Tag: home design

Financing Your Dream Home: Expert Advice for Moms

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Homeowner, Motherhood.

Finding and financing your dream house is an exciting but difficult process as a mom. When starting this path, there are a number of things to take into account, from understanding mortgage alternatives to managing budgeting. Fortunately, you can make wise decisions and get the funding you require with the correct information and professional guidance.

Continue reading

Picking the Right Rug for Your Home

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Homeowner.

It seems to be a cliché of interior design—the right area rug can actually tie a whole room together and allow you to complete the room in a way you couldn’t before.

In many ways, this is totally true. What is worse is that the wrong type of rug can have the opposite effect and totally destroy any sense of unity or flow. This is why it is so important to take your time and find the area rug that is right for you.

You need to look at four areas when you’re picking out the right rug:

  1. First, you want to find the right size for your area rug. Too many people try to buy area rugs that take up most, if not all, of the room. This isn’t the right idea. It’s not for carpeting after all; it’s an accent and cover for the carpet. Instead, measure out the seating area for the room. In a living room or den, it may not be convenient to place all of the furniture completely on the rug. But the coffee table should be able to fit squarely in the center and the surrounding couches and chairs should have their front legs resting on the rug.

 

  1. Next, think about the shape that will best compliment your environment. If your room or the sitting area is square, then you can choose a square rug. But also consider a round one that can offset the room perfectly. If the sitting area is more rectangular, then choose a rectangular rug. (A square or circular one here will look off-kilter.) If you get a rectangular rug, make sure that you place it in the same direction as the flow of the room.

 

  1. Once you have the right size and shape, you will want to look at the texture of your rug. If you have a consistent texture style for all of your furniture, you may wish to pick something complimentary as your rug texture. If you have leather furniture, for example, it will look great with a fluffy area rug that it can kind of sink into. However, keep in mind that such a rug might be a tripping hazard for the elderly and little kids. Pick the texture that is right for you and don’t feel like you have to go with the basic wool that you see with most rugs.

 

  1. Finally, let’s talk color. If your furniture and décor are neutral or earth tones, you may want a rug that provides a pop of color. By contrast, bright furniture works well with neutral colored rugs. You don’t want a rug that just blends in with the carpeting and furniture. Instead, you want something that stands out distinctly.

Today, area rugs can actually be a big investment of money. They may not cost as much as full carpeting, but they aren’t cheap. Because of this, you should look to buy a rug that truly fits your room and your style so that you can create the area that you love.

**********

Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.

Inspiration for a Stunning Autumn Porch Display

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Homeowner.

With autumn right around the corner, many people are thinking about sprucing up their home’s exterior with a beautiful porch display for the season. Although many people wait until October to do something Halloween themed, you can find a way to express your style and creativity with a variety of porch displays throughout the season.

Here are ideas to get your brain spinning and your creative juices flowing so you can be the envy of your neighbors this fall:

  1. Start with a splash of color — When people think of the fall, they often think of pumpkins. The big color that pops into their mind is orange. This is a great starting point for your porch color scheme. Don’t stick with just orange, instead choose decorations or items that hit an array of fall “earth tones”—brown, gold, yellow, deep crimson, and even a rich purple.If you do want to use pumpkins, consider a variety of gourds that come in a multitude of colors. Make sure that the items are on planters of varying height. This makes the eye move a little more rather than feeling like a static straight line.
  2. It’s not just about pumpkins — Two other big hits with porch displays are hay bales and mums. You can easily find these at any nursery and the hay bales, being rectangular, work perfectly as the bases to put other items on top of.
  3. Don’t forget the seats — Be sure to include an area of your porch for rest and relaxation. These can be comfortable chairs, rockers, or even a porch swing. Whatever you choose, make sure that they are paired closely together so that you can entertain and converse easily. You don’t want two chairs on opposite sides of the porch, where you have to yell at each other to talk. Add warm blankets so you can snuggle underneath them on cool autumn nights!
  4. Get crafty — Another idea for creating unique planters is to use crates of varying sizes. These can give you the height differences that you want while being interesting eye-catchers. To add the fall sensibilities, you can either choose to paint these in fall colors, or you can get stencils from your local craft store and paint fall flowers or other designs on them.

This autumn, spruce up your front yard by adding something new and original to your porch display. If you follow the steps listed above, you can create an inviting and elegant feel that will add warmth and style to your home.

**********

Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.

Getting in Touch with Your Inner Interior Designer

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Home Improvement, Homeowner.

If you’re many people, you probably spend a lot of time watching shows on HGTV or TLC like Trading Spaces, Fixer Upper, or Property Brothers. These shows have almost single-handedly rejuvenated the interior design and remodeling craze. But most of us don’t have the option to hire Chip and Joanna Gaines to design our homes for us.

So this month, let’s look at some tips and tricks that will let you get in touch with your inner interior designer so that you can make some major changes to your home.

  1. Do some research (and dreaming)—One of the best things to generate ideas for your home is to start doing a lot of research. The good news is that this is easier than ever. Social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram have an abundance of pictures and infographics that can help give you ideas about how to easily transform your house. You can also check out design magazines and websites online.
  2. Pick your colors—Now that you have some ideas about what you want your room to look like, you should pick out your color scheme. Go for a rule of three. The first color will be a neutral or understated color that will serve as the main color for the room’s walls. Then, have a second, complementary color that will be a bit bolder and will serve as the color “pop” with your furniture or possibly an accent wall. Finally, the third color should be another bold color that coordinates well with the second. This will be the color for your accessories such as pillows.
  3. Get bold—When it comes to furniture, you don’t want to have a lot of little furniture pieces that are going to make your room look cluttered. Instead, choose one bold piece of furniture like a sofa that you can build the rest of the room around.
  4. Use your words—One of the biggest trends in the last few years that can really add a personal touch to a room is a message. Many people are using “word art” pieces to express a simple theme in the room like “love” or “family.” Others are using wall appliques of messages that present a personal philosophy as a kind of designer mantra for your home.

These are just some of the ideas that will help you begin creating your own interior design style. The important thing to remember is that you should go with what speaks to you. There are all kinds of theories about how to properly decorate a home. But what really matters is going with what makes you feel comfortable and happy.

 

**********

Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.