How to work with a contractor.

So, you're hiring a contractor for a remodel or update, what should you expect? 

Every contractor that works in your home should be licensed, bonded and insured. When they present a proposal or contract to sign, that information should be contained within.  You should verify the accuracy of the information.  Every contractor should respect your home, the contents, your privacy and take steps to ensure that you feel that they DO. Since you will be experiencing some degree of upheaval, they should provide suggestions on how to get through the demolition and construction, and be sensitive to your situtation. Here are some general things to address and some common courtesies that all contractors should extend for the duration of your project:

Get it in writing. From the cost, to the duration, to corrective action, to changes, to payments, have them put it into a written contract.

Create groundrules. For entry to your home, cleaning up, progress and problem-solving meetings etc,. you should establish parameters at the start of your project. Will you be home? Should they have keys? How do issues get resolved? 

Be on time. What is the work scehdule?  If there is a delay, you should know about it.

Be attentive. There should not be distractions like personal and non-urgent phone calls, loud radios and yelling amongst the crew. When you are there, your questions and concerns should be their focus.

Be clean:  Demonstrate respect your home by cleaning up at the end of each day. Wearing shoe covers if flooring is involved, and washing hands to reduce soil or germ transfer.

Be presentable. If supervisors move from project to project, they should be presentable when working in your home. A simple change of shirts demonstrates respect for you.

Protect surfaces. When tools and equipment are used, a drop cloth should be placed under them, regardless of whether they are on a floor or counter.

Check work done. At the end of the day, review what has been done and that it was done correctly. Your contractor should be involved in multiple work-week reviews to ensure that you move forward and do not repeatedly re-do work.

Punch it. Create 'punch lists' periodically and present them during reviews. These lists address things you feel are not complete or need to be corrected. A written list is better than a verbal one.

The more planning you do up-front, the more easily your project can be managed. You are embarking on this path to make a life-altering change and to enjoy your home.

Lighting design - simple solutions.

With energy costs and concerns ever-increasing, and our global awareness of sustainability and eco-friendly design how can you be cost conscious and still have great design?   

An energy-saving lighting design for an historic home.

Some incandescent and CFL bulb

The simplest way to make immediate changes is to purchase compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) that can be screwed into existing light fixtures.   CFL's come a variety of styles from chandelier shaped bulbs with small bases, to regular "A" base incandescent bulbs (IB), to the reflector shapes found in recessed fixtures.   As far as cost, they are no longer many times more expensive than IB's.  Combine that with the fact that they last up to 10 times longer, and you are saving time as well as money. You can keep your existing fixtures and light your rooms in style for less. NOTES:  A 13 watt CFL - using 104 kilowatts - is the equivalent to a 60 Watt IB - using 480 kilowatts. Home Depot does recycle CFL's in their stores.

Another easy way to save money, add ambiance, and a great look on your walls is to use sleek dimmers instead of existing switches. Made by www.lutron.com, they are sold at most hardware and big box stores. You can also install their occupancy and vacancy sensors and see the benefits in energy use and functional use immediately. They can be retrofitted in the space occupied by regular switches or installed without wires at all.  Check out their room, lamp and whole home lighting systems for long-term design planning, energy efficiency and cost savings.

When remodeling, building or doing a major upgrade - particularly where local codes require energy savings - you can install CFL recessed fixtures that meet code in kitchen and bath design. Many well-known lighting manufacturers offer hanging and wall mounted fixtures in either fluorescent or incandescent bulbs so you can select either style.  Long -term, light emitting diodes (LED) are more energy saving, longer lasting, and are available in many styles including recessed or can fixtures, under cabinet task fixtures, and puck style lights. 

When in doubt, contact a lighting design professional. We want you to have the right light for your rooms and tasks while saving energy!

Energy saving lighting, layered, gorgeous and code compliant.

The next five....ideas to change your spaces quickly.

We all want our homes to reflect who we are,  relax and satisfy, and give us pleasure when using our spaces.  That often translates to updating or 'freshing' up a space to give us a bit more interest and excitement- maybe even a new style or function.  These additional five ideas are easy to do and create a big impact - even on a small budget. The quantity of what you change is NOT as important as the quality of what you do.

6) Dress it up.  Need more detail? Add trim to your older draperies...a tie back is easy and requires no sewing.  Dress up pillows with ribbon, table tops with place mats and even fabric runners folded (glue or stitch-witch seam) into place.  Glass bowls and candle holders filled with findings of the season create instant drama or sparkle.  Lampshades that look dingy and worn can be accented with beads, trim, stencils and many other decorative elements.

7) Re-arrange...furniture, art,and more. Simply repositioning the items in your space can create a whole new style.  Placing large pieces on angles does make rooms feel larger!   If you have built-in bookshelves, re-order the books and add accessories throughout.  Hang art on the face of the shelves for a completely different look.

8) Swap it out.  From pillows on the sofa, to hardware on your cabinets to accessories in your living room and bathroom. Swapping them for a new color, finish and style will make a huge difference in your space. For hardware, moving from brass to black or nickel will update a kitchen. Dressers can be made more contemporary with stainless pulls instead of wooden knobs.  Local big box retailers often sell knob sets at more competitive prices than buying individually.  In this entry at left - changing yellow ceramic for blue and white makes a more formal statement in this casual cottage home. 

9)  Fill empty walls.  By creating a vignette of art to a blank wall, you add personality, drama, interest and much more.  Framing items similarly, or grouping harmonizing art work together often makes more of a statement versus hanging items individually.  If you have young children, having a place to display their art is a challenge. You may have wonderful family photos and no idea how to store and showcase them. An eclectic art collection can also fill a void.  By framing photos in similar - not necessarily matching - frames, the overall effect is a wonderful display of art. The same applies to children's art.  Placing works in the same frame in multiple sizes (see IKEA for some great, affordable frames) will allow easy changing when new and current art is needed!

10) Re-cover it.  A simple way to change your sofa and chairs is with a slipcover.  Adding new color and texture to large pieces makes them feel new again.  How about adding a full slipcover or skirt to your dining chair? They can be transformed that way.  The same applies to bedding. A new coverlet makes an older spread look updated and changes the atmosphere of a room. New panels on a window, or a topper made of contrasting fabrics, gives new character and interest.  Covering your old pillows with large napkins creates a change that is easily undone to swap back to the original.  Table toppers and runners add softness to dressers, entry tables, dining tables and more.  Adding a full drop-to-the floor topper to an older end table can give you years of pleasure!

Makeover your home ... Part I - 5 ideas!

We all want our homes to reflect who we are,  relax and satisfy, and give us pleasure when using our spaces.  That often translates to updating or 'freshing' up a space to give us a bit more interest and excitement- maybe even a new style or function.  These five ideas are easy to do and create a big impact - even on a small budget. The quantity of what you change is NOT as important as the quality of what you do.  Check back tomorrow for 5 more!


1) Don't overlook scent in creating the ideal space.  Candles - even flameless ones - have wonderful scents that calm or energize your mood, and therefore your space. Air sprays are  a great way to freshen the atmosphere and even create a just-baked- cookie scent.  Potpourri is an easy and long-lasting way to fragrance a room. There are many off-the-shelf devices that add scent...be sure they are safe for you and your family (pets included).

2) Light creates ambiance.  In spaces where the mood is waning due to dark corners or lack of accent on focal points, add rope lighting, table lights and even picture lights for an inexpensive solution. When budget is less of an issue, install a great pendant light in dark corner, add recessed lights to highlight walls and art, and place LED lighting into shelf bays, cabinets, and inset into moldings for great atmosphere. Dress up your existing chandeliers and wall sconces; re-paint or restore the metal to a new finish.  Adding dimmers where you have regular switches is a fast and easy option...not to mention that you will save energy!

3) Add architectural elements. From crown molding, to wainscot, to simple 'frames' on a wall. Moldings add fantastic detail very quickly.  Your local hardware, big box retailer, and lumberyard will often cut the lengths and even mitered corners for you, making installation easy. Medium density fiberboard moldings (MDF) are often $0.50 to under $1.00 per liner foot making them affordable; use finish nails to install so purchasing a nail gun is not necessary.











4) Mirrors bring in the light. A mirrored wall may not be the right style for you, but a wonderfully framed mirror that reflects a great view, a lighted window, or even a great arrangement of furniture will have a good deal of impact. 















5) Hide it, pare it down, store it well.  Clutter is the bane of our existence.  Paperwork, magazines, toys, and other "stuff" tend to accumulate on surfaces.  If you create areas where daily pocket items, school paraphernalia, work items and the like can be easily stashed, your space will feel open, clean and leave you with a more peaceful feeling.  Tuck individual wicker baskets under benches, dressers, chests, etc... for children's items, shoes, winter hats and gloves and even shopping bags.  Have more space and time? Create custom (or semi-custom from store bought) storage units.  Take an old dresser or chest and turn it into a custom storage center! On dressers and desks, have decorative boxes to hide change, keys, cell phone chargers and the like. Stair baskets keep items off the floor and easy to tote to the right rooms. Decorative paper boxes make a great statement when stacked in a bedroom or office.  Under-bed storage makes access to items easy. The old stand-by of plastic bins under the hanging clothes in a closet may take up less space; be sure to add labels. If you are sorting to store, and realize you don't like or haven't used an item for a long time....donate, sell or discard (recycle please) so the item will have a new "home".  Local agencies often pick up donated items at no cost to you.


 Check back tomorrow for five more creative ideas to change your spaces.

Try these top decorating tricks to spruce up your space.

I'm a 'broken record' advocate for some things that make decorating your space(s) fast and easy.  Here are my 5 top tips for changing the mood, appearance and even the style of your rooms.

1) Add Color. Try painting an accent wall to liven up a dark, dated, or bland space. In an all white room, that color might be a soft taupe  like Sherwin Williams 7010 "White Duck".  A subtle change does work although doesn't create the drama of a rich gold color like 6395 "Alchemy" will.  Color enhances traditional decor and dramatizes a minimalist space.  Use accessories when painting is not an option (as with renters) and keep in mind that fewer, larger items will have more impact than many small ones. Vases - glass filled with found items or ceramic with interesting shapes or colors - are often under $10 at local import stores. Pillows work well but use them sparingly. 

2) Create functional zones: With the open plans of many new homes, and remodeled older ones, some of the intimacy of our homes has been lost. By creating seating, gathering, working, eating or other zones, you bring back a sense of intimacy yet retain the sense of cohesiveness. Area rugs define spaces nicely, and add warmth to tile and wood flooring surfaces.  Using the same colors on furnishings in each area also create definition.  For example, brown leather seating in the television area separates it from beige fabric in the eating zone.  Lighting is a fantastic way to create and define zones.  Be sure to put dimmer switches on all of your lights for mood control and energy savings.

3) Add personality.  Whether you have a warm traditional home or a sleek minimalist style space, bringing in objects, art and other pieces that provide a sense of yourself is important.  Decorative objects ground us, when we see a treasured piece of furniture or a favorite object d'art.  Even in the most sophisticated modern spaces, there is room for a hand blown vase, canvas art, a timeworn chest, and soft, organic looking pillows.  For traditional homes, inherited chests, antiques, hand-made craft items and other items fill the need for items that reflect you.

4) Mix it up. Many people like numerous design styles. Adding an Asian chest to a country living room is creative and appealing.  Sleek barstools in a traditional kitchen are artistic and interesting. Mixing styles in your spaces enables more customization to suit your personality and need for function.  A great wicker lounge chair works well in a traditional living room when you keep the fabrics and colors in balance with the rest of the space.  Asian accents enhance every style of decor from formal traditional, country cottage, to sleek urban contemporary.  Use pieces that fit both a functional and decorative need. I firmly believe that less is more since carefully selected items have more impact than a cluttered look.

5) Add softness. Curves make us feel secure and add balance to our spaces.  Bring in plants to soften hard edges of large pieces of furniture or the corners of rooms. Adding up-lights behind furnishings also creates a soft effect.  For large open corners that feel bare or empty, try angling large sofas or chests to soften them.  Panel drapes - even on windows with blinds or shutters - adds softness and warmth. 

How to decorate for a Stay-cation!

With the challenges we face in this economy, it's clear that people's habits are changing. Scaled down purchases, cutting out luxury items and pampering, and often forgoing a vacation. There is an answer.  A Staycation! This is when you spend vacation time at home and create a vacation experience there.


1)Get the best sheets and towels that you can afford. When you visit a luxury hotel, the sensory experience of the bed and bathing is important. Super soft sheets combined with a nice bed topper will give you a vacation-at-home experience night after night. Bamboo towels are luxurious and absorbent.  Freshen your bed pillows and comforters. Spray with a light mist of linen spray before putting them back on your bed.

2) De-clutter. Put it away and keep it away. If you don’t use it, get rid of it. Vacations and holidays provide a respite from responsibilities, including cleaning, and organizing.  Invest in storage containers that slide under the bed or stack inside a closet. Wicker can look good on a shelf and hides paperwork and toys well. Remove unnecessary furniture and pare down the accessories. Cleanse your space and cleanse your mind. 

3) Play on your senses. Pay attention to scent, hearing and lighting to interact with your room differently. Bring in candles, an oil burner and even some new table lamps; turn on some soothing ambient music and drift off into a living daydream.

4) Mimic the environment where you want to be. The beach, a cottage...etc.. Take the natural environment colors from where you would like to be as cues and don’t take the “look” too literally. Use pillows, an inexpensive throw rug (try Pier I and Cost Plus) and candles in the colors you need. If you love Vegas, adding rope or mini lights to your living room could do the trick. By bringing in the right colors, decorative accents, luxurious accessories and art can give your home the “feel” and excitement. For a cottage, add blue and white, some seashells and lanterns.

5) Consider outside spaces. Another wonderful part of vacation is spending time around the pool, on the beach, relaxing on the veranda or balcony with a cold drink, a good book, or to just enjoy the scenery. Invest in a decent set of outdoor loungers and a patio table and chairs…with an umbrella. And then USE them!

Take a great shower even with water restrictions.

What better way to brighten the day than to play around in the shower? Kohler’s new Flipside Faucet is a deliciously different pulsating variety of water.   With a choice of three shower head styles and four different massage sprays in one unit, there are multiple options to enjoy your daily bathing. Conventional shower heads require a rotary adjustment that’s cumbersome, imprecise, and prone to scaling and build-up. It's much more enjoyable and hygienic to just swivel and spin to change the position.

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Flipside’s flowing lines make a contemporary design statement in both polished chrome or vibrant brushed nickel.  As to the four faces of Flipside, they’re accessed along the disc shaped showerhead’s four sides (each cleverly assigned a name 1) “Koverage” which offers a traditional shower-style spray; 2) “Kotton” promises a soft dispersion analogous to my favorite t-shirt material; 3) “Komotion” introduces a khaotic cascade from 12 different apertures; and 4) “Kurrent” furls forth a calming stream.

The Italian bath company, Frattini, developed Do.Re.Mi with three separate pieces to make your shower a customized experience.  You can choose one or all of the three steel and brass units, arranging them however you like; they mount to the wall or ceiling. Each head offers something different with water. Opt for rain, whirlpool, or full dual spray. Yes it's phallic in design and even in function, but a fun showering experience.  Line the fixtures up vertically and you can have an expressionistic stoplight, casting water instead of colored beams. Group Do.Re.Mi horizontally and you form a reticulated serpent. Position the trinity in a triangle and you’ve got an ideal shower head for Masons. You might also organize Do.Re.Mi at varying heights, positioning the pieces so that they shower different members of the family—short or tall.

Custom furniture....what's in it for you?

With a custom sectional and chairs the client was able to add the other pieces she needed for her room.

Did you know that the cost to buy a well-made sofa is comparable whether you have a custom piece fabricated versus selecting a ready-made piece from a retail store?   When you are selecting the seating for your new living room, and intend to have the furniture for 20 years or more, you will likely make a choice from a good quality vendor and not one that sells more transient pieces. Good quality retail vendors will offer a choice of fabrics to put on a defined selection of frames.  You can also adjust the color of legs and wood accents but that's all.  What if you are small?  When you sit on a sofa do your legs touch the floor? Do you need to add more pillows since the seat is too deep?




There are many factors to consider in purchasing the perfect sofa or chair.  The dimensions of every part of the piece are as important as the type and style of the fabrics you select. The seat height should be comfortable for your legs and back. Your feet should touch the floor. Depth of seats should allow comfortable sitting and getting back up without the aid of pillows, pulling yourself out, or shifting position to get up.

Arm height and back height should be designed first for seating and reclining comfort, and then for aesthetics in the space.  Width is critical and depends on where the sofa is to be used. If you get a sectional that has to sit too close to your TV or fireplace because the room is too small, other issues crop up - safety, egress from the room, headaches and neck aches, and the like.


The frame, the springs, and the foam are also elements that add to the durability, comfort, and longevity of the sofa. You back and derriere will thank you for a good choice.   Fabrics are the final element to select in a sofa or chair.  Where is the piece to be used? What  is the need for stain resistance?  If you catch your keys on the fabric will it snag? Do you eat on the chair?  The list of questions is important since the right fabric choice will satisfy you even if an 'accident' happens.  The wrong one could cost you money to repair or clean.


At A Touch of Tradition Home and Garden Shop, the custom seating is well-priced and the selection of fabrics is nearly endless. That's my source!

How your interior affects your mind and mood. 7 Essentials to consider.

Softly lit, rounded furnishings and favored art make this space fabulous.

There is quite a bit of research on how factors like light, space and room layout affect physical and psychological well-being.  As an interior designer, I have known this for years through observing my clients and reviewing their lives before and after interior and exterior changes.   Here are a listing of the seven interior elements that you can modify to positively affect your health and mental well-being:

1) Light. This is already a well-known mood modulator. Darkness promotes fears but soft light is comforting. Use candles, artificial sources controlled with dimmers, and natural sunshine, muted so you're not in direct glare.  

2) Decor. What you select for your furniture and accessories are also important. You feel grounded when you look around your space and see the evidence of who you are and what you have collected in life.

3) Kitchen as a hearth.  Since the 1900's we have heard that the hearth is considered the heart of the home. No surprise then, that British research proves that theory. Being in the kitchen links you to feelings of comfort.  Beyond getting food, there's a sense of protection, warmth, and sociability. Ideally, it should be a functional and a social space where friends and family can gather, do work, and relax.

4) Outdoor element:  Windows are an architectural element that's considered critical. Understanding your environment - especially the "unknown" outside -  offers control and stability to your mind.  While a yard is nice, if you don't have one, single windows offer an emotional lift.  No windows? Add artwork with landscape images, sunshine and other outdoor scenery.

5) Create a "soft" space.  As you have likely observed, the use of curves instead of hard edges on counters, furniture, and cabinets does help nurture contentment and well-being. To the brain, softer edges imply safety. Not everything in your environment needs to be rounded. For example,  arranging objects and furnishings at angles to soften corners is one solution.

6) Uniqueness. Decorating with signed artwork, a  one-of-a-kind sculpture, and other unique pieces  not only puts your fingerprint on your place, it transmits a sense of authenticity and trust.

7) Solace. Certainly we can all identify with having some place to find solitude. Even if you can't have your own room, it's important to find ways to guarantee yourself privacy and private time.  Create a retreat, a corner space, or even use a deep closet to carve out a private niche for yourself.

A product that you can really live with....Flor.

With busy lives and the need to complete decor quickly and effectively, FLOR's modular floor tiles is a product that may suit your needs. Flexible - since you can mix and match; enduring - you can adapt to new design styles easily, and sustainable - is made with recycled content and you can sent back a 'spent' piece to have it recycled.

People are more demanding of the products they buy these days. Simple aesthetics aren’t good enough. Products need to perform or solve a problem, look good while doing it and be kind to the environment at the same time. That has been the FLOR philosophy since the very beginning and is an ongoing quest for their design team. The FLOR system is designed to empower people to explore and create without fear.

The FLOR collection offers flexibility and freedom you simply cannot find in conventional rugs: the ability to mix colors or patterns, and to cut or customize your rug to fit your specific room dimensions is unique to FLOR. Using renewable or recycled materials, they also offer a Return & Recycle Program where consumers can return old FLOR squares to be recycled into new products.

5 Great kitchen design finds.

Check out these products for kitchens:

1) Multi-functional is in: The sleek, architectural design of a Poggenpohl kitchen system creates seamless transitions across all functions. Work stations and dining stations complement beautifully, making for a cohesive, integrated space. 

2) Vent-light You will be so captivated by the lighting feature in Miele's new range hood that you may forget that the unit is, in fact, a state-of-the-art venting system. Select a single, glorious hue, or set a timer to alternate among colors at specific time intervals

3) Glass is grand: Step aside, granite. Glass is finally getting its due as a strong, practical, and durable kitchen surface that lends itself beautifully to customization. Choose a pattern, specify opacity and thickness, add color—and even LED lights—for a look that's all your own

4) Modularity works: Innovation meets economy in  flexible, modular kitchen components by Pedini that are as versatile as they are stylish. The thermostructured finishing allows for various textures and glosses on cabinet doors to complement the quartzite worktop options.

5) The best sink of all: The unique configuration the "Entertainer" stainless steel sink from Lenova allows it to transition effortlessly from a basic, workaday sink to a high-performing food prep station and wet bar. When not in use, simply pop in the precision-cut cutting boards for extra counter space galore. 

A Touch of Tradition

On May first, our furniture, accessory and lighting showroom in San Diego will officially open.  Offering custom sofas, chairs, tables, and ready-made shelving, lighting, upholstered goods and unique and classic accessories, the 1200 foot showroom is an ideal place to shop for home and garden. Our design studio will accept consultations by appointment and, as available, for walk-in clients.

Antiques, accessories, pillows and more.

Custom slipper chars, accent  pillows and unique accessories.

Buffets, hutches, tables and bookshelves.

Mirrors, end tables, ottomans and glass accessories.