Home Design Chat with Nancy

This week Lisa Rane with Berkshire Hathaway talked with Nancy about the Phoenix housing market and how the pandemic has affected sales. Also, they discussed the new home builds, mortgage rates, the resale inventory, and why Phoenix is still experiencing immense growth. If you are buying or selling a home, you'll want to know what the market changes are and what buyers & sellers are looking for...

Have you ever wondered who prints those beautiful scenes on buses and trains?  Who prints those huge signs at arenas? Nancy's guest is Lisa Perkins, Art Consultant & Sales Representative with Image Craft and Viapagi, who does it all.  Image Craft has large format printing capabilities, and in-house services to make your project turnkey. They have award winning designs to bring your i...

Nancy's guest this week is Vince Cavale, National Sales Manager with QDI Surfaces.  Summer is here and everyone is working on their backyard so this is the perfect time to learn about pavers, which can be porcelain, concrete or stone. Learn about the benefits of using pavers, their characteristics, how they are installed and how to maintain them. You'll want to listen to this podcast to...

Nancy’s guest is Steve Ertle, Merchandising Representative for B/S/H appliances.  Steve explained how the new crystal dry works on the Bosch dishwashers and why the in-line water heater is a plus instead of a heating element.  We also chatted about ProRanges with Titanium door and glass, side swing wall ovens and the Freedom induction cooktops. If you are remodeling your kitchen or just...

Nancy chatted with Jem Funk, lighting expert with Premier Lighting, about how to get the right lighting to change the mood of your home without contracting an electrician. Lighting can make or break the mood in a room and today we covered several ways to accomplish this. Listen and learn about unifying your bulbs, picking out the right LEDs, using layers of lights, diffusing your lights, dimming y...

Nancy's guest this week is Dan Hugo, a computer engineer with years of experience.  The subject was the Internet of Things and just how safe it really is. The more functionalities (apps) you add to your smartphone, the more information you store in the device. This could make smartphones and anything connected to them vulnerable to many different types of attacks. Don't be naive and thin...

On March 11, 2020, Nancy and Les Sturdevant, owner of Design Dream Kitchen Studio in Scottsdale, discussed the evolution of kitchen design from the 1950’s to the 1990’s.  They were going to continue this theme for the 2000’s on the following podcast, but due to the Coronavirus and social distancing, the podcast got put on hold. They remotely recorded the podcast today chatting about the trend...

Eric Skinner, owner of Premium Wholesale Cabinets in Phoenix, explained to Nancy the process of walking a new client through his showroom.  He explains the different cabinet construction and hardware.  He also shows the homeowner the many cabinet vignettes and explains the styles, wood species and stains of each cabinet manufacturer. As Eric was finishing our tour, we chatted about how h...

Nancy’s guest this week is Deren Rensen, Senior Area Sales Manager with Monogram Appliances.  Deren explained the differences between Monogram’s new collections:  The Statement and The Minimalist.  The Statement can work with Transitional or Traditional Kitchens while the Minimalist collection integrates seamlessly with the Contemporary look. Deren also talked about the Monogram vid...

Nancy suggests how to keep busy and positive in this world of the pandemic. This is a short, but upbeat podcast.  This has been a difficult for all of us and the sad thing is we don't have any idea when it will be over.  Following the CDC rules of social distancing, wearing a mask, washing your hands may help to end COVID-19. Stay safe This podcast sponsored by  Premier Lighting ema...

Nancy and Les Sturtevant, owner of Designer Dream Kitchen Studio, compared the kitchens of the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's.  How did the cabinets and countertops used in each decade differ and what appliances introduced in these time frames made life easier.   Remember when oak cabinets were popular and what about those formica countertops.   The evolution of the kitchen is a ver...

 Nancy talked with Steve Deubel, general contractor and owner of Image Home Improvement, about the process of kitchen design from beginning to end.   Here are some of the items they covered:   What is the first thing that must be done when you decide to remodel your kitchen.   What are change orders and why are they used. How to work with a team so your project w...

 Nancy explained how to work with a kitchen designer and why you should not attempt this task yourself, unless of course, you are a kitchen designer.   On this podcast Nancy explains the process of getting your kitchen remodel started.  She talks about budgeting, working with a contractor and tips on what decisions you need to make to get a kitchen you will be happy with. Yes,...

 Nancy discusses the reasons why and how homeowners should work with an experienced designer to remodel their kitchen.  With the background and knowledge, a kitchen designer can create a functional and aesthetic space while keeping the project within budget.  Listen to this podcast for more reasons why a designer will be worth the investment. Note:  the picture for this podcast...

 Nancy’s guest this week is Richard Wilkinson, owner of Made, a resource for Designers.  Richard just came back from Paris where he saw the big trends from around the world for 2020.   Textiles, accessories, furniture and wallcoverings are Richard’s focus for your home, but Richard is only available to the trade.  Not to worry!  Richard will work with your designer. &...

We all want to get the most out of our house when we sell it, but how do we start the process?  Lisa Rane, Realtor with Local Board Real Estate, is Nancy’s guest this week.   Lisa explains the process of preparing to put your house on the market.  Checking out your neighborhood, what has to be done to market your house to buyers, and who you should consult with during the prepa...

 Jem Funk, lighting specialist with Premier Lighting, just came back from the Dallas market and chatted with Nancy about what the lighting trends will be for 2020.   Definitely we are heading toward a more modern view in lighting with geometric shapes dominating the new looks. Lots of different and fun materials and finishes are being used.  Jem also explained what you won’t be...

 Nancy & Dede Radford, Our Dunn Edwards paint expert, talked about the colors of 2020.  Pantone is the leader for deciding the color of the year, but did you know each paint company has their own color of the year?  Dunn-Edwards has introduced 80 new colors for 2020. They also discussed what are the best colors for ceilings, the different paint sheens and what sheen should go wh...

Find out how to avoid being scammed and hacked by deviants. How to clean the clutter out of your computer.  These are 2 important subjects discussed during this podcast when Nancy interviewed Chris Diamond, owner of Hogfish Web Studios.  Chris has extensive experience in website design & development, Wordpress maintenance & security and web hosting. This podcast sponsored by&nbsp...

 Everyone loves Food Trucks for the variety of foods they offer, the fun they bring to events and the social atmosphere of bringing people together. Nancy chatted with Dan Hugo about the inner workings of the Food Truck business and how a truck kitchen compares to your home kitchen. What are the requirements and codes for a kitchen in a food truck?  How often are they inspected? Get...

Nancy interviewed Lori Ann Harnish, an independent Ambassador with Bossa Wines. If you want to impress when you are entertaining for the Holidays, learn about wine pairing with appetizers, entrees and desserts.  Lori Ann is the expert about wine pairing, wine quality, and more. Listen to this podcast so you can know more about the wines you are serving to your guests for the holidays and all...

The Holidays are here and you are having overnight guests.  Where do you put them?  Nancy chatted with Rachel Winter, expert organizer and owner of Happy Home Organizers, about cleaning out that junk room and turning the space into a cozy guest room you can be proud of.  Rachel has hints on decluttering and Nancy has hints on decorating to make your guests feel comfortable and welco...

Nancy’s guest this week is Don Judd, master woodworker and owner of Artisan Furniture AZ.  Don creates one of a kind pieces of furniture that he calls artwork. How did he get started in the business, what species of woods does he prefer to work with and what was his favorite project are some of the subjects covered in this podcast. In his spare time Don is the current present of the Internati...

Nancy’s guest this week is Les Sturtevant, expert kitchen designer and owner of Designer Dream Kitchen Studio in Scottsdale. Both Nancy and Les have been kitchen designers for many years and have their opinions about trends and fads.   What trends will you see in 2020 and what ideas are out. Don’t remodel your kitchen until you listen to this podcast. This podcast sponsored by  Prem...

Nancy chatted with Vince Cavale, National Sales Manager with QDI Surfaces, about the differences between natural stone, porcelain and ceramic.  They discussed the characteristics of each product and where each of would best fit in the home.   They also talked about how these products were made, the benefits of each and how the installation differs.  Vince described different pa...