So I am sure most of you who have ever seen a home makeover show have come across the term “curb appeal”. Mostly that means even if the inside of your house looks perfect, no one will want to come in if the outside is still a mess. As for myself, I live in a new build neighbourhood where I was lucky to even get grass. Last year I had dirt. This year I intend to at least have some flowers so here are some of my ideas for dressing up the front of the house.

PLANTS – DUH!

I’m not much of a gardener. You can ask my sister. I was left to water her plants one year when she went on vacation. Let’s just say not all of them made it to her homecoming. In my own defense, I was 12. So I do not intend to plan a huge garden in front of my house. I know this would make my house look a lot better, but in my opinion a garden full of dead plants is not going to give me the impact I would like. So instead I am going to get a couple of beautiful planters and fill those with annuals and maybe a plant or two….. hardy ones. Tall plants in the middle and lots of colourful flowers around the edges. Placing them on either side of your door will help create a focal point.

FRONT DOOR

The front door is an important piece of your home’s overall appeal. Make sure it stands out and gets the attention it deserves.  Painting your door a contrasting colour to your house will create an instant effect. If you want to keep it in the same colour scheme as your bricks or siding, than go a few shades darker to help it stand out more. Also, replacing your warn and scratched door handle is an inexpensive way to liven it up. If you have windows in your door, like I do, please stay away from those peel-and-stick windows coverings they are now selling at the big box stores. They tend to peel at the edges and, simply, they look as cheap as they are. Instead, consider replacing the window with a nice decorative pane. Although this is will cost you about $200-$300 a window, the impact will be well worth it. Finish your front door off with a mat – not one of those ones that say “Go Away!” – but one that matches your home décor. There are tons of options out there – just avoid anything with writing!

PORCHES

As I said earlier, I live in a new build. That means my house is lacking in the character some older homes have. One thing I wish we had was older trees, and front porches that aren’t made out of concrete. Having a wooden porch gives instant appeal to your home. Try painting the floor and ceiling in the same colour. Add a nice rug and a cozy seating area with a table and you’re set! As for my concrete oasis, I need to be a bit more crafty. An area rug will hide some of the grey but give it more appeal by laying a sisal carpet runner up the steps to the front door. It will create a bit of a path and stop you from seeing only a giant concrete slab. Again, add more planters on the porch – either hanging baskets or planter boxes along the railing to give it more colour then co-ordinate with some bright outdoor pillows in your seating area.

These are only a few ideas to dressing up the outside of your house this season. Email me for more ideas and to book a consultation! We can give your house the curb appeal it deserves!

So this weekend the spring cleaning bug hit me again and I decided to clean out my closet (and my husband’s). When organizing your closet there are numerous ways to gain more space, make everything easily accessible, and make room for new stuff! And who doesn’t need new clothes?!

PRIORITIZE

The first thing you need to do is prioritize your clothes. Think about how often you wear things and discard anything that hasn’t been worn in a year (that includes all those clothes you’re saving for when your 18 year old body decides to come back). Besides, if it ever does (and I haven’t seen mine yet) than what better reason do you need to go shopping?

GAIN MORE SPACE

To gain more hanging space move your rod up a little higher and install a second one underneath it. You can also divide a longer closet wall in half by placing a simple bookcase in the middle. Secure the bookcase to the wall and then you can attach the rods to the bookcase. One side can have two rods for smaller items and the other can have one rod for longer items. Use the bookcase for sweaters, jewelry, purses, or shoes!

Consider putting your dresser in the closet, most low dressers will fit underneath your hanging clothes rod and can provide more storage in the closet and more floor space in the bedroom.

ADD GLAMOUR

Add some glamour and colour to your closet by buying some storage boxes that match your room’s décor. The boxes can be placed along the upper shelves or stacked in a corner (this works best with different sized boxes – largest on bottom working your way up). They can keep smaller items contained while creating a neat and tidy appearance.

FINISHING TOUCHES

There are also lots of ways to add little touches to your closet to make it look custom without spending custom dollars! For instance, make sure all your hangers match. Totally discard wire hangers as they will only damage your clothes. Opt for either wood hangers or plastic ones instead. There are numerous organizers tools you can purchase for little money that can be modify to suit your needs. For example, shoe organizers meant to hang on the back of the door can be used to store scarves and belts. The clear pockets will make finding your accessories easy.

USE COLOUR

You can also paint your closet a shade or two darker than your room colour. This will add a great punch to your room especially if you have white shelving inside the closet.

Finally – arrange your clothes by colour. This is a professional tip that organizers use to make your closet look staged, similar to how clothes are hung in retail stores.

So the sun has been shining the last few days and I actually took my daughter to the park for the first time this year!! Makes me feel optimistic, maybe prematurely, that spring is around the corner. With spring fever comes the undeniable urge to free ourselves from underneath all the sludge of winter. For some of us that includes cleaning out the house!! Although some people may find this a daunting task, others will find something cleansing about ridding themselves of unwanted and rarely used items taking possession of their homes. Here are a few simple rules to spring cleaning that I think will help people determine what goes on the naughty or nice list.

1. Discard anything you haven’t used in the last 12 months. Too many times people are reluctant to get rid of something because “what if they need it one day?”  They somehow think that as soon as they don’t have it anymore, that is when they will need it. So untrue!! Donate, recycle, pass it on to someone else, or just throw it out – it doesn’t matter how you get rid of it as long as it goes.

2. Try not to have too many items in your house that require dusting. This includes fake plants – which in my opinion should not even be manufacturer – and knick knacks that your grandmother has given you out of her house that she no longer wants. Things that collect dust rarely serve any other purpose! And no one needs more housework to do.

3. Be very critical of items with “sentimental value”. Being a typical parent, I understand that my child could very well be the next Picasso. But let’s be realistic, not every finger painting or macaroni picture frame will be considered a masterpiece. Keep a small box of your child’s best pieces and get rid of the rest. Trust me – there is more where they came from.

4. Par down collections. The way technology is going these days tells me that VHS movies are probably not going to come back into style. It is time to rid yourself of shelf-hogging collections that make your home appear more cluttered. Get rid of movies that you never watch and take old paperback novels to your local used book dealer. Oh – and that cassette tape collection you are hiding away in the basement that includes the mixed tape you made after your boyfriend dumped you – burn it!!

Some of these suggestions may seem harsh to the sentimentalists among you, but believe me, if you’re thorough you’ll find your house is a lot bigger than it seems to be. And if one day you find yourself longing for that mixed tape, just call me and you can borrow mine.

Welcome to The Palmer Design Company and Nightlight Interiors!

I am going to be using this blog to post monthly tips and suggestions on everything from simple ideas that will change your home to suggestions on how to incorporate great design with the demands of your family.

I decided to start this business when I had a daughter of my own and realized how hard it can be to maintain your household while having children. I truly believe that you can create a home you love while accommodating your children as well. Believe me – they do not have to take over!!

Although The Palmer Design Company has a focus on family in the home and specializes in children spaces, we have also completed numerous other residential projects . Please feel free to contact me with any questions you have or to set up a consultation today!