HOME ECONOMICS
March 2009
It's strange and scary in this economy to consider any new investments. Counterintuitive as it may seem, this may be the best time to invest in your greatest asset - your home. Think of it as interior investments, domicile dividends, beauty bonds, a design deposit, style stock... you get the picture.Your Nest Should be the Best.
Is the stock market stressing you out, does the news give you the blues? There's nothing like a recession to force us to focus on our priorities. Your home should be a haven from the stresses and strains - a place to sit back, re-charge and take stock of what's really important in life. A home environment that creates positive feelings and reflects the best of ourselves is a wonderful tonic to the toxic that is out there.
I'm not saying (at least not publicly) that wallpaper can change your life, but I am saying consciously or unconsciously we are affected by our physical surroundings and our home is the only place we really have any control - so take control.
Liquidate to Decorate?
Just because I insist this is a great time to focus on your home, you don't need to call your broker and cash out - although I won't stop you if you insist. This is the time for conscious investing - spending based on a well thought-out short and long term plan.
Let's face it, the ROI on the DOW has put us all in a depression. Now's the time for a lift, an upswing in style, a new guaranteed ROI: Return on Interiors!
Prices are Off the Axis.
If Jimmy Choo's are marked down 60%, you know fine furniture can't be far behind and it's true. Retail and even custom furniture are more attainable than ever and present some great opportunities.
Similarly, contract labor is better priced and more available. Contractors are hungry and are doing whatever it takes to keep busy. That means premium prices are something of the past, at least for a while.
Push the Pause Button on the Four Seasons and Push Play on Your own Home - Staycations!
Your trips may be put on hold for a while so spend your next vacation at a place that you can afford AND you really want to be - your home! It truly can feel 5 star without 5 star costs. Create that outdoor space that adds livable square footage to your home, integrate comfortable escape areas or furnishings into key rooms and replace non-descript furnishings with decor that rivals any hip or luxury hotel.
Make your Interior Investments A Bull's-Eye.
It's painful enough in a bull market to buy the wrong sofa or worse install the wrong tile, but today it's unforgivable. Lots of my work comes from clients who made major purchase or design mistakes in the name of going it alone to save money, and then they hire me to fix it resulting in unnecessary spending - ouch. Do it right the first time with a professional's help - that's not being indulgent, that's being downright thrifty. A designer can help you navigate the labyrinth of retail and custom furnishings and show you where to spend less and where to plunk down a bit more for a gem. Call it dollar cost averaging with your designer.
While the idea of updating and upgrading your home might feel at odds with the prevailing economic climate and a tad self indulgent, these days it's actually the most prudent move you can make!
HIGH STYLE FOR YOUR HOME - EVEN WITH CHILDREN
May 2008
You're grown up, successful, well traveled and now more than ever feel you're ready for and deserve a home that is as pulled together as you are (or was before having children).
The irony is that now that you've reached this point in your life you now have children who would make any investment in a chic home impractical - right? Absolutely not!
Now is the time to create an environment that reminds you of the cool, in-charge adult that you still are (somewhere in there). And it can be done guilt free.
Here are six things to do to have a wow house with wee ones -
- Use bullet proof textiles in areas where exposure is highest - seating, rugs, wall coverings
- Invest in lighting and a good electrician. It makes or breaks a room - it's that simple and that important. A room with great stuff looks just OK with mediocre lighting, and a room with mediocre stuff can look great with well-designed lighting.
- Maximize Storage...
- Built in cabinets - by a carpenter or closet company.
- Console tables as perfect disguises for toy storage.
- Window seat with built in drawers below.
- Open shelves filled with great baskets that are filled with kid's stuff.
- Maximize closet space with closet systems.
- Treat windows as if you were dressing them for date night.
- Cover those walls wisely.
- Let it go - EDIT, EDIT, EDIT.