Dos and Don'ts Archives - Eheart Interior Solutions

February 25, 2019

How to Choose Living Room Furniture

A comfortable living room invites people to gather, hold conversations, and enjoy each other’s company. It’s important then, that you spend some time considering what furniture pieces make the most sense in your living room. Below, you’ll find some helpful ideas on how to choose living room furniture.

The Main Furniture Pieces

Flexibility makes a lot of sense when it comes to furnishing your living room. Individual pieces that can be moved around allow for occasional rearrangement – either out of need when hosting a large gathering or out of the desire to simply mix things up. We also recommend, when purchasing living room furniture, that you keep the colors neutral for the main pieces. Neutral colors last longer in terms of trends and can be accented with throw pillows allowing you to add different splashes of color and mix things up easily..

The Sofa

When it comes to the sofa, size matters. Most sofas range from 84” – 90” and will fit a variety of spaces. If you have a smaller area, you can find more petite sized sofas in the 75” – 80” range. Do know, that an overstuffed sofa, although comfortable in the show room, will often appear massive and out of place. And, even though they are quite popular, a sectional may be too inflexible when you want to rearrange for a gathering or bring a Christmas tree into the space. Often times, you can achieve a similar look and feel with two sofas.

Also, think about how many people you want to seat on your sofa. If you choose a sofa with three cushions, three people will naturally sit there. If you get one with one or two larger cushions, you can often seat up to four allowing for more seating flexibility.

The Chairs

In terms of chairs, we recommend chairs that are attractive both from the front and the back. We also recommend chairs that have arms on them. People like to lean. Once again, flexibility is key when selecting chairs. You’ll want to be able to float them in the room or place them in a corner. Look for chairs that are 30” – 38” wide. Anything bigger takes up a lot of space and becomes too big to be useful. Look for chairs that seat one person comfortably.

The Ottoman

An ottoman allows for a little variety, and a comfortable place to rest the legs. Your ottoman doesn’t have to match your furniture. You can add some texture, patterns and color to the area and play with your ottoman more easily than with your main pieces of furniture. Once again, think about where you will keep the ottoman and how large it is. It should be a very flexible piece of furniture.

The Coffee Table

We love the look of a square coffee table, but let’s face it, they’re not very flexible. We almost always recommend a rectangular table due to the flexibility for different placements around the room. Don’t purchase the largest table you can find. You want people to be able to walk around it comfortably in relationship to the other furniture pieces in the room.

Quality Matters

You want furniture you can live on. Get pieces with nice quality upholstery. They last a long time. Make sure the cushions upholstered on all sides. If you do end up with a spill that won’t come out, you can flip it over and hide the stain. When you sit on a sofa, you shouldn’t be able to ffel the frame. If you do, don’t buy it. It won’t last. Look for 8-way hand tied pieces. This is a great marker of quality. There are also many performance fabrics available too. These resist spills and fading and typically last longer. If you have kids, a pet or a messy spouse, you’ll definitely want performace fabrics. They also come in a variety of attractive options these days.

Get an Opinion

We love to visit people’s spaces and walk them through how to choose living room furniture. If you’re in the market, stop in and talk with us. We can arrange a visit and help you think through your plans.

Looking more for a living room refresh rather than refurnishing? Read How to Do a Living Room Refresh.

September 20, 2018

Home Remodel Return on Investment Guide

We love a good remodel. Not only does it spruce up your home and update the interior to your liking, it can also add tremendous value. In general, modest bathroom and kitchen remodels see an 80% return on investment. Follow these four tips to protect your remodel return on investment (ROI).

Tip #1: Keep it modest – Follow the 20% rule

Start your remodel planning process by getting a realistic understanding of your home’s value. You can figure this out by comparing sale prices of similar houses in your neighborhood, getting an appraisal, or using a site like Zillow. Once you know your home’s value, apply the 20% rule – spend no more than 20% of your home’s value on a bathroom or kitchen remodel. If you spend over 20%, you’re likely overdoing it and will see a diminished return on your financial investment.

Tip #2: Upgrade with future buyers in mind

When remodeling with a goal of ROI, a project budget should reflect a future buyer’s priorities and not just your own. For example, you might think that your cabinets are good quality and in good condition, but if they are made with a dated wood species, finish, or door style, no matter how many thousands of dollars you put into new countertops and backsplash, you’ll still end up with dated cabinets that aren’t relevant to most buyers. In fact, in some cases, it may make sense to spend less on the countertops and backsplash and prioritize an affordable cabinet replacement.

Tip #3: Design complete – The wow factor

What does design complete mean? Basically, you want visitors to enter your home after a remodel and say, “Wow! Did you just remodel?” If you are missing the “Wow factor,” home buyers will not assign value to what you consider a charming remodel. The key to achieving the “Wow factor” is having the discipline to focus on only the kitchen or the bathroom and allocate a realistic budget. A design complete remodel should fully transform the space. When you try to do too many things, it often comes out looking like the space was updated but not remodeled.

Tip #4: Is it sellable?

Ask yourself the question, “Is this remodel “sellable?” Would a potential buyer happily pay 80% of the remodel cost on top of the normal home price? The goal of the remodel is to create undeniable design improvements with mass appeal, now and in the future. Making remodel choices that are “sellable” can be difficult. Let your designer be your guide to the best, personalized remodel path. At Eheart, our designers provide several remodel paths for your style that all map to financial success.

September 1, 2011

Design Primers: Stretching Your Design Dollar

Time after time, we hear our clients say, in an embarrassed tone,

“Now, I should tell you…I’ve got a limited budget.”

“I think I’ll have to phase this out.”

“My house isn’t very big, but I still can’t do it all at once.”

Don’t be embarrassed! Most people can’t do it all at once. When you have a limited budget, you have to figure out how to make lots of impact with the money you have available to spend.

If you’ve been pinching your pennies in hopes of a remodel or a little home facelift, try these design “dos” out:

Do Know the Rules (Just to Break Them): People often ask if there are certain rules for design. While some exist, I love to break them. No dark colors in small spaces? Please. Dark colors recede, let’s put something rich and dark on every surface. Find out all you can , then take your chances and do the opposite.

Do It Right (The First Time): Spending a little bit more on the front end for great quality carpet cushion, choosing cabinets with a conversion varnish rather than a urethane finish, tile underlayment, and quality installation can allow you to stick with your choices for years and years to come.

Do What Makes You Nervous: If you’re thinking of going outside the box with your kitchen splash choice, or wanting a really loud or exotic granite, or thinking you might just go for the canary colored cabinetry rather than playing it safe, go for it! The things that make you the most nervous, and the places that your designer wants to push the envelope are usually the most fabulous.

Do What You Love (and it will be timeless): The majority of our clients ask for a timeless space for their design. While few of them end up with the timeless favorites, like an all white kitchen or subway tile, they end up with something the love so much and that so reflects their taste, that it will stand the test of time. It won’t look like their neighbors kitchen or bath but be personal and reflective of what they love.