design609

Things have been hectic around here. We closed on 609 (the new house) ten days ago and listed 358 (the old house) for sale yesterday.

In ten(10) days time we have gotten quite a lot accomplished in-between our work schedules:

●We moved the majority of our ‘stuff’ from 358 just leaving furniture staged in each room and put most of it away at 609.
●We cleaned the entire house at 609 scrubbing away dirt and debris as well as 358 to get it ready for showings.
●We replaced the brass outdoor lighting fixtures at 609 to oil-rubbed bronze.

●We replaced the brass doorknobs at 609 to oil-rubbed bronze.

●We are in the process of switching out all the old sliding dimmer switches at 609 to new ones that actually work.

●We hired a crew (three-man job) to apply the Oil-Based Kilz over the wallpaper at 609. They will return on Saturday to begin painting.

●We hired our dear friend, Don and his brother, Jimmy to fix the drywall in the cathedral ceiling of the living room at 609.
●Our appliances were installed on Saturday by Orville’s at 609; but, we are waiting for the gas to be turned on today for the stove top.

●My nephew, Aaron came and painted the two guestrooms at 609 (ceilings and walls) a clean fresh cream. Vaspar Malted Milk. Yes, I used Vaspar! I was plesently surprised. It looks marvelous.

●We got Chris, from Hidden Valley over to look at the property to access how much $$$ yard clean-up will be at 609.

●Time Warner got the internet working; after two attempts and 3 seperate workers came to 609. We still are waiting for them to come bury the cable they had to run along the driveway.

●Dish Network installed the new dish so Amanda is happily binging on Netflix: The Office after a long day at the Salon.

●I set up the bookshelves in the livingroom with all my treasures.
Maxi loves her new spot. I was able to store our collection of VHS and DVD in the cupboards below, alphabetized of course!

●My sister, Debi helped me out by putting the contact paper in the many kitchen cupboards. Cassie, Aaron’s girlfriend did our first grocery run.
●The first day on the market for 358 proved much success. There were 22 showings and 5 offers!

All in all I’d say things are plugging along smoothly.
I’ll give another update soon.
InJOY-Trisha

Choosing a paint color seems like an easy decision; yet, with all the many choices ie:150 Benjamin Moore Whites alone. Finding that perfect color becomes very daunting and slightly overwhelming.

Here is a little advice for:
How I narrow down my paint choices.

(1) Choose a BRAND:
Select a brand and stay with it. Are you a fan of Sherwin Williams, Behr, Farrow&Ball, Benjamin Moore, or is there another brand that you prefer? Stick with the brand you prefer. For me it’s hands down Benjamin Moore.

(2) Go on a SEARCH:
Search the Internet for: Color Suggestions in your brand. ie: Benjamin Moore Whites. I recommend visual inspiration via: Pinterest, Houzz, or various Blogsites (see sources below). Furthermore, once you narrow down your search you can search that particular color name that you love ie: BM White Dove and you’ll usually find gobs of photos.

(3) Know your DIRECTION:
You have to remember that the direction a room faces plays an important role in how that color will look. Is it a North-South-East-West facing room?
See my earlier post for more details: THINK DIRECTION WHEN CHOOSING PAINT COLORS

(4) What’s your EXPOSURE?
With that being said, also remember the strength of that Natural Light. Are you in the North where the sky is often gray or in the South where sunshine is aplenty? There is a big difference that exposure will bring to the overall presence of the room.

(5) Room USAGE:
Is this a room where you’ll be entertaining in the evening?  For example: In your Dining Room you’ll want a dramatic effect for that evening light. If you want a color that works in the daytime, you’ll choose differently. All these things play an important role in what color you’ll choose.

(6) What’s your STYLE?:
●What look are you aiming for: •Classic
•Traditional
•Country
•Modern
●Do you like to:
•Play it safe
•Go dramatic (Are you a drama queen?)
●Do you follow the current trends:
•White
•Gray
•Taupe
●Do you like Soft or Bold colors:
•Blue, Pink, Yellow, Green
•Purple, Orange, Red
(That voice from Jack Nicholas in The Shining always plays in my mind when I say “Red Room” I don’t know why.)

If you follow these Six Easy Steps it will help guide you to finding that just right hue for your walls.

Next up: We will tackle the trim and the ceiling paint selections.
The fun has just begun!

EnJOY-Trisha

Sources: http://www.
(1)laurelberninteriors.com
Blog post: The Only Six White Paint Trim Colors You’ll Need
(2)livelovediy.com
(3)southern living, editor in chief,
lindsay bierman
(4)benjaminmoore.com
(5)sherwinwilliams.com
(6)mariakillam.com
(7)pinterest
(8)houzz

We are getting down to the wire and we’re beginning to feel the pressure.

It’s a little unsettling:
•transforming your home to get ready to sell
•getting everything packed up to move
•working on projects in your down time
•planning/scheduling all your future jobs in the next house
•trying to plan around a closing date that keeps changing

So, this Saturday Morning was the day we planned to paint the basement stairwell and get a coat of Primer on the powderroom walls.

I didn’t want to buy my favorite Benjamin Moore $50.00/gallon paint for the stairwell. So, I sent Michael to get a nice Glidden beige Paint. Bob Villa likes it. Well, he found a can of Behr on the sale rack for $9.00 that someone had mixed and refused. The color was a little shocking in the can, almost the color of Maxi’s deposits; but, sometimes the color looks better on the wall.

So, Michael donned his t-shirt and boxers, that’s his painting uniform, go figure. He actually purchased blue painters tape (a six-pack). This is quite a big deal as, Michael is  fast-paced and often begins his projects before getting all the necessary materials.

I suggested:  “Just paint a little and we’ll decide. I’ll be right back.” When, I came back one entire wall and 1/2 the ceiling was done. GASP.

Now, we have gold walls with black trim and green carpet. Yikes! It sounds as awlful as it looks. It was supposed to transition from the main floor beige to the basement peppercorn.

Maybe I can use some pictures to enhance it.