Fresh For Fall

It may not feel like it, but fall is here. As I write this, I am in a sweater drinking coffee because the house was cool tonight after a big rain this afternoon. We are on the back end of September, and the days do not feel like fall, but the nights certainly do. With average temperatures of ninety-one in the day and seventy at night, that qualifies as sweater weather for this Floridian. I also find myself increasingly distracted by thoughts of pumpkin. I crave pumpkin bread and pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and I use pumpkin creamer in my nighttime coffee treat. If you enjoy these things at night, you will slip right into the fall spirit too. Fall is also the season when rental visitors arrive, especially those who prefer cooler evenings. In the world of decorating, the only time to make improvements to your rental property is during the hot vacant months, usually July or August. In this case, we had the month of August only. So, let’s peek into a rental property that has a very fresh face for fall somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

  •  New Floor
This is a three-bedroom, two bath courtyard villa and I don’t know the model name, and even the owner was not sure of it. The entire villa received new flooring. The owner entrusted me to make all the selections, and I chose a floor that would stand the test of time and work with the existing case goods, including the entertainment unit, side tables, and bedroom furniture that would remain in the home. The flooring is a high-quality luxury vinyl with the appearance of real engineered hardwood. Its tone blends well with the existing case goods and with the maple kitchen cabinets. For the bathrooms, I selected a large, rectified tile so the grout lines could be kept to a minimum. Rectified tile is produced with edges that are mechanically cut, or ground after firing to ensure precise dimensions and clean ninety-degree corners. Choosing a larger tile that is rectified is the best way to reduce the amount of visible grout. The new floors brought a sense of uniformity and a fresh updated look that the villa needed.

  •  Fresh painted trim and doors
The wall paint was in great shape, but the doors and trim were still the older off white that was so popular years ago. Over time, that color begins to look dull and tired. Every door and all the trim were repainted with two fresh coats of Extra White SW 7006. Always insist on two coats of paint no matter what you are painting. The difference between the dingy off white and the new bright white was remarkable, and the entire villa immediately felt crisp and renewed.

  •  Replaced the verticals
We replaced the off-white verticals with new bright white verticals, and next season we will update the blinds in the large window. Vertical treatments can be handled in two ways. If you are working within a strict budget and the existing vertical track is still in good condition, you can simply replace the slats from one of the big box stores. The new slats slip right into the clips on the old track. The second option is to measure the length of the existing track and slats, then purchase a complete new vertical system from a big box store. They will cut the slats to the exact height you need while you are there. In this villa, we were able to reuse the original clamps that held the old track, which made installation quick and easy.

  •  Future white valences
We did not have time to update the brown valances this season. Next season, we will replace them with white wooden cornices and add trim around the large back window to highlight it. This will introduce another layer of light and create a sense of architecture in the space.

  •  All New Seating Pieces
All the brown furniture had to go. Even though the pieces were too dark for the space, they were good quality since they were all Flexsteel, but it was time to lighten everything up. I found a beautiful Flexsteel sofa in a brown and cream tweed that would be very forgiving for renters, and I was able to purchase it right off the floor. The chairs in the room were replaced with my all-time favorite chair, the Kaylee by Best Home Furnishings. I was able to purchase four of these chairs at five hundred eighty-one dollars each. They came in a soft cream and tan performance fabric that is easy to clean and holds up well. These chairs are far superior to anything found in home stores, and the value for the price makes them an excellent choice for almost any home.

  •  New Rug
We replaced the old brown rug with a new light rug that has touches of green and teal. This rug is a nine by twelve and was a smart buy that will not break the bank if it needs to be replaced in a few seasons.

  •  New Lamps and New Art
New teal lamps that I found on Wayfair added a welcome touch of color to the space. We placed all the lamps on remote controls to make the room simple and comfortable for guests to use. We added a few new pieces of art and shifted some of the existing art to better balance the walls. The updated look is bright and fresh for fall.
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Before and After Images Below