Big ticket items that people are concerned about
when it comes to doing their homes.
Paints, wall covering, countertops,
wood flooring, all of that.
Gotcha.
So, let's talk about paint first.
Okay.
You know, paint is a great medium to work with.
It's easy to change out if you change your mind,
it's also inexpensive.
Right, it's very forgiving.
Right, very forgiving. Right.
The labor to put it on the walls is also less expensive.
I think the only real con I can think of, Rachael,
when it comes to paint would be the fact
that there are a lot of choices out there
in terms of colors,
lots of sheens, lots of finishes to pick from
so that's-
It is, it's very intimidating.
not different I suppose. (laughing)
Right, right, right.
No, it's really hard.
Yeah, for sure and the thing is
when you're picking out wall coloring
before you commit to a certain color
you want to do a tester. Right.
You definitely want to do something that can let you see
how you live with it throughout the day.
So, what I like to do is, you know,
literally take a two by four sample on the wall,
you want to do something
that is sizeable on the wall because-
Right, not just like a smudge mark.
You can't get a real good feel
for how it's going to perform and live
if it's a small swatch.
One little tip to keep in mind,
do not use high gloss paint on the wall-
Gotcha.
if you're doing that tester.
Do a flat finish because that will show through
when you paint over the wall later.
I gotcha.
And you can see here from the sample-
That's a good note of caution, right.
Yeah, it does come through, as you can see here,
and it's just very unattractive
and you can't work around it.
Stay away from the high gloss.
And you can see here
like in this space here in Detroit, you know,
I used the dark wall coloring on the wall
and then we popped it with a little tip I like to use
when it comes to wall covering.
So, obviously, wall covering's come a long way.
You can see here on the ceilings
this is a very dynamic wall covering
and that's one way to keep your budget in check.
Paint your walls, for example, Uh huh.
a nice inexpensive paint color
but then splurge by doing a wallpaper on the ceiling.
It's amazing.
It's different, right?
It's amazing! (audience applauding)
And then when it comes to flooring
with tile and versus wood,
again, you have lots of options.
So, tile's come a long way from the days of linoleum, right?
It really has, yeah.
So, lots of great choices,
you can pull something that looks like wood,
that looks like stone,
that looks like marble,
so I love what tile is looking like these days
in the marketplace.
Like here we're looking at a bathroom area.
Exactly, this is a project in Detroit.
Oh, and did you have fun with that tile!
Yes, and what's fun about this particular tile,
it's from Home Depot.
Shut up. (audience laughing)
Yeah, inexpensive but it's the wow factor.
It's about putting it all together
to make that big statement in the space.
With wood floors, obviously, they're classic,
they're warm,
a lot of options out there.
This is where I always advise clients to think about
the resale value of the house.
If you're looking to sell the home in the future
I recommend going for something a bit more classic
as far as the wood stain color.
Right.
Go for a walnut, go for a chestnut,
something that is a bit more timeless
and that way a potential home owner
won't be scared away from your choice.
If you can't take it home
then go classic.
I gotcha.
Keep it timeless.
And that's an example right there, yeah?
Yeah, this is actually my dining room
at home in Michigan.
I chose a very modern clean finish for the floor there
and it just works
and if I were to sell the condo
it just goes with.
Countertops, I think about the ancient Greeks
and Egyptians, the Romans,
they always went for classic materials
and so there are pros and cons
with all these different choices.
For example, with butchers block,
I've heard, hint, hint, (laughing)
that chefs and our culinary artists
love the warmth of butchers block.
But I work on my counters.
Right, so it gets chopped, right?
You're dicing, you're slicing, Right.
you're chopping, you're smashing.
It's unfinished butcher block.
Right.
So, some people may like that,
what we call a patina, Right.
that character, Right.
'cause it gets worn.
If you like you're countertops to always look perfect
all the time then butchers block-
It's going to drive you nuts.
May not be the right choice for you.
Right, exactly. (laughing)
So keep that in mind.
With granite there are limitless options out there
when it comes to granite.
Some granite looks like marble
and, again, it's a fraction of the cost
so in my professional opinion
I give granite like all A's
as far as the most versatile choice.
It's way more affordable.
That is granite, actually.
That is amazing.
That is a project in Michigan.
It looks like art.
It's very powerful, has a great statement.
Marble probably, unlike granite and butchers block,
is beautiful but it's very costly.
Very expensive.
And heavy.
And heavy (laughing)
and of all three is probably the least durable.
You think about spaghetti sauce,
grape juice in a juice box from a kid.
You know, you pour this stuff on there
and it can stain.
It sure can!
Because it's porous, it absorbs
and you try to get rid of it later on,
let's say you have a party
and you have some friends over
and you forget that you have this spaghetti stain
on the countertop, it's-
Or wine. Yeah.
Honestly, it will never, ever, ever, ever, ever go away.
Right? Yeah.
Right, I like using marble in other places,
like for example in the walk-in closet
like I did here for a client.
A dressing area, It's a dream closet.
make it look rich and luxurious.
A master bathroom ,that's great there as well.
Right.
But definitely, maybe not in the kitchen.
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