What's new in NEW CONSTRUCTION?

Week after week, we travel around the North East looking at gorgeous homes. One of the best aspects of our job is discovering the latest design trends in new construction. Many new home builders and new home buyers hire us to select the finishes for their new homes. From cabinetry style and color, to paint and color palettes, window treatments to lighting, we see it all. It's an interesting dynamic because we have daring, colorful room photos pinned and earmarked in our idea books, yet, the end product is usually much more subdued. Especially when selecting finishes for a home listed for sale. As much as we want to do a turquoise kitchen, in order to appeal to the widest audience, we tend to recommend what we know works as a softer approach. 

Barely a day goes by the we don't get the question: "What's happening right now? 

Here's a peek into our favorite finishes.

BATHROOMS:

Deck out the shower with creative tile installations. We still love marble and there are plenty of fabulous new designs in the tile world.

Kids bath floor tile. 

Master Bath tile 

Floor tile

How gorgeous is this new tile from Ann Sacks?

Calacatta Carrara Marble

Grey Cabinets in the bath and kitchen.

Gray paint on the window and door trim.

This gorgeous home will be on the market soon. (New Canaan CT)

Want to follow along with us while we select and install the latest trends in interiors?

 We add new finds everyday to our design boards.

Check out our NEW CONSTRUCTION 2014 set on Flickr

Follow us for daily updates on INSTAGRAM

And don't miss our PINTEREST "New Construction Ideas" board. 

Building a new home? Show us what you're doing- we love houses!!

Creating Empty Space When Selling

When it comes to staging a home, new furniture, cleaning and organizing seem to be the hot topics. There is however, an important dynamic in staging that is not often addressed which is what I call "empty space". This tends to come into play more so for homeowners living in their home while selling.

Empty space is important because it offers the perception of having an abundance of space(square footage). The buyer gets the impression that there is more than enough livable space. The balancing act comes into play through strategic staging tactics that still demonstrate how the home is used without "over-decorating" the space.

Here are some helpful tips for opening up the space without losing ambiance.

Move furniture away from the wall. Like this...

via The Evergirl, see the house tour here.

I call it "furniture arrest", where all of the furniture is up against the wall. Moving furniture away from the wall and placing a sofa table behind, or perhaps nothing, just gives the room an airy feeling. 

There are very few cases where a chair should be square up against a wall.

Remove layered drapes and hang them high.

Window treatments warrant their own post for later, however for creating space, removing heavy swags and layered panels is a good start. This will open up the space, let the light in and make the room feel bigger. Solid colored panels are always a good bet. Drapes should be hung high, not at window height.

Clear the countertops.

Clearing the countertops can help open up the kitchen space however, creating purposeful decor is important. Too much empty space can call attention to any defects and also lose the emotional impact needed to connect with buyers.

Use white hotel bedding.

via Williams Sonoma Home

Hotel striped bedding is a great way to calm the visual space in the bedroom and create the perception of more room. Live plants in the room are also great. 

IKEA has fiddle leaf fig trees for $12.99 right now! Such a great deal.

Keep surfaces clear of clutter.

Via Wisteria

Dressers, tables and shelving should stay clear of personal belongings. Candles should be new and flowers should be real or look real. (no dried flowers) Accessories can be grouped into 3's (like above) to make a visual impact. Spreading things out makes the space look more cluttered.

Try some of these tricks at home and see what you think! 

Want more ideas? Follow us on FACEBOOK and PINTEREST.