Throw Away the Key

Julia Broder -- July greetings from The Riverside Realty Group in beautiful Westport, CT! We've been working long hours in the Fairfield County real estate market as buyers want to cash in on some of the great luxe properties that are only now coming up for sale . . . amazing estates and new construction on beautiful parcels of land . . . and you can get some great inspiration from my Luxe Properties website! Visit it often for the latest and greatest in high-end real estate.

Talk about fireworks! I would love to show you outstanding high-end residences, Luxies. If you are confident that you can benefit from the prices in the market, then now is a good time to buy. Please contact me today at 1-203-247-7500 for more information on how we can work together. Wouldn't it be great to celebrate this wonderful season with a new home?

This month, I'd like to talk about how you might literally be able to lock your doors and throw away the key; key-less systems are worth looking into and are a big trend for home security. Steve Maxwell, the home improvement expert on casaGURU, Canada's favorite home improvement website, brings us some great tips . . . .

A Key-Free Lock System Worth Looking Into

Most afternoons when I stepped off the school bus during my junior high years, Mom was home, but every so often she was away for some reason and that was always a good thing. It meant another chance to secretly sneak a chunk or two of Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate out of the white paper wrapper and into my mouth. It got to be a kind of Pavlovian thing.

Then one day the doorknob didn’t turn. All I had to do was reach for the hidden key and then enjoy a forbidden feast. Much to my surprise, the key wasn’t where it was supposed to be in the garage!

I guess I could have waited patiently in the backyard, but that option never occurred to me. There was chocolate at stake, a fact that I still maintain clouded my judgment beyond culpability. That’s why I tried wiggling in through the tiny hatch next to the back door that was built for milk deliveries. No luck there (too many chocolate raids in the past, I suppose).

Raised as I was on prime-time police adventure shows (arguably the only worthwhile cultural development to come out of the 1970s), breaking down the door seemed like the next best option. And it only took two attempts to bust the lock through the door frame, reducing a neat, 6-inch section of trim to smithereens. All I have to say about the event is that Dad was really pretty good about it all. So was the chocolate.

Key-Free Solution

As the father of a high school youth myself now, I applaud technical developments that render chocolate-induced household damage a thing of the past. Key-free lock systems are popping up in reliable, reasonably priced versions for residential use and that’s a good thing for several reasons. All the people in your household need to remember are four single-digit numbers punched into the keypad and the door opens. Keys work, too.

• Weiser is one of the pioneers of key-free technology and you can look into their Powerbolt System.
• They started in the lock game 100 years ago with hardware used on Hollywood movie sets.

Reliable Design

While I must admit that my natural tendency is to shun electronic gizmo's that have push buttons, looking under the hood on a key-free system proved more impressive than I expected. All electronic components sit on the inside face of the door, underneath a molded cover that includes the battery holder. The design proved reliable and easy to install for anyone who can use a screwdriver.

• Key-free systems make more practical sense than ever in a world where members of most households come and go to the rhythm of their own drummer.
• I’m sure key-free hardware will be standard equipment on homes within 10 years.
• The system I’ve been looking at uses four AA batteries that operate a small electric motor that activates the deadbolt mechanism.
• Keys work, too, just in case someone can’t remember their numbers or they fail to heed the low-battery warning signal. In normal use, a set of alkalines lasts about a year.
• Although the keypad hardware measures 9 inches long, it’s designed to replace standard deadbolts that fit into the usual 2 1/8-inch diameter door hole.

If you ever find yourself needing to change locks because of a problem with lost or stolen keys, then a key-free system makes the most sense. If the access numbers ever get into the wrong hands in the future, reprogram the hardware for new ones. Just make sure that the chocolate lovers in your house are the first to learn the new numbers.

This article was reprinted with the permission of casaGURU. casaGURU is an everyday, everywhere, anytime homeowner website built on the premise that every home deserves a house expert.

Photo credit: casaGuru

Luxe Up Your Bathroom

Julia Broder -- Greetings from The Riverside Realty Group in beautiful Westport, CT! You can get some great inspiration from my Luxe Properties website! Visit it often for the latest and greatest in high-end real estate.

I would love to show you outstanding high-end residences, Luxies! If you are confident that you can benefit from the prices in the market, then now is a good time to buy. Please contact me today at 1-203-247-7500 for more information on how we can work together. Wouldn't it be great to celebrate this wonderful season with a new home?

This month, I'd like to talk about how you can make some important changes in your bathroom to make it extra luxe and lovely. Some of these changes don't cost a luxe amount, but the results will be worth it. For example, look at this Colorado powder room, showing off art and beautifully lavish handmade materials. Go wild in a small space!

Even though the bathroom is often the smallest room in the house, it's a place that almost every guest who visits your home will stop by. Make it look great.

I went to Cheryll Gillespie, the vivacious host of Let's Shop TV. She advises that your bathroom makeover should begin from the ground up:

• Begin bathroom projects with the floor.
• Since the bathroom is usually a smaller space compared to other rooms in the home, it's often affordable to indulge in a few flooring luxuries.
• "Radiant heating under ceramic tiled floors is one of my favorite indulgences," says Cheryll. "Stepping from the shower or bath onto warm ceramics is heavenly."
• Luxurious chenille or thick terry bathmats are also great indulgences for the feet. When selecting a mat for the floors, remember your style. Sea grass or bamboo mats in a Zen-styled bath, traditional-patterned carpets for the elegant formal bath, plush faux sheepskin mats for the minimalist modern spa-inspired bath.

Cheryll has these bathroom lighting tips:

• Lighting in a bath is one of the most important design elements of the room.
• It's imperative to have good lighting for the functional aspects of the space such as shaving and make-up application. Good grooming demands adequate lighting. Plan for lighting from above and from the sides of the mirror area.
• "Mood lighting is also necessary for those quite times when we need comfort and tranquility," Cheryll adds. "Put your overhead lights on a dimmer switch and be sure to accessorize with candlelight."

And what about the walls?

• Changing the wall texture and color is one of the easiest changes you can make in a room.
• In a small powder room, go for drama! Since this space is usually used for short, functional visits, you can be especially daring and creative.
• Here's a great tip from Cheryll: "The size of the space also allows us to use materials that may otherwise be too pricey for larger rooms: expensive wallpapers, custom-painted faux walls, or even fabric or metal-paneled walls."
• Darker colors add personality and create impact.
• A bathroom used for daily grooming, makeup application, and shaving needs a carefully selected paint color. We need our skin color to look as real as possible in this room, so consider that wall color will reflect onto your skin. Neutrals, peach, mango, taupe, gray, and soft yellows are good choices to maintain "real" skin tones. The bathroom in the photo above is a great example of a room color that will be flattering on the face, with lots of mirrors for putting on your face and looking fabulous. Use additional dramatic or vibrant colors as accents, like the punchy green leaves in the bathroom shower curtain above. 
• "The next step in your bathroom makeover is the detailing: small touches that provide efficient storage and a feel of luxury. Think beyond the ‘traditional’ bath product scope. The bathroom is a room for living - it needs furniture and accessory items like all other living spaces."
• Is there room in your bath for a bench or chair? A seat provides a place to sit to remove socks and shoes as well as a place to lay clothing. Think creative upholstery coverings for your seat - terry or chenille toweling, plush wild animal prints, or Egyptian cottons.
• If you enjoy lounging in the tub, but hate to miss the morning news, install a wall-mounted television set or a shower radio.
• "A clock is also an important and often overlooked bathroom detail. How many times have we been in the tub and wondered how much time we have left before we need to leave for work?"
• Warming drawers and heated towel bars are other pampering additions for the bath.
• Indulging your scent sense is easy in the bath with baskets of scented soaps, sachets, bath crystals, and oils.
• Natural sea sponges displayed on shelves, in baskets, and bowls or laid to rest on the side of the tub are not only functional, but also visually interesting. Cheryll advises, "They also make great scent holders. Drop a few drops of your favorite scented oil directly onto the sponge for lingering aromatic effect."
• Use baskets, glass shelves installed above the toilet, or wine bottle holders to store extra towels and bottles of shampoos, conditioners, and bath oils.

Create a luxe bathroom sanctuary with a little style, imagination, creativity, and a few simply sensational ideas!

This article was made possible with the help of casaGURU. casaGURU is an everyday, everywhere, anytime homeowner website built on the premise that every home deserves a house expert.