10 Common Decorating Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Decorating Master Class: 10 Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Hello Friends,

1.      Your Dark Walls Need a Lift

      If you’ve been tempted by their elegance and drama but they’re making your room feel a little            closed-in, here’s how to dump the dungeon feeling. Good lighting is essential to reveal the tones          in saturated dark's. Multiple light allows you to control the light direction. Combine up lights and        down lights and don’t let the ceiling disappear into gloom. 

2.      Your Shelves Are Bursting at the Seams

      Putting every ornament you own on open shelves often leads to a distracting mishmash of                    nondescript items. Avoid highly patterned or textured backgrounds since they can be confusing            to the eye. 

3.      Your Sofa Is Pale and Interesting but Totally Impractical

       You somehow forgot that a dog, a cat, two toddlers, sticky fingers, raspberry cordial and pet hair          just don’t go with light sofas. Have the fabric professionally cleaned and treated. Be aware that            no stain proofing is infallible and that its effectiveness depends on the fabric.

4.    Your Vignettes Look Like Bargain Tables

        Vignettes like this are a lovely way to show off treasures and create character. 

        Start with an anchor piece and build from it. Asymmetry avoids a stiff, formal look.

5.    Your Family Room Doesn’t Feel Friendly

       Put seating close enough to encourage conversation rather than back against the walls.
6.    You Can’t Get the Hang of Hanging Art

 If art is a defining feature in your home, calling upon the services of a professional hanger is    a   good investment. A Common mistake is hanging art too high.

7.   Your White Kitchen is Practical but Lacks Warmth

  Appliances come in a rainbow of colors and styles, and cookware is designed to be seen. Don’t      hide all of this away in cupboards: Hang great-looking saucepans from wall hooks, leave a stack    of pretty dishes out on display or set a bowl full of fruits or veggies on the counter.

8.    Your Focal Points Are All Over the Place

   If you prefer to work with what you already have, decide what the focal feature will be and then     arrange existing furniture to direct attention toward it.

9.     You can’t Control Your Pillow Habit

   If you can’t sit on a sofa or lie on a bed without putting pillows on the floor, they lose their             purpose. Try to restrict pillows to two at each end of a sofa, one (or none) on an armchair and         three on a bed.

10.  You Haven’t Changed Anything in Years

Change bedding and pillows and move houseplants, chairs, lamps and rugs around. Re-position furniture for a fresh perspective – it’s cheap as well as fun! 

https://goo.gl/zYypBV

ERA Skyline Real Estate

3376 Harrison Blvd. 

Ogden, UT 84403

(801)627-6500

How To Remove Wallpaper in 7 Easy Steps

How To Remove Wallpaper in 7 Easy Steps

Hello Friends,

Step 1. Tape It:

Before you set about removing wallpaper, it's important to protect the other surfaces in the room from the water and soap you'll employ to remove the wallpaper. Lay a drop cloth across the floor to protect the finish.

Step 2. Peel It:

In some cases, your old wallpaper might already be starting to pull free of the walls. You can start the process by trying to remove the wallpaper by hand without water. Using a taping knife, find the edge and try to scrape it off.

Step 3. Wet It:

Eventually, you'll run out of paper you can peel by hand or with the knife. When that happens, you'll need to spray the wall. Spray the paper with warm water to help separate it from the wall. Any generic spray bottle will do, but a vacuum sprayer might speed up the process. In tough cases, a steamer will be your best bet. 

Step 4. Scrape It:

After letting the water soak in for a few minutes, you can start to scrape off the paper. Use the same taping knife, gently strip the wallpaper, either left-to-right or up-and-down, depending on what feels easiest. If you're still having trouble, you might need to spray the wall several times.

Step 5. Wash Out:

Once all the paper is gone, it is time to wash the wall so you can remove any excess primer or paste. Use a dampened a sponge with water and going over the wall several times.

Step 6. Smooth It:

Even tiny specks of paste can derail your next wall treatment. When you paint the wall, the paint will eventually flake and crackle. Wallpaper that’s applied over it will bubble or fail to stick properly.

Step 7. Refresh It:

Once you've done all the hard work of removing your faded wallpaper, you finally get to enjoy your reward: picking out a gorgeous new wallpaper.

ERA Skyline Real Estate

3376 Harrison Blvd. 

Ogden, UT 84403

(801)627-6500

Here are 9 steps to a kitchen remodel, from gathering design ideas through construction and final review.

How to Remodel Your Kitchen: 9 Steps To A Kitchen Remodel

 

 Hello Friends,

Step 1: Think about what you need in your kitchen remodel

This step is all about how you use your kitchen and finding the layout and features that fit your household’s lifestyle. Get ideas from every resource possible. 

Step 2: Research and plan

The best place to start is by formulating what’s commonly referred to as a scope of work and figuring out your preliminary budget. 

Step 3: Find the professionals you will need

Even if you’re going the DIY route, unless you’re building your own kitchen cabinets and doing your own electrical and plumbing, you’re going to have to work with a professional at some point.

Step 4: Schematic design

This phase includes sketches, space planning, preliminary floor plans and elevations showing the layout and cabinet sizes. 

Step 5: Fixture and finish specification

Throughout this process, and probably long before, you have been saving photos of kitchens you love into your idea books and folders. 

Step 6: Work on design development 

This is the stage when you finalize the design and prepare final floor plans, elevations, mechanical and electrical drawings, lighting switch plans, and exterior elevations.

Step 7: Get contractor estimates

If you don’t already have a licensed contractor on your project, your next step is to find one to carry the project through. I always recommend to my clients to get at least three different contractor estimates.

Step 8: Get ready for demo

You may be moving out of your house temporarily, but most homeowners white-knuckle it and try to live in the house through construction.

Step 9: Surviving the dreaded punch list

It’s inevitable that the contractor may have to make multiple visits back to the house to finish these items; prepare yourself for more than one visit and you’ll be fine. 

Thanks so much,

ERA Skyline Real Estate

3376 Harrison Blvd. 

Ogden, UT 84403

(801)627-6500

87 Ways to Make Your Patio or Outdoor Space Look Incredible

A Few Ways to Make Your Outdoor Space Look Incredible! 

Hello Friends,

1. Whether you have a porch, pool or patio, this guide to creating a luxurious outside space will help you take full advantage of warm weather! An Open air dining experience and shapely chairs by the poolside offer a comfortable seat for guest to enjoy a night under the stars.

2. Creating a southern style porch feel, using subtle traditional elements makes for a big statement. This is especially true for the porch, a grand space that features weather resistant chairs and that great blue color of paint on the home? It’s part of a southern custom – the hue is said to ward of spirits.

3. Outdoor living areas should feel comfortable and sheltered; these trees give structure to the “dining room” with their large trunks and spreading canopies. They create shade during the day, and at night, they’re strung with lights.

4. With this poolside dining, you’ll feel as if you’re on the porch off the beach cabana. With a sleek but casual atmosphere, using hues of turquoise, whites and green all around the area. This atmosphere reflects the light, and it is so inviting.

5. It’s a true extension of the interior of the home, with a truly comfortable place to eat. An addition that could accommodate even larger gatherings would be to combine two square tables together for a daytime luncheon or evening under the moonlight.

https://goo.gl/T5FZsv

ERA Skyline Real Estate

3376 Harrison Blvd. 

Ogden, UT 84403

(801)627-6500

Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Bathroom

How to Remodel Your Bathroom: Your Style, Your Budget, Create a Vision. 

Hello Friends,

As you probably already know, you’ve got some tasks ahead of you. Even with the help of a professional bathroom designer and a general contractor who will take care of the construction and installation, a lot of the mental work inevitably falls right on you, the homeowner. 

Step 1: What Are You Trying to Achieve?

Before you do anything, think about what your ideal bathroom would be. Forget constraints of money and space; just imagine what you want and what the intended purpose will be. Who is this bathroom for? Is it a master bathroom? A powder bathroom? A kid’s bathroom? How often will it get used and what will the function be?

Step 2: Research and Budget

Before you get ahead of yourself, it’s best to know what you will be able to spend. You probably already have an idea of what you can afford, so the first thing you’ll want to understand is how much a bathroom remodel is going to cost. According to Houzz data, half of homeowners will spend more than $10,000 on a master bathroom remodel. 

Step 3: Find a Professional 

There are different ways you can work with a designer. A little guidance from a design consultation or a more developed vision with a design plan may be all you need to get started. For particularly complicated jobs, full design services are probably best.

Thanks so much,

ERA Skyline Real Estate

3376 Harrison Blvd.

Ogden, UT 84403

(801)627-6500

Canary yellow, tangerine, aqua and other bright shades can lift spirits in winter or anytime!

Warm Up Your Home With These Tropical Colors

Hello Friends,

Whether you’re fighting the winter blues or embracing summer’s sizzle, adding a splash of tropical color to your home can make it feel warm, welcoming and even sunny!

A paler blue than turquoise with a slight green undertone, aqua is a tropical pastel that adds a soothing, warm vibe to any space. While you could go big with a tropical hue by painting an entire room, you certainly don’t have to add a huge swath of color to make a mighty impact.

Here, aqua draperies and textiles give a townhouse living room an elegant, beachy feel. 

 Aqua feels summery when paired with leafy greens, energetic fuchsia and bright yellow!

Pair it with: Coordinate your canary yellow with small doses of other brights such as turquoise, fuchsia or, as seen in this photo, leafy greens. For a less bold look, a bright yellow is more subtle when paired with a neutral color such as gray, white or pale wood.

Thanks so much,

ERA Skyline Real Estate

3376 Harrison Blvd. 

Ogden, UT 84403

(801)627-6500

5 Colors That Pair Perfectly With Pink

Hello Friends,

See which colors bring out the best in pink and take it into grown-up territory.

1. Pink and Gray

Pink looks good with muted shades such as gray, especially grays that are smooth, calm and neutral. Together, pink and gray create a welcoming and comfortable feel.

Gray is a color (or rather a shade) that doesn’t make much of an impact on its own, which is why designers and homeowners often choose it. It’s great to build upon.

2. If you have a predominantly white space, a few pink pillows on gray furniture will make the room more inviting. People will walk in and look toward the pillows and want to sit down and get comfy.

3. Consider topping gray pieces in other rooms, such as the bedroom, with pink as well. A couple of pink throw pillows can quickly change the look of a space, without requiring a long-term commitment.

Do you love pink? Tell us more about how you use pink in your home design and share a photo in the Comments.

ERA Skyline Real Estate

3376 Harrison Blvd

Ogden, UT 84403

801-627-6500