Susie Skog knows Lake Norman Real Estate Inside Out

After purchasing a stunning home that was perfectly staged and kept in pristine condition, one common challenge facing the new owner is how to infuse the living space with their own personal style. Sometimes its more than just a matter of moving your furniture from the old house to the new one. If youre looking for ways to make your home feel more personal, here are a few tips for doing just that.

Put Your Interests on Display
Consider whatever it is that you enjoy doing in life and how that can be incorporated into the design. If your family loves to travel, for example, you can collect furniture, artwork and other items to put on display from each adventure. Everyone wants a living space that looks picture-perfect, but it should also be a reflection of who you are.

Colors and Textures
When it comes to picking out the ideal color scheme for a room, we all have our own preferences. Some people prefer muted earth-tones and others want an eye-popping burst of color, so dont be afraid to use it as a way to put your personality on display. Similarly, fabrics and textures are another matter of taste that can greatly impact the feeling of a room, from sleek leather to plush velvet, and you should take the time to identify which ones speak to you.

Signature Scent
Creating a personalized scent can be a great way to make your home feel more welcoming each time you step through the front door. Whether its a custom made candle or a blend of your favorite essential oils, tapping the sense of smell can totally transform a living space to feel more energized and uplifting.

Celebrate Sentimental Items
A luxurious home is often filled with high-end furniture and stylish dcor, but dont forget to find a place for your sentimental items. Youll always have a deeper connection to objects that are tied to experiences and memories than those that are bought in a store, which is why its comforting to put them on display around the house.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

There are two different types of outdoor spaces youre likely to come across when viewing real estate in the city

Those that are wide open to skyline views and those that are enclosed hideaways.

Heres a detailed look at how these types of spaces differ.

Open Urban Spaces

Whether its a rooftop terrace or a spacious balcony, some luxury homebuyers are drawn to outdoor spaces with far-ranging city views.

Enclosed Urban Spaces

A courtyard or a walled terrace with lush plantings has the power to transport you outside of your urban surroundings.

Go Big With Both

For those who are not willing to make any sacrifices when it comes to luxury living, it is possible to have both.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Smart home technology can improve many aspects of our lives, from entertaining to lowering energy usage. These days theres perhaps no greater benefit than the ability to keep your living space clean. While maintaining a healthy and germ-free environment is always important, its now a top priority in order to stay safe. Here are a few of the ways that the latest home technology can assist in this effort.

Smart Faucets
Faucets have a tendency to collect more germs than the rest of the home, with everyone touching them on a regular basis. While you might be washing your hands often, any germs that are on your hands when you turn the sink on will spread there. Thats why a touch-free faucet that turns on and off with motion sensors or voice commands can help to reduce the spread of germs in your home.

Air Purifier
At the time of writing this, the jury is still out as to whether the coronavirus can be transmitted through airborne particles. While the WHO organization has stated that initial evidence suggests the virus is not suspended in the air for extended periods of time, it cant hurt to have an air purifier with HEPA filtration in your home. In theory, these advanced systems would be able to remove any virus particles from the air.

Steam Cleaners
One concern thats been raised in the media is that the virus could potentially get on your clothes and then brought into your home. While this does not appear to be a common means of transmission, theres still a lot of research to be done before a definitive conclusion is made. In the meantime, you can breathe easy with a steam cleaner like the Samsung AirDresser, which is touted for being able to eliminate 99.9 percent of virus particles.

Smart Security
Many high-end homeowners rely on their smart security systems to keep them safe, but they probably didnt expect it could help to keep them safe from a virus. When considering that you can unlock your door without touching the deadbolt or instruct a delivery driver to leave a package at the door without having to interact directly, these state-of-the-art systems are giving us a whole new reason to appreciate them.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Its no secret that professional landscape design is highly valued by luxury homeowners. After all, everyone can appreciate a property with beautiful grounds, whether manicured or low-key, where they can bask in nature. Landscape architecture is undoubtedly an art form that were all acquainted with, but a particular part of it that you might be less familiar with is landscape lighting. Heres a quick rundown of everything youll need to know.

Identify Your Goals
There are many different styles and techniques used in the world of landscape lighting, so the first step is to understand them and how they can work on your property. Do you want to illuminate a towering tree from below or cast a shadow thats projected on to the side of your home? Maybe you want path lighting that meanders through your garden. While it might seem simple enough, achieving just the right look requires thoughtful planning.

Find Your Best Features
Trees and plants can look entirely different when theyre lit up in the evening. The intricate shape of leaves and the texture of bark, for example, can become more apparent when a light is shining directly at it. This is why its worth taking the time to consider which plants will really show their best at night to create a dramatic effect, and then try to center the design around them.

Consider the Color Temperature
Color temperature plays a unique role in landscape lighting. This is measured in Kelvin and typically ranges from 2,700K, which is considered warm lighting, to a bright white at 4,000K. While you may opt for a warm ambience around your outdoor seating area, you can utilize different temperatures throughout your property in order to accentuate the colors of various plants.

Work With a Professional
Of course, the best way to achieve breathtaking results is to work with a professional landscape designer who understands your vision. By becoming familiar with the process and techniques that are used, youll be better prepared to communicate this and have your backyard transformed into a majestic setting in no time.

Published with permission from RISMedia.