by Jane Muller
Nothing motivates homeowners to renovate and decorate like special house guests
Invite guests for a dinner party and before they arrive, your home is in ship shape. Having overnight guests or a special celebration is also motivation to have your home looking its best and is often the inspiration for renovations and a décor update.
Wayne Graham of Graham’s and Son Interiors in Cambridge is often involved in getting homes guest ready. Clients have everything from new window treatments, paint, linens and accessories in the guest room to a bathroom or kitchen renovation to a total update of the home’s décor done in preparation for opening their home to guests.
Bathroom renovations add value to a home and make a big impact both in both fashion and function. A complex redesign could be in the plans or a simple update of fixtures, tile, paint and hardware could be all that’s required to have big impact. Choose a low flush toilet and low flow faucets and shower head and the renovation will be environmentally friendly and save the homeowner money on water bills.
When welcoming guests, be sure to provide a set of fluffy towels and a basket with toiletries in case they’ve forgotten something. Bathrobes take up a lot of space in luggage so it’s nice have a hotel-style robe available.
In the bedroom, Graham suggests a décor update begins with window treatments then moves onto the furnishings. Reupholstering furniture like a bedside chair gives the room new life and carries the theme of the window coverings into the room. Paint colour and fabrics set the tone. Graham recommends that client consults magazines for ideas but a professional designer will be able to help come up with a scheme that suits the client’s tastes and the room. Based on his 35 years of experience, Graham says that natural light is a big consideration in choosing window treatments.
Make sure your guest has a pitcher of water and a glass on the bedside table as well as an alarm clock and perhaps a magazine or a great little novel that he or she might enjoy. Make some closet space available as well as a couple of drawers so guests don’t have to live out of their suitcase.
If a kitchen renovation has been on a “to do” list for months or years, the impending arrival of extended family and friends for a special celebration is often what’s needed to set plans in motion. Graham notes that it’s important to work with an experienced project manager that can ensure a job will be completed on time and to the homeowner’s satisfaction.
His company’s project management service allows from four to six weeks for a bathroom, while a major kitchen renovation would take longer depending on what the job entails, he explains. The delivery date of cabinetry generally sets up the delivery date of the completed renovation. To be sure a deadline is met, Graham’s tends to “under promise and over-achieve”. Interior decorating jobs are usually completed within two weeks, the seasoned decorator says, adding that clients like projects to be finished quickly.