Schulz Design Consulting

April 2010 Newsletter

Ready, Set, Go- Reasons to Remodel

Now is a great time to remodel your home. Here is why:

Good Contractors are available

The misconception are over when it comes to bad contractors. Great contractors are still out there and working hard to provide good service to their clients. With the over saturated market of contractors, it would be perceived all were “bad apples,” but on the contrary the good contractors are here to stay and diligently working.

Contractors are taking smaller jobs

In busy building times, not all contractors are taking on larger projects, now is the perfect time to get someone to take on those smaller projects in your home that you have been meaning to tackle and finally crossing it off the to-do-list.

Add on with value. Being happy in your home and location is important

You could be feeling that your house is no longer big enough for your growing family and/or lifestyle. Now is a great time to add value to your home and make it fit your family with a redesign or remodel. Interior Designers are a perfect and seamless choice for your additions to your home.

When the market picks up you’ll be ready

We all know that remodeling improves your homes overall market value. When the market shows an increase in buying and selling of houses in your area, your home will be ready to sell.

Sincerely,

Melissia R. Schulz

November 2008

Every year I look forward to the time when kids go back to school and the weather changes. Fall is also the time many design events take place. At the end of summer, the HBA's annual Street of Dreams, which I never seem to attend until September. The ORA has their Home Improvement and Remodeling Show at the Convention Center. There is also an event you likely haven't heard of called Color Pulse. Benjamin Moore Paint is the main sponsor of this event, and they share the colors trends of 2010.

I thought some of you might be interested in what I learned at these events and would enjoy having me share it with you. Some of the things I saw are a continuing trend from years previous.

Continued trend of bringing the outside in and blurring the line between what is an outdoor space and an indoor space. There continues to be a trend for Great Room living. Going back to the old adage that "everything happens in the kitchen".
The trend continues toward textured carpets. With lots of different kinds of textures, your choices are limitless. There are long nap, short nap, loop and textured loops. Carpet manufacturers are getting better looking sustainable products as well. The price point is a bit higher but will get better.
The trend is moving away from traditional polished granite. This year there were all sorts of counter surfaces at the Street of Dreams. One of my favorites was the honed granite. Which simply means there is a rough dull finish on the granite, instead of a highly polished smoothed finish. The other counter materials included quartz, concrete, wood, and sustainable paper product.

At Color Pulse 2010, a Benjamin Moore representative shared the color projections they are seeing on a global scope.

The most shocking of colors was the citron yellow and a grayed yellow. We are seeing a continued resurgence of the retro colors like this yellow along with oranges that include the yellow based orange.
As for reds, the trend is toward the rosey- pink reds, like fushia accompanied with yellow.
Greens are moving more toward a vibrant grass green. The combination of yellow-green, green, and blue-green together is also on the horizon.
There will be a continuation of natural colors, like paper bag tan, hay yellow, and gold as an accent.
The copper and pumpkin oranges will also continue to be popular.
Purples are moving toward darker values like grape and aubergine. Grey will continue to be popular with a hint of purple.
Blues continue to be popular in many tones such as celestial blue, dark to midnight blue, as well as polar ice, ice blue and adding a little yellow for a teal blue.

This year is no exception, trends come and go and are always changing. Some stick around a little longer than others. What hasn't changed is that homeowners want to update their homes to keep their value. With this market, homes that have been updated sell faster than those in need of cosmetic upgrades. Whether you are planning a large remodel or a simple fix it job, you can feel confident that Schulz Design Consulting, LLC knows the market. We can help you navigate these decisions based on your values and preferences. We value your business and hope to hear from you soon.

Here's to hoping you are surrounded by family and love this Holiday Season.

Sincerely,
Melissia R. Schulz