Tag Archives: real estate

CT, home, real estate, Stamford

It’s All About The Journey … The Gang’s All Here!

Family rooms are an integral part of any home whether the living room acts a multi-function space in a small home or apartment, or you have a separate family room in a sprawling abode, these are the spaces where everyone can gather and enjoy each other’s company. There are a few key elements every family room should have: ample and comfortable seating, attractive storage, somewhere to put your feet up – such as an ottoman, (which has a dual purpose for extra seating if space is tight and can provide possible storage) and great lighting  – overhead lighting illuminates the space, but you will also need task lighting for reading, playing games, etc.

The three main categories that will create a warm and welcoming family room are: a successful design plan, inexpensive updates and unique decorating ideas.  By incorporating some of these elements into your space, everyone will want to kick their shoes off and stay awhile!

Designing Your Family Room

  • Opening your family room to adjoining spaces so the room is visible, ultimately invites everyone in.

  • Define the open spaces by introducing some architectural elements such as arches, columns or you can use furniture as a divider.

  • Plan your home entertainment system early on in the design phase to ensure that all electrical wiring and any integrated systems meet your needs.

  • Create one major focal point within this space. Whether you install your large screen plasma TV on the fireplace wall or have windows overlooking a pretty outdoor space.

  • The furniture layout should be oriented toward the focal point of the space and feel cozy. Try to ignore the impulse to line your furniture pieces up against the wall thinking it creates more space.  It doesn’t.

  • Keep traffic patterns in mind when planning a furniture layout. The ability to walk through the room without navigating through a maze of furniture is essential.

Easy & Inexpensive Updates for Your Family Room

  • Swap out throw pillows. Add deep velvet fabric pillows, tapestry and rich colors in fall and winter, then you can swap these out for bright colored, cotton or canvas pillows in spring and summer.

  • Freshen up old furniture by adding cozy, beautiful throws and blankets in colder months. This not only gives color and texture but can hide rips and stains!

  • Let the sun shine in! Clean windows inside and out, add new curtains, swags or drapes. If privacy isn’t an issue, lose the blinds and sheers and let light pour in!

Clever & Unique Family Room Ideas

  • Get rid of clutter by adding multi-functional storage pieces. Think ottomans with hinged lids, coffee tables with drawers, photo boxes to hold odds and ends, which will fit beautifully in a bookcase.

  • Create the illusion of space and light by grouping a collection of mirrors with decorative frames.

  • Spray paint is your best friend! Take old, mismatched picture frames and give them a new life with a coat of flat black spray paint. The texture of each frame gives dimension while the monochromatic color gives your items the look of a collection, not clutter!

  • Swap out those energy draining bulbs with compact fluorescents or LEDs that create a soft light from your lamps without breaking your budget.

  • Raise your curtain rods, and extend them well past the windows! The illusion of huge windows is created by adding additional ‘framing’ around the ones you have

      Inviting, comfortable and relaxing! 

    No wonder the gang’s all here –

    Is it Super Bowl Sunday already?

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CT, home, real estate, Stamford

It’s All About The Journey … Choosing Kitchen Appliances – Consider the Current Cook and Potential Buyers!

What is a kitchen without it’s appliances?   After all, the primary function of a kitchen is for cooking and preparing meals, (unless you’re my mother who once looked at an apartment in NYC and didn’t realize there wasn’t a kitchen!).  Functionally obsolete appliances can turn the joy of cooking into the agony of defeat, they’re also one of the first things a buyer will notice about your kitchen.  A little paint can refresh tired looking wood cabinets but there’s no hiding that harvest gold range!

If your appliances could use an update, here are some tips on how to choose the right cooktop, fridge and more.

Cooktops – Gas, Electric or Induction

   The choice is personal, but the preferences are fierce!  Gas is very popular because there is more control of the temperature settings. With gas  you can turn the heat up or down immediately  & with more precision, as opposed to electric units which adjust more slowly.  When shopping for gas cooktops  ask about BTU’s which is an energy measurement and is short for british thermal units, and variable control which addresses how long you can maintain “simmer” without the flame going out.  Burner grates made of cast iron or metal allow for better heat transfer from the burner to the pan.  Choices for fuel are either natural gas or propane, so  if you are not in an area with gas available, propane is the way to go.

Electric is the most common option – these are flat top models which tend to be the least expensive option and what you will find in most homes.

Induction heat  is a flat cooktop like electric that performs like fast-heating gas stoves and is gaining popularity in todays’ kitchen.  With induction cooking you lose the least amount of heat from burner to pan.   It’s also a time-saver because you can bring a pan of water to boiling faster than you can on a high performing BTU gas range top.

Range Hood 

Any cooktop demands a proper ventilation system that will usher exhaust out of the kitchen. Recirculating fans may take out some of the cooking steam, but they don’t move out any heat.  Exterior blowers and inline blowers provide high-performance ventilation.  Noise levels can vary, if you hear the sound of suction (and not the motor running) this is a good thing.  No one wants to turn on the range hood and think a Cessna is about to land in their kitchen.

Ovens

 Conventional ovens  can be gas or electric (there are even dual energy range options where you have a gas cooktop and an electric oven). Styles vary from an all-in-one  cooktop/oven range to wall mounted double or single oven units. Interior size is an important factor when shopping – you should make sure the Thanksgiving turkey is going to fit!

Convection ovens are often an option within a conventional oven (or sometimes microwave-we’ll get to that later).  They circulate heat with a fan to cook food faster and more evenly and will help you get dinner on the table faster than a traditional oven.  The downside is you don’t get the standard bake/roast/broil settings.

Refrigerators/Freezers

 Freestanding models slide into a space and generally protrude 6 to 7 inches beyond counter depth (a 24 inch depth is standard).  Counter-depth units will look more like built-in units but be careful not to sacrifice form for function.  Check out the interior cubic feet of storage for each unit.

As for configuration, French-door refrigerators (on top) with freezer drawer (on bottom) are very popular.  They allow you to store pizza boxes, sheet cakes, deli trays, etc. that are difficult to fit into a side by side refrigerator. You can also choose the traditional freezer on the top/refrigerator on the bottom or a side-by-side option.

Another consideration is if you want a water/ice in the door dispenser. If you  are focused on water purification, there are units that will accomplish this.  Otherwise the systems simply pass water through a copper pipe in the unit and out your refrigerator door.

Microwaves

Microwaves can consume a lot of counter space.  Microwaves built into the cabinetry are becoming very popular as well as microwave drawers which nestle among base cabinets and are very handy. Built-in microwaves over the range can also act as a venting mechanism.  As mentioned above, there are many models that also have a convection oven cooking feature.

Dishwashers

Traditional dishwashers with doors that pull from the top down are the most popular style and they can be paneled to blend with the cabinetry for a seamless look.  Drawer dishwashers are another trend on the rise because they are easier to load and can be installed at various heights, based on your needs.  Because they can handle smaller loads, they are also more efficient.

This is another appliance where noise levels can vary.  If you want to have a conversation while the dishwasher is running, make sure to check out the decibel level on the spec sheet to see how quietly it will operate.

Finishes

                             Now that you’ve considered your appliances, think about finish.  Stainless steel is still the most popular but now comes in more varieties than the traditional polished finish.  Black stainless has a more muted tone and smudge free has a more brushed appearance. Both eliminate the common “finger prints” complaint when considering stainless steel appliances. Whatever look you prefer, stainless is still the most requested finish among buyers.

Energy Efficiency

Last but certainly not least, consider energy ratings when purchasing appliances.  The higher the rating the more you will save on your electric bill and energy consumption. A factor any home owner will appreciate!

 What time is dinner?

 

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fireplace, home, real estate, Stamford, Uncategorized

It’s All About the Journey … Fireplaces – Cozy and Cost Effective

What’s more comforting than sitting in front of a roaring fire on a cold winter’s night? Fireplaces can instantly change the mood of a room, making it more cozy and romantic , and as a bonus may also give an extra source of heat. There are lots of choices to provide the glowing warmth of a fire, some that don’t require a chimney or flu.

Now that I’ve “sparked” your interest, let’s take a look at the broad category of indoor fireplaces.

 

WOOD BURNING

   Traditional Open Hearth 
Typically made of stone or brick, these types of fireplaces have existed for centuries. You can feel the heat, smell the wood burning and hear it crackling. They are not as effective at heating the room as some of the more modern varieties. Also, if you don’t already have a fireplace, it will require a fair amount of construction to put in the opening and chimney for proper venting.

Enclosed Fireplaces  
These indoor fireplaces feature a large glass panel to view the fire as it burns. You have less heat escaping up the chimney and more entering the room. Enclosed fireplaces provide more warmth while still having the ambience of a wood burning fire.

  Fireplace Inserts
These are inserts that fit into your existing fireplace opening. They are enclosed, enabling you to easily turn an inefficient open hearth heating system in to one that is more fuel efficient.

Wood Burning Stoves  
Although not technically a fireplace, wood burning stoves are an alternative to burn wood for heating without needing a fireplace. It will, however, require a pipe to vent the smoke through the chimney to the outside. You will also need to install a noncombustible floor pad and wall surrounds.

  Pellet Stoves  

These stoves are generally small, and the bags of pellets are inexpensive and come in quantities that are about the size of a mulch bag, making them easy to store. They’re also easy to operate; they on­ly require loading pellets and igniting the flame. Because the fire is contained in a heat box  there is a minimum of smoke, which lessens the smell in your home and prevents the outside of the unit from heating up.  Wood pellets are made from recycled materials and are heavily compressed, which reduces the moisture content. Dry fuel creates more heat, causing the pellets to burn hotter and cleaner than their wood counterparts. A word of caution – these stoves run on electricity, so if your power goes out, so does your stove.

 

GAS

  Direct-Vented Built-in Fireplaces
This gas fireplace can be vented through an existing or newly construction chimney or you can alternatively use a pipe to eliminate more costly changes in the house’s structure.

Ventless Built-in Fireplaces  
Ventless built-in indoor fireplaces are the simplest to install as there is no need for a chimney or vent. However, though every effort is made to make it clean burning, it is possible that some contaminates from the gas will enter your home without a vented system.

 

ETHANOL

  Fireplace Conversion
If you have an existing fireplace, you can get an ethanol burning insert that will slide right in. Depending on your preference, there are options for a more traditional or modern appearance.

Wall mounted Fireplaces  
With this style, you can actually hang your fireplace on any wall that you choose, making it double as a heating source or a centerpiece of a room.

 

ELECTRIC

 Electric fireplaces are the most cost effective option on the market. They are easy to install and require no ventilation. Another added benefit – most allow you to turn the heating function on or off while maintaining the ambiance of a fireplace. Available in a traditional mantel surround or built within a media cabinet, they can be operated by remote control and some have different varieties of fire effects.

Doesn’t it sound nice to grab a glass of wine, curl up with a blanket and sit by the fire? With all the options out there, it’s possible for everyone to enjoy!

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