Tidewater Interiors Ltd.

4. TRY SOME TEXTURE

Another hot trend to get buyers enthusiastic about your kitchen is Roman shades made of rattan, bamboo or other natural fibers, says Pelley: “They add visual interest with their texture, but still roll up smoothly like the Roman shades of old.”

3. PICK CURRENT COLORS

If you’re using fabric, make sure it’s in a contemporary tone.

“The terra cotta shades, with persimmons, peaches and oranges are very ‘in’ mixed with greens, blacks and golds,” says Pelley. “You can also mix cotton fabric prints, either within a treatment or coordinating a print in the valance or cornice with another print on the cushion tie seats or place mats.”

If your kitchen is particularly tiny, then light, cool colors can make it look larger and brighter, while dark, warm colors can make an oversized kitchen more inviting.

2. LIGHTEN UP

“Not enough natural light in the kitchen is a deterrent to buyers,” says Pelley. “Pleated shades offer a privacy treatment and still allow plenty of light.”

Just one example of an attractive pleated shade is the Smith + Noble version, available in tones ranging from Whitecap to Lilac, in subtle stripes and a tropical-looking pattern. It even comes in versions suitable for skylights or arched windows.

February 23, 2009 by Debbie Green

Painted Oak Cabinets

Jerry and I inherited our antebellum style home from my parents/grandmother. The house was built in the late 1800’s. We remodeled our home over 23 years ago and the time had finally come to update my tired old oak kitchen cabinets. As you well know this is a project most everyone procrastinates or decides not to undertake at all due to the major inconvenience and frustration.  My project involved repainting a lot of oak cabinets, which a lot of people don’t think can be done. I decided on two tone cabinets with a final coat of  glaze to give them a slight worn effect. (I knew I had to have the worn look due to the grain of the oak.) I also added glass knobs in keeping with my home style.  We also a ceramic tile counter top and back splash which included a mosaic tile banding, a new sink, faucet and pot filler. The total remodel took about six weeks.

My decision to renovate my existing cabinets instead of purchasing all new cabinetry was based on two facts. One was, of course, the cost and the other was the fact I like being as green as I can.  The finished results were amazing as you can see.

Woven Wood blinds from Hunter Douglas can be a great solution to help reduce heat from the sun. They also add a unique natural style that no other hard treatment can add. They add a natural feel to any room since they are made with natural wood products. You can use these shades as a standalone treatment or add them under drapery panels to achieve a fabulous look. It’s one of my favorites. I used these shades in my breakfast room to add beauty and deflect some of the heat in the hot summer months. There are hundreds of choices available in style and color for these natural beauties. They can be installed as an inside or outside mount.

Woven woods can be a perfect choice for a study or an office when a more tailored or masculine look is desired. A blackout or a privacy liner can be added when glare on a flat screen TV or a computer monitor is a problem. When woven woods are used without a liner the result is a soft filtered view. Since I have a fantastic view from my very large bay window the soft filtered view was the perfect choice for the breakfast room.

Provenance Woven Woods

February 7, 2009 by Debbie Green

Chic wallpaper and fabric designs from Thibaut and Anna French continue to grace the pages of major publications nationally and internationally. Magazine editors, photographers and designers all love the look, color, and feel of our designs and routinely include them in their trend and feature stories, including “New & Noteworthy” sections.

Shown here are a few examples of recent coverage in House Beautiful, Southern Accents, Veranda, and The World of Interiors. Publications such as House Beautiful have launched a new wallpaper section in response to the growing interest in wallcoverings, and magazines continue to cover the latest and greatest in fresh fabrics.

Home buyers don’t necessarily have the time or the design skills to make their own kitchens pretty, so they’re looking to buy something with “built-in cute,” says real estate broker Mark Nash of Evanston, Ill. One sure-fire way to create a look that sells is to focus on the window treatments, says Nash, the author of 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.

Nash and Sue Pelley, national spokesperson for Interiors by Decorating Den, based in Easton, Md., offer these ideas for window treatments to wow potential buyers:

1. MINIMAL IS IN

“Strip away heavy window coverings and replace them with simple shades,” says Nash. “Younger buyers in particular are into a streamlined look. And no one seems to want a lot of fabric.”

One path to less fabric is using an upholstered cornice, says Pelley, or a flap valance like the Ace three-piece set from Swags Galore.

Green Design

Green design is becoming a popular trend from consumers looking to combat allergies to those looking for heat- or cold-repellant window panels.

Shades and blinds have always been about keeping light out, but now they can also save you money on your heating bills. Honeycomb shades, the third most popular window treatment at Smith+Noble, is tech meets nature. “They’re made of a spun woven polyester that, combined with the shape of the bee honeycomb, creates a detour for the wind or the cold to not go into the house,” says O’Reilly. For larger, sliding glass windows, the solar panels will reduce glare, UV penetration and heat transfer.

Performance fabrics have also gone “green,” with anti-microbial, anti-fungal traits woven into the yarn or offered as a topical spray. Stain-resistant and mildew- and mold-resistant fabrics are also popular picks for allergy sufferers. Even the environmentally conscious will feel right at home with non-toxic dyes on fabrics.