The Power of Updates

I want to re-introduce a villa that I have worked on over the years because this particular property is a great example of how updating your house can be powerful when you decide to sell the house. I have been working on this villa for about 13 years because each time the homeowners arrived for the season, they would do a little something. It is amazing how all those little somethings can have a powerful change. Finally, when the homeowners moved here permanently, they did some big updates. Let’s walk through the living room and the kitchen of this courtyard villa for the next two weeks and you will see how the updates they made helped sell their home and all its contents in under one hour after listing, somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

  •  Goal
I first met the homeowners in 2011 and they were part timers. At that time, they wanted bright, sunny, and fresh so we painted a bright yellow on the walls, and we added rugs, art and décor. We purchased new couches and added shutters and cellular blinds. They loved the color when they were seasonal but when they moved here permanently it was time to make some big changes!

  •  Paint
Though the bright sunny yellow was awesome and complemented the black and white touches, the homeowners wanted to bring down the temperature just a bit. The homeowners wanted the space to feel relaxed like a soft embrace now that they were living here full time. We accomplished this by choosing the wall color Rainwashed SW 6211. This color is neutral because it is tempered with a green base and just a hint of grey. The grey is not detectable, but it is necessary to create neutrality. This color is the perfect combination of green and blue working in harmony. When this paint is applied it may appear a bit green but as it dries it turns to blue like magic. This blue is the best blue because it is neutral and relaxing.

  •  Flooring
Usually, when people move to Florida on a more permanent basis, they decide to get serious about flooring. One of the big updates was to install a beautiful, engineered hardwood throughout the home. Hot Tip: if you have tile and don’t want to remove it then engineered hardwood is a great option. It is the only product that can be installed and abut to tile smoothly with no threshold. Engineered hardwood is also loved by new homebuyers because it is considered a more elevated finish.

  •  Shutters
The homeowners did have the shutters and molding added in 2011 and they still look great and will stand the test of time. Hot Tip: Shutters are also considered one of the more elevated finishes in a home and homebuyers will always appreciate elevated finishes.

  •  Verti slide
We removed the vertical blind from the slider and added a product called a Verti slide. This is a honeycomb or cellular blind that slides from side to side. As you can see in the photo it allows light to diffuse while offering complete privacy. Also, the honeycombs or cells create heat chambers that collect the heat from the sun and hold it offering a source of insulation. We added a white wooden cornice above the Verti slide to dress the window, hide the mechanics, and create visual continuity with the large, shuttered window at the back of the room.

  •  Rug
The homeowners did need a new area rug. We decided to play up the blue and the green in the space. The new rug is an 8’x11’ and it has a very striking pattern. The colors of the rug range from many hues of blue to green mixed into the pattern. It looks amazing and all we had to change was the pillows. We added new pillows to the space, and it looks great.

  •  Lamps
The new lamps were a want, not a need. The old lamps would have been fine, but the homeowner found these two amazing navy pottery lamps and they worked great in the space. We recycled the old lamps into the office.

  •  Décor and art
All the décor and all the art remained just as it was in the room when it was yellow. We did add a fiddle leaf tree in the right back corner of the space but that was it. I love a remake like this because it shows the power of blue, green, and timeless design. Also, it is funny that the first time we did this room in 2011 the homeowner wanted an olive tree in the corner, but we could not find one. Permanent botanicals were taking a back seat in design, and it was difficult to find a good one. However, now permanent botanicals are once again becoming all the rage and we found a fabulous fiddle leaf.

  •  Side Panels
Finally, we added stationary side panels to the space. These side panels can be changed or removed but the homeowners liked the softness and finished look that the side panels added to the space.
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Before and After Pics Below