Over the years, many clients have called for a consultation to talk about how to improve their houses when they’d really just prefer to move. It’s a tough market here in Montclair. Competition for what are perceived as “the best houses” is steep, with locals always eyeballing neighboring properties and city folks looking to make their first purchase. I’ve had many clients lose in the bidding process, only to return disheartened and disappointed to their current living situation. So what can you do to make yourself feel better in your present home while still house hunting for a better …
“Can you give me some advice about staging my home for resale?” MJ Plofker. Staging properties for resale is something I enjoy because the whole process appeals to my pared-down sensibility. The art of staging is really about omission, about taking things away—the excess furnishings, the junk, and essentially the current owner’s personality—so that the architectural uniqueness of the property can shine through and appeal to potential buyers. My realtor friend, Jane Wallace, of Sotheby’s Prominent Properties in Montclair, describes it like this: You want buyers to walk into your house, drop …
I grew up in a house that was beautifully decorated. My mom has a wonderful sense for design and took risks with color and pattern and materials. We had a coffee table made of laminated plaid fabric, big plastic lounge chairs with orange foam cushions, pink grass cloth wallpaper, and crazy life-size sculptures of a goat, a troll, a toucan, and a witch. It was 70’s mod without apology. The house was a real show stopper in many ways, but it never felt untouchable. My sisters and I turned the plastic chairs upside down to make forts, laid on the coffee table to watch television, slid down the …
I have a history of insomnia, and while most people count sheep, I rearrange furniture. But not just in my head. With my heavy-duty furniture glides I can move things around, on my own, at night, while the rest of the house is sleeping. Only the cat knows what's going on. Until the morning, when my husband runs into the sofa.CHANGE IS GOOD You'd think a designer's home would be "just so," everything in its perfect place. But perfection is fleeting. Too much changes with the evolving needs of my family. And, quite honestly, I get bored. Maybe it's a curse of the trade. Shopping for others …
January 1st. The ball has dropped. The break is over. And it's back to the grind. Are you feeling the vacation-end blues? Then try bringing some of the comfort of a luxury hotel room into your own home. Create your very own Presidential Suite. Start with your bed linens. Down comforters, feather pillows, and a perfectly pressed duvet bring a little bit of heaven to the bedroom. When shopping for bed linens, you'll see advertisers push "hotel-quality" and high thread counts. Thread count refers to the total number of vertical and horizontal threads in a square inch of fabric. Higher thread …
Q: "Is it worth re-upholstering our couch or should we just get a new one?"Andrea DellechiaieIt's easy to be swayed by all the fabulous looking, economically priced sofas and lounge chairs out there in retail land. But don't be deceived by mere looks alone. Try sitting. For long periods of time. Months. Years. Decades even.Years ago, my husband and I relocated to London for a two-year stint in a furnishedapartment. We chose a 425-square-foot flat, not because the space was so great, butbecause all the furniture was new. Everything else we had seen looked like a flea motel.Six months later, I …
Q) "How do you keep your house so neat?!" Risa Wexler Keeping an orderly house is not rocket science. It's boring and tedious and never-ending, but it's not impossible. What's challenging is crawling out from under the mess you may already be in. But again, not rocket science. So, here are some strategies to conquer the clutter and organize your home in a way that may stop the mess from piling up again. Purge Purge. Purge. Purge. I can't say it enough. Purge! Try to trash, donate, or consign at least two bags of stuff a month. Seriously. Two per month. Minimum. Until you get your house in …
Question: When is it okay to skimp on an item for my home and when should I pay more for a quality item?—Renee Al-SarrafI'm at Bangz right now getting a quick trim before Thanksgiving, and it occurred to me that haircuts are a great analogy to furniture purchasing.Some people believe it's insane to spend $50 on a haircut and wouldn't dream of going to a posh salon like Bangz to get their bangs trimmed. In fact, my schedule is particularly pressed this week and I'm so impatient that I considered pulling out the ole Flowbee myself.But luckily I stopped myself.When it comes to something you have…
Q: I'm bored with my furnishings. Are there ways for me to make my housefeel special again without re-doing everything?Seasons ChangeIt's here. The quivering leaves that cling to their last thread of life. The dampness that makes your skin turn to gooseflesh. The chill that makes your nose run and your fingertips numb. And the ultimate sign--your warm breath visibly exhaling in the morning air. Winter is nearly upon us.While I hate the cold and would happily hibernate the entire season, it is a funtime for changing up your home décor. Winterizing your home doesn't just meandisconnecting your …
Q. I have two boys who share a room with bunk beds, and now they are a bit old for them. Can you give me ideas for decorating a bedroom for two kids? — Patch readerA. I grew up sharing a room with my sister. We had twin beds with a nightstand between them and a painted rainbow above our heads that read "Jody & Tracey" in bubble letters. The room had blue shag carpeting, quilted butterfly bedspreads, and yellow furniture.In college, I was assigned to a "converted triple." We were three 18-year-old girlssardined into a standard double because of a university dorm shortage. Each of us was …
Q. Should my kitchen cabinet style match the rest of my house? For example, can I go with IKEA cabinetry even if nothing else in my house is really modern? Or do I have to go traditional? — Monica GreenwoodHere Today. Gone Tomorrow.The choices people make in renovating their homes are obviously really personal. My first question to clients is always, "How long do you plan to stay in this home?" Because it's my feeling that if you intend to stay in your home for the next two decades, you are entitled to do whatever you want to your interior. Isn't that the reason you stopped renting?But, on …
Q. We don't have a lot of pricey "art." How can we decorate our walls and bookcases in a way that looks artful but without spending a lot of money?" — Chuck SalterMany of my clients are not in a position to purchase substantial works of art, but that doesn't mean their walls and bookcases remain bare. What makes for "art" isn't limited to the kind of gallery pieces you see in high-end design magazines or stuffy auction catalogues. You can create an artful tableau with a collection of photographs, objects, and smaller pieces that makes a statement and fills your space with richness and …
Q: "Many of the traditional Montclair colonial homes have long, narrow living rooms, which can be a challenge. Any suggestions?" — Martha KolkoA. Bowling alley. That's how one of my clients described his Montclair living room. Measuring approximately 12' x 24,' with a large archway from the Entry Hall, windows on either end, a fireplace at the center, and a door to the adjacent sunroom — these classic Colonial living rooms are indeed challenging to furnish. Do you center your furniture around the fireplace? Do you push everything against the walls? What about those pesky radiators? And where …
