Lighting

I know to some it may be boring but I think that lighting fixtures are a major part of a home's decor. For many of our buyers, they have not decided on lighting for a whole house in many, many years (if ever). For that reason, I thought that I would show off our standard fixtures from each of our lines - and additionally point out some of the options that we offer that I particularly like.

First up is lighting from the Kichler which is available at The Courtyards at Brandywine and The Preserve at Lamplighter.

Many of our buyers find that the clean lines of our included options is exactly what they are looking for in their new home. And they come in three finishes to fully make it your own.

 

 

We also love the Lacey collection. It is a full line so you could do a whole home, or just pick and choose. We will actually be putting this entire line in the Shannon model at Brandywine to show it off. Here are a couple of pieces.

 

 

 



Some others that I like:

Circolo, Pottery Barn-look



Hayman Bay, an antique white finish in just a room or two would be beautiful

Maybe not that practical, but pretty fabulous!

Houzz

Hello Again!

One of my most favorite new websites is Houzz. Houzz is "a collaborative platform for home remodeling and design, bringing homeowners and home professionals together
in a uniquely visual community." I use the site in so many ways that it really has become a help and an inspiration both professionally and personally.

Here are some examples of how I use the site.

1) Picking a paint color

My husband and I remodeled a bathroom and a laundry room this summer. He requested a yellow for the laundry room and I wanted a light blue for the bathroom.

So I start off by googling things like "best bathroom paint colors" and "best yellow paint colors." Oftentimes, Houzz will have the perfect article like, How To Pick the Right Yellow. Once I find a color or two that I really like I use the search function in Houzz (Pinterest is good for this as well) to search for room samples. For example, I chose Sea Salt for the bathroom and Houzz gave me an excellent idea of what it would look like (except that most of these bathrooms are HUGE and mine is not). It was incredibly useful and saved me from a lot of wasted time and money from indecision.

2) Furniture Choices

My four year old is ready for a "big girl" room. I searched for kids rooms, mint green (her color of choice) and white furniture and got some great direction on where to go for furniture shopping and paint colors.

3) Remodeling

Houzz was essential when I remodeled by bathrooms. I set up an Idea Book and then shared it with the tile company. When I went for my first meeting, my consultant knew my style and had already pulled some samples of what she thought I might like to see! It made a very stressful situation much much easier. Times two bathrooms by the hundreds of decisions that our homeowners make when they build a McKee home and you can understand why it sometimes takes several visits and lots of snack breaks when they meet with our design consultants. Houzz can help you get organized, find your style and settle some awkward interactions with significant others BEFORE you get too STRESSED.

I also will use Houzz sometimes just because I am bored and want to look at nice things! -Jenni

Triumphant Return

Hello Everyone!

I am sorry that I have not posted in so very long. We have had a lot going on at McKee and I will do my best to fill you in on everything from babies and puppies to new model homes and new developments. But, for now, I would like to share with you some inspiration to get you through this terrible weather.

Think about doing some restyling now while you are stuck inside and could use a fresh perspective anyway (plus, wouldn't it be better for us to have something to do other than complain about the weather?).

I have this strange urge to paint everything in my house white. All of the furniture that is. I am so tired of things being brown and black (like my mood lately) and I think that it would both open the space up but also create some cohesion. I can still use fabrics and wall color and accessories for color but I am feeling the need for a clean slate.

I have seen some really great tips online for furniture makeovers. This is where I go for inspiration.

Better After -  Lindsay posts submissions of makeovers of furniture, rooms, whole houses, etc. They range from simple easy projects to renovation. Here is a great example (notice the theme here):

Apartment Therapy - This is a huge website with everything from design trends to personal submissions to product reviews. But, my favorite section is the Before and After section. Here is a sampling:

Or, if the snow means that you cannot stand the though of painting something white - try your favorite color (mine is turquoise). From Coco and Kelley:

I paint enough things in my house that I make sure to have 1 can of premium white glossy paint and 2 or 3 cans of metallic (lately it has been gold) spray paint on hand at all times.

When we moved four years ago I was surprised by how much the look of our furniture and accessories changed from our old condo just by putting it in a new setting. Painting, switching fabrics or pillows, and adding new hardware changed things up just a bit to make me love my old furniture in our new house.

Thanks for waiting! - Jenni