There are many things to consider when updating your home. Maintenance is always important in keeping your interiors fresh, but time passes quickly and maintenance issues can be a part of an overall update.

The following is a list of the many items to be considered:
1. Entry:
To evaluate your needs, I suggest you enter your home through the front door. Is your entry clean, with a freshly painted door and shinny hardware? The front door and surrounding space is the first opportunity that you have to greet your guests, to welcome them into your home.
A. Door: Fresh paint or stain with a new color. Refinish your existing hardware or buy new. Perhaps, consider a new door design.
B. Light fixture: Wash and clean the fixture or replace with an updated look. This is the time to consider adding more light if it is needed.
C. Flooring: Clean the finish and seal. Another option is to replace the flooring with a new material for a new look.
D. Plants/Flowers: Add planter(s) or add seasonal plants to existing planter or adjacent flower beds. Fresh mulch always makes existing plants look fresh and manicured. Consider a water feature. Flowers add color, texture and freshness to an entry.
E. Shutters: If you have shutters, they may need cleaning and/or new paint.

2. Walls:
Once inside your home, maintenance and updating is an important element.
A. Consider painting your walls a new shade of the existing color to make it easy. Your hallways, kitchen, and bathrooms usually need to be painted every 1-3 years. Your entire home should be painted at least once every 10 years. For calking, consider using DAP 3.0 Advanced All-Purpose Sealant, which is more expensive than the regular calking but will contract and expand avoiding cracking.
B. Make a change by painting one or more of your rooms a bold color, such as a lime green, citron, eggplant or dark gray. Also, consider your trim. It can be a contrasting color, to add drama. Powder rooms are a great space for that “wow” factor. A change in color can give your home a totally new look.
C. Add wallcovering to existing painted walls. Wallpaper is easier to keep clean and adds a textural effect to your walls. Wallcovering is very “in” for today’s interiors and comes in great colors, patterns, textures and don’t overlook the large pattern scale. Wallcovering can defiantly add interest to an otherwise mundane room. Wallcovering is the perfect addition for a bedroom—it can add a coziness that paint doesn’t add.

3. Ceilings:
A. Paint the ceilings either a shade of white or paint it the same color as the wall color. If you have crown molding, it will show off more if it is painted a contrasting color to the walls and ceiling.
B. Consider having your ceiling stenciled with a medallion pattern centered on a hanging fixture or just centered on the room.
C. Ceilings can be visually made to look higher by adding a deep crown and/or adding a panel trim, starting approximately 6” off of the crown.
D. Consider adding decorative beams to the ceiling. This treatment can add interest and visual height to your room. If your ceilings are low, add shallow beams, such as 3-4” deep. Contrast the color of the beams with the color of the ceiling for more interest.
E. A “dome” can be added to most any ceiling. There are preformed domes that are 10” deep that can be recessed into your existing flat ceiling. Depending on the size you want to use there may need to be some framing required to maintain the integrity of the ceiling structure.

4. Floors:
A. Have your wood floors refinished, your stone floors cleaned and resealed and your carpet replaced.
B. Consider replacing your carpet with wood or stone flooring. More people are using less carpet because hard surfaces are easier to keep clean and provide less opportunity for allergens.
C. White washed wood floors and medium to light colored stains for wood floors are becoming very popular.

5. Windows:
A. Have all windows cleaned.
B. Consider replacing the windows in the bathroom, powder room, and/or kitchen with leaded or stained glass, for an interesting design.
C. If replacing your window, consider a pretty shape, like an arch.

6. Lighting:
A. Decorative lighting fixtures can date your interiors. So, far an updated look, evaluate what you have and consider replacing with new fixtures. You might even add a hanging fixture where you now have recessed fixtures. Lighting, which reflects off of your walls, usually expands your space.
B. Consider adding additional lighting such as under cabinet lighting, art lighting, and accent lighting. The addition of accent lighting can give architectural interest to a room.
C. There are simple lighting systems that you can install to remotely access your lighting and to “clean up” your walls from the clutter of numerous controls. You can do away with the clutter of numerous switches with installing a lighting system that is remotely operated. Also, there are screwless plates that can replace your old plates.

7. Cabinets:
A. Cabinet design is one of the most important design elements in your kitchen, family room, master bathroom, powder—all rooms where there are built-in cabinets need to be evaluated for “tiredness”.
B. Your stained cabinets can be cleaned with a mineral wax product to make it look newer. In addition, look at scratches and nicks, the cabinet may need to be refinished or just touched up.
C. Light colors and finishes are now more popular, so consider a new color on you cabinets.
D. Painted and stained cabinets can be glazed for added richness.
E. Consider having job built doors and drawer fronts replaced with shop built paneled doors and drawer fronts. They are not expensive and can really “upgrade” your cabinets.

8. Furnishings:
A. Furniture styles are becoming simpler than in previous years, with less carving and straight lines. The over stuffed look is out.
B. White, cream and light colored stains are very popular furniture finishes Consider changing the look of your furniture by changing the finish.
C. Colors are cleaner and brighter than in previous years. Lots of blue and white, clear shades of red, green, yellow, purple, and shocking pink are all popular colors seen in fabrics and on walls.
D. Lamp shades and shapes can date your home’s interior. It may be time to change out some of your lamps and/or lamp shades.
E. Decorative accessories also date your interiors, where as classical accessories, such as, crystal bowls, boxes, etc. are never outdate. We are seeing a cleaner look with fewer accessories.

9. Theater:
A. A recent study showed that 70% of all movie watchers prefer to watch movies in their own home. So, think about what space you might have that could become a media room.
B. The design of the theater depends on your seating preference and the number of people you want to accommodate.
C. Also to be considered is the type and size of the screen you prefer. The selection of your screen and speakers should be the first thing you price before you start converting your space.
D. After determining your audio visual preferences and your seating style, the lighting design should be considered. The lighting is one of the most important aspects of the “theater” design.
E. Select a theme for the theater design. This will be important for the selection of the colors you use.

10. Wine Rooms:
A. If you like wine and you buy wine, having a special place for storage is home is beneficial
B. Wine rooms have become very popular, as well as functional, and can add to the value of your home. (I have designed several closets under the stairs for wine storage.)

11. Outdoors:
A. Consider your outdoors as another “room” and plan the space for activities you want to include. (Lay out a plan for the entire space. Many people only plan for the space adjacent to the house and do not give their “activities” adequate space.)
B. Pools are very popular, no matter how big or small. Lap pools are also popular and can be put in narrow spaces. Lighting is very important when designing your pool and you might consider an LED system with colored lights.
C. Water fountains, whether free standing or as part of your pool, can add to the ambiance of your outdoor space.
D. Covered areas are nice, for any weather, and perfect for a cooking area. Options to consider are: eating bar, grill, pizza oven, fireplace, TV, and lounge area. It can be anything you want it to be.

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