Archives – April, 2010
By Mark Cullen
SPRING IS FINALLY HERE!
NOW IT’S TIME TO PREPARE YOUR GARDEN
FOR THE SPRING AND SUMMER MONTHS.
Home and Décor caught up with expert gardener Mark Cullen to talk about what it takes to make a beautiful spring garden. Mark shares some helpful tips as well as some essential gadgets that will help take the work out of gardening, after all, you’re supposed to enjoy it! Get the scoop on the top trends and how to achieve them.
HELPFUL TIPS FOR YOUR GARDEN
• Mulch is the low-maintenance gardener’s secret weapon.
• Conserving water is easy, when you use a rain barrel.
• Conserving water is even easier when you plant low-maintenance flowers and shrubs.
• Hummingbirds and butterflies love nectar-rich flowers (like trumpet vine, verbenna, veronica, liatris, and hosta flowers) – plant lots of them.
• A thick green lawn can be
had without chemicals – the secret is to:
- mow your lawn 2 1/2 in. high;
- use a mulching mower; and
- over-seed with fresh quality grass seed early in spring to squeeze weeds out of existence.
• Many veggies can be sown from seed early in spring, before the first frost-free date – carrots, lettuce, peas, onions and garlic, to name a few.
• Many flowers can be sown from seed rather than transplanting at much greater cost: cosmos, marigolds, zinnias and snapdragons, to name a few.
• Tropical plants that summer outdoors perform better than indoors.
• A “bleeding” hose is a great way to get water to the roots of plants.
• Ninety per cent of the success that you achieve in your garden is the result of proper soil preparation.
MARK CULLEN’S TOP 10 TRENDS
1 | WATER CONSERVATION
Using mulch, water barrels, seeping/weeping hoses etc. will play a key role in keeping your lawn watered while still conserving water.
2 | NATIVE PLANTS
The use of native plants in the landscape will reduce the use of water, reduce maintenance (fewer bugs and diseases), and enhance local insect/bird life, increasing natural biodiversity cycles.
3 | GARDENING IN THE ABSENCE OF CHEMICALS
With some provinces and many municipalities severely limiting the use of chemicals for residential gardens, what are the alternatives? There are many off-the-shelf low- or non-toxic solutions, as well as many gardening techniques and home-grown remedies that are safe for use around children and pets.
4 | GARDENING IN CONTAINERS
Canadians are pushing the envelope by mixing annuals and perennials together in containers, often adding vegetables
5 | SMALL-SPACE GARDENING
Increased demand for condominiums in urban spaces and new homes that are built on smaller lots has caused a rise in the demand for creative small-space garden design and yard plans which serve multiple uses.
6 | DWARF/SLOW-GROWING PLANTS
Evergreens, shrubs and trees are a great way to add greenery and shade to your outdoor space.
7 | COLOUR
The demand for annuals and perennials that produce a reliable abundance of colour for the longest possible length of time is on a steep incline.
8 | GARDEN TOOLS THAT WORK
Ergonomics and the environment factor into the search for tools that make gardening chores easy and resourceful. Check out the new Spear and Jackson stainless steel digging tools.
9 | ECONOMICAL APPROACH
Grow your own annuals and vegetables from seeds.
10 | INVEST IN YOUR OWN OUTDOOR RETREAT
Spend hard-earned cash to improve your yard and garden rather than booking costly travel vacations or purchasing a vacation property.
ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR THE GARDEN
Hoe: if you don’t control your weeds, you don’t have a garden.
Sharp spade: using a dull spade creates more work, and a shovel is only good for digging holes. A spade is a great lawn edger, perennial divider and driveway scraper, besides digging some mighty fine holes.
Fan rake: it moves leaves better than a leaf blower and costs less too.
Garden rake: it is great for marking rows in the veggie garden and smoothing out lumpy soil.
Bastard file: use it to sharpen your spade. I do every time I dig.
As a best-selling author, and host of Gardening Tips with Mark on CTV’s Canada AM every Friday at 8:45 a.m., Mark Cullen shares his knowledge and passion for gardening with Canadians from coast to coast. His latest book, The Canadian Garden Primer, An Organic Approach, is full of helpful information.
www.markcullen.com
April 15, 2010
Expert organizing advice
By Kim Carlton
Remember when you could actually park your car in your garage? Now it’s full of boxes, bikes, sporting equipment, lawnmowers, snow blowers, skis, strollers and all manner of items you are not sure what to do with.
The garage can serve as a convenient “dumping ground” for items we don’t know where to place elsewhere. Organizing it can be overwhelming, but is necessary if the mess gets out of control, or if you actually have to park in your garage. You can approach it yourself, or get the help of experts to get your garage organized quicker than you think!
SAFE AND SOUND Sometimes safety is an issue especially for parents with kids. “A lot of chemicals and pesticides are kept in the garage. They are poisonous. Lock them up or get them away from the kids. It’s important – if it’s accessible, they’ll find it,” says Adam Shearer, president of California Closets. The same is true for garden tools and other sharp objects.
Companies such as Garage Living, Perfect Closets and California Closets offer customized solutions for messy garages. These companies will come into your garage, assess the situation and offer a quote on a customized solution. These can vary from $1,000 for a simple storage solution all the way up to $25,000.
Perfect Closets, for example, creates a 3D model of the garage, then comes in to install its Ultimate Garage Product Line. They use aluminum track systems and create hooks, baskets and cabinets for everything from fishing rods, to hobby tools. “Your garage can become your hobby room at the same time,” says Ned Stanojevic, co-owner.
EVERYTHING IN IT’S PLACE Having a system in place is key to getting a garage organized and keeping it that way. Aaron Cash, general manager of Garage Living suggests a bi-annual cleanout of the garage. This only takes minimal time once your garage is initially organized, and can save you time each day.
“Your shovel, bag of salt – you can bring that to the section that is most used [in the winter],” says Cash. Other seasonally used items such as snow tires can also be stored away for the rest of the year. In the summer, you can move these to the back of the garage and bring out summer-specific items, such as the lawnmower.
City garages can be messier than in the suburbs, says Shearer, because of smaller lots. Suburban garages “have more of a canvas to work with,” says Shearer.
However, a lot of people underestimate the storage available in their garage. There are many possibilities with overhead spaces and wall organizers. “Getting things off the floor and up on to the wall is key,”
says Shearer.
TIPS TO TAME THE CLUTTER
• Create a little space for each of your kids, suggests Shearer, whether it is a basket or hook where they can put their baseball mitt, skates, etc.
• If there are items you are sentimental about, but know you need to part with, why not take pictures of them and put them in a mini-album with notes of your memories.
• Keep things that are used together in one place.
• If you have a backyard area, consider building a shed where you can keep tools, as well as seasonally-used equipment.
• Use storage containers within open shelving units to make loose items seem more
under control.
• Use uniform-looking storage containers for a cleaner look.
• Remember that items are just possessions, they do not have feelings! If it doesn’t fit within your life in the near future, don’t be afraid to let it go.
April 15, 2010
By Lucie Grys
Born and raised in Fortune, Newfoundland – a fishing town with a population of 2,000 – Price learned the tips and tricks of decorating from his late mother, Greta. The youngest of six children, his flair for design has brought him rock-star status at home. When he turned 18, Ambrose packed his bags and moved to St. John’s where he studied mathematics at Memorial University. It wasn’t his skills at number crunching but his knack for decorating, event planning and entertaining that he put to good use, and he was able to pay for his education by working as a local designer and decorator.
Fast-forward a few years to HGTV’s Designer Superstar Challenge – a design reality show featuring 10 hopeful contestants in their quest to becoming the design equivalent of Canada’s Next Top Model. Ambrose Price impressed the judges, producers and television executives with his quick wit and clever design ideas. He says that being a finalist on Designer Superstar Challenge “taught me and challenged my design ability and way of thinking. In the end, I realized I did have the talent that I have always been questioning.”
His new HGTV show has already created a real buzz. If Rick Mercer had a decorating show, this would be it.
For first-time homeowners, Ambrose sets out a few of his own tried and true tips:
FURNITURE Ambrose Price knew he wanted a blue sofa for his new 600-sq.-ft condo. “I searched the city high and low for a blue sofa,” he says. Finally finding one at a great price, he advises people to “think about what it is that you really want and go out and find it.” Walking into an empty space can be really overwhelming when you first move in, but he advises against rushing out and buying everything all at once. “Take your time and use the economy as your excuse for not having an instant model suite,” he laughs. “I don’t think anyone expects you to have the perfectly designed place as soon as you move in anymore,” Price encourages.
COLOUR When it comes to paint colour, Ambrose says, “a large percentage of first-timers are probably going to be in their place anywhere from three to five years. The reality is that they will probably sell, so I would suggest not to go too bold with colour and stay as neutral as possible.” Even though you might not want to think of the resale value of your first place as soon as you move into it, you also won’t want to
go through the hassle of repainting
or restaging it, so sticking to softer colours makes sense.
KITCHENS If you’ve just plunked down a tonne of cash on your first home, chances are there isn’t a lot left over in the budget for the kitchen makeover of your dreams. Instead of tearing out the old cupboards, Price suggests adding moulding and new knobs to freshen them up. He also suggests replacing an old countertop while keeping the footprint of your kitchen intact, so you don’t have to pay big bucks to change plumbing or gas lines.
STORAGE As Ambrose knows all too well, storage is a big concern – especially if you have just moved into a postage stamp-sized condo without a storage locker. “Because all of my clothes take up my closet space, one of my favourite furniture pieces is an ottoman with storage. The top has a soft side that I can flip over to a hard surface that makes it a great coffee table,” he says. Ambrose also has a dining table that can extend from three sq. ft. to three ft. by six ft. – making it a great option when he entertains friends and family.
Watch Ambrose Price on HGTV Canada. Visit the HGTV Canada website at www.hgtv.ca for show times and dates.
April 15, 2010
By Jane Lockhart
Photos by Brandon Barré (courtesy of W Network’s Colour Confidential)
For Ryan, a television and movie hairstylist, his bedroom had become uninviting and dull. His long hours on set left him with little creativity and even less energy to breathe new life into the bedroom and create an inspiring comfortable space to come home to. Even though he knew that it would only take a fresh coat of paint, a bit of updating in the style department and some simple personal touches he knew he needed help to pull it all together. With the help of Jane Lockhart of W Network’s Colour Confidential Ryan’s dreams of coming home to a calm, serene space at the end of a long day’s work has finally come true. Defined by his clean contemporary furnishings the space has been transformed into a welcoming modern room that reflects Ryan’s personal style and practical needs.
Jane’s designer tip: Freshen things up in your bedroom this spring. Determine how you want your space to feel overall. For a relaxing retreat, use soft colours and add accents in contrasting colours for a modern flavour with soothing vibe. Adding functional and personal elements, pictures, flowers and even aspirational phrases can transform a room into a nourishing environment for your body and soul!
“To fully achieve Ryan’s vision it was necessary to start with the simple things that won’t cost a penny but will make the biggest impact to both the esthetics and the functionality of a room,” says Jane. Moving the bed to the other side of the room, opposite the entrance gave it prominence as the focal point and created a sense of balance in the space. In addition, the previous layout felt cramped with the bed shoved down to one end of the room and tight around the headboard. Simply placing the bed on the opposite wall, trading places with the dresser, opened up the space overall and created harmony with all the items in the room.
To set the peaceful and relaxed tone of the room, Ryan was inspired by a light aqua colour that reminded him of ocean waves. A colour scheme of soft blues, pale greens and light greys were chosen to instantly freshen up a room and help make it feel more open and airy. “To further define the look of a master bedroom, consider the colour and material of the floor coverings,” says Jane. Ryan’s pale plush carpet added little to the space with its outdated look. A new hardwood floor in a warm nutmeg stain grounds the space and complements the pale green-blue walls for a clean classic look. Under the bed an area rug warms up the space and feels good underfoot. The contrast of dark floors and light coloured walls takes the room from bland and washed out to bright and cheery.
The clean linear lines of the dresser are reflected in the artsy mirror above – the unique design of the mirror acts as an ever changing work of art reflecting multiple images from every vantage point
Designer, spokesperson, author and television personality, Jane Lockhart is an expert in the world of colour and design. As host of W Network’s Colour Confidential, Jane brings a breathtaking sense of colour into viewers’ homes each week. With more than 15 years of experience as a designer, her firm, Jane Lockhart Design Communications Inc. (janelockhart.com), specializes in projects ranging from residential to corporate brand building.
April 15, 2010
By Laura Malloy
Kitchens – the heart of the home – a place where food is prepared and eaten, but also where family and friends share life’s triumphs and troubles. Many people dream of a luxurious kitchen makeover, or creating something new altogether. The following books are must-haves for the do-it-yourselfers and remodelling king and queens.
KITCHENS- A DESIGN SOURCE BOOK
By Vinny Lee
Published by Ryland Peters & Small, 2005 – $25.95
Kitchens is a design source book for anyone planning or dreaming of a kitchen makeover. Gracing these pages are lush photographs of kitchens of every style from traditional, classic and updated country, to modern streamlined and uncluttered. Along with the photos is a myriad of information about lighting, surfaces, appliances, accessories, cabinets, and furniture to create the ultimate kitchen.
TIP If you plan to use your kitchen in different ways, it is best to think of the room divided in sections. Assign an area for cooking and food preparation, another for eating, and a third for sitting and relaxing. Ideally there should be a logical order to the layout so when the food is ready to be eaten, it can be quickly and easily transferred to the table in the eating area. The seating area should be farthest away from the food preparation section, so that when the kitchen work is done, it can be cleared and the lights turned off.
DESIGN IDEAS FOR KITCHENS
By Susan Boyle Hillstrom
Published by Creative Homeowner, 2009 – $24.95
Design Ideas for Kitchens is filled with beautiful images and creative designs to inspire the ultimate kitchen makeover. With countless photos of designer kitchens, this book not only explores many different styles and tastes, but also gives unbiased explanations about numerous products. The kitchen has become the modern-day living room, and with that come important design layouts. Natural light is a key feature to a relaxed and airy kitchen. Design Ideas for Kitchens offers clever ideas to help you bring more light into the kitchen.
TIP Want to heighten visual drama in your kitchen?
Accent lighting: Call attention to an interesting element or focal point in your kitchen, such as a good-looking range hood, a tile mural above the cooktop, or an exposed brick wall.
Trimwork: Ornate detailing works well in traditional rooms; simpler trim is more suitable for casual or contemporary settings.
Pot racks: Hanging in profusion over an island, copper cookware makes a gleaming design statement.
KITCHENS & BATHS FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW
Published by Creative Publishing international, Inc., 2008 – $27.99
Kitchens & Baths is directed at do-it-yourselfers of every level to inspire, inform, and ultimately help readers create their dream kitchens. Tour through more than a hundred kitchens with inspiring ideas and beautiful photos to help you figure out your likes and dislikes. Helpful features include DesignWise (insider tricks from professional kitchen planners), DollarWise (money-saving ideas), IdeaWise (clever do-it-yourself projects) and Words to the Wise (a glossary of helpful terms).
TIP Each type of flooring has unique characteristics and installation techniques. Appearance is important, but so is durability, ease-of-care, installation requirements and environmental impact.
• Hardwood floors look and feel warm, are durable and easy to clean.
• Bamboo flooring is durable, attractive and environmentally sound.
• Cork is comfortable to walk on, easy to clean and environmentally friendly.
• Vinyl is inexpensive, easy to clean, durable and available in a wide variety of colours.
LYN PETERSON’S REAL LIFE KITCHENS
By Lyn Peterson
Published by Random House, 2007 – $50.00
Lyn Peterson’s Real Life Kitchens is a refreshing look at kitchen renovations and makeovers. This beautiful book highlights incredible kitchens that are functional, fashionable and fun – after all, people spend a lot of time in the kitchen, whether eating or just chatting. On average, kitchens are about 25 per cent larger than they were just a decade ago, allowing more activities to take place within them. Whether you want a space that opens onto the dining room, or a sectioned-off area, this book will help you plan and choose designs that will suit your space and needs.
TIP No kitchen is complete without the owner’s stamp of style. To establish that vision, first imagine the kind of environment you want to cook and eat in. Are you drawn to the idea of a cozy and comfortable kitchen with soft lighting, or an airy, bright space that’s primarily designed for serious cooking? Do you like to see dishes and glassware on display, or do you want yours concealed behind closed cabinet doors?
April 15, 2010
By Glen Peloso
The inspiration for this column comes from some mayhem at the start of a babysitting trip with the niece and nephews. On the way out in the morning – just as I was getting everyone bundled up in mitts, hats and snow pants, handing out lunches and turning on the house alarm – someone declared, “I have to go to the bathroom.” Off came the boots and the snow pants so that the child could go up to the second-floor bathroom.
The experience drove home the value of a key element that’s critical to life with kids, yet missing in so many Toronto homes. Why doesn’t every house have a main-floor powder room?
The original architecture of many older city homes doesn’t accommodate such a room. But when working with clients, I try to convince them to carve out a “wee” space. I’m still surprised at how little space such a room actually requires.
I’ve tucked them under staircases, or borrowed a few feet from the foyer, or carved a slice off the kitchen to make way for a powder room in various homes.
The room can be as small as three by five ft. – depending on the swing of the door. Pocket doors can be a great help if door swing is a problem.
If you’re considering going this route, the first thing you need to do is identify the location of the “stack” – the central drain that flows from the house to the city’s drainage system. In most homes, you’ll notice that all the “watered” areas are lined up. The kitchen sink is almost always located underneath the bathroom on the second floor and above the bathroom in the basement. Their location gives you a general idea of where the stack is. Ideally, you’ll want to keep the powder room close to the stack, or at least on the same side of the house.
The next step is to figure out where to borrow a bit of space from one of the existing rooms. Once you do that, hire a plumber to make sure the chosen spot isn’t going to be too difficult to use. If it means pulling up the floor or causing major damage to put in the plumbing, it might be best to rethink placement.
Using the roughest of ballpark figures, the job will cost $5,000 to $10,000 start to finish.
If you go ahead, the job of finishing is rather straightforward.
Manufacturers are aware that every inch matters in powder rooms and have produced sinks and taps designed to fit very close to the wall or in a tight corner, leaving space to manoeuvre.
“I’m still surprised at how little space such a room actually requires…
I’ve tucked them under staircases, or borrowed a few feet from the
foyer, or carved a slice off the kitchen to make way for a powder
room in various homes”
You can get away with just one light in the powder room. It’s nice to put that light on a dimmer, simply because a harsh light will blind guests coming from a cozy and warmly lit dining room.
For flooring, anything goes, but the best choices are those that are easily wiped up. Ideally, choose either white or bone-coloured fixtures, which aren’t as likely to date. Same thing goes for taps – chrome is a classic choice that lasts forever, just like diamonds.
Clients are often surprised when I suggest they use a dark colour in this room, or complex wallpapers to cover walls and ceilings alike. Common sense would dictate that this would make the space seem smaller. But, in fact, the opposite is true. A unified colour visually removes the corners of a space. When you use several colours, it’s easy to define the edges of the ceilings and walls. Think of being in the dark – everything seems to go on forever without definition. The idea here is similar.
All that’s left is the toilet-paper roll, which can go on the wall or on a floor stand in an unused corner; a hand towel, placed on a small ring or towel bar; and a little soap.
Now, another thing about being an uncle: when you ask children if they washed their hands, check to make sure. Sometimes they haven’t.
Glen Peloso has been an endless student of the creative process. In more than 10 years in the design business, Glen’s name is known internationally, appearing on more than 300 contracts in both commercial and residential design. His success lead to the start of his own firm, Glen Peloso Interiors. www.glenpelosointeriors.com
April 15, 2010
By Sharon Hay
Clutter slows down positive chi flow in your environment.
As chi gets stale, so do different areas of your life
Feng Shui is used in all cultures and all walks of life. You couldn’t be more wrong if, like a large portion of the population, you believe that the primary users of Feng Shui are of Asian descent. If you are ready to welcome Feng Shui into your world, you will be in some very good, and exclusive company. Imagine, you will share the wonders of Feng Shui with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Sir Richard Branson, Donald Trump, Telus, MacDonald’s, Canon, The Body Shop, plus many casinos and hotels.
For those who are not familiar with Feng Shui, it is a science that has been practiced around the world for thousands of years. Originally, the principles were the closely guarded secret of the elite, but it has become more and more popular in North America over the last 20 years.
Everything is alive with chi. Feng Shui practitioners have been taught to manipulate chi and use it to create positive environments for harmonious living. Maximizing this positive energy is an important part of Feng Shui.
Donald Trump understands the importance a Feng Shui practitioner plays as an integral member of his architectural teams. The union of Feng Shui and architectural design makes for a happy and healthy home. When you build or move into your first home it is important you have a Feng Shui practitioner provide guidance for the best way to arrange your living quarters to ensure an easy transition. A good Feng Shui practitioner will work with your décor tastes and the environmental needs of you and your family so you feel at home very quickly.
Nightstands and lamps of even height represent
equality in the relationship
Feng Shui works with the energies of the earth, humans and astrology. Take for example the effect of the magnetic pull from the planets and how it affects us and the earth. A good Feng Shui practitioner will advise you of the best time of year, day and place to break ground.
When moving into her new office, Oprah Winfrey contacted her Feng Shui practitioner for advice on the best way to set up her main desk and other furnishings. The number one tip? Do not sit with your back to the door. When you have a good peripheral view of the door of your office, you are sitting in the command position. Having your back to the door is like having your back to your business, and you might experience feelings of others “gossiping behind your back.”
Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Records fame, used Feng Shui principles when decorating his famous “Necker Island” retreat in the Caribbean. Walking toward the main house, you instantly feel relaxed and awash with peaceful calm. The buildings are very open and airy which allows the chi to meander in and through the space with ease. The building materials were picked with care to ensure using as many natural elements in the design as possible. We get positive feelings when we surround ourselves with nature and things made from nature.
Madonna has also drawn on the principles of Feng Shui in the design of her living space. Very rarely will you see clutter in Madonna’s home. Walking areas are kept clear and things that are no longer useful are continuously removed.
When you have a good peripheral view of the door of your office,
you are sitting in the command position
Some common areas where clutter tends to build are in clothes closets, junk drawers, garages, kitchen cupboards and bookcases. When clearing clutter, focus on small areas at a time, and designate a minimum of four hours to work on one area. You may find it helpful to enlist the aide and support of a friend as you sort through your things. This makes the task fun.
Another area where Feng Shi helps is in the bedroom. Newlyweds should set up their bedrooms to keep the passion alive! Nightstands and lamps of even height represent equality in the relationship. Don’t forget to keep clutter out from under the bed so good chi flows around the bed for a restful sleep. Too many mirrors in the bedroom may also cause constant waking during the night. If you can see yourself while lying down in bed, remove the mirror or cover it up with a beautiful scarf or other fabric to quieten down the energy the mirror reflects. Close the ensuite bathroom door before going to bed to keep the negative energy of the toilet away from your sleeping space. Want to spice things up? Place an animal print pillow or throw on the bed – introducing these elements will increase the passionate energy.
For additional information please visit the website at www.canadianfengshui.ca.
April 14, 2010
by Glen Peloso —
I can’t walk by an open house. The “For Sale” sign beckons like a carnival barker, calling out to me: “Step right up, ladies and gentlemen!”
Unfortunately, when I get inside the house, all too often it reminds me of a circus.
In my professional career, I’ve occasionally taken on the role of “fluffer” – a cute word I hate having applied to me. No one wants to be known as a “fluffer” by trade.
When I’ve been called in to fluff, it is generally by real estate agents who want me to prepare a house to go on the market. The deadlines are usually very strict, so I have no time to build rapport and get to know my clients. I have to be blunt and tell it like it is.
People’s noses do get out of joint. They think I’m judging their lifestyle. I’m not. I’m window dressing, quite literally, trying to attract customers to help them imagine their life in your house.
Nor should anyone believe that a fluffed house in any way relates to real life. No sane person would ever want to live in a storefront window, or a house devoid of any human trace. Once a home is fluffed and on the market, homeowners have to make the psychological break and stop thinking of the house as theirs. It belongs to someone else.
If you’re looking to sell, you can follow the rules of fluffing.
“Think of a fluffer as the manager of a store. If you want to get top dollar for your wares, think Holt Renfrew, not bargain bin”
• First things first: clean, clean, clean! For some reason, people overlook windows – a big mistake. Make sure you clean all of the windows in the house or hire someone to do it. Clean, shiny windows give the whole house an air of freshness. It’s well worth the investment.
• Clean the carpets if they are covered in spots. If the house needs painting, do so. Again, it makes the house seem that much cleaner and cared for. I tell clients that paint is worth $20 in the can and $200 dollars on the wall.
• After everything is sparkly clean, the next chore is to tackle the clutter. Get rid of it. It makes people feel uncomfortable, and an excessive amount of it can make rooms feel small and closed in.
• Start at the front door and work your way through the house. Make sure the entrance is as nice as it possibly can be. Get a welcome mat, paint the exterior of the door if it needs it (it often does) and get rid of the shoes, boots and coats that clutter up the front entrance.
• Put away all of the family pictures. Buyers don’t want to feel like they’re in your old house. Get rid of the piles of books and seriously cull the knickknacks. Simple, clean surfaces are the best way to go.
• If the furniture is really worn, store it and rent something that looks good. People shouldn’t judge a house by the decorating tastes of the owners, but believe me, they do.
• Light a fire in the fireplace to set the mood and draw attention to it when buyers are coming through. Replace any burned-out bulbs in light fixtures.
• In the kitchen, clean off the counters. Potential buyers don’t want to see your stack of mail and flyers, papers and pens. Same thing goes for all your utensils and appliances. Reduced to two items – the toaster and coffee maker, perhaps.
• Moving on to the dining room, put flowers on the table with a couple of simple candleholders. Again, clear out the clutter. Sometimes it’s nice to set the table for a dinner party, but don’t set eight places at a table that comfortably seats four.
• In the bedrooms, make the beds (a no-brainer, one would think, but you’d be surprised). If you need new linens or bed covers, get them. Clothes should be in the closet and drawers. And for goodness sake, if your animals have their own beds, make sure these go in the basement, along with the litter or food bowls. The animals should not be in the house during the showing.
The bathroom is a crucial area. Put everything away – no lipstick, no toothpaste, no brushes. A fresh glass for water, some fresh soap and towels is all you need. Room freshener is also a good idea, just don’t use it too heavily or too close to showing time.
Think of a fluffer as the manager of a store. If you want to get top dollar for your wares, think Holt Renfrew, not bargain bin.
Glen Peloso has been an endless student of the creative process. With more than 10 years in the design business, Glen’s name is known internationally, appearing on over 300 contracts in both commercial and residential design. His success lead to the start of his own firm, Glen Peloso Interiors. www.glenpelosointeriors.com
April 14, 2010
By David Susilo & Glen Peloso
So, you’ve bought your home theatre essentials – that shiny new plasma television with its matching Blu-ray player, those towering speakers, and that heavyweight champion of a receiver… but what next?
First we have to talk about wiring. There is no need to buy über-expensive HDMI and speaker wires. For most applications, cheap (but not cheaply built) HDMI cables and thick speaker wires (12 AWG or larger) are adequate.
Now what? It’s time to set up your home theatre.
First, install your TV at eye level when you’re sitting down. Failure to do so will be a real pain in the neck – literally. Make sure you don’t sit too far from the television – no further away than double the screen width. Why pay an exorbitant amount for that enormous TV when you’re going to view it from a couple hundred yards away? Then go to your TV menu, set the video preset to “movie” and be done with it. Ideally, you want the TV to be ISF-calibrated by a certified ISF technician (your Uncle Bob will not do, unless he is ISF certified, of course) to a standard adhered to by studios around the world. This is done not only to better your viewing experience, but also to prolong the life of your TV since other modes, especially “dynamic” tend to shorten the life of your TV and burn your retinas.
Second, install your speakers. Remember, it’s called “surround sound.” That means the sound surrounds you, therefore the speakers should be placed around you in an equidistant manner with you sitting right smack-dab in the middle. If this is not possible (most setups will force you to sit closer to the rear speakers) then you’ll need to set up your receiver further. In this day and age, most receivers will have their own automatic calibration systems. So instead of giving you a formula on how to set your home theatre and throw you a barrage of technical mumbo-jumbo, just get the supplied mic that comes with your receiver, set it at the spot where you usually sit, prop it with a bunch of pillows so it’s at your ear level pointing up, then press the button. That’s it. You’re now ready to enjoy your glitzy new home theatre. Of course, you can make your home theatre look spiffy with various home-theatre accessories and a really nice sofa, but I can’t advise you there. For that you have to go to my buddy Glen (Glen Peloso Interiors) for advice. Read on!
In the style of any good television show, I start by thanking David for that introduction and the camera cuts to me (Glen) on location. However this is print, and the location is wherever you’re reading this, so use your imagination!
From a décor perspective, you would ideally like to free the room of wires criss-crossing every visible area, so it’s a good idea to plan this carefully and bury the wires in the walls. We are all too often in love with the idea of the television and size, but haven’t really thought about how it will fit in the room. Once you have it there, it becomes the esthetic focus of the space. If that room also has a fireplace, I recommend that you hang the television above the fireplace so the room doesn’t have two focuses. The fireplace will win that battle every time, as it is generally brick or stone, and built in.
Presuming you don’t have a fireplace, you have to decide how the television will arrive at the desired height. You can either wall-mount the TV and have the components below it, or you can build a shelving unit specifically for the TV and sit it on a shelf. The advantage is that TVs are now relatively narrow so you won’t need to take up 24 in. of floor space for your built-in unit. The base of the built-in should be approximately 15 in. deep to house the components, and some thought must be given to how you will activate those units via remote control. If the doors are solid then an “eye” can be installed in the face of the door, or the doors can be made of mesh to allow for remote-control signals to reach your TV. Conversely you can leave the components fully exposed, as they generally look pretty fantastic these days.
I think it is also a good idea to arrange for some storage around the television. Your collection of CDs and DVDs can quickly turn into a mess if they don’t have a proper home. The addition of children and the accompanying Xbox and Wii will make you wish that you added storage. There’s no guarantee they will use it, but at least it will be there!
Make sure the room has comfortable seating with some support. Generally, you’re going to sit for a long stretch of time while you watch your favourite shows and movies. Also consider the fabric that you use on this seating. Experience tells me that there is going to be some eating accompanying the watching. I would avoid sofas with too many cushions, as it is difficult to get great back support. Theatre seating isn’t essential if it’s out of the budget, but be sure to find seating that suits the ratio of tail bone to knees so you can sit up comfortably for a prolonged period of time.
The final thing to consider in this room is the light source. Ideally you want the room to have controlled lighting. That means that you want to be able to block out the day or street lights completely and control the lighting yourself. Often “home theatres” are in the basement because that room has the least amount of window glazing, but wherever you place the television, remember that you are going to want black-out panels on the windows. The ideal situation is pot lighting or indirect lighting to avoid glare on the screen, but still allow for some other light source in the room regardless of how dim.
Once the television is set up and the room is together, there is nothing left except time for the family, friends and loved ones to get together in the room and enjoy! Now back to you – in the control room!
Glen Peloso has been an endless student of the creative process. In more than 10 years in the design business, Glen’s name is known internationally, appearing on more than 300 contracts in both commercial and residential design. His success lead to the start of his own firm, Glen Peloso Interiors. www.glenpelosointeriors.com
David Susilo is an audio/video specialist and photographer. For more info, visit www.davidsusilo.com
April 14, 2010
When it comes to art, should I be looking for pieces that have the same colours as the furniture in my room, or should I try to match the wall colour?
It’s a great question and it gets asked often. I can tell you that any artist would weep to know that people think their life’s passion and self-expression would have to “go” with either the sofa or the wall colour. You have to choose art because you like it or respond to it. It doesn’t have to go with anything, but should be in sync with your emotional life. Once you put a frame on a piece of art, you treat it as a separate thing that adorns the walls and relates in terms of size and location to the furnishings. Images should be hung so that the top-third portion of the image is at the eye level of the average-height person. In short, art need not match anything but the colours and shapes in your soul!
Is it better to use real flowers in the house, even though they die and have to be changed, or should I buy fake flowers so they always remain the same in the overall look.
I understand the need for artificial floral arrangements – especially if you are away for long periods of time as many snowbirds are. If you are going to have artificial ones, then I recommend that you don’t try to save money on that purchase. This is where it pays to splurge. If you don’t have the issue of being away, then I recommend real flowers. The beauty of being able to change the type of florals is that you never really tire of them. They have a built-in boredom quotient and you get to watch the cycle of life every time. If you can have real flowers, take advantage in the perfection of nature and get them!
I have a wall of bookshelves and don’t really have a full library. How do I accessorize those shelves without going out to buy a whole bunch of books?
You certainly don’t have to fill your shelves with books. In fact, doing that removes some of the visual interest of shelving because you essentially create a wall of book spines. A nicer thing to do is allow the spaces in the shelves to be filled with stand-up photos of people or places that are of interest to you. You can also place a clock in the open areas as well as vases or statuary, if you happen to like that sort of thing. Finally, you can use decorative book ends and leave the space that is left over empty. The wall will have a three-dimensional quality, giving the shelving unit depth of light and shadow as well as the display that is created by the collage of book spines. Change it up every now and then. You will have interactive art!
Are cushions and throws important to finishing a room and if so, how do I go about choosing them?
In a word – yes! They are important in that they pull all the fabrics of the drapes, Roman blinds and adjacent rooms together into a cohesive look. In groups of two or four, depending on how much seating you have, make throw cushions in the same fabric as the Roman blinds, if you have them and the drapery fabric. If you happen to have an adjacent room that is open to the sitting room you are working on, then use the wall colour as well as the fabrics from that room in the other. It also personalizes the space, as generally your seating is upholstered in standard fabrics that most people have access to. The cushions or the throws give the space a personal and individual feel, making your sofa specific to you.
My friend likes to have lots of things (pictures, candles, vases, statues. etc.) on most surfaces and I prefer very little. She thinks my rooms look unfinished and I think her rooms look overdone. Can you help us settle this discussion?
I’m pleased that your friend isn’t married to you because that situation has occurred for me in private practice. It is about what you are comfortable with, however generally speaking, too much accessorizing creates panic for the viewer. We are essentially animals at an instinctual level and when we enter a space we are subconsciously assessing our safety. In nature we are trying to figure out what other animal is going to attack and turn us into their dinner. It is difficult to assess our safety in a very cluttered or heavily accessorized space. My personal preference is “less is more,” and the things you choose to display are not fighting for attention!
Glen Peloso, Principal Designer of Glen Peloso Interiors, Inc., has been designing spaces for commercial, corporate and residential clients for almost 15 years. You’ll recognize Glen as the host of such television design shows as Restaurant Makeover, Take This House & Sell It and Renovate My Wardrobe, to name a few, as well as from his live speaking engagements at home shows across Canada.
www.glenpelosointeriors.com
April 14, 2010
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