Check out photos of one of my latest pride-and-joy summer projects, posted on Houzz!
Outdoor Entertaining at Oak Street, designed by Linda M. White
Smart Investments in Kitchen Cabinetry — a Realtor’s Advice
Smart Investments in Kitchen Cabinetry — a Realtor’s Advice
Read the article at the above link for excellent advice on specifics related to kitchen remodeling!
The Best Kind of Kitchen
What would be your ideal kitchen? Something fancy and grand? Something quaint and cozy? Something simple and sleek?
Even more important than the appeal of the design is the feeling you get when living in your kitchen. It is the heart of the home, the most used room in the house, the warm place everyone tends to gather, no matter how small. If you think of it like that… a gathering room… then what becomes of the dream kitchen you imagine?
Take a look at House Beautiful’s slideshow of designer kitchens. Here are a few of my favorites…
Call me old fashioned. I am! But, I just love this mix of farmhouse and formal elements.
The size and beauty of this kitchen is cleverly extended with large, untrimmed archways. Simple and breathtaking elegance!
Small and casual kitchens are not to be thought fruitless of potential! What a fun idea to paint the cabinet interiors with a bright and cheery color! Such a delight should give one joy to be in the kitchen!
There are endless, fabulous solutions for every size kitchen and every size budget. What do you want to improve in your kitchen? Ask me! I’ll be more than happy to help with a free consultation!
Work for More Than A Dollar
There are things that are worth more than money. Relationships, integrity, honesty and loyalty top my list. There are few others that share this belief. But, I have found some of those few. Together, we have formed an alliance, the Marblehead Builder’s Consortium, to share our resources and do what we love – renovating homes to enrich the people’s lives who live in them.
We are not a general contracting firm. We do not follow the traditional processes of managing home renovation projects. The homeowner comes first. Not our bottom line.
The MBC is a team of renovation professionals. We pour our hearts into our craft. Because, after all, if one’s heart is not in it, it is not worth doing.
Delightful Curb Appeal
What do you think of when you hear the phrase “curb appeal”? The purpose of curb appeal is to make one feel welcome, invited, happy, warm, cozy….all of that. But, what elements are needed to create those feelings? My short answer is color, texture and proportion in a harmonic blend.
Let’s look at two examples…
This is a nice house with a good lines, but it seems shy and underestimated. It’s at the dance, but it’s just not dressed for the occasion. Imagine this home with the following improvements:
1. An arched entry with a sturdy wood railing, stained wood entry door and warm lighting
2. Lush landscaping along the path and entry stairs
3. A new garage door with windows and a crown
4. Thick trim and a crown moulding at the triple window
5. Black painted window frames
6. A belt course of trim at the joint of siding and brick
Voila!
Let’s try one more…
This one is cute, but it’s a little sad like a little girl who is the only one on the playground without ribbons in her hair. What if we did this…
1. Replace the thin columns with heavier ones
2. Remove the railing from the porch and plant cottage flowers along the walkway
3. Add decorative window trim, including crowns
4. Apply natural stone veneer to the porch floor
5. Paint it a vibrant color with contrasting trim
6. Ice it with a sweet little cupola
What do you think?
Would you like to increase your home’s curb appeal but need some suggestions? Whether you are considering selling your house or just want a more pleasing sight to welcome you home I can help.
Send me an email and we will get started!
Beware of the “Ball Park” Estimate
Almost every client is interested to know a ball-park estimate of what their project will cost. Even though I might have a gut feeling of what a project might cost, I am reluctant to share it with the client because it is just that – a feeling, not a detailed estimate based on a clearly defined scope of work.
Ball-park figures almost always lead to disappointment since inaccuracy is practically guaranteed. What does it include? What’s not included? The variables are too vast. It is crucial to impress upon clients that each project is unique. It cannot be quickly added up based on an a’ la carte menu.
In addition, it is so easy for a client to get a ball-park figure stuck in their head. When the real costs are figured and delivered, the client then experiences an initial shock followed by disbelief and either crushed hopes or even anger.
Instead of giving a ball-park estimate when asked, I provide examples of recent projects and their costs. I can point to a bathroom or kitchen renovation and tell a client the cost of that particular project based on its scale and quality. That helps give a client an idea of cost without backing myself into a corner by trying to guess the cost of their project on the spot without any specific details.
Trying to guess does no one any favors and in fact ends up causing more confusion than being of any help. It’s only fair to everyone involved to provide an actual estimate for a specific project scope, leaving much less room for error and uncertainty.
