Eddie Perez

Do you have a room in your condo that makes you feel that the walls are closing in? It is very possible it has more to do with the decor than with the dimensions, even if it is a very small room. Believe it or not you can make significant changes without spending a lot of money.

Think about the following things:

1. Are your walls dark and full of pictures and decorations? Or are they light, airy and minimally covered? To make a room feel larger, paint the walls with a light color such as white or pale yellow. When choosing a color consider the amount of sun the room receives. If the room is on the north side of the condo, receiving little or no direct sunlight, a pale yellow is your best choice. If the room does receive a substantial amount of sun, a pale green or blue will work. Please refer to my previous article about trends in paint colors.

2. Consider removing your window treatments completely. This will open your room up drastically. Heavy drapes close a room in and make it feel dark. If you want something on the windows for privacy use mini blinds in white or wall color. For softness add window treatments that are minimal in size such as a rod pocket and light in color.

3. Remove any dark or heavy pictures or wall hangings. Dark, heavy frames give the feeling of pulling the walls in. Many items on a wall will do the same thing. Instead try scattering just a few select items in light colors with light weight, light colored frames.

4. Consider painting your furniture white or covering with a light colored fabric. Using light colors, close to the wall color will make the room feel more open and airy.

5. Minimize the furniture in the room removing everything you can live without. Avoid tall book cases and any large, bulky items.

When you own a home, your homeowner's insurance policy covers both the building and the personal property inside the building, like furniture, computers, clothes, etc. When you buy a condo, the insurance protection provided by your homeowners' association only protects the structure -- and not the contents of your home. Make sure to get an insurance policy to protect the contents of your home, similar to a renter's insurance policy, to be sure that in case of theft, etc., you're not stuck with a nice, new, but empty, home. These contents policies are quite inexpensive, and can prevent you from losing everything you own other than your home. Not sure who to call? Ask your mortgage broker for a referral or call your car insurance company -- they often provide multiple policy discounts

If you’ve got a room that’s due for an update, bring out the brushes and look to this year’s popular paint colors for inspiration. A fresh coat of color can easily and affordably transform a space, and there’s no shortage of bold, statement-creating colors from which to choose.

Many consumers have shown a desire to bring new hues into their living space. They’re so much more color confident today, especially since they’ve had the opportunity to visualize color through examples on home improvement shows, magazines, and radio shows.

Following are several design themes that have been influencing the latest looks for interior paint:

Back to Nature - Consumer interests in green building and earth-friendly living have found a literal outlet in natural tones reflecting the world outdoors. Yellows and blues, leaf-like greens, and organic browns all star on consumers’ wish lists. Bedrooms, bathrooms and rooms including an accent wall are ideal destinations for these shades, another idea is to accent such natural color schemes with rust or copper-like metallics.

Comfort Colors -
Stress-free shades that wrap a room in warmth continue to be popular, especially when it comes to kitchens and family rooms. To create a welcoming refuge, choose colors that sound as delicious as they look, including pumpkin orange, cinnamon apple pie, cocoa brown, biscuit and wheat neutrals.

Stark Contrast
- This palette pairs sophisticated black and white with such dramatic tones as deep plums and clean, clear reds. Whether red or another bold shade is in the mix, polished brass metallics are great complements to stark contrast schemes, and mix to great effect in dining, living and bathrooms.

In addition to color considerations, using texture to add interest and style to a room. One approach is incorporating different paint sheen levels to lend translucency and a glass-like quality to surfaces, including unexpected and dramatic applications on ceilings.

Don’t discount the power of metallics as highlights, undercoats, and surface textures in any color scheme. We’re going to be seeing a return to more bold, brassy metallics as we get closer to the holiday season. From silver to brass, metallics are again going to be on the rise.

Did you every wonder how long the new refrigerator and stove that came with your condo will last? Well, the life expectancy of a typical appliance depends to a great extent on the use it receives. Moreover, appliances are often replaced long before they are worn out because changes in styling, technology and consumer preferences make newer products more desirable. The National Association of Home Builders' "Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components" gives a decent estimate by compiling life-cycle data from scores of product manufacturers and testing labs.

The following is a list of the life expectancy of major appliances in a home:

Gas ranges: 15 years

Dryers and Refrigerators: 13 years

Compactors: 6 years

Dishwashers: 9 years

Microwave Ovens: 9 years

The variety of homes in our city means that every year there's a new crop of homes sure to surprise and delight even the most devoted tour goers on the Annual Hoboken House Tour. On Sunday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., a number of generous homeowners will open their doors to visitors as a benefit for the Hoboken Historical Museum. Tour goers will be treated to an array of domestic retreats, from restored Victorian brownstones to contemporary condos, with traditional and modern décor, and always a few unique homes.

The homes selected for the House Tour change every year, but they reflect Hoboken's rich architectural history, as well as some of the hottest new properties. A diversity of decorating tastes is always represented. The tour is self-guided and typically takes a little over two hours to visit all the homes. The Hoboken Historical Museum's House Tour is your ticket to enter some of the most distinctive homes in Hoboken. This year's tour offers a peek inside nine homes, from recently remodeled older homes to a showplace for an art-collecting family to a condo in one of the newest buildings on the waterfront. Several homes were decorated by noted interior designers, including Lucretia Moroni, whose handpainted fabrics, wall treatments and floor coverings can be seen at www.fatto-a-mano.com. The April 2005 issue of This Old House magazine listed "21 Grand Tours." Hoboken was one of five for the Northeast. Come see what everyone is talking about.

A small army of volunteers is needed to help staff the Tour if you are interested; please call 201-656-2240, option 7, or send ane-mail to volunteers@hobokenmuseum.org Volunteers receive a free ticket to take the tour as a thank you for serving a three hour shift as a host at one of the houses.

Source: www.Hobokenhousetour.com