The Persuasive Power of Professional Design!

Been to a model home lately?

Even if you're not interested in purchasing a new home, touring model homes is a great way to keep up with home interior construction trends, fashion, and the latest and greatest in home accessories . As many of you already know, builders typically hire high-end quality home interior designers to create that irresistable "wow" factor for potential buyers.

I recently stopped in to view a model home in Vienna by Courtland Homes. The entire interior color scheme is grey neutral with organic fabrics, nature inspired accessories and artwork and functional "purpose" based living spaces. I took lots of pictures and will share them with you:

Here are a few of the light fixtures, many of which, are of European origin:

The entryway is light filled, spacious and accented with wood paneling that looked more like clapboard siding than the traditional wainscoting found in many upper end homes:

The living room, decorated with painted furniture and sand dollars framed in a neutral setting, invokes a sense of calm and understated elegance:

The dining room, with tone on tone wallpaper, a worldly sphere light fixture, painted furniture, pussy willow filled vase and casual makeshift sideboard evoke lifestyle choices made for functionality versus pedigree:

The library, complete with fireplace, is located in a light filled corner not in the center of traffic:

The kitchen sports painted cabinetry, small tiled backsplash, soapstone countertops, stainless steel appliances, butcher block topped island, shaded lighting fixtures--clearly arranged to welcome all visitors to share the experience of whatever meal is being prepared and whatever sport game or movie is being viewed:

The main level family room, an open continuation of the gourmet kitchen continues the theme of relaxed living and understated elegance geared toward functionality:

First floor optional master bedroom: A plus for those transitioning to one level living and/or those with a handicapped or elderly relative.

The upper level master suite is a delight to behold. The nautical theme continues with all the latest and greatest in home construction materials.

An ocotopus inspired framed piece:

Master bedroom dressing area with nautical window and light fixture:

gorgeous shower!

love the carerrra marble!

The hallway bathroom is loaded with earthy state of the art materials:

oiled bronze fixtures look great with the soapstone counters,

The jack and jill bathroom on the upper level features double custom square cut sinks with stone countertops and small tiled flooring.

The 2nd bedroom is decorated with a pale pink paint & bedspread. Accessories include:

a grassy casual throw rug under the bed, drippingly sweet bedspread & painted furniture...

The third bedroom continues the theme of understated elegance with muted pastels and casual furniture:

Sweet gingham curtain panels add loads charm and a casual air....

The lower level is a fabulous multi functional collection of casually arranged furniture and accessories all intended to satisfy the needs of todays modern family ( combination craft/laundry room, billard & bar area, workout room with sauna, movie sized flat screen, game tables etc.

chess anyone?

crisp and playful...

Pool table and bar area...

combo craft room, laundry room....

sauna anyone?

At around 6,000 square feet this home has it all....

Hope you enjoyed the tour. The design firm that decorated this model home can be found here:

www.dreamhousestudios.net

If you'd like to make the most of your real estate experience call me today. I am here to earn your trust and I will treat your transaction as if it were my own!

Best,

Carla Brooks

Happy 4th of July America the beautiful!

Picture taken from Olive Beaupre' Millers' Bookhouse series.

If you'd like to make the most of your real estate experience call me today..I'm here to earn your trust and guide you through the real estate process...

Carla Brooks

Summer is here!

Whats your favorite color of hydrangea?

Blue blue hydrangeas are my favorite. Sometimes in the photos they almost look purple until one positions them next to a purple one. Then the true color is quite obvious.

There are also hydrangea bushes that have blooms of every hue all in one bush or a faded hue look to the entire set of blossoms. I've heard it said that the acidity of the soil plays a role in the type of color hues the hydrangeas take on:

And the varieties in the blooms are interesting as well. Take a look at these two fuschia hydrangea, they are relatively the same color yet the type of bloom is very different:

A great way to display the cut hydrangeas is in a favorite milk glass container:

Hope you're having a nice summer and enjoying the colors of the season.

If you'd like to make the most of your real estate experience call me today...I am here for you and will treat your transaction as if it were my own...

Carla Brooks

In the name of Love!

A wonderful day at Tysons Central Long & Foster...Our team (residential and commercial) came together on our annual Community Service Day and transformed the yard for a very special group of young ladies!

Gege is the director at this home for young ladies aspiring to graduate from high school and do good things in the world thereafter. She has to prioritize her time so yard work somehow doesn't fit into the picture most days. We came to the rescue with energy and enthusiasm!

We are so Proud of the young ladies and their hard work in school and we had a great time making "their outdoor spaces" shine.

If you can picture the yard "before", as in not having been weeded and mulched and trimmed in at least two years time:

We started out with an endless array of tools and machinery and gloves, compliments of all the wonderful folks at Tyson Central:

Trucks filled with plantings (Merrifield Garden Center) and mulch thanks to Kathleen and Dylan:

Bring it on! we started out slowly.... pulling weeds with our hands and digging out rooted dandelions with shovels:

to removing many larger specimens with clipper and chainsaws....

There's Chuck behind the bushes with that wild chainsaw--all our lives were in danger at one point!

Hopefully, these bushes will grow back:)

Osman was brave enough to assist in the backyard tree removal detail:

Didn't take long for that dumpster to fill up! Thanks to MBH (Don Tomlinson) for providing it!!

The backyard slowly went from wild jungle to neat mulched beds....

Guy and Donna put their special touches in the corner, relocating divided hosta, and as I caught them in the act:

they decided to get cute and pose for the camera!

There was time around 1 pm for a beer and pizza break:

thanks to RGS for the music & coolers of water and soda and Sam (with Propsperity Mortgage) for the (shhh..Yuengling beer) & pizza :

Keisha, a resident, helped out with the water hose so the plants wouldn't wilt in the heat:

Gary, Dylan and ....directed the mulching operations:

Mike did a great job cleaning up debris and fine dust from the walkway and driveway:

Awesome...deweeded and mulched and planted with flowers....and thanks to Marlene, Tom and a few others the overgrown hosta were divided and shifted to other areas of the yard as needed:

While most activity was focused on the outside, Betsy and her daughter, Allie concentrated on reorganizing the living space in the lower level of the home:

A great time was had by all and we are still busy collecting items for the home. A local lawn company, Merlos Lawn Care (703-281-8084), has volunteered to care for the lawn until October!

A special thanks to Brian Hipwell for donating the DVD player and Able Moving and Storage for the wood for the picnic table.

Thanks to all of you for your time and talents that made this day a successful Community Service Day!

If you'd like to make the most of your real estate experience call the Tyson Central Office @ 703-556-8600. We are here to earn your trust and we care about our community!

Carla Brooks

Thinking "Green"/Acting "Green"

Tired of paying too much in energy costs to heat and cool your home? Want to conserve energy resources? Whether you live in a castle:

or a small cottage in the woods you may want to consider purchasing a programmable thermostat.

If so, consider purchasing a programmable thermostat to regulate temperatures inside when your a/c unit comes on in the spring/summer months and likewise your heater in the fall/winter months. There's no sense in paying for day time comfort when you are sleeping, just program for when you wake up in the morning:

or for when you return from work or the kids are home during the day:

Costs range from $99 to $469 for the thermostats depending on how sophisticated one desires to be. The lower end units require manual setting for a 7 day stretch while the upper end models can be accessed remotely (in case you left home and forgot to progam) and have colorful, interactive screens.

The most basic programmable thermostats can be installed by the homeowner in less than an hour, the more advanced models may require assistance from a technician.

The benefits to installing programmable thermostats are clear: Save the earths' precious resources while at the same time reducing your energy costs.

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home and want to make the most of the experience call me today. Your transaction will be treated as if it were my own!

Best,

Carla Brooks

Long & Foster

703-577-4960

PS all photos are a courtesy of OLive Beaupre' Millers series "My Bookhouse".