Eco-Friendly Tips With Low Costs and High Savings

Most homeowners have weather-stripped their doors to maximize climate control, and have switched out traditional incandescent light bulbs with eco-friendly CFL models. Short of installing double paned windows or making other costly home improvements, what more can you do to make your home “greener” without emptying your wallet?

Change filters often. Change air conditioning filters monthly to keep the system running at peak performance.

Dry bigger loads. Your dryer has more capacity than you think. Dry two or more loads at once so the dryer cools down and heats up less frequently. And clean out the lint filter often.

Check the fridge seal. Feel for cold air around your closed refrigerator door to be sure the seal is in good condition.

Adjust stove top cooking. Avoid wasting heat by matching up your pot/pan size to the correct burner.

Unplug battery chargers. Many chargers continue to draw power even when not connected to a device, so unplug yours after charging.

Use a laptop. They use less energy than your desktop computer, so use them instead when you can.

Reduce hot water consumption. Install low-flow, aerating faucets and shower heads. Select a shower head with a flow rate of less than 2.5 gallons per minute.

Choose drought-tolerant plants. Any number of plants and ground covers can add greenery to a yard without gulping lots of water – including clover, certain breeds of grass like Bermuda and Zoysia, and edible plants like herbs and strawberries. (Note: you may want to put in some type of wood or brick border to contain groundcovers or plants in the area you want them to stay in.)

Local Real Estate Market Update

Although there’s been some marginal improvement in the market, existing home inventory remains low and the average closed price of homes are still higher than last year in Douglas and Sarpy counties. Now is a great time to sell. Contact Sallie Elliott at 402-630-5953 for more information.

Tips on Accessorizing Your Home

When you think about interior design, you most likely think about furniture choices.  Choosing the right color furniture and the right size to fit your rooms as well as the right fabric and the correctly placing it so that it looks aesthetically pleasing.  In reality, interior design also includes a lot of other things like paint and, of course, accessories. There are many ways to complete a design with accessories and many types of accessories that you can use to do something like balance out a space, fill an empty space or bring a pop of color to a room.  What you might not think about is that accessories are also a cost-effective way to design.  They can be used to bring a luxury, finished look to your home while not breaking the bank.

Plants and Artwork

House plants are a great touch to bring life and color into your design.  Whether they are artificial or live, remember that they’re a great accent but don’t over do it.  You want to use them to bring a freshness into this room but not make it look like a jungle.  A little goes a long way when it comes to plants.  Use different heights to give the impression that a space is taller and different breeds for dimension. When it comes to artwork, less is also more.  You want to use artwork for similar reasons as plants, to bring color and dimension to a space and to tie your furniture colors together with paint colors, etc.  But don’t fill every single wall with a painting or mirror.  That will only give your house a cluttered look and take away from what you’re trying to achieve.

Accent Tables and Chachkas

Small tables in various shapes help to finish off your design.  They give your furniture a completed look and, once again, fill spaces.  And you don’t have to spend a fortune on them.  Some of the neatest looking tables can be repurposed from an estate sale or at your local thrift store.  I love a good table refinishing project.  It gives you lots of satisfaction in a weekend project that doesn’t take too long.  And what’s a chachka?  It’s a small inexpensive item that gives you an expensive look.  A vase for example can give you the color and sparkle you need for your design and they come is many different sizes and shapes.  Another example might be a bowl or and urn or a floral center piece. 

Curtains, Pillows, and linens…oh my!

The best way to complete a window is to put some curtains up.  There are so many fabrics to choose from.  Use heavier ones in the winder and lighter weight ones in the warmer months to give your room a seasonal feel that matches the time of year.  My favorite is velvet in the winter and it’s practical, helping to keep the cold air out and insulate the windows.  And don’t forget patterns.  You don’t want to over do it with patterns on your windows but don’t be afraid of it either.  Pillows and linens also make for a great seasonal décor if used in the same way as your curtains.  Change out your pillows and your bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen linens to match your décor or even for a holiday.  Linens in general, soften a room and fill up empty spaces as well.

Littles

I call them littles.  I’m referring to items like old books, photo frames, bowls, vases, and other random finds.  There are tons of choices when it comes to littles.  You can find them at your local home décor store, and you never know what they will be.  Using things in unique ways can bring a splash of interesting to your home.  It can be things like recycled barn wood, old tile or and old wood ladder for hanging throws on.  Just use your imagination or do like I do…check out the internet for ideas.

For more design ideas or to find out how we can help stage your home, click here to learn more about the Priority Group and Sallie Elliott.

My Wine Room or Yours?

As I sit here at my office window watching the squirrels try to figure out a way to get to my bird feeders, I think to myself, now would be the perfect time for a glass of wine to go with this entertainment. From Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio to Cabernet, Malbec, Merlot, and every blend in between, we ladies, and some gents, love our wine. Especially during the holidays. Now…I’m more of a wine drinker than a wine collector but a lot of people like to buy their wine by the case and collect it on trips to wonderful places like Napa Valley, Sanoma, France and Italy. And where do they put all that wine? Well, once upon a time, it was a secret room down in the far reaches of the basement but not anymore. In recent years, wine rooms and wine closets have become more of a feature in a home than a damp, dark, out of the way cellar. Take a look at what’s trending in wine spaces.

Store It, Display It, Taste It

If you have the space in your home and the budget, a larger wine room might be the thing for you. With tons of storage and display areas plus a place to relax and taste all of that delicious wine. The design of the room often reflects the owner’s taste in wine. If you’re into Italian wines, you might choose to design your wine room in a rustic Tuscan style with lots of warm wood and scrolled iron work. If you’re into younger wines from places like New Zealand, you may choose to have a more modern wine room with lots of glass, concrete counter tops, clean lines and dark colors. Or you may be into the blends so your room may be more boho in style with lots of funky decorations and earth tones.

What’s in Your Closet?

A more budget friendly and usually more creative idea for wine display and storage is the wine closet. It’s typically smaller and more efficient than a wine room and located in creative spaces such as underneath a stairway or in a converted coat closet. Usually they have some type of interior display/storage system and a door with a glass window in it. Some have beautiful metal gates instead of a wood door, some have an ornate wood door. I’m a big fan of the all glass enclosed wine closet tucked underneath a flight of steps. These are easier to put a cooling system into in case you want to keep your wine bottles at a certain temperature and it’s easier to see all that you have at a glance.

Function Over Form

Well maybe not quite but there’s more to building a wine storage space than you might think. For the serious wine enthusiast, you will want to consider how easy it will be to view the label on each bottle so that when you go to select one, you can do so without much ado. Especially if you have a lot of wine. That means perhaps using a storage system that allows each label to display outward yet still keeping the bottle horizontal, so the cork stays wet. Temperature is especially important to each type of wine whether it’s red or white, so the space needs to have its own climate control. I’ve read that even some red wines need to stay cooler than room temperature and most white wines need to be refrigerated. If you have a wine closet instead of a room, and it’s in a cooler basement area than climate control may not be a consideration. And lastly, your wine space should consider storage for wine glasses. Hang them upside down underneath a cabinet for a more classic look and out of the way storage or take your stemless glasses and put them up on some open shelving. Now is the time to put out the good glasses or a beautiful collection of unmatched ones for a more eclectic look.

For more design and real estate related blogs or to find out more about our team visit omahaprioritygroup.com

Sexy Kitchen Appliances

Yes, I said it…sexy kitchen appliances! They’ve changed so much recently that I just had to spread the word. There are new colors, new finishes, new functionality, and new technology just to mention a few. Recently Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery hosted an event where they displayed models of these sexy appliances and I could not believe my eyes.

Sophisticated Appliances

Café has expanded so that your choices are no longer limited to color but now you can choose different hardware as well as different functionality. Their built-in wall ovens come with features like French doors that open with one hand so that you can hold your dish with the other hand. Want to change it up? Well, you can change the color of your hardware to anything from a more basic matte black, matte white or stainless steel to brushed bronze, brushed black, brush copper, or brushed stainless. The endless options give their appliances a unique and custom look without the fuss of ordering custom. It comes with a price that’s more than your ordinary appliances, but the look is certainly priceless.

High Tech in the Kitchen

The latest in technologically savvy kitchen appliances are smart range hoods and refrigerators. You can use your range hood similar to the way you use a tablet. It comes with a recipe app that has thousands of receipts and an app to help control the smart devices in your home. If you like sharing your dishes, you can snap a picture of your meal and send it to someone. Want to know what’s left in the fridge? Just get yourself a smart refrigerator. It will help you see what’s inside as well as let you create a shopping list, play music, surf the internet or watch your favorite show. Talk about having everything at your fingertips. These appliances let you do it all.

Wine Station

Never mind uncorking your favorite wine. Instead, think about getting one of these neat Dacor wine stations in your kitchen and instantly have a fully loaded, readily accessible wine bar. Place your glass under the wine spout, push a button and voila, your glass is full, and you can get back to the party. And don’t worry about selection because you can store several of your favorites at once. Anyone who loves a good glass of wine, knows that this appliance is a great investment.

Anti-microbial

Look for appliances with finishes on touchable surfaces that are fingerprint resistant. A fingerprint-resistant or smudge-proof appliance is usually stainless steel or matte finish that has been treated with a sturdy coating to prevent grime and bacteria from getting into the natural porous surface of the metal. These durable finishes make cleanup a breeze with simple soap and water. They can be found in multiple finishes, including stainless and slate, to match your kitchen. Also incorporated into today’s healthy and clean lifestyle are dishwashers with high temp sanitizing settings that use steam to sanitize dishes. The cleaner the better, I always say.

Anyone Care for a Cup of Coffee?

Well…if you’re a coffee drinker this last one is my favorite. It’s a built-in coffee maker by Miele. Forget about going out to a coffee shop, this one will spoil you right in your own kitchen. Again, the babies come with a price tag that’s higher than a traditional coffee maker but if you savor your morning coffee they are worth the investment. Imagine waking up to the smell of your favorite coffee ground fresh and prepared one of several different ways like an espresso or a late or maybe even a cappuccino. At the push of a button, you’ll have it. Do your homework though. You want a brand that has a reputation for unique items like a built-in coffee machine. It’s going to get installed into your wall, so you want something quality.

That’s all that I’ve got for kitchen appliances this week. Look for more blogs by Sallie Elliott at omahaprioritygroup.com/blog.

Kitchen Faucet Trends 2021

This week my design team and I attended a Kohler event at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery in Omaha. The event featured new faucets for 2021, among them, kitchen faucets.

The latest and greatest include a plethora of styles and colors and the trend seems to be touch-less pull out, pull down and industrial faucets but the real kicker is the new colors. I even saw one in Ombre and there were beautiful new copper colors as well as brushed modern brass and the classic pewter, chrome and gunmetal colors seen throughout the years.mart Kitchen Faucets

Smart Kitchen Faucets

Another exciting new option in faucets are voice-activated models. Settings for faucet controls are personalized in special applications. Just use a voice command to control water flow, temperature and on/off.

Styles and Sizes

Obviously, they come in all styles from traditional to modern, not to mention, heights for easily filling tall vases and large pots. What really impressed me is how elegant they all were. Some with a more country design, and some with sleek modern lines. See them for yourself in the video.

I’d really like to say that I saw one that caught my eye more than the others, but I couldn’t pick one out of all of them. They were all super stars.