Backyard Inspiration Just In Time For Spring!

With the end of February upon us and March right around the corner, now is a great time to spruce up that backyard patio that you've been meaning to do. With the spring season heading our way, check out some great backyard inspiration that's left us wanting more! And don't worry about the cost; most of this you can do without the hired help. DIY projects are becoming more and more popular. Check out local bargains online for patio furniture and check out great design blogs and boards for how to make your backyard patio one of a kind!

To view more backyard inspirational pictures, and to see more tips for Spring, check out the Nissou Realty Group pinterest page here: http://www.pinterest.com/nissourealty/backyard-brains/

Your Local Real Estate Expert,

Kitchen Inspiration For Your Weekend

Here's a little kitchen inspiration to get you through the rest of your week and into the weekend!

For more inpsiration, follow our Pinterest account at www.Pinterest.com/NissouRealty
Your Local Real Estate Expert,

Top Five Home Design Trends for 2014

Now that we've begun to establish ourselves into the new year, many begin re-decorating their homes with the latest trends. After doing days of research, I've come up with the top five predicted home design trends for 2014. 

1. KITCHEN DESIGN: In the last 25 years, kitchen designs have become a fundamental approach to the "open kitchen" concept. In the past, kitchens were put into one disconnected back room in your home. Today, kitchens are typically being built to open up into living spaces in your home, such as your living room, family room, or formal dining area. Walls are continuing to come down and allows focus on entertaining house guests and spaces that are maximizing your ability to gather and relax with family and friends.

 -- Here's a tip: Use different finishes to help blend your kitchen into the family and dining rooms. 

2. NEUTRAL vs. BRIGHT: Ten years ago, we would walk into homes and they would be bursting with bright and bold colors all over the place. Neutral palettes are beginning to dominate the home design trends for 2014. Although color has always been popular, 2014 trends are to paint walls white, beige, and gray. 

---Here's a tip: Allow bold colors to pop into small details, such as lighting, throw pillows, or decorative art. Or paint just one wall in a room a bright and bold color. 

Living Rooms from 1990s and Early 2000

2014 Predictions

3. CABINETS AND STORAGE: Drawer appliances have come little changes that people are incorporating into their homes to make them more accessible. Microwave drawers and warming drawers are being hidden away in cabinets, underneath counter tops, and aren't hanging above a stove. 

4. HONEY-TONED WOODS: A big 2014 trend that is predicted to pop up this year and make a statement are honey-toned woods, such as walnut, oak, and cherry. We used to see that dark wood always used to dominate homes, but honey-toned woods are making their appearance again, and we couldn't be happier!

5. TURQUOISE: It's everywhere. 2010-2013 was the beginning of seeing a culmination of blues and greens in every shade and hue. Now, turquoise is beginning to show up in upholstery, wall coverings, and on furniture. And we're not just talking pale and wimpy turquoise, but the beautiful deep and saturated turquoise.

2014 is the year of Turquoise

Let me know- Do you agree with the predictions? What is your favorite home design? Post a comment and let us know!

Your Local Real Estate Expert,

Furnishing your New (or Existing) Home!

Moving into your new home or renovating your existing home is a liberating feeling. Come up with a plan for turning your empty shell of a house into an inviting home. Here are some suggestions for pulling it off, even if you are on a budget!

Start with the bedroom:
This is where you spend the majority of your time in your home. If you're on a tight burdget, buy as much as you can afford to spend in this area. It makes a huge difference. Paint the bedroom walls to compliment your new bedding and add coordinating window treatments. Choose a light palette of colors and translucent window treatments, which has been proved to make you feel calmer and sleep better at night. Don't forget to buy the bed you've always dreamed about, which should mirror both your personality as well as fit into your space comfortably. If you're having trouble planning the space of your bedroom, or any part of your home, use a room planner to help you create your space. 
http://www.planyourroom.com

Don't buy everything all at once: 
Live in your home for at least two months before making any type of significant purchase. Think of how you're going to use your house and live in it before spending money to renovate or buy furniture. 

Don’t make it match: 

Furniture stores love to make you think everything has to match. Don’t do it! Buying a few pieces with the same styles are fine, but any more than that and your home will begin to look like a furniture showroom rather than your home. Make your style show through the furniture. Not ready to take it there yet? Choose decorative accents, rugs, lamps, and artwork that reflect you and your personal style. Be sure to proportion, scale, and balance your furniture and accessories in each room. Think of odd numbers when picking out accents. It’s more visual appealing to the eye. 

Tie everything together with color:

If you've moved into your first place with furniture that spans the 1960s to now, don't worry. The easiest, most economical way to overcome this seemingly insurmountable problem is unifying through color. Let's say you have a sofa that has only one thing in common with the furniture in the rest of your living room: a tiny bit of the color in the fabric is the same as the less dominant color in the rest of the room's upholstery.  Solution? Play up that similarity and make it your living room's unifying wall color. If that's too much hard labor for you, find curtains, rugs or accessories in this common hue and see how the pieces begin to complement each other.

Solve your problems inexpensively:

If you don’t quite have the budget for an entire kitchen remodel,  choose the inexpensive approach and freshen them up with paint, and change out the hardware for something more modern. In the bathroom, something as simple as changing the lighting can make an improvement to the appearance of the room immediately. 

If you don't have a creative eye and aren't quite sure where to start, look into hiring an Interior Designer to help you! 

Here's a start: http://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designer/san-diego

Happy Decorating!!

Your Local Realtor,