Fall In Love Again, Home Improvement Version

Have you heard about our next event: Fall In Love Again Home Improvement Workshop? Come and learn more about a variety of topics including flooring, kitchen and bathroom design, window treatments and countertops. Enjoy free food and drinks, great prizes, and have fun while learning more about updating your home.

Tuesday February 12th

3 til 7 pm

Enhance Floors & More Design Center

1847 Roswell Road -- Marietta, 30062

Here's the schedule for some of the workshops.  Please give us a call at 770-565-3808 to sign up for the seminar(s) you plan to attend.

3:00 "Wood" You Be My Valentine?
Hardwood floors are a great update for your home and also add value when it's time to sell. But how do you select the right one? Solid or engineered, wide plank or traditional 2 1/4", oak or hickory, light or dark---so many to choose from! Sandra Lupo our experienced wood flooring representative will tell you everything you need to know about new hardwood flooring for your home.

3:30 Let's Get Cooking In The Kitchen

Kitchen updates can be minor (paint your cabinets, new floors, new countertop and backsplash) or major.  If you want to change the cabinet footprint and improve the functionality of your kitchen, a total gut is the way to go.  And for the best outcome you should work with a kitchen designer. Learn all about the process and see the latest kitchen design trends at our workshop with Lindsay Hollis with Founders Kitchen & Bath.

3:45 Is Carpet Your True Love?

Carpet is a tried and true flooring choice---soft, warm, comfy, durable, affordable.  And so much easier to take care of than in years past. Not everybody wants hard floors everywhere, especially in the bedrooms.  Kyle Marshall with Karastan will show you the newest styles and colors and tell you everything you need to know to select the perfect carpet for your home.

4:00 Tile My Everlasting Love

Tile is the most durable and longest lasting floor covering. Tile is waterproof and easy to clean. And there are lots of choices: wood looks and stone looks. Ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone. What is the difference?  What is the best? What sizes and colors will stand the test of time? Meet with tile expert Sarah Chappell with Interceramic and learn more about this everlasting floor.

5:45 Roses Are Red Violets Are Blue 

Waterproof Floors Is This Really True?

Learn about waterproof laminate and luxury vinyl flooring from Holly Dysart with Mohawk Industries.  Holly will tell you everything you need to know about flooring choices that can handle your family and pets and hectic life!

6:00 Kiss Your Old Ugly Countertop Goodbye!

You want to upgrade your kitchen with new countertops, but how to decide on one? You've heard granite is out, marble is hard to take care of, and what exactly is quartz? Leigh Walfred with LG Viatera USA will teach you everything you need to know about new countertops.

Watch our Facebook page for more seminars and workshops still to be announced.  Enjoy food, drinks, maybe win a great prize, while you meet with industry experts in a fun relaxed atmosphere.

Design Tip

Remodeling activity isn't slowing down anytime soon. The steady increase in remodeling activity will continue through 2021, experts predict.  Why? With home prices increasing, new construction is harder to find in some areas of the country, and because many homeowners are aging in place, staying put and remodeling. "With the existing house stock averaging 38 years old, much of the inventory is in need of updating," noted Mark Boud, senior vice president and chief economist at Hanley Wood/Metrostudy.  Don't feel alone if your home needs an update or two!

How Much Does It Cost?

According to a recent survey of 2,000 adults, consumers are planning on spending nearly $7,000 on average to fix up their homes over the next few months.

I Was Floored by Enhance

Alice in Canton writes "Enhance was great. They had a consultant that was available for me to ask basic design questions and stuff. That was helpful. I was able to ask her a lot of questions and that kind of opened up discussion for potential other projects. Their customer service was good. They did hardwood floors for me.  I would rate them as an A."

Thank for taking the time to write a review, Alice.  Maybe you can come to our event next week and get more of your home improvement questions answered.  We hope to see you!

It's Your Money- Use It!

Shoppers are "getting real" - so we are officially declaring 2019 the year of Being Real, which includes using all-natural products, focusing on sustainability, buying "Made in the USA" and being realistic when it comes to decorating and living. The world isn't perfect (and you don't have to pretend that it is), but you can also do something to make your world more perfect. Whether you want to install all new hardwood floors, or remodel that dated Master Bathroom, we can help you. But for many, the larger question is how to pay for it.

 

If paying cash is not an option for you, you need to look for ways to finance your project.  There are essentially three ways to finance a remodeling project, a cash- out refinance, an equity line, or a renovation loan.  The first two options can work well if you have a lot of equity in your home today. Renovation loans work well in all situations because the amount you can borrow is based on how much your home will be worth after you make the improvements.

 

Let's take a look at the cash out refinance and equity line options together because they work very similarly.  When you apply for one of these loans the bank will order an appraisal to determine your home's current value.  The bank will then lend you up to 80% of that value for the cash out refinance and typically 90% for the equity line.  From that amount you simply subtract your current mortgage balance to determine the amount you net for your project.

 

The primary difference between a cash-out refinance loan and other home equity loan options is that a cash-out refinance loan converts one mortgage into a separate larger one. With a traditional home equity loan, you take on a second mortgage at a fixed or variable rate with up to 30 years for repayment.

 

Again, these options work well if you have a lot of equity in your home.  But what if your current loan balance is at or above 80% of your current value?  What if you need more than $10,000 to $20,000 for your project? This is where the renovation loan saunters in to save the day.

The renovation loan was designed with you and your project in mind.  It has two huge advantages that make it an extremely useful financing tool.  The first is that the bank bases the amount they will lend you on the after improved value of the home, so you get credit for the upgrades and additions.  The second advantage is that if you meet credit requirements, the bank will lend you up to 95% of the after improved value if needed.  By the way, this product can also be used to purchase a fixer upper and finance the improvements into the same loan.

Todd Sheppard, Fidelity Bank

 Construction and Renovation Lending Specialist

According to HousingWire, as of September 2018, the amount of home equity accessible to America's 44 million homeowners has surpassed $6 trillion in untapped equity, the highest level in history. 

Sean Patrick Trombetti, Reliant Mortgage Solutions

So the economy is improving, the money is there to be had, and we are here to help you get started!

 

Design Tip for 2019

Ready to go green? Our desire to connect with nature has brought an array of delicious green hues to the forefront of design. "Earthy, rich greens are absolutely on the rise in homes across the country,"  Erika Woelfel, Vice President of Color and Creative Services at The Behr Paint Company tells us.

"People are looking to create an oasis at home where they can escape the stress of the world and technology, and green creates that cocooning effect," she says. Green engages the senses and symbolizes life, growth, and renewal thanks to its association with nature. For those who aren't afraid of color, Woelfel says green is a great choice because it is generally gender-neutral and universally-loved.

How Much Does It Cost?

Did you know we can make you an area rug from any carpet in the store? We recently installed carpet on the stairs and upstairs hall, and created four custom-sized rugs, 2 large and 2 small, for a customer, for a total under $3000. Choosing to make custom rugs from Broadloom carpet gives you thousands of choices, between the carpet patterns, plushes, and textures, and all their colors. If you have wonderful hard surface floors that need a rug, consider a custom made rug from Broadloom.

I Was Floored by Enhance

Jim in Marietta says "They are the best. They are not the cheapest, they are not the most expensive, and the quality of the work is top-notch. You will not be disappointed."

Thanks, Jim! We're glad you are happy!

2019 Ready or Not It's Here

Are You Ready for 2019?

Seems like 2018 passed in the blink of an eye. Did you know that forty five percent of Americans make New Year's resolutions? The top resolutions are: to lose weight, get organized, to spend less and save more, to stay fit and healthy, and to quit smoking. While nearly half of all Americans make resolutions, 25 percent of them give up on their resolutions by the second week of January. Maybe your resolution is to finally update your home. We sincerely hope you keep that one!

 

What's going to be trending in 2019? New wood floors, both engineered and solid, in wide plank matte finishes. Laminate floors are on the rebound, and look beautiful as well as being super durable.  There are even waterproof laminates. New colorful graphic tile designs are gaining popularity. And vinyl! WOW! It is the fastest growing flooring choice we have, and the designs are better and better! Wood looks and tile looks, there is something for everyone. 

Of course, there are many other tweaks besides the floors to give your home that will help update it and make it, well, homier. A fresh paint job will do a lot to improve the looks of an outdated home. Grey has had a good run, but people are trending more to warm tans and taupes these days. Brushed nickel and polished chrome continue to be the leaders in plumbing fixture finishes. Did you know that we offer our customers access to shop at our local plumbing house for new fixtures, where they can guide you on the best choices for your style.

Don't forget, we do full bathroom remodels. There are so many gorgeous tiles and deco pieces to choose from! We make your new bathroom more beautiful, and more functional. Lots of our customers are doing away with the bathtub in the Master Bath and opting for a larger shower. Realtors advise this is fine, as long as there is still one bathtub in the house.

We love doing full kitchen remodels too! Cabinets, counter tops, floors, the works! But, if you just want to tweak things a little, we can do that as well. A new backsplash will really change the look of your kitchen. In older kitchens that still have cabinets in good shape, a new backsplash and a paint job can make a world of difference.

We can also install a new countertop. Corian reigned in the 80's, granite has been the go-to since the 90's, but both have now given first place to Quartz. Quartz countertops are composed of ground quartz stone, pigments and resin. These popular marble & granite like countertops are usually semi-gloss and do not require polishing. Some care is needed to ensure they maintain their luster. However, they are harder to damage than other countertops, like laminate and Corian. In order to care for quartz countertops, use non-abrasive cleaners, and avoid heavy pressure and quick changes in temperature. The colors and designs are just beautiful! Come in and see!

We already know that the New Year will bring us many new wonderful products. We are always excited to see what is new, and we love learning about new products and new decorating ideas to bring to you. Plan to join us in 2019 at one of our events. They are always fun and informative, and there are always great prizes that you could win!

Taking Care of Your Wood Floors

Many of us have hardwood floors in our homes. And many of us aren't giving them the proper care. Did you know there are vacuum cleaners made specifically to use on wood floors- with either soft brushes, or beater bars that can be turned off. Never, ever, NEVER use a steam mop on your wood floors! Water and wood floors do not mix! When you do clean the floors, use a cleaning product made for wood floors, and use as little as possible. We recommend Bona products, and sell them here in the store. You should also use floor protectors on the feet of all your furniture. Flexi Felt is a wonderful product that we carry and highly recommend.

Design Tip

If you have wood floors that aren't in good shape, we can sand and restain them for you. Or if you have been wishing to change the color, now's the time! If you need some time to decide on your next step with the floor or need to wait til summer vacation to get the work done, consider covering the worn-out wood floors with a rug. We have beautiful area rugs here in the store, and many more that we can order or custom make for you. Come in with some measurements and let us help you choose the rug that suits your needs the best.

 

How Much Does It Cost?

We just installed new solid oak hardwoods in an "active adult" home. The area was 500 square feet and consisted of the master bedroom, closet, living room, and dining room. The cost was $4200, which included new shoemold and removal of the existing carpet. It really updated the home and made it feel bigger and more open. 

I Was FLOORED By Enhance 

Tracy in Roswell writes "They did a terrific job. The guys that installed the carpet did the seams perfectly. They cleaned up after themselves. It was a large room, and you couldn't even tell where the seams were. They did a good job and cleaned up after themselves well. I couldn't say enough about them. I'd give them an A."

Thank you, Tracy. Enjoy your new soft carpet, we know your boys are enjoying playing games and laying on it!