Goose 80's Profile

I am posting to support those who so eloquently wrote about the importance of criticism and its place on a blog about design. I think what is maybe missing in the original post is the idea that comments should be constructive, insightful, or interesting rather than dismissive or flat. Writing "blah" is never going to continue the discussion but debating about paint choices will. And yes, while taste is personal, we all must agree that there are choices in design that are better than others in context (or else why would we be reading a design blog) and I find it very helpful when commenters share their opinions about what works and does not work. That said, I do find it polite when a poster qualifies a statement about a DIY, "It's not my taste but..." as that is just good manners!

We also use the Besta system (in high glass white though) for our TV components. I highly recommend the "Next Generation Remote Extender" which basically always the remote to work through the doors. We wanted a clean and continuous surface and did not want glass doors. The extender allows all of our components to be behind a solid door but the remote still works. You can also purchase multiple receivers so one extender will work with many remotes. Also, just wanted to praise the Besta series in general...we use it all over our house and LOVE it.

We have cork floating floor boards in our kitchen and half bath. We placed a small rug by the sink in the kitchen in case of splashing. I love the feel on my feet. As an added bonus, it absorbs the sound and shake from the nearby train!

For me, the little touch-ups and finishing projects are the hardest to complete. I get myself so mentally prepared for the big stuff that when it's done, I lose steam. Plus once the big is done, I get very rushed to put furniture back that all of the tools and things are put elsewhere making that last little bit ever more tough to go back to!

Due to budget reasons, we went with open shelves in our DIY kitchen remodel this year. We are not big cooks, so the items on our shelves are very basic. We also have a pantry so kept the shelves for the everyday items such as coffee, tea, sugar, cereal, oatmeal, etc. So far it has worked out well for us and has not looked dusty or busy (these were both concerns). It looks like a lot like the 2nd or 6th pictures. I think it gets tricky when people display lots of small items that should just go into drawers or purely decorative items. We also store our dishes in drawers. Keep in mind we probably use our stove once a week so grease isn't an issue!

I agree with everyone who said removing the palm tree, rugs, and paintings. When selling you want to offer the possibility of design rather than over-designing a space with your personal taste. I would also paint the walls and the trim white. Keeping the space as stark as possible will modernize it. If you want to accessorize, a large green plant (bamboo for example) that is uniform and to scale to draw the eye upward would work better than the small eclectic arrangement. It is always cheaper to remove items than to replace. In that vein, I would think about removing the shower doors. They look dated. Changing the light-bulbs to a bright white can work wonders in a bathroom and will help make the tiles look a more icy blue rather than periwinkle. People looking at houses at your price-point (I am assuming it is priced to sell) will not expect a fully remodeled bathroom, but anything you can do to highlight the positive aspects (tile to the ceiling!?! jealous!) will definitely help.

Congrats on your home purchase! It looks to have some beautiful details. I agree with aidan_NZ about not covering the windows. An inside mounted roman shade for privacy or two simple floor length panels mounted high and wide. The simple white you used in your dining room would work. I would also suggest painting the space one consistent color instead of various accent walls. The grey you chose is perfect and would be lovely with navy and light blue accents. I think bringing some bold pattern into the pillows would help break up the heaviness of the sofa. I would also remove some of the small-scale art and shelving and instead add a few large pieces of art or do a gallery on either side of the window behind the sofa. Since your color scheme is neutral you can bring lots of color in this way and make this the focus instead of the furniture.

I can't tell just from the picture, but it looks like the room is long enough to create two separate zones. You could have one seating section in front of the fireplace and a separate area with the TV on one side of the columns. A chaise sofa in the center would bridge both zones. A lot of hotel lobbies make use of this set-up. However, as a fellow gamer, I would caution against putting the TV in an area with a lot of pass-through traffic!

I love their use of green finishes in the home. I do not see the Habitus cork tile though. Am I missing something? We are thinking of using this in our master bath so I was hoping for a picture.