by cloudadmin | May 17, 2011 | Uncategorized |
Anyone who has ever sold a house can probably attest to the fact that it is stressful. You have to figure out how to live your daily life while at the same time maintaining a certain level of “house readiness.” You have to be prepared when your agent calls and wants to show your house in the next five minutes. If you’re like most people, you immediately hang up from your agent and start cleaning like crazy! But is a clean house enough? If the decorating shows on TV are to be believed you must neutralize your decor before you can reel in just the right buyer. But how “neutral” is neutral enough? Are you destined to live with boring beige until your house sells? And who has time to redecorate for someone else anyway?
Years ago when I was house hunting there was one house in particular that stood out in my mind. It was an unassuming ranch house. When I drove up to the property the selling agent came outside to meet me. She wanted to “caution” me that the house was owned by a father and son and that they had done the decorating. She reminded me that I could always paint. I was intrigued! When I walked inside I saw a rather bland (aka neutral) house – with the exception of the living room which was painted bright aquamarine! Was that the reason I didn’t buy the house? No. But the color choice – and the agent’s reaction – made me wonder if the color alone would deter other buyers.
Today there are a wide range of colors and paint products that can help homeowners to neutralize their decor and still set themselves apart from other homes on the market. Before you repaint your entire interior white, get advice from your real estate agent, an interior decorator, or your painting contractor to choose the right color palette for your home. The goal is to set your home apart in a good way, not to have it blend in with all the other neutral homes on the market.
by cloudadmin | Apr 30, 2011 | Uncategorized |
I love home decorating shows as much as the next person. I love to see how the designers transform dysfunctional spaces into beautiful, functional, inviting spaces. But as much as I like to watch these shows, I think they are somewhat misleading. Many of the shows claim they can transform your entire house for less than $2,000. At the end of the show they add up their receipts to prove their point. But have you ever noticed that they don’t include the cost of labor? They have an entire crew of people working on a house for several days and they never charge for labor–it’s too good to be true! Literally.
In the real world homeowners either have to do the work themselves, or hire someone to do it for them. Assuming you have hired someone, you are going to have to pay for labor. How much you will pay depends on a number of issues, such as: 1) how much preparation is needed to ensure the surface is ready for painting, 2) what type of paint are you planning to use to achieve the desired effect, 2) will the painter be able to do the job with one coat of paint, or will additional coats be needed to do the job right, and 4) is lead paint an issue?
A professional painter will be able to advise you on the options so that you can make an informed decision. If you’re selling your house and you aren’t concerned with how long the paint job lasts, perhaps one coat is good enough. But if you’re transforming your home so that you can live in it and enjoy it for years to come, perhaps a longer lasting finish is your goal. Decorating your house “on the cheap” may seem like a great idea, but if you have to repaint it next year because the paint job didn’t hold up, perhaps it’s not such a bargain after all. As coach John Wooden said, “if you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over.”
by cloudadmin | Apr 19, 2011 | Uncategorized |
I don’t know about you, but I love weddings. I especially love to watch royal weddings. All that pomp and elegance and attention to even the smallest details is the stuff of which fairytales are made. As the wedding day of Prince William and Kate Middleton nears, the hype will increase and the excitement will build. I’ve already seen several sites where you can purchase “wedding souvenirs” to decorate your home. Most of us will probably bypass these purchases, but many of us will take this opportunity to add some “royal touches” and elegance to our homes – if only to refresh our spirits after a somewhat long winter.
This spring we’re excited that we have some great new products and techniques to add elegance to your home while staying within your budget. Thinking of gold and jewels? The Paint Quality Institute reports that 2011 color trends show an increase in using metallic colors (like gold) and high sheen paints to update and brighten your living space. We also like adding pops of color as bold accents to otherwise neutral spaces. (Think accent wall.) So if watching the royal wedding makes you want to add that touch of elegance to your home, we will help you implement your plan. After all, we all deserve a little elegance now and then!
by cloudadmin | Mar 25, 2011 | Uncategorized |
You have probably seen the television commercial where the father is dipping his young son’s feet into paint to make “permanent” socks because they can’t find socks that fit them. Silly, yes. But sometimes we expect things to be permanent when they can’t be.
Take the exterior of your house, for example. You spend a lot of time and money on choosing the right paint colors and you want the finish to last forever. Unfortunately, it won’t. But there are ways to extend its life to the fullest. According to the Paint Quality Institute “How long a paint job will actually last depends on a number of factors, including the nature and condition of the substrate, the type of coating applied and the severity of the weather the paint has to stand up to.”
A good painting contractor can extend the life of your exterior paint job by following a few smart rules: (more…)
by cloudadmin | Feb 28, 2011 | Uncategorized |
I love the snow, but let’s face it, this was one really difficult winter! Driving a car involved nerves of steel and a good defense, and even getting to the mailbox became a full body sport (think climbing over the snowdrift to reach the red flag). But spring is finally within our grasp. The days are getting longer, the sun seems just a little brighter, and thoughts of breaking out of the everyday routine are getting stronger. If you’re lucky enough to have planned a spring vacation, you’re lucky enough! But what if you could make your home more like that vacation spot you’ve been dreaming of?
Some people bring home souvenirs from vacations, and others bring home decorating ideas. Recently we visited with some friends who frequently travel, both for business and for pleasure. Their home is very comfortable and inviting. They’ve learned how to incorporate their furnishings with objects brought home from their many trips to create a personal space that is warm and welcoming. They have a rug from Turkey, sculptures from China, and a really interesting painting done by an elephant! (Really, they have the photo to prove it!) I love relaxing at the beach, so when it was time to decorate our guest bedroom I immediately knew I wanted to use a soft hint of blue for the walls to suggest the feeling of a summer sky and ocean waves. We carried this color through to the adjoining bathroom, and after adding some sea-themed accents, our guest suite feels like a vacation by the sea.
When it’s time for your next vacation, pay special attention to the sights and sounds and aromas around you. Then imagine bringing some of these items back home with you. You may be surprised at how quickly you can develop a decorating plan. And wouldn’t it be nice to have your home feel as stress-free as your vacation spot?
by cloudadmin | Feb 22, 2011 | Uncategorized |
You may have seen the image of our colorful Cloudland Paintworks truck on our website. Hopefully you’ve also seen it in person when we’ve come to your home to assist with your residential painting needs. This winter we’ve been out and about helping many of you to clean the snow and ice off your roofs. But we’ve also been busy behind the scenes, getting ready for our full spring schedule: (more…)
by cloudadmin | Feb 12, 2011 | Uncategorized |
Have you ever stayed in a hotel or bed-and-breakfast that was so charming you wanted to recreate that same feeling in your own home? Before we had children we frequently stayed in charming places in Vermont or the Berkshires, and even though they were all different, there were certain qualities they all shared. (more…)
by cloudadmin | Feb 3, 2011 | Uncategorized |
Choosing colors for your home can be fun, and also challenging. There are so many options! Does the color name ever sway your choice? I know it has for me! The trim color in our living room, for example, is Shaker beige–chosen partly for our love of things that are clean and simple, but also for our interest in the Shaker communities we have visited over the past 10 years. Shaker beige just seemed like the natural choice.
I also love purple. I love all its shades and variations, from light periwinkle right up to a dark, rich plum, and all the shades in between. If there is a purple paint called “Wisteria” (more…)
by cloudadmin | Jan 27, 2011 | Uncategorized |
It’s winter in Connecticut and we’re digging out from another snowstorm. Our cars have literally become one with the snowdrifts. But for all the aggravation and the backaches the snow can bring, it also brings out our inner strength. We are New Englanders after all. The snow may slow us down, but it can’t completely stop us. We dig out. We carry on.
The other night as I was shoveling the driveway, I stopped to take in the beauty that surrounded me. I could see the stars in the sky, the moon was casting a silvery glow on the snow, and the pine trees were frosted with a dusting of white. As the moonbeams caught the icicles on the barn, they too shimmered in the evening light. All around me it was still and quiet and for that moment I felt transformed. It was just me and the moon and the stars in a winter wonderland.
We are New Englanders, and we are as much a part of this landscape as the Colonials, capes, and farmhouses that surround us. We are sturdy, we take care of each other, and we keep going. That’s why we grab our shovel and wade through 18-inches of snow to get to the birdseed. It’s winter in Connecticut.
by cloudadmin | Jan 24, 2011 | Uncategorized |
I was driving home from work one afternoon looking at the beautiful winter wonderland that surrounded me and out of nowhere suddenly thought, “I need to go home and change the artwork in my living room to a winter scene.” The thought surprised me, because I have never in my life changed my artwork for the seasons. Once I choose how I will furnish and decorate a room, it pretty much stays that way. So, where did this thought come from? And why did I just as suddenly decide to move the curtains from my husband’s office to the family room? I have no idea, but it made me wonder if other people change their artwork for the seasons. And, if so, do they change any other accent pieces at the same time? What do you do?
