CLEVELAND — We've all been stuck at home for 10 months, which has inspired a lot of people to say: "This place needs a makeover." And now that it's a new year, it might be time to do just that.
In our "2021 refresh" series, we talked to a Northeast Ohio couple, who shot to stardom with their HGTV show Gut Job, on how to truly love your home.
“The show for us was just unique and never thought in a million years would happen,” Kate Mancuso says.
She and her husband, Darren, have a talent of taking classic Cleveland homes with character and making them into something out of a magazine.
“We are adding insulation where it never existed before, we're updating all the wiring, all the plumbing, the HVAC, adding air conditioning," Darren says. "New roofs, new siding, new windows, so in effect you're getting the best of both worlds. You're getting the older home that has all the qualities of a new home."
Their style caught the attention of HGTV, and since lockdown they've also caught the attention of a lot of homeowners wanting to improve their space.
So we asked them: What's new for 2021?
“New trends that we're seeing are colored islands and we're doing fun wallpaper in bathrooms, which is really cool -- or even on ceilings, which is fantastic,” Kate says.
“The wallpaper that everyone is using today is not your grandma's wallpaper. It's fun, it's funky, there are a lot of geometric patterns that are fun right now. And we're not just putting them in powder rooms or half baths, but we're putting them on ceilings and we're putting it as an accent wall in a bedroom behind the bed, just something somewhere unexpected.”
And what about the super popular grey trend over the last few years? Is it over?
“You're talking to someone who loves -- I wouldn't say just greys, but whites,” Darren teases about his wife.
“Love whites," Kate says. "Any shade of white. But not just grey. Well, grey is classic, but it's also had a run. So, what we're doing is a lot of whites, honestly. Not stark whites, but whites with a little bit of warmth underneath so when you walk in you think wow this feels good."
And if your budget is small, just switch out your home's decor.
“More modern touches on everything, but what I like to do is keep a traditional aspect and incorporate the modern," Kate says. "And luckily a lot of our clients have been receptive to that."
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