What are some home improvement remodeling ideas? This question covers ideas a consumer needs to consider before remodeling their home. I have a phrase I use called, "Grace notes." I always think of it as...
I have a phrase I use called, "Grace notes." I always think of it as gloved hands. Someone who can't afford a beautiful prom dress can borrow some nice gloves and it's a grace note. It's that one thing that transcends, a beautiful orchid. It's knowing what things count. I'm going to transfer back to houses. A lot of times we'll do a kitchen, and people really want granite but they can't afford it, or they shouldn't spend their money there. They should spend it on something else they really need and they really want. What we'll do, and I did this in my own kitchen, is we'll have one piece of granite or marble, one beautiful simple piece that is maybe a centerpiece or a focal point. They can rationalize it any what they want. Say well, "That's where I make pastry when I want to," because you need a cold slab to roll out bread. It adds that one note.
It shows that they know quality. They know how to use materials in a valuable way. Where it's valuable and the rest of it, isn't as important any more. Years ago, people did plastic laminate kitchens; that's all everybody did. Then, we went to more and more expensive materials. We've done some transitional kitchens, where the countertop is laminate because it's real practical, but the back splash is tile because you can get color and texture. You don't have to clean the grout joints all the time, and that's a grace note. So they can pick up on things. They don't have to buy this 6,000 dollar Jacuzzi when they redo the bathroom, but they can do a nice tub and really nice tile, for example, and it just sparkles everything. They don't have to buy granite counter tops in the bathroom, but they might buy a really nice pedestal sink. Doing a really nice mirror is one of the cheapest things in the bathroom, and it makes it sparkle. So little things like that; it's picking out nice fittings. The best example is that front door knob and the things that you and the owner touch every day. There's no reason, a lot of people will have fancy powder rooms or guest bathrooms. They have really beautiful fixtures in there, but their bathroom is plain. The lavatory faucet you touch every day should be the nicest one in the house. It's something you use every day. If you buy a cheap one, you feel it every time you touch it. You see it and it wears out sooner. It's the one thing that should be nice. The front door knob ought to be nice. There's no reason to do a 25,000 dollar kitchen and buy a 200 dollar sink fitting, when what you really need is s 500 dollar one and to do a little less somewhere else.
