Is all white paint right for your space?

You want to paint your walls white, but you’re afraid—of scratches, of dirt, of fingerprints. Kids’ grubby hands and pets running amok make you think that maintaining white walls will be a total nightmare.

But that's not necessarily true. White walls can be a great design choice and they’re relatively easy to maintain. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re mulling over whether to use white paint in your space.

White walls give your home a fresh, clean and modern feel. When your walls are a blank slate, other parts of your décor can really pop out—your rich architectural details, artwork, a special piece of furniture, or even a beautiful rug.

White paint also makes your ceilings appear higher and your space look bigger overall, especially if your trim and your ceiling are also painted the same shade of white. Not having sharp horizontal lines tricks the mind by extending your view.

White walls might even be the trick to sleeping better at night. The Better Sleep Council says that while vibrant colors might be appealing, they don’t help with relaxation. Neutrals, like white, can help you wind down because your space feels calmer.

When you’re deciding whether or not to go white, you’ll want to consider your climate. That’s because the outside environment affects how your interior walls look. A climate with a lot of sunny days makes white walls feel warm. But white walls can feel cold in chilly and snowy climates with frequent grey skies.

Also important is how much natural light your home gets. If you have large windows on the southwest side of your home, you’re probably getting a lot of natural light. That warms your space and makes white walls look soothing and serene. On the other hand, if you’re turning on lights every time you enter a room, it’s better to steer clear of white.

So, what do you do when the inevitable happens and your white walls get smudged or scratched? Don’t fret. Stains on white walls can be easily cleaned using a Magic Eraser sponge. Or, you can retouch the paint in minutes with a little extra paint.

White paint shows patches less than any other color, especially when you’re using a flat finish, so you don’t have to worry about your beautiful white walls ever looking splotchy. If you’ve been leaning toward white, take the plunge!

The hardest part? It will be choosing from the hundreds of shades of white paint out there. To best see the nuances—white paints come with blueish, reddish, yellowish and even greenish undertones—take a trip to your local paint shop.

Designing your dream kitchen? Make room for a second dishwasher. Here’s why.

It wasn’t long ago—the 1960s—when most homeowners washed their dishes by hand and dreamed of owning just one dishwasher. Since then, dishwashers have become more affordable, and also more technologically advanced.

Recently, more and more homeowners have opted to install a second dishwasher, a move that’s making life more convenient, and cleaner. Adding a second dishwasher can also add value to your home. Even if you’re planning to stay in your custom build for years, installing a second dishwasher can help with resale down the road.

So, what are the benefits? Imagine this. Your dishwasher’s clean, your sink is full of dirty dishes, and you have company coming over in an hour. You’re prepping hors d'oeuvres and tidying up and you’re dreading having to put away clean dishes. With a second dishwasher, it’s easy to hide the mess. You can let the clean dishes be and load the second dish washer with the dirty dishes. It makes kitchen clean up seamless.

A second dishwasher is also a great amenity for families with kids who know how dirty dishes can multiply. If your kids are young, they may not be using many dishes. However, they’ll be teenagers before you know it, and teenage get-to-togethers can produce a lot of dirty dishes. With a second dishwasher, you’ll always have room for family and friends to take care of their own dirty plates. There’s no room for excuses.

Second dishwashers come in handy as well if your dishwasher breaks—you’ll always have a backup and you won’t waste time washing dishes by hand. Many people with second dishwashers choose to put their plates, bowls and utensils in one machine, and their pots and food prep containers in the other.

People who keep kosher use one dishwasher for dishes that have touched meat and the other for ones that touch dairy. Other homeowners use both dishwashers for dishes. They use clean dishes out of one instead of taking the time to put them away, and loading dirties into the other.

Two dishwashers make an excellent addition to an open floor plan where family and friends frequently gather. Two machines keep the heavily trafficked space always looking neat and clean.

When it comes to design, you have options. You might install one full-sized dishwasher and one dish drawer. Or, you could opt for two full dishwashers. Some people choose to purchase one less expensive dishwasher and splurge on a second with more bells and whistles. You’ll also want to think about location. Many homeowners like to have their dishwashers flank the kitchen sink. Others separate them based on work zones.

At Arieli, we can easily help you fit two dishwashers into your kitchen design based on your unique needs. Contact us to learn more.

Open floor plans upend kitchen design and styling

Open floor plans first became popular in the 1990s, and they’re still going strong. With both new builds and remodels, most people still opt for an open floor plan.

At the center of it all, the kitchen has long been a place where friends and family members gather. Open floor plans have made that even more true. A contemporary kitchen offers homeowners much more than simply an area to prep and cook. As part of an open floor plan, a kitchen can include a home office space, a place for the kids to do their homework, device charging stations, a casual dining area, a coffee center, a bar, or even a second working kitchen in a scullery.

As the kitchen becomes even more of a hub, its materials and colors have spread beyond the butcher block and into a home’s broader living space. This change helps unite the look and feel of your entire living space. One example of this blending effect is with cabinetry.

A popular design trend is to unify cabinets throughout your open space with custom-made cabinetry. More and more, appliances are being built in, or integrated, into cabinets, giving the room a seamless, sleek look. For example, an undercounter beverage and wine chiller can be built in to an island. Kitchen cabinets carry into your living area, where you can use the same materials you're your entertainment units and bookshelves.

In addition to cabinetry, we’re also seeing changes in flooring choices for open floor plans. Using just one flooring material in your entire open space makes the area look even bigger than it actually is. Wide plank hardwood flooring or oversized tiles reduce seams and help make a larger room feel overall more balanced and proportionate.

Best Neighborhoods in Houston: Why buy now in Meyerland and Bellaire?

For many years, the lofty prices of older homes in Meyerland and Bellaire have been a barrier for people interested in building new homes in the area.

But that’s all changed in recent years. In 2015, 2016 and 2018, Meyerland and Bellaire were hit by three major floods, leaving many homes for sale at lot value. At the same time, the Harris County Flood District has embarked on an aggressive infrastructure project to protect the area from future flood damage. 

With the risk of future flooding low, residents have been rebuilding or raising their homes. For people looking to sell their damaged homes, it’s often at a discount. As new construction ramps up in the area, home values will inevitably rise—and drastically—with demand increasing due to the limited supply of available lots. Now is a rare opportunity to invest in one of Houston’s most desirable neighborhoods at a fraction of the cost. 

Over the next several years, the neighborhoods will continue to evolve. As more and more young families move in to take advantage of the area’s top-notch schools, you’ll see more children riding their bikes through streets and playing in cul-de-sacs. Meyerland and Bellaire will continue to thrive, as families from Houston and beyond flock to the safe, central and diverse communities.