Home Decor – Page 2 – Cooper Realty Associates

Ideas for More Interesting Walls

One of the easiest ways to add interest to your décor is to utilize your walls. Whether they are solid or windowed, white or colorful, painted or wallpapered, walls are basically the blank canvas of your home. If you’re looking to update your home’s look, one thing you can consider is installing crown molding, or if your home already has crown molding, install picture molding just below ceiling height to extend the look. In your dining room, installing a chair rail is a nice touch. If you’re looking to add some color you can stencil a favorite quote or look into the awesome wall decals that are available from many reputable dealers – many have a professional look and finish, but you can apply them yourself! Another colorful option is to paint a thick stripe of color around the room, about two-thirds of the way up the wall. Outlined with thin strips of white paint of chair rails above and below the stripe, this gives a real pop of color that can be a great accent to an otherwise drab room. If you like the idea of a pop of color or texture, but aren’t willing to make the commitment to your walls, consider lining the backs of bookshelves, the entertainment center, or other open storage with wall paper that suits your taste and accents your room. Another great way to add interest without a long-term commitment is to mat and frame artwork or black and white photo prints and group them in arrangements at eye level. If you want your home to reflect your tastes, start with the walls – they are the easiest and fastest place to add personality, and can be (relatively) easily changed when you’re ready for something new!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Three Quick Floor Updates

If you need to freshen your floor in a relatively quick and easy way, try one of these three options:

1. Carpet Tiles. Carpet tiles are relatively easy to install and can define an area or add color to a room instantly.

2. Area Rugs. If you have an open floor plan, using different area rugs will define separate areas quickly without too much trouble.

3. Laminate Flooring. In hard to maintain areas like a mudroom, bathroom, or laundry room, consider light-colored laminate flooring. It is easy to install and even easier to maintain.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.

Three Suggestions for Small Spaces

If you’ve got a small living space, try some of these suggestions to make your room feel cozy and not cramped:

1. Go neutral. Stick to neutral walls and curtains to make a small space appear larger. Keep patterns neutral and use accent pieces to bring in color.

2. Utilize multi-use. In a small room an ottoman should double as storage, built in bookshelves provide unity, and any multi-function furniture you can utilize helps create space!

3. Scale down. Rather than a full-size sofa, consider a large love seat or scaled down couch. Forgo the coffee table, keep end tables narrow, and play with layout until you find the best use of your space.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Three Quick Ways To Add Color To Your Home

Looking for ways to add a quick pop of color? Check out these ideas:

1. Choose your favorite. Take a look around and choose your favorite fabric of pattern already in the room. Find the dominate color in that pattern and then add 5-10 accents in the same color around the room. The amount depends on the size of the room and the accents you choose. Keeping all of your accents in the same color scheme will add a pop to the room while still keeping a cohesive feel.

2. Make seasonal changes. Adding collections of seasonal decorations is a great way to add color. Keep them simple and bright and don’t forget to change them out regularly!

3. Remember the rule. Designers recommend using the 60-30-10 formula as a guide for adding color to a room. The rule is that 60% of your room should be the predominate (usually neutral) color, 30% of the room should be your secondary color – typically found in floor and window coverings, and the final 10% should be your accent color.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Three Ways to Add Romance to Your Decor

In honor of Valentine’s Day here are three ways to add some romance to your décor:

1. Metallic Accents. A metallic accessory or two can be unexpected and glamorous and lend a feeling of romance to a room. Something like a chest of drawers, side table, or chair in a warm, metallic shade are perfect!

2. Monochromatic Colors with a Pop. A monochromatic color scheme can be give a room a crisp, romantic feeling as long as the shade is lovely and warm. But to keep it from becoming too boring, pop a bright color in the mix like bright pink or a warm violet in just one or two places.

3. Black and White. Black walls can be very sensual. Paint a wall black and hang white accents such as wall art in white mats for a very stunning look!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.

Paint Your Home Happy

Last week I mentioned that painting your home using the science behind color theory can be a simple and beneficial way to improve the quality of your home quickly and relatively easily. I was unable to find a way to explain this idea myself, but I did find an interesting article about the psychology behind paint colors that is an interesting read. This blog post takes some of the information and breaks it down into simple tips for using each color and ideas for decorating eating and office spaces putting color theory to use. So if you’re thinking of updating your home with a fresh coat of paint, consider the way the colors make you feel and paint for less stress and more happiness!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

5 Ways To Improve Your Basement

If you have a finished basement that just isn’t very appealing, try these five relatively easy ways to finish off the space…

1. Install flooring – a floating, engineered-wood floor can be installed directly over concrete and will change the entire look of the space in amazing ways.

2. Paint – make the space feel warmer by choosing a warm, neutral color to cover the walls.

3. Camouflage – Keep the entire room bathed in the same warm, neutral tone to make the space seem more open and to downplay any unappealing aspects of the architecture.

4. Add light – If your basement does not allow in any natural light, consider installing a false-lighted window to add some light and warmth to the space.

5. Add interest – Take an area of your basement that is underutilized and add some interest – a great example would be to build a wine cellar under the basement stairs.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

3 Quick Ways To Add Color To Your Home

If you’re looking to give your home a quick pick-me-up, try one of these options to brighten and freshen your look…

1. Add a variety of fabrics. Change the draperies and add some throw pillows in differing patterns, shapes, and colors. Just be sure that there is a common color typing everything together.

2. Rearrange out of the box. Instead of just rearranging all the things in a room, move things from room to room for a completely new and fresh look.

3. Decorate. Don’t just hang a few photos on your wall and be done – combine groups of objects to create interesting wall art.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.

Five Wall Storage Ideas

Turn empty walls into storage with these ideas:

1. Niche Cabinet. This is a narrow, shallow cabinet that can be added to almost any wall since it’s only the width and depth of the wall studs. It’s great kitchen storage idea!

2. Mudroom Storage. Add some shelves and hooks to your mudroom to organize your entryway and make getting in and out of the house that much easier. Cubby-hole type storage is also very useful in this circumstance and isn’t too difficult to do yourself.

3. Media Built-In. Use shallow shelves for the best media unit.

4. Go to the ceiling. Take your bookshelves all the way floor-to-ceiling to add more storage and give the room a taller feel.

5. Hang Information. Hang a combination of blackboards, magnet boards, and cork boards to turn a blank wall space into an information hub for your family. Just be sure to keep the boards close to the wall for a streamlined look.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Three Easy Holiday Centerpieces

If holiday entertaining is on your horizon, try one of these simple yet elegant centerpiece ideas to quickly cross one of the items off your to-do list!

1. Ornamental Elegance – a centerpiece doesn’t have to be elaborate to be gorgeous. Try stacking glass ornaments on a cake dish or in a bowl. You can adhere them to one another with glue dots (which can be found in the scrapbooking section at any craft store). Fill in the gaps with beautiful ribbon or fresh greenery and to round out the look, consider stacking glass balls on top of candlestick holders as well.

2. Stack of Gifts – choose a color theme and stack boxes wrapped in varied patterns of that theme on top of a pedestal or cake plate. Then top the tower with a bow and wrap a thick piece of matching ribbon around each side. Secure the ends of the ribbon to the underneath of the cake plate for a crisp, clean look.

3. Fresh flowers with a twist – To dress up the classic centerpiece of fresh flowers, fill a vase with greens and then remove the heads from roses or whatever flower you choose and hot glue them to the outside of the vase. You will have a gorgeous centerpiece that will wow guests… of course don’t do this too far in advance!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.

Budget Friendly Holiday Decorating Ideas

The holidays are just around the corner. If part of your home is bare, consider some of these budget friendly holiday decorating ideas:

Dip pinecones in gold paint (a mixture of water, glue and glitter will make them sparkle) – add gold ribbon and place them wherever you need extra cheer!
Tie your throw pillows with holiday colored ribbon and they’ll look just like Christmas presents! Add bows, rhinestones and jewels for extra glitz.
Create card swag – drape cards over a long strand of pretty ribbon and tack the ends to your mantle or across a doorway.
Wrap your furniture – cover dining room chairs in holiday fabric and tie them with a bow for a more formal holiday look.
Put cranberries to work – fill vases or bottles with water and float a generous amount of cranberries to add some Christmas red to any room – add some evergreen, holly, or other holiday plant for added decoration.
Homemade luminaries – line a staircase, hallway, or outdoor walkway with homemade luminaries. Use battery operated candles for a safer approach.
Colored vases – fill clear vases with water and add a few drops of food coloring – make a grouping of several and float candles in the vases for a warm holiday glow.
Jingle bells – tie jingle bells to your door handles for some holiday cheer! Feel free to spray paint the bells any color you’d like.
Tie it up – if you’re having guests for the holiday season, stack red, white, green or holiday guest towels together and tie with a coordinating ribbon for a festive look in the guest bath.
Create art – slide holiday wrapping paper into a matted frame for instant holiday art.
Tie a bow – fill gaps in your tree with bows tied from beautiful holiday ribbon.
Think outside the tree – hang ornaments in doorways, windows, entryways, hallways, and any place you could use some extra cheer. Groups of Christmas tree balls make fantastic decorations for more than just the tree.
Decorate with scent – Simmer any combination of apple slices, orange peel, cinnamon sticks, dried cloves, vanilla or peppermint in a few tablespoons of simmering water on the stove for a lovely holiday smell.
Create your own ice sculpture – fill balloons with colored water, let them freeze and then remove the balloons – the colored ice balls will look like giant Christmas ornaments lining your walk.
Bring the outdoors in – string up natural greens to brighten up any room!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

5 Things To Consider Replacing Before You Sell

If you’re trying to sell your home here are five things you should consider replacing before your home goes on the market:

1. Worn flooring… especially carpet. Replacing worn carpet is fairly inexpensive when you consider the amount of time your home could potentially stay on the market if the floors are turning potential buyers away. You don’t have to replace carpet with carpet either… consider wood or laminate alternatives which can be attractive to buyers. If you can’t replace the carpet in your home, at the very least, shampoo it and get out smell and stains, or even better, get it professionally cleaned. Dirty and worn flooring is a huge turn-off to potential buyers.

2. Wallpaper. Wallpaper is very personal to each persons taste, so if you’ve got any in your home (including borders) you should consider removing it and replacing it with a coat of paint. You want the potential buyers to see your home, not your personal taste, when they walk through the door. If you don’t want to take the time to remove all the wallpaper in your home, at the very least remove any that is peeling, cracked, or faded and paint those walls.

3. Outdated fixtures. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but changing out the hardware and faucets in your kitchen or bathroom can be an easy and relatively inexpensive way to make the room feel fresh. Likewise, changing out doorknobs, light switch covers, socket covers and lighting fixtures for new ones can give every room a little makeover. The little things really do make a big difference!

4. Faded/old paint. Repainting is the most cost efficient way to get your home buyer-ready. By choosing warm, but neutral colors you can freshen up any space.

5. Personal décor. You want potential buyers to envision your home as theirs, so pack away any personal photos and knick knacks. Remember, less is more when you’re trying to sell. Likewise, get rid of any potentially offensive décor, for example deer heads, gun collections, etc.). Remember, just because it’s your taste, doesn’t mean it’s everybody elses, and you don’t want to scare away potential buyers when you’re trying to sell!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Thursday Three: 3 Great Coffee Tables For A Small Space

If you’ve got a small living room, consider your coffee table as an opportunity to maximize space. Here are three great choices for small spaces:

1. Think Clear. An all glass or clear acrylic coffee table in an excellent choice for a small space because it “floats” in your space, allowing the eye to skim over without breaking anything up. This will make your room look and feel larger and more open.

2. Think Convertible. Choose a table that will do double duty. There are many coffee tables on the market that lift up or otherwise unfold into a full height table, allowing you flexibility, which is critical in a small space! There are several of these style tables on the market, allowing choices for every style!

3. Think Small. Instead of a coffee table, consider several smaller tables that can be blocked together and taken apart. Whether you use two tables next to each other, three in a row, or four grouped in a square or line, they can always be taken apart and spread throughout the room when extra space is needed. Additionally, many tables that are sold for this purpose can also be stacked or used as extra bench seating, when the need arises. It’s a win, win!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.

3 Ways To Improve Your Outdoor Space

With the weather being so great, have you been spending a lot of time outside? I know I have! If you have too and you’re just tired of the same old outdoor space, consider some of these quick tips to improve your deck, porch, or other outdoor space.

1. Container Gardens. Gardens are always beautiful, but by utilizing containers to plant some beautiful and colorful flowers you can stager the height and really use your plants as décor. If flowers aren’t your thing, certain veggies like tomatoes are great for container planting, and an herb garden is always an excellent choice!

2. Pillows. Pick up several beautiful, fun, fluffy pillows made from outdoor fabrics. They’ll withstand sand and rain, are easy to clean, and will brighten up your seating in a jif! Find some that appeal to your sense of style, or pick up a few bright prints to add a pop of color to your space.

3. Rugs. You can make your deck or porch seem much more like an outdoor room if you utilize a beautiful outdoor rug. A rug will add a cozy feel to the space, help define the area, and add texture which is always a great styling tip.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you — 302-644-2266.

5 More Staging Tips

Yesterday I looked at three tips for do-it-yourself staging. Here are five more expert staging tips!

1. Group furniture. It isn’t necessarily true that rooms will feel bigger if all the furniture is pushed against the walls. Positioning pieces in conversational groups is cozy and creates an obvious pattern of traffic flow. Creating more user-friendly spaces actually opens the room up, thus creating an illusion and making the room seem larger.

2. Move things around. Consider everything you have in your home. Remember, furniture doesn’t have to stay in the room where it currently resides. You can move things from the living room into the bedroom or vice versa. It may be possible to create a whole new environment with a little creative rearranging!

3. Use good lighting. Many staging experts recommend 100 watts for every 50 square feet of living space. For the best lighting each room should utilize overhead and task lighting along with accent lamps on tables or walls.

4. Trick with paint. If you have several small, boxy rooms, they will feel bigger if you create a seamless transition by painting them all the same (warm, neutral but not boring!) shade.

5. Finish projects. If you have any missing floorboards, cracked tiles, holes in the wall, cracks in the sidewalk, etc. fix them! It will cost you much less to fix these relatively minor problems than potential buyers might deduct from the price before making an offer, so it’s worth it in the end.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Three Suggestions For Staging Your Home Yourself

If you’re thinking of selling your home, or if your home has been on the market for awhile and is not selling you might want to consider staging it. Staging a home is not just about cleaning. It’s arranging furniture and accessories in a way that offers the illusion that your house is larger, cleaner, warmer, and more inviting that it might be. A lot of people think that it isn’t worth their time or effort to stage their home, but trust me, it really is. Recently, a friend of mine moved half-way across the country. Their home was for sale for months with plenty of interest but no offers. It was on the market for so long that my friend’s husband had to move without her and their kids to start his new job. Finally, they had a professional come in to stage their home. The very next person to see the home bought it… within a week they were under contract!

Staging your home can help it sell faster and for a higher price than if it sits on the market for months, causing you to lower the price in order to sell. However, if you’re still not willing to budget for a professional to stage your home, consider these three do-it-yourself tips:

1. Clear it out. Most homes are stuffed to the brim with furniture. Take one larger piece out of each room and rearrange remaining furniture to open up floor space. If you need to rent a storage unit, do it.

2. Pack Up. Box up valuables, personal photos, and extra clutter. Remove all personal objects so that potential buyers can imagine their own things in the space. Remove all small appliances, etc. from kitchen counter tops and box them up. Clean out your cabinets and closets. Leave only what is absolutely necessary to live with and box up all other serving sets, clothes, cleaning products, etc. Take half of the books off of all bookshelves. Remove any personal collections from your walls. You don’t need to clear out completely (after all, you still need to live there!) but clearing out everything that is not absolutely necessary will give the all-important impression of more space. And again, take the boxes to storage.

3. Spruce it up. Paint, replace worn carpeting, etc. If you don’t have time to do these relatively quick, inexpensive things, lower the price to make the imperfections of your home seem less important.

Remember, just because you love your home doesn’t mean everyone will. In order to stage your home well, you need to avoid looking at everything through your own personal lense and use an objective eye.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

5 Ways to Increase Your Home’s Value for under $500

If you’re trying to sell your house you can do a lot to increase the value without spending a lot of money. Here are five ways that can cost less than $500.

1. Paint
I will never get tired of saying it. Paint your house if you want to increase its value! Not only do neutral colors make your home seem more desirable to the majority of people, but freshly painted rooms also look clean and updated… a strong selling point!

2. Clean
Even if you clean your house regularly, there are most likely spots you overlook or can’t get to. If you hire a cleaning service to come and do the dirty work then your house will be able sparkle from top to bottom and make the best possible first impression to potential home buyers.

3. Go Green
Replacing loud, broken, or simply outdated light figures or ceiling fans with new, energy efficient fixtures will increase your bottom-line without costing too much.

4. Scrape off the popcorn
If your home has popcorn ceilings, dedicate a weekend to bringing it into the 21^st century by scraping the popcorn away. Getting rid of this dated look will instantly update the value of your home.

5. Update the Bathroom
Even if you can’t afford an entire remodel, spending a little bit of cash on a face lift will increase your bottom line. Things like replacing old wallpaper, a fresh coat of paint, new light fixtures, and new faucet & hardware can make the room seem brand new!

Thinking of buying or selling your home? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you –302-644-2266!

Thursday Three: 3 Professionals You Should Consider Hiring For Less Than $100

If you’re thinking of selling your home (or just want to make updates to enjoy yourself!), hiring any or all of these professionals to give you their opinions can make a huge difference in the long-run, and all of them should cost you less than $100!

1. Interior Designer
Shop around because a standard hourly consultation fee is often less than $100. Make it clear beforehand that you are looking for ideas and suggestions, not a room makeover. Tour your house and in an hour the suggestions you receive, can go a long way to making huge improvements in the way your home looks and feels. Even tips on things like paint colors and furniture placement can be huge changes! If you don’t want to shell out the money for an interior designer and you are serious about selling, your realtor may be able to help you with this too.

2. Get It Inspected
Many homes face hidden problems like termite infestation, outdated electrical systems and deteriorating roofs. All of these and the many other problems that homes can hide all negatively impact the value of your home. By hiring an inspector to check out these unseen areas you may be able to fix small issues now before they become huge problems. The relatively small upfront cost of a home inspection now (inspection costs can vary widely) can save you tons of cash in the long-run.

3. Cut Energy Costs
Call your utility company and ask if they offer energy audits of customers’ homes. Many providers do this for free! An auditor can show you how to maximize your home’s energy efficiency which will help you conserve power and water. An energy efficient home helps you save money, and since this service is often free there’s really no reason you shouldn’t do it!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.

Quick Updates To Sell Your Home

If you’re in the process of selling your home (or thinking about it), you might be thinking about what kind of remodeling you should do to put your home in the best light. As a rule, you should never undertake any big remodeling projects before putting your home up for sale, but there are a few things you can do with just a little bit of money to make your house more appealing on the market.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, one of the least expensive ways to increase your property value is to paint the walls! Neutrals are key, but don’t just buy a bucket of white and paint everything… that’s boring! Browns/beiges, grays, and even some shades of blue and green can be considered neutral. The idea is to get rid of any extremely personal colors in the house – you might love your red living room, but chances are most of your potential buyers won’t. Another relatively easy fix that will attract buyers is nice flooring. If you’re lucky enough to have hardwood under your carpeting, rip it up and have the floors refinished. If hardwood isn’t an option, consider replacing your carpeting for a fresh look that will attract buyers. To save money, go for a mid-range carpet, but put the best padding you can afford underneath… this cushiony layer really affects the look and feel of the carpet. Updating your light fixtures can also really improve your home’s salability. Replace any dated fixtures with something more classic for an instant pick-me-up. Pay special attention to the lighting in your kitchen, bathrooms, and hallway. You want your home to be well lit so that buyers can see it, don’t’ you? And while we’re discussing fixtures, if your bathroom or kitchen seem dated, changing out the hardware for something new can make a big impact for not much cash. If you can swing it, switching your old faucets with something newer can give new life to a room. My final budget suggestion is another one I’ve mentioned several times before… check your curb appeal! Most potential buyers will judge your house on their first impression, which is the outside! So be sure your home is putting its best foot forward by trimming any hedges/bushes and trees in the yard, mowing the grass, trimming any weeds, and edging your driveway and sidewalks. Power washing your side walks can make a surprisingly big impact too. Finally, invest a little cash by painting the front door and placing some potted flowers by it. For maximum impact, change out the hardware on your door with something new and think about getting a new mailbox. Finally, be sure that your house number is visible. If it isn’t, buy some new numbers and hang them immediately!

Since none of these projects cost all that much, the best part about them is that you’re pretty much guaranteed to recoup your cash when your home sells, which will probably be a whole lot sooner than if you hadn’t made the changes in the first place!

Looking for an agent who can help you with more great tips? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

5 Household Items That Can Be Art

Looking for versatile, easy to use artwork for your home? Try hanging items you probably already have laying around. Here are five quick fixes for a blank wall.

Baskets. Shallow wicker or woven baskets can make great art. They add texture to a wall, which is a decorating must, and can easily liven up any casual room.

Mirrors. Hanging a single, oversized mirror will bring life to room in an instant. Look for mirrors with something interesting about them… great details in the frame, an interesting shape, etc. If one huge mirror isn’t your style, try grouping several smaller mirrors together for an equally stunning look.

Serving Trays. If you don’t have any laying around, check antique stores for beautiful vintage pieces. The great thing about serving trays is that they come in lots of different sizes, shapes, and colors, so you’re bound to find one that will appeal to you and complement your décor!

Vintage Posters. Choose a theme for your room and scour flea markets, garage sales, and antique stores (or the internet!) for vintage posters that can be framed and hung. Framing is key when you hang posters… be sure to frame them well so it looks vintage and not like a college dorm!

Calendars. Turn your schedule into art by purchasing a unique frame and removing the glass. Line the back of the frame with fabric or an interesting, patterned paper and adhere the month’s calendar to the paper. Hang it in a prominent place in need of some art and change the calendar out from month to month. You can even change the background paper/fabric seasonally too if you so desire! Alternatively, beautiful pictures from calendars can look great framed and hung too.

Looking to buy or sell a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266!