Find the right contractor...

If you are considering contracting work out for your home or office, the following advice might save you thousands of dollars.

I would like begin this posting with a picture of what can happen if you make a poor contracting decision.

I have seen Saltillo thin-set to a floor, then left without grout… indefinitely.

Another customer once asked me to take a look at staining some of his interior doors. While walking up the driveway, I noticed that all the paint on the outside of his stucco home was peeling off. When I asked about it, he explained to me that he had hired a painter who agreed to paint his house for a great price. The painter convinced the customer that hosing the house off was as good as pressure washing it.

…The cost to repair the walls for that customer will now be three times what it should have cost to paint the house the first time.

A few months ago a general contractor was hired to add a playroom on to a customer’s house. The contractor completed about half the job, then told the homeowner that he ran out of money. It appears that he spent their materials budget paying his personal bills and didn’t have anything left over to continue with the project.

A month before that, a customer paid to have a 12 foot by 12 foot arts and crafts room added onto her house. Instead, the general contractor built her a 10 foot by 10 foot room, and then disappeared. She lost almost 50 square feet.

One last example: Today, a customer told me about an experience he had with a landscaper who was supposed to redesign his yard. The landscaper asked for a 50 percent deposit so that he could buy the materials. He then brought a meager pile of supplies to the customer’s house and never returned.

You can avoid the ugly side of contracting by following some simple advice.

5 Ways to Escape Cruddy Contractors:

1. Get estimates from licensed, bonded, and insured companies.

Licensed companies have a paper trail on file with the Better Business Bureau. A five minute check-up on the BBB’s website can tell you how long the company has been in business and if it has had any complaints. A company that hasn’t been in business for over a year should not be seriously considered unless they can prove that they have a track record of quality.

When a contractor has his or her license revoked for shoddy craftsmanship, they can choose to: 1) find a new profession, 2) try to continue working without a license, or 3) change their company’s name and get another license. Fairly often, contractors will begin working again with a new name, thus their license will reflect that they are a new company. It is better to find someone who has been around for a few years.

Insured companies also tend to be more trustworthy for two reasons. Firstly, if something goes terrible awry, there is a decent chance that insurance money will pay for the damages. Secondly, insurance can add a substantial cost to the operations of a company. A company that can manage the cost of the overhead is likely to be better run than one that can’t.


2. Don’t take the risk of hiring cheap labor.

Most of us enjoy bargain shopping. Our thought is “why pay full price when you can get it for less?” Unfortunately the contracting industry is different that your normal desk lamp.

Good contractors know their worth. They charge what they know they can. If someone is cheaper than everyone else we have to ask why.

3. Find out what you are getting.

I am stunned sometimes when customers don't take the time to ask questions. I went to a home recently to estimate the cost of a painting project. It seemed as though the customer was anxious to have me leaving the moment I stepped into the house. I don't mind being brief but I feel sorry for the customer. There was much that I wanted to share with him but he didn't provide me the opportunity. All he wanted to know was the price. Unfortunately, the guy with the best price is not usually the guy who will do the best job.

Also, keep in mind the difference between a quote or an estimate and a price. Sometimes contractors will get halfway into a project only to come back asking for more money to complete the job. The customer is suprised that this is even possible, but then the contractor reminds her that what he gave to her in writing was "an estimate," not a price.

The vet surprised my wife and I in this way when we had a potentially cancerous lump removed from our dog's chest. Our final bill was double what we were told that the operation would cost. It turns out that we had been given a quote...and a bad one at that.

4. Don't be too price conscious.

Price matters, but it is deceptive. Often times people will step on their own toes by getting a good deal in the short run. The other day a lady cheerfully told me she had the outside of her house painted for $1,000. It sounds like a pretty good deal right? She then began to shyly ask me if it was normal for paint to start peeling within a couple of months. I didn't want to tell her, but she likely made a mistake when she hired that painter. If the walls weren't pressure washed, all the paint on her walls is going to start cracking and falling off like scotch tape on a chaulk board. To fix this, her next paint job is going to cost between $4000 and $6500. It would have been cheaper and less frustrating to just let a quality company do it the first time.

5. Get it in writing.

What contractor X says and what contractor X does are not always the same. I would even say that if it is not in writing, it wasn't said. One thing I have found is that people have funny and imperfect memories. A roofing contractor shared with me a time when he almost had to repave someone's driveway because the customer insisted that his roofing truck broke her concrete. It was only after he was able to show her before and after pictures of her roof, including the grass that was growing out the cracked driveway in both pictures, that the customer realized her mistake. Though the customer immediately began to apologize, it shows the importance of having something tangible behind the negotiating beyond our recollection.

Written proposals also allow you as the customer to make fair comparisons. Some things to get in writing include: the scope of the work to be done, the brands and product lines of the materials that are going to be used (if available), any guarantees and warranties that are included in the proposal, and the license number of the contractor. These things will also provide you recourse in the event that the contractor does not do what is proposed.

Shag, Berber & other Fashionable Footage

Wanted: avocado-green toy thief
Height: unknown
Age: ancient
Last seen: my grandmother's living room
Reward: $10-20 sq/ft.

What about flooring?

After seeing a few homes I have 5 "please don'ts" based on experience:

1. Please don't use use Astroturf or any other synthetic
form of grass on your floor. I find this most
often in senior living communities with sun rooms. I don't really see any need for it. Realistically, going outside to putt should not be too much of a chore.

As an alternative, there are a lot of industrial grade carpets that are easy to clean and highly resistent to dirt. These are perfect for families with teenagers who have a special room where all the kids tend to cluster, or for rooms with heavy traffic. These carpets are not always the most stylish...which is usually just fine considering that most people have the rest of their house carpeted or tiled with a neutral color.

On the other hand, it is possible to find more vintage styles if you look hard enough:












(Both of these carpets cost approx. $3 per square foot. If you have not seriously considered painting one of the walls in your house a primary color...at least once...then these carpets are likely to be a bit much for you. Perhaps something a little more subdued would be a better fit)


2. Please don't use plastic runners or rugs as a walkway through the house.

I was recently with a customer who was using plastic runners to protect her carpeting. The concept is smart, especially if you are planning on putting the house on the market, but it causes the living space to feel sterile. It was only after I had left the customer's house that I realized that I felt like I was in a museum. The runner beneath my feet made me feel apprehensive about stepping off of it and thus I felt somewhat like a tourist.












(Photos compliments of www.e-carpet.com)

This can also happen when using area rugs. I remember walking into a large living room once with 20-foot ceilings. The distinguising furnishings of the room were two huge area rugs completely covering the floor from wall to wall. I felt as though I was standing on one big bedspread...and I just wanted to jump around.

The customer decorated this way because he had kids that were messy. My response to this comes from the principle that it is better to train the children to use the restroom than it is to blanket the whole house with newspapers.
It works the same for cleanliness.

3. Please don't choose to install vinyl flooring.

Vinyl flooring is not comfortable beneath the feet, it becomes slippery when wet, it discolors, and it is no longer in style. If you are remodeling, the value of your home will increase if you choose to use carpeting, tile, wood, laminate flooring, or a concrete stain over the bare foundation.



Though these options can be expensive, there are ways to cut cost corners. We will be talk about contracting a project next week.

Until then, you can check out your options at a home improvement warehouse like the Home Depot. After a few questions you may find that you can do the project yourself. If not, you will perhaps gain a better understanding of what the construction process will be.

(Photo compliments of www.ifloor.com)

4. Please don't carpet kitchens, laundry rooms or bathrooms.

That's just gross.

Spoiled food crumbs smell, laundry rooms flood and kids don't have the best aim.


5. Don't forget the Shag

The entrepreneurial children of shag carpeting, shag rugs, have been quietly climbing their way to the top of the design industry. They are a great contrast when laid over hard floors and they can bring a lot of color to a room. What's even nicer is that they are a trap for dirt and dust. This allows you to spend less time cleaning. Just don't forget to take them outside once a month to empty them out.

(Photo compliments of http://www.rugsusa.com

Five Cheap Ways to Change Your Living Space

If you are like most everyone that I know, you have a budget.
I stopped looking through design magazines because they are usually unrealistic about this.

I will admit that the dimly-lit, high-rise loft with frameless windows looking over Santa Monica looks swell in the pictures. Who wouldn't want red leather loveseats hugging a $100,000 coffee table?

But let's be realistic. I might as well call my realtor to let her know that my wife and I were thinking about moving into a place with a little more space...

...like a baseball stadium.

We need more design for those of us who treasure the discount racks when we see them.

My response to all the overpriced hoopla is this:
Five Cheap Ways to Change Your Living Space.

1. Get rid of the clutter. Learn to subtract.

If you have neat little vases and charming wicker baskets, you probably have too many vases and wicker baskets.

I am not saying this with a bias, but from experience. Small collections turn into clutter and clutter turns inevitably into bad design.

Be honest. Did you place that lamp in your living room because you wanted it there or because you didn't have anywhere else to put it?

Having parents that kept everything, it took me a while to learn that it's o.k. to get rid of things. If you hold on to that table or lamp too long, it will become a thorn to you. You will eventually find that your tastes have changed yet everything you pick out clashes with your lamp.

Here's a simple way to decide what you should eBay and what you should let stay.
If the piece is 10-years-old, its probably outdated and starting to clash. However, if the piece has 25 years under its belt, it might be worth keeping. Design trends tend to repeat every few decades, which is why shag carpeting is starting to reappear on rugs, couches, and even window curtains.

If the piece is outdated...yet you can't bring yourself to get rid of it, don't worry. Furniture can be refinished, which we will talk about in the near future.

2. You need art.

Art doesn't have to be expensive. In reality, random pieces of junk pass for modern art pretty well. Examples under $15 include:

- Buy a set of silverware from WalMart and spray paint a couple of the utensils a primary color in high-gloss. Then hang them together mixed with the unpainted utensils in any geometric shape you want.

- Large numbers of everyday items also have visual interest. For example, arranging and adhering a 2 x 2 ft. square of #2 pencils to the wall can be fascinating to the eye. Paperclips, bottle tops, chop sticks, and straws also work well.

The key to this type of art is to get creative while staying simple. Finding a way to autograph your piece when you are finished will also give the work more credibilty.

3. Lighten up

Sometimes the problem has little to do with the furniture, or even the design, but with the lighting.

A few months ago I consulted with a young couple who had recently bought their first house. They enjoyed entertaining friends, but found they were battling fatigue and boredom every time they stepped into the family room. It was a lighting issue.

Six-foot tall dimmer lamps ($20+) have the power to brighten and energize these types of spaces. Inversely, rooms that are too lively can be mellowed out with directional lamps, ideally spotlighting a piece of artwork on the walls or silhouetted behind a peice of furniture.

4. Just a little off the bottom

Contemporary Japanese design is making its way into American living rooms. The proof is in the latest trend toward simple geometry mingled with low to the ground furniture design. This is the preferred decorating style for the urban loft and it is spilling into the neighborhoods.

To bring your furniture up to speed you need to invest in a $10 hacksaw.

You can drop your tables, chairs, couches and coffee tables 3 to 5 inches by trimming down their legs with a saw. I wouldn't recommend this if your couches are near your kitchen counters because you will create a height disparity between your kitchen and your family room. If, however, there is some distance between the two rooms, you can greatly update your furniture without having to spend thousands in the process.

5. Go-go-gadget-green-thumb

As a nifty alternative to wall art, you might want to try living art.

Flowers and plants are great because they can supply color and balance in a subtle way. What's even nicer is that they are easy to move around and can be planted outside if you get bored with them in the house.

They also flow with the emerging asian ingredients of design. Sometimes a simple plant in the office or kitchen can make all the difference.

Though these tips are basic, they should be enough to help you begin to simplify, shorten, enlighten, enliven, and autograph your living space.

Have you ever had a designer magazine suggest you take a hacksaw to your loveseat before?

The Design Guy

Designing for the Sale

Tired of having white walls around the house?

Want to add a little color?

If so, think about this first: "What am I going to be doing with this house in 3 years?"

If your first thought was that you were going to be happily living in it without any thought of moving out, you are ready for my next blog.

But if you hesitated...
If you imagined a home with a little more space...
Or perhaps a bigger back yard...
...you might want to consider designing for the sale.

Often people will decide to sell their home only to find that no one wants it.

There's nothing wrong with the house, its just decorated to someone else's taste and buyers don't want to spend a lot of time making their new home livable.

You may love bright, bold, colors, or perhaps you appreciate subdued earth-tones. Either way...there is only a small chance that the next owner will like what you do.

Having seen hundreds of homes, decorated hundreds of ways, I can testify that people have extremely different opinions about what looks good.

Your "classic taupe" may be someone else's "cranberry red." There is someone else who wants "ultra pure white" everywhere and their neighbor loves polka dots.

If this might not be your final destination...highlight.

Painting one wall in selected rooms can change the flavor of a room drastically, yet it doesn't become an obstacle to a future buyer.

You may believe that buyers plan on putting a little money into a home when they buy it...and you are right. Sometimes this is unavoidable.

But do you really want that potential buyer to be thinking "hassle" when they look at your living room?

If only one wall is highlighted, its easy for the buyer to imagine the room the way that they would have it. If they don't like your style, changing one wall is a piece of cake.

So, think before you pink.

- The Design Guy

The Design Guy Now Online

Coming soon...