Category Archives: Home Improvement

The #1 Tool for Breathing New Life into Your Old Home Decor

Why get rid of something, simply because the color isn’t right? Spray paint is the magical solution for this problem! It’s easy. It’s cheap. It’s fast. It has come in especially handy over the past few months, as I’ve undertaken a fairly extensive redesign project, which consists of a complete overhaul of my home’s color palette.

Everything that’s gold, red and brown needs to go. But neither my budget nor my husband will let me toss out all of my existing home decor and replace it with items that fit the new design scheme. What’s a girl to do? This girl drove to the nearest home improvement store and picked up a couple of these:

I’m not really faithful to any particular brand of paint, I’ve had consistently positive experiences with the brands you see in the above photo. When selecting your spray paint, the number one piece of advice I have is to read the instructions to ensure that the spray paint you’ve selected is meant to cover the type of surface that you’re working with.

Let me take you on a brief tour of some of the pretty transformations in my home that have been made possible by spray paint, beginning in the foyer with this entry corner. In a former life, the monogram G was silver, and as you can see, the floor vase was red. I was a little hesitant to see how the lacquer surface of the vase would take to spray paint, but I it turned out beautifully.

Next, we move into the living room. I love the lines of this table lamp, but the brown color was just not going to cut it in the redesign. It wasn’t easy finding spray paint in a navy blue gloss sheen, but on Amazon.com, you can find just about any shade of spray paint.

Spring green is another new accent color in my redesign. You can imagine my delight when I found spray paint in this color at my local Lowes. I went to town spray painting various pieces of decor in my great room with this fun color, including these over-sized mantle finials (which were formally brown):

I used that same can of navy blue paint to transform this brown vase located at the top of the media cabinet in my great room:

I could not part with this uniquely shaped wall sconce, just because of it’s now the wrong color. Paint it blue and add the cute coral candle holder for $3 and it’s like new!

This red lacquer tray works really works well in my home office, now that it sports a coat of satin nickel metallic spray paint, don’t you think?

I’ll continue to share my experience as we complete various projects in our redesign Master Plan in future blog posts. In the meantime, check out my home redesign Pinterest boards as well! In the meantime, fire up those spray paint cans and see how you can achieve some home decor transformations of your own.

Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms? Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

My Favorite Tools for Organizing Your Home Remodel

As I mentioned in a previous post, our household is in the midst an extensive remodeling/redesign effort that includes a series of sub-projects throughout the first floor and exterior of our home. The list of sub -projects includes:

Adding trees, plants and hardscapes to the side and back of our property
Repainting the 1st and 2nd floor
Dining room redesign
Great room redesign
Powder room remodel
Kitchen remodel
Installing tile floor in laundry room
Installing hardwood flooring throughout the first floor

We officially kicked off the master project last November, and anticipate completing our projects in late 2016. One benefit of tackling this beast of a project is that it provides a ton of fodder for upcoming blog posts!

In future posts, I’ll share all the fun I had with wallpaper removal, how I harness the power of spray paint for redesign, my method for selling home decor that no longer fits in the new design scheme, and how I’ve battled design decision burnout. But first, let’s talk organization.

As you can imagine, there are lots of moving pieces/parts to keep track of when undertaking such a major home improvement project. For that very reason, it is crucial to have solid organizational systems in place for managing it.

Today, I’ll share my arsenal of “Must Have” organizational tools that have allowed me to maintain my sanity thus far during the remodeling process.

Tool #1: A Binder

So simple, yet so effective at keeping all the paper related to our project in one central location. Of course, I picked a binder that matched the new color scheme of our redesign!

I used Smead 3-hole punched Poly Translucent Slash File Folders and an old set of tab dividers with an index sheet to organize project-related information into key categories, including: Timeline, Budget, Contractor Business Cards, Paint Samples, Furniture/Fixture Sourcing, Project Bids, Plans/Sketches, and Notes.

I created the binder prior to beginning our project. As things progressed, I discovered a new tool for managing the project timeline/budget (see below), so those binder sections are no longer used.

Even though I’m a “paper-less” girl at heart, my Hubby is a paper lover. Since we both need access to the remodel information, it just made sense to keep the majority of project information in paper form. Besides, it makes a lot more sense to view paint colors via paper swatches rather than on the computer!

It’s also much easier to modify a design sketch via the old school paper and pencil method anyways:

Tool #2: Pinterest

It probably comes as no surprise that Pinterest made the list. I have been using this awesome tool since its inception to curate ideas/information for both myself and my clients.

I’ve created a series of Pinterest boards that serve as a collection hub for my product sourcing options, color palette, and images of “inspiration” spaces.

Having all of the information gathered together in a single board helps me to easily communicate my vision for each sub-project with Dear Hubby, as well as with contractors.

{Feel free to follow me on Pinterest so that you can checkout all of my helpful organizing boards, and follow along as I complete our home remodel!}

Here’s a sneak peek of my Powder Room Redesign board. It’s so helpful to be able to click on a particular product and link directly to the source to obtain information on pricing, dimensions, customer reviews, etc. Gathering all of of your product options in one place enables you to make side-by-side comparisons, so you can make design decisions faster and easier

(I still need to decide on a light fixture. Vote for your favorite in the comments section!)

Tool #3: HomeZada

HomeZada is a digital home information tool that helps homeowners organize and maintain all facets of their home. The free version of HomeZada enables you to create a home inventory. Upgrading to a premium subscription gives you access to a universe of additional home management tools, including the Home Improvement project management feature.

Within this module, the Project Inspiration option includes a set of room-specific boards chalked full of great ideas to consider as you design your new space:

You can create a project in a snap by selecting from a menu of common home improvement projects, or by creating your own custom project:

Here’s a snapshot of my master projects dashboard, which lists the status of each sub-project:

You can specify a budget and timeline for each project. The Project Planning page provides a big picture monthly budget planning tool that lets you know at a glance the funds that are required each month to move forward as planned with your project timeline.

Within a particular project, you can calculate an estimated budget by creating a list of project items and a budgeted price for each item.

The Shopping Choices option enables you to input a high and low price option for each item, so that you can determine what you can afford, given your budget constraints. Although I haven’t used this function yet, I can see how it can be valuable!

Once you’ve made purchases you can record the items within your project and HomeZada calculates the project cost to date, which you can then compare to your budget on the project dashboard.

And every time you input a project purchase, HomeZada asks if you would like to add this item to your home inventory. Brilliant!

HomeZada Giveaway!

Do you have a home remodeling or decorating project in your future? I want to help you be successful, so I’m offering a chance to win this great home improvement organizational tool!

Reader Giveaway: Three (3) lucky blog readers will each win a 1-year subscription of HomeZada Premium ($59 value)! Just complete the entry form on the Refined Rooms website (bottom of page) by 11:59pm ET on 5/8/15 for your chance to win. Good luck!

Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms? Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

Heidi’s Home Renovation Project Reveal

Since my friend was kind enough to allow me to share the “in process photos” from her large home renovation project in my previous post on home renovation survival tips, it seems only fitting that I share the “after” photos with all of you as well. After all, who doesn’t appreciate a little interior design eye candy, right?

This renovation project encompassed almost the entire interior and exterior of my friend’s home, so I’m just going to focus on my favorite aspects of the project. It would have been ideal to show you a set of before and after photos for each space, but unfortunately, I did not think to take a set of before photos before the project started.

This image does give you a sense of what the kitchen looked like before…just imagine a wall right behind the sink/dishwasher area, since that was the original exterior wall of the house (the entire area behind it is an addition which almost triples the size of the existing kitchen).

Looks just a smidge different in the After photo below, eh?

The new kitchen certainly makes for an awesome entertainment space. I’m in love with the large butcher block table that extends off of the center island.

When designing her new kitchen, Heidi incorporated one of the latest kitchen design trends…a blend of contrasting cabinetry. The wood tones mixed with the painted cabinetry creates such visual interest.

As you can see in the above image as well as the image below, the new kitchen boasts a ton of display space to house all of Heidi’s collectibles. Don’t you just love glass front kitchen cabinets?

The new lighting is gorgeous, offering up just the right amount of drama for the space (note the accent lighting in the high display cabinets…sweet!)

Of course, as a professional organizer, I had no choice but to “ooh and aaah” over what is probably my favorite feature of the new kitchen…this custom-built family command center that serves as home for the family’s keys, electronics, and household papers. I love it so much, I’ll be ~~stealing~~ emulating this idea in my own kitchen redesign.

By now, you’ve probably noticed the new hand-scraped hickory flooring that was installed throughout the entire main floor of the home. Much to my delight, they carried the hardwood up the stairs, and installed these beautiful square-shaped newel posts that are totally in keeping with the new craftsman design. Did I mention that I’m also a sucker for iron spindles?

Let’s move onto the master suite…

Once again, this part of the house is a new addition, so there are no before photos to offer up. Prior to the renovation, the master suite consisted of an average size rectangular room with an average size connected bathroom located on the second story .

The new master suite is downright palatial. This wall of windows provides an amazing view of their secluded wooded property, which is so splendid, they opted to omit window treatments entirely.

Among the other elements of architectural awesomeness are the gorgeous wood beams that add interest to the vaulted ceiling…

…and the barn door that separates the bedroom from the bathroom. Who wouldn’t want one of these?

Ready to take a peek inside the master bath?

The “Mrs.” vanity is on the right side:

and “Mr.” gets his own area to the left:

As if it wasn’t awesome enough, here’s the “shower that’s as big as my laundry room”! Of course it contains dual shower heads, as well as a small seating area. Of course. (Is my house envy that obvious?)

This is the point where I so wish that I had taken before photos, so that you could truly appreciate the complete transformation of the home’s exterior. This image was taken after the new vinyl siding, roof, and front porch were completed. The addition of the front porch totally transformed the look of the front elevation, making it infinitely more charming.

Let us not omit the new garage doors, stonework, and lighting.

Phase I of Heidi’s renovation is now finished and took approximately a year to complete. They are about to embark on Phase II, which consists of completing the basement renovation, as well as the exterior landscaping. Although it was challenging for the family to live amid the chaos, she assures me that it was well worth it.

I know that I would be willing to endure the challenge if I got to wake up to that view from my bed every day. Can you see why I have house envy?

Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms? Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

Preparing for and Surviving Your Home Renovation Project

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It’s been awhile since I posted on the blog. I’ve been “off the grid” for a good portion of February due to the kickoff of our interior redesign project…yey! As you might expect, I will be blogging extensively about my own redesign experience in the coming months.

Today, I’d like to share the wisdom of my dear friend Heidi, who recently completed an extensive home renovation project. Her family of four (+dog) lived in their home during the renovation process, which brings with it certain…um…challenges. In preparation for my own project (which will not be nearly as large in scope as hers), I asked Heidi to share her key tips to prepare for AND survive a home renovation project.

Mentally Prepare for Chronic Chaos

If you are the type who likes everything “just so”, you will seriously need prepare yourself nentally for the temporary change in lifestyle that goes hand-in-hand with living in a “Renovation in Process” environment. You will need to adopt the mantra that “this too shall pass”, and regularly remind yourself that the end result will be worth it!

Minimize the Spread of Construction Dust

If your project involves drywall installation, carpentry work, or painting, there will be dust. Sawdust. Drywall dust. Paint spray dust…EVERYWHERE. The dust migrates all over the place; you will find it in just about every room of your home. Although construction dust is inevitable, there are things you can do to minimize it.
Heidi suggests packing away items that you will not need access to during the renovation process, in order to prevent them from being coated with construction dust. Also, consider investing in magnetic air vent covers to use in the areas of your home that are not being renovated. Another good practice is to seal the doorway between your living area and the renovation area via heavy-duty plastic drop cloths.

Establish Your Storage Areas

Renovation projects require the removal of the “stuff” that typically lives in the space…furniture, appliances, home decor, etc. You will need a place in your home to serve as a temporary holding area for this stuff while the project is underway.

Heidi was fortunate in that she had several areas available for this purpose…a large area in her basement, as well as a spare bedroom. If you don’t have room onsite for temporary storage, explore options such as relocating items to an offsite storage unit/family member’s home, or investing in an onsite temporary storage unit (e.g., PODS).

Prepared to Make Decisions…Quickly

You will be flexing your decision-making muscle on a daily basis when you undergo an extensive home renovation. Paint colors, flooring, cabinetry, lighting and counter top selections…oh my! Selecting finishes can be a daunting process for the average homeowner. You will often be called upon to make decisions quickly so as not to hold up contractors.

Begin your research as early as possible so that you are in a good position to make those critical decisions when it’s time to do so. If you lack confidence in the design department, enlist the assistance of a professional or a trusted friend who has a knack for design.

Order Materials ASAP

Be vigilant about ordering all materials necessary for your renovation as soon as possible. You never know when you will be faced with waiting for a backordered item that will prevent your project from moving forward. Once your project is at a standstill, the contractors move onto other projects, and it can be a painful process as you wait for them to incorporate your project back into their schedule.

Think Twice About D.I.Y. Efforts

You might be tempted to take on certain aspects of the renovation yourself, in order to save some cash. It makes sense to invest your sweat equity if you have expertise in a particular skill like electrical, plumbing, or drywall. If you are not an expert, you may want to think twice about D.I.Y.ing it. Heidi regrets their attempt at drywall patching (see below), and wished they would have left this piece of the project in the hands of the experts.

Heidi’s final word of advise to me was to avoid letting your kids make paint color selections, or you might just end up with Kermit The Frog green in the hall bathroom! Of course, I already learned this lesson the hard way with my daughter’s room.

Stay tuned for my next post, where you’ll get the opportunity to see the amazing transformation that occurred at Heidi’s home this past year!

Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms? Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

Bedroom Closet Makeover Reveal: Elfa to the Rescue (Again!)

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If you are a regular blog reader, you probably remember my Guest Room Closet Makeover Reveal post from February of this year. In that post, I confessed that there are several areas within my own home that are crying out for an organizational overhaul. One such space was my daughter’s closet.

Although the closet is quite spacious, the space wasn’t being utilized to its maximum potential. Storage containers consisted of a mishmash of old, inherited furniture pieces, random plastic drawers, and cardboard boxes. To make matters worse, all of the clothing hangers were inherited from retail stores who give you their hanger along with your purchased garments.

Since the closet was fairly functional, redesigning/organizing it was a home improvement project that stayed on the back burner, until…

Once the front drawer of this 50-year old hand-me down piece fell off, I took it as a sign to move the closet makeover to the front burner. So the first task was to examine what I call the closet “skeleton” (a.k.a., its basic infrastructure) to see how I might improve upon it. Here it is in all o

Once again, here’s where the Container Store comes to the rescue! As you all know, I am a huge fan of the Container Store’s Elfa storage systems (read my Elfa post to learn why). I spoke with an Elfa design consultant by phone, and together, we arrived at a design that would work for my daughter’s storage needs. Her need for drawer space trumps her need for hang space, so our design incorporated a whopping eight Elfa Mesh Hanging Drawers. Our design also included an additional shelf that allows for out-of-the-way storage of items that are seldom accessed (e.g., memorabilia).

So the transformation began with the removal of the builder-installed stationary shelves. I prepared myself for the inevitable ginormous holes that result from this process. Nothing that a lot of spackle and some paint can’t conceal!

Yes, that’s right. I said paint. I took advantage of the opportunity to add a fresh coat of paint to the closet walls when it was emptied prior to installing the new shelving.

Installing an Elfa closet system was a piece of cake; the Container Store walked me through each step of the installation process via their online video tutorials. I installed this on my own over the course of approximately 2 hours.

Ready for the “Before & After” shot?

By far, my favorite part of the “makeover” is the Elfa drawers. Unlike the drawer systems that I used in the guest closet (which were the freestanding type), these mesh drawers are built into the wall track system via a hanging drawer frame.

They glide open effortlessly, and provide more than enough space to store my daughter’s pajamas, t-shirts, sweatshirts, off-season shoe collection, and her assortment of purses and tote bags. As you can see in the photo below, there was just enough room to squeeze in a cool square mesh hamper that I purchased on clearance at Target (score!).

We made use of the walls on either side of the closet system by installing several Command Hooks. The hooks are used to hang my daughter’s scarves, robe, and Girl Scout vest. The right wing wall contains a cute cork board for her to use as additional display space in her room.

Did you actually think I was going to use that mismatched collection of plastic department store hangers? Surely you jest. Who could pass up these adorable kid-sized huggable hangers?

One vestige of the original closet set-up that continues to work like an organizational charm is this over-the-door shoe organizer. This tool is one of the most versatile organizing products available. For this space, the many compartments are used to store small toys and trinkets that would normally invade all of the flat surfaces of my daughter’s room.

I typically opt for the clear shoe organizers, but I couldn’t pass up this opaque one when I found it on clearance. It was just a matter of labeling the compartments to ensure that items are returned to their proper home.

My daughter was so ecstatic about this closet makeover that she asked me for a bedroom “makeover” for her birthday gift earlier this year. It only took me 10 months, but I finally completed that project! Be sure to check out next week’s blog post to see the Before and After photos…

Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms? Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

Garage Organization 101: Tips from a Local Professional

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Now that Polar Vortex 2014 is becoming a distant memory, we are all anxious to roll up our sleeves and begin sprucing up the exterior areas of our homes. Of course, we all know that spring is the ideal time to give the garage an organizing “overhaul”. In order to assist with the process, I invited Paige Norton of Top Shelf Transformations to provide some basic tips for banishing garage clutter and creating a functional space that you can be proud of this spring!

Make Decisions:

When you begin to go through the items in your garage, think about how often you use them. If you haven’t used an item in the last few years, you probably won’t use it in the future. Separate your items into “keep” and “toss” piles.

Once you’ve decided what to keep and what to toss, consider donating those items in the toss pile to your local charity. Donating gently used items to a local charity is a great way to recycle and give back to your own community. Now that you’ve gotten rid of unnecessary clutter, it’s time to organize what will remain in the garage.

Separate and Categorize:

Now that you’re left with the essentials, it’s time to separate them into specific categories such as: sports equipment, seasonal items, tools and yard equipment. Storing multiple items together into a category will help you identify their whereabouts easily when needed.

Once you’ve separated your items into specific categories, you will then need to assign them to a spot in the garage. Think about how often you use each item. Seasonal and holiday items are used only a certain amount of times per year and should be stored out of the way. Yard equipment, tools and sports equipment are used more frequently and should be stored in an area of easy access.

Maximize Space:

To maximize your available storage space, consider storing things up high on walls, above windows and doors and hanging from the ceiling. Utilizing these typically unused overhead areas allows you to take advantage of all the potential storage space your garage has to offer and keeps things up off the floor. As mentioned before, seasonal, less-frequently used items should be stored out of the way. Utilize overhead racks and shelving to store things up out of the way while still allowing for easy access to them when needed.

More frequently used items such as tools and yard and sports equipment should be stored in an area where items are easily accessible. Hang these items lower on walls and in cabinets for easy daily access.

Select the Right Storage Containers:

Avoid storing things in cardboard boxes. Sturdy, plastic bins are easier to stack and protect your items. Use clear plastic bins to help you easily identify the contents, or clearly label each bin.

Select the Right Storage System and Accessories:

Everyone’s storage needs are different. After separating your storage items and deciding where to store them, it’s time to decide how to store them. There are many storage solutions out there. Shelving, hooks, racks and cabinets are all great options for storing items up off the floor. Select the system and accessories that fit your specific storage needs and maximize your particular garage layout.

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Garage Organization Giveaway!

Now that you know the steps to complete your garage “makeover”, I invite you to head over to the Refined Rooms blog and enter to win a fantastic garage organization tool from Monkey Bars Storage. Refined Rooms is giving away a Garden Tool Rack to one lucky blog reader!

Paige Norton is the Community Manager at Top Shelf Transformations, Northeast Ohio’s exclusive, authorized dealer of Monkey Bars Garage Storage Systems. Top Shelf Transformations provides expert garage storage and organization solutions.

If you’d like to learn more about Monkey Bars Garage Storage Systems, you can find them here:
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Update Your Outdated Light Fixtures: No Electrician Necessary!

As an Akron/Canton home stager, one of the most common recommendations that I find myself making during the staging consultation process is to replace outdated light fixtures. Outdated builder-grade light fixtures do nothing to enhance the appeal of a property.

Homeowners are sometimes reluctant to follow through on this recommendation because they don’t want to incur the cost of an electrician to install new fixtures, or deal with drywall patching and other minor repairs that often go along with the process of replacing a fixture.

Fortunately, there are a variety of relatively pain-free options for dealing with this home staging challenge. Today, I will highlight four of these options:

1. Spray paint your existing fixture

If your lighting fixture is of the dated brass finish variety, but has “good bones” so to speak, then spray painting it may be your best option. All you have to do is head on over to Pinterest and do a quick search for light fixture painting tutorials, and you will have all of the information that you need to pull off this easy D.I.Y. project. For instance, check out this step-by-step guide at Folk Lifestyle.

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2. Change out the shades

If you have a chandelier that screams 1993, it may simply be time to change out the chandelier shades. Replacing traditional bell-shaped shades with a more contemporary drum shade in a neutral color such as the one featured below can sometimes make all the difference.

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3. Use a conversion kit

Many home improvement stores now offer various conversion kits that make changing the look of your light fixture a snap. For example, many popular home decor sites such as Ballard Designs and Home Decorators Collection sell conversion kits that enable you to easily transform a recessed light into a pendant light:

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Got “Hollywood-style” bathroom fixtures? Despite the name, this type of fixture is anything BUT glamorous! Lowes offers the Vanity Light Refresh Conversion Kit to remedy this common eyesore.

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4. Install a wireless LED light

Another option for adding on trend lighting in your home is the use of wireless LED lights that can be installed anywhere and requires no wiring. You could remove your old light fixture and simply place this new one on top of the fixture mounting plate. This option is also great for creating additional lighting in a room in which the current lighting is inadequate.

This fixture sold in the Improvements Catalog requires 2 D-size batteries includes a remote control wall switch so you can turn it on and off just like a standard light.

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Bottom line: if you are selling your home (or just want to freshen it up a bit), there’s no need to be intimidated by the process of updating those fixtures any longer!

Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms? Visit Refinedroomsllc.com

Organizing the Organizer’s Home: Closet Makeover Reveal

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Ever heard the saying about the cobbler’s children who have no shoes? Sometimes this adage holds true for professional organizers as well!

I have a confession to make…there are areas in my own home that are in desperate need of an organizing makeover (audible gasp).

One of my resolutions for 2014 is to set aside time in my schedule to revamp these spaces. As I alluded to in my last blog post, I took advantage of the Container Store’s annual Elfa shelving sale in January and completed the first project – the guest room closet makeover.

This closet serves as a storage area for gift wrapping supplies, photos, scrapbooks, fabric, sewing machine/supplies, and empty shopping bags. These items are seldom accessed, but when I do need to retrieve something, I usually end up uttering a few choice curse words as I sift through the closet contents. This is particularly true when it comes time to retrieve a gift bag:

During the “makeover” process, I followed the same steps that I do with every client I work with, beginning with assessing the space. As you can see in the top photo, it’s quite clear that storing items on the floor is not working. My new storage system needed to take full advantage of the vertical space in the closet. I determined that the best solution for my specific storage needs is a set of freestanding deep drawers for each side of the closet. In addition, I decided to change out the stationary shelving and replace it with a track shelving system. In addition to giving me the benefit of adjustable shelf height, the track system allowed for the addition of a third shelf to be installed at the top of the closet to store smaller, lighter items.

A quick aside…I must rave about the Container Store’s customer service! I called the store to place the order for my closet system the day before my road trip to the Columbus store. When I arrived, they had all the components of my system wrapped up and ready to load in my car. I also love the cute bags that they use to store the small components and hardware:

Once I returned from the store, the transformation began. After removing everything from the closet, the next step in the process was to sort items into categories and purge unwanted items. It was then time to remove the existing shelving system (no small feat), patch the holes, paint, and begin to install the track system:

Do you see that horizontal piece at the top of the closet? It’s called the top track, and one of the awesome features of the Elfa easy hang system is that this is the only piece that attaches to your wall. Fewer holes in your wall is always a good thing.

Ready for the reveal?

What was once my least favorite closet is currently my most favorite. I go in there several times a day and open the drawers to admire the perfectly organized contents!

It would have been ideal to remove the closet doors for the photo shoot, but Dear Hubby said it would be too much effort. I’ve done my best to capture the changes in the photos below:

Here’s a close-up of the amazing drawer system. Elfa drawers can either be attached to the track or set up as part of a freestanding system. I chose the freestanding systems, since they allowed for the wider and deeper drawer size that my project required. Let’s take a look inside those drawers, shall we?

This is one of the two shallow top drawers, which contain small gift bags, wrapping supplies and tissue paper.

Now the gift bags are easily retrievable. I even have separate drawers for everyday gift bags and holiday-themed gift bags! I seem to have a gift bag and gift wrap fetish. So I’ve implemented one of the rules that I teach my clients when it comes to controlling clutter…let the container set the limit for how much you can keep. I can only keep as many gift bags as this drawer can accommodate:

Of course, the last step in organizing the drawers was to label each one so that everyone else is clear on what items live in each drawer:

Let’s shift our attention to the closet shelves. Empty boxes for gifts and the seldom-used sewing kit are the perfect items to be stored up high:

The lower shelves are used to store my scrapbooks, photos, and unfinished projects. I love the addition of the storage baskets for corralling those scrapbooks!

More basket eye-candy…

The left side houses my print photo collection (notice the archival quality storage boxes). There’s another basket that contains gift wrapping ribbon.

So there you have it! I’ll leave you with a few Before/After shots. Onto the next home project…

Interested in learning more about Natalie Gallagher and Refined Rooms?
Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com.

Look to Pinterest, Houzz, and Zillow Digs for Interior Decorating Inspiration

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I’m sure many of you have engaged in the “old school” method for drawing inspiration for a home decorating project…thumbing through home decor catalogs/magazines and tearing out the pages that contain appealing images…

How many of you have file folders filled with catalog and home decor magazine pages collected over the years? These pages may contain images of the perfect color palette for your master suite; or perhaps those files contain a great example of just the right furniture configuration for your family room, or an innovative window treatment idea.
The digital age has brought about an evolution in the way we research and gather information across all aspects of our lives, including interior design. Today, I’ll share my top two online resources for interior design inspiration. As a bonus, I’ll introduce a promising new resource to keep your eye on as well.

Pinterest came on the scene just a 3 short years ago, and is currently the 4th most popular social media website in the world. In case you aren’t familiar with it, Pinterest is an online pin board…essentially a digital version of your file folder containing ripped out magazine pages. A “pin” is a link to an image or video that a user has added to Pinterest. Users can add a pin from a website or upload an image directly from their computer. Any pin on Pinterest can be repinned, and all pins link back to their source on the web.

Pinterest boards are used to organize your pins by topic. You could pin ideas for bathroom paint color and faucets to your Bathroom Renovation board, for example. Boards can be secret or public, and you can invite other people to pin with you on any of your boards. Here’s a screenshot containing some of my Pinterest boards:

When you follow someone on Pinterest, their pins show up in your Pinterest home feed. You can follow all of someone’s boards or just the ones you like best. Not only do I use Pinterest as a mechanism for capturing general design ideas, I also create project-specific boards for client projects that the client and I can use to communicate ideas, share product/sourcing information, etc. It has become an indispensable tool in my business.

Click here to link to my Pinterest Boards

Houzz

Houzz is the the largest collection of interior design and decorating ideas on the Internet. Word of warning: when you enter this website, you will be engulfed in a sea of home decor eye candy! Most of the image collections that are posted on Houzz represent the work portfolios of interior designers, decorators, and home stagers.

Houzz users can gain inspiration by browsing images sorted by room type and design style. They can post to discussion boards to ask for or offer advice concerning their own specific design dilemmas. They can source products that are featured in room design images, and even research local design professionals in their area.

Similar to the Pinterest board, Houzz enables it’s users to organize their curated images into categories via “Ideabooks” that can be shared with others to facilitate collaboration on a particular project.

Click here to take a look at my Houzz Ideabooks
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ZILLOW DIGS

You may be familiar with Zillow, a popular search website for real estate listings and real estate market information. They’ve recently introduced Zillow Digs, an online community for home design ideas and inspiration. Similar to Pinterest and Houzz, this site lets you browse images and save them to idea boards. You can search by style cost, and room type. But Zillow Digs boasts one unique feature…it provides an estimated cost for the project. I am looking forward to exploring this site in greater detail in the coming months.

So there you have it. My short list of “go to” websites to get my creative juices flowing when embarking on a new redesign/home staging project. How about you? Do you have any great online resources to add to the mix? If so, please share in the comments section below.

Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher and Refined Rooms?
Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com

What to Consider When Selecting Exterior Light Fixtures

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When we purchased our new spec home over 8 years ago, it came with mostly builder-grade features that we’ve worked diligently over the years to replace/upgrade. This fall, the exterior light fixtures finally made it to the top of our “Replace/Upgrade list”.

One of the easiest ways to freshen up a home’s exterior is to replace dated, tired light fixtures. This is true whether you are staging your home to sell, or you simply can’t stand looking at the hideous builder-grade fixtures that came with your home one minute longer! When this task finally made it to the front burner of our Home Improvement List, I set out on my quest to find the perfect replacement fixtures. I’m really happy with the choice we made! Here’s a close up photo of the old and new fixtures:

Quite an improvement, don’t you think? So what considerations should you keep in mind when shopping for wall-mounted exterior lights? I’m so glad you asked…

Mounting Height

As you begin your search, keep in mind that the ideal vertical placement of exterior fixtures should be slightly above eye level and below the top of your front door. If your junction box (i.e., the location where the light is installed to the wall) is located high on the wall, then you will want to select a fixture in which the fixture body falls below the junction box (like the “After” photo above).

Color/Style

When it comes to selecting a color/style of fixture, take cues from your home’s architectural features and color palette. No matter how much you are personally drawn to a particular style of light, it must be consistent with the style of your home (e.g., coastally inspired fixtures belong on a coastal home). For example, I selected oil-rubbed bronze fixtures since they relate to the finish of our door hardware, as well as the copper roof that is adjacent to the front door. The simple, classic lines of the new fixture are also consistent with our home’s transitional style.

Size

The most common mistake people make is to select lights that are undersized. Don’t assume that the builder-installed fixture is the correct size for you home, since they often install smaller fixtures in order to cut costs. A good rule of thumb for the front door area is to select a fixture that is 1/3 the height of the door if there is only one light, and 1/4 the height of the door if there is a set of lights flanking the door.

Illumination

Finally, you need to consider the degree of illumination produced by the fixture(s). When making your selection, pay attention to the number and wattage of light bulbs that the fixture requires, as well as the type of glass (clear vs. opaque vs. seeded) it features. All of these features will determine how much light is produced by the fixture.

Some of my favorite sources for exterior lighting include: Shades of Light, Wayfair, Bellacor, Lighting Universe, and Lamps Plus. These online stores have a vast selection of on trend lighting (relative to what you will find in your local Big Box home improvement stores), and they typically offer free shipping.
One final tip to keep in mind after you install your fixtures…be sure to use a clear silicone caulk to seal the perimeter of the fixture, in order to prevent moisture, insects, etc. from entering the junction box. It appears that our builder skipped this step. As a consequence, we had to contend with rusted out hardware and a beehive during the installation process.

Your Home… Refined

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Look to Pinterest, Houzz, and Zillow Digs for Interior Decorating Inspiration

Pinterest

Houzz

ZILLOW DIGS

What to Consider When Selecting Exterior Light Fixtures

Mounting Height

Color/Style

Size

Illumination