Fall touch ups!

If you live in San Diego, you can take advantage of TOT-Home and have us TOUCH UP your home for fall.  
Our E-ZIGN service is ideal for those of you who have time to do leg-work but not to conceptualize and design.  For all of you DIY'ers out there, here are some of our most popular updates for fall. Not only do you get a great new home for the long-term, you can show off your home to family and friends just in time for the holidays.

Plants, cladding stucco with stone, and adding
light creates a welcoming attractive exterior.

1) Freshen up your exterior. That can mean a quick power-wash, some new plants, or a simple front door color update. We love to change container plantings since they can be done at nearly every front door. No entry? A cool wreath will give you a new look.  

A new surround and accessories dress up
a 1980's fireplace. 

2) Update your fireplace. Clean, paint, or re-cover dated material. If you love what you have, add a mantle, a surround, or add some accessories.  A large-scale planter or urn filled with a real or dried arrangement is fresh and natural. Add lights during the holidays for a festive look.

Paint, a shelf and some colorful
accessories are practical and beautiful.

3) Dress up the entry.  Even if you have a small space, a welcoming entry is a must. We recommend narrow entry tables, small benches, area rugs (great for wet and muddy feet), mirrors and lighting.  Not much space? A fold down shelf works well. 

A corner with accent stripes is all that was
needed in this living room.

4) Paint.  Yes we know it's time consuming to do a whole room, but it's the ideal way to completely change the look and feel of a space.  Even one accent wall or the addition of stripes will create a new space.

Lighting added under cabinets, in architectural elements and
behind plants create an easy to do, layered lighting plan.

5)  Add light. As darkness comes earlier and seems to go on forever...add energy saving LED lighting.  We love string lights, hidden rope lights, picture lights, and wall sconces.  Put them on in-wall or plug in timers for a low-cost, no-work solution. 

How to select exterior paint colors.

1. Keep History in Mind. If you own a home with a definable architectural style like Victorian, Cape Cod, Craftsman, etc., pay attention to colors in that genre.  Using a designer helps to identify the period and how to select colors to treat each element on the house. At Touch of Tradition, we specialize in period color selections so don't hesitate to contact us with questions.

   

   Sea Pine & Antique White - Trim Horizon Gray - Body of houseAutumn Brown - Accent Trim Benjamin Moore

   2. Consider the neighbors.  What works in your neighborhood?  Think of your neighborhood as fabric, and your house as one thread in that fabric.  Will the colors you are leaning towards fit with the overall feel of the neighborhood? Can you be unique without being an eyesore?

   3. Structural Harmony with Rest of the House  Consider your house's whole. What color is your roof? Is it slate, aluminum, copper, cedar shakes? You don't need to match your paint to your shingles but all colors should fit together. Consider the landscaping and natural elements around the house to suggest color families that will guide your exterior paint choices.

   4. The Inside Affects the Outside  Don't be afraid to pull the colors for your home from an inspiration piece or those colors used inside your home. It adds a sense of harmony and integrity in design. When you enter the home, the exterior serves to guide you as to the style and the feel.

   5. White is The Color of Tradition  White is classic and traditional with stately appeal. With the right complementary touches--eaves, window casing, door trim, etc.--white can be a fantastic exterior paint color option.  Here, this contemporary interpretation of a Mission style home is set off from the greenery and expansive skyline with an all-white stucco finish.

   6. Details Should be Darker.   Darker colors are great for drawing the eye to architectural details you don't want to be missed. If you have an archway or trim, or any particular feature you want highlighted, draw attention with darker colors. They're a great choice for recessed panels. If you have features that protrude from the wall surface, highlight those with lighter colors as they will stand out more against the darker shade. The bold colors in the stucco below, required deep trim and door colors to have their details stand out.

   

   
   

   7. Consider the Number of Colors  On some style homes you will see as many as 8-10 different colors but requires the keen eye of a professional designer to make this work. The number of colors used depends on the simplicity or complexity of your home and the scale, architecture and elements. Adding too many colors to a home can make the home look garish. Look for homes with similar architecture and see what others have successfully done.

   8. Take Advantage of Color Tools  Pick up a color wheel or fan deck. Most paint stores have samples that you can bring home to make decisions. Most professional shops have pint-size samplers available that you can take home and test on your exterior.  Exterior paint colors do look different in person than they do printed on samples and the paint will take on a different hue depending upon the time of day.

Need to update your exterior deck? Check these out!

If you have a worn wooden deck that really doesn't mesh with the style of your home, don't worry. Rather than re-finish year after year, cover it with a paver that is care-free.  This company has developed a paver that can easily be installed over your existing deck, using their recommended system.  You'll enjoy an eco-friendly, care-free, luxury with a deck with VAST® Deck Pavers. These are composite pavers and use an underling grid system with integrated water drainage to make installation to a deck subfloor simple and durable.

Among the benefits:

• No staining, painting, sealing or treatment required
• No fasteners to work loose and no splinters
• Completely resist mold and mildew
• Replace a single paver (versus replacing an entire piece of lumber)

• Manufactured using a zero-scrap, zero-pollution process, VAST deck pavers are environmentally sound from cradle-to-cradle.
• Made from up to 95% recycled materials (including scrap tires and recycled plastics)

Composite Deck Paver
(3"x6" Boardwalk Paver, 11.8"x11.8" Grid