Designing Diva Interiors

Some of you may have hired a professional designer or decorator in the past. Some of you are considering it for the first time and many of you have upcoming initial consultations with one. In an effort to minimize any confusion and to make the most out of your time with your home’s new best friend, I would like to take a moment to list a few common things you should know before diving into your next project.

1) Is he/she currently certified, liscensed, insured and/or registered with the state? Many people find that they have a knack for decorating and begin offering their services to others. While you may save money going this route, be aware that this is definitely one of those cases where you get what you pay for. He/she may not have the experience and education required to provide you with the results you want in a timely and desirably manner. Additionally, hiring someone who is not insured is a huge risk to you. If that person is injured while in your home they could sue and win.

2) Talk about fees. At or before your initial consultation your designer should discuss her fees. If she doesn’t, bring this topic up before she leaves that first appointment. You don’t want any surprises later. Make sure you are clear on the following: Is the rate hourly or by the job? When it payment due? Which forms of payment are accepted? Is there a late fee for past due payments?

3) What are your goals for this project? Over the years I have gotten much better at reading clients’ body language to help me understand what they want when they cannot verbalize it. However, this should not be the standard method of communication between designer and client. Before meeting with your designer for the first time make a list, no matter how long or short, of your goals concerning this project. This can include a desired budget, timeline and overall look. I encourage clients to tear pages out of magazines that show colors, styles or items they are inspired by. This will help to make the very most out of your time together.

4) Are you and your spouse on the same page? Again, this is something that should be determined before the designer arrives on the scene but if your wants differ from those of your spouse, a good designer can help bring the two of you together. But know this: we are not marriage counselors. We are here to create a look that compliments your style, needs and budget. If she wants a coastal vibe for the family home and he demands Old World traditional decor, there is only so much I can do. It is awkward to watch a couple bicker in front of me so please discuss your wishes with one another before bringing me in. This is will save everyone time and money and believe it or not, a designer WILL “fire” the client if the job is going nowhere because of this issue.

5) Does my designer have a niche or specific style?  Many designers across the globe establish themselves in one niche over the course of their career. This may mean that, while they can do all styles, they are particularly skilled at bringing French Country to life or really prefer doing childrens’ rooms. So why is this important for you to inquire about? If you hire a designer who’s portfolio shines with photos of rustic cabins and outdoor living spaces, you may not be getting someone who ”gets” your style which could be more modern.

6) How many clients does he/she work with at one time? No one ever asks me this and I am surprised by it. I have recently made it common practice to tell each person who inquires about my services that I only work with five clients at any given time. This ensures that each project gets my utmost attention and that I won’t be too busy to assist them with a last-minute or emergency need. With a designer-or any contractor- who overbooks himself the client comes up short changed. Make sure your designer will have the time to deal with any and all needs you require- whether you know about them yet or not.

From creating a spa-like retreat to adding a punch of drama, the color blue is universally popular thanks to its versatility. Below are some of my favorite shades and how I would use them:

1) Valspar’s “Regal” 4004-8C. Use in a high gloss on a front door for an instant “wow” factor. Looks good with terra cotta oranges and against neutrals.

2) Ace Hardware’s “Blueville” A41-7. A fabulous jeweltone that has more green than purple in it. Use on bedroom wallsto create a colorful but sensuous cacoon. Looks good against bright whites and soft greys.

3) Dutchboy’s “Tournament Blue” E26-1. Described by Better Homes and Gardens as an “all-American hue”, this classic shade of blue looks good in smaller doses. I would paint the fronts of porch steps or shutters this color. Looks good with whites, reds and purples (also used in small doses).

4) Sherwin Williams’ “Gulf Stream”. This is the shade of blue you find in Carribbean waters and is fun yet sophistocated in nearly every application. Use in a kitchen or bathroom for unexpected and cheerful color every day.

Many homeowners put a great deal of time, energy and cash into the look of their home’s interior while the exterior goes without year after year. I can make this accusation because I am guilty of it myself. Well not this spring! Below are a few links to help you get started. Remember, outdoor living rooms are making their way to Oklahoma residences in a big way and you don’t need a 4000 square foot home to have one. Follow some or all of these tips to get started and then call Designing Diva Interiors, LLC at 405.816.9716 to get a designer’s touch on your perfect outdoor living space!

http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping-dos-and-donts/package/index.html

http://landscaping.about.com/od/landscapedesignideas/a/outdoor_living.htm

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/landscaping-projects/decks/pretty-outdoor-living-spaces/

As a browsed my favorite blogs over the weekend looking for ideas for various projects I found a few that could be easily implemented by any decorator, whether they be amateur or professional! So read on and add some style to your space already!

GETTING ARTSY IN THE BATHROOM: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/32474

HOW TO EXPAND YOUR ART COLLECTION ON A BUDGET: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/15640

MY YARD NEEDS STRUCTURE:      http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/28941

MUST-SEE COLOR TRENDS:                        http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/must-see-spring-color-trends/pictures/index.html?nl=HGDeco_v066_60

Skip the flowers and put down the Snuggie- Designing Diva Interiors wants you to consider a more unique and practical gift for the mom in your life this Mother’s Day. With a DDI gift certificate she can:

* Redecorate

* Get advice on everything from paint colors to furniture selection 

* Start that remodel you promised her last year

* or utilize any other service DDI offers!

Gift certificates are available in $75 increments and expire six months from date purchased.

**DISCOUNT** Purchase your Mother’s Day gift certificate before April 15, 2010 and you will receive 20% off of your total!

Planning  to reduce clutter this spring? Why wait? Get your favorite designer’s tips in this month’s Edmond Active Magazine!

Visit my friends at Cedarburg Square (http://cedarburgsquare.com/) this week to take advantage of their store-wide OFF CLEARANCE SALE! Take home your favorite accessories and gift items like table lamps, accent rugs, artwork, fragrance diffusers and more at prices you won’t likely find again soon as the store prepares for new shipments arriving from market in the spring. Holiday items are 50% off, home accents are 10% off!

Need a little help creating a designer look with your new finds? Designing Diva Interiors, LLC offers guidance from beginning to end with shopping assistance to decorating your new space.

DESIGNING DIVA INTERIORS LIMITED TIME OFFER:

Receive $5.00 off initial consultation. First-time clients only, please.

Expires 1.31.10

If you follow “divainteriors” on Twitter there are savings in store for you! Between now and December 24, 2009, you can purchase design service gift certificates in one hour increments and receive $15 off each hour!

Example: Standard design fee is $75. For the next eight days ONLY you can purchase two hours of design service for $120 instead of $150.

Gift certificates set to expire one year from date purchased and make great gifts! May be applied towards any design service DDI offers. Minimum of one hour ($60) required.

“Jennifer helped me transform my home into a cozy, warm home that I enjoy every minute.  She is an expert in using what you have, adding her ideas and carefully chosen additions and creating a beautifully crafted look in the style you want.  I look forward to working with her for many years.”

-Liz Lundin

*Originally posted by Clint Miller of Real Estate Clinet Referrals, LLC.

Many of you know that I recently bought a home.

And, for those of you that don’t know that I recently bought a home…I recently bought a home.

Although we are very happy with our home we did purchase, during this process, I happened to notice that as we viewed house after house, I kept seeing the same things happen over and over. And….not good things. Bad things. Bad things that were blatantly obvious to me. Bad things that literally turned me off. Bad things that were keeping this otherwise fine house I was standing in from selling faster.

So, as we went through the homes, I started keeping track of things that I saw that made the average buyer – ME – want to run away screaming. Here is my “Top 10 Seller Sins”:

1. Addition Addiction – Ok…exactly what were these people thinking when they added this addtion to their home?? It isnt level. The door frame isnt square. And, that simulated wood-grain indoor/outdoor burber carpeting is HIDEOUS!! Wasn’t this were the garage should be anyway?? I guess that explains the severely sun-faded paint job on the Sport Family Truckster in the driveway and the Christmas decorations piled floor-to-ceiling in the closet in the spare bedroom. I don’t care what anyone says…Bigger is NOT always better.

2. The “Pet-Owner Moaner” – The over-all assumption that since the seller loves their pets more than chocolate, so does everyone else. Here are a couple of quotes I heard directly from the sellers mouths: “Awwww, my cat must really like you to nestle into your neck like that.”; “I know he looks big, but he is really just a teddy bear.”; “We were able to clean up everything in the house except the cat room.”; “I cant remember if my son put away the ferrets or not, but feel free to look around downstairs.”
a. Ok…first and foremost, Im allergic to cats. I don’t mean that cats make me sneeze. I mean that I quit breathing and require adrenallin shots to keep from dieing. That thing is lucky I didn’t toss it out the open window that was next to me.
b. The “teddy bear” they were referring to…Yeah, that was a 158lb Rotweiller with a googlie eye and a broken tooth on the right side. His chain was tied to a cinder block that he happily drug around and tossed into the air during “playtime”.
c. The “cat room”??? Oh Lord in heaven!!!
d. If you cant figure out if your son left out a pack of rodents in the dark rooms down the creaky stairs without a safety rail and a working light switch, you can be damn sure Im not going to find out for you.

3. Auditory Unawareness – If you cant hear that your refridgerator is making a clicking noise that can be heard from the front yard, Im fairly sure you cant hear the floorboards creaking, the doors squeaking, or the apparent family of raccoons living in the attic. You also only hear what you want to hear. Instead of “Your house is priced too high”, you hear “Your house is of a high value”. Its not the same. Pay attention!

4. Color Blind – Holy Lord!! Who decorated this place?? Its like Andy Worhol threw his color pallet into a Cuisinart and hit ‘liquify’. The fuscia flower print wallpaper needs to go. And, I don’t carew what you say, it doesn’t do any justice to that wall with the fake woodgrain panelling it joins up to by the sunshine yellow couch. Worse yet…the white cabinets, white-washed walls, white countertops, and white tile is just a bit much.

5. “Take it or leave it” – Yup. Heard that come right out of a seller’s own mouth. We were discussing the possiblity of him making a necessary repair to a sliding glass door that lead out to a deck. Between the glass panes was about half an inch of standing water. Obviously, the seals on the window were compromised. When asked if he would spend the money to get the glass replaced and the seales re-done…or just replace the entire door…that was the response I got. Guess what…I left it.

6. Price-itis – The fear that your home wont sell for the price you are asking for it. I put in an offer on a home that was only $5,000 under what was being asked. The counter came back with a reduction of $1,000, but a clause to pay $4,000 in closing costs. Now, I may be bad at math…but, isnt that the same damn thing????

7. Fried Food Funk – You know what Im talking about here. If you can smell it, you won’t sell it. Bottom line here is that fried food smells, kitty litter, a back yard filled with dog crap, a nursery reaking of dirty diapers, etc…all add up to one thing – a very short showing. (Well, it also leads to gagging, shortness of breath, tears streaming down your face, and everyone skrunching up their nose and making that internationally known face that says, “Do you SMELL that???”)

8. Photog Fog – Everyone should take pride in their family photographs. I do. But, Im not trying to sell my house! I went into one home where, I kid you not, the entire living walls…every square inch…was covered in frame pics of family. There must have been 100 pictures in that room. Frames mounted together like a patchwork quilt of memories and bad matting jobs. Love the sentiment…love the family pride. But, I was COMPLETELY distracted from seeing the actual house.

9. “I collect them” – No kidding, really??? Nothing would have made me realize you collect dolls were it not for the fact that Im now suddenly very aware of the fact that 226 eyes are now following me through your house like Chucky with an ax to grind. Yeah, I couldn’t tell that you collect Vegas casino ash trays since they are on every flat surface in your entire house including 4 separate 6-ft tall bookshelves, your coffee table, the top of your TV, the end-tables, and the extra two shelves that you put up encircling the entire living room. But, worse than that, you have them on your toilet tank, your dresser…and in an amazing twist, you have drilled holes in them and replaced half of the doorknobs in your house with them. In case your agent hasn’t told you this….PACK THIS CRAP UP!

10. Livin in the past – I don’t care what you think, the pea soup green shag carpeting is not coming back in style. And, regardless of how many memories are associated with it, the nine-foot long, hunter orange, faux-leather couch on the wooden legs with the sleigh-style arms on the each end is FREAKING UGLY!! Regardless of whether or not they still work, the matching avocado green stove, fridge, and counter tops are ugly…and they are ugly 24/7/365. If you want to move this house…replace this ferocious eyesore. Better yet…HIRE A HOME STAGER!

Yeah, selling a house is hard. Selling a house in the market is harder. Selling one of THESE houses with a seller that sins like this…nearly impossible. Sellers, if you are reading this…listen to your agents. Agents, if you are reading this…make sure your sellers understand that buyers – like me – will look at these like neither of you know what you are doing and act accordingly. Probably by running away quick.

Receive your $20 OFF coupon for booking your holiday decorating service by November 15th! Remember, you do not have to have your home decorated by the 15th, you simply must schedule your desired appointment by the 15th.  

Who is DDI’s Holiday Decorating Service for, anyway? You don’t need a huge home or an overflowing bank account to get a professionally designed room for the holidays! We do it all, large or small: tree decorating, fireplace/mantle decor, decorating for dinner parties and more.

Use your current decor or allow Jennifer Hicks to design a new look from the ground up and at an affordable cost to you! Take it easy this year and let us do the hard part for you.

*DDI and temporary holiday assistants are insured.

* Includes interior design only, exterior decorating jobs accepted at designer’s discretion.

                                              See “Contact Us” link on homepage.