Easy Peasy

 A quick redecoration is in order for the summer, and a few experts in the New Orleans area want to give you some speedy tips on how to re-do the busiest rooms of your house. Whether you want to update your bathroom, kitchen, home office or closets, some of the best New Orleans professionals give easy fixes to your redecoration problem.

Bringing work home isn’t an unusual practice, but a home office needs to be a comfortable working space with a great ambiance to get the creative juices flowing. Monique Poche Bennett, CKD, owner of Cabinets by Design (5201 Tchoupitoulas St., 899-2300, CabinetsByDesign.com), recommends changing the decorative hardware on the cabinets in any room for a quick and simple facelift. This quick redecoration tip will certainly spruce up those cabinets in your home office. Bennett suggests using brands such as Top Knobs, Emtek, Richelieu and Ashley Norton to offer a unique style for your own personal flare.

If you’re looking to replace your entire cabinetry, Cabinets by Design offers services for the entire office using cabinets brands such as Wood-Mode, Mid-Continent and the newest line, Executive Cabinetry.

“With a long standing tradition of excellent customer service, out team will assist you with every phase of your project from conception to completion,” says Bennett Paul Mattix, from Mattix Cabinet Works
(415 N. Solomon St., 486-7218, MattixCabinet.com), suggests adding under counter lighting for a quick redecorating technique. Under counter lighting will open up the space and add functionality to your workspace.

Mattix says, “Do it right from planning to completion by using our quality products and experienced designers and installers.”

Mattix Cabinets have new high quality, all-wood, affordable American-made products including extensive door styles, woods and finish selections.

Now one aspect of the home that’s easily forgotten because it’s hidden behind a solid door is the closet. Our closets contain a majority of our wardrobe, shoes and accessories but are one of the most neglected areas of the house.

Organizing closet space has many benefits, including the potential of making getting ready in
the morning more peaceful.

Paul Corona, franchise owner of California Closet Company (3211 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, (800) 944-8031, CaliforniaClosets.com), offers unique, fully customizable closet organization. If you have a closet that needs a complete overhaul, the friendly employees are willing to transform your junk closet into a work of art. Corona has a few tips that he keeps in mind when creating a new space for his clients.

Loni Vinturella Banks, purchaser at Southland Plumbing Supply, Inc. (2321
N. Arnoult Road, Metairie, 825-8411, SouthlandPlumbingSupply.com), says, “Renovating a bathroom can contribute to the overall well being of a family. You can improve function, organization and therapeutic experiences.” Southland Plumbing can help redecorate your bathroom if you want to
do a full-scale remodel or just want to change a few key elements to update the space.

Banks suggests that changing a worn cabinet, by painting or adding new hardware, can really liven up the space and help with organization and functionality. She also suggests adding a recessed or surface mount medicine cabinet to create a clean, modern look.

“A deep tub which allows for soaking is a plus along with massage and whirlpool features,” says Banks. “Body sprays are an exhilarating finish to a shower, but if replacing the tub isn’t an option, just adding a dual functioning hand held personal shower increases the spa-like atmosphere.”

Summer get-togethers are just around the corner, which means that guests will gather in the most personable room of the house, the kitchen. With a room that gets used every day many different techniques can be used to liven up this area.
Kerry Flanagan, a design consultant at Artisan Kitchen & Bath (5243 Tchoupitoulas St., 891-8884, ArtisanNola.com), suggests replacing or even eliminating upper cabinet doors for a more open feel in the kitchen.

“Numerous upper cabinets or cabinets on either side of a window can make a kitchen feel cramped. Remove a small section of cabinets and replace it with open shelving,” says Flanagan.

For Flanagan’s own home, she maximized space in her kitchen by installing fixtures for activities she likes to do the most. “I love to bake, so I installed an easy to clean stainless steel shelving system that holds decorative air tight canisters of flour, sugar and other staples,” she says. “I installed a pot rack on my backsplash, to the left of my range, to open up cabinet space and add convenience to my cooking area.”

George Fowler, owner of Smart Buy Kitchen and Bath (4230 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 455-4700, SmartBuyKB.com), has another great redecoration tip for the kitchen. He suggests adding a tile backsplash as an easy, inexpensive way to give the kitchen a fresh look. Once you decide on the tile, installation can be done that same day and the results can be amazing.

“Working with experienced and qualified installers, and buying materials and installation from the same place saves a lot of headaches and avoids finger-pointing in the event of job issues,” says Fowler. “At Smart Buy, we provide free design and product selection advice, as well as manage the installation of the job to provide a truly turn-key service.”
 

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