kathy passarette: What's Under Your Bed?
- 08/24/09 10:31 AM
Photo from fanpop.com Cool name for a scary movie, but I'm talking about using the space underneath your bed for storage, especially when you are selling your house.
Prospective buyers will be looking in closets and the cabinets that come with the house. You need to cut your clothing closets in half to really give a good visual of how much space they have. Out of season clothes can be put in storage bins in the basement or attic, but what about all those extra light jackets, sundresses that may see the sun once all summer and those shorts … (23 comments)
kathy passarette: Fall 2009 Adult Education Class ~ Furniture Placement
- 08/18/09 01:51 PM
The Fall 2009 Mount Sinai Adult Education Program booklet is out and my class for this session is Furniture Placement {see description below}. You do not have to be a resident of Mount Sinai to participate in this program. This class is 1- 1/2 hours, not 2 hours as listed in the booklet. Furniture Placement Ms. Kathy Passarette HS 107
Not sure how to place your furniture in a room? Purchasing new furniture and not sure what pieces to get? Making interior design choices in your home can be overwhelming and stressful. This class will look at these questions and … (11 comments)
kathy passarette: ~ Open House . . . . And It's My House! ~
- 08/12/09 04:45 AM
As most of you know, we are selling our house and this weekend is the first open house! My Realtor, Lourdes Hoglo {of Prudential Douglas Elliman} will be holding the open house on Saturday from 2-4 p.m. Because I can be shameless in plugging myself when necessary, here are some pictures of my house that I stole borrowed from her blog. You can see more at Lourdes' blog {click on Lourdes' name in the paragraph above}. Exterior:
Great Room:
Den:
One of four bedrooms:
Master Bath:
You, too, can be a prospective buyer of … (18 comments)
kathy passarette: ~ A Quick Peek {Bedroom Before & After} ~
- 08/08/09 07:57 AM
Just taking a break from cleaning and thought I'd get a "before" and "after" posted. This was my daughter's room and while she moved out, much of her stuff did not! I remembered to take a few pics right before I put the mattress frame together. My daughter was into an Asian type of decor and had her mattress and box spring on the floor ~ no frame. I thought we had kept the frame but I could not find it anywhere so I went to Sleepy's and bought the least expensive Queen size frame they had {I believe I paid about … (18 comments)
kathy passarette: Some House Prep Updates ~ Finally!
- 07/25/09 12:43 PM
I know I've been away from Active Rain for just FOR-EVA, but I have been trying to remember to take pictures along the way, and I finally have some "before" and "afters" to share. As you probably recall from my past posts, we are preparing our house to put on the market. This room I'm sharing today is on one side of that long hallway I posted about here. It is part of the original den to this house (the hall was the other part of the original den but became a hall when we added our great room). This room … (13 comments)
Having decorated the model condominiums at The Oaks, I have been working with several of the homeowners. I am setting up two weekends for first time consultation appointments - Saturday, July 25th and Saturday, August 15th. The first time consultation fee will be $60.00 per hour (down from $75.00), and the waiver of the travel fee will continue - that's a savings of $65.00!
If you've been considering making an appointment for a … (0 comments)
kathy passarette: Bookcases ~ A Novel Idea
- 06/09/09 01:23 AM
Photo courtesy of Country Living MagazineI love books, so I think loving bookcases goes hand-in-hand with that. I have a pair of bookcases my hubby made for me as a gift one year - I love them if for no other reason than that he made them for me, but they absolutely came in handy as well. They will be coming with us when we down-size.I also have a pair of bookcases with drawers in my son's bedroom that will be repurposed into bookcases for my home office. They are pine, but I plan on painting them. My problem comes in … (11 comments)
kathy passarette: Sometimes The Little Things Mean A Lot
- 04/03/09 08:26 AM
I've started saving these little bottles and soaps that my husband brings home for me from his business trips. Instead of sticking them in the cabinet under the bathroom sink (and forgetting about them), I like to add them to bathroom stagings. These work well if I'm using a small basket with hand towels and wash clothes. I did that in this bathroom:
Here's a close up shot. In this basket I utilitzed tube-style shampoo, conditioner and body lotion.
I've been wrapping the soaps in a pretty tissue paper and use one of my labels as a seal. I think it adds … (38 comments)
kathy passarette: White Is A Color
- 03/27/09 09:55 AM
White ~ it can conjure up cool, clean, fresh, and sterile visuals. White is usually thought of as a cool or cold color. Sometimes it's thought of as no color. Hard to figure then why paint manufacturers like Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams have about a hundred colors between them in the white family. Just like any other color, white can have other colors within it - blue, yellow, pink, gray, etc. Many retailers are showing white with other colors, which can sometimes tame a wild color, tone down a bright color and look clean and fresh with natural colors. Using Pottery … (20 comments)
kathy passarette: It's Time To Come Home ~ Finale
- 03/16/09 03:15 AM
My "It's Time To Come Home" series has come to an end. We've talked about Color, Paint, Flooring, Lighting, Window Treatments and Accessories. There are links to each post at the bottom. This final segment is really about the most important part of your home - YOU!
We can add color, paint, window treatments and accessories, but your home is not your home without you, your family, friends and other loved ones enjoying it. Sharing how your day went with your family in your "just-right-shade-of-red" dining room; kicking back and playing a board game while sitting on the "this-carpet-feels-so-good" floor; getting ready … (9 comments)
kathy passarette: It's Time To Come Home ~ Accessories
- 03/12/09 01:28 AM
Photo courtesy of Ballard Designs Home décor accessories run the gamut from mirrors in an entry to those cute little knick-knacks on side tables. The problem with accessories comes in when it seems more is more, rather than less is more, and you can't enjoy the pieces for themselves because there is just too much stuff. As a tip, when adding an accessory to a room that is already accessorized, remove one other item. You don't have to get rid of it, but store it and bring it out in six months or a year for a fresh look, or find … (12 comments)
kathy passarette: Spring Ahead ~ Not Just For Clocks
- 03/05/09 11:50 PM
As we move our clocks ahead an hour this weekend and get ready to welcome Spring (I know, there is still snow on the ground), it is also a great time to start thinking about freshening up our homes that have been "closed up" for so many months. Interior Redesign may help give your home that freshening up it needs.
Spring-cleaning refers to more than just housekeeping. Spring-cleaning is also a time to clean out the clutter, banish winter from our homes, and lighten up our rooms. Redesigning a room, or rooms, in your home is a great Spring-cleaning project, as … (16 comments)
kathy passarette: Dinner With My Friend ~ C Tann-Starr!
- 02/22/09 07:54 AM
Saturday evening I met my AR friend, Carolyn, at a restaurant midway between the two of us for dinner. We had a great time at Hemingways on Wantagh Avenue in Wantagh. The service and food were fantastic, and the atmosphere was conducive to some great conversation. Not only was this a chance for us to have dinner together, but Carolyn brought one of her clients along who is in the process of buying a house, and is eager to decorate it - putting her own stamp on her new home. It was a good opportunity to meet a prospective client in … (22 comments)
kathy passarette: Some Long Island History ~ Did You Know . . .
- 02/19/09 02:37 AM
That when P.T. Barnum died in 1891 his estate was valued at $4.3 million dollars. Mr. Barnum made his fortune not just from his circus, but from real estate; some of which he purchased in Port Jefferson on Long Island.
In 1873 P.T. Barnum bought land in Port Jefferson and, using his nephew and a real estate partner as his agents, cleaned up the site by removing dense areas of trees in the area known as Brick Hill. He planned to "erect a good number of houses there". While the first parcels were advertised in August of 1875, none were … (4 comments)
kathy passarette: It's Time To Come Home ~ Lighting
- 02/12/09 12:12 AM
Lighting can make or break a room, but many people don't give it a second thought. That paint color you labored over choosing can wind up looking like the worst choice you've ever made based on the lighting you use in that room. Let's take a look at the three basic types of lighting. Task lighting is lighting that performs a function for a task. Task lighting should be in every room in your house. From desk lamps to table lamps, before purchasing a lamp, keep in mind what tasks you will be using it for. Reading lamps should be above eye … (19 comments)
kathy passarette: Valentine's Day ~ Make It Romantic
- 02/05/09 03:28 AM
I recently had a reporter use one of my Valentine's Day tips for an article in the Denver Post, which you can read here. It is quite humorous and she lists the tips in a second section underneath the main article.
Here are the rest of the tips that didn't make it into the article: •· Instead of dining where you always do, choose a new spot. Move a small table in front of the fireplace or into the center of your living room. If the weather permits where you live, go out onto a porch, patio or deck. The beauty … (4 comments)
kathy passarette: Mount Sinai Adult Ed Program for Spring 2009 ~ Window Treatments
- 02/03/09 02:39 AM
Photo courtesy of Smith & Noble The Spring 2009 Mount Sinai Adult Education Program booklet is out! You can view it online here, as well as access the registration form. My class on Window Treatments will take place on Thursday, March 12, 2009, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. in room HS 107 of the Mount Sinai High School, North Country Road, Mount Sinai, New York. The class fee is $10.00; free to senior citizens. We will be discussing the wide variety of window treatment options available and how to decide which is the best treatment for your windows. Bring pictures of your own windows! I … (9 comments)
kathy passarette: February Special ~ Window Treatments
- 02/01/09 12:07 AM
Photo courtesy Smith & Noble Custom window treatments not only help keep out the drafts in the winter but can help block the hot rays of the sun in summer. With custom window treatments you can get the fabric and design of your choice. An added benefit is that you can get a black-out lining on custom window treatments. This works well for those that work the night shift or for your home theatre experience. Custom window treatments afford you the opportunity to choose a fabric that will work in your home, whether solid or patterned, as well as various trims that … (4 comments)
One of the largest single surfaces in your home is the floor. This article will take a look at the many options available in flooring and which one, or combination of choices, will work best in your home.
Wood ~ There is nothing that evokes warmth and timeless appeal more than wood floors. Wood does not harbor allergens, is renewable and easily recyclable. Many decorating magazines show homes that utilize reclaimed or salvaged wood. You can add stencils, borders or medallions (or a combination of the three). Wood floors are favored in living rooms, dining rooms, and family … (22 comments)
kathy passarette: Million Dollar House In East Moriches ~ In Contract!
- 01/24/09 12:33 AM
You may recall I wrote a post about a $1.3 million dollar vacant I staged in East Moriches in September of last year. It had been on the market vacant for over a year and a half. The broker held an open after the staging, the weekend of September 20th. I would periodically check our MLS to see if it was still on there and last night it was not! I sent an e-mail to the realtor asking if it had sold or gone into contract. She replied this morning that it is in full contract! Below are a few of the "before" and "after" … (25 comments)
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