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5 Ways to Use Pantone’s Discretion Palette in Your House

I finally made some time to read through Pantone’s colors for 2018 and I was instantly struck with new & exciting interior design ideas swirling through my brain!  I love the challenge of finding new ways to infuse color into interior spaces, but I have to admit I’m currently mostly obsessed with the “Discretion” palette.  The Elderberry and Hawthorne Rose are like purple & pink’s more sophisticated cousins.  They are a new kind of neutral that can (and should!) be used in masculine spaces and common living areas.  Use them with metallics to add a bit of glam, or natural wood elements to warm up the space.  You can even get a head-start on the trend by using it in your holiday decorations.  Add in a white (or slightly off white) faux fur area rug under your coffee table to step the style up a notch in the room and make it feel extra cozy.  

For a man cave or a bachelor pad, using Hawthorne Rose as the primary paint color and using  Elderberry only in the accents would show your guests you are a man with amazing style and confidence!  Pair it with a mahogany pool table and set of leather upholstered arm chairs with velvet navy accent pillows.  I love the idea of adding sculptures and art pieces that reflect his interests.  An over-sized floor globe (for travel-lovers) or a metallic knight statue (for history buffs) would be amazing!  An Elderberry-colored book end set or a metal clock with an Elderberry-colored face are two great (yet subtle) ways to use that color in a primarily masculine space.

I can also see Elderberry & Hawthorne Rose in a master closet.  I would do  Hawthorne Rose paint with a white custom closet system and Elderberry storage containers.  A painting or gold-framed art with shades of the Pantone hues on the wall near the dressing area and large chandelier in the center would finish off the look.

The color scheme would also be perfect for a girl’s room and would work for any age.  Mix age-appropriate patterns in and some contrasting yet classic black & white stripes.  My first-grade daughter’s school mascot is “Wranglers” and there’s a ranch filled with horses next to the school.  I thought it would be absolutely adorable to use Elderberry & Hawthorne Rose with accents of horses and natural wood elements to make her room feel warm, adventurous, and girly.  For a tween, a white vanity with a black & white cushioned stool to sit on would look beautiful with a gold vase filled with flowers in varying shades of the Pantone hues will make her feel like she’s really growing up.  

Clearly I love those colors are the primary focal points in a variety of spaces, but they can be lovely accents when paired with neutrals.  If you’re afraid of the colors and just want to dip your toe in to that world, a great way to do so is to find home accents in those colors and add a pop of the bold Hawthorne Rose  to a room filled with warm creamy whites and soft beiges.  Elderberry would be a gorgeous accent to rooms with cool-toned neutrals, like grays.

Since home staging is the bread & butter of my business, I can’t leave out how this color palette would work for a homeowner or real estate investor who is trying to sell their property.  It very much depends on the size of each room and the amount of natural and artificial light that fills the space.  This color palette will definitely make a positive impact on a majority of buyers and I would absolutely recommend it in most cases.  If you have a house on the market, contact me for a consultation so I can share my expert advice on how to use color, texture, and patterns to make your property more appealing and get higher offers rolling in.

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Designing With Tile

Some of my most impressive interior designs have been created with the beauty and versatility of tile, so I recently decided to join The Tile Shop as a Designer to expand my knowledge and experience to include everything tile-related (and the Designer & employee discounts don’t hurt) and help homeowners design their project to match their style, function, and budget.  In just my first few weeks of training there, I learned more about tile than I ever thought I would, not just about the tiles themselves, but the importance of the not-so-pretty stuff that goes along with installing tile and keeping the investment looking its best forever.  With all this new knowledge of the nitty-gritty, combined with my passion and experience with design, I have so much to share with anyone who is interested in taking on a tile project, or even for contractors who may be too busy to keep up with all the newest products and materials.  

At a minimum, here’s what you need: Permat, scissors or a box cutter, thinset, thinset admix, 3 pails/buckets, drill with spiral mixing extension, trowel, leveling system w/spacers, grout, grout admix, float, grout haze remover, rubber gloves, a sponge for cleaning off the excess grout, a different sponge for applying the sealer, caulk, caulk gun.  Depending on your project, you may need different or additional items.  If you stop by The Tile Shop and ask for me, we can discuss your project and make sure you have everything you need so you don’t have to halt your progress to keep running back to the store to buy something you forgot.  I can also give you a class on how to lay tile if you want some hands-on experience before you DIY your project.  Just call and schedule it ahead of time so I can have everything prepared when you arrive. 

Preparing the surface is the most important step.  Most contractors have been using cement board as a foundation to lay the thinset & tiles on top of, but there’s an amazing advancement called Permat that is faster, lighter, and stronger.  It installs on the floors where your tile will go.  Basically you layer it with thinset first, then the Permat, then another layer of thinset, like a Permat sandwich.  It provides extra strength in the same way rebar reinforces concrete.  The Permat comes in sheets that can be cut with scissors or a box cutter.  A bundle of sheets only weighs a few pounds, making it so much easier to install in an upstairs space than the labor-intensive and super heavy cement board.  Here’s a video showing a contractor installing a whole floor in about 45 minutes.  If you get a crack in the foundation, the added support of the Permat keeps the tiles and grout lines from cracking, too.  If you’re working with an expensive tile, like marble, you definitely need to protect your investment.

I mentioned thinset above, but I want to take a quick second to explain what that is, why you need it, and how to pick the right kind for your project.  Thinset is basically what keeps the tile adhered to the floor, wall, fireplace, etc.  You cannot skip on thinset if you want your tiles to stay in place.  There’s a non-sag thinset that’s recommended for walls and large-format tiles (a tile is considered a LFT if on side is 15″ or longer).  Pro-Flex Platinum thinset is perfect for ceramic and natural stone tiles that are smaller than 15″ and works for both interior and exterior applications.  It has latex in it that gives it more flexibility and therefore resists cracking.  Pro-Level is self-leveling thinset and is a genius solution for when you have to install your tile over an uneven surface, or even tiling over existing tile (it’s not recommended to tile over tile, but sometimes situations arise where it can’t be avoided).  When using Pro-Level, you need Pro-Primer to increase bonding strength.  There are more thinset variations available specifically for each kind of project, so if you’re tiling an interior floor, interior wall, and an exterior floor, you may need a different thinset for each area.

Thinset also comes in two colors: white & gray.  Although thinset isn’t typically seen, it can make a difference in the way glass tiles appear when installed.  If you’re using a clear or white glass mosaic in your shower, you’ll want to make sure you use white thinset, otherwise the gray thinset will show through and make it look darker.  There are glass tiles that are sold with a white backing to preserve the tile’s true color, so that’s something else to consider when you’re shopping around for your project.

So you have your thinset.  Now what?  First, you’ll need two pails: one for water & one for mixing the thinset powder with the water.  The pails at The Tile Shop are 6 gallons, as opposed to the 5 gallon pails/buckets from Lowe’s/Home Depot.  That extra gallon gives you more room to mix without spilling over the edges.  Once you have them blended to a peanut butter or toothpaste consistency (using a drill with a spiral mixing extension is the easiest way), let it sit for 5 minutes so any air bubbles can dissipate.

You’ll need a trowel to get the thinset mixture out of the pail and onto the surface and spread it around.  The trowel you need depends on the size of the tile.  A good rule of thumb is to pick a small trowel for small tiles & mosaics and larger trowels for larger tiles.  The reason they come with different shaped edges is to apply the right coverage for your tiles.  You want to hold the trowel at a 45 degree angle and make your lines in the direction of the shortest side of how you will lay your tile.  That makes sure the air gets out and you have better coverage.  If your lines are more like S’s or 8′s, you’re leaving lots of air pockets under the tiles which leaves your tiles susceptible to cracking, breaking, or popping up all together.  Work in small sections, like 3′ x 3′ sections because the thinset dries pretty quickly and you don’t want it to dry before you get your tiles laid down.  

When placing your tiles, push them down in to place firmly and wiggle them a bit to help push out the air and get maximum thinset coverage.  You want to cover at least 93% of the back of the tile, but ideally 100% coverage is best.  Traditionally, the next step is to add in your spacers, but the amazing R&D (Research & Development) team at The Tile Shop came up with an easy leveling system that doubles as spacers called the Raimondi system.  There are 3 pieces to it: the spacer, the wedge, and the crimping tool.  You slide the spacer into place between two tiles, then insert the wedge through the hole that so that is spans across both tiles, then you use the tool to tighten the wedge in place.  It’s fast and it will make your floor level so that you don’t have “lippage.”  That’s when a tile isn’t level and is raised above the other tiles just enough so that it causes you to trip.  It can also cause the tile to chip or break off over time.  Here’s a video so you can see how it works.

By now you can see that there’s a lot more that goes in to your tile project than just the gorgeous tiles.  It’s like when you pick out a diamond for your engagement ring, but you still need to make sure the rest of the ring is durable and beautiful so that the diamond stays secure and looks stunning for your entire life.  And at The Tile Shop, if you use our quality materials, you’ll enjoy a lifetime warranty.  

I hope you can see the value of investing in the best materials and tools to do the job so that you don’t have to spend more time and money down the road re-doing the project.  I know it’s a lot of information to digest, so I recommend you re-read this a few times and watch experts installing tiles with quality materials on The Tile Shop’s YouTube channel.  Sometimes it helps to see it, not just read it.  And again, if you want to schedule some time with me at my store, I can give you a free class and answer any questions you have about tiles in general or specific to your project.

So once your thinset is dried and your tiles are evenly spaced and leveled, you will need to mix the grout color you selected with the admix that will enhance that color, add flexibility to reduce cracking, and helps the grout dry faster.  It’s recommended you use a  polymer admixture with your grout instead of water because it will increase the adhesion to the tile and added strength.  Also, because water can contain chemicals and contaminants, it may not stand up to the test of time, resulting in cracking or discoloration.  You’ll need a third pail to mix them using your drill & spiral mixer attachment.  While you’re giving the grout a few minutes for the bubbles to dissipate, spread on some grout release on the tiles.  It will make cleaning up the excess grout much easier because it acts like a barrier to keep the grout from sticking to your tiles.  If you used the Raimondi leveling system, you’ll need to remove the spacers by gently kicking them out.  Please be sure you watch a demonstration on how to do it before you start, just to make sure you don’t damage the tiles.  Use a float tool to spread the grout into the cracks diagonally, like an X motion.  When you’re done, you’ll need the grout sponge to wipe off the excess from the tiles.  Wet the sponge in a pail of water and squeeze out as much water as you can so that it’s damp, not soaking wet.  Wipe the tiles one, flip the sponge over and wipe again, then rinse it off in the pail of water and repeat until you have cleaned as much of the grout off of the tiles as possible.  Once the grout is completely dry, check the tiles to see if there’s a hazy film or not.  If there is, you’ll need grout haze remover to finish cleaning it off.  

Finally, the last step is to seal the grout.  If your tile is made of natural stone, you’ll need to seal the stone, too.  Natural stones are like sponges and can absorb moisture and hold on to stains, so you’ll need the sealer to protect it from getting moldy or discolored over time.  The Tile Shop’s sealer lasts for 15 years and makes cleaning super easy.  I know most people want the smallest grout lines possible because they don’t want to deal with cleaning it, so the sealer is the perfect solution!  To apply the sealer, you’ll need a special sealer sponge that won’t absorb as much as the grout sponge does.  You want your sealer on the tiles, not stuck inside the sponge.  If you’re just sealing the grout, you can use a tray and brush and paint it on the grout lines.  You didn’t know you were an artist, did you?  lol.  

Once everything is completely dry, you can touch up and add caulking where necessary.  Another tip before I end this super-long post, be sure you are using a neutral cleanser on your tiles & grout to extend the life of the beautiful project you just completed.

If you clicked on any of the links above, you may have noticed that all the tools and materials you need for your project are available at The Tile Shop.  Not only are we a one-stop shop, but everyone is highly trained in tile installation and we have three Designers (including me) who can help you with the aesthetics, too.  We start with pulling samples off the shelves and making a big mess with all the accents and trims so that you can see what the colors and textures looks like together.  It’s so fun!  From there, we suggest the specific tools and materials that are perfect for your specific project.  An outdoor kitchen project will not need the same things as a master bathroom, for example. 

If you are taking on a DIY tile project and have questions, I am happy to help!  Just email me or you can call me at The Tile Shop.  Please feel free to post any additional tips you’d like to share from your project since there are so many variations and each project can have it’s own share of challenges.

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Decorating Kids’ Rooms

Do you want to give your kids a space of their own that reflects the things that make them unique, but are stuck on how to pull it off?  Do you want them to have a room that both inspires them but has plenty of storage, but you can’t figure out how to put the two together?  Hiring an Interior Decorator can be the answer you’ve been looking for!

I have a six-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son and I totally understand those dilemmas.  My daughter is a quirky kid with a huge imagination.  When she was three, she told me she hates pink and her favorite colors are orange and blue and three years later, it hasn’t changed.  She has a ton of toys, clothes, science kits, sports equipment, musical instruments, and accolades from school & sports.  When it was time to tackle her room, even I was intimidated.  

I spent some time considering if her existing furniture was useful in the space, if we needed to replace or supplement storage, and how the aesthetics would tie in.  She and I sat down together to draw out a floor plan of where the furniture would go and then sketch out the wall colors, decor accents, and any other little touches that would be both functional and represent her style.  She was very adamant that she wanted orange walls.  We compromised by doing pumpkin/peach/sorbet ombre wall and a second accent wall with orange & turquoise blue floral decals.  In this case, having two accent walls works because the ombre is subtle and the location in a child’s room is more acceptable.  In most cases I wouldn’t do that in an adult space.

We both agreed her kitty curtains needed to go, but wanted something fun for the window treatment.  The tissue paper pom collage was perfect!  It brought in all the color variations from around the room and added the right amount of whimsy every little girl’s room should have.  She was so happy she was able to help with making them and is so proud of her work.

Her closet is pretty big compared to most that are built in secondary bedrooms, so I was able to use half for her clothes and the other half as a toy table.  I upcycled the changing table I used for both kids, making the lower two shelves storage for board games and science experiment kits, and the top became a play surface.  I had to use a saw to remove the guard rails that keep babies from rolling off while changing them, as well as the safety straps.  I filled in the holes, sanded it smooth, and painted it the same color white as the table.  Luckily, it fits perfectly in the space available in the closet.  It was a bit dark for a play space, so I added battery-powered motion-sensor lights above it.  She’s an introvert and loves her alone time, so it works perfectly for who she is, too, which is the real benefit.

My son’s room was a project brought about by necessity.  When he was outgrowing his crib and ready to move to a big boy bed, we had to clear out the room of the baby furniture (bye-bye changing table, which I turned into a toy table in my daughter’s walk-in closet).  With a pretty bare room to work with and a toddler that couldn’t care less about the aesthetics, I decided to go with a boy version of whimsical featuring adventure. 

I decided to hand-paint a mural of mountains that were inspired by Dr. Seuss’s quote “Today is your day!  Your mountain is waiting so go get on your way!”  It also helps that he’s obsessed with Olaf.  To get the full affect of mountains, I spread it across the two walls where his bed meets in the corner.  

If IKEA and Hobby Lobby had a baby, it would be my son’s room.  All the furniture came from the economic and sleek design of the Stuva line and provided a ton of storage.  We chose that because it has cut-outs that he could use to open the drawers and close them without smashing his little fingers.  We went with decor accents in navy, orange, and gold from Hobby Lobby.  We found a gold fox bookend that is beyond adorable and gold deer heads with hooks at the bottom to hang bags from.  There is a touch of hipster to it, but there’s also a touch of hipster to me, so it works.  The key to any space is to use design elements that reflect the person who will spend the most time there.  The palette is also neutral enough that it can grow with him, plus encouraging adventure is always in style.  And if in a few years he wants something completely different, the accents will work in other rooms and the IKEA furniture is the same as my daughter’s room, so they can interchange pieces as their needs change.

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Why Are Home Stagers so Expensive?

Have you reached out to Home Stagers in your area only to find their rates to be way higher than you were expecting?  There is a lot more involved in the home staging process than most realize and with the current market, they are in high demand.  If you haven’t read my previous post yet, I highly recommend you check it out.

First, the most important thing to understand is that home staging is an investment.  A typical example would be investing $1750 for a Stager’s time, expertise, and creative talents to consult with you and identify areas that need attention.  Homeowners who invest an upfront cost in a Stager receive a huge return on that investment by the higher offers that will come rolling in.  

In addition to the Stager’s fee, you’ll also need to buy items or hire recommended contractors to complete the changes that are needed.  Other common aesthetic tweaks may be things you can handle on your own, like packing up personal items or kitschy decor that can be distracting.  If the total spent on getting your house ready to compete on the market costs $3,000 ($1,750 for the Stager and $1,250 for painting over those bubblegum pink accent walls & replacing that cracked light fixture) will typically result in offers received that are $10K more than you were receiving before.  Your home is also likely to sell faster than a home that is not staged.  And if you have already purchased your new house, then time is of the essence.  I know you don’t want to pay two mortgages any longer than you have to.  You can use that extra profit for new furniture or other personalization you want to do in your new home.

The other thing to consider is that Home Staging is a business.  That means even if the Stager isn’t at a consultation, there is still a ton of work that needs to be done.  There’s meeting with suppliers to negotiate prices, there’s advertising, marketing, and accounting that needs attention, and keeping an eye on design trends as well as the real estate market.  There are monthly recurring costs for running the business, like phone, internet, electricity, car fuel & maintenance, and much more.  And don’t forget the franchise tax.  There’s no getting around paying that.  Those costs, as well as the time spent running the business, are built in to the fee.  If you come across a Stager that is charging less than $300 for a consultation or less than $125 for their hourly rate, then they aren’t taking their business seriously and may be inexperienced.  If they don’t take their business seriously, should you?

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Top 5 Reasons Home Staging Works

When it comes time to put a house on the market to sell, there are a number of things that can cause Realtors to estimate its asking price lower than you think it should be, so how do you get the kind of offers you want and need?  Yes, you guessed it - home staging!

Rehabbers, also known as Flippers, and owners of investment properties have long used Home Stagers to get their houses sold as quickly as possible and for top dollar.  Smart & savvy homeowners have realized that those Real Estate Investors are their competition and have started bringing in Staging pros to help them, too.

1) Home buyers shop with logic and buy on emotion. Home staging creates a setting where more people can make an emotional connection with a house, which often leads to multiple offers and bidding wars.  A talented and knowledgeable Stager (me) knows just what changes need to be made to the property to focus a buyer’s emotions so that they feel like they’re already home from the moment they walk in the door.

2) Few home buyers can look past ugly, disorganized or crowded rooms. Home staging creates a model environment so that people aren’t distracted by things that can be easily changed.  In many cases, finding better storage options, removing clutter, and updating paint can make a world of difference.

3) High real estate prices make prospective buyers more critical, which is especially the case in hot real estate markets. This is also true in slower markets where buyers can take their time and be very picky.  As a Stager, I use my expertise of the markets and interior design to make your property stand out from the sea of competition.

4) Time pressures on two-income families drive demand for homes in “move-in condition.” One goal of home staging is to create an environment where home buyers can see themselves moving in right away.  And when you hire a Stager, you can relax knowing she is handling the details and making design decisions that will ultimately benefit you in the long run.  We know how busy you are on a daily basis and if you’re like most people, you don’t have time to figure out why you’re not getting offers.  Stagers are able to step in and ease that burden for you.

5) The huge audience for decorating shows and magazines is increasing the average person’s sensitivity to how things look. In home staging, we are trying to come as close to the “ideal” as possible, whatever the home’s price point. This gives your property an advantage over other homes that haven’t been staged.  And if you don’t stage your home when you’re selling, there are staged homes competing for your buyer and they will make your cluttered or vacant home look worse than it truly is just by comparison.

Is there another motivating factor that made you decide to use a Home Stager to get top dollar for your house?  Share your story below.

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Starting Over After Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey completely destroyed so much of Southwest Texas and thousands of people are spending this weekend trying to recover.  We are “Texas strong” and band together as a community to help those in need.  Personally, I went and bought a tons of diapers, formula, and toiletries to donate, but I feel I can do more professionally.  I’m looking for 3 families who need an Interior Designer to help get their home back to a clean and comfortable norm.  To apply, please submit the contact form at www.wonderstruckinteriors.com by 9/8/18.  I will announce the selection on my Facebook page on 9/9/18 and will get started on the work immediately.

Harvey hit the weekend before school was supposed to start for thousands of children across Fort Bend and Lamar Consolidated ISDs, so it’s especially disruptive to the youngest in the population.  As a mother of two myself, I’m seeing first hand how their worlds are shaken up.  I would especially love the privilege of redesigning kids’ rooms, so for any applicants who aren’t selected as the three winners, I will provide a bonus promotion for them.  Be sure to fill out the contact form and apply and I will send you details directly.