There is no magic trick to select a good contractor; however, there is an effective 5-step tracking system to avoid the bad ones, the ones who can really mess up your life by ruining your remodeling project.

The system consists of asking yourself 5 questions as you contact several contractors and talk to them about your remodeling needs.

Here are these 5 questions. Write them down or memorize them to have them handy upon meeting a potential contractor:

1.    Was he late for our first meeting?
First impressions matter… a lot!  When you are hiring a service, any service, the interested party should always be on time.  If a contractor doesn’t arrive on time for the first meeting with you, you can bet he won’t be dependable if hired.

2.    Did he just say we don’t need a contract?
Red alert!  Run!  Don’t even bother talking any further to a contractor that tells you he doesn’t use contracts to guarantee his work.  Every good contractor will gladly put every detail in writing as much for his sake as for yours.

3.    Is he hard to reach?
A remodeling project is a complicated activity, no matter the size, and the only way to ensure success is to be able to maintain constant communication with all the parties involved, interior designer, contractors, etc.  If you start talking to a contractor and he doesn’t return your calls promptly or answer your emails within 24 hours, you are better off looking for help somewhere else.

4.    How did he react when I asked for references?
A good contractor will feel pride in showing his work, thus, he will be more than glad to give you the names of clients he has done work for.  If you ask a contractor for references and he gets evasive, maybe you should think twice about hiring him.

5.    Is he asking me to pay in advance?
Good contractors work with payment schedules, based on completed jobs.  They will set everything in writing; establishing dates and amounts to be paid.  Never ever, pay a contractor in advance; you never know what you will get for the money.

This system works because it is simple; if one or more of the above apply, you are not looking in the right place.  Start your search from scratch and wait until you are certain you have found a good contractor, otherwise, you are in for disappointment after disappointment, high and unnecessary costs, and worst of all, poor results that will mean your home will lose value.

If you live in the area, you’ll be better off having an interior designer in Seattle direct your project.  She will take care of every detail, ensuring that the contractor is someone reliable and professional.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.amelydesigns.com as the original source).

Along with numerous other New Year resolutions, many people also resolve to make improvements to their general over all lifestyle.  One of the best ways to increase your feeling of day to day contentment is to give your home a fresh new look.  Investing in home improvements not only increases the value of your home it may  also improve your happiness, and money spent to enlist the help of a interior designer in Seattle will not only make the job less intimidating, it will also ensure that things turn out in reality the way you have them envisioned in your mind.

Each year brings exciting and innovative changes in the decorating world. If you’ve been considering a new look for your surroundings, here are some of the hot trends for 2010 that you might look into:

Coziness and comfort are returning to the decorating scene as people focus on staying home more.  With this trend come the desire for natural fabrics, calm, relaxing colors and plenty of texture.  Hot colors will include grays, lilacs and off whites.  Accent colors will be bold and rich in hues of plum, magenta and even orange.

Environmentally friendly products will be favored in paints, fabrics and accessories, but especially in lighting.  LED fixtures will continue to be the choice for those wishing to save energy, and new bolder, bigger lighting fixtures will emerge.  Particularly popular will be long rail LED lights, and rectangular chandeliers for large dining tables.

Wall murals will be in vogue and designers will offer them in everything from bold geometrics and edgy urban styles to Asian prints and soothing scenery.

Fabrics and textures will be very mix and match for a country comfort kind of appeal.  Focus will be on natural materials such as cork, wool and felt.  Large floral patterns on dark backgrounds may see a comeback.  Interesting color combinations such as a navy and lavender, plum and pink, and even turquoise and tangerine, may emerge in fabrics for window dressings, upholstery and accessories.

Trends in furniture will follow the mood of staying home and staying comfy.  Pieces will be functional and comfortable but elegant at the same time.  Following the lead of fabrics and textiles, furniture pieces will be a mixture of styles and materials.  Formal and casual, vintage and art deco, modern and contemporary will all reside together for an eclectic yet sophisticated appeal.

Woods of choice will include cost-efficient alder and maple, with bamboo being a very popular choice among the environmentally conscious.  Woodwork will be clean and classic with very little if any ornamentation.

These are just a few of the predicted trends for the new year as seen by various designers across the nation.  If some of these ideas appeal to your sense of home, why not give your interior designer in Seattle a call and see how you can comfy up your living space this year?

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.amelydesigns.com as the original source).

Saving energy is becoming a priority for everyone these days.  The world is going through a decisive period, where everybody has to do his or her part in order to save and restore what we have so irresponsibly wasted in the past.

This year 2010, choose to favor life, and your budget, by following these 8 tips to save energy and to contribute to the world’s wellbeing:

1.    Get compact fluorescent bulbs
These are the saving alternative for traditional light bulbs, because they will save lots of energy and money annually.  Try to use the lowest watt capability that you need for each light’s purpose and you will save even more.

2.    Change the thermostat
If you have neglected changing your thermostat, it is time to do it.  Get a programmable thermostat, install it, and please, don’t forget to program it; you can save over $100 per year.

3.    Prefer low flow models
Take the time to replace your shower and toilets for low flow models that use much less water but work just as well as the traditional ones.

4.    Wash clothes with cold water
It is no longer necessary to use the hot cycle, because the new laundry detergents work perfectly with cold water, helping you save tons of energy and money.

5.    Clean the lint filter
If your dryer’s lint filter is dirty, it will lose efficiency and will be forced to use more energy to perform, thus increasing your bill.  Cleaning the lint may take you about two minutes or less, so there is no excuse.

6.    Reduce the hot water heater’s temperature
Set it to 120 degrees instead of the normal 140.  You won’t feel the difference, guaranteed!  Well, that’s not completely true; there will be a difference… in your bill.

7.    Unplug appliances
If you leave appliances plugged, even when they are not in use, they are consuming a lot of energy.  You can save as much as $160 a year if you unplug your plasma TV every night. Do it for other appliances as well and be pleasantly surprised every time your bills arrive.

8.    Replace and repair
Replace old technologies for new ones that are designed to save energy, for example, the water heater, windows, and exterior doors.  Repair the appliances that are worth it; you can very easily save a lot of energy and money by doing so.

Talk to your interior designer in Seattle and ask her about the best ways to make your home energy-efficient without sacrificing the homey feeling that makes it so special.  It is absolutely possible, completely necessary, and amazingly satisfying.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.amelydesigns.com as the original source).

Renovating an attic means you can add lots of useful space to your home.  Normally, attics are full of junk from ages ago; there is no better time than now to think of a better way to use such valuable space within your home.

Attics are not meant to be dirty, dark, and moldy. Very much the contrary, they should be modern, cozy, bright and beautifully designed spaces that bring value to your home and life.

One of the challenging situations attics present is the low ceiling that limits its use.  However, a professional interior designer knows the clever design principles and the best remodeling strategies to take 100% advantage of these difficult areas in a practical and beautiful way.

Here are 9 great ways to take full advantage of your attic space and to enjoy it as much as you enjoy the rest of your home:

1.    Storage area
Use the space along the attic’s walls as storage area, using shelves, drawers, niches, or cupboards.  In this way you add value to your home, you keep the place organized and free of clutter, keep people away from low ceiling areas, don’t need standing dressers and bookcases, and maximize the use of dead zone areas.

2.    Change the stairs
Very often, the stairs to the attic are built to use a lot of the attic’s floor space that you could put to better use.  In order to solve this, you can locate the stairs on the low roof side by breaking the stairs up with two half flights and a landing, by working with the roof line’s slope by having stairs that go down to a landing before changing direction, or by adding a skylight to the stairwell.

3.    Place furniture
You can put furniture under low ceiling areas to maximize their use.  Locate the head of the bed there, a couch or chair, a dresser, desk, bookcase, or entertainment unit.

4.    Skylights
These add lots of light to dark attics and are easy to install.  Skylights on sloped roofs give the sensation of more vertical space in the room.  They go great in bathrooms above sinks, in built-in bathroom shower stalls, above built-in bed or desk niches, in kitchens, main living areas, and stairwells.

5.    Reflect light
Walls, ceiling, floor, and objects in the room can absorb or reflect light.  Light colors on walls and ceiling next to the windows help natural light flow throughout the space.  Paint ceilings and walls white, use hardwood floors or light carpets, and use mirrors and other reflective surfaces to produce the feeling of a larger space.

6.    Add enough lighting
If your attic is a little dark, think about the kind of lighting that will light it up, perhaps, overhead lighting, lamps, wall lighting, or task lighting.

7.    Dormers
These add natural light and usable space, add height to bathrooms, kitchens, seating areas, and niches for desks.  Dormers will help you gain more space in the middle of the attic to improve movement and circulation.

8.    Windows
Add natural light and open up the space.  Choose wide or tall windows, or both, to allow light to penetrate deep into the attic.

9.    Build a bathroom
A small bathroom in the attic is a great way to use low spaces.  Use the low roof side to put the toilet, the sink, or the shower.  You can add a skylight over the sink for more light, a bench along the shower wall, or a skylight over the shower to add more headroom.

Contact a local Seattle interior design firm to find out your attic’s potential.  They can give you a good idea of what kind of work your space needs and how to make it fit your budget.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.amelydesigns.com as the original source).

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Every parent dreams about seeing his or her child study with pleasure.  In the hopes of making this happen, many try to think of a way to create a pleasant and inspiring study space in their child’s bedroom, only to fail hopelessly most of the times.  It is just too hard to fit a bed, sports equipment, clothes, toys, and in addition, a desk and shelves, in an organized and attractive way that will make a kid excited about getting home to study.

Luckily, there are ways to achieve just that; professional interior designers will help you find the solution.  Through the cautious and experienced study of the space and your child, and the thorough knowledge of available materials and furniture options, a designer can create a practical and gorgeous study space that will inspire any kid.

The trick is in dividing the room in defined areas.  There should be a well designed and established area for sleeping, another one for playing, and yet another one for studying, in this way, as soon as your child goes into any of these areas he or she will feel and recognize its function.  What do we mean “feel”?  Well, in the sleeping area, the child will feel relaxed and it will be easier to fall asleep and rest; in the play area the kid will activate his or her imagination and energy; and in the study area, he or she will find it easier to concentrate and study more effectively.  There shouldn’t be distractions like TV, posters, and music in the study area, unless any of these relates specifically to the work being done.

The wellbeing of your child is imperative to help him or her enjoy studying.  For a child to be comfortable while studying, the furniture has to be the appropriate size.  The interior designer will only recommend furniture that fits your child’s size and with the right posture support, without sacrificing, of course, the “cool” side of the deal.

The study space should have good lighting to stimulate attention and protect your child’s vision.  Dull lighting will make your child daydream, and believe us, the last thing you want is for your kid to develop a connection between schoolbooks and daydreaming.

The interior designer’s job is to understand human behavior in order to create a space that works for the individual, thus, she needs to know your child very well, and will work closely with him or her to find out how they think, what their interests are, and how they view school.  In this way, she can inspire them through images and designs based on their preferences, perhaps, the universe, nature, or even literature… your kid has the last word!  In the same way, she will know what colors to use to influence their focus and retention skills.

As for you, always keep an eye on your child while he or she is studying, and make sure you tell them to take regular breaks every hour or so, in this way, they will be able to rest their body and mind, enhancing their attention span and allowing them to feel relaxed the whole time.

It is all about making the study experience be fun and comfortable, so ask the professionals, because it is possible.  There is an interior designer in Seattle who can make your child love homework!

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.amelydesigns.com as the original source).

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Your home is your castle; you love arriving home at night, after work, to relax, and you also cherish entertaining your friends and family in a place you are proud of and makes you happy, and suddenly, one day, you make the decision: your home needs a makeover.

Of course, your first impulse is to DIY.  Who knows your style better than you?  So you decide to hit Home Depot with a long list of materials, certain that you’ll be able to do it in a flash!  Everything is fine until you face reality; hundreds of choices everywhere, and you end up disoriented amid an ocean of furniture and fixtures that suddenly look exactly the same.

Before you decide to venture into interior design, consider the following aspects and judge for yourself if going solo is the best way to go, for your wallet.  Contrary to what you may think, hiring a professional interior designer may save you lots of money when remodeling your home.

• Interior design requires a great deal of time; do you have the time?

• Have you bought beautiful furniture in the past only to arrive home and rack your brains as to where to put it to match the rest or stand out?

• Is it easy for you to decide between hundreds or thousands of colors or fabrics at a shop?  Have you made choices that ended up frustrating you?

• Have you got a picture of the perfect bathroom, or living room, or kitchen, and yet you don’t know how to make it fit your space?

• Does everyone at home like what you like?

• Are you planning on taking down walls, joining rooms or installing light fixtures?  Do you know someone who can do this for you and do it right?

• Do you need custom furniture or cabinets?

• Do you want your home to be different in its own special way but without spending too much?

• If your home is new, would you like to be sure that what you have in mind works for the space?

These are just some of the many considerations of why hiring an interior designer in Seattle may be the best way to go.  A professional has the knowledge and experience to guide you and stop you from making mistakes and bad choices that will cost you money. She will also save you lots of time, as she possesses the best resources readily available to work.  An interior designer will put a wide array of resources at your service, some of which are only available through them.  Think that you will have all the design selections researched and presented to you before the process begins, ensuring you get the home of your dreams, one that fits your lifestyle and taste to perfection.

Here are three reasons why hiring an interior designer is your best choice in terms of investment:

1.  Big makeover projects require compliance with building codes and federal and state laws; you must know these to avoid expensive mistakes or even lawsuits.

2.  An interior designer is knowledgeable on design theory and its technicalities.  They know everything about technical drawings, materials specifications, construction systems, installations, environmental considerations and safety issues.

3.  A professional, who will present a detailed cost projection that you can adjust as needed, will research your design project.

Interior design can be simple and successful.  Be wise and hire someone who knows, someone who can give you peace of mind by knowing you will get what you have dreamed of for so long.

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Why can’t you do it yourself?  After all, no one knows better what you like and what your budget is, right?

But, be honest, for how long now have you been putting off that decorating project because you don’t know where to start, don’t have the time, or don’t know how to do it?

Now we’re talking!  Here are the most powerful reasons ever for you to consider hiring an interior designer in Seattle to help you out:

1.    Prioritize within your budget
Obviously you have a budget, and the interior designer can help you get the best out of it by identifying the significant changes that can be addressed with your resources and that will make the biggest difference in your home.  The professional will guide you in the best direction to spend your money in the most effective way.  She will tell you what needs to be done, what goes first, and how should it be done.  Big projects can be divided in phases according to your budget, but no matter the size, with an interior designer on board, every project will be carefully planned to make your dreams a reality without spending more than you can afford.

2.    Save money and gain peace of mind
An interior designer will eventually save you money.  They are so knowledgeable about the products out there that they can ensure you choose the right floor covering, countertop, paint, and furniture that will last a long time and will not give you negative surprises.  The interior designer has the power to negotiate for the client with manufacturers and vendors, getting you the best prices and ensuring everything is purchased and installed to meet your desires.

3.    Problem solving
Do you have the common space problems, storage issues, difficult traffic flow spaces, and furniture pieces you don’t know where to put?  The interior designer works with concepts like scale, balance, emphasis, and color that will solve any problem.  She is an expert on space planning, finish selections and combinations, lighting design, and color coordination, assuring first class results in regards to execution and final results.  She’s a neutral advisor, helping you and your family find solutions that work for everyone.

4.    Right to access ‘trade only’ resources
If your wishes include some kind of material that cannot be found anywhere, the interior designer can show you fabrics, finishings, furniture, and accessories that are not available to everyone.  She knows the best of the best in every area, be it woodwork, painting, lighting installing, or cabinet fixing.

5.    Professional advice all the way
You just have to tell the interior designer what you want and she will make it happen.  Show her pictures, furniture, take her places, and let her know in detail what your dream space looks like.  She will organize all the information you give her and will create a design to accomplish your wishes without sacrificing the functionality of the space.  She sticks with you till the end, and sometimes beyond, making sure that everything works as it should.  In other words, you get the best of both worlds!

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Any interior designer in Seattle who loves working on small spaces truly knows her job.  Small spaces are commonly a challenge; most people think the furniture and color options are limited, but nothing is further from the truth.

As for any other type of space, there are important principles that pertain to small spaces, and the art resides in knowing how to get the best out of them and use them in creative and unique ways.

1.    A professional interior designer knows where to use light colors within a small room.  By using monochromatic schemes on covers, walls and main furniture pieces, the designer makes the space flow without obstacles

2.    If anything, small spaces offer the opportunity to experiment with new or interesting materials, such as glass and acrylics, putting aside the more common ones like wood.  Light-appearing materials open up the space, and create interesting and surprising sensations

3.    Have you ever seen a piece of furniture and wondered what is it that makes it so cool?  That’s a secret interior designers know very well, they know how to pick ‘floating’ furniture pieces.  The design of these pieces helps the floor appear larger than it actually is.  Normally, clean and lean lines do the trick, but size is also important.  Today, there is a big variety of furniture sizes to fit current dynamic and practical lifestyles, so the options are indeed, endless… if you know where to look

4.    And still on the floating principle, knowing how to increase the practicality of a space using wall shelving without crowding the “skies”, is an art in itself, one that a professional interior designer knows too well

5.    Virtually any color will work well in a small space if the light is abundant.  Good interior designers are magicians of light.  They can make a space shine through the strategic location of light fixtures and the use of effective light reflectors, like mirrors.  Never underestimate the power of a well-located mirror to enlarge a room

6.    Last, but not least, a professional interior designer must know her client, understand his or her personality, taste, and most of all, his or her lifestyle.  Through this knowledge, she can surprise the client with a room full of furniture that will work to simplify the client’s life.  Multi-purpose furniture can solve storage, sitting and even serving issues that could arise in a small space, and selecting the right one depends mostly on the client’s needs

Yes, small spaces can be frightening, but every space has huge potential if put in the hands of the right interior designer in Seattle with the right vision.

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Have you completely decided that you want your living room to have a Japanese look? Or, have you dreamed of a Mediterranean bedroom all your life? Or still, no one can convince you to forget the idea of an Italian style kitchen?

No matter what look you want your rooms to have, you must make sure it fits the spaces.  And, how do you do this?  Either you ask an interior designer in Seattle for advice, or you search for examples of your desired style in magazines, websites, books and TV programs, and find out if it will work in your home, with its structure, its bones.

Remember, the best way to go is practical, so, forget about a Japanese look in a house with a Santa Fe style.  It is never advisable to have different looks in different rooms; the whole house must have a personality, and it must be sustained throughout every space.   A balanced look will transmit tranquility, harmony, peace and beauty, which is what you desire your home to convey.

You want to be within a space that calms you, welcomes you and protects you, while welcoming visitors openly and in a friendly way.  Within every home, there is a natural flow of powerful, good energy that expands to its inhabitants when each room communicates with the other in terms of style.  Of course each room should have its own personality depending on its purpose, but always blending with the rest of the house, and forming a bigger and unique whole.

Likewise, there are many ways to incorporate a style or look within the rooms in your home.  If you have furniture in a particular style, you can make use of the colors of that style or era to bring out the pieces and be creative with a look.  Color can really make a special piece stand out and it is very efficient to achieve an eclectic look.  If you have lots of beautiful furniture pieces, keep the background simple and plain so that these become the center of attention and the space doesn’t look overloaded.

Most importantly, be certain that you love the look you choose, do not just select it because everyone else is doing it.  Remember you will be living there, and you must be able to enjoy it for a long time.  Your taste is the only thing that matters.

Again, make sure you investigate prior to deciding on a certain look, there are many options today, and you may end up finding another one you like more or that complements your life much better!

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Have you ever had the feeling that one, or several, of the rooms in your house does not feel quite right, but you have no idea why?  It may be because the room is out of balance.

Maybe you feel the room is tipping to the side because there are many heavy pieces of furniture on that side, or it could be that the artwork or accessories are imbalanced.

If you are experiencing this very common situation and a Seattle interior designer is out of your budget, follow these simple tips to get your room to the right balance equation:

1.Large vs. large.  If you place a heavy piece of furniture on one side of the room, maybe a bookcase for your big collection of books, place something large on the other side too; it could be a cozy sofa with a big art piece on top.  This will balance the room by adding height and visual weight to both sides.

2. Separate.  Split bookcases and entertainment centers to achieve balance.  Place one of the sections in a different place inside the room, next to the sofa or fireplace, to make them look less heavy around the space.  Sectional sofas can be too large for a certain room, making it feel too heavy or cramped, thus, place the sections one in front of the other, as you do with sofas and love seats.

3. Symmetry.  This means both sides of the room are identical.  The symmetry, matching furniture, gives a very formal visual effect and is easy to create.  Two matching chairs on either side of the sofa or matching candlesticks on each side table; may do the trick.

4. Asymmetry.  Yes, opposite to the above one, but incredibly interesting.  The trick here is to put together comparable, but not matching, pieces.  Look for pieces in different sizes, shapes and colors, and work a gorgeous asymmetrical arrangement, like for example, a huge vase on one side in contrast to three smaller candlesticks or an interesting lamp on the other.  These arrangements may need a little more knowledge or feeling to create, because you have to perceive the visual weight of each piece, and they create informal settings, alias, more cozy ones.

5.Think lamps.  These are great balancing pieces.  Place a floor lamp on one side of the sofa and a table lamp on the other; you can even put books under the table lamp to make it look a little higher.  You can also put two different table lamps on each side of the sofa; or even think of placing two different side tables on each side.

6.  Plants.  Place a tall potted tree across from a big bookcase to balance its height; vertical mirrors also work.  To balance both sides of a sofa, place a potted plant on one side and a table lamp on the other.

7.  An eye on art.  To complete furniture that is too short or too narrow for the space, hang one or more art pieces on the wall above it.  Color is a great balancing tool too.  Darker and stronger colors are heavier than lighter ones, so think about this when you are placing art in front of a big piece of furniture like an armoire, bookcase or entertainment center.

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