Real Estate: My parent's cozy cape on the Cape

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeWIgtQHPmbo0u-ZoKRbz64gQthDdECM0kzYEniP6CNo5hgHjjn9jKmRc9sAh4Nh9KvGEuCFU3Iyh96azFUOGzXg2PM-UQpkII4V6rgGL2IddkMkVa0Q3RUt8QZiZNlQ1CM22SCF0Pck/s1600/DSCN7438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeWIgtQHPmbo0u-ZoKRbz64gQthDdECM0kzYEniP6CNo5hgHjjn9jKmRc9sAh4Nh9KvGEuCFU3Iyh96azFUOGzXg2PM-UQpkII4V6rgGL2IddkMkVa0Q3RUt8QZiZNlQ1CM22SCF0Pck/s1600/DSCN7438.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />As I've written before, I've spent the last couple of months getting my parent's house ready to put on the market. It's a bitter sweet experience because while it does signify that they really are gone, I am so proud of the beautiful home that they created - truly created - themselves. When they bought it thirty years ago, it was a depressing, dated looking place - even though it was only five years old. My Dad wanted a big project and he sure got it!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4N5YlLzgjdHilx5U-e5vh6GkWDNSmHo8JELVrZK9wEoN1hwmvV22pFDKYbjHb_6MRpQlubmrfHOMVsT24ShJFodLwLgsscteSnb1SjxmI4eoUOGUjiMySwGJirUahzHZoCIXELVP7no/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4N5YlLzgjdHilx5U-e5vh6GkWDNSmHo8JELVrZK9wEoN1hwmvV22pFDKYbjHb_6MRpQlubmrfHOMVsT24ShJFodLwLgsscteSnb1SjxmI4eoUOGUjiMySwGJirUahzHZoCIXELVP7no/s1600/photo+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />This was sort of drab and depressing back in 1986 when they took this photo. I took the top photo a few weeks ago to show off the gorgeous cherry tree in its full glory as I knew the professional photographer wouldn't be here in time to capture it. As you'll see in the second shot, the cherry tree wasn't even there. My parents planted it themselves and my Mom would look out at how huge it was remembering that they'd brought it home in the back of their station wagon. It's hard to tell, but I'm pretty sure that scraggly sad looking thing in the law is not the cherry tree (wrong spot).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMRPybrGkKwfvFGRGvwkhJanMLnuBjifTkCC8qdTRbjqQetd9LfMF0lAN9IppTnMa7ol1V9ee_yqovYWlx4z1mhTV2-jcSmCaShC7828dS7lWVbyLenw0VrGB0MXMG8eMoA6EFwdCzaI/s1600/exteriorfront1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMRPybrGkKwfvFGRGvwkhJanMLnuBjifTkCC8qdTRbjqQetd9LfMF0lAN9IppTnMa7ol1V9ee_yqovYWlx4z1mhTV2-jcSmCaShC7828dS7lWVbyLenw0VrGB0MXMG8eMoA6EFwdCzaI/s1600/exteriorfront1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />My realtor, <a href="http://www.beverlycomeau.com/home.asp" target="_blank">Beverly Comeau</a> of Jack Conway here in Sandwich, brought in a company called <a href="http://www.planomatic.com/" target="_blank">Planomatic</a> who shoots the property, creates a floor plan and creates an interactive "vision" of the house.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWgf4iz3bkGgKPN88G6Bcm11PecsoS7QJRb8-hYPeRdlB2UF0k3ZhAqvY293HzOdBrdX_38Scb1y7e_f_5BmaYFk1FbJpA3UKVQycNRE3P6Rk8gI2LcGUJX2LTEblU5doEhVjrzdeQDs/s1600/planomatic+page.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWgf4iz3bkGgKPN88G6Bcm11PecsoS7QJRb8-hYPeRdlB2UF0k3ZhAqvY293HzOdBrdX_38Scb1y7e_f_5BmaYFk1FbJpA3UKVQycNRE3P6Rk8gI2LcGUJX2LTEblU5doEhVjrzdeQDs/s1600/planomatic+page.tiff" width="640" /></a></div><br />They published 22 photos and they rotate in and out on the page. You can see the one for my parent's house <a href="http://www.planomatic.com/mls29890" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXGC6GjZ_MRtMG4whOZaqDkWiqhBrjsPVYP5HGIxIK_bnBuuguDWkmf5pm4ARPsC7yvJSzdjZdjZnExb_Euof0DSzGfZ-yS7rr_33NgHm9DbfEnTXLP9Slm2OIx56N-v7nyGgrTPjjds/s1600/plan+w+photo.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXGC6GjZ_MRtMG4whOZaqDkWiqhBrjsPVYP5HGIxIK_bnBuuguDWkmf5pm4ARPsC7yvJSzdjZdjZnExb_Euof0DSzGfZ-yS7rr_33NgHm9DbfEnTXLP9Slm2OIx56N-v7nyGgrTPjjds/s1600/plan+w+photo.tiff" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />When the floor plan is clicked, it brings up a larger version and you can select different views within each room. A great way to get a sense of how a house flows together.<br /><br />One of the reasons I selected the realtor that I did was because she said she'd be using a professional photographer and it really makes such a huge difference! I'm always shocked at the crappy real estate photos that are so prevalent even on luxury properties. I have done a lot of work getting things looking great for the listing and the team that came to shoot the space also made some little tweaks here and there. Always good to have another set of eyeballs.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GNxibbSlsxw8Cs9ChspyBBVHBH6s7ZJSGz2PQuI6kT_bOC0iEtvLSEe2lHcnClI-WeEfkRuv8NVbnxUeRccWLhPMkDKveUtxFYed7XQM-I36FyuGCHLYiF5uqvsDOhsk9LQaeqjpCvs/s1600/fr2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GNxibbSlsxw8Cs9ChspyBBVHBH6s7ZJSGz2PQuI6kT_bOC0iEtvLSEe2lHcnClI-WeEfkRuv8NVbnxUeRccWLhPMkDKveUtxFYed7XQM-I36FyuGCHLYiF5uqvsDOhsk9LQaeqjpCvs/s1600/fr2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />So, I wanted to share the photos and brag a bit about all the personal touches and family memories they represent. These are of course the family room looking in to the kitchen. (stay tuned for the original kitchen photos - yuck!). My Dad made the grandfather clock and my Aunt and Uncle painted the clock face (he did the hand lettering and numbers, she everything else). I made the draperies for them a few years ago.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcj8YW4vm_dLw0p65NMcCNeVAVGDL4P4WGonoN5G7ECJObk7vlbWdyUj4ol1ZqlhB-t7oL2xDwNdLGvjIEpFj50sT9L1K5UuRelVSqvbjOnGgkEe3urIMZT9d5GzYEEgeDnrRiDgbNnQ/s1600/fr1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcj8YW4vm_dLw0p65NMcCNeVAVGDL4P4WGonoN5G7ECJObk7vlbWdyUj4ol1ZqlhB-t7oL2xDwNdLGvjIEpFj50sT9L1K5UuRelVSqvbjOnGgkEe3urIMZT9d5GzYEEgeDnrRiDgbNnQ/s1600/fr1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The big leather wing chair was my Dad's chair. It has always been next to the sofa, back to the table for conversation. But they moved it away from the center of the room and while it's not good for conversation or even tv watching, it sure opened up the space!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUAOdPLmuTlwNKD5rKsGzhKIl7BXYgCevzbVJXOMwAQWQw5qYNDKAbPWJwU6L2Kv0AZL48pCvx1hRF4AHapsWa9q5EE1r4GHWKCgTR19s32kDorfbL2rO7W5feuWsRjFcEx-307VAWpo/s1600/fr3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUAOdPLmuTlwNKD5rKsGzhKIl7BXYgCevzbVJXOMwAQWQw5qYNDKAbPWJwU6L2Kv0AZL48pCvx1hRF4AHapsWa9q5EE1r4GHWKCgTR19s32kDorfbL2rO7W5feuWsRjFcEx-307VAWpo/s1600/fr3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Ok, so, the kitchen.<br /><br />Before:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHZIZ-C2Bvkc0bLRMadV2r8omzQJObbSB_mKHZaBjnY3M9ko6K9csXbKyco_p6_MNWeGP1lK43yKxwI-md1wSua_ZbONVNjFOz5kgfOrhLod0Yh0H6B15TC9r3Nn8KxiY_aFZ0jaZFKg/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="457" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHZIZ-C2Bvkc0bLRMadV2r8omzQJObbSB_mKHZaBjnY3M9ko6K9csXbKyco_p6_MNWeGP1lK43yKxwI-md1wSua_ZbONVNjFOz5kgfOrhLod0Yh0H6B15TC9r3Nn8KxiY_aFZ0jaZFKg/s1600/photo+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Horrifying, no? My mother must have been ill having to use this kitchen until they replaced it. She hated orange and the laminate faux wood cabinets were just too awful. When my Dad built the new kitchen (which he did by himself), he thriftily kept some of the cabinets and counters to be used for storage in the garage and basement.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENpe10STtfSyDPVK0x7wplC0MsXhpShvQ4EFnw3kk2AdFMbVRxX84Q_TMTKtTA57Tgoud8mUsvOZ92fHxPbIyPzUV1UrLcvzCacCoBZ5hdGeSa9loXm1tAPpJ-Q3VpEP_E91s51I_z3M/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENpe10STtfSyDPVK0x7wplC0MsXhpShvQ4EFnw3kk2AdFMbVRxX84Q_TMTKtTA57Tgoud8mUsvOZ92fHxPbIyPzUV1UrLcvzCacCoBZ5hdGeSa9loXm1tAPpJ-Q3VpEP_E91s51I_z3M/s1600/photo+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoNnHOA_8BlXMLvMK4V9roiITijYDMMcogbrcpd9o9mTlxfzNhI4FdvBqe80oHBJd1AksR49fAl9V3uVbXwAbokRRBQ2klej2rveVefr2gPh5vOvWdmkMp1JMPSdz-1A_wcD46gzFUjc/s1600/kit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoNnHOA_8BlXMLvMK4V9roiITijYDMMcogbrcpd9o9mTlxfzNhI4FdvBqe80oHBJd1AksR49fAl9V3uVbXwAbokRRBQ2klej2rveVefr2gPh5vOvWdmkMp1JMPSdz-1A_wcD46gzFUjc/s1600/kit1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />My Dad bought the stock cabinets raw and finished them all himself and then installed them. He also planned and layed the tile countertops, and installed the beams on the family room ceiling. The lantern is actually an oil lamp, which they thought would be useful in a power outage except that it turned the ceiling black, so that was that. The bin at the end of the counter is for trash. Dad probably made that from a kit in the 1970's.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRv7jGz3wLi_qQfM0XtC0Pug2dqfzqlD2iS1ukul6FgoVWNWzRYiNTI6fv-JJXZDbqOxDtOxDRNcqUavy5fC-l6Rtfy6tHQj-lIBfn-tyobdzu5LIDJjKa5mCW1K8BesEQTLA4_PXg6V4/s1600/kit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRv7jGz3wLi_qQfM0XtC0Pug2dqfzqlD2iS1ukul6FgoVWNWzRYiNTI6fv-JJXZDbqOxDtOxDRNcqUavy5fC-l6Rtfy6tHQj-lIBfn-tyobdzu5LIDJjKa5mCW1K8BesEQTLA4_PXg6V4/s1600/kit2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Just to see the same view as above. The door to the dining room was framed in and there is a small pair of doors that open into the dining room to separate the two rooms. (you can't see them in this photo).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHZIZ-C2Bvkc0bLRMadV2r8omzQJObbSB_mKHZaBjnY3M9ko6K9csXbKyco_p6_MNWeGP1lK43yKxwI-md1wSua_ZbONVNjFOz5kgfOrhLod0Yh0H6B15TC9r3Nn8KxiY_aFZ0jaZFKg/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="457" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHZIZ-C2Bvkc0bLRMadV2r8omzQJObbSB_mKHZaBjnY3M9ko6K9csXbKyco_p6_MNWeGP1lK43yKxwI-md1wSua_ZbONVNjFOz5kgfOrhLod0Yh0H6B15TC9r3Nn8KxiY_aFZ0jaZFKg/s1600/photo+2.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpfv6_KqcPPkjhsDhN8tQ6XOJt3R0dne4Yxgb8DVfFXwFZRvaowvaPAaL4JRDs7VIHyxOqr1nBwaUvoghvVuma-LJto0-UGqquZOS5lwMlIMwWNpSrhShKDnWeQNuKXxeyQZ_1jnwlGw/s1600/dr1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpfv6_KqcPPkjhsDhN8tQ6XOJt3R0dne4Yxgb8DVfFXwFZRvaowvaPAaL4JRDs7VIHyxOqr1nBwaUvoghvVuma-LJto0-UGqquZOS5lwMlIMwWNpSrhShKDnWeQNuKXxeyQZ_1jnwlGw/s1600/dr1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I've shared the dining room before when Michael J. Lee shot it for my holiday issue of ::Surroundings:: magazine.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWF1hxBKn-jfi7fTrj_C88ru_qEp2vGvIjHIDTN9j2XQoKRYZz_ffUPvWkzR0Zj5y79IE1v09QHezSg4u8atootX6hM9dJ6hFAk9rj1-ApElk-zICg6FHXHuM6wq4xiHH-qMlbyYIGnNbh/s640/Surroundings+Nov%253ADec+2011cov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWF1hxBKn-jfi7fTrj_C88ru_qEp2vGvIjHIDTN9j2XQoKRYZz_ffUPvWkzR0Zj5y79IE1v09QHezSg4u8atootX6hM9dJ6hFAk9rj1-ApElk-zICg6FHXHuM6wq4xiHH-qMlbyYIGnNbh/s640/Surroundings+Nov%253ADec+2011cov.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><br />The rug is antique and was my grandparents. My Dad papered the walls with this Schumacher (we believe) paper. He and Mom spent a year looking for the right shade of blue fabric for the window treatments. These real estate photos are a tad washed out and they are a beautiful shade of blue/green. Apparently the sales people kept suggesting off white since they couldn't find the blue, but they stuck to their guns and finally found it. That treatment has been there for twenty years at least and still looks perfect in person. It's pretty amazing. The furniture was bought with some of their wedding money sixty years ago. Every Sunday dinner and family holiday was spent around this table for my entire life. My Mom was a great cook so there have been a lot of great wines and crumbs spilled on this table, not to mention all the wonderful family memories.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJczBKkS03AKzEqaNqgercVu0SHd4A3DrZiZtDmga6HUiv6uVp90O7uRTBVWdiZ68_p1qzXZEdwqwUDte-x0a58slVgKDvXWiBY7OuJz5pTvllIuvn1BSWfj03C_ijPsgf1rL1fheqvgc/s1600/dr2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJczBKkS03AKzEqaNqgercVu0SHd4A3DrZiZtDmga6HUiv6uVp90O7uRTBVWdiZ68_p1qzXZEdwqwUDte-x0a58slVgKDvXWiBY7OuJz5pTvllIuvn1BSWfj03C_ijPsgf1rL1fheqvgc/s1600/dr2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPnxNoSiRa3gA0rD_qR0yUthat3NqSttOqu2s30Mno3Mpn8l_T81zxDzf3EKNcuFd8dApGLdPiJ2McJFU5USEEd5Ywa0_HFqSDYL2IXaOusYuIEek6mCbcxSZN9tIIplonBHz23ErraY/s1600/lr3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPnxNoSiRa3gA0rD_qR0yUthat3NqSttOqu2s30Mno3Mpn8l_T81zxDzf3EKNcuFd8dApGLdPiJ2McJFU5USEEd5Ywa0_HFqSDYL2IXaOusYuIEek6mCbcxSZN9tIIplonBHz23ErraY/s1600/lr3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The living room. They bought the wing chair and cut velvet Hickory Chair camelback sofa in the early 1970's through a department store when we lived in New Jersey. They've both held up amazingly well. The antique desk dates to the 18th century, though the base is a replacement. My Dad refinished it with his Dad.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYyI5npA1Kch6-_TvFC3fH4GfoKa_4CxTCKimmHJy_b2Uax25Ki95hpfmI1oF9Ko8m-092tmuFpqNgFIcBt0ffEPhlPyd4ceW3HNw5xDGn7XeCj9U-1HNek1dBscxT0BBsREev8a9Vxg/s1600/lr2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYyI5npA1Kch6-_TvFC3fH4GfoKa_4CxTCKimmHJy_b2Uax25Ki95hpfmI1oF9Ko8m-092tmuFpqNgFIcBt0ffEPhlPyd4ceW3HNw5xDGn7XeCj9U-1HNek1dBscxT0BBsREev8a9Vxg/s1600/lr2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The stereo cabinet above is the one I am going to turn into a bar cabinet. I've removed all the "guts" and will add a couple of shelves and a glass piece on top. I'm keeping the side table for use as a bed side table as well as the one below next to the sofa. The crystal lamps are new.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHg0FRMGRl3BHXfYinKF0t_pYnChhujiuZp7koYCKKqxe4on2CKbgCDQOrzPNan7_P5UaDoYVTPkv7AbXiMKI_WYu4i1hg2GIGOqEU20Oc9gqEaUu6vgJYrKzRH9WzLOLtamfZzhPwaQ/s1600/lr1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHg0FRMGRl3BHXfYinKF0t_pYnChhujiuZp7koYCKKqxe4on2CKbgCDQOrzPNan7_P5UaDoYVTPkv7AbXiMKI_WYu4i1hg2GIGOqEU20Oc9gqEaUu6vgJYrKzRH9WzLOLtamfZzhPwaQ/s1600/lr1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUff_nNjNisGInNhi2F5Sve_Hj3R3lOKx1dHjzrtV1QnFitUSXb-X7_1OBxir9XtJGeSxs-5W8QVbEkFwN0XOQS7bWoqTU6jy4lQfMT8BLI1AB-v_nuFLYjUoYmkZTSf9a8rCkOzddzjw/s1600/mast1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUff_nNjNisGInNhi2F5Sve_Hj3R3lOKx1dHjzrtV1QnFitUSXb-X7_1OBxir9XtJGeSxs-5W8QVbEkFwN0XOQS7bWoqTU6jy4lQfMT8BLI1AB-v_nuFLYjUoYmkZTSf9a8rCkOzddzjw/s1600/mast1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Bedrooms - not much to say. Master is above. Though the green bedroom below originally had pink flowered wallpaper and a rust rug. Pink and rust - great combination! My Dad painted it white with pale green trim for me when they moved here. They bought this bedroom set for me when I was six - it was used as the guest room when needed so I got a nice set. After my Dad had a stroke in 2000, we had to move his office down from the upstairs so the room got a makeover. I had them paint it a Ben Moore Sherwood Green  and repaint the trim a nice gloss white. There were plaid valances on the windows - very masculine. It's since been turned back into a pretty bedroom.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEaRXPD1_bo68hdYTrAAWcWbBVmgA6ejiq_YBzW_pw6Z8Vbn3Dy9VIjTWQzqUYk9yAstqBvAIgVfVY8lOd2x9-6kR3R9lVMKrU-haahFPHDfS5GLBObJspDPYWIPnGLtfzEXAIcAN_mM/s1600/br1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEaRXPD1_bo68hdYTrAAWcWbBVmgA6ejiq_YBzW_pw6Z8Vbn3Dy9VIjTWQzqUYk9yAstqBvAIgVfVY8lOd2x9-6kR3R9lVMKrU-haahFPHDfS5GLBObJspDPYWIPnGLtfzEXAIcAN_mM/s1600/br1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The backyard has a cute shed (Dad made the cupola) and garden which used to be really spectacular when my Mom could keep up with it - she was a wonderful gardener, a trait I did not inherit. They bought the wrought iron dining set in the 1960's. My Dad would strip and repaint it every few years to keep it looking great.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP01Mn19r7_nUs1qIqcXGfUnx16Ad8B_gw8rzpeyEsgOng-1LWVVpcaaUwi1J3DYISJwvpBufz01vAtJ62A9qCuvEr9KGScZDp7ERC-L6LrV1R14xB675NLvOHZmN9SedKRVVXFucP1oE/s1600/patio2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP01Mn19r7_nUs1qIqcXGfUnx16Ad8B_gw8rzpeyEsgOng-1LWVVpcaaUwi1J3DYISJwvpBufz01vAtJ62A9qCuvEr9KGScZDp7ERC-L6LrV1R14xB675NLvOHZmN9SedKRVVXFucP1oE/s1600/patio2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, I did a lot of cleaning things out - all stuff one needs to do when moving - and it paid off greatly for the photos and for showings.  </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you're planning on selling your house - do not skimp on the clean up and clean out. My parents were great about not being hoarders and I still filled a 16' box truck with junky furniture and stuff from the attic, basement and backs of closets. You are marketing a product and as annoying as it can be at times to pare down and live neat, it's no longer your house - it's a product on the shelf with lots of competition. Finally, make sure to select a realtor who cares about how your place is being marketed. It makes all the difference!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9fS3vqcqnlRqEkQr0VZ-7KEJF3wfqFqRzF04vQ25dW7hyphenhyphenL-uQvMz1DWlTZAxWdtsMG924m2mBkoeLORhsiwRXl8V7aehI9EqkjZyYHdMcJmi-Q__jgnFK9K3OvB7JmMcxHNSxad9KwM/s1600/Linda+sig2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9fS3vqcqnlRqEkQr0VZ-7KEJF3wfqFqRzF04vQ25dW7hyphenhyphenL-uQvMz1DWlTZAxWdtsMG924m2mBkoeLORhsiwRXl8V7aehI9EqkjZyYHdMcJmi-Q__jgnFK9K3OvB7JmMcxHNSxad9KwM/s1600/Linda+sig2.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />

Real Estate: My parent's cozy cape on the Cape

As I've written before, I've spent the last couple of months getting my parent's house ready to put on the market. It's a bi...

Read more »

Solitary Soul by Sandra Goroff

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://solitarysoul.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/front-coverSS-1024x866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="541" src="http://solitarysoul.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/front-coverSS-1024x866.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I wanted to share a new book (coming soon!) by fellow Massachusetts gal<a href="http://solitarysoul.net/" target="_blank"> Sandra Goroff </a>called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0983893683/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0983893683&linkCode=am2&tag=chameleoninte-20">Solitary Soul</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=chameleoninte-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0983893683" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><br />A long time book publicist, Sandy has been exploring her artistic side for a while and has pulled together a collection of photographs that both capture our New England region, but also the personal moments of the people who live here.  As a publicist, Sandy has worked on many art and antiques projects including including the Kovels, Skinner Inc., Brimfield, art and collectibles expert Judith Miller, Provincetown artist Ann Packard, the MFA, MOMA and the Smithsonian.<br /><br />Publisher's Weekly wrote of the book: "The photos—of a lone boat, a line of laundry, a little girl with her stuffed bunny—exhibit what Anthony Mason of CBS News describes as Goroff’s “keen eye for the subtle, but telling, details of life.” Comments novelist Caroline Leavitt, “Goroff’s brilliantly original photos get at the heart of what it means to be human.”" Read more of PW's article <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/58475-boston-publicist-turns-author.html" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIqziTDM7BDhI9j_2IpQHGF8m50ILdMMvXsP2DD_4Ag8_Eh52MoTx-5oomZ3HLQuyBmyRbPUJY8hLizMCxCDd2iIToSrD1nwG0XZMAY22GSXKecKOf4dNt2THzwkl8vkfLfubP5LjbUg/s1600/abbywithfullhatfixedfinalsx.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIqziTDM7BDhI9j_2IpQHGF8m50ILdMMvXsP2DD_4Ag8_Eh52MoTx-5oomZ3HLQuyBmyRbPUJY8hLizMCxCDd2iIToSrD1nwG0XZMAY22GSXKecKOf4dNt2THzwkl8vkfLfubP5LjbUg/s640/abbywithfullhatfixedfinalsx.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bfNplMlsYbckARIPsMUkt0c2vOWNpq1rOOicGSETR4d-mUg1o0Exih-teocSUjD-mmZslpnFoGAv0hDANHOTadlP_69njpbFSAjs3uZKMxapM5leeKRL808NtZP4AtqbHLDzvyfim4c/s1600/porch+with+red+chair%234CEAE4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bfNplMlsYbckARIPsMUkt0c2vOWNpq1rOOicGSETR4d-mUg1o0Exih-teocSUjD-mmZslpnFoGAv0hDANHOTadlP_69njpbFSAjs3uZKMxapM5leeKRL808NtZP4AtqbHLDzvyfim4c/s640/porch+with+red+chair%234CEAE4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTZCg0kxwUObd3ipGsdI69BALKOVd0kbUwYKiyYrT6DtS1vwC7ZQD7yP4QVq0i7kAY46qkdTzAmvCw2lNa_hVlMzfwG9a8iNXYbxeb29XnnYl9lY2y7fSnoqMcu9x78ygaGhXvCllGV4/s1600/TIRE+SWINGLEBANON+ME%232A2098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTZCg0kxwUObd3ipGsdI69BALKOVd0kbUwYKiyYrT6DtS1vwC7ZQD7yP4QVq0i7kAY46qkdTzAmvCw2lNa_hVlMzfwG9a8iNXYbxeb29XnnYl9lY2y7fSnoqMcu9x78ygaGhXvCllGV4/s640/TIRE+SWINGLEBANON+ME%232A2098.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kAKPG9aU6QM4Ktytj9Umw5ygT2QUS61kNotPV4u17mvxjactNkm0qy48eTPSn2rndrw2-tmwAyLghori1sbovlV_HQ_3lBH8bB91aVlWNr4ffboppMhshRGRFZG_DYZZjG9uWi5zbiI/s1600/favlittle+girlx.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kAKPG9aU6QM4Ktytj9Umw5ygT2QUS61kNotPV4u17mvxjactNkm0qy48eTPSn2rndrw2-tmwAyLghori1sbovlV_HQ_3lBH8bB91aVlWNr4ffboppMhshRGRFZG_DYZZjG9uWi5zbiI/s640/favlittle+girlx.jpg" width="427" /></a></div><br />Congrats Sandy! You can visit her book site <a href="http://solitarysoul.net/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=chameleoninte-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0983893683&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br /><br /><br />If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please <a href="mailto:linda.m.merrill@gmail.com">email me</a>. Thanks!<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to ::Surroundings::</a>

Solitary Soul by Sandra Goroff

I wanted to share a new book (coming soon!) by fellow Massachusetts gal Sandra Goroff called Solitary Soul A long time book publicist, Sand...

Read more »

Photo Smarts for Designers and Bloggers

<br />My latest on <a href="http://www.wsidesignermarketplace.com/content/designer/Design_Blog/2013/07/photo_smarts_fordes.html" target="_blank">Williams-Sonoma Designer Marketplace</a> is on photo usage and rights for interior designers. It's a complicated subject that gets emotional when it's our own work, or homes, that are the subject in the image. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3YabLwYfTO5cbGNEIKM8KEtU7YwqPhAAUZfhZFUT1lgWwfUhdeGzNUSLtcsRVf48WYMfHFhz9a0ud7CgRlSfBfbInPII9pINHuoQIlUSl6dtikwf_8R7Vr_ElgwX1Oyyd4BooqUoF34/s1600/IMG_3355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3YabLwYfTO5cbGNEIKM8KEtU7YwqPhAAUZfhZFUT1lgWwfUhdeGzNUSLtcsRVf48WYMfHFhz9a0ud7CgRlSfBfbInPII9pINHuoQIlUSl6dtikwf_8R7Vr_ElgwX1Oyyd4BooqUoF34/s640/IMG_3355.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Protecting our photos and how they are disseminated through the internet could be a full time job and most of us don't have the time or patience. I recently learned a great trick, however. Using Google Images, you can search images, or even pieces of images. I'm a member of a LinkedIn group run by Gail Doby of Design Success University. Gail recently posted that a group member had been banned from the group because they were using photos of other designers on their website. This is wrong, of course, for so many reasons. Amazingly, I think there are people who don't realize just how wrong this is, or they are lazy. I had a colleague who used stock images on her website - and advised other's to do so as well - if you're new in business and have a thin portfolio. She wasn't a bad or inherently dishonest person, just very, very naive. She looked at it as showing her design style and what she could do for clients. I don't think she understood that by putting those images on her website (even though she paid for the image and wasn't infringing on copyright law) she was misrepresenting her experience - she was implying that the work in the photos was her own. Simply put: don't do it. This is what a blog or Pinterest are for - showcasing one's taste and style. <br /><br />One of the LinkedIn group member's, Ken Lewis,<a href="http://clientexpander.com/protecting-design-images/?goback=.gde_3124108_member_248103237" target="_blank"> wrote a post </a>on how to search photos using Google images and what can be found. Google is amazing - and also a bit frightening.<br /><br />I ran this process on some of my images.  What I found was amazing.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lindamerrill.com/Linda_Merrill/Portfolio-Boston-Townhouse_Living_Room_2-Interior_Design-Massachusetts_files/LindaMerrillLRPrints_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://lindamerrill.com/Linda_Merrill/Portfolio-Boston-Townhouse_Living_Room_2-Interior_Design-Massachusetts_files/LindaMerrillLRPrints_1.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> I found the image above, from my Boston So. End project, in a few surprising places. The first was a blog who included this photo along with others - some with credit, some without. She specifically stated she didn't know the credits for some (this was taken before I watermarked all my images) and would add them as the information came available. I simply emailed her and asked her to add my name and that of my photographer Michael J. Lee. She readily complied.  The image was also being used by an online lamp company, along with two other images, showing the use of crystal lamps in interiors. Again, I emailed them and asked for a full credit, with links, or that it needed to be removed. They added the credits and I've gotten some hits to my website because of it. The third notable mis-use of my image was the worst! A window treatment "maker" used it as the background image on her website. The site was basically a single page contact info page - nothing more. The image was blown out and very poor quality. I had no expectation of hearing from the owner and was going to go to GoDaddy - the web host - if I didn't hear anything. However, amazingly, that owner replied fairly quickly to let me know she'd removed it. She also said she'd found it while doing a search for free stock photos. So - there's a frightening notion. I'm sure there are websites who collect images and either sell them or give them away as a way to draw traffic. Too much to wrap my head around. Meanwhile, I wanted to point out to her that she shouldn't be using someone elses workmanship as if it's her own. Oy. But with little effort on my part - all three were resolved quickly. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lindamerrill.com/Linda_Merrill/Portfolio-Boston-Townhouse_Living_Room_3-Interior_Design-Massachusetts_files/LindaMerrillLRtoMediaRM_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="http://lindamerrill.com/Linda_Merrill/Portfolio-Boston-Townhouse_Living_Room_3-Interior_Design-Massachusetts_files/LindaMerrillLRtoMediaRM_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />I also researched this image - the other view of the same room. Well, what I found was that it had been "appropriated" by an online gaming company. It's a "find the object" in the room kind of game. Oh, and there's Emily Blunt as "Young Victoria". It's a Victorian era building - so they got that right! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkxkfuiz2o0ZljQFuqQ6undlFgPJs_DK4iKuZUgN2j7HPQhP3gbDivb_sfqZW3t9Q3szFyfPozYIQOpBlf8K-TSJcTH0r7_rRlghkHLVmjmUQgxekzbI_qKm80DJryB_Y_J8FmpiCbAc/s1600/KZ+lr+used+in+game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkxkfuiz2o0ZljQFuqQ6undlFgPJs_DK4iKuZUgN2j7HPQhP3gbDivb_sfqZW3t9Q3szFyfPozYIQOpBlf8K-TSJcTH0r7_rRlghkHLVmjmUQgxekzbI_qKm80DJryB_Y_J8FmpiCbAc/s640/KZ+lr+used+in+game.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Kind of crazy - but also pretty funny. I emailed it to my client - asking her if she'd been entertaining royalty - or movie stars - recently. She got a kick of out it. In this case - I doubt it's worth my time trying to get it removed. It's all over the place and I'd never get to the "owner". Plus, I don't think it materially harms me. Sure, they should have paid my photographer for the image. It's also important to note that my discreet watermarking wouldn't have made a difference in this case. Pick your battles.<br /><br />This has become a hot topic recently on FB as well. Some designers get very upset by the mis-use of their images and immediately go the route of threatening legal action, calling their lawyer, heading to small claims court and feeling very much like their "brand" has been materially damaged. My personal view is to pick your battles and try to deal with what you can with a stern, yet polite, email and ignoring the rest. With all the gazillions of images on the internet - does Emily Blunt sitting in a living room I designed harm me in any way? Does it harm her or the movie company? No. It doesn't.  I haven't found another designer using my images as their own - but even then, does it actually harm the "real" designer? It's wrong and the images need to be removed, but I'm not convinced it's directly harmful to my credentials and brand. What do you think?<br /><br /><br />So, going back to Google Images - it's a great tool for upright bloggers who wish to properly credit the images they use. Spending the time to research a photo is the right thing to do. AND you can even crop out an item from a pic and search on that small detail for more information! It's crazy.<br /><br /><br />For instance:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhov0FgI3a3lTM-spFHYRuNCbg6WAwc6HWjn6z4TrcMaiHOIosTyE6db1Zy04pgJfQwK7kdFDmh5fIVz3FCsoKXLWT9AqQVzmysIKE-Ty9MlZVqb60Ka3zYRHvgjmtHn_49Nt1Q_nAWrJM/s1600/EricaBR+mantle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhov0FgI3a3lTM-spFHYRuNCbg6WAwc6HWjn6z4TrcMaiHOIosTyE6db1Zy04pgJfQwK7kdFDmh5fIVz3FCsoKXLWT9AqQVzmysIKE-Ty9MlZVqb60Ka3zYRHvgjmtHn_49Nt1Q_nAWrJM/s1600/EricaBR+mantle.jpg" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a screen grab I took from "Something's Gotta Give". The art in the movie has always been very popular and people are always asking who its by. Well...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HOAp2CLrVUuCry7CHFsf6CtKMyGdxf-dVIst10A1Jtb8SAsw5hzcH_zx4n0V0-nFzbs8xq612n-5DlNr3x8sReZ7ap21KhXq4oFud1xZ6PT0N7p-q6V_9CUx9XaqhPtEWRsSn1x7n54/s1600/Bathing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HOAp2CLrVUuCry7CHFsf6CtKMyGdxf-dVIst10A1Jtb8SAsw5hzcH_zx4n0V0-nFzbs8xq612n-5DlNr3x8sReZ7ap21KhXq4oFud1xZ6PT0N7p-q6V_9CUx9XaqhPtEWRsSn1x7n54/s1600/Bathing.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>I cropped out just the painting on the mantle - <i>Swim Party</i> by Kenton Nelson - and dragged it to Google Images. <a href="https://www.google.com/search?tbs=sbi:AMhZZisPQi_1ciNQy3Cs7N4uyVZnINSFUa9UIHnhi-X0jDHmgQizZSTSmnk0clKEYW90ewr8wjAQWu1Yh_1b2_1i4AjS69JHuJy78o7ZUJZ6xvak0jRl7t5Y0MNbmztjBRPz3N7nk_1dvRwMXUp4hQ2yITa99S-Z_10JCZN8LlpihgSAUSO0bdwZFGN3HvRz82uZu_1VB6a0n6gr5HWYIVD4PkUAbB6iOddrlgYDRlCpOpj1CV_17brf1OSgmzgmSOg9YEAsYCc_1WQ-5Pa4ttM58xL3e_1oXvDSftPY1XLCsDjVu3Hzo57fNRyNK8glvLV3TNQRFf2dRSmqybbBvqkNdUhbYqw00iR-ylZrKNExmc7g2moelkx_1d_1G-r_1IXwNZkSDkS1ag4VqvizbOjIHOhTuDR48iBpJLZwXdTqeDQTwQibTwgtdlfy60atLj7jZUC4XZxogGtr8hDv4zjM3naqdtMet1siybdSbTofAAYfD8xAd7WjrmltFTltMmHHEHOjZ088yy-QSGJhwyEuLw_1Fvb1Axjjh4_1h0eQeckOeFm4l-6aVrqrnrb2ELJUbygCbpUrAe-A4bCh3HKrTJrH-0l0TmoDK3aJt4G-E76Lm_1cSHfGJRbOp_1GMf8kjRyroVQqgef1VikcvxJqSRxeYXBT6ZOAMw9QTI6SBvMDAo9ZJzutPadb3rbMupeKJWDF91O3Zm9GvitDdu92z_1kwsMd7OeYDFhTZUH_19In5dhpKPNMW3eER38y2csSKUWaoBWGXR92bTvp6lOrRW9Mj4QfT4gMm62y5OYBJtx0DCX-kekqU5-sEk4i3V2SDXiPAQbDipHys8RUAk8GQmecFy_12Yi5i6u6IxDpGEUCgU15H-OIwUhhDGA-20gIHCVjfw8GUzUcL7xBw0CYpWUBYk5iuU-lmyRXVRDEcmIJli-fP3VfwYoQQ91liZyc84sZ846xNjXeDbCyV9Pgy1wN3_1x2mI65u0eBvMdZmOAz1jbZ-CdsdLYVWsFV8H1spXypAqSXRlzXrGDQuZl7jwIN9SXu2d4U81w7-ohZpDN98MucLzBkEBqynwKov6dDsvAtplnEVc8ZCRV8APUq6yRgwHX139wqz1BMvCi2Tc-1OzfWr4m7vCKGyfnC7m9glFd_1EqKu-XONjc0mESSzSdKL-MwtjeqBQfk_1ZXnpIOOWtgHSQJEylf-gPmeOg1j6W8fA9SDzmCB_1XqewSUYPKwRINzHCsMdt8-9hkTNn_1uLvHk7hr_15Nadlv1I5H4iKg1olv1oePK9ByHLqYfUIwTi3sKwxYtH2IwzBxem59G-pcgLLuCf0obrz7Jbp1In_1EqsgzvPvPLdlZSZ21d_1zxdGMuMym01RaMIe1BflMylVsX_11Agn3QUcbghbG3cyKPzFlSqD8&btnG=Search%20by%20image&sa=N&hl=en&biw=1574&bih=930" target="_blank">Et voila</a>. This could have so many uses for designers as well - see a table you like, a painting, a wallpaper - just crop and Google! <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please <a href="mailto:linda.m.merrill@gmail.com">email me</a>. Thanks!<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to ::Surroundings::</a>

Photo Smarts for Designers and Bloggers

My latest on Williams-Sonoma Designer Marketplace is on photo usage and rights for interior designers. It's a complicated subject that ...

Read more »

Do your photos need a little (or a lot) of help?

One of the most important things a designer can do for their career is to have great photography of their projects. A good photographer can work wonders with any space and a great space will truly sing if documented well. But professional photo shoots are expensive and simply not an option for many new designers, or even worth the expense for every project we might undertake. So, we resort to taking our own photos and doing the best we can. Early on in my career, I was certainly in this position - taking all my own photos.  One of my favorite projects - for many reasons - was an ocean front home in Scituate, Massachusetts. The owners, who actually planned to sell the house, wanted to update their master suite and use it as the showcase for the sales process. The house, built in 1900, was all stucco inside and in many ways was very old and dated for a seaside house - but it had a great location and a lot of old-timey character. The whole master suite was designed to highlight the ocean views with a monochromatic color palette that mimicked the ocean outside the window. The entire bathroom was gutted and rebuilt and the bedroom was swathed in new fabrics and upholstery. Everything was installed just the week before the first open house and the property went in a bidding war in that first weekend. The client's were completely moved out in six weeks.<br /><br />Needless to say, I didn't have much time to take really good photos. Some I took with my old print Nikon SLR and others were taken with my then new low-end digital camera. The photos were never very good, but I kept them on my site because I felt the project had a story to tell, I looooved all the fabrics and it's all about location, location, location.  But I knew the photos didn't really highlight the work very well. So, when my friend, kitchen designer and amazing photographer Susan Serra launched a new side business called <a href="http://susansview.com/" target="_blank">Susan's View</a>, I knew I needed to hire her! Susan's photography skills are amazing and she knows a lot about photo retouching as well as how important good photography is to showcasing a space. Her new services offer amazingly low-priced services for retouching - from between $12-$25 per image with small upcharges for fast turnaround. She turned around my photos very quickly and also offered several different "versions" for review. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeO5fTz7QN3vV5Utk3AbVmVru-vNgU7l8wRDPmheUz153uKO7wIXY_jgnswmT4TSesYkpFR_7gKp5iaXYsi3-e-Hqx6_-2maCqUjY5hL3-rpCu4dMgJL7fwaixOi1D1eRqpaSvg4T31Q/s1600/IMG_3351.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeO5fTz7QN3vV5Utk3AbVmVru-vNgU7l8wRDPmheUz153uKO7wIXY_jgnswmT4TSesYkpFR_7gKp5iaXYsi3-e-Hqx6_-2maCqUjY5hL3-rpCu4dMgJL7fwaixOi1D1eRqpaSvg4T31Q/s640/IMG_3351.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>This first image was taken with my digital camera - which I think was about 2 mega pixels. I was just snapping shots and managed to get two versions of the photo from the exact same spot - one that showed the inside with the outside blown out and the other showing the ocean view while the inside was too dark. In photoshop, I managed to marry the photos together - which I was very proud of! However, the quality was very grainy, the photo was tilted (note above the valance treatment) and the ocean looked fake with the left and right sides of the door not really matching. Susan straightened the image, smoothed and color corrected the the fabrics and walls and cropped it a bit to clean up the sides. What she had to work with was a very low quality image - so I think the change, while subtle, is quite impressive!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbcMH_ekhTiHTgC_02zj96zKW6j952X-tij2o3Fq3XjiPxm-tyfO6b69U3pc8SrDKGTxvj5ObGrszc27MqTI2cHOScLeM0kTNx80UZnn_1rw0m-nU_K5iqm9sV5zX9mI9zo-xzYBlFFg/s1600/IMG_3352.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbcMH_ekhTiHTgC_02zj96zKW6j952X-tij2o3Fq3XjiPxm-tyfO6b69U3pc8SrDKGTxvj5ObGrszc27MqTI2cHOScLeM0kTNx80UZnn_1rw0m-nU_K5iqm9sV5zX9mI9zo-xzYBlFFg/s640/IMG_3352.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>The rest of the images were taken with my print SLR camera and were not much more than snapshots with no special lighting. I've lost the negatives and so what I sent Susan was a scan of the printed photo. Again, Susan corrected for color and light balance, smoothed everything and cropped it in a bit. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4v5me2Yca5-cIc5YVN4VgyOawDbrJU_E6WkEbx3nzsU7b155cmQc0qyy9BqMtiVsPzjeZx5wJbbz7_7dW_lPmRpakzrnVLT-nNH2rroaU-ki16XfcRALr9hzxHoHE8wAsLXixqvgWBxQ/s1600/IMG_3350.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4v5me2Yca5-cIc5YVN4VgyOawDbrJU_E6WkEbx3nzsU7b155cmQc0qyy9BqMtiVsPzjeZx5wJbbz7_7dW_lPmRpakzrnVLT-nNH2rroaU-ki16XfcRALr9hzxHoHE8wAsLXixqvgWBxQ/s640/IMG_3350.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />The master bathroom definitely needed better lighting to capture it. I never photographed the bathtub - which was fabulous. Susan brighened the overall image, straightened it up and got rid of some smudging on the walls that was on the print image. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvqwINcaKnb__B1v7cp4KK-ijcEmpSF18auLJyFcsOvhcerQ2oM304fkc8RFbDaQztTpiV7sT8kfdVllX9uqXTN5e5PhLtudDZ9n4Ccui3HXCzIERNzivDSyCD9lVQ7lTJqoajaRpl1Y/s1600/IMG_3349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvqwINcaKnb__B1v7cp4KK-ijcEmpSF18auLJyFcsOvhcerQ2oM304fkc8RFbDaQztTpiV7sT8kfdVllX9uqXTN5e5PhLtudDZ9n4Ccui3HXCzIERNzivDSyCD9lVQ7lTJqoajaRpl1Y/s640/IMG_3349.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeO5fTz7QN3vV5Utk3AbVmVru-vNgU7l8wRDPmheUz153uKO7wIXY_jgnswmT4TSesYkpFR_7gKp5iaXYsi3-e-Hqx6_-2maCqUjY5hL3-rpCu4dMgJL7fwaixOi1D1eRqpaSvg4T31Q/s1600/IMG_3351.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Finally, the bathroom chair was also color corrected and brightened. There was a huge smudgy thing on the right side of the image and a dark shadow on the left, which she got rid of. <br /><br />These changes took Susan many steps each and I know she uses several different software programs to get the best versions of less than ideal photographs.<br /><br />If you'd like to see the large final versions of these photos, <a href="http://www.lindamerrill.com/Linda_Merrill/Portfolio-Oceanside_Bedroom_2Design-Massachusetts_2.html" target="_blank">click on over here</a>.  <br /><br />Susan's rates are very reasonable because as a well-known professional kitchen and bath designer she understands how important good photography is to a project. And she gets the Catch-22 that newbie designers find themselves in: without good photos it's hard to get work, but how does one afford a professional photographer without having projects?<br /><br />So, whether you're a new designer who is still taking your own photos and could use a little (or a lot) of back-end help, or you have older images you still want to show - it's <a href="http://susansview.com/" target="_blank">Susan Serra</a> to the rescue! Her services are also great for blogger's whose photos need some TLC too!<br /><br /><br />If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please <a href="mailto:linda.m.merrill@gmail.com">email me</a>. Thanks!<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to ::Surroundings::</a>

Do your photos need a little (or a lot) of help?

One of the most important things a designer can do for their career is to have great photography of their projects. A good photographer can ...

Read more »

Heather Green of Briole Photography

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chameleon-interiors/9178333093/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="85" id="blogsy-1372642430934.0547" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2820/9178333093_7eb89d18f1.jpg" width="650"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left;clear: both; ">A couple of months ago when I was blogging about my trip to New Orleans, I'd included this amazing photo of Preservation Hall, without attribution. I'd found it on Pinterest and didn't do my due diligence - bad blogger. </div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left;clear: both; ">Anyway, I received an email from Heather Green of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Briole/about/" target="_blank" title="">Briole Photography</a> in St. Louis advising me that this was her beautiful photograph. Anyway, I had a chance to peruse her Etsy shop and all her work is amazing! </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chameleon-interiors/9178334305/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="683" id="blogsy-1372642430936.6516" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3682/9178334305_be37ed7ea7.jpg" width="683"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chameleon-interiors/9178335223/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="650" id="blogsy-1372642430980.9143" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2885/9178335223_d122f2883b.jpg" width="650"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chameleon-interiors/9180551406/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="650" id="blogsy-1372642430993.5806" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5473/9180551406_d3668ec409.jpg" width="650"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chameleon-interiors/9178337687/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="650" id="blogsy-1372642430999.3293" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3791/9178337687_1b9efac0d2.jpg" width="650"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chameleon-interiors/9180552924/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="650" id="blogsy-1372642431000.4" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7312/9180552924_3462813359.jpg" width="650"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chameleon-interiors/9180555044/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="629" id="blogsy-1372642431009.363" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3758/9180555044_60892bd846_z.jpg" width="500"></a></div> <p> Heather sells her photos in a range of sizes - see above. Check out her shop <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Briole/about/" target="_blank" title="">here</a>. </p> <p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Posted with Blogsy" height="20" src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>

Heather Green of Briole Photography

A couple of months ago when I was blogging about my trip to New Orleans, I'd included this amazing photo of Preservation Hall, without...

Read more »