Presenting BjtO Designs’ greatest hits for 2011
Update, Upgrade and Upstage…
Favorite Kitchens
Favorite Bathrooms
Favorite Living Rooms
Favorite Dining Rooms
Favorite Bedrooms
Favorite Nooks and Crannies
Favorite Artwork
More from BjtO Designs in 2012…
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Posted in Design Ideas, Home Staging
As we head into the holiday and winter season, fireplaces become much more of a focal point. Most projects we work on include a fireplace or two. Not all are as cozy and lovely as this one. Fireplaces are often big and dominant, unfortunately not always in a good way! It is our goal to make the fireplace, mantel and surrounding wall as warm and inviting as the fire glowing inside.
We would like to share one such fireplace transformation that the entire team at BjtO Designs worked on. This fireplace and surrounding wall was in desperate need of a makeover…
The family room was a catch all room. It contained or barely contained all the children’s toys, family TV, books, CDs, videos, DVDs and electronic video games. In the center is a fireplace which is hardly noticeable except for the dominate brick and dark pine mantel hosting an assortment of “stuff”.
Step one – emptied the room to see what we had to work with…
Step two – ripped up the wall-to-wall carpet and prepped for hardwood flooring, to match the rest of the house. Enclosed the faux beams on the ceiling which allowed us to repair some water damage and transition from country to a more traditional and upscale decor.
Step three – removed the raised brick hearth which took up floor space and served very little purpose. The vents above and below the firebox were also eliminated.
Step four – in parallel we selected a very neutral gray stone tile which had a slight iridescent speck as we worked out a design for the fireplace wall, mantel and hearth. Mike Pezzella, Easton Kitchens and Baths finish carpenter or “magician” helped translate the hand drawing that my assistant Meredith Moore and I had created. With Mike’s creative workmanship he was careful to steer clear of country and colonial trim moving to a traditional style. Mike literally gave the fireplace a “mask” by resurfacing the chimney, working directly on top of what was there.
Step five – installed the red oak flooring and installed the gray stone tile using the smaller tile to frame the firebox. The red oak flooring was a much warmer look than the harsh brown/red brick and worn beige wall-to-wall carpeting. The doors on the lower cabinets were remade to match the shaker style in the kitchen. It was simple yet so very elegant. What a transformation. Well done Mike and crew at Easton Kitchens and Baths!
photo by Tyra Pacheco, South Coast Images
Step six, seven, eight, nine and ten – have BjtO Designs reappoint your book shelves, arrange your furniture, install recessed lighting, select a flat screen high definition TV then sit back and enjoy…
For more inspiration here is a link to several revamped fireplaces featured by Better Homes and Garden. They will help you spark up your room…
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Posted in Articles, Home Staging, Lexington Projects, Renovation Management
Tagged Beth Odence, BjtO designs, boston home staging, design, fireplace design, fireplace redesign, fireplace renovation, fireplace style, home staging in boston, interior design, renovation management, renovations, room makeover
Thanksgiving has come and gone, now the Holiday Season is in full swing! Can’t believe it is December 1st. Where did the time go? It is also a time of planning for 2012 is just days away and so are life’s changes. The spring real estate market kicks into gear in February. Empty-nesters or Boomers are making plans to move to smaller housing and the young growing families, GenXers are hoping to move into the Boomers life style. With today’s economy and real estate market it’s a dilemma…
As defined by Wikipedia, a dilemma: (Greek: δί-λημμα “double proposition“) is a problem offering two possibilities, neither of which is practically acceptable. One in this
position has been traditionally described as “being on the horns of a dilemma“, neither horn being comfortable. This is sometimes more colorfully described as “Finding oneself impaled upon the horns of a dilemma”, referring to the sharp points of a bull’s horns, equally uncomfortable (and dangerous). This may be an overstatement to say the least and certainly not a pretty picture. Can you imagine!
Well, today’s home owners can image the dilemma of trying to figure out if they can sell their home for adequate money and quickly enough OR should they make the changes needed to accommodate their family or life needs. No matter what the ultimate decision, resale should always be factored in. I found a very helpful article by MSN Real Estate -well worth reading, email us for a copy. Many of the issues discussed are things that we at BjtO Designs preach to our clients. It is always the whole package, not just a list of things to do that will make the difference and this is often hard to convey. Every house needs a “wow factor”. Hiring a home stager or renovation management consultant is so well worth the money before you head out and make costly errors. The range for this type of service is $250 to $1,000 depending on experience and expertise.
Here is a preview of a house we will feature in upcoming blogs…
Focusing on bathrooms: on left is the before and very dated, mis-matched master bathroom. Simple changes, totaling $7,500 transformed this bathroom into a “wow”!
When this 1980s house was built the contractor must have taken advantage of a special on bathroom cabinets as the same laminate style with gold etching was used in all the bathrooms. Might have been lovely (maybe not) in the 80s but certainly dated
and worn looking in 2011. 
This kid’s bathroom was transformed with a new slate floor, bead-board wainscoting, new double sink vanity with gray granite counter and topped off with a large mirror framed with 4″ painted pine. All clean, uniform, fresh and traditional which will transcend buyers’ expectations in a decade.
The updates that we made with our client were very geared toward improving the appearance but also being practical and durable so as to survive three young children. The items selected were of quality but not over the top in price, all rather affordable.
These home owners are GenXers with a very active lifestyle which includes extensive travel. Every single update was made with their personal style in mind and then weighed against resale preferences on down the road. More to follow on this fun and all encompassing project…
