Patsy

Don’t Be Afraid Of a Colorful Front Door

Posted by Patsy on June 18, 2012 2 Comments

A couple of months ago I got a call from homeowners in Alpharetta requesting an exterior color consultation. They wanted a bit of a change to their current look, but weren’t sure which way to go. When I arrived, here is what I saw:

Rustic Exterior - before

In the above photo you are seeing only a portion of the home. It is lovely being quite large and rather rambling, positioned on a golf course. Dave & Joanne were ready to warm up the color palette, but weren’t sure which hues to choose. I told them the same thing I tell all my color clients, “We always work from the unchanging elements of the home — in this case the roof and stone.” I got out my Sherwin-Williams color palettes and we went to work.

Being an Atlanta color consultant I always request that my clients email me before and after photos. Most of them forget. (Yes, I forgive you!) In this case, Dave & Joanne were faithful to contact me several weeks later with the shots. Here is the “after”:

After a color consultation, this Atlanta home was ready to be painted!

Rustic Atlanta Home - after

How do you like the new look? We used Sherwin-Williams “Sand Castle” #3006 for the siding, “Tavern Taupe” #7508 for the trim and “Black Fox” #7020 for the window sashes. And you’ve gotta love the warm, inviting front door! We chose the color based on the deep orange tones in the stone and went with “Sierra Redwood” #7598. Had it not been for the brightly colored front door, the change would’ve been very subtle; but Dave & Joanne were up for a little drama and I think the final results are fantastic! They were great fun to work with and I’d like to thank them for their follow-up email with the before and after photos attached. It’s always great to see the end result!

If you are about to paint the exterior of your home but are struggling with color selections, give me a call. I will come to your home with color palettes, two large notebooks full of 8 1/2 x 11″ color samples, and a form to write up our selections for your painter. Don’t have a painter? I can help with that, too!

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

What’s Redesign All About?

Posted by Patsy on May 10, 2012 2 Comments

In addition to being an Atlanta color consultant, decorator and home stager, from time to time I get calls for redesign services, but I find that many people still do not understand the term. To define “redesign,” it is essentially using what you already have in your home, but repositioning furnishings to give the space a fresh look. Theodore Roosevelt said, “Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.” Was he our first redesigner?

In a nutshell, here are the steps used in redesign:

Determine the needs of the client and the purpose of the room.
Empty the room.
Determine the desired focal point of the space — is it an architectural element such as a fireplace, or a “moving” focal point, such as a sofa?
Bring furniture pieces back into the room, placing them appropriately for the desired function and feel of the space, working from the largest pieces to the smallest.
Accessorize the room, being careful not to overdo it.
Determine which key pieces are missing and come up with a shopping list of items to purchase as the budget allows.
Enjoy your new space!

Shown below is the “before” shot of a room with poorly placed furniture. The main entrances to the room were from the left, but they were all cut off by the sectional.

Family Room with Misplaced Furniture

In this shot you can see that the room has been opened up to the left entrances by repositioning the furniture.

family room with properly placed furniture

Family Room After Redesign

In addition, we brought in much needed lamps and repositioned a few accessories. The “new room” has now been restructured for better function and flow.

Redesign is really a simple process once you understand the basics and have a feel for placement. I recently worked with a client on an interior color consultation. I noticed that the painting she had hung in her family room above the fireplace really wasn’t appropriate for the space in terms of color or size, but thought it might work well in the living room. We moved it to the new space and it completely transformed her room! It’s typically the little “tweaks” that make the biggest difference in a space.

If a room in your home is just not working for you, give this Atlanta redesigner a call: 770-843-2307. You might have too much furniture, poorly positioned furniture, or misplaced accessories. Together we will transform your space and turn it into something you will love to come home to.

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow, and the clutter to go, contact Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured

Filed Under: Featured Project, Redesign, Staging Before & Afters | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta color consultant, Atlanta decorator, Atlanta home stager, Atlanta redesigner, color consultation, redesign

Patsy, John & Newt???

Posted by Patsy on April 18, 2012 2 Comments

Just for fun, I thought you might get a kick out of seeing a photo that was taken about 15 years ago when my son was a student at Suwanee Elementary School. Back in the day I chaired the PTA Scrapbook Committee and, therefore, had a good bit of clout at the school. See if you recognize any faces below:

How 'bout those polka dots!!!

Yes, Newt stopped by for a photo while my son, John, didn’t see anything special in the moment and continued to eat his ice cream bar. If only the school had called me in for a color consultation before painting the walls that icky yellow/green!

Filed Under: Amazing Tales, Funny Stories | Tagged: Tagged With: color consultation, Newt Gingrich

Can’t Decide On Paint Colors? You’re Not Alone

Posted by Patsy on March 19, 2012 Leave a Comment

Last weekend I met with the sweetest couple. They had just purchased a new home and were looking to put their own stamp on it. The problem? They couldn’t make a decision on a color palette. As I walked into the family room and glanced at the wall, I had to smile. Here is what I saw:

Family Room

Please notice the seven different color samples painted on the wall. As an Atlanta color consultant I see this sort of thing on a regular (almost daily) basis. I asked, “Do you mind if I take a few photos and post a blog on your color samplings?” The homeowner replied, “Oh, you’ll have lots of photo ops in this home. Feel free!” She was right. I had hit the jackpot. The family room was just the beginning.

Sun Porch

I can’t tell you how often I go into homes and see an array of paint colors sampled on the walls.

color samples painted on the foyer walls

Foyer with Confused Doggie

Notice the poor little “cone-head” doggie. He had an injury on his leg. “Mom & dad” had to put him in a cone to prevent him from aggravating the wound. I think even he is confused by all the colors on the walls.

Dining Room

Here is what normally happens. The homeowners decide to paint. They hire a painter. The painter hands them a fan deck and says, “Let me know when you’ve decided which colors you want to use.” (The painters have learned NOT to get involved in helping their clients make color selections. It is a tedious process than can eat up way too much of their time — plus, they don’t want to be held responsible.) So the homeowners start pouring over the fan deck. They see some things they “think” they like, then start buying samples of the colors to throw on the walls. The more they put up, the more confused they become. Finally, they throw up their hands and declare, “We don’t know what we are doing. Where can we find an Atlanta color consultant? We need professional help!”

Master Bedroom

The main problem I’ve found is that people simply don’t know where to start in making their selections. In this case, we began in the kitchen working from the existing flooring and tile which was not going to change. From there, we methodically worked our way from room to room making sure we were creating a good flow of color. When I go back to help with the decorating, I will take “after” photos and post them for you.

I want to thank these homeowners for letting me share photos of their home to make a point. If you can’t decide which paint colors to use, call Patsy Overton Interiors BEFORE you spend a fortune on sample cans of paint. A recent client said, “For what I spent on sample cans, I could’ve paid your fee!” That’s the idea.

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Filed Under: All About Color, Color Consultations, Selecting Paint Colors, Updating Your Home | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta color consultant, color consultation, color palette, fan deck, paint colors

Atlanta Home Staging “Must Do” List

Posted by Patsy on February 27, 2012 4 Comments

Since the selling season is right around the corner, I’m getting lots of Atlanta home staging calls. As a result, I’d like to share with you the four main things you should do get your home “market ready.”

First, a fresh coat of paint is a necessity. If your walls are covered with dated wallpaper, get rid of it. If they are colorful, neutralize them. When thinking about what you need to do to your home, always think about what most people will be attracted to. While your tangerine walls may be beautiful and right on trend, most people will not want them. Shown below is a bedroom that was painted for selling. I selected Sherwin-Williams 6197 “Aloof Gray.” (If you would like to see more photos of this beautiful Atlanta home that was staged a couple of weeks ago, click here.)

master bedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Aloof Gray, #6197

Freshly Painted Master Bedroom - SW6197 "Aloof Gray"

Second, take a good look at your flooring. If the carpet is worn, nasty, or in a ghastly color like blue or hunter green, have it replaced. If it is dirty, have it professionally cleaned. If it just needs spot cleaning, I highly recommend Spot Shot or Krud Kutter. Both products are true miracle workers.

Third, remove any dated window treatments. Notice I didn’t say they need to be replaced — just remove the old ones. There is nothing like dated window treatments that screams “so ten years ago” to a prospective buyer. Yes, I have custom window treatments in my own home and know how expensive they can be, but if they are dated and past their prime they need to come down. Shown below is a staged family room with no fabric on the windows. See how nice they look! Even if they had simple blinds instead of the plantation shutters, they would still look fresh and clean.

staged family room by Patsy Overton Interiors

No Dated Window Treatments

Fourth, update tired lighting and bathroom fixtures. Pictured below are before & after shots of an updated basement bathroom. Notice the dated countertops are still there, but what a difference regardless! If you were a buyer, which bathroom would you be more drawn to?

dated bathroom which badly needs to be updated

Dated Bathroom - ugh!

This bathroom has updated lighting, fixtures and the ugly wallpaper removed.

Updated Bathroom - much more appealing!

There’s lots more to share about how to get your home ready for the spring selling season, but the things I’ve listed above are a MUST! Please don’t neglect them.

If you want to sell your Atlanta home, then staging it is no longer an option but a necessity. Gone are the days when you could just have your real estate agent stick a sign in the front yard and wait for the offers to roll in. Call today to schedule your home staging consultation to prepare your home for the spring market. We stage both vacant and occupied properties.

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-847-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Filed Under: Home Staging, Home Staging Tips, Staging Before & Afters, Updating Your Home | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta home staging, decluttering, home staging consultation, updating

Atlanta Home Staging – The Enclave

Posted by Patsy on February 9, 2012 2 Comments

Several months ago I was called on for an Atlanta home staging job in The Enclave. On my first trip down I saw the home was filled with furniture from three households. As the homeowners were in the process of moving, all I did initially was to perform a color consultation and tag furnishings I wanted them to leave behind thinking we might be able to use certain items for staging purposes.

There was much work to be done once the homeowners were out. Every room received a fresh coat of paint, new carpet was laid, the kitchen cabinets were painted and light maintenance issues were taken care of. Finally, just last week, I went back to stage the vacant property. Shown below are before & after shots of the living and dining rooms:

living room with white marble floors and nice light

Living Room - before

living room with modern furniture and accessories added

Living Room - staged

This space has come to life with furnishings and accessories. I actually built the room around the large canvas artwork which belongs to the homeowners. Using that large-scale piece and taking into consideration the beautiful white marble floors which run throughout the main floor, a color scheme of red, white and black was appropriate. I especially love the zebra chair and ottoman for a bit of whimsey.

Next, here are photos of the master bedroom:

Empty master bedroom showing large sitting area.

Master Bedroom - before

Master bedroom with furnishings and accessories.

Master Bedroom - staged

This master bedroom is HUGE! As you can see, it contains a bay window with ample room for a full-sized sofa, fireplace, vaulted ceiling, and a coffee bar with cabinetry (not shown). Also, the office shown below actually overlooks the master bedroom on the second level, fireplace side. The spaces are separated by a railing.

Office overlooking the master bedroom.

This great space could also be used as a nursery or workout area.

And, finally, every home needs a sauna and walk-in safe, right? See below:

Sauna

This home has a walk-in vault/safe in the basement!

Door to Walk-in Safe

This Atlanta staged home truly has it all! If you are interested in a showing, here is contact information:

Address: 409 Angier Ct., NE in The Enclave (gated community)

Contact: Mansoor Sufder at 404-934-6838

If you are in need of a professional, certified Atlanta home stager, contact Patsy Overton at 770-843-2307.

Patsy Overton Interiors

POInteriors.com

Filed Under: Featured Project, Home Staging, Staging Before & Afters | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta home stager, Atlanta home staging, color consultation, staged home

What’s In an Entrance?

Posted by Patsy on January 18, 2012 Leave a Comment

Being an Atlanta home stager and decorator, I’m in a lot of homes. One thing I notice again and again is that many homeowners neglect to make a great first impression. When someone pops through your front door, what do they see? That first impression is crucial for setting the visual tone of your home.

A couple of years ago I staged a beautiful Alpharetta home. Shown below is the “before” shot of the foyer:

Foyer - before

This was a very large foyer with a spectacular star inlay in the center of the floor, which I didn’t want to cover up; but the eye needed a place to rest and something to focus on. Here is the “after” shot:

Foyer - after

Although this was a home staging job, this is the perfect example of redesign work. The space was actually empty when I got there, unlike what you see in the first photo above. I found the glass-top table in the living room, the arrangement in the upstairs hallway, the mirror in a secondary bedroom and the chair in the breakfast area. What a difference this made in giving a great first impression of the home!

If you are decorating your home for your own pleasure or staging it to sell, don’t neglect the foyer. A great first impression is crucial! Don’t know where to begin? Then call Patsy, your Atlanta home staging, decorating and redesign expert for help! 770-843-2307

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Color never sleeps.

Filed Under: Decorating, Home Staging, Redesign, Updating Your Home | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta decorating and home staging, Atlanta decorator, Atlanta home stager, first impressions, redesign

Can the Right Paint Colors Sell a Home?

Posted by Patsy on January 5, 2012 2 Comments

One thing I love about being an Atlanta color consultant is that you meet the nicest people! Take Sam, for instance.

Sam had purchased a house in his own subdivision from neighbors who had fallen on hard times financially. The plan was to purchase the home at auction on the courthouse steps, freshen it, sell it, then share the gain with the former owners. Wouldn’t we all like to have a neighbor like Sam!

I received a follow-up email from him a few weeks ago. Here’s what he had to say: “I’ve been meaning to send you a note and share the wonderful comments I had on the colors you selected for 9020 Etching Overlook in Ammersee Lakes. The house sold 38 days after listing, even in this horrible market. The commercial paint contractor whom I hired was totally complementary and said that ‘your decorator sold the house.’”

So what did this Atlanta decorator, home stager and color consultant do? Decorate the home by bringing in lots of accessories to high-light all the great selling features? No. Stage the home by bringing in rental furniture to this vacant property? No, again. So, what did I do? I simply performed a color consultation to neutralize the existing hues and high-light key areas of the home to make it more appealing to the masses. Yes, you heard me — that was it. I met Sam at the property, walked the home noting the large open spaces, closed off rooms and bedroom suites, and advised him what colors to use throughout the house.

I don’t have before and after photos of Sam’s home, so I’m going to share with you pictures of another home where the wall colors were neutralized in much the same way. BTW, this staged home sold in two days!

Living Room - before

Living Room - after

Dining Room - before

dining room which has been staged and painted

Dining Room - after

I don’t know about the housing market in your area, but in Atlanta we are still experiencing a record number of foreclosures and have a saturated inventory. So, can the right paint colors sell a home? You be the judge.

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

“So many colors, so little time.“

Filed Under: All About Color, Color Consultations, Home Staging Success Stories | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta color consultant, Atlanta decorating and home staging, color consultation, color palette, home staging

Is Your Home “In the Pink”?

Posted by Patsy on January 3, 2012 4 Comments

In today’s Atlanta market it’s difficult to sell any home, but nearly impossible when the exterior paint color has a pinkish hue.

Several weeks ago I met with a new client in Duluth for an exterior color consultation. Alina and her husband had been trying to sell their beautiful two-story home for a number of months. While the home is in immaculate condition both inside and out, there was still a problem. Take a look at the “before” photos below to see if you can determine what needed to be corrected:

Duluth Home - before

Yes, as lovely as the home was, the exterior paint color had a definite pinkish hue. Alina knew this was something that needed to be corrected in order to sell the home. So how did this color consultant work with the homeowner to determine which palette to go with? Here are the steps we took:

We drove the neighborhood to determine the right “look” and “feel” that would be appropriate.
We took note of the homes on either side and across the street from this home, being careful not to duplicate their colors.
I pointed out the unchanging elements of Alina’s home — namely the charcoal gray roof and stark white window sashes — which we had to work from.
Knowing that the current trend is toward gray, we came up with the palette shown below.

While Alina loved the new palette, she still lived in fear of the colors turning pink on her. After several reassuring phone calls, she took a deep breath and had the house painted by Bill Siegel with CertaPro. Shown below are the final results:

two-story home with new gray color palette

Duluth Home - after

Duluth home with Sherwin-Williams gray color palette

Duluth Home - after

Now the home is no longer “in the pink” and Alina is thrilled. Here is what she had to say in a follow-up email: “Patsy, it’s STUNNING!!!! Pictures don’t do it justice. Just the look I envisioned. You are a genius. Thank you so much. Now I don’t want to move!!!!”

I want to thank Alina for her testimonial and for allowing me to share her story and photos with you. As the home was painted only a few weeks ago, to my knowledge it is still on the market. If you are looking for a beautiful, spacious home in Duluth, you might like to put this one on your list. Here are the particulars:

7040 Sweet Creek Road, Johns Creek, GA 30097
Sugar Mill Subdivision
6 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 1 half bath
Contact: Lynn & Mitch Wieskopf, Harry Norman Realtors at 770-418-0990 or mwieskopf@aol.com

Is your home “in the pink”? If so, you need professional help! Call today to schedule your color consultation with Patsy.

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Filed Under: All About Color, Color Consultations, Color Trends, Exterior Color Consultations | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta color consultant, color consultation, color palette, Duluth color consultant, professional color consultant

Channeling Tobi Fairley

Posted by Patsy on December 2, 2011 4 Comments

As an Atlanta color consultant, I’ve seen it all. I’ve been in beautiful million dollar homes in some of the nicest subdivisions around, and I’ve worked in $80,000 condos. All homes are unique and inspiring in their own way, but what I saw a couple of weeks ago truly knocked my socks off!

I had just returned from Little Rock, having spent three days training under Tobi Fairley, an outstanding designer with a national reputation who has frequent magazine spreads. If you are not familiar with her work, here are a few photos to bring you up to speed:

cream colored sofa with hues of orange and blue

Tobi Fairley Designs

living room with hues of aqua and orange

Tobi Fairley Designs

Tobi Fairley Designs

As you can see, Tobi enjoys incorporating lots of color in her designs. One of her signatures is painted furniture, which gives an incredible updated look to traditional pieces that, otherwise, would look like “grannyish.” To see more of Tobi’s beautiful work, click here for her portfolio.

So what does Tobi Fairley have to do with my recent Atlanta color consultation? Take a look at the photos below:

dining room with turquoise painted furniture

Ginger's Dining Room

Can you believe it? As soon as I walked through the door my mouth dropped open and the words “Tobi Fairley” popped out. Ginger Moore, my client, said, “I love Tobi Fairley’s designs and saw on your website that you had just been to her design camp.” Wow! Ginger has totally captured the Tobi Fairley look with the complimentary color scheme of orange and turquoise and the beautifully hand-painted furniture and ceramic lamps. In addition, take note of the totally cool light fixture which Ginger crafted herself by combining two separate fixtures. Go girl!!! Also, notice the lighter hue of turquoise Ginger has used on the ceiling which beautifully gives the room its finishing touch. Very nice!

Next, take a look below at her living room, which she has turned into a reading room for herself, her daughter and friends:

turquoise living room with orange painted fireplace

Ginger's Reading Room

Isn’t this adorable? Once again you see the Tobi Fairley inspiration with the pairing of orange and turquoise. When I mentioned the framed silhouettes of her children, she told me those were done years ago at Disney World. That was very interesting, as this is also a look that Tobi has incorporated into her designs. Maybe she made a recent trip to Disney World herself!

And one last photo of a grouping in her family room:

Ginger's Family Room

Aren’t you impressed with Ginger’s designs? I certainly was! This was definitely one of those jobs where I walked through the door and asked, “Now what on earth am I doing here?” As it turned out, Ginger wanted me to help her select a new color for her family room to better coordinate with the undertones of her sofa. In that area she utilizes softer tones of aqua in a large area rug, accent pillows, and artwork. With that in mind, here are the colors we selected:

believable buff, quietude, antique white

Ginger's Color Palette

She will use Believable Buff on three walls of her family room, Quietude on the two-story accent wall and as an accent color on her bookshelves, and Antique White on the brick fireplace.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you — Ginger also paints her own canvases!

I want to thank Ginger for allowing me to post these photos of her home so you could all enjoy her beautiful work. Also, they are a great representation of how you can take a “look” from designers whose work inspires you (like Tobi Fairley) and make it your own. Well done, Ginger!

If you need the help of an Atlanta color consultant, call Patsy at 770-843-2307. Patsy does both interior and exterior consultations.

“So many colors, so little time.”

Filed Under: All About Color, Color Consultations, Decorating | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta color consultant, color consultation, color palette

Don’t Be Afraid Of a Colorful Front Door

What’s Redesign All About?

Patsy, John & Newt???

Can’t Decide On Paint Colors? You’re Not Alone

Atlanta Home Staging “Must Do” List

Atlanta Home Staging – The Enclave

What’s In an Entrance?

Can the Right Paint Colors Sell a Home?

Is Your Home “In the Pink”?

Channeling Tobi Fairley

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