidelines are important if you plan on building a home in an urban environment and the plan you chose is too large and will not work with the local building codes.  If you need help visit your local building department and they can walk you through the information you need.

Ensure the floor plans meet your needs: After you have confirmed the site, your budget, and local building codes look through floor plans that will fit your family’s needs. Size is important, but the way your floor plan flows and whether it’s open or closed can make a huge difference depending on your lifestyle.  Review the Freshome Article – 5 Tips to Choosing the Right Floor Plan when choosing the right layout for you.

• Consider hiring consultants: Consultants such as an architect or mechanical/electrical/structural/plumbing may be needed for advice on making your floor plan a reality.  Seek advice on how much heating and cooling systems will cost, a civil engineer may be needed if your property site is uneven, and other consultants should be referred to before you buy your floor plans.

Building a home is exciting, and purchasing a floor plan can be hectic and take planning before you choose.  After you have followed the above tips, the process will seem easier and you’ll be less stressed out when your home is being built. Relax; your home will be perfect!
Freshome reader’s do you have experience with purchasing floor plans? What are the pros and cons? We’d love to hear your comments.

How to Enlarge Your Space Using Mirrors

It always feels like we are trying to make rooms in our home feel larger. Whether we are knocking down walls or trying to give the illusion of space, a feeling of space makes us happy.  Mirrors are a great way to give the illusion of space. They enlarge the room and they trick the human eye into feeling an expanded living area and they are affordable too.  If you’re tired of your space feeling cramped, use these helpful tips to enlarge your space using mirrors.

• Enlarge your bathroom: If your bathroom is lacking space, use mirrors behind your sink in a floor to countertop fashion. This will give the illusion of space, reflect more light and give you a mirror to get ready in the morning by. If you have a beautiful window in your bathroom, be creative and mount hanging mirrors from the ceiling to ‘float’ in front of the windows. This is a gorgeous interior designer trick that beckons repeating in your home!
• Dramatic mirrors: If you want to add a visual focal point to your space, try adding an oversized mirror to your room.  Choose to frame it in a complimentary style to your décor. Dramatic mirrors will reflect the room, but also add the illusion of height. If your room has low ceilings, try adding a floor to ceiling mirror. You will instantly feel the room dynamics change.  Try using a light wall color and matching window treatment color to create more height and space.

 Brighten a dark wall: If you have a dark accent wall in your space sometimes it will feel closed in and in turn make the room feel small and cold. Use a mirror on this wall to reflect the lighter side of the room and to “hide” a portion of the dark colored wall. For added interest choose greenery, or water elements to reflect back into the room.  Your room will feel more spacious and more balanced with the nature features.

Mirrors in multi-functions: If you are short on space, consider using your mirrors on closet doors or on storage cabinets. Multi-functional mirror designs will solve the issue of enlarging the space but can also be used to show off decorative shelving and collections. Mirrors which serve multi functions will make your room work well and look great!

Mirrors as art: Mirrors are usually thought of in the framed form. Mirrors can also be a piece of artwork alone in a space.  Do it yourselfer’s will enjoy visiting a glass and mirror store and creating your own creation for your space. Home improvement and furniture stores often sell accessories to their regular lineup of furniture.  The ideas are limitless if you get inspiration from a decorative space you visit or online interiors hunting!

• Bring in the light: If your space is feeling small, mirrors will help reflect light into your space. Reflections and shiny surfaces also help to create a room of sophistication paired with grandeur.  Choose mirrors that reflect the decorative nature of your space. Whether traditional or modern, mirrors across from windows will reflect light back into your room, and in turn will feel larger.

Mirrors are simple, yet effective ways to make your space feel larger than it really is.  An added bonus to the illusion is the practicality of mirrors. What mirror have you walked by that you don’t want to check out how you look?  Mirrors help your space, and help you create a look that no longer feels cramped and now feels personalized and yours!

Freshome reader’s have any cool ways you use mirrors in your home? Give us some suggestions to add to the list.

The Pros and Cons of Hardwood vs. Laminate Wood Flooring

One of the most sought after amenities in a home is wood flooring.  From its natural appearance and warmth underfoot, wood is beautiful and timeless.  Older traditional homes with their original hardwood floors are one of the pros of buying older homes.  Newer homes that have a lower price point, but that still want the natural look of wood use laminate to win home buyers over.  Whichever is your preference there are pros and cons to buying hardwood vs. laminate wood flooring.  Determine which one fits with your lifestyle and budget; one is right for your home.

• Price: The reality of flooring costs and what your wallet can afford may be miles apart.  Take into consideration the cost of laminate and hardwood flooring to determine what is best for you.
• Laminate: PROS – Laminate wood flooring is made from composite wood pressed together at high temperatures.  The photograph or image of hardwood is then covered over the composite wood to form the laminate, thus is cheaper.  Laminate wood installation cost is on an average 50% less than hardwood.
• Hardwood: CONS – Hardwood flooring is made from harvested trees and depending on how exotic the trees are will depict the pricing. Hardwood is considerably higher to buy and to install.

• Durability: Assess the traffic load and wear and tear on flooring in your home.  How durable your wood flooring is will help with maintenance and keep it looking great for years to come.
• Laminate: PROS – Since laminate wood flooring is made from pressed wood it is more durable and resists scratches, moisture and wear and tear better than hardwood flooring. Laminate flooring is also easier to clean on a routine basis. CONS – Even though laminate is more durable it is not as visually appealing and lower qualities of laminate may have artificial looking wood grain textures.
• Hardwood: CONS – Hardwood is susceptible to scratching, can get damaged from excessive moisture and will show wear, especially in heavy trafficked areas in your home. PROS – Hardwood is the ‘real deal’. It is gorgeous to look at and depending on the variety can add considerable value to your home.

• Repair: Flooring is one component of your home that at one time or another will have to be repaired.  From minor accidents in the home, to excessive wear and tear, laminate and hardwood have separate advantages and disadvantages.
• Laminate: CONS – Laminate flooring doesn’t repair easily.  If you buy flooring that comes in individual pieces and snapped together, you may be able to replace.  Although, depending on sunlight and age, the new piece may not match properly.
• Hardwood: PROS – Hardwood can be repaired by sanding and refinishing out imperfections.  This advantage gives hardwood a plus over laminate, in that it will last for years into the future.

 Your home will benefit from the look of wood flooring, deciding on hardwood or laminate is up to you.  Review the pros and cons and be realistic with your lifestyle and if you have pets, young kids, or extremely high traffic that will sway your decision one way over the other.  If you have a lot of sun entering your home, hardwood can fade because it is a natural product. Laminate wood flooring on the contrary has UV protection that has been ‘man-made’ into the surface.  Consider all the factors and enjoy how the warmth of wood will improve your home’s aesthetic and appeal.

Freshome reader’s do you own wood floors in your home? I’d love to know if they are hardwood or laminate.  What was the decision maker in what flooring you finally chose?

Stylish Combination of Wood&Porcelain: Plera Pendant Lamp

Plera pendant lamp was designed by Enrico Zanolla and Andrea Di FIlippo from DZstudio and comes with a highly original look and an uncommon association of materials. Here is some information from the designers: “Plera means funnel in Friulan, the language spoken in northeastern Italy. The idea was to realize a small suspension lamp which could express minimalism but with the soft touch of the wood in opposition to the cold touch of porcelain. The inversion of a simple shape like that one of a funnel creates a really simple lamp, where the wood gives the last friendly touch in contrast to the elegant and classic appearance of the porcelain.” The lamp is available in four different colors (white, yellow. red and black) and has a stylish appearance, suited for a contemporary interior. The wood-porcelain combination is not only of great aesthetic effect, but also makes the lamp adaptable to various decor arrangements.

How to Keep your Home Always Smelling Fresh

The atmosphere of your home is one of the ‘unsaid’ aesthetics that keeps you loving your home. When you are in it day in and day out, the way your home smells and feels will actually have a stronger impact then the décor in your space! So what factors keep your home smelling fresh and which one’s contribute to their bad odor? Read on to see how to keep your home always smelling fresh and clean!

• Determine the culprits of odor: There are different sources that can contribute to your home’s odors including: must, old age, pets, food and daily regimen, poor air circulation, smoke, old finishes – carpet/wallpaper, etc.. and a host of others.  Depending on the odor you will first have to determine where the odor is coming from.  When you have lived in your home for a while, you may be insensitive to the odor, and will need to ask a friend or neighbor for advice on the source of odor in your home.
• Solving the issue: Once you found the issues use the following tips to keep the smell away:
• Musty odors: If musty odors are caused from an aging home consider painting walls, changing wallpaper, replacing carpet, and refinishing wood floors.  If odor is from old furniture, read our Freshome post about removing musty odors from furniture. Musty odors are some of the hardest to get rid of due to age and the smell could be embedded into the home.

• Pets: Odors from pets can be from pet stains in carpet/pad or furnishings, or it can be from wet fur of animals.  Try getting your carpets steam cleaned on a regular basis and get pets house trained to keep carpets smelling fresh. Consider using a carpet powder or light baby powder on carpet and vacuum.
• Food & Daily regimen: Your household regimen and food that you cook on a regular basis could be the source of odor in your home. It doesn’t mean you have to change your cooking habits, but the routine of cleaning and airing out your kitchen may need to.  Use the range hood vent when cooking to remove cooking odors from the air. Empty the trash immediately after disposing of food, and consider double bagging if necessary. Have neutralizers in your kitchen to expel odor while you create them. Turn on garbage disposal immediately after placing food in – and put fresh lemons down drain to keep clean and odor free.

•  Poor air circulation and smoke: Both of these causes can be addressed by opening up windows on a regular basis to let fresh air move throughout your home. Change your air filters on your heating/air conditioner unit per the manufacturer’s instructions. You can also buy scented inserts especially made for your vented system to disperse smell throughout your home. Consider not smoking in your home to truly expel smoke odor in your home. Smoke settles into finishes and can stay for years into the future.

• Keeping your home smelling fresh: Once you have solved the issue you will need to take on a new regimen for routinely keeping your house smelling fresh. If your home’s source is from being unclean, it will be important to clean more often and more thoroughly. Consider hiring a cleaning service for an initial clean that you can later maintain, or hire on a regular basis. Teach teenager’s to wash athletic clothes, bed linen, and bath linen on a regular basis. Believe it or not, these can harbor germs quickly and cause odors.

Your home can smell clean all the time with diligence and identifying the source of the odors. Take the time to make your home smell inviting and fresh. You will feel better in your home and notice guests will enjoy it too. You just may find a new reason to stay at home and entertain more once your home is more inviting to all! Freshome reader’s tell us what makes your home smell fantastic!

How to Bring Powerful Purple into your Décor

Purple in history has been long associated with mystery, wealth, and wisdom by royalty and those in higher power. From deep royal purple to lilac fresh light purple, the color is gorgeous in your home and décor. The color purple has feng shui and meditation connections and makes your home feel more powerful and secure. Have you ever noticed a lot of professional sports teams use the color purple as their dominant color? Purple can symbolize power and those who know how to use it in their homes can have a home of strength and security. Here are tips to bringing the color purple into your home décor.

• Deep purple is powerful: Purple symbolizes prosperity and therefore should be used throughout your home and décor. Consider using it in your home’s front entry as guests enter your home, artwork, accents, and main wall colors can give off a powerful aura.
• Wallpaper trends love purple: Purple has taken on a new look with modern wallpaper. Big, bold prints are being paired with light lavenders to dark plums.  Whether you like small prints, or you prefer textured wallpaper, purple has a big presence in the wallpaper world of home décor. Pair bold wallpaper with subtle neutral furnishings to prevent clashing of patterns

• Decorate your home office with purple: It is believed that purple is associated with wealth, nobility and stature. In your home office consider using purple in your desk supplies, desk and furnishings.  Beautiful purples in window treatments and office lighting can bring a spark of enlightenment and creativity to your space!
• Welcome guest with a purple entry door: The first impression of your home will be memorable with a purple door. Purple palette can be an eggplant color to a deep maroon.  A purple door represents that your home is prosperous and attracting a healthy life. Matching window shutters and or trim around your front entry add to the presence of your home.
• Pairing with purple is beautiful: Depending on the shade of purple you choose, there is a color that matches flawlessly with it. The contrast between light purples and dark browns, and mustard yellows is modern and sophisticated. Deeper purples work better paired with lighter gold, and oranges. Purple encompasses the fire or red and mellowness of blue which always gives a lively feel to a room.

 

• Children love purple: According to studies, children prefer the color purple over most other colors. Purple can be found in children’s toys, belongings, furnishings and décor. Purple works beautifully in a girl’s room paired with hot pink or in a soft lilac color. While boys feel at home with dark purple paired with red or orange. Either way purple adapts to its surroundings.
• Purple has healing powers: It is believed that purple helps with ailments of the head and nervous system. Consider using muted tones of purple where calmness and tranquility are desired. Elderly and overly stressed people may enjoy in their bedrooms and retreat areas.

Purple is majestic and it gives individuals a sense of accomplishment and power when in the same presence with it. From the exterior of your home to the walls of your interior, purple welcomes and gives its occupants strength. For any space that you want to feel healthy and secure, bring purple into area rugs, wall artwork and fabrics. Purple can be an accent or can stand on its own and command a presence. You choose how you bring it into your home; it will make you feel great, wherever you use it.

Freshome reader’s do you like the color purple? Do you use it in your home? We’d love to hear how it empowers your home!

How to Bring Earth Inspiring Brown into your Home

Brown symbolizes the earth and being grounded, and what better color to surround yourself in your home? From natural organic materials to strength in gorgeous wood flooring and furniture, brown is a classic neutral that is at home by itself or paired with color. Dark espresso brown to pale beiges evoke a sense of comfort and warmth in your everyday living and lifestyle.  Read on to see how to bring earth inspiring brown into your home.

• Formal or casual: Brown is one of the few colors that can look dramatic and stylish is an urban penthouse, or look casual in a one bedroom eclectic apartment. Since brown occurs naturally in nature we are at peace with it around us. For a formal look, use rich brown leather seating paired with wood décor and supple textures and patterns.  In a casual setting try khaki colored seating, sea grass area rugs and varying shades of brown for wall and window treatments.
• Sophisticated brown in the kitchen: In the past few years brown has gone from being a innocent bystander to taking center stage as a main focal point color of a room. Wood butcher block countertops and varying stains in wood cabinetry makes a kitchen the perfect place to display brown.  Whether used as a predominant color or paired with white or cream cabinetry, brown is the new sought after color in kitchens.

 Pair brown with color: Since brown is a neutral, the color palette is open for pairing up with. Pastel colors in pink, blue and green are favorites for baby nurseries and children’s rooms. In living and bedroom areas, brown pairs with bright vibrant colors to exude a fresh and modern decorative touch. On a beige or tan couch, varying colored throw pillows, area rugs, wall art and décor pieces on display will give a balance between dramatic dark and inspiring bright colors.

• Dining areas love brown: Whether you dining room is formal or informal, brown accents make the mood heartfelt and genuine. Look to brown for an accent wall to add visual interest or keep it simple in furnishings and lighting fixtures. Copper and antique bronze or popular trending fixture colors for lighting, plumbing, and cabinet/door hardware.
• Rustic cues from the color brown: For homes that are in a rural, mountainous setting or want rustic cues, brown is the ideal color. Fireplaces adorned with river rock or flagstones are beautiful in their varying shades of browns, grays, and sand colors. Southwestern American décor that mimic the colors of the dessert in deep rust, chestnut, and sienna brown can fill your home with culture and warmth. Consider using these colors in your exterior palette of home colors as well.  Colors that occur naturally in nature make the best exterior colors.

 For every home there is a brown shade that is appealing to most, due to the organic nature of the color. Determine if your home wants to use it as an accent in brown wood detailing and trim around windows /doors, or convey it through woodworking details around your home. It can also become the main star and become the theme color of your walls, furniture, flooring and window treatments.  Give it a try and see how brown can be more than just your average neutral color! Freshome reader’s how do you use brown in your home? Do you prefer it in your décor, or added to your wall and flooring finishes too? Thanks for sharing with us!

10 Tips to Stage your Home like a Professional

When you are trying to sell your home, any edge that you can get over your competition is a plus! It is a home buyers market out there, and if your home has the slightest reason for a buyer to be turned away, you just lost a potential sale.  Home staging is about marketing your home appealing to buyers and showing your home off in its best light. Here are 10 tips stagers use to give your home an extra boost over your competition.

1.) Make all surfaces clean: While this seems like a ‘no-brainer’, often times it is not.  Depending on your family a weekly thorough cleaning is necessary when your home is on the market.  Although a trick stagers use is to always have glass cleaner, wood polish, etc… on hand at a moment’s notice.  Don’t assume that all surfaces are clean. Before a showing go through your home and run your finger across all surfaces that buyers will see immediately and clean them.

2.) Assure mirrors and windows are streak free: Reflection of light makes any room feel brighter, cleaner and more inviting. In bathrooms and bedrooms assure your mirrors are streak free and clean.  Similarly with all the windows in your home. Clean them inside and out, if possible.  The more light and views you can bring into your home the better.

3.) Put away dirty dishes: In the morning time, often the family is running around trying to get out of the house on time.  The last thing you are thinking about is cleaning out the sink of breakfast dishes or putting away your juice glass.  If your home is available to be shown to Realtors while you’re away, you should leave your home in ‘show ready’ condition at all times. If you are in desperate time crunch, place dirty dishes in a cool oven and close the door. Most home buyers will not look here when looking at the kitchen; just don’t forget to take them out when you come home.

4.) Leave the home smelling good: The average person may not be able to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies when they’re having a showing.  Especially if a Realtor will show your home with little advance warning.  Have spray neutralizers, and fabric fresheners’ to lightly spray throughout the home.  Avoid using overly perfume ridden sprays that may turn off buyers or interfere with a buyer’s sensitivity to allergens.

5.) Clean up your closets: One of the top areas that buyers are looking for is storage.  Don’t assume that your closets are the place to throw all your clothes and overflow items.  If a home buyer can’t see how much space they would be acquiring in your closet, it is time to purge, pack, or sell belongings.

6.) Each room needs to have a purpose: One trick professionals use is to make a clean sweep through your home in determining an intended use for each space.  Therefore, toys in the living room need to be placed in a children’s room or a playroom. While a kitchen table that has office papers all over it will need to move papers to an office/den area or store out of sight.

 7.) Set the mood: Home staging professionals will tell you that home buyers like to feel welcomed into the home immediately.  To make them feel at home, plan for light jazz or classical music in the background.  A light beverage or snack offered when they arrive is a touch to make home buyers take a harder look at your home.

8.) Look at your front entry daily: Unlike the rest of your home that you walk through several times a day, we forget about our front door. Daily, make sure leaves and debris haven’t collected on the ground or there aren’t  any bugs in the front entry. All of these can be an instant deterrent to a future home buyer.

9.) Leave the house when home buyers look at your home: Unless you are selling your home ‘By Owner’, it is best to leave your home so the home buyer can feel comfortable browsing through your home.  If you are selling your home by owner, give the family space to look freely.  Even going outside for 10-15 minutes while they look around will make your buyers feel more comfortable, and that is the key when appealing to future home buyers.

10.) Clean up bathroom counters: Once again, the morning time is the prime culprit of family members leaving personal toiletries and belongings out.  Put all toiletries away and only leave 1 or 2 small decorative items on the counter. A trick from the pros is having a small basket located under your bathroom sink that you can put all toiletries items in after each use. This way it is quick to clean up every day.

Use these tips when expecting a showing for your home.  If you do have the time, clean and organize before you get the phone call from the Realtor! The more you can accomplish before perspective buyers come, the better.

Freshome reader’s do you have any tips you use when trying to sell your home to perspective buyers?  Realtors and home stagers share your thoughts too, we’d love to hear?