9 Ways to Color Your Summer at Home

Featuring hues reminiscent of languid summer days and breezy seaside vacations, this summer’s hottest color trends run the gamut of eye-catching bolds to grounding neutrals, say Ace Design Experts Katie Reynolds, Julie Richard and Nathan Fisch.

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All three Design Experts recommend implementing this season’s color palette in small ways to avoid an overly-trendy look. For example:

• Paint your kitchen island for an updated look that’s easier than repainting your cabinets. A classic neutral, like a subtle gray, will pair nicely with most woods and finishes.

• Classic stripes continue to be a staple in many homes. Try painting them on a pair of oversized outdoor planters in a sunset-inspired combination of apricot orange and shrimp pink.

• If you’d like to incorporate one of this season’s pastel trends, such as peach, but are afraid of pulling it off, try balancing it with a complementary hue like classic navy.

• Graphic patterns and details are an easy way to make a big change. Add a pop of color stenciled in a chevron stripe on drawers of a basic white dresser with a Camellia blossom pink.

• Layered warm neutrals never go out of style and work equally as well in open floor plans or cozy nooks. Try using a darker neutral on the walls and ceiling, such as vanilla, and furnishing with a paler hue, like linen, for a fresh feel.

• Try a fun color pairing for a guest or kids room by painting a focal window wall in a brighter green (think green tomatoes) and then adding a muted green (think moss) on the window base.

• Deep blues and indigos like navy and blueberry are great go-to colors for a monochromatic color scheme inspired by the ocean. Simple and natural accents like stone top tables, linen or woven window coverings polish the look for a clean aesthetic that won’t fade over time.

• Combine a warm neutral, like honey, with a blush pink in a nursery or girl’s room for a soft look reminiscent of the flowers blooming outdoors.

• Shiplap wall paneling, featuring horizontal, overlapping wooden boards covering the walls is the perfect way to bring a nautical feel to any space. Try painting the wood in a crisp, snow white to make this architectural detail the feature focus.

Source: Ace Hardware

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2015. All rights reserved.

5 Improvements that Sell Your Home

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(BPT) - The housing market has improved across much of the country, but homeowners thinking about listing their homes need to stay competitive to attract buyers. Buyers are looking for long-term homes, ones they want to stay in for years while raising their children or settling down and retiring.

To prepare your home for listing - or to simply enjoy it a few years longer – consider upgrading with one of these five home improvements that sell.

1. Update Your Front Door
Buyers will enter through the front door to view your home, so be sure to give them a good first impression. The front door sets the tone for your home's curb appeal, as well as its overall security. It signals to buyers how well the rest of the home is maintained. If your door is in good shape, you might just need to give it a fresh coat of paint or new hardware. If it's seen some wear and tear over the years, consider replacing it with a steel door.

2. Create a Bathroom Retreat

Buyers will take note of a less than stellar bathroom. If you have a guest or master bath that could use an update, take the opportunity to replace the flooring, add cushy rugs, paint the walls and add modern accessories. Faucets, showerheads, the mirror and even the toilet can all be upgraded with water-saving and stylish designs.

3. Upgrade the Most-Used Entry Point
While the front door gets open house traffic, the garage door is traditionally the most-used door in the home. Old wooden garage doors will start to sag and the paint will peel over time. Replacing this door with an insulated steel door will not only improve the exterior look of your home, but also keep the garage space warmer.

4. Showcase an Outdoor Lifestyle
Remodeling magazine estimates homeowners can recoup up to 80 percent of their investment when adding a deck to their home. You may not consider a deck addition similar to extra square footage inside your home, but that’s how buyers will see it, especially if selling during warmer months. They'll be able to picture themselves enjoying meals outside or curling up on a lounge chair with a good book on a summer afternoon.

To upgrade an existing deck into a show-stopping selling feature, consider using a color-treated wood so that future owners can enjoy the space without the annual chore of staining.

5. Transform the Backyard
Buyers will be visualizing themselves in your backyard when touring your home. Consider adding a beautiful wooden fence to enhance privacy, which will be an asset for families with children and pets.

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2015. All rights reserved.