Being a good listener is hard work.  There is no way around it.  It takes more concentration and discipline than most things in life.  When it comes time to hire an interior decorator/designer, one of the most important things you should be looking for is someone who can listen well.  This hard to implement trait, combined with a good eye for design, will almost always get you what you are looking for.

The benefits of hiring a good listener are tremendous.  First of all, you will get the opportunity to express your true desires.  Whether you would like a traditional, conservative style all the way to a modern, contemporary style, or anything in between, you will most likely get the look you want when your designer/decorator knows how to listen.  In addition, good questioning and probing from a professional will prompt the creativity needed to come up with the look you want in your home.  Another positive thing that can happen is you actually enjoy the process. Anyone who feels respected in their ideas and desires will be more willing to share and explore the individual and often very personal decorating and design ideas they have. It can give you confidence and courage as you discover that you have an opinion and style all your own.

You are definitely a part of the process.  No one wants to live in a home, nothing like they pictured, influenced by a designer’s own style, even if it’s done well.  In the end, you have to dwell there….you have to like it…you have to live with it.  If it’s not what you like or where you can feel at home, you will never be satisfied.  So when it comes time to find the right designer/decorator to help you with your project, big or small, take the time to figure out if that person knows how to listen well.  It will make an amazing difference from beginning to end.

I know many of you want to do some updating of your home but are afraid you will have to spend a lot of money! Many of these items can be done by you if you have the time and are handy with tools, paint brush and etc. Some items are beyond the scope of what many of us can do so we must rely on professionals. A good way to work with costs is to set a plan of action and prioritize your list to do the most needed things first and on down the list as you can afford. Understand that you still may have to live in the house as you are doing these things, so do not let the process drag out to long and disrupt your daily lives to much. Time factor may be a reason to have a company like Kaufman Homes who can do the job in phases and always does the job as quickly as possible with a minimum of living disruption.

Door knobs and hinges, cabinet knobs, plumbing faucets and hanging light fixtures.

10-15 years gold finishes were the trend with gold faucets, gold cabinet knobs and gold door knobs. While gold is nice, when new it proved to be trendy and was not as durable as other finishes. The new trends which seemed to be more durable and timeless are chrome, nickel, brushed nickel or bronze.