Fantastic Designers With Incredible Products

Looking for something for your home that is new, different, whimsical, fun and practical all at the same time?  Today I’d like to feature some wonderful designers that you might now know about.  

Kenneth Wingard 

Kenneth Wingard offers a clean, contemporary collection of home accent pieces at reasonable pricing.  While his pieces might work best in a modern style of home it can also add a bit of contemporary feel to a traditional style of home. 

Wall Art

Bardot Lamps

Sunburst Clock

Mobileo

Jonathan Adler 

Jonathan Adler carries a full line of home accessories, furniture and even a line for kids.  The company describes itself as  ”a design company dedicated to bringing style, craft, joy, and a general feeling of grooviness to your home”.  And that it does!  Many of his pieces are a bit “tongue in cheek” or might even make you laugh out loud! 

Horse Tray

Wallpaper

Mrs. Godfrey Chair

Horse Lamp

Inhabit

Inhabit is a husband and wife design team that is trained in graphic design.  They offer modern eco-friendly accessories, bedding and home furnishings.

Bedding and Wall Art

Bedding

Throw Pillows

Wall Flats

Lights Up 

Lights Up is a lighting company out of Brooklyn, NY that carries pendants, floor lamps and sconces featuring custom printed shades. 

Deco Pendant

Weegee Table Lamp

Virgil Low Lamp

Cancan Floor Lamp

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Space Saving Ideas

Looking to get the most use of space out of your home?  Check out these space-saving ideas that are practical, functional and fun! 

Desk Bed

Make your office serve a dual purpose.  These modern desk beds are a perfect space-saving idea.  It acts as your office desk and when guests are in town the desk converts into a Murphy bed. 

Wood Coffee Table With Additional Seating

Glass Coffee Table With Additional Seating

These space-saving coffee tables are a perfect solution for when you need additional seating in the family room or living room.  They are easy to access and when not in use, are conveniently stored under the coffee table and out-of-the-way. 

Office In A Closet

Don’t have a spare room for your office?  No worries!  Get The Container Store’s  office in a closet.  You can have a fully functioning office right in your closet.  And when it is not in use, it stores neatly away behind your closet doors for no one to see your mess. 

Toy Storage

Store kids toys without having it look tacky!  Use a cubed bookcase or partition and insert storage bins filled with your kid’s toys.  Bookcases of all sizes can be found at Ikea or various furniture stores.

 

Closet System

Now this one is not surprising, but the usage of closet systems lets you maximize those small closet spaces.  To do it for less, go to a place like the Container Store, have their associate design a layout on their software program and then take the printout of the parts and pieces you need to Home Depot or Lowes and buy the less expensive system.  It will work just as well as the fancy closet systems!

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10 Economical Home Decorating Tips

In today’s economy everybody wants to save a little money when it comes to decorating, remodeling or redesigning their home.  Here are ten ways to get the best bang for your buck without spending a fortune. 

Paint- Adding or changing paint in a room can make the biggest impact.  Paint an entire room or an accent wall.  Depending on the brand of paint you choose, one gallon can cost anywhere from $12-$30 and can change the entire dynamic of a room. 

Paint

 Area rugs- Area rugs can make a very monotone floor lively again. Area rugs are available in all different price ranges depending on the quality and fiber content of the rug. Choose an area rug that is large enough to cover three-quarters of the floor and look for colors in the rug that incorporate colors from your room. 

Area Rugs

 Accessorize with color- Add a pop of color with accessories such as a throw blanket, artwork, a vase or throw pillows. Consider introducing a new color in the room with the use of accessories.  

Accessorize With Color

 Throw pillows- Add or change throw pillows on your sofa.  Fresh up to date throw pillows can make an outdated room or sofa look modern again. Throw pillows can be purchased very inexpensively at many different stores. 

Throw Pillows

 Wall decals- Wall decals are all the rage these days and can make a boring wall interesting.  With many different designs available and the easy peel and stick application, wall decals are an easy and inexpensive decorating solution. 

Wall Decals

 Window treatments- Add or replace window treatments.  Add a window treatment to a room can make a room appear finished.  Premade window treatments can be purchased inexpensively or can be made relatively easily. 

Window Treatments

 Artwork- Liven up you bare walls with artwork.  Make your own artwork or purchase inexpensive artwork at discounted stores.  Use one large piece or a collage of pieces. 

Artwork

 Slipcovers- If your sofa is outdated and you do not want to buy a new one, slipcover your couch.  Choose a slipcover that is different from your couch and one that is form fitting and not baggy. 

Slipcovers

 Lighting- Lighting is a very important interior design element and can change the entire dynamic of a room. Consider adding a lamp or pendant light over a sofa or chair. 

Lighting

 Indoor plants- Indoor plants can make a room appear softer. Place small plants on a pedestal and large potted plants on the floor.  Use a nice decorative pot.  They will look fabulous in the room once they begin to grow!  

Indoor Plants

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Staged To Sell

Getting your home ready for resale?  Tis the season to sell, sell sell!  In this market it is much harder than it looks, but there are a few things you can do to increase how your home shows as well as get top dollar offers.    

Stage your house!  Only 10% of home buyers can visualize the potential of a home.  Also, professionally staged homes sell over 50% faster and 17% higher than an un-staged home. Even if you are still living in the house it needs to be staged for a buyer.  The way your house is staged vs. the way you actually live in your house are two completely different things.  Unfortunately, your house is not going to be “comfortable” while it is staged to sell.  However, think of it as being temporary and it is a small price to pay to get what you want in the long run.  Keep in mind that staging is about making buyers believe that your home meets all of their needs.  Downplay the negatives and emphasize the positives.    

Entryways

What does a buyer see when they come through the front door?  Ask yourself this question.  The entryway sets the stage for the whole house.  It is the first impression and the last impression of your house.  Keep entryways uncluttered, clean and tastefully decorated.  Add a focal point.    

Living and Family Rooms

The living room is the hub for most family activities and so it needs to be fully functional and ready to use.  Check the fireplace so that it is fully functional and no obstructions in the flu.  Make sure that the flooring in your living room is in good shape, whether it is carpet, hardwoods, slate, etc.  If your floor is not in good shape consider a neutral area rug to cover any marks.  Make sure the paint in your living or family room is neutral.  A buyer needs to be able to picture their furniture going in that room and you can’t go wrong with neutral colors.  Make sure that traffic areas are fully accessible.  Optimize the sight lines and traffic flow into the room.  Arrange the furniture so that potential buyers can get a clear view of everything in the room, including all the focal points and features.  And always remember to declutter and clean.   

Kitchen

Staged kitchens need to be spacious, bright, updated, neutral and clean…and I do mean CLEAN!  Kitchen countertops tend to be the most important feature.  If your kitchen needs updating consider spending some money on replacing the countertops.  When staging your kitchen, remove 90% of what is on top of the countertop.  This will make your kitchen feel as if there is more space to work.  You want buyers to visualize what it would be like to live in your home and use your kitchen.  Make sure that walls are neutral, appliances are decluttered (no magnets or your kid’s artwork hanging from the refrigerator) and window treatments are taken down to allow as much light as possible into the room.   

Bedrooms

Remember that bedrooms are for sleeping and that is how the room should show.  The focal point of the bedroom should be the bed and the dominant piece of furniture in the room which is easily visible from the doorway.  Eliminate personal tastes that will distract the buyer such as strong colors, posters, personal pictures or accessories.  A general rule is that anything with a  nonsleeping or relaxing purpose should not be in the bedrooms.  Keep bedrooms neat and tidy and make it feel like a sanctuary that anyone can relax and feel comfortable in.   

Bathrooms

Make sure your bathroom is VERY clean and decluttered.  There should be no evidence of primping and hygiene activities anywhere in the bathroom except neatly put away in drawers.  The keyword for bathrooms is “spa-like”!  You want buyers to feel as if they are walking into a spa when they enter your bathroom.  Make a spa basket full of towels, bath salts and other bath items.  If your bathroom needs updating change outdated light fixtures, countertops (no colored countertops) and flooring.  Repaint if necessary, grout tiles and repair caulking.  Make sure there is a lot of light in the bathroom.   

Closets

The rule of thumb with closets is that they need to be only half full.  You want your home to appear as if it has a lot of storage space.  Think about the closet’s purpose and what should go in there.  A bedroom closet should have clothes, a linen closet should have linens, etc.  Your closets need to be decluttered as well.  Make sure your closets are neat, tidy and organized.  This will send the message to potential buyers that this is how you maintain the rest of your home.

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Let’s Cooperate!

Does your house need a little spicing up?  Who says that you need boring walls, boring furniture even a boring  corkscrew!  Give people something to talk about when they come to your house to visit!

KOAP Home (short for cooperative) in Kirkland, mixes mid-century, contemporary, eclectic, funky and vintage.  And what do you get when you enter a store like this?  The most fun shopping experience you have ever had!  KOAP Home is right in the heart of downtown Kirkland and features recognized designers like Alessi, Jonathan Adler, Kenneth Wingard and City Collection, just to name a few.  Walking through the store you will be oooing, ahhing and maybe even laughing at each piece that is whimsical yet excellent quality at the same time.  At KOAP you are not going to find the same rug from Pottery Barn or bowl from Crate and Barrel that everyone else has.  The owner of KOAP does an outstanding job carrying items from new, local and hard to find designers.

If your walls could talk, are they trying to tell you that they are bored?  If so, go to KOAP!

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