This month, the Cyberhomes crew will share what's on our wish lists for the holiday season. Join us for 12 days of great gift ideas for home and real estate buffs.
Laura Buser, Cyberhomes marketing & communications
On my wish list: Out with the old and in with the new … I've lived with my "granny curtains" long enough! THE first thing on my wish list, dear Santa, is a house full of plantation shutters. (Hey, it's a WISH list, so why not a whole house full?) Love the classic look and designer touch the three-inch-wide shutters add to any room. I've heard they are the No. 1 choice among the most discriminating homeowners and designers. Plus, I can still add drapery panels at the sides for a dressier look in my living room. (Plink plink — that's the sound of money in my piggy bank!) I would select the sand-blasted finish vs. the smooth, plastic-y finish so the wood grain is visible. WOOD only, no plastic for me!
Cost: I know that plantation shutters are top-of-the-line expensive — right up there with leaded-glass windows — but I'm worth it! One of the best-known retailers is BuyPlantationShutters. I can safely guess that an average 40x40 window would be $800 or so, and with installation it could run $1,000 per window. Yikes. I do, however, have a very handyman-type of brother who owes me big time, so maybe I'm covered between him and Santa. (Please, Santa, please! I've been pretty good this year!) But if Santa and my brother fail me, I'm turning to Craiglist. I've heard the shutters come up often; if I'm lucky I might find just the perfect size.
Gift's added value to home: Plantation shutters may be the only window treatment that truly adds value to a home: at least 20 percent above their cost, according to my expert designer friend.
My gift to you: "Wall Words" are quotes and sayings that can be applied to walls via burnishing. I do them by hand for my favorite peeps! You tell me your favorite quote or family slogan, and I'll apply it to the wall of your choice. For instance, a friend put in a wooden stove hood and I lettered "Whine ~ whine ~ WINE!" on the front of it … so cute! Another friend, who lives at the beach, put this on her fireplace front: "Salt is the cure for everything ~ tears, sweat and the sea." Just share your deepest thought … and it's on your dining room wall!
Click here to read the previous holiday wish.
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—Laura Buser