Color Makes the Statement

There are many tools for maximizing a small space, and color is one of them!

A client of mine had recently moved into a condo at The Pinnacle (Chicago) at 21 East Huron. The single bedroon unit had a nice layout, but small square footage in the living/dining area.

She made the most of this small area by first limiting her furnitue to a few very well scaled pieces. The sensuous curve of the small white suede sofa, along with the classic Eileen Gray table eliminates what could otherwise have been a "boxy" feel to the room.

The real key to the room's excitement came in my client's selction of background colors! She first had the walls painted in a rich dark chocolate brown. This made the small area immdiately very warm and intimate.

The final step was when we added silk draperies in a bright robin's egg blue! These heavily lined panels run from floor to ceiling and break slightly on the floor.

The color rich panels really pop and add a note of pure elegance in a small space where every detail counts!

Panel Track

Natural Texture Panel Track


For a sleek modern twist on drapery treatments, consider the panel track system!

Panel tracks operate very much like vertical blinds - but without all those plastic strips rattling around!

Each of my tracks are custom made for your specific window. They can be designed to open in the center, or to all draw to one side. The panels completely cover your window and draw back smoothly, stacking neatly behind each other. They can be set up to operate with a draw cord or batons.

Terrific choices in materials are available for your decorating needs! Natural textures, sun block panels, durable plastics and soft panels that let in just the right amount of sunlight are just some of the choices! You can even have them custom made in a fabric of your choosing!

Best of all, the durable panel track system is very affordable! It will last for many years and packs a lot of style for the price!

The Value of Staging!

Sheldon Salnick, of Rubloff Residential Properties, recently had me stage one of his Chicago listings for a client.

The "bones" were there in terms of space and layout, but we needed to arrange the clients' furniture and accessories to show the space to it's best advantage.

I worked with the owners, moving things around - we can take this out, move this over here, let's put this in storage, we need to clear this surface - until we were all satisfied!

I used only the existing furniture and accessories - the owners did not have to buy or bring in anything else!

In just three hours, we had completely transformed the living space! The owners were delighted and commented that the condo looked much bigger and newer!

Best of all, the unit sold within a week after going on the market!

There is no doubt in any of our minds that staging this living space helped make the sale!

Contact http://www.jos.riceinteriors@att.net and let me show you how staging can help sell your property!

Kitchen Remodeling for a Vintage Condo

Before

After


Before



After

A client of mine recently decided to so some remodeling rather than move to a new living space. First on his list was the outdated kitchen.

The condo is in a beautiful vintage building on the north side of Chicago. The client had done nothing to the kitchen after purchasing the unit several years ago. A shoddy remodeling job by the former owner had left him with a cracked tile floor, cheap cabinetry that was outdated, and poor use of the space.

I recommended that we maintain the vintage style of the condo, so we started by selecting warm oak cabinets that matched well with the woodwork throughout the rest of his living space. The flow of the galley kitchen space was improved by resizing the cabinets and giving them more height for better scale and storage. A double height cabinet was eliminated to create more counter work space. Granite for the new counter top was selected on sight and custom cut to exact specifications for placement.

The cracked tile floor was replaced, starting by laying a more firm sub floor. New 18" square ceramic tile was installed on the diagonal to create a larger look for the narrow space.

In order to bring the electical work up to date, we reconfigured switches. We also replaced a dreary fluorescent ceiling fixture and adding under cabinet lighting.

Finally, an awkward laundry space with exposed washer and dryer was enclosed in a closet with bi fold door.

Since the appliances had been recently purchased, we did not replace them.

The client is extremely pleased with the new and improved kitchen! The vintage look of the kitchen blends perfectly with the rest of his condo and the space is far more functional.

The remodeled kitchen will definitely add value to the condo, should he ever decide to sell!

Silk Draperies

Nothing says luxury in a window treatment like a beautifully draped silk!

But people are often afraid of choosing silk for draperies.

One misconception is that silk is extremely expensive and out of range on most budgets - but this is not true. Although there are expensive European grades on the market, good silk fabric can be had for about the same price as other cottons and cotton/polyester blends.

Another worry with consumers is that silk is too fragile. Actually silk is extremely strong and as long it is properly lined to protect from sun damage, it will last for many years. I always use an additional interlining on silk draperies. This is a layer of flannel placed between the silk and the lining. It gives the drapery treatment that extra body to create a luxurious texture.

Timeless beauty that lasts for years is what I call a good investment!