Check out Leslie's video blog for further help on getting you home ready to sell.
AND DON'T FORGET..............................
Clean out that garage too - buyers like to look in there too!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Orange County Interior Designer Talks About Staging Homes for Resale
It amazes me that everyone who sells their home doesn’t have it professionally staged for resale, espically in this difficult market. When I stage a home, I only use the buyer’s furniture and accessories. I almost never have to buy or rent anything to supplement the staging.
Staging takes only a few hours and is well worth the fee spent for faster sales and a higher sales price.
After consulting with several successful realtors regarding staging homes for resale, I think my colleague, Leslie Eskildsen said it best.
“I think what staging does is give the home the highest possible emotional appeal and therefore adds the WOW factor – which gets offers in faster and closer to the list price – may get you an extra 1 – 2% more that you might not have gotten otherwise.”
Check out Leslie’s video blog for further help in getting your house ready to sell.
Click on the link below.
http://www.leslieeskildsen.com/blog/7-tips-for-home-orange-countuy-home-sellers.html
Monday, March 22, 2010
Orange County Interior Designer Gives Tip for Selecting Interior Colors
If you are trying to select a new color scheme, one company's line of paint I like is Benjamin Moore’s Affinity Collection. This color palette combines 144 colors that all coordinate with each other.
Whether you are looking for a neutral, monochromatic, achromatic, warm or cool color scheme, you can find it here. These colors are somewhat muted, but all offer a fresh contemporary style.
What is nice is by using the colors in this palette, you can have an entire office or space completely “coordinated”. Choosing paint colors is not always easy, as there are undertones in every color. There are only six true stand alone colors. Benjamin Moore has done a great job in producing their Affinity Collection.
If you need help in selecting colors, please call our office and an interior color consultant can help you.
Another tip: don’t let your painter be your paint consultant. They know the methods of applying paint – but let an expert interior color consultant help you select the colors!
Monday, March 15, 2010
What is a Certified Interior Designer?
To the public we are decorators, in the industry we are designers, to the profession, we are "Certified Interior Designers" - what's the difference? A certified interior designer is to the design industry what a licensed architect is to their industry. A certified interior designer (CID) is someone who has the three "E's", Education, Experience and Examination.
To be certified, one has to have a minimum education of design courses, practical work experience and passed an examination of design problem solving, a knowledge of ethical business practices and have a good uncerstanding of building, fire, safety and ADA codes. Certified designers are required to take continuing education courses to maintain their certification. We are professionally responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of the general public. Due to the high standards of the profession, CID's charge between $100.00 and $200.00 per hour. Compensation for CID's vary and clients should discuss the terms in full before starting a project or making a decision to hire a designer.
Why should you hire a certified designer? When considering hiring a designer, for commercial or residential work, you are assuring yourself that your project will be excuted in a professional and ethical manner. Certified designers are, by California law, able to submit working drawings to a local building department for approval without the stamp of a licensed architect. Keep in mind, this can only be the case if the project does not involve the removal or replacement of load-bearing walls. In addition, every design project should commemce with a written contract or letter of agreement. This is for the protection of the consumer and the designer. This agreement should simply address the work to be done, and how the designer will be compensated.
Visit the California Council for Interior Design Certification website for more information.
To be certified, one has to have a minimum education of design courses, practical work experience and passed an examination of design problem solving, a knowledge of ethical business practices and have a good uncerstanding of building, fire, safety and ADA codes. Certified designers are required to take continuing education courses to maintain their certification. We are professionally responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of the general public. Due to the high standards of the profession, CID's charge between $100.00 and $200.00 per hour. Compensation for CID's vary and clients should discuss the terms in full before starting a project or making a decision to hire a designer.
Why should you hire a certified designer? When considering hiring a designer, for commercial or residential work, you are assuring yourself that your project will be excuted in a professional and ethical manner. Certified designers are, by California law, able to submit working drawings to a local building department for approval without the stamp of a licensed architect. Keep in mind, this can only be the case if the project does not involve the removal or replacement of load-bearing walls. In addition, every design project should commemce with a written contract or letter of agreement. This is for the protection of the consumer and the designer. This agreement should simply address the work to be done, and how the designer will be compensated.
Visit the California Council for Interior Design Certification website for more information.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Orange County Interior Designer Recommends Checking This Out!
Even in this recession, I find a lot of upgrading in homes and offices today, people want to love the environment where they live and work.
Being an Orange County interior designer for over 25 years, this is one of the best pieces of advice I can give my prospective and current clients. Before hiring any contracotr, go to the state of California's License Board's web site. Here is where you can check out the contractors you are considering hiring. You can check to see if they are licensed or not, or if their license is expired, and if there are any compliants filed against them.
This web site has over 60 licensing classifications. Go to http://www.cslb.ca.gov/ and click on the "Consumers" tab. In the upper left hand corner (this can change over time) look at the "Quicks Hits" areas and click on "Check a license on His Registration". This will take you to an area to input a license number. If you don't know a contractor's license number, look on the right hand side and there are links to check by their name or company name.
I also recommend you read the valuable information on how much money a consumer is required by law to put down as a deposit. There is also a lot of other good information provided on the site worth reading. You should also ask for insurance information from your contractor, as the information on this site may not be updated on a very frequent basis, but most likely it's your best resource.
If a contractor does not provide you with adequate insurance information or creditials, keep looking for another one. Today, with most ethical contractors trying to keep their businesses going, they should be happy to give you this information. Most people probably never think to ask, but just do it: you have the right and just getting a recommendation from someone, is not enough to ensure you will have a successful outcome on your project.
Please contact me if you have any questions or need any help in finding a good contractor. Good luck and do your homework!
Julie K. Paille
Certified Inteiror Designer # 2523
(949) 858-3611
julie@pailleinteriordesign.com
Being an Orange County interior designer for over 25 years, this is one of the best pieces of advice I can give my prospective and current clients. Before hiring any contracotr, go to the state of California's License Board's web site. Here is where you can check out the contractors you are considering hiring. You can check to see if they are licensed or not, or if their license is expired, and if there are any compliants filed against them.
This web site has over 60 licensing classifications. Go to http://www.cslb.ca.gov/ and click on the "Consumers" tab. In the upper left hand corner (this can change over time) look at the "Quicks Hits" areas and click on "Check a license on His Registration". This will take you to an area to input a license number. If you don't know a contractor's license number, look on the right hand side and there are links to check by their name or company name.
I also recommend you read the valuable information on how much money a consumer is required by law to put down as a deposit. There is also a lot of other good information provided on the site worth reading. You should also ask for insurance information from your contractor, as the information on this site may not be updated on a very frequent basis, but most likely it's your best resource.
If a contractor does not provide you with adequate insurance information or creditials, keep looking for another one. Today, with most ethical contractors trying to keep their businesses going, they should be happy to give you this information. Most people probably never think to ask, but just do it: you have the right and just getting a recommendation from someone, is not enough to ensure you will have a successful outcome on your project.
Please contact me if you have any questions or need any help in finding a good contractor. Good luck and do your homework!
Julie K. Paille
Certified Inteiror Designer # 2523
(949) 858-3611
julie@pailleinteriordesign.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
