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Add comment May 23, 2008
Decorating On A Budget
Some people say were in a recession, but when it comes to our homes, most of us have an uncontrollable urge to remodel and decorate! So, what do you do in times like these if you don’t have the money to do a full remodel but you just can’t take it anymore? Here are a few budget decorating ideas that you can either hire someone to do without spending a lot of money and some other things you can do yourself.
1. Paint! Paint is probably the most cost effective and design efficeint things you can do to update your home without spending a lot of money. Even if you hire someone, the cost is low compared to other remodling expenses, but if you paint yourself … it’s down right cheap! And the best bang for your buck!
2. Interior Redesign! Maybe you have a room you never use, or a room that just doesn’t feel or look right, maybe your bored with the room, but you may or may not want to go out and purchase some furnishings to change the look of the room. Hire an interior redesigner to REDESIGN your home/a room using what you already own and love. A redesinger will redesign just one room or your entire home. You decide, based on your wants, needs and budget. Another best bang for the buck!
3. Update your accessories. Try changing out your throw pillows, accessories and art. This can change the look and feel of your home …maybe just enough to make your decorating urges go away for a while.
4. Change out your art. I know, you always hang this piece over your fireplace and that piece in the living room - change it up. We get so used to seeing them in the same place that we stop seeing and enjoying them. Make it fun and invite a friend over (one who’s taste you like) and take down all of your art and then together take turns holding up different pieces in new and different locations. It’s fun, costs no money and you’re home will look and feel refreshed.
5. What budget decorating projects have you done? Please share your experiences here.
Add comment May 16, 2008
Two Households in One
Recently, I did a design consultation; which will be Redesigned next week. The home was full of two different styles of furniture and accessories (his and hers). When they got married they merged two families and two sets of furniture. Each of them downsized their belongings only keeping what they loved, but they were unable to blend the two styles … that’s why they called me.
When I looked around the home I could tell which things were hers and which things were his. The home didn’t feel welcoming and it was driving them nuts. My goal was to find a way to blend their two styles togethr instead of having a room with her stuff and a room with his stuff. They had been trying to do it themselves and were not getting anywhere. We decided to start with the living and dining room. He loved the room and she hated it. We needed to find a way to keep his things alive but add enough of her style to make her happy too. I made a few suggestions and they loved all of my ideas and even said “I would have never thought of that” … We scheduled a date for me to return to the home and make it all happen. I sent them out ot purchase a few specific accessories so we could pull it all together.
It’s always amazing to me how the energy can change in a room just by coming up with a plan. I can hardly wait to redesign that room. I’ll post some photos once it’ complete.
Jill Denton
925-998-7747
Add comment April 26, 2008
Four types of general lighting
Ambient lighting is generally created with ceiling fixtures like these can-lights. Ambient gives overall light to a room.
Task lighting is used to help light a task, like cooking, reading, sewing or homework.
Accent lighting is used to highlight special features in any space, architectural elements, wall art and special decorative items. These sconces for example, highlight the specialized wall treatment.
Decorative lighting usually serves more than one purpose. This table lamp is both decorative and a task light.
Source: Ginger Foust, IRIS
Add comment April 2, 2008
Home & Design: What’s In and What’s Out
IN
- A reduced carbon footprint: How your home and you impact the earth matters to more buyers who want a home that lets them save energy and lessen their contribution to global warming.
- Outdoor living: Massive fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, and under-patio heating to extend the season are not just for the Sun Belt anymore.
- Fully concealed appliances: That wood-printed cover for the fridge is not enough any longer; now appliances are hidden behind hinged doors.
- Floating homes: Not your father’s houseboat, these nonmobile homes are basically ranch houses sitting on stationary barges in a lake or river.
- Home elevators: Even builders of mid-priced homes are adding this essential for boomers wanting to age in place.
- Pet showers: Clean pets mean clean homes, and who wants to mess up the bathtub when this feature can be a part of the garage or mudroom?
- Freestanding bathtubs: These oversized soaker tubs, or “bath thrones,” have supplanted whirlpool baths as the must-have bathroom centerpiece.
- Bathroom suites: Whether it’s multiple flat-screen TVs or a mini fridge and cappuccino maker, you’ll soon have a whole home inside this one room.
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Ceiling Beams: Beams were in, then they were out - and everyone painted their beams white. Well, they’re back in, so paint them a warm shade of brown or cover them with a wood veneer.
OUT
- Living rooms: The incredible shrinking parlor has ceased to exist in some homes.
- Voluminous ceiling heights: The absurd look and wasted space of 20-foot ceilings in 12- by 10-foot rooms is finally dawning on buyers. Tiny balconies Room for only one chair is worthless; balconies must now function for entertaining too.
- McMansions: Could it be that “small is beautiful” finally is gaining traction?
Source: Realtor Magazine
3 comments March 30, 2008
Update Your Kitchen without spending a ton of money
Just think what you could do with $100,000, $50,000 or even $10,000 to re-do your kitchen. It would be phenomenal! But what if you don’t have or want to spend that kind of money on your home? A little bit of money and some elbow grease can go a long way! Here are a few things you could do to update your kitchen, mostly without spending a lot of money.
1. Paint. Whether you add color to the walls and/or color to the cabinets, you can make a BIG change with paint color and if you do it yourself, it’s very affordable. Depending on the size of your kitchen, it could cost as little as one gallon of paint ($25) ish. If you’re a new do-it-yourselfer, start with painting the walls, it’s much easier. If you’re really ready for change, I love to see the ceiling in the kitchen painted anything but white. Typically, there’s not much wall space in a kitchen, so bring that color up onto the ceiling. I think it’s fantastic!
Painting outdated cabinets can really liven up the kitchen; however, it takes A LOT of elbow grease. Here’s a brief overview of what you’ll need to do to the cabinets: wash them thoroughly, remove the knobs, remove the doors, drawers and hardware. (Tip: number the doors and drawers so you can easily put them back in the same place for the best fit). You can use a brush, roller or sprayer to get the job done. Be sure to consult your local paint company to find out what tool would be best for you and to find out which kind of paint will work best on your cabinets. Keep in mind that wash-ability is key. Be sure to get a book or look on-line for step-by-step details on how to do it right.
2. Knobs. Whether you paint or not, sometimes just changing out the knobs (or adding knobs) can update a kitchen.
3. Counter-tops. Unless you are really handy, countertops can be difficult to install. Laminate is very affordable and you can find ready made sections at the big box stores. Tile is affordable to very expensive, depending on what you select and whether or not you install it yourself or hire someone. Then there’s a solid surface: natural stones like granite, engineered stone, Corian, Stainless Steel, Zinc, Tile, Concrete … there are many choices. Yes, a new counter-top can change the look of your home, but depending on what material you select, and whether or not you do or hire out the installation - it can be fairly affordable to very expensive!
4. Kitchen Curtains. Most kitchens have a small kitchen window. Just changing out the curtains can give your kitchen a fresh new look and you can find affordable kitchen curtains in several places: Lowe’s, Bed, Bath and Beyond, JC Penney …. This is a great way to bring more color(s) into the kitchen. Some people prefer to start here. Select the kitchen curtains you like and from there you can select the paint colors, and other colors that you can use to accessorize your kitchen.
5. Accessories. Yes, kitchens need accessories and I’m not talking about appliances on the counter-top! It’s okay to keep the appliances you use on a daily bases on the counter-top, but if at all possible, please store the rest out of site. Add rugs, towels, pottery, plants, bowl of fruit and even wall art (if you have any walls to hang things on). If you have glass cabinet doors, place things in your colors in those cabinets and arrange them so they are decorative.
6. Chalkboard paint. This can be a lot of fun, add personality and be very functional too. Choose a wall, a section of a wall, a pantry door or even a cabinet door and paint it with chalkboard paint. It can be a great way to leave notes and messages.
7. Tablecloths. If you have an eat-in kitchen, try changing out your tablecloth or place mats AT LEAST once a month. You’ll probably enjoy this more than anyone else. A table cloth can change a room in a matter of seconds.
8. Chair Covers or Pads. Nowadays you can buy chair covers or pads at a reasonable price. A chair cover and give a whole new look and feel without having to buy new furniture.
I hope some of these ideas have sparked an idea in you. Let us know what you’ve done to update your kitchen. And if you’re open to it, let us know what you spent.
Jill Denton
Add comment March 14, 2008
Paint and an Interior Redesign = Big Change!
Three steps to BIG CHANGE in your home with out having to buy new things or spend a lot of money.
Step 1: Select the right color, whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, LIKE ME, to help you select the right color(s) for your home.
Step 2: Paint
Step 3: Rearrange all the furniture, art and accessories in your home or hire a professional, LIKE ME, to do an One-Day Interior Redesign to one or all the rooms in your home.
And the best part is that it only takes one day.
Add comment March 13, 2008
New Conforming Loan Limits Are Here!
|
County |
Median price | FHA limit | Conforming loan limit |
| Alameda County | $995,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| Alpine County | $438,000 | $547,500 | $547,500 |
| Amador County | $355,000 | $443,750 | $443,750 |
| Butte County | $320,000 | $400,000 | $417,000 |
| Calaveras County | $370,000 | $462,500 | $462,500 |
| Colusa County | $318,000 | $397,500 | $417,000 |
| Contra Costa County | $995,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| Del Norte County | $249,000 | $311,250 | $417,000 |
| El Dorado County | $464,000 | $580,000 | $580,000 |
| Fresno County | $305,000 | $381,250 | $417,000 |
| Glenn County | $230,000 | $287,500 | $417,000 |
| Humboldt County | $315,000 | $393,750 | $417,000 |
| Imperial County | $260,000 | $325,000 | $417,000 |
| Inyo County | $350,000 | $437,500 | $437,500 |
| Kern County | $295,000 | $368,750 | $417,000 |
| Kings County | $260,000 | $325,000 | $417,000 |
| Lake County | $321,000 | $401,250 | $417,000 |
| Lassen County | $200,000 | $271,050 | $417,000 |
| Los Angeles County | $710,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| Madera County | $340,000 | $425,000 | $425,000 |
| Marin County | $995,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| Mariposa County | $330,000 | $412,500 | $417,000 |
| Mendocino County | $410,000 | $512,500 | $512,500 |
| Merced County | $378,000 | $472,500 | $472,500 |
| Modoc County | $125,000 | $271,050 | $417,000 |
| Mono County | $370,000 | $462,500 | $462,500 |
| Monterey County | $599,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| Napa County | $615,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| Nevada County | $450,000 | $562,500 | $562,500 |
| Orange County | $710,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| Placer County | $464,000 | $580,000 | $580,000 |
| Plumas County | $328,000 | $410,000 | $417,000 |
| Riverside County | $400,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| Sacramento County | $464,000 | $580,000 | $580,000 |
| San Benito County | $790,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| San Bernardino County | $400,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| San Diego County | $558,000 | $697,500 | $697,500 |
| San Francisco County | $995,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| San Joaquin County | $391,000 | $488,750 | $488,750 |
| San Luis Obispo County | $550,000 | $687,500 | $687,500 |
| San Mateo County | $995,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| Santa Barbara County | $615,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| Santa Clara County | $790,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| Santa Cruz County | $719,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| Shasta County | $339,000 | $423,750 | $423,750 |
| Sierra County | $228,000 | $285,000 | $417,000 |
| Siskiyou County | $235,000 | $293,750 | $417,000 |
| Solano County | $446,000 | $557,500 | $557,500 |
| Sonoma County | $530,000 | $662,500 | $662,500 |
| Stanislaus County | $339,000 | $423,750 | $423,750 |
| Sutter County | $340,000 | $425,000 | $425,000 |
| Tehama County | $250,000 | $312,500 | $417,000 |
| Trinity County | $200,000 | $271,050 | $417,000 |
| Tulare County | $260,000 | $325,000 | $417,000 |
| Tuolumne County | $350,000 | $437,500 | $437,500 |
| Ventura County | $599,000 | $729,750 | $729,750 |
| Yolo County | $464,000 | $580,000 | $580,000 |
| Yuba County | $340,000 | $425,000 | $425,000 |
Source: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Add comment March 6, 2008
14 Ways to a New Happier You in 2008.
| This artivle was recently published in the Tri Valley Magazine. Notice the number one thing to do to get a new happier you in 2008! 14 Ways to a New Happier You in 2008 by Allison Firestone Tri Valley Magazine, January/February 2008 Issue Thankfully, it’s a new year. If you’ve failed on most every front, don’t despair. Luckily, the New Year gives us all a second chance at a new lease on life. This year, instead of making those same impossible-to-stick-with resolutions, try simply aiming to reenergize your life. We promise that each of these 14 ideas will leave you feeling renewed and recharged in 2008. So here’s to a new happier you. |
| 1. COLOR YOUR WORLD. Paint one room a totally bright, bold color. Think dark blue, bold magenta, or bright yellow in the kitchen, bedroom or bathroom. Use the room and your favorite colors as your inspiration, says Jill Denton, Bay Area interior designer and owner of Changing Spaces in Pleasanton. If it’s an active room, a color like red can help add energy. For the bedroom? Something cool and calming like a light blue shade is most relaxing. Warm brick colors are great in dining rooms. “It’s cozy and it makes people want to eat,” Denton said. If you’re skeptical of painting an entire room a bright color, accent walls can be a good choice, too. “Accent walls can really make people go ‘wow’ when they walk in a room,” Denton adds. |
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 Set a Physical Fitness Goal You’ll Actually Enjoy Achieving We always resolve to work out more. But making a commitment to being active doesn’t mean you have to become a gym rat. So set a goal that excites you. If you thrive on competition, sign up for a race, like Bay To Breakers race on May 18. Start training now and register on the web site at www.ingbaytobreakers.com. Or make Sundays your day to try a new hike.Check out www.bahiker.com for a massive list of East Bay trails. If you’re the type who needs someone to hold you accountable, sign up for a personal trainer or try the four-week Bay Area Boot Camp in Walnut Creek or Pleasanton. Get more information at www.bayareabootcamp.com. Not only will you have a coach to keep you on track, but you’ll have to pay up front, giving you another incentive to stick it out. |
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| 3. GIVE YOUR FRIENDS A BREAK. GET A THERAPIST. Seriously, though, talking to someone about those things that incessantly plague you can do wonders for your outlook on life. Ask friends or consult your doctor for referrals to good therapists. |
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| 4. LEAVE THOSE FROWN LINES BEHIND. Sick of slathering all those creams, rubs, peels and screens on your face to no avail? There’s nothing wrong with some subtle outside assistance if it’ll improve your state of mind. Dr.Stephen Ronan of Blackhawk Plastic Surgery in Danville says he is the first in Northern California to offer the new Pearl laser treatment, which requires only topical numbing. “It’s a resurfacing procedure,” said Ronan. “It works very well on brown spots, wrinkles, texture, smoothness and pore size.” Also popular is the new short scar facelift. “There’s no incision behind the ear,” said Ronan. “It’s a safer surgery with less downtime, and it leaves a more natural look, less surgical or pulled.” |
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| 5. Breathe Solor Do something all alone, just for you. Hike Mount Diablo, breathe in the fresh, crisp winter air, and listen to the silence. Try taking your dog to Dougherty Hills Dog Park in Dublin and chill out with a book while your pooch makes some new friends. Or, if the sun’s shining, head to downtown Walnut Creek, kick back on one of the many outdoor benches with a cup of coffee, and peoplewatch. Even if it’s just for an hour, it’ll give you that mental recharge you desperately need. |
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| 6. CHANGE DIRECTION Is a career change in the cards? Amber Rosenberg, a San Francisco-based life coach (www.pacificlifecoach.com), offers freephone consultations if you’re considering seeking help to make significant lifechanges, like a career change. “People often inquire about coaching when they’re facing a change or a challenge in their personal or professional lives,” said Rosenberg. The first call gives you a chance to decide whether coaching is right foryou. |
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| 7. RENEW YOUR KARMA. VOLUNTEER. Scared of commitment? There are plenty of local one-time volunteer opportunities. Habitat for Humanity’s East Bay chapter allows volunteers to sign up for days that they want to help build homes in areas like Oakland and Alameda (see www.eastbayhabitat.org for details). Home at Last Animal Rescue offers both large- and small-scale commitments, from temporarily housing an animal to walking dogs (www.homeatlastrescue.org).You can find lists of other opportunities on www.idealist.org. All you have to do is search by your city. |
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| 8. BUY OR DO SOMETHING TOTALLY INDULGENT, UTTERLY UNNECESSARY, AND ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. Who cares if the holidays just happened - consider it an investment in your own happiness. Snag a season pass to Heavenly at Lake Tahoe, or get a great haircut at one of those expensive salons that includes a scalp massage, complimentary wine, and three people working on perfecting your look, like Victoria’s Salon in downtown Pleasanton. This full-service salon also offers creative spa packages. Try the Heaven on Earth treatment—it includes a facial, massage, mani/pedi,scalp treatment, and hairstyling, plus lunch. Or, if you’re more of a gadget person, splurge on a top-of-the-line phone like Apple’s iPhone that does everything from taking your picture to categorizing your email. (It’ll help you stick with your “Get Organized” resolution, right?) |
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| 9. FENG SHUI YOUR WAY TO PROSPERITY Feng Shui, the traditional Chinese practice of arranging an environment that promotes peacefulness and prosperity, can be used to energize your professional life. Alexis Summerfield, a Feng Shui expert based in Lafayette, said that space-clearing techniques, colors, and symbols can encourage positive energy flow in the office, attracting wealth, good luck, and a positive reputation. “First of all, you gotta clean it up,” Summerfield says.“Old files and storage block energy.” Next, she suggested focusing on three areas of your office or cubicle: the back left corner, the front right and the back middle. Each has symbols and colors that attract that area’s specific energy. To invite wealth, put water, or a picture of water, and something purple in the back left corner. In the front right corner, which represents luck and good fortune, place something white, and a representative of prosperity, like information on your top clients and a white crystal. In the back middle, which represents reputation, add something red and fiery, like a red plant that points up in a flame-like way. Whatever you decide, the most important thing is being aware of the intention behind the object. “Otherwise, it’s just stuff,” Summerfield says. |
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| 10. EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS. Do you dream about a trip to Paris or cooking like Emeril? Whatever it is that spurs your spirit to soar, pursue your passion this year. Sign up for a hands-on cooking class at the new cooking school at Draeger’s in Danville, where you can take a master class in chocolate from Berkeley’s famous chocolate maker John Scharffenberger or learn how to make handmade pasta or Mexican desserts. Check out www.Meetup.com, which lists scores of local groups that meet monthly to share a love of anything from happy hour, to contemporary fiction to French language. If yoga’s your thing, there’s a Bay Area Yoga meet-up, as well as one for dog lovers, the Small Breed Dogs group. Not only will you have something to look forward to, but you’ll meet people with similar passions. (Singles, your ears should be perking up right about now.) Even if your passion is a little…ahem…unique, search around. There’s even a monthly meet-up group for Bay Area cemetery walks. |
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| 11. ELIMINATE MONEYWORRIES.. Learn how to invest your money wisely for now and for the future. Benjamin Wong, Certified Financial Planner at Pleasanton’s Foothill Securities, Inc., advises beginning with two basic steps. “Put 10 percent of your earnings away toward your long-term financial goals and don’t touch it,” he says. “And start a money market account for your near-term financial goals, so you don’t touch that retirement money.” The long-term savings should be put into a quality mutual fund, or a 401(k), Roth or IRA, which will shelter it from taxes. “You should never need to worry about your retirement,” Wong adds. |
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| 12. COMMIT TO A MONTHLY DINNERWITH FRIENDS.. Write it on your calendar now and stick to it for the next 12 months. Use it as an excuse to get together and try all those restaurants you’ve always wanted to check out. Spend a Saturday winetasting in Livermore (check out www.Livermorewine.com) or have brunch at Café Cacao, the ScharffenBerger Chocolate Maker’s restaurant in Berkeley. (They also give free, hour-long factory tours.) Try a different ethnic cuisine each month, perhaps starting with the varied Asian restaurants in Dublin’s new Ulfert Center, like the Vietnamese eatery Vin Pearl, or Sansar for North Indian fare on Pleasanton’s Main Street. Fire and Ice in Livermore provides upscale ambience, Mongolian barbecue,and allows diners to pick the ingredients they want a chef to grill for them. |
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| 13. ELIMINATE THAT POISONOUS PERSON FROM YOUR LIFE.. Let’s face it: cleaning out your closet is overrated; a pesky ex will do a lot more damage than any old flannel jacket or circa 1990 pair of patent-leather shoes. So forget your closet and clean up your personal life, because life’s too short to waste time on people who make you feel bad. Delete that ex’s phone number, stop feeling obligated to make plans with that “friend” who leaves you rethinking your dessert order and spend that extra time pursuing new relationships. (See #10 for creative spots to meet new people.) |
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| 14. DETOXIFY YOUR BODY AND CHANGE YOUR EATING HABITS.. “People eat a lot of sugar and a lot of fat over the holidays,” says Lynn Keller, a certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant in Danville. “So our bodies are a little beat up.” Keller said one way to reverse the over-indulgence is with some abbreviated detoxing. “Take a day and only consume warm liquids with a little brown rice and vegetables, but mostly broth and tea,” she said. Keller advised taking two days for this, because on the second day the digestive system cleanses itself. But Keller said detox is only the first step in breaking unhealthy holiday eating patterns.Consider trying a whole new approach to your diet, one that addresses the needs of the body,mind, and spirit. “We believe that it is never too late to restore and heal the body with the power of nutrition,” Keller says. |
Add comment March 6, 2008
One-Day Interior Redesign
For the first time ever, I am offering a discount on my One-Day Interior Redesign Service.
If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area in … Alameda, Contra Costa or Santa Clara County, I am offering $100 off an Interior Redesign on three or more rooms in your home, when you have your Interior Redesign completed in March 2008.
Call NOW, to reserve your day before I’m booked solid! Call 925-998-7747 and say you want the blog discount.
Jill Denton
Add comment March 4, 2008