Aesthete Designs, LLC

2013 Indianapolis St. Margaret’s Guild Decorator’s Show House | History

Aesthete Designs — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:00:00 +0000

It’s September and it is time once again for the start of work on the 52nd Annual St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild Decorator’s Show House and Gardens. The Decorator’s Show House and Gardens is the longest running show house in the country. It is the primary fundraising event for the Guild and benefits Wishard Hospital in various ways.

A little bit about SMG from their website:

Since St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild was founded in 1907, our projects have resulted in over $10 million being raised for Wishard Health Services. Over our 100-year history, we have contributed to the following programs:

Funded the St. Margaret’s Center for Breast Health

Provided funding for the Wishard Burn Unit

Pallative Care (End of Life Care)

Women’s Cancer Support Group

Domestic Violence Program Designed to Support and Educate

As you can see, the Guild plays an important part in the programs through Wishard Hospital. There are a lot of ladies that volunteer a lot of time to make sure that the show house runs without a hitch.

Yesterday I got the chance to stop by this year’s home for the Designer Coffee event. It’s the kickoff event where designers tour the home and generate their list of spaces they wish to work on for this year. The board will meet on Friday and choose which designer will work on which space. We were able to casually tour the house, ask questions about each space and spend time mingling with our fellow community over drinks and light breakfast snacks.

But, enough about the event – I’ll cover that in another post. Today I want to relay, as has become an annual ritual for our blog, the history of the home that the Guild has put together for the designers. St. Margaret’s Guild wishes to extend thanks to the following for their assistance in putting together the history of this year’s home.

From St. Margaret’s Guild:

Thanks to Anne Riley for compiling 5635 Sunset Lane’s history and sharing it with St. Margaret’s. Indiana Landmarks provided the much appreciated Crows Nest information.

We are reprinting the information for our readers, but did not write or assemble the history. Here is the information they provided:

The 2013 Decorators’ Show House is located on eleven acres bordering the White River in the town of Crows Nest, a small town within Indianapolis that was established in the 1920s as an exclusive residential neighborhood. Large estates ranging from one to eighteen acres characterize the district. Many of the forty-one original properties feature impressive entrance gates and deep curving drives. Landscape design is a defining feature of the neighborhood, and many of the estates in Crows Nest were designed to blend with the natural settings of the native woods and the White River. Sunset Lane south of Kessler Boulevard serves as the only access to Crows Nest, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The home at 5635 Sunset Lane was built in 1928 for Frederick T. Holliday, who owned a steel manufacturing and distribution business in Indianapolis and Monarch Steel in Hammond. His grandfather, W.J. Holliday, established W.J. Holliday & Co. in 1856 as a hardware or iron store to make horseshoes, carriages and blacksmith supplies. The company later became one of the nation’s leading sources for industrial products for wholesale milling, mining and industrial supplies.

A Holliday family member who grew up in this 6,600-square foot English cottage style home remembers the D.A. Bohlen & Son architectural firm as the home’s architect. That firm was notable for its design of the City Market (1886), the old St. Vincent’s Hospital (shown above, 1913) and the Murat Temple (1910). A former homeowner notes the Hollidays loved England and reportedly sent the architect on a two-month sojourn there to make sketches of houses they had seen and liked.

During the Holliday family’s residency, the third floor of the home was used for guest quarters, while the housekeeper stayed in one of the second floor bedrooms. The small room off the main staircase served as a gunroom and included a secret compartment to hide liquor during Prohibition.

The Crows Nest Skeet Club, which the younger generation Hollidays started after World War II and still exists today, used the house’s etensive rear elevation extending down to the White River to shoot skeet. The Holliday men also hunted quail in the grounds sloping down to the river. Later, Mrs. Holliday initiated the property’s landscaping by enlisting Frits Loonsten, a prominent landscape designer of the era (and whom worked with owners of the 2011 Decorators’ Show House shown above), to install gardens on three levels of the property. The Hollidays used the house’s basement extensively. Two of its smaller rooms served as a bar room with a brass-rail bar and a darkroom, respectively. The dogs in the limestone carving over the basement fireplace were Mr. Holliday’s hunting dogs, June and Spot.

In 1952, the Hollidays sold the house to the Charles Lockton family. One of the Lockton’s sons was later involved with the racing industry and entertained in the house during the Indianapolis 500 Races. Several celebrities slept in the house during that time: Paul Newman, James Garner, Kirk Douglas, Dan Blocher (Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza) and Tom and Dick Smothers. The Locktons built the exterior rear patio, which had been just a strip of grass, and used it for 500 Race parties. A wood dance floor fits into the alcove of the brick terrace.

The Locktons sold the house in 1975 to Edgar and Margaret Davis, who made few changes to the home, but did use the north bedroom as a family room. Margaret was a member of St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild. John and Anna Lea Hoerner purchased the house from the Davis family in 1983. They added a horse barn at the base of the backyard hill. The current homeowners, James W. and Anne E. Riley acquired it from the Hoerners in 1987.

Over the last 25 years, the Rileys have remodeled the kitchen by expanding the kitchen and office into the area once housing servants’ bedrooms and butler’s pantry. They have raised two children here. St. Margaret’s Guild wishes to express its sincere gratitude to Jim and Anne Riley for so graciously and generously allowing the Guild to present their beautiful home as the 52nd Decorators’ Show House and Gardens.

End of Provided Information

So, there you have it! All of the background history and information regarding the 2013 St. Margaret’s Guild Decorators’ Show House and Gardens. As always, please respect the privacy of this year’s homeowners and the other residents of Crows Nest and refrain from visiting the property until the Show House opens early Spring 2013.

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2012 Indianapolis St. Margaret’s Guild Decorator’s Show House | History

Aesthete Designs — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

As April rolls in, it’s time once again for the 51st Annual St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild Decorator’s Show House and Gardens. The Decorator’s Show House and Gardens is the longest running show house in the country. It is the primary fundraising event for the Guild and benefits Wishard Hospital in various ways.

A little bit about SMG from their website:

Since St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild was founded in 1907, our projects have resulted in over $10 million being raised for Wishard Health Services. Over our 100-year history, we have contributed to the following programs:

Funded the St. Margaret’s Center for Breast Health

Provided funding for the Wishard Burn Unit

Pallative Care (End of Life Care)

Women’s Cancer Support Group

Domestic Violence Program Designed to Support and Educate

This year’s show house is different for us as we are participating in the event for the first time in our short history. We have decorated the rear entry hall and guest powder bathroom and are honored to have been selected to participate this year. This year’s home is one of the largest homes ever in the history of this event.

With all that being said, we wanted to present you with a little history of this year’s show house as provided by the St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild. This history was provided by the Guild via their Facebook fan page. We hope you’ll enjoy learning about this year’s home. Daily public tours of the show house run April 28th through May 13th. Tickets are $20 at the door, $17 for Seniors (65+). Check out their website for further details, including the special events that are being held at the house this year.

The original residence on the property (one of four) was at 7077 North Meridian Street and remains as the northwest portion of the current home. It is believed to have been built between 1937 and 1938 by Edna and Julius H. Erbrich. Mr. Erbrich was president of the J.H. Erbrich Products Company in Indianapolis, which distributed food products. The Erbrichs lived at 7077 N. Meridian St. until approximately 1944.

The next owners, Jacob and Goldie Lutz lived in the house for only two years. Mr. Lutz was the owner of Lutz Canning Company in Indianapolis.

The couple most associated with the early history of 7077 North Meridian Street was Zilpha and Edward B. Newill. They lived in the house between 1946 and the late 1970s. Mr. Newill was a vice president of General Motors Corporation and was general manager of the Allison Division in Indianapolis from 1944 until his retirement in 1960. During Mr. Newill’s tenure, Allison emphasized development of turbo-prop and jet engines for military use. All three of the Newill’s sons also worked for General Motors divisions through the 1950s.

The next owners of the property, between 1977 and 1990, were Dr. Newell Pugh, Jr. and his wife Marie. Dr. Pugh was a physician at Methodist Hospital during the 1980s.

The next owner for a brief period of one year, was Professor James Q. Mulholland, a professor of Composition at Butler University.

In September 1991, Frank E. McKinney, Jr., Chairman and CEO of American Fletcher National Bank, later Bank One Indiana, acquired the property along with his wife, Marianne. During that time, the entrance to the property was moved from Meridian Street and became known as Five East Seventy-first Street. Mr. McKinney also purchased and took down the property immediately to the south of 7077 North Meridian Street so he would have room to add an Olympic length swimming pool. As a former Olympic gold medalist in swimming, he liked to swim laps daily. Mr. McKinney planned to make substantial changes and additions to the original residence, but tragically he died in a plane crash in 1992. Construction of the planned design was halted and the McKinney’s never lived in the house as a couple. Following Mr. McKinney’s death, Marianne became the sole owner. She completed more modest changes to the property, enabling her to live there alone until 1995.

In 1995, Marianne McKinney married Eli Lilly and Company Chairman, President and CEO Randall L. Tobias. Mr. Tobias initially purchased a 50% interest in the property from Marianne. He also acquired the homes immediately south of the property on Meridian Street and immediately east of the property on Seventy-first Street when they came on the market. Both homes were taken down to expand the grounds, to provide a more appropriate footprint for the residence, and to add a tennis court, gardens, garage space and parking. The entire interior was renovated and the infrastructure modernized by Leonard Watson, with care given to preserving and restoring the original 1938 architecture. An additional 2500 square feet were also added to the residence at the same time, with great attention directed to harmonizing the additions with the original residence design. In 2009 Mr. Tobias purchased Marianne’s interest in the property, and in 2010 he gifted Tobias House to the Indiana University Foundation for the use of Indiana University.

This year’s show house is located at 5 West 71st Street, Indianapolis, IN. We hope you’ll get a chance to check it out and support a great cause.

5 Ways to Design an Amazing Bed

Aesthete Designs — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

I have always believed that good interior design can change the way you live your life and how you experience it. Recently, several friends of mine have been going through some life changes which have now lead into home changes. Suddenly, they’re ready and interested on getting organized, living more simply and bringing some design into their lives. I have noticed already how it is beginning to change their lives and their outlook at home. Even in the early stages of simply planning interior design updates to their spaces can change things.

Getting up every day and making your bed is just one of those things that makes you feel good about the start of your day, unless you’re dressing your sad bed. If that’s your dilemma, here are five ways to make your bed look amazing.

1. Add or Swap Out Your Headboard

We know you’re out there. You know who you are. Some of you are out there living without a headboard! It’s okay, I’m not proud of it, but I’ve done it too. Let’s move forward by adding a beautiful new headboard to your bed. If you already have a headboard, maybe it’s time to swap it out for a new one.

This doesn’t mean you have to go out and spend thousands on a fancy new headboard. Headboards can be painted or decals, old doors or even diy upholstered! Don’t assume that when you need or want something new for your space that you’ll have to run out and spend a bunch of money on it.

2. Punch it Up With Pillows

Punch up your bedding with pillows. A bright pop of color, mixed with different textures and patterns will make your bed look its best and help you start your day off on the right foot! As you can see in the example above, you can readily mix patterns, textures and colors as long as they have similar cohesive elements. That will help you create more visual interest.

3. Add Some Drama with Draperies

Up the drama ante in your bedroom by installing draperies in the form of a canopy. This can be accomplished with the use of a canopy bed or a four-poster bed. In addition, you can simply purchase crowns that will allow you to drape fabric near the head of the bed only.

Depending on the fabric you use and the style you select, bed draperies can be utilized with any design style – not just for formal spaces. In the example above you can see that by using a lightweight, white fabric creates a more relaxed, romatic feel in that bedroom.

4. Add Visual Height

So, you’ve got a low headboard and no funds to purchase or desire to build your own, taller headboard. Fine, no problem. You don’t have to, you can create height visually above that low headboard through the use of art, a mirror or any other wallhanging. Even though what you’re hanging on the wall isn’t part of the headboard, the great thing is that the eye automatically registers it similarly. You’ve created the same visual height as a tall headboard without actually using a headboard. If you want to take it further, try a glossier finish on the walls as they’ve done in the photo above. Just make sure your walls are free of imperfections as glossy finishes will make them even more noticeable.

5. Put All of it Together

If you’re really ready to go full force, put all of the tips together for maximum impact! Using the example above, see how all of these tips come together to create a dream bed perfect for any magazine cover shoot. Let’s look at what makes this bed area special:

Texture, pattern and color on the bedspread and pillows creates maximum visual interest for this bed while still keeping a cohesive theme throughout. Punching it up with pillows!
An upholstered headboard brings shape and structure to the bed, while the dark color allows it to recede into the space, allowing the bed linens to do the talking.
The tall drapery behind the headboard creates the visual height, while the color matched to the headboard allows the two to recede into each other.
Finally, more visual height, texture and color are brought into the space through the use of the bedside lamps and accessories. In addition, the black nightstands blend into the headboard and drapery to allow the accessories to have an almost floating affect. They’re certainly made to be the focus of attention in this space.

Try some of these tips to dress up your bed and give more life to your bedroom. I’m willing to bet that if you implement any of these tips, you’ll be more likely to make your bed daily. After all, who wants to make a sad bed?

Making the Most Out of Your Closet Space

Aesthete Designs — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

It seems that no matter how large or the number of your closets, there never seems to be enough space. Even though we can’t all have closets as large and luxurious as the one pictured above, let me share with you some tips on making the most out of your closet space.

1. Keeping Things Organized – Linens

It never fails, you go to prepare for overnight guests and you can never locate the pillow shams that go with your sheet set or vice-versa. The next time you wash your linens, match up your sheets with their coordinating shams. Fold up the sheet and other linens and store them in one of the pillow shams. This way, even if your guest is last minute or unplanned, you’re always prepared and looking like the consummate host! You’re guest will be impressed and you’ll be less stressed.

2. Keeping Thing Organized – Footwear

Have too many shoes, but can’t bear to get rid of a single pair? Make morning shoe selection easy on yourself. Simply store each pair in its own box with a photo of the shoes attached to the outside. This way the shoes not only stay free of dust, but they are easily stacked and kept neat and organized.

The photo box storage works great for typical pairs of shoes; but, what about all those fashionable calf-high boots? Pick up some hangers with clips and then clip each pair of boots to a hanger by attaching the clips in the center of the pair. This will not only help keep your floor clear, but will also keep the calf portion of your boots from prematurely creasing from the tops folding over when they’re sitting on the floor.

3. Baskets Make Everything Easier

Simple and clean baskets make great organizational tools. They’re easy to label, with either stickers or butterfly clips, and they’re easy to transport. Baskets are great for quantities of smaller items that are typically difficult to wrangle, like socks or towels. Baskets are also an easy way to allow you to distribute items when in use. It’s much easier to grab a basket of table linens when you’re ready to set a table for guests.

4. Utilize All Available Spaces

When space is at a premium, you’ve got to utilize every available inch of space. Using storage baskets mounted to the inside of cabinet doors will help increase your space and put regularly used items right at your fingertips.

Mounting towel bars, or even small curtain rods, will allow you to easily store longer items that may require hanging. Large tablecloths or easily wrinkled/creased draperies will benefit from being hung over the rods. The rods can be mounted on the inside of a closet or cabinet door. On most hall closets, there is ample space between the back of the closed door and the hanging rod to accommodate your new rods. Get creative with your spaces and maximize your storage.

5. If All Else Fails, Use a Manufactured System

If you run out of organizational ideas for your closets or you can’t come up with anything at all, you can always purchase a closet organization system. An organizational system will typically cost you more money than the other tips we have given you, but some people may be interested in someone else’s created solution. A great option is the Container Store’s Elfa System.

The next time you find yourself complaining about a lack of storage in your spaces, try some of these tips to get organized and make the most of your closet space today!

Interior Design Expert Advice: Indianapolis Residential Appraiser | Part II

Aesthete Designs — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Welcome to Expert Advice: Residential Appraiser | Part II. If you missed Part I, you can catch up here.

We interviewed professional appraiser Bob Hanson, an Indiana Licensed Residential Appraiser, with several years of experience for this article. In it, we ask Bob some of the questions people have about the value of their home in relation to improvements and market factors.

Note: Due to the length of the interview, and in the best interest of providing you with as much of this valuable information as possible, we will be posting this Expert Advice interview in multiple parts.

Strap yourselves in, folks. This is a long article with lots of photos; but, it’s worth it because of all the valuable information it provides.

AD| Aesthete Designs
BOB| Bob Hanson

AD | Revisiting that point about flooring, you cannot have concrete floors to be considered a finished basement?

BOB | You could… but you would need those floors… for instance, they may have painted the floors, stained the floors and they look very nice. Some basements have uneven, unfinished, unpolished floors and that won’t work. You are going to have to do more work than that. Typically, people will put down some sort of laminate or carpeting, but you have to always consider with basements water issues – always. Some places work better than others. Walk-out basements will usually yield more money, more value than other types like a walk-up basement. All those come into consideration. Your entry into the basement, your stairwell – where is it? I typically find that if it is against an exterior wall, you are going to have more living space, more area to work with. From a decorating standpoint, there can be a lot of advantages to that. Is it a full basement – it a half-basement with a crawl space? Take all of that into consideration.

You do the flip side and go upstairs to the attic. What are your ceiling heights, do you have that gabled roof line. [AD | Which may affect the home’s ability to have a workable layout?] Absolutely! You have to have someone knowledgeable if you are going to renovate that area. So, every situation can vary. Sometimes, the best thing people can do is add a walk-in closet. People forget about storage which is very important. Some homes (such as older homes) have little storage. People often think of kitchens and bathrooms and what not, but sometimes it is as simple as storage. … Sometimes it takes an outsider to come in and give some ideas.

AD | Let’s say for example, you have an older home – 1950’s or before, where bedrooms may not be by today’s standards very large. Would it be advisable in certain circumstances, to combine bedroom spaces to have one larger, more habitable bedroom or is it better to have more total number of bedrooms?

BOB | I have seen it go both ways. Let’s say in a two-story home, they have 4 bedrooms but if they would take this one tiny bedroom and add it into a master bedroom and they convert that over to an en-suite bathroom for the master bedroom. They are ok because they have 3 bedrooms so, they are alright. There is a difference in the market place between a 2 bedroom home and a 3 bedroom home. Minimally, you would need a 3 bedroom home. Again, that will vary. If you’re in a neighborhood where everyone has 4 bedroom homes and the buyer is going to expect 4 bedroom homes, on the flip-side when you get rid of that 4th bedroom, tiny as it may be, that tiny bedroom may be perfect for someone to use as an office or as an infant’s bedroom. So, there are times where you can pay a price for converting it over. It depends on the layout of the home. You have to look at the flow of that home. You have to have someone who is experienced and knowledgeable to make sure that it works. Because if you don’t (and I think that everyone who has been in homes has seen this happen) that you have some cut up home that just doesn’t flow right.Sometimes it will work and sometimes it won’t. It depends on how much gross living area you have how much space you have…

AD | Are there certain homes that it tends to work better in?

BOB | I would say yes. I would say that obviously homes that have more gross living area have more room to work with… you can do more with them. And some homes, smaller bungalows, you know, couldn’t do it. In a smaller Broadripple bungalow, if you wanted to make your bedroom bigger, the only way would be to go after the other bedroom which would be a disaster. If you did that and made a 1 bedroom home, you would be obsolete in the market place. The typical buyer is going to hate that house and is going to walk away from it. So, it will vary from home to home.

AD | What are some myths that you have found that people have about how much their home improvements are worth?

BOB | The typical one is that they feel that minimally, that every dollar that they put in their home, they are going to get that back and more. That is a myth. If you spend $3,000 on kitchen appliances for example, does not mean that another home buyer is going to come in and pay that amount for that kitchen or $5,000 for your $3,000 worth of appliances. People misunderstand and they get emotionally attached to their home and they lose sight of things that improvements that you do are your personal preference and the next person that comes in may look at them and go, “I am going to have to change this out… I hate this.” So, that is something that I have seen happen and people who are out there and have seen homes know exactly what I am talking about… where someone has done renovations and you look at it and go, “Wow! If I ever moved into this home, the first thing I would do is pull out everything that these people have spent money on because I don’t like it.” So, that is one problem. Just because you spend $10,000 on that bathroom does not mean that your home has increased in value by $10,000. That is the biggest myth.

AD | And why is that? It may not be appetizing to the market or because of some other reason?

BOB | Could be the neighborhood.Could be that it is expected. Could be that it is the economy. Could be that for instance right now, homebuyers are having a difficult time securing financing and there are [in some markets] very few buyers out there. So, regardless of what you do, you will have buyers that have an advantage because there are fewer buyers out there. That means that if a homeowner in the future is going to sell their home (and everyone should at some point think about that) you can’t take it with you. That home is going to be sold by you or by your estate or your children or whatever… that home will have to be sold. So the decisions you make about your home… give some thought as to what the typical home buyer would expect. Would this be welcome? Will they go, “This is great! This is Awesome!” or would they go, “What were they thinking?”

AD | Conversely true – since it is such a stingy market, since financing is so hard to find, since buyers are so few and far between, would it not be advisable for a homeowner to improve their space the way they want. They are going to live in it. They are not going to be able to dispossess themselves of the home. Would it not be better for them to put in those high-end granite countertops if that is what they are wanting?

BOB | If they wanted, just know that in your neighborhood if you put in $4,000 worth of those countertops, it may only improve the value of your home by $2,000 or it may end up costing you money to do that. Maybe it would be better to go with an upgraded countertop but not go overboard. There are so many choices that the typical home buyer/homeowner has any idea about. Even in the last 15 or 20 years, there are so many choices. So someone needs to research it and even better yet, they should go to someone who knows the various options and knows what is going on.

AD | Materials do add some value?

BOB | Sure.

AD | So, using marble and granite and exotic hardwoods do have some value?

BOB | Sure.

AD | Is it a diminishing return?

BOB | Right – if you get what you think is that beautiful deep purple granite and install it and spend good money on it but you got it on sale and you thought you got a good deal on it, there are going to be diminishing returns on that because there are not very many people who are going to walk in and fall in love over purple granite. Yes, you may have granite countertops but you have got to think of the market place.Most people are not going to go ape-crazy over that. They are going to head for your bathroom and hurl.

AD | In the same line of thinking, do certain design styles hold value over others?

BOB | Yes – absolutely. As the market place, as the homeowners age, a ranch style, 1 story, everything on one floor, appears to hold its value better than 2 stories I would say. The value seems to be ranch style homes appeal to about everybody. Certainly, people will have their preferences. You are going to have people who are not going to want that. But that is a tried and true design. If you look at most of the designs out there since ranch homes came in vogue right after World War II, it is the most prevalent design in American construction. Basically since … 1950. That speaks for itself. The other design is your 2 story, 2 ½ bath with the ½ bath on the main level and 2 full upstairs with an en-suite master bath/master bedroom combo. That is standard. If you don’t have that in a two-story home, there is going to be some disappointment from a potential buyer.

AD | If you have a home like that in lets say in that style (2 story 2 ½ bath), lets say that your home is currently 2 story 1 ½ bath (1 full upstairs and ½ down stairs) but you have 4 or 5 bedrooms, do you think that it might support converting one of the bedrooms into an en-suite bathroom?

BOB | It could if you said 5 bedrooms, you are probably going to be able to get away with it, but again it depends on the home. If a typical homeowner wants 4 bedrooms and you only have 3, you are going to lose people and frankly, real estate is nothing but a numbers game. You want to appeal to as many people as possible. But my opinion would probably be that if you converted that 1 bedroom to a bathroom for a master bedroom, you would be better served… you would probably be okay in many markets. Again, nothing is 100%. It is going to depend, particularly with older homes. They can be a challenge when renovating. You really need to get a professional person involved to make sure that it is going to work, that it is going to flow okay.

AD | What constitutes (defines) a bedroom?

BOB | It is defined by the marketplace. Some areas, where space is such a premium, it can almost be the size of a closet, maybe a 6’ x 6’ room…if space is such a premium in that market that may be acceptable. If you are in our area, as a general rule, most appraisers are going to be looking for a certain amount of square footage… minimally 8’ x 8’ but maybe larger than that, maybe a 10’ x 10’ area. A closet it pretty standard here. If you don’t have a closet, it is not absolutely mandatory but it is definitely preferred. Some appraisers would say that just as important as a closet is a window. You know, there is now written guidelines that say a bedroom is “This” or a bedroom has to have all of these qualifications. It is more left to the market to determine if that space works and really that is the role of an appraiser is when you walk into a home, does this space function as a workable bedroom. So I am of the opinion that it doesn’t necessarily have to have a closet and there would be 20 realtors and appraisers and people in the real estate community that would definitely disagree with me but I could look at a room and say, “hey – that could still function.” You could bring in dresser drawers, an armoire, something like that can make it still work. Sure, you still would prefer it to have a closet and maybe a closet could be built in the room.

AD | Essentially, a bed and a wardrobe would serve?

BOB | It could… it very well could.

AD | Baths – How are baths defined…full bath, half bath, ¾ baths, how does that work?

BOB | The way that I look at it, when you walk into a bathroom and you are able to wash yourself and if you can minimally shower in there, I would consider it a full bathroom. I don’t break it down in to like a ¾ bath. It functions as a full bath. I keep it simple. If you just have a wash basin and toilet? Half bath. i think most appraisers are that way as well. Most probably look at it the same way.

AD | Does planning and zoning have an impact on value, really?

BOB | It certainly can but it often doesn’t.

AD | In what way can it?

BOB | Well, if you’re zoned typical residential (residential homes), zoning is not going to be an issue. If you are in a fringe area and there is some commercial construction, that can have an impact. Are you potentially “multi-zonable” (if that is a word)? Are you residential and commercial? Are you zoned business? What is the highest and best use for that property? Is it really functioning best as a residence or is it changed? Is it now a business of some type? That really all depends on its location. That is something you want to be aware of. If you are in a smaller community, in some of these outlying towns outside of Indianapolis for instance, it might not hurt to be aware of the zoning and planning commission. Where are they going? What are they planning? Where do they see their town in a few years? Be aware of it.

AD | What about clutter? Does clutter have an impact on the way the market will react when purchasing a home…when your general buyer comes in and your home is amply spacious, has a good layout, quality materials, a good location, but the inside is poorly organized, an explosion of their personal possessions… does that have an impact on the value of their home?

BOB | I think the answer is obviously, people are human. As an appraiser, I am trying to take the clutter out. I am not looking at your personal possessions. If it is not nailed down, I realize it is going to go out of the home; however, the typical home buyer is going to be looking at your artistic abilities and your decorating abilities and if part of your life style is that you have too much clutter in your life, be it too much paper work or too much furniture or whatever… yeah, there will be a negative impact on it. You will probably have potential buyers who will walk away unfortunately for the seller. That is just the way it is. That home buyer cannot help but see this. It is an obstruction that prevents them from seeing the rest of the home, seeing the layout of the home, seeing the potential of the home and all of the great finishes are overlooked. Let’s go back to granite countertops. You put those countertops in the kitchen but if you have it cluttered up, but you have groceries you’ve not put away or whatever, they may not even realize you have granite countertops. It would defeat the purpose. It would be a disaster.

AD | We’ve touched a little on this, but tell us what is your position on “dated” spaces? Where is that line exactly? How does someone tell if something is too dated or maybe on the flip side, how does someone know if something is too ultra-modern, something too cutting edge?

BOB | When you say that, it comes to me that you can have “retro” spaces that will work. The classic, 1950’s pastel ceramic tile in the bathroom that is original to that home. It’s kind of funny because you will walk in and you will see it and maybe 20 years, you would have shuddered at it but now, it fits that time period and it’s almost now chic, almost an heirloom, keeping an original part of the home intact. It works. You know, I walked into a home and a lady had kept her original appliances from the early 1960’s and they were in terrific shape and it really worked. But… in so many homes, it does not. So, if they are in good shape, great. It can work. But usually what you run into that is the downfall, is that today’s appliances are more fuel-efficient but there’s been upgrades to them and there are advantages to having modern and new and I am sorry, you’re 1966 radar range just doesn’t have it. You know, you have the look but it’s a boat anchor. So, do you go for looks or do you go for functionality… and usually the older stuff loses out on functionality and practicality and efficiency but it is a personal thing. I have walked into some of those homes and they are well done and you know people are willing to pay for it. It depends on the neighborhood. You cannot recreate that. You can try to fake it out but when you come across the real thing, as an appraiser, you know that there are people who love that. That authenticity is cannot be repeated.

AD | In a new home, what can someone do to increase the value of their home by just changing how the room looks?

BOB | A couple of things that come to mind that are not going to break the bank… put in a backsplash that is somewhat eye-catching. Countertops are terrific. Crown moulding is not expensive. Chair rails are not expensive and can set off a room. Don’t be afraid of color. Don’t be crazy but color used correctly can add value and are easy fixes to do. Re-facing kitchen cabinets are not that hard to do. Open up the space that is somewhat en-vogue whereas older homes were more typically sectioned off.

AD | To segue, for someone who has an historic home, what do you recommend?

BOB | To someone who has an historic home, I would recommend that they keep as much authenticity as you can. If it’s historic, I would not recommend someone to rip out hardwood floors, taking out pocket doors. Keep the authenticity of the home. Look at what you need to upgrade it but be as unobtrusive as you can. Be respectful of the time period. Anything you do to upgrade it, keep it in character with the time period of the home.

AD | When it comes to adding rooms onto a structure, how does someone determine if the market will support that add-on, let’s say guest quarters, mother-in-law’s quarters, apartments over the garage or basement apartments – how does someone determine if that is a good investment?

BOB | The market is going to welcome it as long as it is installed properly. You would likely, need a professional to do it. You don’t want to see someone who has taken it on as a do-it-yourself project because these sorts of things are big projects and can really affect the value of your home.

AD | So, if it is done well, it can be a boon to your home but if it is done shoddily…

BOB | Look out! You are going to run into problems. What is going to happen is if you go so sell your home and realtors can tell you this. When you go to get a home inspection and troubles begin or permits were not filed, it doesn’t meet local code and troubles ensue.If you want to start an addition or major remodeling, you would rather work with and having it professionally done because it could come back to haunt you.

AD | Are finishes in those additional spaces as important as finishes in the main portion of your home?

BOB | They can be. It depends on what you are doing to your home.

AD | For example, a Mother-in-law’s quarters with a kitchenette?

BOB | I would keep it in character with the rest of the house. If you go crazy with that and I were a typical buyer and I was looking at that mother-in-law’s quarters and maybe I want to live in that section. You don’t want it so vastly different (superior or inferior). Keep it apples to apples.

AD | Are there any sure-fire quick projects that are going to increase the value of the home that are just inexpensive but outside of the realm of painting?

BOB | Well, I hate the term, “sure-fire”…Sometimes the best thing you can do is get another set of eyes. Sometimes homeowners cannot see the forest for the trees. Sometimes you need an outsider to help you.

AD | When should someone consider consulting an appraiser when doing home improvements or remodeling? Is always agood idea? Is it always necessary?

BOB | You are going to get me in trouble with a lot of appraisers out there because the answer they’ll want me to give is that you should always consult an appraiser, of course! Appraisers are typically necessary when a home buyer needs an appraisal. That is not to say that there are some homeowners that ahead of time could use the help of an appraiser to get an idea of what that house is worth. An alternative to that could be a good realtor. It varies between both groups but overall an appraiser can help you by giving you an idea of what that house is worth by coming out and looking at the house and giving you a range of values in the neighborhood. They are not necessarily going to tell you to decorate your home. They are not going to tell you that your home finishes will increase your value by 10% if you do “this or this.”They are going to go encapsulate that on that date your home was worth that amount and the typical buyer and seller in an arm’s length transaction would yield whatever dollar amount and sometimes that is very valuable. An appraiser is not going to tell you if you update your kitchen it will increase your value by 10%.

AD | But an appraiser can project value in the future, true?

BOB | Yes. If that is requested of them, yes they can. They can do future value. Rarely, but yes they can.

AD | General advice?

BOB | Yes – when you have neighbors that are putting their homes up for sale and they have open houses… Go to them. Take a look around. You may get some ideas about what the differences and similarities are between your homes and you may get some chocolate chip cookies too. While you’re there, ask the realtors what is it listed at. If the home is listed properly, it should sell in a month, two months, three months and hopefully within 95%-97% of listing.That doesn’t mean that it will… it could be over listed. That is kind of the unspoken objective. If you see a home on the market for a lengthy period of time, something is going on. Also, the other thing is, all homes are repossessed, HUD homes, distressed homes, those are going to affect value. No doubt about it. Drive around and look around your neighborhood.

AD | Final parting words of wisdom to the standard home owner?

BOB | I think your living space…there is an emotional and a physical and a spiritual appeal to everybody. I think that it should be harmonious. Step outside of what others are going to pay for your home. There is a good chance that most people aren’t selling their homes. You have to live in that home. Don’t go crazy with the changes that you make. Think about the future when you go to sell your home but yet make that space work for you. Know your limitations. Be conscious of what you do. There are markets where if you put a mailbox out front, you have over-valued your home. So be aware. At the same time, your home is your most valuable possession, so make it work for you. Make it somewhere you can go home at night and live a happy life.

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What’s Wrong with Matchy/Matchy Interiors?

Aesthete Designs — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:30:00 +0000

What’s wrong with matchy-matchy, you ask? Well, looking at the room above may not answer your question, but it should certainly make you see why it doesn’t work. Still not convinced? Let’s show you a more modern interpretation.

Are you smelling what I’m cooking now? Yes, one of the many elements of design is repetition. No, that doesn’t mean you repeat the same two patterns over and over again throughout the same room. It’s too much. In fact, it ends up giving you that bed-in-a-bag look. Like so:

We talked about being too literal in a recent post. So far you’ve learned that repetition of the same pattern repeatedly throughout a space is one reason why matchy-matchy doesn’t work. When pattern is repeated too much, it makes the design seem forced. It’s the same with bed-in-a-bag bedding. Everything is pre-selected for you, and it all matches: bedspreads, sheets, pillow shams, accent pillows and sometimes even window treatments. It’s. all. too. much.

In addition, buying a “set” of furniture from your local furniture showroom makes you just as guilty of being too matchy-matchy. Let’s take a look at an example of this below:

In this example, it’s glaringly obvious that all of these pieces are part of a set of furniture. Congratulations! You have successfully placed a furniture showroom vignette inside your home. There’s a reason furniture showrooms setup vignettes, for people who would prefer to just grab a package that’s already put together for them and get out of the furniture showroom with as little effort as possible.

Buying a set of furniture is a safe bet. There is nothing left to chance in regards to making a design decision. Yes, everything you buy in the set will go with everything else in that set; but, you won’t likely be winning any style points soon. Rather than purchasing an entire set, browse around the store and select a mix of pieces from different collections within the showroom. Better yet, purchase your bed from a showroom and select other items, like nightstands, at another, completely different store.

The above photo is yet another example of how matchy-matchy can go so wrong. In this case, repetition of color is taken to the extreme – along with repetition of pattern…again. You’ll want to include both design elements in your design, but with a bit more restraint than this example.

Here’s a first-rate example of the right way to incorporate repetitive patterns into your next room design. As you can see, all of the patterns are not exact replication, but are patterns of a similar nature – with similar shapes and, in most cases, color. The scale of pattern is also played with in this space, with both small and large-scale patterns being used. The bright pop of orange helps finish off the look. This is an example of interior design done right and you can do it, too.

Here’s another great example, applied to a whole room scheme, of how the concept of matchy-matchy can be applied without actually matching everything in the room. In this case, the colors, patterns and textures are all cohesive without being exact copies of each other. Let’s go over the elements that make this concept room work.

The dark finish on the desk (#6), pulls the darker tones in the striping of the rug (#9) and the bedspread (#4). It’s subtle, which makes it work even better.
The colors in the window treatments (#8) are present in the rug (#9) and the bedspread (#4).
The pop of yellow in the flowers (#2) are a more vibrant tone of the yellow in the bedspread (#4).
The silver in the pendant light fixture (#5) works off the silver in the desk lamp (#3). In addition, the pattern in the pendant is a variation similar to the pattern in the bedspread (#4).
The detailing in the ironwork on the bed (#4) is similar to the detailing in the desk lamp (#3).
The color palette (#1) is just a composition of all the major color elements in the space that are working together in the design. Designer Tip: This may be helpful for those of you that have trouble putting colors together. You can select three or four paint swatches (be sure to include a swatch to represent the wood tones in your room) and put them together. Keep this with you in your wallet or purse and you will also have your room’s color scheme with you when you come across something that might work in the space. They don’t have to be exact matches, close enough will work just fine.

Our final example shows a cohesive design in a completed space. This room has very classic design features. My only words of wisdom regarding this space are that it might be a little too safe. They’ve used elements we’ve talked about: repetition of pattern and color, without it being matchy-matchy; however, it’s just safe…..and beige. The only real pop of color in the space is the artwork over the fireplace.

I can say that the space plan is spot on. Pulling furniture away from the walls is a great way to arrange furniture and change things up; but, alas, that’s for another post. Notice how they have pulled colors together from the artwork, walls, furniture, rug, table and the design detailing using the black trim on the leading edge of the window treatments.

I hope this post has helped you see the errors of matchy-matchy and instead see how you can borrow some of its elements to create a design-worthy space in your own home.

If you have any questions about how to take this concept even further, or you’d like some help from an interior designer, contact us here. If you’ve got any other helpful tips, or an idea for a future blog post, get in touch with us on Facebook.

5 Designer Medicine Cabinets You Can Create

Aesthete Designs — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:30:00 +0000

The first recorded medicine cabinet, or chest at that time, was found in Egypt. It was a woven palm fiber case on a bamboo stand. Around the turn of the century, when indoor bathrooms as we now know them, came about – medicine cabinets became very popular. At that time, they looked much the same as they do today; a mirrored swing-door cabinet placed above the sink to hold ones medicines and shaving equipment. They were immediately very popular.

Over the course of time, they’ve not really changed much. For most of you, there isn’t really much thought given to your medicine cabinet. Well, I’m here today to show you how you can spice up your mornings by pepping up your medicine cabinet. Have a look at these things you’d never think to do with yours.

1. Magnetize It!

Magnetize the interior of your medicine cabinet. You can line the back of the door and the cabinet with a piece of metal and then utilize unique storage ideas to keep yourself organized. Items like round spice tins and office supply holders come with magnets already attached. Just pop them in and fill them with your daily needs.

If you don’t want to spend the money on ready-made magnetic containers, most supply stores will carry rolls of magnetic strips with a sticky back. You can line the door of your medicine cabinet and store bobby pins like the example above. You can also wrap another strip around items that you use regularly, like a certain hairbrush, and then it will also stick to the door strip. Be creative with your solutions.

2. Organize It!

There are organizational items made specifically for your personal items, as you can see above. These items will come with a sticky pad that can be pressed onto your cabinet for easy access and better organization. Just make sure you take into consideration and storage space you may lose if your containers stick out into the depth of your shelves when the cabinet is closed and plan your placement accordingly.

3. Make It Out Of Something Unexpected!

Who says a medicine cabinet has to be a cabinet at all? Think outside of the box as it were. In the example above, an old suitcase is converted into a stylish medicine cabinet. Available at nearly any yard sale, it will not only save you money – it will certainly make a statement. Try it in a guest powder room. Adhering a mirror to the lid and adding wood inside for stability and shelving is a quick and easy way to convert it into your cabinet.

4. Wallpaper It!

Nothing helps spruce up a space, than the design element of surprise. In this case, lining the interior of your medicine cabinet with a lively contact paper or wallpaper can really punch up an otherwise dull element in your bathroom. It’s certainly likely to help brighten up your morning and surprise snooping house guests!

5. Hide It Completely!

Finally, you could just stop worrying about your medicine cabinet altogether. Hide it completely! Check out the cabinet above hidden behind a typical wall mirror. Nobody besides those in your household will have any idea it’s behind there! It’s also great for when you’re stuck with a bathroom where placing the sink under a window is your only true option – or if you just want it there!

In the bathroom above, the medicine cabinet serves two purposes. It’s hidden out-of-the-way of prying eyes (notice the lock) and it’s a clever partition wall for the toilet area. It’s a “The Not So Big House” trick that we could all learn from. In many cases, the spaces between studs in your walls, the spaces under your stairs and many other spaces in your home are wasted space just begging to be utilized.

If you’re concerned about privacy or just shy about your personal items, you can hide your medicine cabinet behind any everyday object that nobody would think of, like a painting in the example above.

Try any of these tricks to spruce up your mundane medicine cabinet. Do you have any other tricks you use? Post them on our Facebook page and share them with our readers!

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***Please note that any links to products above are affiliate links. In general, we use them to show you an example of what we are describing to you; however, in the interest of transparency, if you purchase something through one of those links – we will receive a small compensation for referring you. In no way do we specifically endorse any of the products nor make any guarantees about them in any way. We are simply helping you, our reader, see the big picture, through the use of real-life products available on the market today.***

6 Ways to Make Your Interiors Pet Friendly

Aesthete Designs — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:30:00 +0000

If you’re like us, pets are an important part of your family and your home. As such, you want to allow for their comfort just like any other member of the family. Here are six ways to help your space more pet friendly.

1. Carve out a space for them: Create a hazard-free zone in your home with a cozy bed, a source of water and toys that are safe for them. This way you don’t have to worry about them getting into things they shouldn’t. Pets need a sense of comfort and a place that feels their own where they know they can stay.

Built-in niches inside everything from kitchen islands to banquet seating to end tables are becoming more and more popular ways to give pets a home without the telltale metal or plastic crate in the middle of the room. With these ideas, your pets can have what they need without you giving up the style you love.

2. Be wary of chemicals that can be harmful: When remodeling or updating any space in your home, be wary of chemicals that can be harmful to your pets. Selecting low or no VOC paints and other finishes will help keep your pets from getting ill. Even hanging wallpaper can generate noxious fumes for everyone in your household. As much as many of these chemicals can be harmful to you and your family, they can be even worse on sensitive pets. If you’re going through a remodel, especially if you’ll be living on site throughout, be sure to let your contractors know your wishes regarding air quality during construction.

3. Choose flooring that works: Hard surfaces are a harder material and easier to maintain because they will not trap pet hair, dander or other airborn allergens. If you have to select carpet, make it easier on yourself by selecting a color that matches your pet – it will help better mask any shedding. Also, be sure to select a carpet that is more durable in order to help it last longer.

If you’re able to select a hard surface, be sure to select one that is more resistant to scratches and dings that pets, and families, can cause. One of your best options is cork flooring. Cork is a natural product, eco-friendly, soft underfoot and extremely durable. Today’s cork come in a wide variety of colors and patterns.

4. Consider your furniture upholstery: Select tightly woven fabrics. These fabrics work best as they resist tears and rips. Leather, ultra suede and micro fibers are durable, odor resistant and easy to clean. Smooth leather should be less tantalizing to cats, who like clawing at tufted fabrics, while the micro fiber and suede materials will wipe up easily without staining permanently. When buying large pieces of furniture, you’ll want durability on these more expensive pieces.

If you absolutely cannot replace what you have or cannot afford a more durable material, you’re best bet is slipcovering your furniture. This way your covers are easily removable and washable. It can lend your space a more casual feel, but you may have to tough it out until you’re able to upgrade to better quality, more durable furniture.

5. Be careful with window treatments: Avoid vertical blinds, draperies with pooling fabric, dangling tie-backs and intricate fringes. These items will not only serve as potential choking or strangling hazards, but in many cases they will be damaged as pets work their way through them to peer out of windows. Keep your treatments, clean, simple and tight and save yourself a ton of headache.

6. Make Care Easy on Yourself: Keep pet supplies close at hand in a non-intrusive, yet functional way. Keep leashes and mess bags near the exit you take your pets out of and keep food supplies near feeding areas. Use existing cabinetry to create designated storage areas or add inexpensive, freestanding pieces to hide pet storage. When it comes to personal care, keep brushes, shampoos and other maintenance items in or near the areas where they get the most use. This will help cut down on the frustration of digging for supplies when you need them and will ensure that your pet gets the proper care it needs, when it needs it. Frustration can easily lead to procrastination, so make it easy on yourself.

Interior Design Expert Advice: Indianapolis Residential Appraiser | Part I

Aesthete Designs — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:30:00 +0000

AD| Aesthete Designs
BOB| Bob Hanson

AD| When is enough, enough? When does a homeowner know they have improved their home to the point where it will offer them no additional value?

BOB| It’s a personal issue for people. If you are not concerned with market values, improve the house all you want – make the house the way you want it.

AD| But let’s assume that someone is cognizant of market value and they don’t want to over-improve their home. but they want to keep up with the Jones’s.

BOB| I think the word that comes to mind is “conformity”. How does your house conform to the neighborhood and the vicinity? If you’re in a vinyl village and homes are starter type homes and therefore the finishes in the home are builder grade, then if you start adding in expensive items like hardwood floors and granite countertops it will be appreciated by the buying public; but, you will not get your money out of it. So, you need to be aware as a homeowner as to what is typical in the marketplace, what works. You don’t really want to go over that. If you do, just know that you are not going to get your money back.

AD| How does someone go about discovering what is “typical”?

BOB| Look at your own house. When has it been updated? We say, as appraisers, we look at a home and say it has a 30 year life cycle. What we mean is that every 30 years, your home will have all the maintenance systems replaced and clearly before that in some instances. Kitchens and bathrooms need to be updated and kept up to certain standards and if you lag behind, the market will react. The potential buyer is going to come in and they are not going to offer you as much for your home, because they are going to want to update it. So, the first thing I would say, is look at your home and is it in vogue with the times. When was the last time things have been updated and upgraded? If you are with vinyl flooring that has been in your kitchen for 20 years, then I’ll go out on a limb and say that it probably needs to be switched out.

AD| Is it good or is it bad to be the “best” home in the neighborhood?

BOB| It’s good in a sense, because you enjoy having a top of the line home. From the real estate sense, it’s bad because you’re going to be the guy that is going to pay the price. You’re going to set the bar where everyone is below you. So, if you go to sell your home, undoubtedly, you’re going to be hurt by your neighbors because they are going to be inferior to you. Appraisers, the real estate community, homebuyers are going to be looking for what homes have sold for in the neighborhood. If you are 10%, 20%, 30% above that average market value, you are going to be in trouble. You won’t get the money out of your home that you’d like to have gotten…unless, of course, you meet that one special buyer that comes along and loves the home as much as you and pays the price. That typically does not happen.

AD| If someone is considering adding, finishing or refinishing a space in their home, what space would you recommend getting the biggest bang for the buck?

BOB| I almost say that it is a unique situation almost every time it’s a case by case. There are some homes that desperately need another bedroom. There are homes that need the kitchen updated. Generally, with kitchens and bathrooms you get the biggest bang for your buck.

AD| But what about space like over the garage apartments, bonus rooms and adding spaces like basements to be finished?

BOB| It really depends. Going to the basement – is it a walk-out basement? Does it have day windows where if there were a fire you would be able to get out of there? How tall are the ceilings? If you have 7 feet, versus 9 feet, you have a completely different space and environment. Are you housing maintenance items down there, like the furnace? Do you have a sump pump in place? You have to look at a variety of factors going on there. As an appraiser, we look at other factors like any plumbing in place for a bathroom or is a bathroom already installed – the cost of that. The market typically reacts very well to having at least a half bath in the basement, because typically if you finish it, you are going to have a rec room or a place for the kids to play. So, having a bathroom down there means that you don’t have to run upstairs to find one. You need to look at ceilings, walls and flooring – you need to have some type of covering, something done to them to be considered finished. Obviously, you will need to have duct work in place for heating.

This is a good place to create a stopping point. Tune in next Friday for Expert Advice: Residential Appraiser | Part II. We’ll continue talking about adding/removing/repurposing spaces, clutter, design styles and several other factors that can affect the value of your property. Join us!

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Designer Ceiling Treatments

Aesthete Designs — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:20:00 +0000

The ceiling is one of the most neglected spaces when looking to bring life to a room; but, great ceilings can make or break a room. Sistine Chapel, anyone? Ceilings can offer a lot of visual appeal. Don’t think your room is finished only to have left your popcorn overhead.

Textured ceilings have been done since the 1950’s in an attempt to cover up imperfections or to help keep the eye from finding shoddy workmanship. Many new homes come with orange peel walls as this practice has been expanded. While that is a clever way to distract us, it is likely not the best look and feel achievable and makes it difficult to paint. For the do-it-yourselfer, here’s a great video detailing how to lose those popcorn ceilings.

How to Remove a Popcorn Ceiling

We suggest starting out in a small room to master your technique before doing the remainder of your home. Once you have the ceiling smooth and rid of popcorn, you are free to exercise some creative muscle. For many, this will mean painting the ceiling. Even if you decide to leave the surface white, you will be thankful in the long run and your room will have a more sophisticated feel.

Of course, you could think completely outside the box and revolutionize your space by not having a standard drywall ceiling at all. Expanding your options past simple flat surfaces may not be something you had considered but ceiling options can instantly create spaces ranging from country to classic.

For example, ceiling tiles make an amazing statement. Today’s tiles are not like the ones from some smoky bowling alley. Options range from bold to elegant and are found in a variety of colors, textures and materials.

How to Install Metal Ceilings

A variety of stamped metallic tiles may give your space a singular pop of both color and elegance.

Coffered tiles might help to tie beautiful wainscoting together with the room and lend an element of refinement without the need to buy new possessions.

Finally, even the addition of simple trim on a ceiling, can give the space the illusion of a coffered ceiling. This instantly upgrades the sophistication factor as well as the character. If you really want to up the drama, you can even add faux beams to the space for a real coffered ceiling effect.

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