Dear Clients and Friends:  As I write this around Thanksgiving, I know I have a lot of thanks to give – to my children who go with the flow all the time, extended family, teachers and neighbors. And to my friends turned clients, and clients turned friends. This is not just about Thanksgiving – as you will receive this newsletter much later – but about the Holidays in general. Shorter days and more time spent indoors make us reflect on what’s important.

This year, I was fortunate to work with numerous families taking a crack at improving their interiors: baths, kitchens, living room arrangements, and pre-remodel guidance, in addition to helping staging many listed real estate properties. All of the professionals I have worked with in the past were just as delightful to partner with this year, and many more new contacts were made – this is a huge ‘THANKS’ to all clients, realtors, contractors, and incredible resources at the Design Center and Bay Area retailers and manufacturer’s representatives.

Wishing all of you a fabulous Holiday 2007, and heaps of success in the New Year.

A heartfelt thanks,



  Residence Redesigns
 

Our Topics are:
• Your Picture Perfect Remodel
• Field Trip: ANA Furniture in San Mateo
• Staging Update
• Avoiding Homeowner's Insurance Mess
• Upholstering your Furniture
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Or: Why Trying to Replicate an Interior Design from a Picture is a Challenge

Is there a Picture Perfect Remodel? Here are 6 considerations you should remember when you plan to replicate a look you have seen in a magazine or showroom:

One: Size and Scale
You see a beautiful room – is the square footage comparable to the room you want to transform? Photos in magazines, advertisements, and brochures may be somewhat misleading. Interiors qualifying for a professional photo shoot are often larger than average and give us a false sense of space.

Two: Photo Op and Lighting
Wide angle lenses, professional lighting, and other photography technology can make any interior look bright and colorful. Consider which direction the lighting comes from, and which parts of the room are exposed to natural light – how does your space rate on lighting, and are you including a good lighting design in your plans?

Three: Functionality
Before you try to emulate “the” look, reflect on what you taking in: an advertisement for cabinetry or paint color? Light fixtures, or beautiful flooring? This can substantially influence the photography and alter the viewer’s focal point and angle. Often, critical objects such as towel holders or correct lighting are left out because it “clutters” the photo. Our own belongings aren’t usually as color coordinated as the props used. Finally, design for printed materials or websites don’t always stick to the “form follows function” rule – take a close look at what is being marketed, and decide whether those products are sufficiently important enough to you to compromise functionality.

Four: Local expertise
Are you trying to copy the beautiful concrete floor from your bath design book? It may very well be a multi-step production process involving triple acid staining in various colors, with a highly specialized veneer. If you can find someone with the right installation expertise, how much of your budget are you willing to pay the contractor. There are many highly labor intensive or customized treatments requiring time, special skills, and additional cost, such as faux wall finishes, elaborate tile design, and other custom designs.

Five: Budget
Low budget makeovers are rarely discussed in glossy magazine. Often sponsored by specific manufacturers, visuals are meant to entice you to buy the best, or, most expensive. To a certain extent, your contractor and designer can help replicate the movie star’s interior by researching less expensive materials, but being realistic about your projected budget will go a long way to avoid disasters.

Looking at an award winning design should not deter you from wanting to make your remodel the best it can be and collect ideas – just make your personal lifestyle the number one determining criteria. Each individual’s perception and needs are as different as the rooms we live in!

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ANA opened earlier this year. The furniture selection is comparable to many local retail outfits, both in style and price. What sparked my interest were the accessories. All through the showroom, you’ll spot beautiful, high quality toss pillows in vibrant colors and materials – the perfect item to spruce up a standard piece of upholstery. These are priced at $69 to $200+. Gorgeous patterns feature mostly geometric shapes.

Also, I am often asked about where to find unique bedding – this store represents two manufacturers of quality custom bedding, SIS Covers based in Minnesota, and Wild Cat Territory from High Point, North Carolina.

SIS covers the range from Twin to extra-large King size comforters, and custom orders are shipped within 10 days. Not your usual Bed Bath & Beyond “bed in a bag” deal, queen size comforter prices start around $350.00. Everything can be customized with various trims and fringes. Their website shows a fabric catalog of their colorful and young designs.

Wild Cat Territory sells more traditional bedding in muted colors, and the showroom has those on display also.

For more information, go to:
http://www.siscovers.com/fabric_catalog/index.cfm
http://www.wildcatterritory.com/Collections.html

ANA also sells wool rugs from India in bold vivid colors and casual designs. The store display consists mostly of 1x1 ft. samples, but it’s enough to feel the wool, and you can look up the patterns on their website:

http://www.companyc.com/html/rugs.htm
The Company - “Designs for Colorful Living”

ANA is a place worth stopping for if you want to bring some color into your home without breaking the bank. Different accessories can make a huge impact, and you’ll enjoy an instant makeover!

ANA Furniture
3011 South El Camino
San Mateo
(650) 212-2288
 

OK, here comes the customary blurb on staging. And many of you will yawn, as I am preaching to the converted.

Many homes these days are listed for insanely high prices as homeowners watched their immediate neighbors cashing in on x many thousands over asking price. Pricing can be a tough spot and difficult discussion for any listing agent.

It cannot be over-emphasized how important preparing the property is. That means updating the interior and/or making a staging effort. Something as easy as bringing a few items into a small condo, or more elaborate room décor for a single-family house will do the trick each and every time. A sound marketing plan that includes making the interior show in a positive light includes decluttering, changing hardware on cabinets, and a thorough cleaning,

The good news from Residence Redesigns is a new one-month lease option for staging campaigns. More flexibility when the property sells fast, same advantages for extension as before. Call us for pricing!

http://www.residenceredesigns.com/ResidenceRedesigns_Services.html#services2
 

Nobody enjoys dealing with insurance. It’s like doing your taxes or setting up a trust. Gets pushed on the backburner until you really are out of excuses. A recent client who had a nasty (albeit self-inflicted) insurance wake-up call asked me to pass on some advice to my friends and clients.

When did you last update your insurance? Ever? Year after year, the insurance bill comes in with updated policies on what’s covered, and what’s not. Not only do we never read the fine print, we pay the bill and never check on how much our belongings are worth. Take a serious look at your policy if you answer ‘yes’ to any of these:

  - Bathrooms and/or Kitchen has been remodeled, expensive appliances or
     fixtures added
  - New carpeting has been installed, or upgraded to hardwood
  - An antique collection has been expanded on
  - Inheritances have added valuable china, silver, irreplaceable art or books
  - Windows have been updated, new skylights or stained glass were added
  - Custom built home theaters, wine cellars, or game rooms were installed

We used to be told to keep receipts of everything, but what if your diligently collected stack of credit card receipts burns with the house? This is where modern technology works for us. Many insurance experts recommend taking lots of digital photos, storing them in a portable USB device, or on a CD, and keeping this in your safe deposit box.

Recently, a Manhattan based industry group has been written up in the newspaper. The Insurance Information Institute offers free software that gets you started, and plenty of good advice on this topic.

http://www.knowyourstuff.org/why.html
 

If you’ve found a really comfortable sofa, chances are you would consider re-upholstering the piece when its fabric begins to fade or rip. Not all sofas however deserve this investment. Check the construction of your existing piece – you want to see a heavy hardwood frame instead of composite boards, and joints held together with dowels rather than screws. If none of this matters to you, and you love your piece of furniture, here is some information on yardage needed:

Based on 54” wide fabric, and a 6’ sofa length, you will need:

Contemporary – 16 yards
Lawson (your basic Pottery Barn, rounded arms, skirted, 2 seat and 2 back cushions) – 16 yards
Chippendale or Camel back – 14 yards
Bridgewater (tight back, low arms, no skirt) – 15 yards
Chaise longue – 11 yards

Keep in mind that most sofas sold today are a good 12-24” longer, so accurate measuring is key. Indicate to your upholsterer how many cushions your sofa has and whether it has a tight back, or loose back cushions. The smaller a repeat you select, the less fabric you will need. Many small geometric patterns can be “railroaded” i.e. used horizontally rather than in the standard vertical fashion. Railroading fabric may result in 20% fabric savings.

Before you invest in fabric, show your upholsterer photos along with the measurements, and a small swatch. Other factors such as welting, shape and height of cushions, skirt, need to be taken into account. He or she can then estimate you how much you need and provide a quote for the labor.