Bathing under the Sky

From simple to sublime, outdoor bathrooms are a lovely addition to a home.  There is nothing like a showering under a blue sky or bathing under the stars. Here are some wonderful examples for inspiration.  Think about the endless possibilities for creating your own private oasis....bath time will never be the same!

Small is BIG

Amazing things are going on in the world of home construction and the biggest movement is towards SMALL structures.  The days of the McMansion are looking like a thing of the past, as we look to greener, more cost-effective ways of living.  Pre-fab houses are being made out of all kinds of recycled material and their transportability allows for freedom to live just about anywhere.  Imagine helicoptering in a small container house...dropping it onto a ready-made foundation perched high above an amazing view. Or planting a glass house in the middle of a wheatfield.  Sounds like living large to me.

Makeover on a Dime

This little kitchen was in dire need of a serious update, but my client's budget was seriously minimal!  So with nothing more than a change of paint, cabinet hardware and a very inexpensive pendant light and accessories from Ikea, presto-chango - a kitchen to love!

Is Your Home STILL on the Market?

It can be a daunting feat to sell a house these days.  And we all know that, historically, Spring is the optimal time to list and sell a house.  But take heart....did you know that the fall season can be a very busy time as well?  The dogs days of Summer are over, school is back in session, and another surge of prospective buyers are coming your way.  The trick is to take advantage of this buying season...give your house the opportunity to really shine and catch a buyer's attention.

So here are some tips that really work...honest!

• Look at your property with fresh eyes.  How have things changed over the summer?  If your flower beds are looking bedraggled, spruce them up with some new plants.  Garden centers often offer discounts on end of the season flowers....take advantage!  Put down fresh mulch...make sure everything is trimmed, edged and clipped.  Check the trim on your house...does it need touching up?  How about the shutters and the front door?  Remember that the exterior of your home is the first thing people will see....it must entice them enough to want to come inside.
• Walk in your front door as though you are seeing your home for the first time.  What is the first thing you see?  Is there good flow from the entrance hall into your living room?  Does each room flow seamlessly into the next?  If your home is over-loaded with furniture, put a few pieces in storage so that rooms feel open and large.
• De-clutter.  I can't say it enough.  Put away the kids' toys, the dog's toys and any of your own.  Do you have family photos all over the house?  Tuck them into drawers and de-personalize.  Buyers want to imagine their own personal items in the house and it is easier to do so if yours aren't a distraction.  Look at your kitchen counter tops...what can you put away to allow for optimal counter space?  Same with bathrooms....put away the personal items each and every time you have a showing.  And ALWAYS have fresh, clean towels folded neatly on the racks, fresh soap in the soap dish, and all clothes tucked neatly away.  Closets should be organized and tidy.
• Clean, clean and clean.  Check the inside of your oven and the burners on your stove and make them shine.  Same goes for your refrigerator, inside and out.  People look everywhere and you want them to know that you keep a clean house....it will say volumes to them about how well you have taken care of the home in general.  How about those bathrooms?  Clean!  Windows? Clean, clean!  Carpeting?  Clean, clean clean!  You get the picture....your house has to sparkle.
• Before a scheduled appointment, do a few things to make the showing special: turn on strategic lights; damp mop hardwoods with oil soap (makes them gleam and the house smell great); wipe off counter tops (keep a pop-up container of wipes handy for quick work); plump your pillows and bedding; open the blinds; sweep off porches and walkways; you might even leave some soft music playing inside.  

Take advantage of the next 2-3 month buying season and get that place sold.   Here's to fresh starts!

GREEN Living.... Setting Intention for a Sustainable Future

The evidence is in: we have ransacked Mother Earth’s cupboards for all they were worth and it is time, way past time, to replenish them. But the good news is that we are waking up to a more conscious approach to living and caring for our planet.

And GREEN is the color of our future.

Options and resources abound for living a greener life. If you, like me, are interested in saving money, living healthily and preserving our world’s precious resources, take heart: there are many simple steps that can start you on the path to a greener life. Here are some tips to get you going:

REPAIR:

• Check the seals around windows and doors and add weather-stripping as needed. Storm windows can reduce heating costs. “Repair first, replace second” is a good mantra for green living.
• Make sure your fixtures are in good working order. Leaky faucet or shower head? Fix it. Can’t be fixed? Replace it with a new water-conserving fixture. And energy efficient fixtures add to the value of your home!
• Adding insulation to attic, crawl spaces, and around water heaters can increase energy efficiency and save money

RECYCLE:

• De-clutter. Simplify. Pare down. Clean out your closets and your attic. Recycle items to charities or friends in need. In a tough economy, less is more. And really, it is just a more conscious approach to living, isn’t it?
• Make a rainwater catchment system. It is easier than you think to set up a system for catching, containing and disbursing rainwater.
• Use recycled building materials for new construction or surface replacement. There are all kinds of beautiful, non-toxic materials available on the market now for countertop, flooring, paint and everything in between.

REPURPOSE:

• Why buy something new when you can give new life to something old? Old has charm. Old has history. Old has value. Honor it.
• Carve out space instead of adding on. It is amazing how much space can be utilized in even the smallest home.
• Get creative with interesting ways to reuse clothing and household items.

REVISON:

• Rediscover the joys of self –sufficiency. Even a small vegetable garden can provide a bounty of healthy and delicious veggies all summer. If you have room for a large garden, you can freeze or can the excess…..or gift to neighbors.
• Learn to share. Transportation, magazines, books, cd’s, movies…even services can be swapped or bartered.
• Enough with the bottled water. Buy a water filter and turn on the tap!

Kermit may lament “it isn’t easy being green.” But, in fact, it really is if we each do our part. A healthier world lies ahead.

Home staging provides space for imagination

Home staging is coming into its own.  In a real estate market that has seen better days, home owners and realtors are turning to stagers who can work a bit of magic... giving the property the aesthetic boost it needs to sell quickly and profitably.  It is proven that home staging works.  And there are any number of books, programs and courses that provide helpful strategies for preparing a home for sale.  But I believe that the best home staging is based not in a "formula" or a "one size fits all" approach to design, but in the stager's ability to unveil the intrinsic charm and appeal of the property.  It is really about making space for imagination... not only the stager's imagination but, more importantly, the imagination of the potential buyer.   A gifted home stager can create a space that allows the buyer's imagination to take flight.... to immediately picture the exciting possibilities  living in the space.  I say it all the time, good staging is an art not a formula.

WhiteHouse & Co. approaches home staging from the artful perspective.  We love houses!  Old, new and everything in between.  The possibilities that each new project bring are endlessly inspiring.  And the potential to create a space that will bring joy and a true sense of "home"

to the new owner is immensely rewarding.  No space is more important than home, is it?  It is the place that brings us comfort and restoration.  It is the place where we nurture our family and ourselves.  It is where we cook wonderful meals, read bedtime stories to our kids, languish around the table with friends over a bottle of wine, curl up on the sofa with a good book. Home is our sanctuary and it should nourish us in every way possible.  

What does home mean to you?  How have you created a home space that reflects your own spirit and imagination?  Creating spaces that matter starts at home..... it truly IS where the heart is.