Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Life

Category: Ask a Pro

  • Ask a Pro Q&A – Choosing a Timeless Kitchen Hue

    Kitchens are the heart of the home. By selecting the right color, you welcome guests and express your style.  Interior designer Jennifer Adams discusses the best options for cabinets and a refreshed look.

    Question: Which are the most classic kitchen cabinets that will not look dated?

    I’m assuming you are talking about the door style. For a truly classic look, simpler is better! A look that never goes out of style and blends with any decor is a solid slab-style door without any panel or embellishment at all. But that look can be a little boring if it’s finished with plain white paint. To add some timeless interest to cabinet doors, choose an inset Shaker panel for the larger doors and drawers, with a slab style for small drawers.

    -Jennifer Adams

  • Ask a Pro Q&A: Head Over Hills

    Navigating your outdoor space can bring many challenges, some not always easy to navigate. Dream Team member and Outdoor pro Carson Arthur explains how to solve for some of nature’s problems with ease.

     

    What can I do to a hill with a tree and no grass? It’s too expensive to cut the tree and the dirt is eroding away.

    -Janice K.

     

     

    Sounds like you will need to get a good ground cover in place that will survive living under a tree, as well as help hold the soil in place. I recommend looking into a Sweet Woodruff ground cover or maybe a periwinkle. Both do well in dry shade and will solve your erosion problem with their roots. Hope this helps, and good luck.

    -Carson Arthur

     

  • Ask a Pro Q&A: To Keep or Not to Keep Beadboard in a Bathroom

    While shiplap may be the current darling of the design world, beadboard is also receiving attention for its versatility and style. When debating whether to take on a renovation that involves this timeless design, consider the time and cost investment.

    Question: I have beadboard in my hall bath and want to know if I should keep it, replace it with shiplap or leave it plain and just paint the drywall? The room has vintage floor tiles, a pedestal sink and marble tile surrounding the tub/shower.

    – Ken G.

    Well, this is a great question and my answer is, it depends! Use caution. This sounds like a simple project, but it might not be. Do you have a problem such as dry rot, mold or peeling paint that requires removing the beadboard? Is it painted already? Do you simply not like it? What looks beautiful to you? What are your goals for the space and how it will feel?

    In general, unless you are going for a new look completely or know you need to fix something, I recommend keeping a project simple. Any time you tear something out is an opportunity to find hidden problems that might delay the project or increase your budget. In bathrooms, in particular, moisture wreaks havoc without being noticeable. And in old buildings, paint often has lead in it, so talk with a licensed contractor before doing anything to create dust or cover up potential problems.

    -Jennifer Adams

  • Ask a Pro Q&A: Planning Your Outdoor Oasis

    Planning a space can be a challenge. By prioritizing needs and accepting challenges, you can create a fresh air space that compensates for smaller rooms or design a space around something you really want, such as a fireplace. Learn how to design an outdoor space that is perfect for you with outdoor pro Carson Arthur.

    I just purchased a new home. I have a 11’ by 27’ covered patio in my backyard. I would like to improve this space and do not know what to do. Please help!!!!

    -David N.

    When deciding how a space will be used during planning, look inside your house for what is missing. A fireplace or a dining area or a bigger kitchen might be identified as a need. You can create a complimentary space outdoors to enhance your quality of life in the home with a few considerations. Start researching flooring options like deck or patios. Plan how big of an area you need based on the size of furniture you want. Start thinking about the time of day that you will be in the yard based on how you are going to use it.  These considerations will point you in the right direction for creating a backyard perfect for your home.

    -Carson Arthur

     

  • Ask a Pro Q&A: Create the Perfect Exterior Design for Your Home

    When making a first impression, every second counts. Exterior hues are a big part of curb appeal. Learn if an exterior can be enhanced by trends with Dream Team member and outdoor pro, Carson Arthur.

    Question: What are the hot new exterior trends for newly built homes?

    – Nicole G.

    I’m always careful when following trends, especially when it comes to the curb appeal for a home. We know that you only get one chance to make a first impression in life, and the same is true for the exterior of your house. Research shows that buyers make a judgment about the quality of our homes within 11 seconds of seeing them for the first time. The key to having a great exterior is more than just what is on trend. First, you need to look like you belong in your neighborhood… buyers are looking for homes in your area for a reason. Standing out positively is extremely difficult and risky for homeowners looking to make a statement with their curb appeal and their exteriors. Play on the best elements of other houses on your street. According to Remodelling Magazines’s 2018 Cost vs Value report, stone veneers have an ROI of almost 100 percent.

    – Carson Arthur

  • Ask a Pro Q&A: Are You Considering Pave Stones for Your Backyard?

    Hardscapes entice the senses and offer concrete accents to the natural world. Pave stones integrate a backbone into the design landscape. Dream Team member and Outdoor pro Carson Arthur explains how to incorporate structure into your slice of paradise by laying pave stones.

    Question: How do you lay pave stones for a backyard garden?

    – James S.

    Laying stones is more than a weekend project. If you live in an area that has snow, then it is crucial that you install a proper base of crushed gravel to allow for proper drainage that prevents ice from forming under the stone and heaving it. No one wants an unlevelled patio. Whether you have snowy winters or not, you also have to plan for drainage during heavy rains. Whatever you do… do it well and make sure to use a level. NEVER try to build a base by eyeballing it!

    – Carson Arthur

  • Ask a Pro Q&A: Preserve or Renovate

    An open space increases the sense of expansiveness in a room. Dream Team member and interior designer Jennifer Adams explains the considerations for this renovation, such as building codes and historical preservation. Give your home an area to relax and entertain without putting a cramp in your style.

    Question: I’m in a small apartment (625 square feet) in New York City. Is it better to open a wall and expand the kitchen into the living/dining area or keep the original footprint?

    – Laura L.

    Call a licensed contractor and open up that wall with as large of an opening as possible! The only reasons not to might be if there are structural requirements of any type, if you’d be losing too much storage, or if there is some historical significance to your building. Even then, there are probably ways to work around the issues.

    Before swinging a hammer to DIY the project, talk with licensed contractors and your building management and/or HOA, as there is most likely more to this project than you might realize.

    In any size place, especially a small apartment, opening spaces to let them flow together will help make your life better. Seeing a continuous space makes a place feel bigger, airier and less cramped, so you’ll be happier and perhaps less tempted to move. Plus, the openness will make entertaining easier and more fun, even if it’s just you and a friend or two.

    -Jennifer Adams

  • Ask a Pro Q&A: Harness the Power of Outdoor Seating

    Create an extension of your home in fresh air areas with advice from Dream Team member and outdoor pro, Carson Arthur. While landscaping and hardscaping may offer a balance between man’s world and nature, a great outdoor space will increase the value of your home. Get inspired now!

    Question: What’s the best backyard design to sell your home?

    – Manuel M.

    Buyers today want useable space in their backyards. Patios, decks, and even gazebos all have great returns for one specific reason: they give buyers more square footage that has purpose! (And who doesn’t want more living space?) I always ask homeowners, “What don’t you have in your house? Is your kitchen big enough? Do you have a dining room? What about a fireplace?” If you can offset the shortcomings from the inside of your home with something that you KNOW you are going to use outdoors, then you have an instant selling feature and also a way to meet the needs of any buyer who has specific things they are hunting for. Skip the plants and gardens in the backyard and focus on seating areas with great furniture!

    – Carson Arthur

  • Ask a Pro Q&A: Staging Your Home for Potential Buyers

    Living in a home for any period of time will leave a wealth of clutter that can prove challenging when it comes time to stage it for potential buyers. See if this process is the right one to help you keep your treasures.

    Question: We have lived in our home for more than 30 years and have done quite a bit to it. We are planning to finish the remainder of our remodeling and sell. How do I “stage” and edit out 30 years of living?

    -Wanda G.

    Staging is all about creating a blank slate. Many potential buyers simply have a hard time seeing past your treasures, which they may see as clutter!

    Depending on the housing market in your area, it’s also smart to finish any partially completed remodeling projects that may be a distraction. Starting a new project, unless it is to fix a glaring problem, is probably not necessary. As you interview potential agents, see what they have to say.

    The most time-consuming part of staging is going to be the “editing out” or, essentially, massively de-cluttering. As you obviously know, any time we live in a house for a long time, we tend to hang onto things simply because we have the room. Since you’ll be moving anyway, pack up the valuables, art and especially all your personal items including family photos, trophies, unique treasures and mementos, large collections, etc. This may be a great time to encourage your family members to ask for what they want! Or, get a storage unit if you can’t move directly into your new place.

    Try very, very hard to store only items you will use in your new home, and donate the rest. You’ll thank yourself later – trust me on this! Otherwise, you’re paying good money to keep things you don’t really want. Allow plenty of time for this process if you are working or have a busy life – maybe even a couple of months! It’s more than a weekend project. And give yourself a realistic deadline to keep on track.

    -Jennifer Adams

  • Ask a Pro Q&A – Maximize a Living Room Layout: Entertain or relax in style with these arrangement options

    Deciding where to place chairs can be tough when setting up a space. Especially when you have a uniquely shaped living room. Interior design pro, Jennifer Adams, gives this reader a few options to make every guest feel welcomed in their home.

    Question: I have a long living room with a fireplace in the middle of one long wall, two windows on another wall opposite the windows a sliding door to a deck and fourth wall with two door openings on each side. I have the couch on the wall opposite the fireplace and I don’t know whether to buy chairs to go with the couch or get a sectional instead. How should I arrange the furniture?

    Adding two chairs to a sofa arrangement would be more flexible than a sectional, especially if your room is small. Place one chair on either side of the sofa, corner to corner to save space. You could angle the chairs slightly to the fireplace or move them at right angles to the sofa for better conversation. Finish this arrangement off with a coffee table and one or two end tables between the couch and the chairs. Use the tables to make sure everyone has a place to set a magazine or beverage within comfortable reach.

    Is there enough room to place the couch closer to the fireplace so you can walk easily behind it to allow for through traffic? That would make a cozy and inviting seating arrangement because someone wouldn’t need to walk through the middle of the room unless they were headed to a chair.

    – Jennifer Adams