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A new coat of paint can refresh and revitalize any room in your house. Paint is also a very cost effective way to change the look of a room. The best part about interior painting is that almost anyone can do it all you need is the right material and a little bit of knowledge.

Painting Supplies
Your supply needs will vary depending upon the room that you are painting and the type of paint that you are using, but here is a basic list to get you started:

Paint
After you choose a color, you will also need to choose a finish. The finish determines how shiny the paint will be. Choices include flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and gloss. Flat finish is hard to wipe clean and should only be used in low traffic areas that will not attract dirt. Satin, eggshell, and semi-gloss finishes are easy to wipe clean and can be used almost anywhere. Gloss finish is very shiny and is best reserved for small areas such as trim or molding.

Paint Applicators
Paint rollers and brushes are necessities. A good paint roller can paint an entire room. Choose one that has a fair amount of nap to it-- the thicker the better. When it comes to brushes, everyone has their own individual preference. A small angle brush works well for trim and corners. A three inch flat brush or a paint pad will work well for the places that a paint roller can not reach. 

Miscellaneous Supplies
In addition to paint and paint applicators, you may also need drop cloths, cleaning rags, paint trays, spackle, sandpaper, and a putty knife (if your walls are damaged and need repair), and a ladder or stepladder. The ladder will need to be sturdy and stable to support your movements. Try choosing a ladder with a wide base or a flared bottom like on a Little Giant Ladder.

Painting Tips
When painting, the most important thing you can do is take your time. If you move too fast, things could get sloppy. Also important, is the prep work. Your painting project will go much smoother if you are properly prepared prior to painting. Here are some tips that can help:

1. Make sure that you have everything you need by organizing all of your supplies before you start painting.
2. Protect your furniture from paint splatters by moving it or covering it up.
3. Use low-tack masking tape to tape off baseboards and trim. Remove the tape before the paint dries.
4. Paint the walls before painting trim or woodwork.
5. Do not apply a second coat of paint until the first coat has dried.

Whether you’re starting a business following the 2021 Great Resignation or your established business is outgrowing the spare bedroom, a garage can offer an attractive alternative in terms of size, existing infrastructure such as wiring, and with it being a stone’s throw away from your home location. Transforming it into the ideal home office, however, can be a task beyond the experience of the average homeowner. Just as you bill yourself an expert in your profession, this may be the time to call on an experienced contractor – or at least an avid DIYer – as well as an interior designer well-versed in melding practicality and personality, like Toscano Interiors.

Setting the stage for renovation
Depending on your discipline for shrewd organization and vehicle maintenance, it’s likely you have some decluttering and deep cleaning to do. After finding a new home for every item previously housed in the garage, you’ll want to remove the telltale signs of its former functionality, such as oil stains in the concrete, and hooks and nails that held everything from bicycles to water hoses. For this early stage, you won’t need a permit, but you may need one before you move on to more extensive renovations, so be sure to check with your local permitting office before you go any further.

While you’re checking your permit requirements, talk to your business accountant or other qualified tax professional about whether your converted garage will qualify for a home office deduction on your tax return. This deduction allows you to deduct certain expenses from your business income that relate to running your business from your home and is in addition to any other legitimate business-related expenses that you claim on your tax return.

Once you have your permits and other business tasks in order, gauge your current electrical wiring in the garage to see if it’s suitable for your office layout, particularly the number and location of outlets. If your garage is separate from the house, you may want to section off some space for a small bathroom, and perhaps a small kitchen area for a refrigerator and coffee maker.

Regardless of climate, insulation is a must-have, if you don’t already have it in your garage. Your licensed contractor should add the necessary wiring and plumbing prior to putting in any additional insulation. In addition to tempering the outdoor weather effects, insulation quite literally helps to “insulate” you from outside noise. If you’ve never worked with insulation yourself and want to save some money for your more aesthetic improvements, consider taking classes at a nearby home improvement store.

Blending practicality with creativity
You’ll likely want to hire someone to replace your traditional garage door, especially if you have a need to welcome clients and vendors. Since most garages don’t have a lot of windows, consider adding a few to let in some natural light and create a more open feel to what will be your new office.

Now you’re ready to set the stage for your office décor. Start from the ground up, deep clean those concrete floors before putting down your choice of flooring; an easy route is to finish the concrete with an acid stain and will complement attractive rugs. If your space is relatively small, light colors for your walls can create a more open feel, especially if combined with mirrors. You can add pops of color with artwork, furniture, and accessories. Finally, your office furniture is important, so be sure you mix comfort and practicality with style – even the mouse and keyboard you select matter when it comes to physical comfort.

Passion and productivity
Many business owners spend a great deal of time in their offices, so it should surround you with inspiration as well as comfort. Hiring a professional isn’t just for knocking down walls and doing electrical work, so if you’re finding the design functions more challenging than you expected, reach out to Toscano Interiors for creating the workspace that fuels your passion and your productivity. Once you get the office of your dreams, you’re off to the races!

Blog written exclusively for Toscano Interiors by guest blog contributor, Tina Martin with Ideaspired.  Tina Martin is an author and successful Blogger. Find more of Tina's work at https://www.ideaspired.com/blog/www.ideaspired.com/blog/

​Costco is known for selling bulk quantities of merchandise at discounted prices. Something many may not know is that this large retailer also offers a range of home-decor pieces and furniture.
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As an Interior Designer, I am here to recommend some must have pieces to include in your spaces throughout your home.
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Glenbrook Leather Sofa
The Glenbrook sofa is a beautiful piece of furniture. I love this sofa for the timeless and elegance style it can bring to a space. The tufting over the back and arms creates a modern touch to such a classic design. This piece can also be used to various design styles from industrial, modern, classic, even rustic. For comfort this couch passes. Each cushion is double-wrapped and is removable. They rest on a no-sag spring platform which helps ensure support and comfort! This is a nice feature as we want aesthetically pleasing pieces while being comfortable.

Tresanti 47" Adjustable Height Desk
With still a majority of people working from home, the Tresanti Adjustable Height Desk is a must have for any home office! The simplicity of it makes it work with any design style while staying functional. You have the power to find the exact height that works best for you, whether you are standing or sitting.
As most of us know by now, we should not be sitting in an office chair all the hours that we spend at work. For some standing will help alleviate back or neck pain, especially
after sitting for so long. I had recently bought this at my local Costco for my mother, who has back issues. Sitting at her desk, even with a nicer ergonomic chair, her back would still hurt. She found that standing helped a lot with her back pain and suffered less.

Chinchilla Faux Fur Pillow
These Faux Fur Pillows can be used to add warmth and texture to a couch. There are three different colors; ivory, chinchilla, or black. This allows you to use these pillows with almost every design style. While the chinchilla is perfect for any rustic, industrial, or contemporary spaces, the Ivory is perfect for modern, industrial, rustic, contemporary, and bohemian. The black is perfect for any of those as well.
I had bought a few of these for my couch currently in the basement to add some texture and to have the space feel cozy. These are perfect for that!

Element Hand Finished Wall Art
Beautiful paintings such as this wall art from Costco adds a beautiful focus and texture to a space. The painting itself is dimensional from the thickness of the paint and technique of painting which makes this perfect for a living room, bedroom, or dining room. Adding dimension and texture helps move the eye around the room and focus in on the details of the art.
This piece ties perfectly for any modern, rustic, contemporary, and industrial style rooms. While this is a statement piece, it is not overbearing and will flow nicely with any space.

Elements Metal Vase
These striking decorative metal vases bring a nice touch to any coffee table, sofa table, or dining room table. The weathered blue and grey rustic finish make these decor pieces a suitable accent for any farmhouse, rustic, or contemporary styled rooms.
The vases come in two sizes, paired together to add interest and scale variation. Perfect to display any faux or dried flowers, or simply just by themselves.


All these items I recommend from professional views as an Interior Designer, but as well as personal views. I have experience and knowledge of each item and have been pleased with them all. Costco has wonderful decor pieces for the price and quality. 

Wanting to know the best places to shop for your home, where you'll get the most bang for your buck?  Contact us today, and schedule a complimentary 30 minute phone consultation!  

-Lara Stover, Junior Designer at Toscano Interiors

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Recently I was given the opportunity to design a small apartment at a local assisted/independent living facility.  This little apartment is going to be used a model/virtual tour for future retirees.  I was so honored to take the project because several months ago I staged one of the independent cottages affiliated with the same company, for a Realtor who was referred by another Realtor...talk about a long list of referrals!!!  That was what made it such an honor and so exciting!  

Anyhow, this cute one-bedroom apartment was so much fun to design, but there was just one issue...it was small.  So how do I make the space look functional for future resident's?  That was my biggest challenge going into this project.  

Starting with the living and dining area, these two rooms share the space; that there wasn't a lot of.  I wanted to use a regular sized sofa and oversized accent chair, but what about the small dining area?  Well the good news is there is a restaurant inside the facility for it's residents- so the dining area wasn't something I really wanted to play up.  I used these fun gold barstools and a small bistro table and chairs set, allowing for at least 4 guests to sit comfortably in the dining area. Without having to sacrifice the living area, I added the ottoman that functions as a coffee table and storage- because yes, the top comes off!  This piece serves 3 functions!  

SMALL SPACE PRO DESIGN TIP- Adding texture to the room helps create dimension in a small space

That oversized wall art above the sofa- one wouldn't think incorporating something really big in a small space would be right.  Wrong!  Texture gives the eye something to investigate, something to sink its teeth into, something that makes the whole space feel a lot bigger.  ​

I think texture is something most people forget when designing a small space.  They focus more on storage solutions, often it’s intentionally overlooked for fear of cluttering up an already small space.  

You can add some small extra home décor pieces to add textures to your space. Focus on the finishes of your existing furniture pieces too. Like the faux fur rug I draped over the ottoman, the gold side table and  gold hammered lamp. It could even be a simple fabric couch with wooden arms and legs. The key to achieving visual balance and to keep visual clutter at bay is to have one or two pieces of furniture in similar textures.  The faux rug on the ottoman ties into a larger faux rug under the dining table.  

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My design topic for the month of May is- 'Vintage' and it is no surprise that these vintage staples have made a comeback!  In fact, they are better than ever!  

Gold

Did it ever really go out of style?  I don't know about you, but gold is one of my favorite finishes in a home.  Champagne bronze is fresh and subtle. Faucets, frames and fixtures are taking a break from chrome and brushed nickel. 

Macrame

Hell yes!!!  This kitschy look dates back to the 1970s. Macramé is a form of textile-making that’s made up of hand-tied knots instead of knitting with needles or weaving on a loom. Many of the original ’70s designs have resurfaced, like plant holders and wall hangings but with a more minimalist touch that makes the designs less “groovy” and more boho chic...refer back to my last blog post. I used macrame dream catchers in my daughter's room.  Not too mention Toscano Interiors carries some pretty awesome macrame wall hangings.  


Graphic Art

Another cool trend from the 1970s, graphic art often showed up as framed posters. These pieces are impactful and unique, perfect for a dramatic focal point in a room furnished with clean-lined furniture.

Geometric Patterns

Taken from ancient Greece and Morocco, this trend was huge during the Art Deco period in the 20's.  These patterns offer classic bold aesthetics with a sharpness that feels both playful and sleek.

Mirrored Kitchen Backsplashes 

I wonder where this trend could have derived from???  Well the disco era of course!!  The 70's and early 80's this look was all about adding a touch of glam, and even opening the room up a bit. Today, this trend is popping up in traditionally styled kitchens, infusing the simplicity with some glamour.


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