Fast Facts

California highest median home price by C.A.R. region December 07: Santa Barbara So. Coast $925,000 (Source: C.A.R.)

California lowest median home price by C.A.R. region December 07: High Desert $244,330 (Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. First-time Buyer Affordability Index – Third Quarter 07: 24 percent (Source: C.A.R.)

Mortgage rates – week ending 01/24: 30-yr. fixed: 5.48%; Fees/points: 0.4% 15-yr. fixed: 4.95%; Fees/points: 0.4% 1-yr. adjustable: 4.99%; Fees/points: 0.6% (Source: Freddie Mac)

Bay Area Housing Stats, December 2007

Housing Statistics

December 2007
Complete Report – Alameda – Castro Valley – Dublin – Fremont – Hayward – Livermore – Newark – Pleasanton – San Leandro – San Lorenzo – Union City

Arranging furniture in a rectangular shaped room

I’ve had so many people contact me about arranging furniture in a rectangular shaped room!  This is one hot topic!  It all comes down to space planning.  If you’ve got a good eye for space planning, do it yourself (see my other article on “How to arrange furniture in a rectangular shaped room“).  If not, call in a professional Interior Redesigner. In 2-3 hours (for an average sized room with an average amount of furniture and accessories) an Interior Redesigner can transform your rectangular shaped room. 

I have people contact me who say, “We never use that room”, “I don’t like the way it feels in the room so we don’t spend any time in there” and “You could blow that room up and none of us would miss it.”  Don’t waste your valuable space.  Let’s turn it into something you’ll love and use.  Don’t wait another day! Contact me and get that rectangular shaped room redesigned!

Jill Denton ~ Changing Spaces

How to add some color to your apartment

Decorating apartments can be challenging because, typically, you’re not allowed to paint. Staring at those white walls is so boring, and probably doesn’t enhance your personal style. But you are in luck because there is a way for you to add some color to the walls without painting.

You can use a room divder as wall art instead of as a room divider.  You can purchase a room divider that is wood, iron or filled with material, just pick out what you like.  If you decide to place a room divieder on the wall, be sure that it is flat and not folded at the hinges.  Then you can either just lean it against the wall (just keep in mind the flatter the room divider is to the wall the better it will look.)  You can also get a little creative and hang it on the wall, make a stand for it or just place something heavy and decorative in front of it to keep the bottom from sticking out too far. Another great way to use a room divider is as a headboard.  If you don’t have a headboard this is a quick, easy, affordable way to add color and interest to your bedroom.  You can either just place it between the bed and the wall or hang it ont he wall. 

Or if you’re feeling creative, purchase some VERY LARGE canvases and paint them.  Don’t worry, you don’t have to be an artist to paint.  You can just pick some colors that you love that will go with what you have in the room and paint the entire canvas that one solid color.  Sign it and you’re done.  You can make it as simple or complex as you wish.  Either way, in the end you get color on your walls!

Another newer option is vinyl wall art.  Most of the vinyl wall art just sticks onto the wall and peels off when you want to move it.

Just a few simple and affordable way to add interest and more color to your apartment.

Jill Denton ~ Changing Spaces

Real Estate Terms of the Week

Amortization  
Gradual payment of a mortgage loan by installments over a period of time

Amortization schedule  
A timetable for payment of a mortgage loan. The amortization schedule shows the amount of each payment applied to interest and principal and shows the remaining balance after each payment is made.

Amortization term  
The amount of time required to amortize the mortgage loan. The amortization term is expressed as a number of months. For example, for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, the amortization term is 360 months.

Source: GMAC Real Estate

Show me your ceilings!

A while back I wrote “What color is your ceiling?” 

They’re spectacular all around the world and in the US, they’re white.  Countless numbers of people have seen my blog on What Color is your ceiling.  Now I want to know, what color is your ceiling??? What else have you done to make your ceiling spectacular.  And if you have an image posted/uploaded to the internet, I can even show what you’ve done.  It’s time to share.

Jill Denton ~ Changing Spaces

Do You Have Good Traffic Flow Inside Your Home?

 

One crucial part of design is traffic flow.  A room not only needs to look good, but it needs to have good traffic flow. 

Have you ever stepped into a room only to be blocked by a piece of furniture.  Not too long ago I went to a friends home.  It’s decorated very Pottery Barn style.  From the entry, you walk down a hallway to the family room where you run right into the back of an overstuffed chair.  I literally had to side step around the chair to get into the room.  While I did a little dance around the chair my mind began rearranging or “Interior Redesigning” the room.  Overall the room was laid out well.  It was just the one overstuffed chair that created a problem. 

Click on the “Good Traffic Flow” link below and you’ll see two sample layouts but first, let me explain.  The top layout is BEFORE, and you can see the open doorway that leads you into the chair and a round ottoman in another corner.  In the AFTER layout, you’ll see that by just switching the over-sized chair with the ottoman, the flow into the room has greatly improved.  One thing you can not see on the layout is the difference in height of the chair and ottoman.  Where the back of the chair visually blocked the entry, the ottoman visually lets you enter the room.  Good Traffic Flow

Traffic flow is essential for comfortable living; as well as, comfortable viewing for those of you who are planning on selling your home.  Dana Dickey says: “Control the flow! If you have a problem with traffic flow, bump into things and do not like the way your rooms feel, then a potential buyer will FEEL the same thing. Proper placement of furniture is essential when buyers are looking at square footage. Remember why you bought the house and try to change what doesn’t work.” Source: Inside Redesign LLC

How about you?  Do you have any traffic flow problems in your home?

Jill  Denton ~ Changing Spaces

Top 5 Reasons to Get an Interior Redesign:

5.  Interior Redesign fits any budget. 

4.   Interior Redesign works for any style.

3.  Interior Redesign gives a designer look to any room.

2.  Interior Redesign uses what you already own and love.

1.  An Interior Redesign  is completed in just ONE DAY!

Contact Jill Denton at Changing Spaces for more information about getting an Interior Redesign for one room your your entire home.

The Color Wheel

 

Complementary: This scheme uses two colors which are directly opposed on the color wheel (for example: Orange and Blue)  

Split Complementary: This scheme uses 3 colors. One color and two other colors that are directly adjacent to its complement on the color wheel (for example: Orange, Blue-Violet, and Blue-Green)  

Triad: This color scheme uses 3 colors that are equally spaced out on the color wheel (for example: Orange, Violet, and Green)  

Analogous: This scheme uses three colors, one that is in the center, and the two colors adjacent to it on the color wheel (for example: Orange-Yellow, Orange, and Red-Orange).

Monochromatic: This color scheme uses colors from the same Hue on the color wheel, but with varying saturation and/or lightness (for example: different shades or tints of Orange).  Jill Denton ~ Changing Spaces

3 Steps to Choosing Paint Color

Choosing a paint color can be one of the most difficult decorating decisions, there are so many choices out there, but with a few designer tips, it can be as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Pick your favorite object in the room. This can be a rug, fabric, wall art, comforter or piece of furniture. The color(s) of this object will set the mood and overall look for the room.

2. Select colors that go with the favorite object you selected. In a rug, a piece of fabric or wall art, coordinating colors will be easy to spot.  Just match one of the colors that you like.  Or you could choose an analogous, complementary, split complementary, triad or monochomatic color scheme based on the color wheel. For example, if your sofa is blue and you added analogous colors, you’d be adding other shades of blue, if you were to add shades of orange you’d be adding a complementary colors.

3. Choose accents to pull the room together.  For most people, this is either the fun part or the hard part.  Look to the color wheel for direction if you need help.  The same rules apply.  Choose accent peices, furniture, window treatments, art and accessories that are coordinating, analogous or complementary ito complete the room.