First, thanks to our hostest with the mostest, Debbie Gartner -- The Flooring Girl -- we had a marvelous August meetup.     Sitting outside with appetizers Al Fresco and a glass of Chard, it was heaven to watch the sunset with new Rainmaker friends.  I met Westchester's Realty star, "The Home Guru,"  Bill Primavera, along with two new Rainmakers:  Kathy Dagostino and René Alfano.  Kathy is a coach and a home stager and René is a home inspector.   We all look forward to following them and looking for their blogs.     (Right on bottom to left: Grace Borrani, Kathy Dagostino, René Alfani, Dagny Eason, Debbie Gartner, Bill Primavera, Grant Schneider.  Judy Medeiros took this super photo) THANKS to Grant Schnieder and Judy for this perfect picture, too.  It  was the best of the bunch!  Also,... 08/13/2014

Shaw just recently introduced a new line of Saxony carpets called Cashmere.  It's part of a larger line called "Caress by Shaw."  They are so soft, that once you feel them, you will fall in love with them. So I thought it would be helpful to review Saxony carpets.   What is a saxony carpet? Saxony is a type of carpet that is a soft cut pile with an even surface. Saxony carpet is typically woven very densely, and it has a very soft, plush feel. The primary disadvantage of a saxony carpet is that it tends to show marks such as footprints and vacuum marks. Saxonies are associated with quality and luxury, and as result, tend to cost more compared to solid textured or looped carpets.     The softness of Saxony carpet makes it a popular choice for bedrooms and formal living rooms. The elegant... 08/10/2013

Trends in Tile Flooring for Westchester County 1. Natural Stone or Natural Stone look. In Westchester County, customers are moving away from shiny/glossy towards a more tumbled natural stone look. Whether it's a shiny ceramic tile or a polished granite/marble, shiny glossy tiles are challenging to maintain. They show dirt and water spots. They also require more maintenance (including sealing). A natural look, especially porcelains that look like natural stone are visually more appealing and practical as they hide the dirt with the color and texture variation. They are also easier to clean and easier to maintain since you don't need to seal them as you do with natural stone.         2. Larger format tiles   Large sizes make the space look larger. At a minimum, you should be using 12 x 12... 04/21/2013

Yesterday, I had a fun appointment, and again was pleasantly surprised at what a small world this is.   My customer "found" me on LinkedIn.  The truth is, I'm not sure how long ago we connected or from where, but we are connected, and it turns out that 6 or 12 months ago, after one of my status updates, he sent me an email with some questions and I called him and we spoke on the phone.  I can't remember the specifics of the call except that we were talking about hardwood and he might be moving to my area in the next year or so.   Fast forward to last week and I saw an email saying that we had a mutual friend, and it was no other than Active Rain's Julia Maher.  She is a local decorator and stager in Fairfield County CT.  I met Julia on Active Rain by reading her blogs, and then a couple... 01/28/2013

Yes, hardwood flooring can be installed in a basement...as long as there is not a water nor moisture issue.  In Westchester County, many basements are below the ground and/or constructed directly on a concrete slab. As a result, many basements (especially in older homes) have water issues/leaks or they tend to have excessive moisture.  If you do have either of the issues, I would recommend that you stay away from hardwood as well as laminate flooring. Many customers mistakenly believe that laminate is waterproof...it isn't! And, often laminate will do even worse than hardwood will in a humid basement.  Instead, if you have moisture issues, you are better off using a waterproof or water resilient surface such as tile or vinyl.   If your basement is below grade (i.e. beneath the ground) a... 09/20/2012

That's what my customer from last night told me.   Yesterday, my office manager begged me to take an appointment.  She knew it was a crazy week and I already had 2 more appointments more than what I like to have (plus have been spending time catching up after my computer crashed).  She said it was an Angie's list customers (and they tend to be better and nicer customers) and it sounded like the timing was urgent and he sounded nice and just wanted to "pick my brain."   Apparently, he had just moved into his new apartment that day and pulled up the carpets (since his wife was allergic) and was hoping to just use the parquet floors underneath.  Before he closed on the place, he had pulled up a corner and they looked fine...but apparently they weren't when he ripped up all of the carpet.  ... 05/24/2012

A while back I wrote about a local real estate agent who got left high and dry by a contractor.  I helped "bail her" out by finishing up her carpet job as the previous contractor left in the middle and stole some of her stuff.    It was a very small project that was a lot of work trying to track down the right carpet.  But, I figured I would help her out...both because I wanted to help her (and felt badly about what happened) and I figured later if she had a client that needed flooring, maybe she would recommend me.  I gave her a discounted price because I felt so badly...and now she had to delay putting her house on the market.   Today we got a call from her.  It seems she sold her house very quickly...in 1 week in fact and over listing price (so I guess the carpeting and the staging h... 05/01/2012