Makeover - Home Decor Ideas

WaterSmart makeover: Escondido yard is a handcrafted haven

February 18, 2023

by Jerry Schmidt Home And Garden

In Jeanne Reutlinger’s world, gardening is an act of collaboration with friends and neighbors — meaning you don’t need much of a budget at all to create a prize-winning front yard. In Reutlinger’s case, her garden is the 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contest winner for the city of Escondido’s water district.

Reutlinger, now 85 and physically unable to do much gardening these days due to a back problem, took on the landscaping project in 2019 when she moved into her Escondido home at age 81. It was two years after the death of her husband Ron, following more than 50 years of marriage. The couple had lived for many decades in Crown Point and, years before, had bought two rental homes next door to one another in Escondido. Their daughter Diana Simpson, one of the Reutlingers’ four children, now lives in the second home, and both women have roommates.

Jeanne Reutlinger, who is the WaterSmart garden winner, stands in front of her Escondido home.

Upon moving in, Reutlinger took on the project of creating a lush but low-maintenance, low-water garden herself, with some help from Simpson and her son John, who lives on Palomar Mountain. It took her three years, putting to use all she had learned during her years of gardening at her Crown Point home and the mountain and desert cabins she and Ron had owned, as well as a childhood filled with gardening with both her mother and grandmother.

The inspiration

Reutlinger explained that when she moved into her Escondido home, the yard was full of weeds and neglect.

Before: The yard started as dirt and weeds.

Reutlinger started filling it in with low-water groundcover, succulents, shrubs and flowers.

“It was baked by the hot sun and car exhaust from the nearby asphalt street,” she recalled. “Wanting to conserve water and create a natural, low-maintenance habitat, I had a forlorn lawn full of weeds and ruts.”

Reutlinger was already having her driveway extended, so she asked the man doing the work if he could put his Bobcat to use on the front yard to scrape away the weeds, old tree roots and debris, which he did. He also provided a nice mound in one area to elevate some of the future plantings.

Now that it was cleared and shaped, Reutlinger could get a better sense of what she wanted to do — but she had no designer to lay it out, nor any plans at all. What she did have was a goal.

“I wanted to do my own planting and create a colorful waterwise garden to attract butterflies and small birds,” she explained. “I am 85 years old and did the flower, succulent, small shrub and groundcover planting myself over the past three years. It has been a continual work in progress.”

Homeowner Jeanne Reutlinger shows off her garden after being chosen the 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contest winner.

The details

OK, Reutlinger has had help. Her grandson John helped her with the large plantings. And he contributed to the striking birdbath feature.

“I told him I wanted a wood stump as high as his waist to put my dish on for a birdbath,” she said. “He told me, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve had one sitting around for years.’ So, he brought it and it was just right.

“A couple of weeks later he told me he found another piece. It’s more like a branch, and we poked it down a hole at the bottom of the stump. The smaller attached branches extend over the birdbath. Birds perch on it, sharpen their beaks on it a little. There are sometimes seven or eight birds in there just flapping around and taking their baths, and I can see it all from my kitchen window.”

A homemade bird bath in the Watersmart winner garden in Escondido.

Reutlinger barely went to a nursery. Instead, she’d take walks around the neighborhood and if she saw plants she liked, she’d knock on the door and ask the residents if she could take clippings. Those clippings alone resulted in a lush groundcover of creeping myoporum, a perennial groundcover native to Australia. But it was time-consuming. She explained that she would sit on the ground and work a 3-foot-by-1½-foot area of ground, digging deep, adding soil conditioners, and watering well one day, followed by planting her starts and covering them loosely with the new soil the next day. And so it went until she made her way around the rest of the yard, keeping it moist daily, lugging her supplies with a old metal wagon.

Friends also contributed to her project, giving her birds of paradise and magenta bougainvillea, creeping rosemary and rock purslane. She also acquired a couple of Leyland cypress plants, red and yellow and pink lantana, a pink miniature rose bush, marigolds and California poppies. And Reutlinger’s favorite: giant yellow gazania daisies. In fact, the only original vegetation she kept were a couple of bushes against the house, below the kitchen window, and a massive juniper that had clearly been there for decades.

Where the mound had been created, Reutlinger placed the birdbath at the top, then added a variety of succulents, like jelly bean plants and mitre aloe, mixed in with the gazanias, zinnias, clouds of purple and white sweet alyssum, California poppies whose seeds she collects and flings throughout the garden, and flax lily standing above them. As a water-saving measure, she divided the mound into a few tiers progressing downward and installed curved scalloped brick edging to avoid runoff of water that came from rain or her hand watering. Throughout the mound and the rest of the garden are pieces of wood from Palomar Mountain that her grandson brought to her.

Gazania flower in a waterwise home garden.

Reutlinger said the earth for each planting was supplemented with enriched potting soil to give nutrients and hold in the moisture. With a full sun exposure and a major street in front of the house, she said she had to be careful about planting some of the flowers close to the street since the asphalt from the street gives off a lot of heat. A bigger challenge, she admitted, are weeds and gophers.

“They’ve eaten a lot of flowers,” she said with a sigh. “I catch them with traps. Most of the weeds come after the rain, but I use a hula hoe to get rid of them.”

When it comes to Reutlinger’s passion for butterflies, she’s beyond dedicated. She basically has created a habitat of milkweed plants that volunteer around her front lawn and her backyard. At a recent visit, innumerable yellow, black and white striped caterpillars were fat and happy, munching on the leaves of the bushes, the seed-filled pods dense and about ready to burst open.

“I have been able to watch the full life cycle of the monarch from egg to growing caterpillar to chrysalis to beautiful adult butterfly right in my own yard,” she said.

“The many birds with their cheerful songs that enjoy my birdbath in the mornings are a delight,” she added. “I get many compliments from my neighbors who enjoy the beauty and color that my yard has added to our neighborhood. It was once a bleak and barren corner and has now been transformed with a lot of love and enjoyment over the years into a waterwise habitat for birds and butterflies, and it gives smiles to all who pass by.

“Being outdoors in nature has many mental and physical health benefits that all of our bodies need. A garden is good for our soul and helps us connect with our Creator.”

Costs

Reutlinger’s costs for her garden have been minimal. Her daughter estimates that, at most, she’s spent $250. Since she got a $250 gift card to El Plantio Nursery & Landscaping in Escondido, she basically came out even.

“It’s because I have been creative and have done most of the work myself,” Reutlinger explained. “It is easy to start plants from cuttings and saves money if one is patient and nurtures the little cuttings. I have planted California poppies, giant gazania daisies (which reseed themselves constantly), and marigolds every year from seeds I have collected and dried from the previous year’s flowers.”

Water saved

She had minimal savings, because the landscape before her project was mostly weeds, and there’s no irrigation installed. Any watering is done lightly with a garden hose — or rain.

A closer look: Jeanne Reutlinger

Plants used: dwarf jade (Portulacaria afra), creeping myoporum (Myoporum parvifolium), rock purslane (Calandrinia grandiflora), mitre aloe (Aloe perfoliata), sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima), flax lily (Dianella enssifolia), paddle plant (Kalanchoe tetraphylla), Leyland cypress (Cuprocyparis leylandii), magenta bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spectabilis), creeping rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis Prostrata), sea lavender (Limonium latifolium), lantana (Lantana camara), giant yellow gazania daisy (Gazania rigens), wax-leaf privet (Ligustrum japonicum), ‘Everest’ sedge grass (Carex oshimensis), Lady Banks’ pink miniature rose bush (Rosa banksiae), California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), wild iris (Iris spuria) and bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae)

Estimated costs: $250

"Winner" sign in a front yard that won the WaterSmart landscape contest.

Who did the work: Homeowner Jeanne Reutlinger, with help from her daughter and grandson

How long it took: Three years

Water savings: Minimal, because the space had gone to weeds until she began her project. But she waters by hand with a hose and planted low-water vegetation.

Advice:

Don’t be shy about asking neighbors for cuttings.
Make sure you don’t overwater your plants.
Plant seeds and make sure to collect the seeds from your own plants so you can add to your garden.
Stay on top of pruning plants so they don’t overtake their neighbors. Then replant the cuttings or give them away to friends and family as gifts.
Make sure your potted plants have good drainage, even if you have to drill a hole at the bottom yourself.
Be patient with your new garden. Reutlinger says hers took two years before the plants filled in and it really started looking good.

About the series

This is the fourth in an occasional series on winners of the annual WaterSmart Landscape Contest, conducted in partnership with the San Diego County Water Authority. To learn about entering the next contest, visit landscapecontest.com.

For details on classes and resources through the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program, visit landscapemakeover.watersmartsd.org. Landscape rebates are available through the Socal WaterSmart Turf Replacement Program at socalwatersmart.com.

Golden is a San Diego freelance writer and blogger.

26 Home Makeover Ideas That Each Cost Less Than 0

26 Home Makeover Ideas That Each Cost Less Than $500

January 11, 2023

by Jerry Schmidt Home Improvement

You’ve probably spent more time at home than usual during the coronavirus pandemic, so all of those little things about your space that didn’t really bother you before have probably driven you crazy by now. If your home is in need of a refresh, you might not want to spend thousands on a full kitchen remodel or bathroom renovation, but there are plenty of home improvements you can make without spending a fortune. All of these home makeover projects can be done on a budget.

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1. Paint the Front Door

You can boost your home’s curb appeal at a small cost by painting your front door. “With a good coat of primer and a couple coats of exterior paint, your door will look new and striking at first glance,” said Dina Gibbons, home and garden design expert at RubberMulch, a company that makes environmentally responsible mulch from rubber.

Research shows that a home’s value can increase as much as $8,000 just by updating the front door, said Gibbons. The primer should cost between $30 and $40, and paint costs between $25 and $50 for a gallon. Then, you can install a door knocker for less than $50 to add a decorative touch.

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2. Make an Old Garage Door Look New

Another way to improve the look of your garage door without blowing your budget is to paint it. “People tend to underestimate just how big a garage door is,” said Connor Roberson of A Plus Garage Doors in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Once it is painted, no one will miss the difference.”

Homeowners can also attach decorative hardware such as handles or faux hinges to their doors. All of these upgrades can be done with a little elbow grease and for less than $100, he said.

3. Add a Fresh Coat of Paint to a Room

The walls in your home likely have dings, marks and paint that has lost its luster or is an outdated color. “For just about $35 per gallon, you can transform those interior walls into a bright, new color that has some fresh sheen,” said Geoff Sharp, founder of Sharper Impressions Painting Company. Or for about $350, you can get an average-sized bedroom for a child painted by a professional, he said.

Sean Juneja, the co-founder of interior design firm Décor Aid, recommends using neutral grays or creams that freshen and brighten a room and appeal to a mass market. “Avoid anything that is too bold or dramatic,” he said.

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4. Use Wallpaper To Create a Bold Accent Wall

Adding wallpaper immediately transforms the look of any room, whether it’s a bathroom, bedroom, dining room or living room. The cost for this makeover project will depend on the size of the wall and the type of wallpaper you choose, but if you choose a smaller wall and less expensive paper, you can likely keep costs under $500. According to HomeAdvisor, adding wallpaper to a room ranges from $310 to $790, so doing a single wall would cost less.

You can save on costs by putting it up yourself. Peel-and-stick wallpaper makes this an easy home improvement to DIY.

5. Add New Textiles

Change the vibe of your living room or bedroom by switching out the textiles. Kimberly Ward, an interior designer and blogger at PinkEggshell.com, told The Nest that she recommends starting with a rug — ideally for $300 or less — and then selecting a throw blanket or throw pillows to match.

6. Change Out Your Window Treatments

Installing new windows can be pricey, but a cheaper alternative is to simply switch out your window treatments. A new set of curtains or drapes should cost well under $500.

FollowTheFlow / Getty Images/iStockphoto

7. Add Some New Art

The art you have on your walls can give new personality to a room — and you don’t have to spend a lot on wall art. You can find both art and frames on Etsy for less than what you’d pay elsewhere.

8. Upgrade Your Nightstand

You don’t need to splurge on a whole new furniture set to give your bedroom a refreshed look. Simply swapping out your nightstand for one that makes a statement — and ideally has ample storage — will upgrade the look of your room. Expect to spend around $80 on the lower end and $300 on the higher end.

9. Make Your Bed Hotel-Quality

Bring the feeling of a luxurious hotel bed into your own home by upgrading your bedding. You can find down duvet inserts and feather beds for less than $100 each. Use your remaining budget to invest in high-quality, high-thread-count sheets, and your bed will feel like a cozy retreat.

10. Add New Flooring

Replacing wall-to-wall carpeting and other outdated flooring will provide a great return on your investment. Juneja recommends using Pergo, a laminate wood that fits tongue-in-groove and is easy to install. An average-sized room would cost about $400, he said.

11. Replace Dated Brass Fixtures

Back in the 1980s, shiny brass fixtures were popular, but now they just make homes look dated. Replacing these fixtures with brushed nickel or oil-rubbed bronze fixtures can instantly update your home, said Mindy Jensen, community manager for BiggerPockets, an online real estate investing resource.

It won’t cost a lot, either, to replace the ’80s brass in your home. For example, cabinet knobs start at about $1 each and drawer handles start at $2, Jensen said. You can get modern door knobs for $20 and up, and plumbing fixtures cost $50 and up, she said.

Jaskaran Kooner / Getty Images/iStockphoto

12. Make Brass Fixtures Look More Modern

There’s a cheaper alternative to updating brass fixtures in your home. You can buy a bottle of brass darkening solution online or from a craft or home improvement store for less than $10 to give your fixtures an antique brass look, which is trendy now.

“Put it on everything brass, and bring your home into the 21st century,” said Sam Perks, a real estate broker with Re/Max House of Real Estate in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It will give your fixtures a more modern appearance and add appeal to your interior, he said.

13. Install New Light Fixtures

Lighting is one of the most important things you can update in a home, Juneja said. And it won’t set you back too much to install updated overhead fixtures and add both floor and table lamps to a room.

You should budget about $100 to $200 per fixture and $10 to $20 for enough light bulbs for each room, Juneja said. Be sure to avoid fluorescent lighting, which can cast a harsh glow, he said. When showing your house for sale, switch LED bulbs for incandescent lights, which create a softer light.

14. Change Light Switches to Dimmer Switches

As you update the light fixtures in your home, don’t neglect the light switches. Perks recommends replacing standard light switches with dimmer switches — ideally models that have motion sensors that turn lights on when a person enters a room and off when there’s no activity for a certain amount of time.

“Buyers today want energy efficient homes,” Perks said. “In low-traffic areas, a motion sensor switch can save a lot of energy that would otherwise be wasted when lights are left on.”

You can get dimmers for as little as $13 and light switches with motion sensors for about $25 and up.

15. Add More Reflective Surfaces

In addition to upgrading your lighting, you can amplify the lighting you already have by adding more reflective surfaces and strategically placed mirrors around a room. You can find a wide variety of wall mirrors, floor mirrors and mirror sets for less than $250 on sites like Wayfair.

16. Install a Ceiling Fan

Improve airflow in an especially stuffy room by installing a ceiling fan. The average cost of a unit plus labor is $247, according to HomeAdvisor.

17. Revamp Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen updates can be the key to maximizing your home’s value. But you don’t have to start from scratch to remodel your kitchen. A relatively inexpensive way to give your kitchen an updated look is to paint — rather than replace — cabinets and add new knobs, Juneja said. Expect to spend about $35 per gallon of paint and $10 to $12 per knob.

Or, you could replace a couple of cabinet doors with glass doors to instantly modernize them and bounce light throughout the space, Juneja said. It will cost about $500 to add two glass cabinet doors.

18. Update Your Kitchen Tile

Your tile could be making your kitchen look outdated. Swap it out for classic subway tile or mosaic tile, which Jensen said is popular and affordable. Jensen said she bought mosaic tile for her kitchen from Costco, which cost $5 per square foot.

You can also take a class at a home improvement store to learn how to install tile. “Take your time, and you will be amazed at how easy it can be,” she said.

Another alternative is to clean your existing tile and grout, which will instantly refresh the look of your kitchen. It typically costs between $282 to $665 per room to have this done by a professional, according to HomeAdvisor.

19. Revamp Your Kitchen Counters

Some big-box stores offer kitchen countertop revamp packages, which include the cost of the counters and installation, for less than $500. The cost will depend on the size of your counter and the material you use. There are now lots of great-looking laminates that work as a cost-saving alternative to granite.

20. Freshen Up a Bathroom

In addition to the kitchen, the bathroom is one of the rooms that benefits the most from small improvements, according to HGTV. And you can update it for less than $500.

Juneja said lighting is the most important feature in a bathroom to upgrade. You can add new overhead lights and wall sconces near a mirror for about $400.

21. Add New Bathroom Accessories

If you don’t want to undertake the project of installing new lighting, buying a new rug, shower curtain and towels will freshen up the room. Give your bathroom a spa-like feel with a plush or bamboo-style bath mat, a fabric shower curtain and extra-soft bath towels.

22. Install Floating Shelves in Your Bathroom

Cut down on clutter and add more storage to your bathroom by installing floating shelves. Or, invest in an aesthetically pleasing standing unit if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of installation. You can find high-quality ladder floor storage units for less than $250.

23. Clean Your House’s Exterior

Realtors suggest that a good, thorough cleaning of the front of your home can increase the value by several thousand dollars, Gibbons said. But the cost of making this improvement is low. You can rent a pressure washer for less than $100 to clean the dirt and mildew from your home. Or, you can hire someone to do it for you for about $200, Sharp said.

24. Spruce Up Your Yard

Improving your property’s curb appeal can be as simple as cleaning up your current landscaping. Janine Acquafredda, an associate broker with House-n-Key Realty in Brooklyn, New York, said you can pay about $150 for a lawn care professional to spruce up your front yard by trimming bushes and removing weeds. A clean yard — along with a clean exterior — can attract more eyes to your property and get you offers that are as much as 5{d4d1dfc03659490934346f23c59135b993ced5bc8cc26281e129c43fe68630c9} to 8{d4d1dfc03659490934346f23c59135b993ced5bc8cc26281e129c43fe68630c9} higher than offers for homes that haven’t made these simple improvements, Acquafredda said.

25. Plant Evergreen Trees

Planting a screen of evergreen trees can create year-long privacy and a natural property line that can give a home seller an edge over competing properties, Perks said. A 4-foot tree can cost around $50 or so.

“While it’s unlikely to add much dollar volume to a sale, it can easily create a perception of completeness that will make a sale happen,” Perks said.

26. Buy Indoor Plants

Even if you don’t have outdoor space, you can bring some green into your life by purchasing some indoor plants. You can even grow an herb garden inside. There are many indoor herb garden kits available for around $100 or less.

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Gabrielle Olya contributed to the reporting for this article.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 26 Home Makeover Ideas That Each Cost Less Than $500

Last-minute Christmas decor ideas to give your home a party makeover

December 23, 2022

by Jerry Schmidt Home Decoration

Are you web hosting a Xmas party at your household but are still clueless about the decor? This is your last-minute tutorial.

New Delhi,Current: Dec 22, 2022 16:33 IST

Previous-moment Xmas decor strategies to give your house a social gathering makeover. (Image: Getty Illustrations or photos)

By Medha Chawla: We know, we know! You did not get time, you experienced operate, you were not very well, the weekend was packed and the record goes on. Lower to now, Christmas is not even a week absent and there’s an elaborate to-do list awaiting your attention. Especially if you are internet hosting a party at your household for good friends and loved ones! Enable us to assistance you with the residence decor section. Yup, a endeavor that involves time as properly as keen effort and hard work but usually ends up finding final-moment interest.

To assist you out, we have curated this last-minute Xmas residence decoration guidebook that you can talk to for a speedy celebration-fantastic makeover.

FAIRY LIGHTS TO THE RESCUE

Glam up your home with twinkling fairy lights. (Photograph: Getty Images)

Fairy lights function like a attraction when it comes to decoration woes! No matter if it is a birthday celebration, romantic day, wedding ceremony celebration or a Xmas party, you can constantly financial institution on the smooth and glimmering lights to glam up your house and give it a festive makeover. You can choose for the battery-operated lights to keep away from wiring hassles.

INDOOR Plants

Indoor crops, all many thanks to Instagram and Pinterest, have grow to be an indispensable component of dwelling decor recently. Apart from the Xmas tree, you can also deck up the crops or position them strategically to build a picturesque corner. Proper from cotton to Christmas ornaments and fairy lights, you can embellish the vegetation to up the Xmas feels at your residence.

Do it yourself Christmas TREE

How about a Christmas tree built with books? (Photo: Getty Visuals)

Could not get a Christmas tree? Fret not! Though you can however take into account creating a brief run to the industry to scout a faux tree for decorations or look for a dwell just one at a close by nursery, there are also some hacks you can try out to add the quintessential Xmas decor element. Wondering how? Properly, achieve out to that bookshelf, which is likely replete with unread kinds, and pile them jointly to develop a tree of sorts.

Yet another attention-grabbing way is to use environmentally friendly Christmas garlands that can be effortlessly sourced from a area current market or on an e-commerce system and established them on a wall in the shape of a Xmas tree.

Here’s a cutesy Christmas tree you can set up on your own (Picture: Getty Photographs)

SCENTED CANDLES & FLOATING CANDLES

Enliven the Christmas vibe at your property not just pretty much but even aromatically with the support of scented candles. (Photo: Getty Visuals)

Enliven the Christmas vibe at your house not just practically but even aromatically with the aid of scented candles. Nothing feels improved than moving into a good-smelling property, soon after all! And, the flickering of candles is absolutely sure to insert to the delight. You can opt for purple and environmentally friendly-hued candles to enhance the Xmas concept.

GLOW CUPS AND BOTTLE LAMPS

Use those leftover glass bottles and fill’em with battery-operated lights. Voila, you have a Do it yourself-ed table centrepiece all set,

How about developing some glow cup garlands using’em disposable cups and fairy lights? They will be a fantastic addition to your household decorations this Christmas. You can go all pink with the colour choice of the cups or decide for a burst of colours for a zesty vibe. Hang them above your curtains or alongside the home windows and voila, you have anything really and lit as component of your Christmas decor. That’s not all. This is an additional plan. Use people leftover glass bottles and fill’em with battery-operated lights. Voila, you have a Do it yourself-ed table centrepiece prepared,

Oh, and never forget about to transform the cushion handles (opt for the ones in brighter hues or the quintessential red-white colour palette) and invest in some mini Xmas-similar showpieces (mini trees, attractive stockings, bauble balls) to enliven the ambience of your property and make it Xmas-all set.

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Dec 22, 2022

5 tips for a great home makeover

December 16, 2022

by Jerry Schmidt Home Improvement

This feels like a new residence, I informed my partner, DC, as we walked into our recently renovated kitchen area.

“Seriously,” I reported, “every time I stroll in, I can not think it is my kitchen. It’s light, it is open, it is up-to-date, it’s —

“Expensive,” he reported, finishing my sentence. “After this, we are finished with dwelling improvements for a very long time.”

“Well, it’s entirely worthy of it,” I said. “And be happy it was just a renovation and not a remodel.”

For the uninitiated, a kitchen area remodel requires transforming the footprint, relocating appliances and putting in new anything. With a renovation, the footprint stays, and improvements are extra beauty.

I had wanted to remodel our home’s 20-year-outdated kitchen considering that we first moved in, but for 5 years, in no way designed it past the daydream phase. But I froze like a Greenland glacier when I imagined of all the selections I’d have to make — the time, the disruption, the cash, the spousal conflicts, the Pandora’s box of trouble and the uncertainty. Would I like it in the finish?

But a couple months in the past, my want for a improved kitchen grew into an obsession. I named inside designer Sally Ward and questioned her to arrive by just to talk about what I could possibly, quite possibly, probably not, do to refresh the area

Ideally, I required to make a several tiny moves to net large success. (Who doesn’t?) On the other hand, I worried the assistance would be to gut the location, house loan the household and start out around. To my delight, Ward was on board, and inside an hour, we had a sensible activity program:

The dim walnut cabinets would continue to be — hence preserving 1000’s of dollars — but we’d exchange the classic components with transitional knobs and pulls in a shiny polished-nickel. We’d make the counters all just one peak to open up sight lines and give the kitchen area a cleaner, more modern-day glimpse. And we’d update only the appliances that necessary replacing — the cooktop and dishwasher.

We’d swap the previous stainless-metal sink with a greater, white cast-iron sink and extra distinct faucet, also in polished nickel, and we’d swap the counters. I would appear for a light-weight cream stone material to switch the brown Santa Cecilia granite made use of in each individual property I have lived in given that the 1990s. Just after the holidays, we’ll change the backsplash Ward recommended us to wait around until the counters were being in place, so we could see how diverse choices would actually appear.

AFTER: Creamy quartzite counters cut with an eased (or squared) edge replaced the 20-year-old brown granite. A new sink and faucet and new knobs and pulls made a splash. Soon, a new glossy tile backsplash will finish the renovation. (Courtesy of Marni Jameson) — Soon after: Creamy quartzite counters cut with an eased (or squared) edge replaced the 20-year-aged brown granite. A new sink and faucet and new knobs and pulls designed a splash. Quickly, a new shiny tile backsplash will end the renovation. (Courtesy of Marni Jameson)

With Ward’s very clear-eyed course, I could see not only the eyesight but the route. I would serve as standard contractor, but she would place me to the appropriate methods and industry experts, like the place to go to obtain stone, fixtures, appliances, sinks and installers. Off I went.

Several weeks afterwards, the bedlam began, and the hub of our house turned a loud, messy, dust-crammed trench harboring odd males carrying heavy artillery. And then … bliss.

For people wanting to transform their property advancement reveries into actuality, here’s some advice:

Find a designer you click with. Decorating is a person factor, but for something this massive, long lasting and high priced, I wished again up. Ward, who billed by the hour, delivered strategies, validated my good instincts and secured me from my terrible kinds.

Do what you can do. Never do tasks that demand a pro — except you basically are a single. But you will conserve cash if you do the legwork and tackle the projects that call for minor talent. DC and I adjusted out all the knobs and pulls in just one night.

Layout for your household. A miscalculation some remodelers make is choosing a kitchen out of a magazine or Tv set display and seeking to replicate it, only to recognize it doesn’t in shape with the rest of their house. A fantastic designer can make sure your new search integrates with your dwelling by trying to keep some components, like flooring and cabinetry, steady.

Get your ducks in a row. Before you start off demolition, have all the elements and appliances on internet site and staff lined up, so you really do not hazard obtaining partway as a result of the challenge, then obtaining to halt although you wait for a lacking element — which causes your crew to depart for a further occupation.

WaterSmart makeover: Welcoming a sense of whimsy

December 10, 2022

by Jerry Schmidt Home And Garden

Cathy and Mike Godfrey’s most recent front yard landscape project was not their first rodeo. The couple, who bought their Carlsbad house in August 1997 and are empty nesters with two adult daughters, are avid gardeners and DIYers.

Twenty years ago, Cathy dug 40 holes to sink posts for the white picket fence that encircles their small front yard. They reduced the scale of the lawn (mostly to discourage neighborhood dogs being walked from pooping on their property) and, for a tropical look, added palms and decorative plants like red fountain grass, which Cathy said they regretted.

“It’s beautiful, but maintaining it is terrible. It spreads everywhere,” she said with a sigh.

Before, the Godfreys’ grass lawn was surrounded by tropical plantings that had been added two decades ago.

When the time came to refresh the yard again, the couple wanted to create a waterwise landscape to reduce maintenance yet still have an interesting curb appeal. But this time, the couple made the decision to hire professionals.

“I was like, ‘We’re too old. I can’t. I just can’t,’ ” she said. “I wanted somebody else’s input. I was on the NextDoor app one day and somebody posted that they use Claudia Kuepper with Gardenscapes by Claudia. I called her, but it was during COVID, so everyone was home wanting to do something new. She told us it would be six weeks before she could come, but we were in no hurry, and it gave us time to kill off the yard.”

The homework they did during that time, their collaboration with Kuepper, and the heavy lifting by the crew of DB Landscape earned them the 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contest award for the Olivenhain Municipal Water District, for which they received a $250 check.

Grevillea plant in the waterwise front yard garden at at the Godfrey home.

The inspiration

Cathy, who recently retired from a career in human resources, and Mike, an electrical engineer, decided to create a theme of succulents and arid plants — the more Dr. Seusslike, the better, according to Cathy.

“I wanted a whimsical look that looked fun and interesting, not typical,” she explained. “I didn’t want just shrubs. We wanted a nice colorful variety in different textures.”

The couple also wanted to switch out their pop-up sprinklers for drip irrigation, create a path from the front of the house to the gate leading to their backyard, and install new lighting.

The details

Once the Godfreys decided they were committed to relandscaping and had secured their designer, they took to the streets, driving to neighborhoods similar to theirs to check out plants and designs they liked, photographing their finds, and sharing them with Kuepper.

“When she first came out, she had somebody who came with her who did all the measurements,” said Mike. “They then created a dimensional scale design. She then added all the notes with the specs of what she wanted for the landscaper to follow.

“We iterated with her a couple of times,” he added. “We had an initial meeting and then she went off to produce her first cut. I think we had some suggestions. We had continued to look out in the community for different plants we liked. So, she changed things, and added new plants.”

Blue chalkstick plant in a waterwise front yard garden.

Cathy said Kuepper had suggested carving out a little patio in the front, but the couple vetoed that because they had what they felt was a perfect patio in their backyard. Kuepper also wanted to take down the picket fence, but the Godfreys were attached to that and feel it’s a useful boundary.

What they agreed on was that the centerpiece of the space would be a dry creek bed with river rock, punctuated with boulders. While the end of the bed leading to the street is lower than the ground, to help disperse rainwater to the plants in the garden, Mike pointed out that there’s actually a pre-existing drain that goes out under the curb that they tied into.

“We did this because we were getting flooded in the low part of the yard where it was accumulating water,” he explained.

The couple also installed new lighting and a path of quartz charcoal flagstones with crushed rock in between them that leads to the backyard. They pulled the sprinklers and installed a full drip system that waters the plants approximately every four days for about 10 minutes.

A cone bush plant in a waterwise front yard garden.

The Godfreys, whose home is east-facing, get full sun until late afternoon. Knowing that helped with their design theme of succulents and arid-type plants, most of which came from Briggs Nursery and Tree Co., in Vista. Their choices provide plenty of color, with succulents like kiwi aeonium, purple aeonium, variegated agave, and ‘Little Gem’ aloe, which produces coral-colored flowers. ‘Ripple Jade’ crassula with its rippled blue-green leaves offers a unique shape compared with other jades. Their ‘Jester’ conebush, with its bright reddish bracts, and ‘Superb’ grevillea, an evergreen shrub that produces long-lasting spiky clusters of coral flowers that attract hummingbirds, are planted near each other by the white picket fence.

A long-standing trio of huge palms was removed, and Kuepper grounded the garden instead with a ‘Dark Shadows’ tea tree. ‘Color Guard’ yucca, variegated snake plants and blue moor grass create spiky contrasts to the petite mounding aeoniums. She also strategically placed small boulders from KRC Rock Natural Stone & Boulder Supply in San Marcos to create mass and visual interest.

A side yard view with trees in a waterwise front yard.

In the slice of garden space on the far side of the driveway, which also has a dry creek bed, are three trees: a tree aloe (Aloidendron barberae) and two giant yuccas (Yucca elephantipes). With their dramatic, sparsely branched trunks, they are the most Seusslike in their structure. A cape rush below offers spiky texture and height in contrast to the surrounding small succulents like blue chalksticks and elephant bush succulents, also known as elephant’s food.

The Godfreys dedicated a lot of time to their pot selections and found just the right ones at Green Thumb Nursery in San Marcos and Madd Potter in Encinitas. They took advantage of El Corazon Compost Facility’s program for Carlsbad residents, which gives compost away for free.

Elephant bush plant in a waterwise front yard garden.

“We were surprised at the need to re-mulch the yard within the year, but it was super easy and inexpensive,” Cathy said. “It’s easy to spread in the yard to give it a fresh appearance, too.”

For the Godfreys, low-water gardening is a mindset change.

“By going from a tropical-type garden to a desert-type garden, you really have to accept that the plants do not like a lot of water,” Cathy said. “It seems that you are ‘starving’ them of moisture, but that’s what makes them thrive.

“We love the low maintenance with the nice, clean curb appeal,” she added. “It’s been a year and we have made small plant changes when we see something that looks interesting, but nothing major. It’s fun to change plants out once in a while. And we’ve gotten a very positive reaction from all of our neighbors.”

A dry river bed in the waterwise front yard garden.

Costs

$18,000 to $20,000, including hardscape, lighting, irrigation and labor. It was very close to the initial budget. Later, they received a $250 check from the Olivenhain Municipal Water District. They didn’t apply for a grass removal rebate because they felt the application process wasn’t worth the time and effort.

Water saved

It was a modest improvement from their previous $50 to $60 monthly bills.

Entry walkway through the waterwise front yard.

A closer look: Cathy and Mike Godfrey

Plants used:
kiwi aeonium (Aeonium ‘Kiwi’)
purple aeonium (Aeonium ‘Plum Petals’)
variegated agave (Agave attenuata ‘Variegata’)
agave (Agave victoriae-reginae)
‘Little Gem’ aloe (Aloe rudikoppe)
aloe (Aloe var.)
Bunny Blue sedge (Carex laxiculmis ‘Hobb’)
small cape rush (Chondropetalum tectorum)
dracaena palm (Cordyline ‘Red Star’)
‘Ripple Jade’ crassula (Crassula ‘Ripple Jade’)
‘Superb’ grevillea (Grevillea ‘superb’)
‘Dark Shadows’ tea tree (Leptospermum ‘Dark Shadows’)
‘Jester’ conebush (Leucadendron ‘Jester’)
elephant bush (Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’)
variegated snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata laureatii)
blue chalksticks (Senecio mandraliscae)
blue moor grass (Sesleria caerulea)
‘Color Guard’ yucca (Yucca flaccida ‘Color Guard’)

A dry creek bed of colored stones winds between a small cape rush plant and small succulents that include blue chalksticks.

Estimated costs: $18,000 to $20,000
Who did the work: Claudia Kuepper of Gardenscapes by Claudia created the plan. Dan Barton and crew from DB Landscape did the landscaping.
How long it took: One month, August 2021
Water savings: Modest improvement from previous bills of $50 to $60 a month
Advice:
• If you have the means, using a landscape designer is a good way to go, as they can help you see the potential of your yard and tie all the pieces together.
• Before starting your design, spend weekends traveling around similar neighborhoods with similar homes to see what others do, and take photos of what you like.
• Stick to your vision. Your landscape designer can be invaluable in developing your design and establishing your vision. But stick to your guns if they veer away from that.
• Propagate your plants as they grow, and don’t be afraid to move around plants that aren’t thriving to spaces where they would do better.

About the series
This is the second in an occasional series on winners of the annual WaterSmart Landscape Contest, conducted in partnership with the San Diego County Water Authority. To learn about entering the next contest, visit landscapecontest.com.

Golden is a San Diego freelance writer and blogger.

A Hoboken Home Makeover at 15th + Garden Street by J. Patryce Design

July 22, 2022

by Jerry Schmidt Home And Garden

There are so numerous superbly designed households in Hudson County to check out, and this a single is just that. Joan Enger of J. Patryce Style and design shared one of her most current makeovers with The Hoboken Woman — a 3-bedroom at the Harborside Penthouse Duplex on 15th and Back garden Avenue in Hoboken. This modern space has a touch of classic aptitude and is stuffed with heat colours. Read through on to learn far more about this Hoboken household and all of the design and style information that went into it.

j patryce design 15th and garden street hoboken

(Photograph credit rating: Christian Tougher)

Hoboken Lady: Tell us about yourself and your business.

Joan Enger: Immediately after a thriving occupation in luxurious branding, like Ralph Lauren Residence, I made a decision to go after my lifelong enthusiasm and return to NYSID for Inside Design. Later on, I was lucky to protected a position with Shostak & Organization as a junior designer wherever I used just about 4 many years absorbing the ins and outs from an great mentor with impeccable criteria. Sooner or later, I employed this experience to set off on my own and build my own business.

My agency specializes in high-end, tailor made residential design with a enthusiasm for design and style/establish and restoration do the job. We are regarded for our personalized kitchen and tub style and design, as properly as our impeccable millwork. We are a entire-services organization so we do it all! Our aesthetic direction points any place from transitional to modern day, but inspite of the precise type that is requested, every single area that we touch must experience exceptional, layered, and timeless. We really like curating an attention-grabbing blend of classic and personalized and we supply from artisans all all-around the globe!

We are a mighty group of five and my studio is located on the corner of 5th and Yard. Having designed and managed the renovation of my family’s four-tale townhouse, which consists of the style and design studio on the foundation level, I am in particular aware of composing areas that balance functionality with a motivation to live in design. In addition to private consumers, we are accountable for creating massive, single, and multi-device urban dwellings for my husband’s advancement business.

15th and garden hoboken details

(Photo credit history: Christian More durable)

Go through Extra: The Most Insta-Deserving Bogs in Jersey Town

HG: What is the tackle of the property?

JE: 15th + Yard Street in Hoboken.

HG: Who is the family who life there?

JE: The homeowners are prosperous hip business people with two younger ladies. They wished a household that would mirror their thoroughly clean and very well-created aesthetic when still staying comfy and family members-helpful.

HG: What is the sq. footage of the household?

JE: Around 2,700 square feet in addition a substantial out of doors roof terrace (900 square toes).

15th and garden hoboken bedroom

(Picture credit: Christian More challenging)

HG: How numerous bedrooms/bathrooms is it?

JE: 3 bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths.

HG: What 12 months was the assets acquired/rented? What 12 months was it created?

JE: The loved ones who now life there purchased it in 2019. I’m not certain when the developing was built. The renovation was completed in 2021.

HG: What was the inspiration behind the decor and/or renovation?

JE: The original industrial architecture motivated a thoroughly clean, heat modern-day aesthetic. We chose normal wood tones blended with honed marbles and terrazzo. We included brass with matte bronze and black tones in the course of. We permit the beautiful NYC backdrop provide as the drama.

(Photo credit history: Christian More difficult)

HG: What are 3 critical pieces in the household or a certain home that are important to the design?

JE:

Viggo Boesen Classic Danish 1940’s club chairs (bought at auction) in the upstairs den recovered in a Glant ochre coloured boucle — they provide the color punch and set the tone of the space.
Lambert & Fils custom DR ceiling fixture. We had to meticulously approach the duration of the rods to accommodate for the pitched industrial ceiling but it was very well really worth it for the reason that it is fantastic!
The kitchen is definitely one of our preferred spaces. Particularly the extra thick honed calacatta slab counters/island and customized 14-foot tall cabinetry.

15th and garden hoboken kitchen

(Image credit history: Christian More durable)

HG: Area by place — be sure to share any images + descriptions of exceptional parts that really introduced the structure collectively.

JE: I go into a total breakdown of each and every house in my profile with Aspire Metro — here’s some of the highlights.

“Enger also reimagined a previous closet as an place of work and dry bar, coffering the ceilings and lining the niches with a linen wall covering. Alongside 1 wall, a black matte lacquer and wooden panel conceals a Murphy bed. And a doorway to an entry hallway is likewise hid, showing up to be component of the painted wall paneling Enger developed for the desk wall.

15th and garden hoboken doorway

(Photo credit score: Christian Tougher)

The earthy palette also defines the relatives home, in which a gray linen sectional from DWR and vintage Swedish chairs covered in an ochre-coloured fabric surround a hearth clad with honed Macigno limestone with modern horizontal reveals. Since seams would have been unavoidable due to the prolonged wall height, [the team] had the fabricator lean in even more and make smooth horizontal reveals.”

15th and garden hoboken family room

(Photograph credit: Christian More difficult)

HG: Had been there any added bills you didn’t assume you’d come upon?

JE: Not actually – we prepared the finances diligently upfront.

HG: What stands out about this house when compared to some others?

JE: The purchasers had wonderful style and an appreciation for high quality and unique structure. We were intensely provided in the architectural components of the inside including the tailor made millwork, flooring, doorway, moldings, and so on.

Considering that the setting up was originally an industrial manufacturing unit, we inherited the 17’ ceiling heights and unique steel beams and concrete aid columns which we were being quite thrilled about. We relocated what was achievable to strengthen the stream and maximize the light-weight. It was a full-company challenge from structure to interior furnishings which is the most satisfying because we were being ready to see the eyesight carried by means of.

15th and garden hoboken bathroom

(Photograph credit score: Christian Tougher)

See Much more: A Montclair Residence Makeover by Inside Designer Julieta Alvarez

HG: You should listing your contractors/designers/individuals who designed this probable.

JE:

Jorge Porta – Architect
GC – Luis H. Luna
Joan Enger – Principal Designer/J. PATRYCE Style
Amanda – Senior Designer/J. PATRYCE Style and design
Photographer – Christian More difficult

15th and garden hoboken bedroom

(Photo credit: Christian More challenging)

HG: Is there something else you’d like to share about this residence?

The connectivity and regularity of the design from the minute you phase foot into the room is something we emphasis on for just about every challenge we style. The personalized steel and wooden open staircase, as effectively as the customized millwork and all round palettes and products enhance each other as properly as the original architecture. We compensated very careful notice to the attractive lighting — specially because of to the open up flooring plan. Each and every fixture has a role of its very own as perfectly as collectively with the grand scheme. Although the palette and design are tremendous clear, they are also subtly elaborate, layered, and heat.