HOME Updating Your Home

When a home owner decides to remodel, drastic changes such as tearing down walls or adding built-ins are a common choice. Others opt for a more subtle change and simply redesign their home with a few new pieces of furniture or strategic accessorizing. Both projects can be completed with a variety of budgets, and they each require ample time and careful planning.

Reasons for tackling remodeling and redesigning projects are as varied as today’s popular home styles. Many people want to fix up their home to make a better profit when it sells, but the majority are seeking an updated look. “Most people want to bring their home into the 90s,” says Nick Losole, owner of Southwest Interior Design in Farmers Branch. “With remodeling, projects occur in a trickle-down effect, and everything eventually falls into place.” When remodeling or redesigning, Mr. Losole suggests making a project list and setting priorities. Overlook nothing because everything must blend to achieve the desired look.

Seeking the advice of experts when remodeling or redesigning a home provides a fresh perspective and unique ideas. Here, interior designers and home professionals from across the Metroplex offer (heir advice on how to turn an ordinary house into a luxurious residence.



REDESIGNING YOUR SPACE Seeking the Advice of Experts

If new furnishings and accessories are part of a home owner’s remodeling or redesigning plans, it helps to solicit the advice of an interior designer. The Metroplex is full of top designers who can select the perfect finishing touches for any home. They can even rearrange a home’s existing furnishings and accessories for a fresh, new look.

When redesigning, a good place to start is with furniture. Home owners tired of their oudated color or style of furnishings can seek die help of Gabberts’ interior designer, Diane Mallory. A problem many people are experiencing today is the size of their furniture in proportion to their space. “Today’s furniture styles are larger, and when people remodel, they have more space or taller ceilings, and they wind up with small furniture in a big space,” Ms. Mallory says. “Adding a few larger pieces or rearranging the furniture can solve the problem.”

For remodelers on a budget, Ms. Mallory suggests rearranging existing furniture to make each room look different. “Maybe a dining room hutch could be used in an entry hallway or in the living room as a curio cabinet.” she says. “Your living room end tables may make pretty nightstands.”

An easy way to update a home’s accessories without purchasing new pieces is to take everything down from the shelves and tables, only adding back favorite and cherished pieces. Keep aside anything worn or outdated. Rearrange the accessories by placing them in different parts of the house. “This way, you get to keep your own things, but you also get a different feel,” she says.

Those hunting for an all-in-one place to redesign their home will find the many designers at Gabbert’s helpful, as well as the professionals at The Market and Southwest Interior & Design. Redesigning a home is simpler with the guidance of these companies since they provide services for every aspect of the home from flooring and walls to design consultation. At The Market, no detail is left unnoticed from elegant antique furnishings to custom floral design. “We do everything from the ground up,” says Ed Foster, assistant manager. “Flooring, furnishings, windows, space planning, upholstery – we can redesign an entire house or just one room.”

A key product at The Market is its unique home accessories. Designers here create settings with the store’s furnishings and accessories to help customers visualize how they could look in their own home. “Most of the time, peopie are just tired of their home’s look, or they are trying to tie everything in, but don’t know where to start,” Mr. Foster says. “This is where an interior designer can help.”

The Market is also the perfect place to visit for a quick redesign of the home in time for Christmas. The store has a full supply of elegant tree ornaments from around the world, and The Market’s designers can visit a home for consultation on decorating for the holidays and design custom wreaths, trees and garland arrangements.

Remodeling can be a large or small project, depending on a home owner’s need, budget and time. From painting walls to adding a pretty patio door or installing new carpet, it is the smallest details that can make the biggest difference in a home. So consult an interior designer or make it a do-it-yourself project, and watch an idea become reality.

ANTIQUES-

When Inessa Stewart was growing up in the city of Odessa in the Ukraine, she was continually surrounded by beautiful. French antique furniture, Even as a child she thought the furniture’s craftsmanship was exquisite, but using these antiques for everyday living was just a way of life for Inessa and her family.

When she moved to the United States 25 years ago, she brought along her passion for French antique furniture and began collecting pieces for what would become the largest source of fine French and European antiques in the country. Inessa Stewart’s Antiques, The company, which she has owned with her husband John Stewart for the past eight years, is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Due to the increasing demand and interest in French antiques from Dallas customers, the couple is opening another showroom at Inwood and Lover’s Lane in Dallas, which is set to open Oct. 15.

The Stewarts travel to Europe at least three months out of the year to purchase antiques for their U.S. showrooms. Most of their travel time is spent in France and Italy where they search exotic cities, such as Nice, Paris, Normandy and Venice, looking for the most distinct, quality pieces to bring home to their U.S. customers. They keep an eye out for unique antique pieces (hat can easily be adapted for modern usage, such as a French Provencial armoire that can be converted into an entertainment center or computer desk.

“For many people, the idea of having antiques in the house consists of owning one or two pieces that are kept in a corner and covered to keep the kids away from them,” Mr. Stewart says. “We specialize in finding 18th and 19th century antiques that can be adapted to fit a 2(Hh century lifestyle.”

Some customers worry that customizing an antique will cause it to lose its value, when in fact, it increases the value because it is more usable for today’s lifestyles. “We don’t refinish antiques,” Mrs. Stewart says. “We restore them. If you refinish them, you are taking away the look of the old. We keep the original character of the furniture as much as we can. And we never customize a piece that cannot be put back into its original state. We do just enough to make it useful to (he customer.”

Antique enthusiasts can look forward to a new shipment of French and European antiques to the Dallas showroom approximately every two months.



Walls:

For an immediate improvement to a home, invest in a few buckets of paint. Tour any new custom home, and notice the latest trend in walls – faux finishing. “’Faux finishes. Sponging. Rag rolling. Glazes. Anything that gives your walls a different effect is popular,” says Kenneth Phillips, manager of a Sherwin-Williams store in Richardson. “You can drastically change the look of a house just by painting it.”

Painting can be a do-it-yourself project, and if planned carefully, it can be a rather inexpensive facelift to a home. Before tearing down walls and rearranging furniture to make a room look bigger, consider painting. “With the right colors and lighting, painting can actually make a room appear larger,” Mr. Phillips says. “Skylights and lighter carpet with light walls give it an open feel, just as darker colors will make a room appear warmer.”

And if using one of these new faux finishes or bright colors turns out to be a mistake, painting is also one of the easiest remodeling projects to fix. “The great thing about painting is that: if you don’t like it, you can just paint over it,” he says.

Flooring:

Many new homes in Dallas include one of the hottest items in flooring – ceramic tile. “Ifs a timeless, classic look,” says De De Dunn, marketing coordinator for American Marazzi Tile in Sunnyvale. Remodeling home owners in need of new flooring can use ceramic tile to help portray a certain theme or feel in a room. ’The tile can give you a great beginning to an Italian Villa or a Floridian look.” she says.

Ceramic tile flooring, although more expensive than vinyl flooring, is easier to maintain and will last longer. A popular choice is tile that emulates the look of natural stone. Ceramic tile is also easy to combine with carpeting and hardwood floors for an inviting look. The variety of textures and patterns can create an attractive transition from room to room. “People are always blown away al how different their home looks just by updating their flooring,” she says.



Windows:

When remodeling, home owners should look beyond the decor to get a new look. A simple makeover to a home is to install new windows. “Much of Dallas is living in homes built in the ’50s or ’60s which have steel casement, double hung windows.”’ says Kevin Hoffman, office manager of Metro Window & Door in Dallas. “It’s time to replace them because they’re not insulated, and they’re not attractive.”

As most remodeling projects go, when it is time to replace something due to poor function, home owners usually choose something more modem and attractive. Such is the case with windows. An easy way to give a home an updated look, plus great insulation, is to install wood windows. Although pricier, they create a classic look. Plus, the warmth of wood adds distinct style to any room, They are also great energy savers, since wood is an excellent insulator. “Today, windows can be a centerpiece rather than an eyesore you have to cover,” Mr. Hoffman says.

BATH AND KITCHEN-

A home’s bathroom and kitchen are usually the two rooms most in need of remodeling. Sink and tub fixtures eventually wear out or become outdated. “Most people have the same fixtures they had when they bought their house 20 years ago,” says Harry Green, owner of The Bath and Kitchen Showplace in Mesquite.

To achieve a more updated look with tubs and sinks, Mr. Green suggests making a game plan first. “Don’t start without guidance,” he says. “Some (bath) units just can’t be replaced. Avoid choosing fixtures because they are cheaper, because they may not last long.”

When remodeling a bathroom, a home owner can start small by installing a pretty handpainted sink with a new chrome faucet, or (hey can incorporate luxury into every inch of the bathroom. Imagine coming home from work to a steamy shower and soothing music. It is possible with a computerized shower that can be programmed to turn on at a desired temperature, play a CD and Ileal up a towel warmer by the time you pull in your driveway. Multiple body sprays and Jacuzzi tubs are other popular bath updates, as well as pedestal, self-rimming and CorianR sinks with chrome or antique brass fixtures in the kitchen and bath.



Kitchen Appliances:

There will come a time in most every home owner’s life when the oven goes out or the refrigerator stops cooling. Instead of only buying a replacement appliance, many choose to use this as an opportunity to remodel their kitchen. Stainless steel is the top kitchen appliance style on many Dallas home-own-ers’ must-have lists. Heavy rounded appliance handles, large refrigerators with versatile shelf space and glistening stainless steel cooktops and sinks create this popular commercial kitchen look. Fortunately, home owners who choose this style will also receive quality function since these appliances are typically a high-end product.

“There is a kitchen craze lately, and stainless steel is it,” says Kevin Henson, vice-president of Freed Appliances in Grand Prairie. Mr. Henson says he is noticing a resurgence in kitchen remodeling, and that people are seeking a more finished look, especially if they are about to sell their home. With appliances, function usually outweighs form, so people often turn to him for suggestions on how to get the most out of their kitchen when remodeling. “When you re-do your kitchen, the initial vision of what you see – it’s outer surface – is what the future buyer will see,” he says. “Everything should blend.”

Heating/Air Conditioning:

A mistake many home owners make when they remodel is overlooking the replacement of the one thing that keeps their home comfortable – the heating and air conditioning systems. “I know people who have a Viking stove, Berber carpet and an old, off-brand (AC) unit.” says David Dolan, marketing and advertising director for Carrier Bock in Irving. “When you do a remodeling job, this should be the first thing you consider.”

A common excuse for not replacing the heating or AC units is their expense. “When you’re talking about making the interior of your home comfortable, it should be worth it,” he says. “If you’re not comfortable inside, it just defeats the purpose of remodeling it.”

Signals that a heating/AC unit needs to be replaced include a loud noise, high energy bills and rooms that are not heating or cooling at the same rate. Mr. Dolan suggests installing a high-SEER system that is ozone friendly and energy efficient. Although initially expensive, home owners usually see drastic energy savings in less than five years.