HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
To all the fabulous Mothers in our world, we wish you a most beautiful Mother's Day. We hope you are able to celebrate with those that helped you become the mother that you are.
It has been awhile since I updated the blog, and that has been partially because I have been working to be more present to the ones that call me mother. They are my joy and my world. I am forever grateful for my amazing husband, the man that allowed me to become a mother. These kids are unique and varied, but each are beautiful in their own way - just like these flowers we gathered from the yard yesterday.
I plan to launch back full swing over the next few weeks, but for now, in this busy month of May, I hope you find time to cuddle those around you, share a silly laugh, and find curiosity in the journey of motherhood. Though it comes with stress and the occasional hair pulling moment (or moments), when you give it pause, it just might be the most rewarding job in the world.
Thank you to all the amazing mothers in my life; you have guided me and loved me along my journey. And to my incredible mother, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all you are, who you are, and all you've shared with me. I could not ask for a better friend and my heart is full of gratitude that cannot be expressed.
Celebrate your Mom today, either near or afar!! We'll be in touch soon.
- Casey
VALENTINE'S DAY COOKIE EXCHANGE
Celebrate your love of friendship with an easy party featuring cookies!
Cookies make me smile. Do they make you smile? It's even hard to say the word "cookie" without a least a little grin squeezing its way in.
There are so many reasons to love cookies. I think my love of cookies started while growing up with a mother that made everything (I think I mean EVERYTHING) from scratch. I was one of seven kids and we were always allowed to help in the kitchen. It is no accident that we all learned to love cookies. My mom was known for her "famous chocolate chip cookies" and the neighborhood kids seemed to always be aware when there was a batch in the oven. People were always impressed that she had not produced them from a refrigerated roll of dough, but rather had taken the time to create them on her own.
Of course, my love of baking grew from that kitchen and continued on through high school, college, and now into my adult life. The tradition continues as I have two daughters that are pretty passionate about baking. My oldest, Annika, has visions of her own bakery some day. At times it is difficult to keep up with the ingredients in our home as the girls burn through them crafting their new creations and testing their own recipes.
The obvious benefits of baking are the delicious outcomes and beautiful treats, but I believe that baking offers us much more. Baking brought me closer with my family growing up and it is bringing my children closer to me now. We spend time together dreaming of ideas, working as a team to narrow our vision, and then executing our plan to achieve an outcome we've all agreed upon. The teamwork that results is a pretty incredible benefit from such a simple task. There are even other studies to show that baking has health benefits such as relieving stress and lowering blood pressure (that is baking part anyway, the whole "eating the cookies" thing at the end might offset that a bit :)
Baking brings people together in another way: sharing the fruits of your labor. One of our family's favorite things are holiday parties where we share our baked goods with family and friends. Traditionally, we always tried to do this at Christmas, making lots of treats for family and friends. Unfortunately, Christmas can get busy and parties are so numerous that everyone seems to be rushed, making it difficult to squeeze in another event. My kids love to decorate cookies, and Christmas is no exception. Although we still decorate Christmas cookies, it often gets difficult to share them with everyone during the rush of the holidays, and it leaves you feeling like your hard work is a bit lost.
Because of this chaos, we started focusing our main baking efforts to Valentine's Day. February is a slower month with less obligations and events, allowing us more time to enjoy the process. Plus, Valentine's Day is all about love and we love baking, cookies, and friends. What better way to celebrate than to host a Valentine's Day Cookie Exchange? Though we don't do the party every year, we definitely make plenty of cookies for the season either way. We have found that people have more time to pour themselves into the process and enjoy their time together during Valentine's Day because they don't have ten other parties to attend during the same season.
You don't have to host the party on the actual day of Valentine's Day, but sometime around the month of February. If you are unfamiliar with a cookie exchange, allow me to educate you on how the party works. It's pretty simple.
- Create your guest list and confirm the attendants.
- Each guest is to make a dozen cookies (or half dozen - just decide the number based on what you think is appropriate for the size of your guest list) for each member on the list. (ex: if you have 5 total guests, then each of you will make 5 dozen cookies).
- Everyone brings their cookies to the party and you exchange the cookies.
- Everyone leaves with five dozen cookies, all of different types!
Simple!! There are no rules (unless you want to create them!) but you can open it up to cookies, treats, bars or whatever makes sense for you. During the party, you can offer other food and treats, drinks, or simple just enjoy the cookies. You can have guests pre-wrap the cookies into their pre-sorted dozens to make the exchange simple, or you can turn it into a game to select the cookies. You will be surprised how cute people decide to wrap up their treats, or how fun the games can be to choose the cookies. It's pretty simple. Just have fun with it and enjoy your time together. One additional thing we did at our last party is offer little paper hearts to our guests so that they could write "things they loved" on the hearts and then we put them up on the wall. It was fun to see what made the list - both from adults and children alike!
I hope baking and cookies bring you as many happy memories as they bring me. It's been fun to watch my children create, make mistakes, and try again. I think back to the time that I was eight years old and making my mom's famous chocolate chip cookies. My mom was in the other room folding laundry, so this was a pretty independent project (or at least in my eight year old head it was). I told my mom that I needed more salt for my cookies, but that we were out of salt. She seemed confused as she knew we had plenty of salt. Mom, being the great mom she was, simply replied, "How much salt do you need?" Confident in my measuring, I brought my one cup measuring cup 4/5 full of salt into the room where she was. I showed her my nearly filled cup, and proudly stated (again) that we needed more salt. She smiled and said, "I think you should look at the recipe again. You might be confusing the salt with the sugar." Whoops. As usual, she was right, saving my recipe from complete disaster. She helped me find my error with grace and kindness, rather than leaving me feeling inadequate and inept. To this day, I have never added a cup of salt to another recipe; lesson learned!
It is through error that we learn. I am thankful that I had a mom willing to teach me. I try to remember this when my children are baking. There will be mistakes, messes, and frustration, but through it all, we grow closer and learn to be better. Then, even if imperfect, we can share those efforts of love with people we love.
“If baking is any labor at all, it’s a labor of love. A love that gets passed from generation to generation.”
I hope you will give a Valentine's Day Cookie Exchange a try, or at least, jump into a new tradition of Valentine's Day cookie decorating. When we step back from life and take the time to bake, we create a lot more than cookies. We create relationships and joy that extend far beyond the kitchen. Life is busy, no doubt, but cookies always seem to slow it down a little bit and offer a moment to smile.
Do you love to bake? Did you have someone teach you? Are you teaching your kids? What are you doing to celebrate Valentine's Day? I would love to know!
- Casey
DUE DILIGENCE PERIOD - WHAT TO LOOK FOR
How to conduct your own mini-inspection to make sure you've got a home worth dealing with
Hey everyone! We are in the due diligence period on our new rental home on Greenland Dr. I realized today that some of you might benefit from a breakdown on how we go about this process and what it even means, so allow me to explain. Also, I wanted to update you that I will start using #HAYMOUNTHOMESGREENLAND for those of you that want to follow the updates on social media.
Have you ever bought a home? If you have, you know that it can be overwhelming because there are so many things to look when trying to determine if you have made a safe investment. You have a lot of moving parts during this process including but not limited to: two realtors, the sellers, lawyers, loan officers, inspectors, appraisers and more. There can be a lot of companies or groups involved, including home owners associations, managers, utilities, county tax offices and more. Seeing that list can be enough to make you decide to rent forever!
WHAT IS DUE DILIGENCE?
Because things can get a bit complicated with all those people involved, typically written into a contract is a due diligence period. The due diligence period is a protected time designed to allow you the chance to inspect the home and determine that you do indeed want to proceed with the contract for the home you are purchasing. During this time, you can decide to pull out of the contract if you find out something more major is wrong with the home.
Let's give you an example. Pretend you have found your dream home and have signed a contract for purchase. You receive an inspection report and it identifies that the home will need an entirely new foundation. You receive the estimate for the repair and it will be $40,000. Yikes. You might decide to change your offer price or you might decide to move on to a different house. You have inspected the home (and done your due diligence) and have determined that this home is not for you.
If you have a great realtor, he or she will likely guide you through the process of due diligence. That stated, this post can serve as a guideline for anyone looking to purchase a home. This is how I go about looking at things on a potential rental home. Disclaimer: I am not a home inspector, nor are my contractors. I don't recommend you skip the inspection if you want a more complete picture of your home). Sometimes it takes a bit of time for an inspection to happen and I get antsy....so this guide is intended to be used as an overview of what to look for while you wait.
DUE DILIGENCE CHECKLIST
When looking at a home, I don't get too bogged down in the smaller details of a home. I know that much of that can add up, but I know that a lot of small things will likely be addressed as we remodel. This is especially true of property in a rough condition. I will just add additional money into my figure planning to cover several minor things (ie, floor treads, replace and outlet, change a light fixture, etc). What I am looking for during due diligence are the "big guns" that are going to really change the matrix of my situation - aka, a deal breaker.
CRAWLSPACE
Ready to get down and dirty? It's time. With my contractor, I inspect the outside of home home, looking for cracks, instability, and any signs of decreased function. Then I get my trusted 'nasty clothes' on and head under the house. So far, I have not encountered any creatures or dead bodies under houses (though I will admit, I wonder every time...) I get under there and he points out anything of concern. I see the trusses, the floors, the support, any areas of improvement or water damage, or any signs of termites. I look for mold, moisture or entry points that are open. While we are there, we consider the electrical, plumbing and insulation under the house. I am not an expert, which is why I rely on my contractors (who I love!!). I go with them under the house so I can visualize what really needs to happen. If you want to understand, you need to see. If there is any suspected mold, I call my water mitigation people for testing. If there is any question of termite damage, I call my pest people for their opinion.
HEATING AND AIR "HVAC" unit
Here is another area for an expert. I call in my HVAC guy in an have him inspect the unit. We test the functionality and note the age of the unit. Most units can be considered "good" for 15 years, "might consider planning replacement" at 15-20 years. After that point, you are lucky to have it going but better be sure that you plan for an upcoming replacement soon. I also have him look at duct work and any additional venting that I might have to change in the house.
ELECTRICAL
I look at the electrical panel. If that has been updated, you'll know that you are at least in decent shape. If anything in your plan is considering space addition or renovation, you might need to adjust the panel size and that can cost a bit of money. Additionally, I find that the panels are often in less than desirable locations. Sometimes I am considering moving them or flipping them to a new wall to make my renovations. I want to be sure that can be done, and at what cost.
FIREPLACE
Look for damage and functionality. Has it been cared for? Is it safe?
ROOF
Don't miss this. You'll want to have a roofer estimate the age of the roof and condition. Fortunately, my contractor also does roofs, so he is easily available. Flat shingles have about a 20 year life, architectural shingles about 30, metal Roofs about 50, and asbestos roofs can last 80 years. You'll want to see what you might be getting into with the roof as far as any repairs or replacements.
WINDOWS
These can be costly. Look at the seals, seams and any frame damage that might have been caused by water entry. If they are painted shut, old or dysfunctional, you might need to consider replacement. This can get pricey. Know what you are in for.
SIDING
Check condition and type. Look for damaged sections that might need repair. Look for any wood rot as well.
PLUMBING
Check that the water works, toilets flush, fixtures turn on and off. Simple, but easy. If you see a back up, you might want to investigate that. I simply call my plumber and have him go after it and let me know what the issues might be. In older homes, I am often relocating things like washers or hot water heaters. That is the time to ask the plumber about my plans to make sure they are feasible.
LANDSCAPE/OUTDOOR
Don't overlook this. Cracked patios, broken steps, decks, walkways, pools, garages, sheds and other buildings can rather quickly add up in additional costs. Note any issues you see and be sure you don't have any huge corrections to make. Also note any yard maintenance issues that might need to be addressed. Additionally, you will need to look at the trees - do they hit the house? Do they need trimming? Are any of them at risk for being too close to the house? Take a good inventory of what needs to be done.
ASSESSMENT OF FINDINGS
Now it is time to look at everything and determine if the amount of repair or changes to the property that you have in mind is going to fit in your budget and keep the home in the end price range that you anticipated. If the repair list is very long, you might consider asking the sellers to make repairs - or adjust the asking price. If it isn't too high or you are getting the house at a good deal, you are doing well. If the house is sold 'as-is', that means there are no repairs by the seller and you'll be stuck with all of them!
HOW DOES OUR NEW GREENLAND HOME STACK UP?
Great question. We are ending our due diligence period soon. Here are some things that I have called in my "people" for and this is the plan:
1. CRAWLSPACE: Floors have settled which is not uncommon in the historic homes and in the south's sandy and clay based soil. I wanted to be sure that things were not unstable underneath the house. Fortunately, we are in luck. There has already been work underneath the house to reinforce the issue. Perfect. Some of the floors will need repair on the inside of the home, but that is better than all the joists and foundation under the house too!
2. HVAC: HVAC system is 30 years old and somehow STILL working. It's good...for now anyway, but we know a new one is on the horizon. Might have to move a few floor duct vents. No biggie.
3. ELECTRICAL: Kitchen needs a new layout and possibly need to move an electrical panel. I am going to created a laundry area and that will also move the water heater and washing machine. My contractor, plumber, and electrician are all on board for changes.
4. FIREPLACE: Fireplace has a lot of settling, but is stable. I don't think it is safe for use - still need to find that out, but we usually don't allow them to be used in our leases due to safety.
5. ROOF: We will replace the roof. Too many small areas need repair. The roof is not that big on this 1000 square foot house, so we might as well replace it all.
6. WINDOWS: It's time for new windows. The original windows are lead weight windows, which are harder to remove. This will be a J.O.B. Sorry contractors :(
7. SIDING: Good condition with minor issues. We'll probably leave it alone but make sure it gets a REALLY good bath! Some areas of damage will need to be replaced.
8. PLUMBING: Ours sound for the most part, some newer updates, some are older, so we might need to make a few changes here and there. The bathroom is a gut job. The floor has water damage, but fortunately the joists below are still solid (THANK YOU OLD WOOD!!!) and there doesn't appear to be any mold growth or anything.
9. EXTERIOR: Still awaiting an estimate from my tree guy about trimming several trees and removing some dead trees. This won't be anything too intense. Mostly, just clean up here!
“Diligence is the mother of good fortune”
We are moving forward with our new home and will continue to plan on closing in a week. There are repairs to make, but we knew that when making our offer.
What do you think? Have you ever had to pull out of a home purchase during the due diligence period? What was your deal breaker? I'd love to know!
- Casey
OUR NEW PROJECT
We are under contract for the next Haymount Home!
YIPPEE!! I am happy to announce that our next project is underway! We are under contract for our next Haymount Home and could not be more excited to get the ball rolling on this historic charmer. This home will be our smallest home, but we are planning to pack it full of charm and make a wonderful happy home!
There is a LOT to do with this home, so I figured I would give you all a little glimpse on my planning process at this stage in the game. We are conducting our due diligence on this home (meaning we have a week to determine if it is more than we want to handle). Once that window is complete, we are going forward with the contract. Currently, we are set to close 2/1/18.
The rehab work on this little gem is going to be slow and steady because we plan to save up money and pay for everything in cash as we go along. In our efforts to avoid too much debt, we figured that it'd be better to take this approach with this darling little home. Though it will take a little longer, it will be fun to have the time to really think through the decisions and try to optimize this home for it's next occupant.
During this time period of due diligence, I usually do several things to determine what potential work is required for a home. I figured illustrating my thought process might be helpful to someone in the same situation or looking to get into the rental market. However, my brain tends to go all over the place, so just strap-in and take the ride! One disclaimer: Pictures are deceptive. Although adorable, this little home home needs quite a bit of help. The pictures don't fully illustrate that. Once we have the home closed, I will be going through to take more detailed photographs for our projects and repairs needed. For now, you'll have to trust me on these things!
Let's begin.
EXTERIOR
Siding - Pretty good shape. A couple of holes (repairable I hope)
Roof - Time for a new one
Front Porch - some rot - will either repair or replace
Front Porch Trim - damaged - needs replacing
Screen Door - rough. either will clean up or it will get a new one
Front Door - hoping to preserve this with paint
Windows - yikes. Old and charming with pulley systems still in place. Super cool, but not that efficient and difficult to operate overall. Poor painting in the past. We'll see. Either clean them up well and see what we have left, or replace.
Shutters - probably will paint. If need be, we'll replace.
Mailbox - Missing - needs one!
Porch Light - functional, so that will probably stay
Foundation - so far so good, but there are some soft spots inside the home, so I question some of the joists below. I am going under the house on Sunday to inspect everything with a contractor friend.
Backyard is awesome - private and cute - needs some clean up (cannot really see from this photo)
Back Door - Jam is rotting out. Will probably just replace the whole thing. This house is on a hill and water likely heads that way. We are going to have to consider some options for controlling that issue.
Rear Door Light - ugly and needs a new one
LIVING ROOM
Check out those hardwoods! They are lovely however someone did a really bad patch on the side of the room. I will photograph it later, but I am going to see if magic can happen and they can be repaired...then the entire house is desperately in need of refinishing. I wonder what stain we should go with??
Replace Shoe Molding - for some reason, it was removed in this room. Needs to go back!!
Fireplace - no clue if it works. It is also sunken a bit on the right. Not sure it is still sinking, but need to find out. Back to under the house. Either way, it is still charming.
How about that awesome window trim? Love the thickness and detail. probably will loose the window cornices though.
Walls all need some addressing. Ceilings need some crack repair. Work.....
KITCHEN
Yikes. Lots to do here. This is just one side of it. There is actually quite a bit of space for such a small home. Normally you find a lot of galley kitchens in homes like these, so I am excited to have a little room for play here.
Flooring - going to be getting new flooring (unless the budget gets too tight)
Cabinets - replace. We need to add more and these have seen their time. Time to go.
Sink - double stainless steel. Will likely keep unless I find a great deal on something amazing!
Faucet - old and boring. Could work but I would like a better one.
Appliances - time to replace. They are actually nice functionally, but they are unattractive and I would like better ones. Unless something gets crazy on the budget, I plan to replace.
Walls and Ceiling need some work.
This is going to add up in this room, but I cannot wait to see it happen!
DINING ROOM
Floors - again, refinish
Wall and Ceiling repair
Definitely a new light fixture (something beautiful needs to happen here - it will be gorgeous then!)
Loose the window cornices
BEDROOM ONE
Refinish Floors
Repair walls/ceilings
Clean up the closet
New Light fixture or Ceiling Fan
BEDROOM TWO
Same thing, clean it all up by doing the floors, cleaning up the closet, fix walls and ceiling, and then get a new light fixture or fan
BATHROOM
This has to be great for a one bathroom house to work well for anyone. This one is going to be a bit pricey with all the needed work.
Tub - lovely original porcelain tub. Might need a reglaze, but mostly it looks like it needs its own deep cleaning bath first. We'll see. It stays for sure.
Tub surround - this is less appealing. If the budge allows for all new tile in the bathroom (walls and tub included), then I will go for it. We'll have to see what the money looks like. At a minimum, some things need repair.
Vanity - functional, not that old. Might be repainted, but ideally, I will replace this. I love pedestal sinks for beauty, but they do lack storage. We'll see.
Toilet - seems okay, but house is winterized so there is no plumbing to check. It's not ugly though! Needs to be re-grouted at the base.
Mirror - dull. We can do better.
Light - rusted. time for a new one.
Closet - small inside but there - yay storage! Needs repainting.
Floor - OH MY. Mostly rotted out. Not good - needs complete repair and replacement.
BACK PORCH
Enclosed back porch. Loving that ceiling actually. Hating the paneling (what's new?)
Lots of potential on this, but needs to be thought through. I am not sure it is wired and vented for heating and air, so I am meeting with my HVAC man on Sunday to look at options.
If we can get this space heated and cooled, I want to make it an awesome laundry and mud room. I know it has great potential, but at what cost? That is the question. The floor is a little angled away from the house to prevent water being an issue (remember the rotting door - that is at the back of this room). I am wondering if we level the floor with concrete leveler (expensive) if it would elevate the floor more and prevent water issues. Not sure. I need to discuss the options with my contractors.
This would also require re-routing water lines. I would like the water heater and the washing machine (both currently in the kitchen), to find a new home out here. That will require a new plumbing. It will also require my electrician to complete some changes too.
However, if we can finish off this space and make it "finished square footage", we will add nearly $10,000 or more to the value of the house. Not bad, but it could cost a bit in the process. We'll see.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Hallway has need for floor repair and refinishing
Attic access is difficult and small. I have no clue what shape it is in. This house also lacks any storage building or garage, so my easiest place to claim the storage would be the attic. I need to install an attic pull down and stairs in the hallway.
Attic storage - going to likely have to floor part of the attic for storage and I anticipate there being almost no insulation left up there. I am just hoping it is not a disaster up there as who knows when it was last looked at.
Access to wiring. The house looks like it has been somewhat updated for wiring, but getting up to the attic will help further determine that. It will also help create the ability to adjust the wiring in the future. Clearly, we need to get into that attic!!
“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS!
Thanks for joining my home tour. What are you thoughts? Have we lost or minds or does this little home have potential to be great? Would you take on a project like this? Does the idea scare you? I would love to hear your thoughts!
I will keep you posted......
- Casey
HOT CHOCOLATE BAR
Every January needs something fun and a hot chocolate bar might just be the solution
BURRRRR. January is cold. Christmas is over. Snow has closed school (again). Kids are stir crazy. Parents are starting to question their sanity. Am I alone? I hope not.
When it is cold outside, I am cold inside AND out. Since moving to the South, I will admit that I have become a bit of a cold weather wuss. I spent the first 24 years of my life in Wisconsin and you'd think I would have thick skin. However, as I explain to most people, I was cold there too.
When I found myself in North Carolina, I had trouble tolerating the heat. Although I had always lived in the cold and did not love being cold, I was not used to the opposite effect of equivalently intense heat. I had to exchange my closet of sweaters, scarves and coats for a lighter wardrobe of tanks, dresses, and shorts. Although I can appreciate any good excuse to shop, I felt a little (LITTLE) sad to be leaving the cold weather behind.
However, the longer I have lived in the South, the less hot it seems and I almost find myself craving some intense heat; I guess that's acclimation for you. With that in mind, when it gets cold here, it feels even MORE cold since I am now used to being hot. I know my family back home is laughing at me and my 15 degree cold when they consider that a warm day in January, but we have already identified that I am now an official cold weather wuss.
So what's a girl to do? When I am cold inside and out, that means it's time to warm up. For most of us parents, a good cup of coffee or tea will do the trick. However, when it comes time to warm up the whole family, nothing beats a cup of hot cocoa.
A few years ago, we implemented a January tradition in our house: The Hot Chocolate Bar. It is exactly what you think it is: A bar completely devoted to the production and consumption of hot cocoa (and additional delicious treats that go with it!). Following Christmas and all the festivities of three months of holidays, January can leave us feeling somewhat flat. I think it is mostly due to the energy and excitement, visitors, and events of all the holiday season that precedes it. While I am usually ready for life to slow back down a bit, I always feel that a little January "pick me up" is in order.
Thus, the Hot Chocoate Bar tradition was born and continues to be something to look forward to as we celebrate winter. You can make a bar as simple or complex as you want. We often rotate what goes on the bar, but the basics stay the same. To craft your own bar, you'll want the following:
- Cocoa Powder
- Dry Milk (or you can skip this and warm up milk for the bar as needed)
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla
- Marshmallows (we like all sizes!)
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Peppermint Sticks
- Treats
- Mugs
We always include little cookies or candies that go with the bar so that it is even more festive and fun. When we are ready, we warm up the water or milk, and everyone can create the cocoa to their liking. If you wanted things to be easier, you could just supply pre-made mix as well. You can buy that or you can use this recipe: 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 2 cups dried milk, and 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Kids add a dash of vanilla to their cocoa and often add a peppermint or cinnamon stick (we had already eaten our King Leo sticks before I could photograph them...off to order more!) When we really get after it, we make our own marshmallows (most because it is super fun and they are really yummy!)
I don't know if you are like me, but I use Amazon for easy ordering, and this cocoa bar is no exception. We keep ourselves well stocked with goodies and ingredients for the bar. Quality matters here since there are so few ingredients, so I recommend using higher quality ingredients such as:
“Hot Chocolate is a HUG from the inside”
I hope you can carve out a spot in your home to include a hot chocolate bar. We have found it to be a fun way to start the year and a cozy way to warm up. With the amount of snow days we've have this year, we'll be blowing throw our hot chocolate bar at twice the speed. Oh well. Most of the time, hot chocolate is even better on a snow day.
Do have a January tradition? Have you had a hot chocolate bar or station in your house? Was it fun? What did you serve? I'd love to know!
- Casey
Please note, this post contains affiliate links for products that our family uses for our hot chocolate bar.
CHOOSING PAINT COLORS - PART THREE - EVALUATING THE LIGHTING
Understand how lighting affects paint colors so you don't end up suprised
Welcome back to my evaluation of paint color series. The purpose of this series is to help evaluate paint colors BEFORE they hit the wall. We have all been on the opposite side of that scenario. We have chosen a color that we just "knew" was perfect for our space, only to waste $100 in paint and 15 hours of our time painting the room that color and end up being disappointed. Whether the shade was not quite right, or the color ended up totally different once it hit the wall, it is never fun to waste your time and money on projects that leave you discouraged.
Learning how to properly evaluate your colors can help you avoid this scenario. I cannot promise that the above story will never happen to you again, but hopefully you'll see a decrease in your painting regrets!
In the first part, we learned to evaluate the undertone of a paint. When you do this, you can better understand the type of shade that will pull through when the paint hits the wall. If you missed that post, you can catch up here.
In the second lesson, we covered evaluating your layout when choosing paint colors. Realizing that rooms are viewed together and often in the same visual lens helps you choose colors that coordinate and lend themselves to a pleasing "whole house" palate. To catch up on that lesson, simply click here.
Now in the third part of the series, we are going to cover how lighting affects color. Once you have determined your undertones and looked at your layout, you need to understand lighting and what it does to color. The most important aspect of lighting is determining what direction your home and rooms are facing. What I mean by that is knowing the position of your home on your land/lot, and then from there establishing where north, south, east, and west are. Once you know the directional position, you can determine what direction each room is situated within your home.
The purpose of determining the position of each room is that lighting is directly related to room position. The conditions of lighting in a north facing room, are quite different than the lighting that is received by a south facing room. The same goes for an east or west facing room. Therefore, colors that are painted in a north facing room might look entirely different when it is painted in south facing room. This is one reason that you can decide to paint a room "gray" and it ends up looking "blue". You can paint a room "white", and it ends up looking
"yellow". When the undertone combines with the natural light, it can enhance certain parts of the paint and bring through those undertones more strongly than you had anticipated.
COLOR ANATOMY
One more note on this before we get started. It is helpful to understand how we actually "see" color. Your eyes and your brain work as a team to actually create the colors you see. You have light receptors within your eyes that actually "grab" wavelengths and then transmit them to your brain. Objects (walls, furniture, anything!) actually all absorb or reflect these wavelengths. When an object reflects all wavelengths, then the color is white. When an object absorbs all wavelengths, then the object is black. When an object does a combination of absorption and refraction, we see color. We only see what is refracted, not what is absorbed.
Thus, no object or wall actually has color. Rather, it only has refracted light that is thrown back out and not absorbed. We only see the color thrown back (refracted wavelength of color), and then our brain processes that color to identify it. When you look at a basketball, you see orange because orange is refracted and the other colors are absorbed. You have to have light to have this refraction occur. Entering a dark room is a perfect example of this. When you enter a room without light, the room appears dark. Even though there are some brightly colored or light things in the room, they are not seen as light because there is minimal light being refracted. If the sun comes up or the lights are turned on, now our eyes receive the refracted wavelengths and our brains can process them as color.
Therefore, it is necessary for light to "bounce" in a room and refract the wavelengths of that color within the room for us to see the color that is there. When you are deciding to paint a wall, it is important to consider how much light is going to be there. Paler colors have less absorbed color and are more dependent on refraction for their purest form. Additionally, because the color is still subject to our brain processing the information, one person might see a certain shade of a color and someone else might have a slightly different opinion of the same color. Neither person is wrong, but they truly might be seeing different levels of refraction and processing them differently.
Have I confused you yet? It doesn't need to be that hard, but you need to understand how light and color work so you can utilize that in your paint selection. Hang in there.
One more thing. When we discuss lighting from this point forward, we are discussing the natural light that a room receives from the sun. Obviously, you can add artificial lighting to spaces, but that will change the tone of the room depending on the shade of lighting you choose. You need to start with the room's basic position and natural light and then move from there with paint color selection. Artificial lighting can be added later to further enhance the room's tone and feel (I will add a note to this at the end).
Let's unpack this a little bit and start with some basic ground rules for each type of room.
NORTH FACING ROOMS
North facing rooms tend to be darker, receive less natural light, and therefore tend to not "throw" the light around the room as much. This lack of light naturally means that the room will bring out cooler, less warm undertones because there is less refraction of light.
If you have a darker color in mind, they tend to do pretty well in a north facing room because the paint itself provides a lot of tone and it doesn't require as much light to "find" the color. These rooms tend to be cozy by nature and play well to enhancing that feeling with darker colors.
If you really want to paint a north facing room a lighter color (which I have been brave enough to do), then you want to remember that cooler rooms are going to bring out cooler undertones. That means if you choose a white color with a gray undertone, it is going to look much more gray and cool than it will white. If you choose a white color with a yellow or pink undertone, it will bring more warmth to the space and the color will bounce a bit more.
The room above is a north facing room and is shown painted with in Farrow and Ball's Cornforth White. This color is a favorite or mine because it is neither too warm or too cool. In a room with either warm or cool lighting, this color will still shine beautifully. It is still a light color, but has enough color pigment to pull through and refract even in a darker room.
SOUTH FACING ROOMS
South facing rooms are the darlings of decorators. They receive light throughout most of the day and have plenty of sun to bounce around the room. That means you can get away with nearly any shade in a south facing room, although if you want to paint something a lighter color, this is the room to maximize that effect.
A south facing room will still bring out undertones, so be sure to consider that with your choice. A yellow or pink undertone will read creamy and warm in a sun filled south facing room. For example, one of the decorating world's most popular white colors is Benjamin Moore's White Dove. My daughter recently painted her room this lovely, creamy white color. It reads slightly yellow due to the bright southern light that the room receives. If you select a white that has a cooler undertone, the white can read more contemporary in the space. Depending on your goal, you can select things to warm things up or cool things down.
If you have a south facing room, enjoy it. It will be a home run with a pale color and it will still live up to a dark color too. In the south facing room shown above, the color is Farrow and Ball's Skimming Stone. It has warmer grey undertones and the light just dances around in the room, making it bright and cozy.
EAST FACING ROOMS
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Therefore, east facing rooms will experience more sun in the morning and less sun as the day progresses. Therefore, consider the function of the room and what time of day the room will be utilized the most to help you determine what color you want to see at that time. If you are looking to retreat to the room toward the end of the day, then plan for the darker lighting that will be there at that time. If the room is a bedroom and you want to greet the day in a lighter environment, then look to capitalize on the early sun and go with a lighter color that will be brighter in the morning.
As as undertones run, east facing rooms are often felt to provide a cooler undertone, so choosing colors that have cooler undertones will likely enhance the color of the room. For example, if you paint an east facing room with a yellow undertone beige, it is likely to turn out a bit different than it looks on the paint chip. If you chose a similar beige with a green undertone, which is a cooler color, then you will likely see a color that shines truer when it hits the wall. That is not to say you cannot choose a warm undertone for the color in an east facing room, but understand that it will likely have more shift on the wall from what you might expect.
As mentioned, the time of day will matter too. In the morning, east facing rooms will have more warmth due to sunlight, and they will fade to cooler as the day progresses. Keep this in mind when choosing color samples.
The office room shown above is an east facing room. It is painted in Farrow and Ball's Strong White. This color is a cooler gray white, which was just beautiful in this room. In the morning, the walls look nearly white with a cool gray undertone. As the day progresses, the gray gradually deepens and starts to peek through. I was initially thinking that I would paint this room a more pure white, but I am glad that I chose a cooler undertone to work with.
WEST FACING ROOMS
As expected, west facing rooms will behave nearly opposite of east facing rooms. Because they won't receive as much sun in the morning, they will read as cooler spaces at that time. As the day progresses, they will gradually receive more sunlight and therefore, they will steadily warm up. The paint colors that have warmer undertones will often shine in these rooms as most of the afternoon they are receiving sun. The warmth doesn't translate as well in the morning.
As with east facing rooms, west facing rooms can handle both light and dark shades, but remember they will experience more dramatic light shifting throughout the day than a north or south facing room.
In the west facing bedroom above, I chose Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore. Gray Owl is still considered a cooler color and I wanted this room to read gray once the paint hit the wall. The morning, the room feels very gray. In the afternoon, the room has a lighter gray feel when the sun hits the room. Keeping the undertone cool in this room was the key to making the room stay gray.
USING YOUR PAINT CHIP FOR 24 HOURS
With these basic ground rules, you can start to evaluate your color selection with a little more clarity. One thing I make sure to do is to leave my paint chip in a given room for an entire day. I check the chip in the morning, afternoon and evening. Each time, I put the chip on the wall, walk around the room with it, and look at it against my trim. If at any point in the day I don't care for the tone of the color, I move on to my next chip. Once I find the color that seems to please my sight all day, I know I am moving in the right direction.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
There are also a few special circumstances regarding lighting that I wanted to discuss during this post to help further your understanding when making color choices regarding lighting.
ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING
Most rooms contain some form of artificial lighting. The type of bulb chosen will determine the shade of light that is cast. That shade of light can either enhance or detract from the paint color, depending on (you guessed it), then undertone of the paint.
Incandescent lighting (which is what most of us consider a normal light bulb) as well as halogen light bulbs (often seen in recessed lighting or can lighting) tend to provide a yellow undertone in the lighting and therefore will enhance lighting that also has a warm undertone.
LED or florescent lighting usually reads cooler due to its cool undertone. Therefore, it tends to do better with colors that have cooler undertones.
When you put warm lighting in cool spaces, things often start reading as "awkward" in the space. Those undertones fight and start to compete, which ends up being visually distracting and the color on the wall feels "off". It is better to support colors with like colors. You can usually see the undertone of the light bulb noted on the box of whatever bulb you are considering, which should help you with the selection (white light, cool light, blue light, warm light, etc.) At the end of the day, you can do what you want with artificial lighting, but spaces are further enhanced with thoughtful selection of artificial lighting.
In the room above, the warmth of the wood and the warmth of the paint color (Linen White by Benjamin Moore) all work together with the incandescent lighting from the fixture. Linen white has a yellow undertone, which pulls warmth from the floors and cabinets, and then works with the lighting as well. Everything balances and the warm undertones unite to create a cozy environment of warmth.
ROOMS WITH NO NATURAL LIGHT
Although most rooms have some form of natural light, some rooms don't have any windows or doors at all, and are therefore limited in the natural light they receive. When this is the case, there is no source of natural light so refraction becomes more difficult. Sometimes these rooms are open enough to receive light from adjacent rooms, but even if they do, the light will be more limited. Limited light means less refraction and more difficulty "seeing" lighter shades. Other times, these rooms truly have no natural light. An example of that type of room might be a bathroom or closet. When a room receives no natural light, paint struggles a bit because refraction is reduced.
Remember, for paint to truly show its natural color, it has to "bounce" light throughout the room. The color pigment essentially reflects the light it receives and then provides the hue that our eyes and brain for processing. When light is limited, the bouncing effect is substantially reduced and the color has trouble being thrown. As a result, the depth of the color is reduced.
Because of this fact, pale colors are very difficult a room with no natural light. Paler tones contain less pigment and also don't have the chance to throw the pigment they do have to bounce for refraction. Thus, it is harder for them to "show" their true color. If you have a small room with no light, it can be really fun to choose a darker hue that will ring truer than a lighter hue, simply due to the fact that it has more pigment. That stated, I have successfully used lighter colors in these naturally darker spaces. What I have done to compensate is utilize artificial lighting to match the undertone of my paint and essential "amplify" the color's throw/bounce ability. Another secret is to include a mirror (which are often already in a bathroom that might be limited with light). This technique works because mirror reflects, and offers another way for the color to bounce. In the end, any color can work, but you need to be more strategic with some!
In the dining room above, there were some tricks that I used to help with color selection. Originally, this room had no openings to other rooms. There were doors on all sides and the room was very dark.
The first thing I did was remove the doors to allow some natural light to filter in from adjacent rooms. Next I chose a deeply hued paint color (Farrow and Ball's Mole's Breath) for the trim and chair rail, and we added the wainscoting for interest. I wanted a pale color on the top (as you can see, I broke all rules about rooms without good natural lighting and wanted white). I figured that my white choice on top would be helped out by the deeper color below. I also chose a semigloss paint (Perfect White by Valspar), which I typically don't suggest for walls, but the gloss has more shine in it and I figured that would help throw the color around (we will discuss what sheen to use and where in a future color series post). Finally, I changed out the light fixture, which doubled the light in the room. All in all, the room turned out great and I used lots of smaller tricks to achieve the look I wanted in a difficult space.
“Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.”
This quote by Mr. Monet can sum up how difficult color selection can be. We can find ourselves deeply moved by a color, so excited to put it up on the wall, only to find that the same color ends up being a thorn in our side just a short time later. You and friend might look at the same color and disagree about how it looks, simply because you are processing it differently. Needless to say, it is more complicated than it seems like it should be!
Finding the right color will make your home the best place for you, so taking the time to look at it throughout the day and considering the natural lighting is one of the most important things you can do to ensure you are pleased with your selection once it hits the wall. These are just guidelines; you'll have to look at your own space and determine what works best for you; hopefully they should at least save you time, money, and energy in the process!
Have you ever been surprised by how lighting changed the paint color in your room? Was it a pleasant surprise? Have you argued over a color shade with a spouse or friend? Did I miss anything? What have you learned about the lighting in your house? Has it changed your paint selection? I'd love to know!
- Casey
FINDING A GREAT RENTER - PART ONE
Score a great renter by knowing what prospective home renters are looking for
Success in renting home boils down to the ability to secure wonderful rental clients. We have been blessed and amazed by the quality of people that have rented our homes. We find these great people by looking for great people. The best way to find them, is knowing what they are wanting in a home, and making sure you provide that. Renting a home is a lot less tricky when you know what your clients are looking for.
This is the first in many posts I will make regarding things we have learned in managing our rental properties (and, quite frankly, learned from having rented homes ourselves! We were very aware of what we wanted as renters too!). The list is long, so I am breaking it up over several posts, so be sure to check back for more details!
We have always had the philosophy that if we took good care of our clients, they would take good care of us and our home. The golden rule of life: do unto others as you would want done to you. It naturally makes sense that you would then look to offer qualities in your rental home that prospective clients would want. Thus, it is good to have a global understanding of things that matter to lots of prospective clients so that you can be attractive to them and hopefully gain a great renter in the process!
SAFETY
Everyone wants to be safe. According to recent market date, nearly 70% of prospective renters indicate their home safety as a top priority in their home rental decision. Safety is a basic need in life. When choosing rental properties as investments, choose homes in safe locations. Homes that have access to fire hydrants, fire stations, and law enforcement offer inherent safety measures. Neighborhoods that are well cared for with neighbors that look out for one another increase the safety of homes. Street lights and proper traffic signs, sidewalks, and crosswalks all factor in to improved safety measures. If your client asks to install a home security system, by all means let them. Provide fire extinguishers for their use, and change smoke detector batteries each time a new client moves in. Offer proper exterior lighting to ensure safety outside the home, especially at night. Inform them of community programs that are created to enhance their safety, including neighborhood watch, community briefings from law enforcement, and more. Be helpful regarding safety and what measures they can take to be safe.
ONLINE ACCESS
This is no surprise. The number one way prospective clients look for a new home is through online searching. There is no easier and more efficient way to look for homes, especially if they are making a long distance move. Showcasing your property online is essential to making sure they can save time and energy in their search, as well as discover your property. The more information you can provide them, the better. Don't limit the information to just details about the home for rent. Educate them in the community, neighborhood, schools and more. Help make their distance move easier by answering any questions they might have. If you want to go a step further, offer them the opportunity to transact online. If you can have electronic delivery of your rental documents, your forms, rental payments, and maintenance requests, that is even better. Renting is moving to an online platform and you'll want to be a part of it for maximal success.
GOOD REPUTATION AND EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION
You need to be an excellent communicator to have excellent clients. Try to respond to each request from a prospective client (and current renter) within one day. I personally strive to respond within an hour if the request is made before 9 PM or after 7 AM. Have you ever rented a home? It is frustrating to have issues arise and to have to wait for them to be dealt with. Even if you cannot solve the problem in that first contact point, acknowledging that you have received the problem is enough to help with your client's piece of mind. Have you ever been searching for a rental home? When you made inquiries about properties, you likely were more interested in the properties that had managers that responded more quickly. Your response rate is an indicator of priority. If you respond quickly, you indicate that need is a priority and therefore your client is a top priority. Personally, I am so thankful when our clients let me know there is an issue so that I can care for them AND care for our home. I also love getting inquiries about our properties for rent. It is my chance to educate them on the many offerings of the Haymount community.
The shift to the dominance in online rental home research has also led to more people wanting reviews or testimonials about their prospective rental home. Prospective clients want information on previous or current clients' rental experience. This is not only in regard to the rental home itself, but it means how their experience renting from YOU or your company was. Prospective clients not only want a beautiful home, but they want to be assured they will be taken care of too. As a former renter, I expected the same, and it is important to take care of your clients efficiently and with integrity. If you can, offer these reviews to prospective clients. They will be happy you did.
“Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others.”
The bottom line is, the better you are at offering what renters are looking for, the better your response from prospective clients will be. Your goal is to engage quality individuals that will value a quality home and rental experience. In order to do that, you need to provide that quality to them. This is just the beginning of the list, but it is a good place to start.
Are you renting your home for the first time? Are you nervous about securing quality renters? Have you had a good experience as a renter? What made it good for you? I'd love to hear from you!
- Casey
5 Reasons to Rent Out Your Home
When renting your home is smarter than selling it - obscure reasons why renting makes sense.
Winter is here. Spring is coming. I sound like a Game of Thrones ad!
Seasons matter. I love them all for various reasons - I love the freedom of summer, the crisp scents of fall, the cozy nights of winter, and the HOUSING MARKET in the spring.
Okay, I also love the promise of new beginnings, budding flowers, and extra sunshine that spring brings. However, I have to admit that I love the fun of house hunting in the spring.
Even if I am not moving or buying a house, I am always 'house hunting'. I love doing market research and seeing what is for sale, what has or has not sold, and what is hitting the market. This used to be an "inexpensive" way to window shop; I wasn't able to just "buy a house" with a click of the mouse. However, since we started renting homes, it has become a bit more risky because I tend to fall in love with homes and now have a business that supports buying them!
With every spring comes change. People often move jobs and locations along the timeline of school seasons and semesters, so that means people start to offer their homes for sale in the spring in anticipation of moving in the summer. Therefore, the housing market is most active in the spring and houses tend to sell most easily during this time period.
Most people consider selling their home as their biggest obstacle in the their move, and that is for good reason. It is a lot of work, time, and effort to sell your home. There is a lot of mental and financial stress that goes along with all of that as well. Obviously, there are lots of reasons to sell your home when you move, but some times, people overlook a great opportunity when they are moving. That opportunity is a chance to rent out your current home.
The reasons to rent your home go far beyond this list and I will take the time to cover them in additional posts, but I wanted to share a few reasons that are often not even understood or known by the general public when it comes to renting your home. There are some advantages that you might not have considered beyond the obvious ones that you probably have considered. You can also create an opposing list of reasons to NOT rent your home. That is also true. However, that same thing can be said for any type of situation that has benefits and risks.
So let's get down to it. Here are five lesser known reasons to consider renting out your current home rather than selling it. I hope you find this fun and a nice tool in considering whether or not to rent your home!
YOUR LOAN INTEREST RATE IS LIKELY BETTER
Interest rates on loans for primary residences are almost always cheaper than interest rates on investment loans. This means that you can rent your home with less cost than if you were to invest in a different home to rent. Using an example, let's say your primary home mortgage is $250,000 and your interest rate is 3.50% at 30 years. That makes your monthly mortgage payment $1123/month. If you were to purchase this same home as a rental investment (aka, in addition to your primary residence), you would likely have a loan that was structured more like $250,000 at 4.75% for 30 years. This would make your payment $1304/month for the same house. That is already a difference of $181/month in cash flow and you have not had to do anything different. That amounts to $2172/year. Not bad.
YOU ALREADY HAVE THE HOME
Securing financing for a rental home is time consuming. Remember when you had to secure the loan to buy your home? It's a pain, right? Well, escalate that pain up a notch when you are buying an investment property. There is even more paperwork, time and particulars involved, making the process fairly time consuming and more difficult. If you already secured financing for your home (or even own your home outright), there is very little you need to do to change it to a rental home.
YOU WILL LIKELY PAY LESS FOR INSURANCE
When you convert your primary home into a rental home, you change your homeowner's insurance policy to what is often referred to as a "fire policy". This policy covers your home, the land, and the rebuilding cost of the structure. You are no longer insuring your valuables inside the home (that will be the responsibility of the renter through their rental policy). In our experience, a fire policy has generally been less expensive than a homeowner's policy. That amounts to more money in your pocket again.
TAX ADVANTAGES
This topic is broad enough to fill entire books on the subject, so I will gloss over this and keep it brief. However, there are substantial benefits to renting your home. In a nutshell, when you start renting out your primary home (which will now not BE your primary home and you are allowed to obtain a new one with the same lower financing as before - yay!), you will start making income from your renters. However, any income you obtain will be offset against expenses incurred in owning your home (care, maintenance, repairs, and more). Any improvements you make and or large repairs you make (like a new roof), can be expended as a depreciation expense (meaning you will be able to deduct these costs over each year you rent the home up to the usable life of the item). You even depreciate the cost of the house structure. This is all overwhelming to discuss, but know this: You will be getting to deduct a lot of things from the rental income you make while also reducing the amount you owe on your home. Therefore, you are getting to offset a lot of the income you are making, and your debt on the house is still going down. Your home is gaining equity and you get to do it without a large burden of tax impact. That is a good thing.
LESS TIME ON THE MARKET SAVES YOU MONEY
In our experience, renting a home happens a lot faster than selling it. You can complete the process in a day, in fact, we have often rented a home in a matter of hours. That means, there is not a day that goes by that we spend money on utilities, mortgage payments, or property insurance or taxes in waste. If your house sits vacant on the market while waiting to sell, you rack up costs pretty quickly in all these areas. Renting a home is a less serious commitment for most people than buying one. They are more readily willing to enter into an agreement and the coordination of the transaction is simpler. Time is money. Renting saves on that front.
“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.”
Hopefully this was interesting and helpful to you in the process of considering home rental. There are so many factors that go into the decision to rent or sell your home, and this is only a smattering of them. Knowing your advantages, including more obscure advantages, can be helpful when it comes to making the decision to rent or sell your home.
Have you ever rented out your primary residence? What made you decide to do so? Did you decide to sell instead? Were you happy with your choice? I would love to know!
- Casey
WHY WASHINGTON WANTS YOU TO RENT A HOME
How the tax reform laws are encouraging home rentals
Sing with me: Fa La La La La, La La La....TAXES. Happy 2018!
Like many of you, I spent the last two weeks of 2017 scrambling to understand the new lax code. Not that I am complaining (okay, maybe I am), but hopefully next time we decide to complete a total overhaul of the tax code, maybe we could do it with a little more time on the tail end for the nation to react before the end of the year! I felt so bad for the employees at tax firms, accounting and investing companies that were handling such a rapid increase in call volume and servicing right during the holidays. However, all those wait times allowed me some extra research into the new tax laws for 2018.
After a lot of reading, it has become pretty apparent that the new tax codes are favoring the rental market. This is not a great surprise to me as the new code is likely designed with business in mind. Though I am still a homeowner and plan to be in the future, I wanted to highlight a few areas in which the code is more attractive to renting homes. Whether that means you are thinking of renting or buying a home, or if you are planning to pick up a property to rent, this post is just another consideration in your journey in either aspect.
One more disclaimer. I am not an investment adviser, attorney, or accountant (though after reading through the tax code, I think any of these credentials would have been helpful!). Therefore, this is just what I am sharing from my reading. Little old me and my ideas. Read this with a grain of salt. Ok. There THAT is.
Mortgage Interest Deductions Have Decreased
You cannot deduct as much interest on primary and secondary home mortgages as you did in the past. Current loans that are in place prior to the new tax code are grandfathered in (meaning you can treat them as you did under the past tax code). Moving forward, any new loans will be subject to new level of interest deduction. This might affect you if you are looking for a larger or more expensive primary residence or considering a second mortgage for upgrading your home (or financing another thing like college using your a home equity loan). You can now deduct the interest from a combined value of all home mortgages of $750,000, which is reduced from the prior code.
$10,000 Cap on Local and State Tax Deduction
If you have a home and work in the same state, your deduction for your property taxes (local) and state taxes (from your income), are now capped at $10,000. This means if you pay $10,000 in property taxes every year, you can deduct them but no longer receive credit for the taxes you paid to your state in income. If you paid $10,000 in state income taxes, you can no longer receive credit you paid for property taxes to your local government. If you paid $15,000 in property taxes, you don't get to deduct that last $5k. Same goes for your income tax. Therefore, depending on your local and state tax rates, some of your previous deductions gained by owning a home, might be diminished.
Mortgage Interest and Property Taxes on Rental Properties are a Business Expense, not a Deduction
Looking at the first law, you might be nervous if you own several homes as rental properties. I know I was. Upon further review, I remembered that the mortgage interest and property taxes of rental homes are taken as business expenses on the rentals, not as deduction on the taxes. What this means is that the full amounts of interest and property taxes paid are a direct expense to the business and are not taken as a proportionate deduction on taxes. Therefore, these new tax laws for home ownership are not the same for a business renting homes. Whew.
“Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.
”
Where does this leave us? Owning a rental property is not a bad plan with the new tax code, even though it might seem scary at first. If you are considering a jumbo mortgage, or a second mortgage, and are using property taxes and interest deductions as part of your rationale and computation, you need to consider the fact that those rules have changed. That does not mean buying a home is a bad idea (not at all in my opinion), but when playing the game of home purchases, you better be sure you understand the rules.
Are you going to buy a new home this year? Does the new tax code change your thoughts on any of it? Have you thought about buying a rental property this year? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
- Casey
HOLIDAY PARTIES WITHOUT THE WORK
Throw an amazing holiday party without the work
I love parties. I love going to them, throwing them, and decorating for them. I love all of it. My kids and I love all the fun design, planning, staging, and creation that goes into throwing a great party. We love to open our home and invite our friends and family to enjoy the party that we create. We love it all.
Enter the holidays....enter the time crunch.
While I love throwing parties, including throwing parties during the holidays, I know that life can get hectic and there is not always time to create a party at home. It might be the fact that you cannot get the house in order, cannot plan all the events or assemble all the pieces that make your typical parties so fun. Sometimes, there just is a time shortage.
Enter: Gathered Marketplace.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with Gathered Marketplace, let me educate you. Created by two lovely women here in Fayetteville, Amanda Elias and Meagan Riggs, their mission is to grow togetherness between people in our community. Whether that be through a personal party or a community event, they are refocusing our time to what matters most: being with one another.
Gathered Marketplace can plan and throw your holiday party (or any get together!). They can help you figure out a location (which doesn't have to be your home but it CAN be!), a theme, and even activities. I am not referring to your typical party games. These ladies are full of creativity and they can create workshops, projects, and more for you and your friends. You don't have to think of anything - Gathered can figure it out for you.
One recent event they hosted was a workshop on making your own Magnolia Garland. What a perfectly southern thing to learn! Friends gathered, enjoyed wine and appetizers, and learned a new skill, all while spending precious time with one another. I recently attended an event organized by Gathered and a friend. Our workshop was on making floral leis. We had a luau to attend the following day, and we arrived with our freshly created carnation leis from our Gathered workshop. Not only were the leis gorgeous, we were able to learn a new skill while spending time together at our Gathered event.
Gathered Marketplace works with local farmers to source incredible fresh florals and greenery. Each time they create a floral event, you can be sure that the floral stems and greens will delight. However, their expertise is not limited to florals, but believe me, you'll want to try to include them if you can.
If you still feel like a party is just too much, you can attend one of Gathered Markeplace's many pop-up events. One of my favorites was the evergreen pop-up shop that they just hosted at Leclair's General Store (which is amazing and will be having its own post shortly - check them out!). There these talented ladies provide us with fresh floral stems, seasonal arrangements, and more. You can meet your friends there, enjoy the time with one another, and knock out some holiday decorating in the process. The options are endless!
Allowing someone to help you plan your holiday party (or any party) might feel defeating at first; perhaps a feeling that you could not "do it all". However, once you have Gathered step in, you'll have so much fun that you might never turn back. Not to mention the fun your friends will have - they will likely request more of such events in the future! Beyond parties, I know I contemplated just having them stop by to decorate my house with fresh greenery for Christmas; they'd probably agree to that if you asked with a little southern charm!
If you are not lucky enough to live in Fayetteville and have Gathered Marketplace to serve you, then be sure to check out what might be available in your community. Enlisting help can save you a lot of headache and stress, and you'll still be able to enjoy those moments you crave with friends and family. I know that Gathered Marketplace does a beautiful job helping to create those memories. If you have not attended one of their events, grab a few friends and get there. You won't regret it!
Have you attended a Gathered Marketplace Event? What did you think?
- Casey
Workshop Photos by Jamie Pope Photography and all other Magnolia styling photos by Lola V Photography; Evergreen photos by Light and Cedar Photography Co.
SPEED DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS
How to knock it out fast and enjoy the holidays!
Merry Christmas!!!
Does this phrase bring you joy or fear at this point it in the year? Despite my greatest efforts, each Christmas season I find myself wishing I just had a little more time to fit it all in. In my head, everything is all planned out - I will be sure to go caroling with the kids, bake loads of cookies, decorate the house, get the gifts, wrap them all, send the cards....need I go on? Never mind all the parties, plays, school performances, and - yikes - the kids get out of school early and before my shopping is complete!
With so many directions to turn, sometimes I realize that some things might have to give a little bit. One thing I have realized over the last couple of years is that I love a decorated house at Christmas....but I don't love decorating the house for Christmas for hours on end. There are so many fun things to do (and I do consider decorating fun!), but I realized that I needed to streamline my Christmas decorating to free up time for other things we also enjoy (did I mention cookies!?).
I figured I might not be alone and that other people might be looking for some tips on how to get your house in order quickly for the holidays. Disclaimer note: Clearly, you can spend a LOT more time and energy on additional things that can add to your home at Christmas. I am giving you a strategy to knock out the basics and still create a beautiful environment for Christmas. If you have more time, go enlist your husband to string a million lights on your house if you want!! :)
Okay, here it is - hope this helps!
- STEP ONE: Buy Fresh Poinsettias, Pine Garland, and Your Tree
I buy a BUNCH of poinsettias every year. I also buy garland (I love fraiser fur garland and also white pine, but any evergreen works). This year, I did not even buy the garland as I usually have to end up cutting it. I simply asked for the branches from the trees that had already been trimmed at the tree farm. They were FREE and then I just trimmed the pieces that I needed.
Filling your home with fresh pine is going to make it smell like Christmas right away. The flowers are beautiful, intensity colored, and so pretty. They make everything feel like Christmas and fast. I find them to be such a punch of color for a minimal cost.
Estimated Time: 60-120 minutes including drive time
- STEP TWO: GET EVERYTHING OUT
For real. Just get it all out and put it where you can see it. Pillows, flowers, garland, trinkets, signs, angels, stockings...everything. You will be much more efficient if you just focus on unwrapping everything and just getting it all out, than if you try to place each item when you unwrap it. Plus, you can develop a mental plan for things when you see them all at once.
Estimated Time: 60 minutes.
- STEP THREE: FIGURE OUT YOUR MANTEL (or where your stockings are going if you don't have a fireplace)
Start here because it doesn't take as much thought - you know those stockings need to be hung (by the chimney with care, right?). Get them up and then fill behind with flowers, garlands, and pick a few trinkets to top it off. Check. Now you have some momentum...
Estimated Time: I suggest you give yourself 20 minutes.
- STEP FOUR: START PUTTING GARLAND AND FLOWERS UP
Consider all flat surfaces as a home for pine needles and flowers. Put them up and line things with the garland. It will be easier to do that first before putting things in front of them. Add in flowers and you have a great canvas for most everything.
Estimated Time: 30-60 minutes.
- STEP FIVE: ADD REMAINING GREENERY TO EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS
One of my favorite steps. We have a lot of florals/greenery that are already up in the home. Adding quick berries, cinnamon sticks, or evergreen branches to them offers instant Christmas and takes very little time.
- STEP SIX: GET THE TREE UP
Get the tree in the stand, stable, and lighted. Enlist some help with this. Once it is in place, get the lights on.
*NOW, all evergreens are up - if you want to stop and sweep, you can. I personally wait until the end!
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
- STEP SEVEN: CREATE VIGNETTES WITH YOUR CHRISTMAS DECOR
Now you take all your little Christmas decor items and place them. They will be grouped together throughout your home - often odd numbers work well here. Set a time limit on this - even make it fun and challenge yourself. Your time will depend on the volume you are working with and the size of your house, but try to give yourself one hour to get it all up. If it is imperfect, you can tinker with it the rest of the season. For now, it just needs a home.
Estimated Time: 60 minutes
- STEP EIGHT: CHANGE OUT THROW PILLOWS
Throw pillows are so quick to change and can completely transition your sofa from "happy Fall Y'all" to "Merry Christmas" in about one minute. I like to keep a neutral basis for most of my pillows and then toss in a couple of pillows for each season to pull it all together.
Estimated Time: 10 minutes
- STEP NINE: DECORATE THE TREE
Get the kids, cocoa, and Christmas music and decorate that tree. My husband and I unwrap ornaments while the kids place them. We don't require perfection. If you do need more order, then you might need to adjust and be the ornament placer :) Enjoy this time.
Estimated Time: 60-90 minutes
- STEP TEN: LIGHT A CANDLE AND HAVE A DRINK - YOU'RE DONE!
Take a moment and relish in your home. Beautifully decorated and in under 6-8 hours. Easily achievable in a day and you will have a home completely ready for the holidays. Adding that Christmas candle is the final nod to the senses - making it smell like Christmas! Well done and enjoy the holiday season - you deserve it!!
What are your Christmas decorating tips? Do you plan ahead better than I do? Do tell!
- Casey
HEARTH & HAND WITH MAGNOLIA PRODUCT REVIEW
An honest review of Joanna and Chip Gaines' new line at Target.
EEEEK!! Was I the only one up on Sunday morning a few weeks back, racing to Target's website and adding the newly released Hearth and Hand with Magnolia items to my cart? Ms. Joanna Gaines and her awesome husband, Chip, have done it again releasing affordable and fun items made in conjunction with target. I ordered a lot and I could not wait to share them to help with your Christmas decorating plans.
Though I could go on and on, these are a few of my top picks. Before I begin, this is 100% my opinion - I am not paid by Target or Magnolia for my opinions (how nice would that be, lol). Just a helpful two cents for your holiday planning!
Love this wreath for it's understated appeal. I love that it offers a neutral canvas. Add a red ribbon, and it is holiday wreath, go with burlap and it works for fall, add a lovely organza ivory ribbon and it works all spring long. IT is not too full and not too sparse. Really versatile and at a good price point - $34.99.
This is darling. SUPER heavy and larger than I expected. This is a well made, almost heirloom quality box. So whimsical and my kids already love it. I think they have stuffed fifteen letters in there (now I need to "mail them"). Price point is $39.99 but it is nicer than you think to justify that price.
These are darling! There are actually several styles and they are all simple, soft and have nice touches. I love the feed sack styling and the darling pom pom details on top. Soft and sweet and nicely priced at $13. Here are some other favorites:
It took me a moment on this wreath, but it has steadily grown on me. I love the adorable little bells in the middle - something a little special about that. The cute berries are just enough to add to the wreath without making it too much. Just a little special and it makes me smile. Also priced at $34.99.
Good morning beautiful and handsome stoneware mugs
These make me happy. They are heavy and I love the embossed sentiment. They make me want to have coffee with my awesome husband and just relax. A nice reminder that we are all beautifully made. Just darling! They are 5.99 each.
I could go on and on, but the collection is wonderful in my opinion. Items are thoughtful, nice, and affordable. They might not be the most top notch quality in the world, but you are still shopping at Target and the prices are affordable.
Have you checked out the line? What are your thoughts? I'd love to know!
- Casey
5 TIPS FOR THE BEST FRIENDSGIVING
HOW TO MANAGE THE CROWD AND ENJOY YOUR MEAL
I love Thanksgiving. I think it is my favorite holiday. I love that it centers around family and friends, gathered together to celebrate what we are Thankful for. I also love that it doesn't focus around gifts, events, and other things that tend to create chaos in the holiday season. Don't get me wrong, I love tradition and the bustle of the holidays, but there is something sweet about Thanksgiving being solely about the food and time we share together (well, and football :)
We started having a Friendsgiving about 13 years ago. Due to the military schedule my husband was on, traveling 18 hours home just did not make sense. We found we were not the only people that were stranded on Thanksgiving. Thus, our Thanksgiving became one of the Thanksgiving Misfits so we liked to call it! People who did not go home to visit family.
Over time, it has grown to include some family members that do travel to join us for Thanksgiving, and it includes anyone we know that might not have a place to celebrate Thanksgiving. It has been one of our most enjoyable traditions. This year, we will celebrate our 14th Friendsgiving and we have learned some great tips for success. Allow me to share:
1. Cook several, smaller turkeys
I like to cook several, smaller turkeys so they don't dry out. When you are feeding a crowd, you tend to think bigger is better, but the smaller turkeys keep more moisture in because they have more bone to meat ratio...yum! It also allows you to carve them more easily and plate them in several areas for easy access.
2. Farm out the drinks
Several of our guests do travel to join us and they'd like to bring something, but cannot cook it on the road. Having those guests bring drinks is a wonderful way for them to help, without having to mess with cooking.
3. Don't Farm out the basics
I consider the basics of the meal Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Gravy, and Pumpkin Pie (you might add to this list but these are the staples). I learned the hard way that you risk a lot when you tell someone else to bring one of these items. They MIGHT change their mind and not show up with one of the staples of the meal, throwing you into a panic. When this happened to me, I vowed never again to "farm out a staple" dish. I now respond - "bring anything you'd love to have or are good at making". If you have more of the basics, it's a win!
4. Appetizers are key (but keep them simple)
Thanksgiving dinner is hard to time, especially with guests rotating in. We make a lot of easy appetizers (think dips, cheese, crackers, fruit, muffins, bars, etc) for snaking throughout the day so the meal can be made without "hangry" people in the kitchen!
5. Accept help and be Thankful for it
People want to help. They see you as a host and feel that they want to be helpful to you. Allow this and go beyond that, be thankful for it. Sometimes I get bogged down in just trying to "get it done", which does somewhat miss the point of it all. When I step back and allow the help to happen, I find I enjoy the time so much more.
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, whether it be with friends or family. It is my favorite holiday and I am thankful for the chance to share it with you.
Do you have tips for a successful Friendsgiving?
- Casey
HOUSE HUNTING FOR HISTORIC HOMES
Things to consider when house hunting for a historic home
Do you ever dream of fixing up an older home with lots of character? I dream about it all the time. My friend told me that she "thinks I have a problem" or "might be addicted to houses". She is probably right, but none the less, I continue to seek them out. There is something about the idea of taking something that is rough and a little run down, and restoring it to its original beauty.
So, my obsession continued and I went to look at this house with my realtor.
Isn't it classic? Built in 1947 and essentially untouched since then. There were so many features that I loved. The part I loved inside the home immediately was the foyer and the stairwell. I could not pass up the details!!
Though these pictures don't show it, the ceiling above the stairwell is curved and just beautiful. I love the solid wood trim, large steps and gorgeous windows above the door. Did you note the heat register near the door? This is upgraded from Radiant heat, but it is not central heating and air. There is no central air in this house....which is about 30-40K to install, depending on the details of the systems. Ouch.
This dining room was beautiful and elegant. I loved the large wainscoting and lovely light coming in the room! This dining room does back into the kitchen on the left, so I always contemplate opening up that wall. That can be really fun, but also really expensive, and when you start opening up walls that are nearly 100 years old, you can really find yourself some issues. While I do like open concept, there is also something nice about keeping the integrity of the home and the rooms as themselves. It is also a LOOOOTTT cheaper.
Ahh the kitchen!! This is a 1940's charmer. My mom said this brought back memories of her childhood and that was sweet to hear. It obviously would be overhauled, but you have to love that it was maintained since the 40's. How about that light filled window over the sink? Charming.
This living room is beautiful! Love the fireplace and awesome sun porch right off the wings. I would loose the mirror over the mantel, but otherwise just some sanding and floor refinishing (through the entire house), needs to happen. That has a price tag of about 5-6k for that many square feet.
This is one of three baths and they were all vintage fun. Love the floor tile (would leave that), but the wall tile might be swapped, or possibly left depending. I keep original iron tubs. They are amazing quality and can usually be re-glazed and end up looking nearly new!
This is the den. This paneling on the walls is wood....like actually wood. The stuff is nearly an inch thick and is really solid. Though it is very functional (and hides stains like a dream!), it does make the room really dark. That stated, this is paneling that is actually the wall. You don't just "take it down" like paneling that is put up over drywall. This wood wall IS the wall. If you take it down, you have to sheet rock walls back up. That adds up quick too. So, jury would be out on this one.....
Pretty awesome attic. I love the attic fan. It's huge and still works. When you turn it on, it pulls air through the entire house and circulates air through it. Pretty amazing. Also, pretty dangerous. You have to be careful with these as they are huge, metal, and exposed. Kids would need to be cautioned. I love the wood ceilings in this attic. It feels like a storybook up there!!
Pretty amazing walkway from the house to the garage (which was a later addition to the home I am sure). This was probably my favorite part of the house. I loved the quality of the work and the amazing detail. Just a gorgeous design and so well thought out.
Here's another view. Just beautiful!
So at the end of the day, we did not make an offer on this house. I did not show you the four bedrooms, which were lovely and all had decent closets. There was also a room off the kitchen, a brick patio in the back, a two car garage (very rare find in our neighborhood), and even a great over-sized walk out basement (also super rare in the South!). The roof was asbestos tile, which can actually last 40-80 years, but is more costly than a regular roof to place because of asbestos abatement that has to happen.
Mostly, we passed because the house is on a busy street and we did not want to be on that street, even if we could get the house at a price we could work with. We are not afraid of repairs, but you cannot change locations. We want our four young kids to be able to have a little more freedom; too much traffic and chaos would be stressful for us.
It's hard to look at homes that I know I could fall in love with, but my husband keeps me straight and focused. The right house will come along, but for now, we stay put.
Have you considered a whole house renovation? Have you completed one?
-Casey
CUSTOM WALLPAPER FOR FREE
Free DIY Custom Wallpaper wall using materials you probably already have!
YIPPEE!! I love free things (and I cannot imagine I am alone on this!) There is nothing more satisfying than getting a large bang for your buck and this project has such a great return that I just had to give you the inside scoop. I am going to give you a quick run down on a project that I did a bit back. I should have made an actual tutorial about it, but I had no idea how many people would ask me about it back then. Oh well. I think you can catch on fast, right?!
This wall in my home is painted, not wallpapered. I did not want the hassle and commitment of wallpaper when I decided to add a feature wall to this room, but I knew I wanted some level of impact beyond just paint. So, I figured I would paint my own wallpaper.
To do this, there are several sites that sell laser cut patterns and graphics, but most of them are $20-80 dollars each for the pattern and I could not find the diamond pattern I was dreaming up. Plus, I did not want to commit to the money or the shipping time and wait for the pattern (when I get an idea, I become QUITE impatient).
So while I was contemplating a lot of things (like making my own stencil...probably a bad idea), I also realized it had been awhile since I changed the air filters in our home (I know this is scattered, but this is how my brain works). As I got the filters out, I noticed a hidden gem....my pattern! Yup. I was so excited! There it was, perfectly thick, laser cut and uniform, the back side of my air filter contained just the pattern I was looking for! Even better, I was about to throw the gross part of the filter out, so I just quickly cut the back of the filter off and there was my pattern. SUCCESS!
You can buy this here from Walmart
I knew I could just tape the pattern to the wall with painter's tape, trace the pattern, reposition it again, trace again, and so on until I finished tracing the pattern on the wall. Then I would just use a little tiny paint brush to fill in the gaps with paint that I already had from doing the trim in that room. Brilliant! I figured this project would take me about four hours.
This is where the story comes to a screeching halt. Enter my husband. He asks me what my plan is, and I explain my brilliant idea. He likes the idea, and then asks me how long I think it will take (which, by the way, he always does because he has an incredible sense that can identify when I have completely lost touch with reality). I promptly reply it will take me four hours. He replies, "Four hours today? How many tomorrow?" I was shocked that he would doubt my timeline. I was certain that this project would possibly take me more than four hours.
You know where this is going. In my defense, the project did take me four hours, three times :) It was a little (LOT) more time intensive than I realized (score yet another point for my husband), but oh my, have I loved the results. A couple of points that I learned in doing this:
1. Your walls might not be fully level, so I had to fudge some areas to make sure they were good enough.
2. Plan for two coats of paint. After the first coat of paint, I realized it was going to require a second to really look right (that was a depressing moment).
3. Imperfection is part of this project. Accept it (or potentially go crazy as an alternative...although when you see the doctor and you start explaining what you are doing, you will probably get that diagnosis anyway). Most people tell me I am crazy for a lot of reasons, though, so that is nothing new for me.
In the end, the 12 hours was totally worth it. Not only did I not have to mess with trying to wallpaper old and uneven walls, but there has been no seam weakening or peeling like you can get with wallpaper over time. Plus, the project did not cost me a dime. Even if you have to buy everything new, you can pick up all the materials for less than ten bucks. Not bad for a lot of impact.
Remember, it seems a little crazy for some, but this project is super forgiving. You don't have to be perfect for it to look nice. No one is going to stick there face right up into and see if you have a little shaky hand brush stroke someplace (and If they do, then maybe they are not really your friend :) People will think it looks amazing, even if imperfect!
Perfectly imperfect
It was truly that simple. I wish I had more "how to" photos to show you, but it honestly was just taping the pattern to the wall, tracing with a pencil, and then painting it in.....plus a whole lot of patience.
Will you give it a try??
Casey
CREATING A WALL GALLERY
How to create a wall gallery without making your home look like a flea market.
“I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else.”
This post was inspired by my sister-in-law Angela, who is a newlywed and has recently bought a beautiful home in Washington, DC. She is very well travelled and has collected beautiful treasures from across the globe. Her husband is also a traveler, and has done the same. Together they have an amazing collection of beautiful things. In trying to display them, she asked, "How do I create a wall gallery without making my home look like a flea market?" This made me laugh, and equally smile because I know her house would never look like a flea market.
She raised a good question, however, so I thought about it for awhile and I realized that I had never really created a "formula" for a wall gallery. I have always just done it how I liked it. When I started to think about it, though, I realized that there are a few key components or building blocks that translate into an attractive wall gallery that doesn't look like a flea market.
I like to start with a larger space, and one that doesn't have a lot of business (pattern and or color) going on. I feel that wallpaper or prints can compete with items you are trying to display, and then things end up looking visually messy. Think of an art gallery. They are typically displaying art against a stark white background. The white background or light background allows us to focus on the art itself, rather than the wall behind it; it removes any confusion.
Before I put anything on the wall, I lay everything out on the floor or make a quick sketch of my items. This helps me get a glimpse of how things might look on the wall, without being committed to making a bunch nail holes before I have a plan (not that I don't LOVE filling nail holes - who doesn't?) It's funny how most things go better when there is a plan, right? I won't pretend I have not just flown by the seat of my pants with galleries before (I am quite known for that habit), but most of the time, things go better when I take the time to think it through first.
Next I consider scale of the wall and scale of my items. If you have a larger item, or two larger items, you typically want them centered or at least balancing each other side to side. Even if they are different shapes, their size will balance well when they are positioned against each other. After I have decided on my central item, I look at what else I want to display with it. Then I group them into similar sized or shaped items as well. That way I know how to balance each of them, splitting them up into a few groups. When you have done that, you can start placing them around your larger items, looking at balancing each side of the gallery with similar sized or shaped things on either side of the larger items.
Once you have decided on a grouping you like, think about how you might be able to add some uniformity to the situation. For example, you can hang all sorts of things, but you might consider putting them all in black frames for unity. You could also decide to make everything very colorful. Perhaps a few things on each side are in frames, and then a few things are word art, and then a few things are objects. Mostly you want to create some level of balance between the items.
Next you need to decide how much "white space" you want between your items. This would be how closely things are hung together. It can look cool to have things placed nice and snug if they are more uniform (like the example of everything in black frames). If your items are more eclectic, you might want to consider wider spacing to allow the eye to really focus on the object itself as part of the wall gallery, rather than it looking too cramped and messy.
In this photo, all the papers are different sizes and colors, but the gallery is unified by the same clip holding each piece. The clips are also equally spaced which gives balance, despite the fact that all the papers are different. Note the white back ground allows you to see the clips and the papers.
Finally, you need to look at the overall shape and size of your wall and your gallery creation. If the wall is just rectangular, you have a lot of options. Consider the furniture as part of the gallery; it can define the edges and does add into the equation. A popular location for a wall gallery is a stair case. This is a little trickier as the wall is angled with the stairs. In this case, you just follow the angle of the steps with your art. When you do this, you create a pleasing visual along the stairs that carries with the lines of the steps. Balance is achieved and your eyes are happy!
This is a stair gallery in our house. Hard to grab a photo of this, but the angle of the bottom pictures is going along the stair line. Everything is in a white or black frame to give balance. Objects that are not framed are balanced with those that are.
Showing it from a different angle.
It takes some trial and error, but eventually you get a sense that tells you it looks balanced and attractive to the eye. If you are still not confident enough to put it on the wall, you can use painter's tape to tape out the shape and size of your objects and put it all on the wall first. This is also very handy for identifying where your positioning and nails should go (as long as you take the time to accurately measure things). It is time consuming, but can really be helpful in the end.
Hopefully I have helped answer the question of the wall gallery, Angela. The most best part of a gallery is that it can be change in rotation. Things can go on and come off and it will instantly change the look of the gallery with very little time and effort. I love doing that at the holidays. I will often change out a wall gallery that includes fresh flowers or a wreath, and will change out the flowers and wreath for the season we are in. It's a quick change that updates everything quickly and didn't take more than a few minutes and hardly cost anything.
“Imperfection is perfection to a beautiful perspective.”
When it comes to hanging things in a gallery, just keep playing with it until you love it. I think it is a great way to display things you love and fill your home with your unique story.
Have you created a wall gallery in your home? Did you like the result? Was it hard to achieve? Did it feel like a flea market? :)
-Casey
WHY I HATE THE WORD LANDLORD
Re-defining the relationship between homeowners and rental clients.
You won't find me using the word Landlord or Tenant on this blog. I hate both words.
Hate has a strong meaning. It means you intensely or passionately dislike something. I truly feel that way about these two words.
Landlord implies that someone owns the land is therefore Lord of his property. I don't know about you, but Lording over something seems pretty outdated to me. That word implies someone is a master of something; completely in charge, and what he says goes, no matter what. Historically, people died at their Lord's hand if they were not in alignment with the Lord, and depending on the situation, the Lord could choose to impart mercy or justice. Eek.
Tenant implies you are subservient to the Lord of this land. While I do believe there should be respect for the ground rules that the "Lord" has established, I don't believe there is a subservient relationship to this Lord. I know as someone that has rented a home, I did not want to feel like I was a minion to Lord, and simply there to serve a master. Yuck.
Therefore, I just don't use those words. I don't believe that there is a hierarchy in the relationship between me, the homeowner, and our clients who choose to rent our homes. I know fully that our clients are the ones caring for our home while they are there, and I want them to know that we appreciate them. At Haymount Homes, we see them as the caretaker of something special, of something we love. We also want them to love it in return.
Changing this perspective is imperative in improving the relationship with homeowners and clients that rent their homes. It starts from a place of trust, mutual respect, and positivity. It encourages communication and it sets everyone up for future success, both with the clients enjoying their rental home, and for the homeowner knowing that their home is being well cared for.
Of course, there are times when legally I get bound into using the words I despise, like within a lease ( just because I don't like them, doesn't mean they are obsolete....although in my world, that will change someday too :). Just as a rule, I don't use them. I don't see them as a positive place to start a relationship.
I was recently interviewed by Zillow (the top real estate and property management companies on the web today). They wanted to hear my perspective on becoming my own property manager. I told them about my "passionate dislike" for these two words and they were fascinated by that. Maybe I am alone in the world on this perspective, but I just don't see it as a positive one. I want all my relationships to start from a positive place.
So there you have it. Call me weird (I am), call me crazy (some might agree), but what I can tell you is that we have had great relationships with all our clients. We are blessed by them and try to be a blessing to them as well. This is a place where everyone wins, not just a Lord of some land.
How do you feel about these words? I hope I'm not alone!!
- Casey
FOUNDATIONS - The "F" Word FOR HOMEOWNERS
Remaining calm when the bottom is literally falling out.
Foundations. This might be the "F" word of homeownership. Nothing strikes up Fear, Frustration, and other words that I will not mention (but absolutely know that you can envision where I am going with that). No one wants to hear that they have a foundation problem. I know I didn't when I realized we had one. I had slowly watched some cracks develop in our house. We had even hired them to be fixed, and they were, but they rather quickly reappeared. This work was completed by contractors that I know and trust. I had a gut feeling that there were bigger problems lying below. We had just recently re-flashed our chimney and added a new roof to our front porch. A few days ago, I was getting the kids off to school and I turned around only to see what I had feared. There was a large crack in the chimney. The Chimney was separating itself from our house. Inside, it was pulling the wall with it. Not good. Immediately, I found myself immersed in a series of "F" words; I turned to fear, frenzy, and frustration. I was scared. I did not know where to start, the costs involved, who to trust, and more. I had forgotten another "F" word for foundations - FIXABLE.
Yup. Like anything else that breaks down in a home, foundations are fixable. When I unpacked all those "F" words, I realized that at the core of all my fear was the fact that I did not know enough about the problem to find peace with the solution. Many times, homeowners fear what they do not know. I find that the more I understand and analyze the issue, the more comfortable I become with the problem. The more comfortable I am with the problem, the less fear there is. Once the fear has subsided, I am able to gain clarity and work to problem solve the issue. When I have a plan, I am much more calm, objective, and able to handle fixing the problem.
Why do foundation problems scare us? I suppose is the idea that the house is going to crumble and fall down around us, or the idea that we are going to have to go bankrupt fixing it. Insurance companies (with minor exceptions) don't include the foundation in a homeowner's plan because the scope of repairs can be costly. I would add that it is the fear of the unknown that also increases the scare factor. Let's look at these fears.
Fear #1: The house will fall
Okay, it would be scary if your house completely fell down all around you. No one would be okay with that. However, in most cases, your foundation has signs of warnings or issues far before the entire structure is shot and your house instantly crumbles to the ground. Usually, the entire foundation does not fail all together, but rather parts of it become compromised. There are several reasons the compromise can happen. Here are some major and more common reasons the foundation might fail:
- Soil Shifting - contraction and expansion/recoil of the soil changes the pressure on the foundation and slowly causes movement
- Highly wet/dry regions can shift the soil quality and change the pressure against the foundation.
- Time - nothing lasts forever. Sometimes things just give out
- Poor Worksmanship - hate to mention this one, but not everyone does good work. validating a contractor and company is very important with structural work.
- Natural Disasters - floods, earthquakes, tornados - all can change the landscape and structural integrity of the foundation
- Water flow against the house - can alter the masonry and positioning of the foundation
interior wall crack and mantel pulling from the wall
Fear #2: Cost
We all freak out when things are expensive, especially when those things are not things we want to spend money on. Spending 10K on a foundation repair is a lot less satisfying than a new kitchen remodel. Definitely does not give you the "wow" factor when the work is hidden. However, structural problems are things that cannot be ignored. While the first fear of the house falling down is unlikely, if you let things go, then eventually things will start to crumble...not good.
The good news is that a foundation does not usually fail all at once. Typically, there are portions that require your attention and reinforcement to improve their function and stability. These portions are often stabilized by "push piers" that are drilled down to the bedrock surface inside the soil. From that stable surface, they push back up under your foundation to reinforce your existing structure and prevent further compromise to the stability of your foundation. In North Carolina, each pier that is required is roughly $1200. The amount of piers required is based upon your current structure, length, and size, which is calculated by state law and code requirements. While this is not cheap, it is also better than 40k to lift your entire house and replace your entire foundation. While that can happen from time to time, it is usually not the typical repair.
fireplace mantel pulling from the wall
Fear #3: The Unknown
I will be the first to admit, I am not an expert in the world of foundations. In fact, I used to know very little. This fear of the unknown is possibly the worst fear of all because we feel overwhelmed by where to begin. Let me help you with that:
- Step 1: Identify the problem - Look for cracks in your foundation and bricks. Large cracks are often seen going along the mortar and are called step cracks. If you see cracks, measure them. Note a spot on the wall where you are measuring and mark it with a crayon (wax based). This will help you identify where you made the mark so you can consistently measure the crack. Measure it once/week and note any changes. You might see the crack enlarge or shrink with rain and dry seasons, or you might see it steadily increasing. Monitor this. You can also buy foundation crack monitors that sit inside the crack and help keep up with measurements for you. If you see the crack progressing, you might have a problem
- Step 2: Consult a Structural Engineer - Once you believe you have an issue, contact a structural Engineer that you can trust to evaluate your problem. Ask for recommendations from Architects and contractors you trust. Finding a good engineer will be important so they can survey your site and provide recommendations for repair. Having this done will cost around $500, but you will need to have this completed as most states require this prior to any foundation repairs being completed.
- Step 3: Gather your Estimates - Ask your trusted structural engineer for recommendations regarding repair companies. Trust these recommendations. There are lots of companies out there that are willing to do work, but that does not mean they will do it well. You want only the best people to do this type of work. Once you have your list, contact at least three companies to provide you with estimates for repair. You want "apples to apples" comparisons so you can correctly see what price differences are for the same work. Use your engineering report to instruct the contractors in what work you want completed. Because you already have an outline regarding what work NEEDS to be completed (from the engineer), you will avoid being "oversold" by any of the companies (aka, them telling you that you need something that you don't. Information reduces that fear). Ask about their warranty. That needs to be part of your evaluation of the work. Some companies will offer a 5 year warranty, and others up to a 75 year. Ask if the warranty is transferrable to a new owner if you sell your home; you want to know what you are buying
trim separation
- Step 4: Barter. Yup. You now have three estimates and you know what work needs to be done. Let's pretend you trust one company more, but their price is higher than another, or they offer a shorter warranty. Work with the people you trust and ask for them to price match or warranty match the competition. The worst they can say is "no." Also ask if there is a discount for paying up front in cash if this is an option for you. It might save you 10%. If your estimate is 10K, then you'd save $1,000. That's not bad.
- Step 5: Repair That Foundation - "suck it up, buttercup". I know, not cool, but that is what needs to happen. Again, you need to decide that you have to stop caring about it being expensive, and just get it done. You will feel better in the long run if you stop worrying about it.
- Step 6: Document - that is something that should be done along the way, but be sure to keep the engineering report, repair procedure, and receipts from all this work. When it comes time to sell your home, there might be concerns with foundation integrity. Having these documents in hand can actually help promote the sale, especially when you might be able to say there is a 75 year warranty on the work.
ceiling crack
So, you might wonder where that leaves us. Well, we are having the chimney repaired for sure. That will be about 2-3K. As for the other cracks in the side of the house, we are monitoring them for now as we don't see as much movement inside the house on those. If they progress in the next six months, then we will have to throw another 8K on that. At least we have some time to prepare. More than anything, we know what we have on our hands. Our home is lovely, but the bones underneath need to be strong. It's kind of like a super model with osteoporosis. She is only going to look good for so long...if the bones underneath break, it's all over :) Better to be informed so the issues can be solved, then to run around with all the "F words" that come to mind. Most things are fixable. This is too.
Have you had to fix your foundation? What was your experience?
- Casey
HANGING WALL ART
Taking the frustration and guesswork out of hanging objects on your walls.
Have you ever struggled with placement of objects on the wall? How high should they be? How close together? Should individual items be hung, or should they be grouped? Should you group them or hang them alone? How do you create a gallery wall? Or, my sister-in-law's exact question, "How do you hang a grouping together that won't make it look like a flea market?" Ha. We've all had that frustration of 10 nail holes in the wall, only to get one picture hung right. Even though we try to cover them with the art, we know they are there, don't we??
We've all struggled with his question and this post answers a series of questions about hanging art/objects and more on the wall. More specifically, it is a framework to help make wall decorating fun and enhance the visual appeal of your home.
Let's start simple. When you are hanging one item, whether it be a picture or an object, the most visually peaceful height to hang that object is at eye level. If you find yourself looking up or down to focus on the object, it is physically distracting rather than pleasing. Of course, eye level will vary based up on your height, but it usually varies within about 12 inches between most of us. That means that the height of the top of the object or frame, should be at the upper part of eye level and that you look about dead center onto the object.
This rule holds true even for rooms with taller ceilings and, hence, taller walls. Standard wall height is eight feet. You will still go for eye level on a 9-12 foot wall. Wall height changes, but our visual space doesn't. If you hang things higher on high walls, it will feel very uncomfortable visually.
Now, let's continue to assume you are hanging only one object. Most of the time, you'll want the object to be centered on the wall space provided. Even if the wall is only a half wall, or on the side of something else, you'll want the object in the center of the wall. This symmetry on either side will balance the visual appeal and focus the viewer on the object.
Scale. You must consider scale of your object. Let's pretend your wall is 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide. It would not look visually appropriate to have an object that was 1 foot by 1 foot large in the dead center of the wall. It would be small and not scaled appropriately for that wall. In the same vein, it would not make sense to have a 6 foot by 4 foot object on that wall. it would fill the space and be really large. Someplace in between makes sense. Think about 3-4 feet by about 2-3 feet in measurement. That would be a nice ratio on either side and really highlight your image.
Let's also discuss hanging something over the sofa. Rule of thumb is that you won't hang something within the first 12 inches from the top of the sofa. If this rule is broken, you will find people hitting their head on whatever you decided to hang lower. Of course if your sofa is really tall, this might not be an issue, but it is always worth considering.
Okay, let's move beyond one object and discuss two. The same rules apply as far as height. If you hang them in a vertically stacked position, you want the middle of the overall length of hanging to still be eye level. If you place them horizontally, you want eye level and have equal balance of wall on either side.
When hanging two objects, you might find yourself overall conflicted with the look. This is often because we often visually gravitate toward odd numbers in decorating. Why? I am not sure, but the rule of three is often sited as a fool proof decorating strategy as many people find this visually appealing. This is not to say you cannot hang two objects together, but it often will be more appealing to you if a third is added for visual symmetry.
Let's talk about framing a focal point, such as a window or a fireplace. I have a fireplace with a large window on one side an a wall on the other. There is no place to hang something on the window side, but the window is large. Therefore, on the other side of the fireplace, I have gone with a large 3x2 framed picture. It mimics the shape of the window on the other side of the fireplace, and provides similar scale visually. When framing a focal point, you want to lessen the distraction on the sides of the item to allow focus on the center item.
How to find the middle of your wall? You want to measure the length and the height. Once you know that the wall is 8 feet high, that means it is 96 inches high. Now you would divide that in half and find that 48 inches from the floor is the middle of the height of the wall. Then you measure from side to side. Let's assume that the wall is 5 feet or 60 inches. Now we know that 30 inches into the wall is the center. Once you have found the center, you can build your placement from there. You can safely assume that visual height for many people is about 5 feet or about 60" up on the wall.
You then need to measure your object. Let's assume that the object is 2 feet tall. You would want the top of the object to hang 30" in from the side of the wall and about a foot up from the measured center point of 48" of the height of the wall. HOWEVER, you need to account for where the hanging attachment of your object is. Let's say our 2 foot tall picture, has a hang tag in the back that is 6 inches down from the top. Now, instead of hanging that object at the 60" height (visual height), we need to drop it down by 6" to account for that hanging tag in the back. So, the exact point for your nail or screw, is about 30" in from the side of the wall, and about 54" from the floor. When you hang your object, it will be smack in the center and visually the right height.
Confused yet? It's not that bad once you start measuring and it takes the guess work out of the placement. When you add additional objects, there is more math involved, but mostly you want to have symmetry on either side, and then you want some space between.
These rules get a little more lax when you start moving into a wall gallery. There is more flexibility with a wall gallery and they can be fun. The main thing to keep in mind with a wall gallery, is visual symmetry between objects. Balance and overall shape are very important. We're going to talk about that in the next post.
Have you struggled with hanging wall art? What is your best solution?
-Casey
Choosing Paint Colors - Part Two - Evaluating Your Layout
Unifying your undertones to create a cohesive feeling in your home.
Have you ever heard of a whole house palette? Call it a new trend in decorating, but it has everything to do with coordinating undertones throughout the house.
In part one of evaluating your paint color, we discussed understanding the undertone as the basis of your color. Once you knew if your undertone was yellow, red, green, or blue, you would then know if your room would cast warmer or cooler hues on the wall.
Next, we must consider layout and lighting. My sister asked the question, "do all rooms need to have the same undertone?" The answer is "it depends".
In many newer homes today, rooms often blend into one another, creating an open layout and floorplan. When rooms are visible to one another, and especially if they truly are seamless and blend into each other, then it is more important that they share a coordinating undertone. You can still choose differing colors within the undertones (ie, gray and beige, but both with a yellow undertone for example), but you'll want to keep the undertone coordinating.
Neutral Whole House Palette - all of these have a yellow undertone
In many older homes, such as most of the homes we decorate, the rooms are often more segmented. In this case, you have more freedom with undertones as they will not clash between rooms. However, I have found that if you keep the undertones more coordinated throughout the house, it ends up casting a very satisfying feeling in the home. Many new home contractors employ this strategy throughout their new home builds. They pick 3-4 colors, all in a unified undertone family and place them throughout the house. The result is usually a very pleasing palette to a prospective buyer.
Choosing a whole house palette can be fun because you can repeat colors in different rooms and they will behave differently in each room, but coordinate easily between rooms. The color difference is due to the lighting in the room (which will be discussed in an upcoming post). In fact, I have Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray in my kitchen, living room, and dining room. I wanted the color to look the same in each space, but my kitchen has very weak lighting. To compensate for this, I decreased the intensity of the color by 70%. I looks the same on the walls in all three rooms, even though there is less pigment in the wall in the kitchen. These three rooms run into one another and I wanted a congruent look to the space. Agreeable gray has a slightly yellow undertone, so it is a warmer gray/beige color.
Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams
Adjacent to that room, I have a darker gray called Mountain Smoke by Valspar, but still a gray with a yellow undertone. All my white trim has a barely there, but still there yellow undertone in it. Together, they all look their own white, gray, or dark gray, but that little bit of yellow unifies them. Another trick is to ask the paint counter help for the recipe for the color. They have a formula for each color they mix. When I am on a fence about two colors or cannot determine their undertone, I ask for the recipe for the color. I look to see what percentage of the formula is gold/yellow/black/gray/blue etc. That helps me see what undertone is strongest.
Mountain Smoke by Valspar
Doing a simple Pinterest or Google search will land you with scores of whole house palettes. There is no need to re-invent the wheel. However, if you are really wanting a certain color, use it to build the rest of your palette. Start with what makes that color speak to you and evaluate the undertone. Moving from there, add coordinating colors with similar undertones. Nature does this naturally if you start looking around you. There is also a wonderful blog to those devoted to color and the appreciation of these palettes.
Check them out at Design-Seeds at https://www.design-seeds.com/blog/page/3/
In the end, choose colors you love, but also consider the layout of the rooms. If they share an undertone, they will provide a more serene, cohesive look for your home.
Next we'll look at lighting!
- Casey