Add extra pizazz with a chic accent chair

Albert Architecture 3221 Tulane Ave., New Orleans 504/827-0056 albert-architecture.com

All Hours Plumbing, LLC 504/909-6749 allhpar.com

C3NOLA Construction Services 504/220-2539 info@usec3nola.com usec3nola.com

Campbell Cabinet Co. 220 Hord St., Harahan 504/733-4687 4040 Highway 59, Mandeville 985/892-7713 campbellcabinets.com

Coburn’s Kitchen & Bath Showroom 3215 28th St., Metairie 504-834-8688

Demoran Custom Homes 504/810-5346 985/788-7857 demorancustomhomes.com

Doorman Designs 504/408-1616 DoormanDesigns.com

Eclectic Home 8211 Oak St., New Orleans 504/866-6654 eclectichome.net

Elan Studio Design Elan Studio Lighting 3515 Division St., Metairie 504/875-5046 elanstudiodesign.com elanstudiolighting.com

xterior Designs Beverly Katz, Land. Design New Orleans 504/866-0276 exteriordesignsbev.com

Fiber Seal 504/866-2273 nola@fiberseal.com Floor & Decor 2801 Magazine St, Ste A, New Orleans 504/891-3005 flooranddecor.com

Home Bank 1600 Veterans Blvd., Metairie 504/834-1190

J&J Exterminating 416 Commerce Point, New Orleans 504/303-4609 540 N Causeway Blvd, Mandeville 985/590-6674 Jjext.com

Kelly Sutton Designs 3800 Dryades St, New Orleans 504/302-2547 kellysuttoninc.com

Kim Starr Wise – The Flower Shop 2036 Magazine St., New Orleans 504/390-0563

Knaps Painting, LLC 985/264-4470 knapspaintingllc.com

LAS Enterprises 2413 L & A Road, Metairie 504/887-1515 1-800-264-1527

Legend Interiors 432 N. Anthony St. Suite 301 504/324-8080 info@legendinteriorsinc.com

Louisiana Custom Closets 13405 Seymour Meyer Suite 24, Covington 985/871-0810 louisianacustomclosets.com

M L M Incorporated 1400 Distributors Row, Elmwood 504/322-7050 South Shore 985/231-0233 North Shore mlm-inc.com

MULLIN 10356 River Rd., St. Rose 504/275-6617 mullinlandscape.com NIKI EPSTEIN DESIGNS 773/330-4941 nikiepstein12@gmail.com nikiepstein.com

Nordic Kitchens & Baths Inc. 1818 Veterans Blvd., Metairie 504/888-2300 nordickitchens.com

Palatial Stone and Tile, LLC. 1526 Religious St., New Orleans 504/576-9000 2052 Paxton St., Harvey 504/340-2229 palatialstone.com

Renaissance Doors 1000 Edwards Ave., Harahan 504/344-6994 renaissancedoors@gmail.com renaissancedoorsllc.com

Ruffino Custom Closets 110 Campbell Ave., Mandeville 504/252-9884 ruffinocustomclosets.com

Triton Stone Group 6131 River Rd., New Orleans3 504/738-2228 tritonstone.com

Tuscan Stone Imports 720 S. Galvez St., New Orleans 504/837-1511 7150 Pecue Lane, Baton Rouge 225/753-5870 tuscanstoneimports.com

VILLA VICI 4112 Magazine St., New Orleans 504/899-2931 villavici.com

Wren’s Tontine Shade & Design 1533 Prytania St., New Orleans 504/525-7409 wrenstontine.com •

TIMELESS APPEAL

Choosing the best hard surfaces to increase your home’s resale value

WITH A BOOMING REAL ESTATE MARKET, PLENTY of area homeowners are considering a move. Simultaneously, other homeowners have taken advantage of a homebound several months and embarked on renovation projects to improve their home’s function or outdated design. Both groups are likely calculating or considering their homes’ resale value, and this season, we’ve checked in with area experts on the various ways stone, tile, and flooring — large components of kitchens and baths — can increase or decrease value.

“Resale value is important,” says Kelly Sutton, interior designer and owner of Kelly Sutton Design. According to Sutton, resale value factors in more to a design approach when a client plans to sell in the near future versus when a client plans to live in the home for the next 10 or more years. With regard to stone, tile, and flooring, Sutton recommends keeping it light, fresh, and neutral if you intend to sell.

“When a home is for sale, the design really has to appeal to a wide audience, so anything too specific in style or too bold could potentially be a deterrent for people,” she says.

According to interior designer Penny Francis, you don’t have to sacrifice design because of resale — you just have to make less trendy design choices. She says it’s important to discuss return on investment when designing and to be careful not to over invest what the market can bear. With regard to flooring and increasing a home’s resale value, Francis recommends tile or stone for entries and foyers and bathrooms and porce-

lain tile or wood flooring for kitchens.

“Wood flooring is very transitional and works with all design aesthetics,” says Francis, owner of Eclectic Home. She adds that wood floors can be refinished, and that while they require more maintenance than porcelain, natural stone requires the most care and maintenance.

Owner and GM of MLM, Inc., a general contracting firm specializing in historic home renovation and new construction, Machi Medrzycki is also partial to solid wood as a top choice for flooring. But, he also acknowledges the popularity of Luxury Vinyl Planks due to unlimited design options, ease of installation, price, and water-resistant properties.

“We always ask the customers what is the exit strategy for the house [or] project first before we discuss any prices or textures,” says Medrzycki. For owners looking to sell within a couple of years, he recommends keeping flooring design choices current and mainstream with tile cost not exceeding $2 to $3 per square foot.

“If the client has a 10 plus year plan, then we can offer much more in the form of design and tile choices,” he says. “Ten years from now, none of the design will be relevant, so why not enjoy it in the meantime,” he says.

Legend Interiors Kitchen & Bath designer Nicole Ruppel Jones likes the bang for the buck that you can get in flooring with Luxury Vinyl Tile, which is modular, easy to install, durable, and easy to maintain. She also likes the durability and price point of porcelain tile, which can convincingly mimic natural stone. Whatever you choose, she recommends having materials in hand before beginning demolition on your project — in the aftermath of the pandemic, production delays, discontinued items, and very long lead times have unfortunately become common.

At Floor & Decor Design Studio, store manager Julea Greenberg sees benefits in both approaches to increasing a home’s appeal: natural hardwood and stone that have been popular locally for 100 years and highly durable luxury wood-look and stone-look vinyl flooring that come with lifetime residential warranties. According to Greenberg, Optimax, Floor & Decor’s exclusive new wood-based, natural product with no VOCs, offers a textured-wood look and has been an industry game changer.

“It is waterproof, scratch proof, dent proof, and pet proof,” she says. “Like our luxury vinyl, it is a floating floor — no adhesives necessary for install — with a tongue and groove clicking installation system.”

Another game changer for Greenberg has been large-format porcelain tile, which creates a high-end, natural stone slab look with minimal grout lines and impressive visual clarity at far lower prices.

Countertops made of stone slabs, whether natural or man-made, factor heavily in whether kitchens and baths succeed at providing a high rate of return on investment. According to local experts, it’s important to know the differences between the materials, including look, durability, maintenance, and quality.

One of the most popular choices is quartz, a man-made stone, consistent in pattern and color.

“Every slab of the color you choose looks the same as the next one,” says Rachel Jones, vice president and co-founder of Triton Stone. “Conversely, natural stone is one-of-a-kind, and every slab can look different. It is a way to make your home stand out and be unique when so many home designs are similar,” she says.

That said, natural stones — such as marble, granite, and quartzite — are live surfaces that require protection and proper cleaning to reduce wear and tear.

“Man-made products have come a long way in mimicking natural stone, and I think that’s been a game changer for people who don’t want the maintenance that comes with natural stone,” says Jones.

When considering quality, try to match the project selection with the architectural style of the home, suggests Paul Romain, president of Palatial Stone and Tile.

“Savvy buyers can discern if the quality of the product doesn’t match the quality of the home,” he says.

While man-made quartz products are popular, Romain recommends looking at natural quartzite slabs as more of the stone becomes available at better prices than ever.

“They are stunning, natural, extremely hard and durable, and for those who are looking for marble-type character, this can fill the gap,” he says.

Durability is important when considering the placement of your stone slabs — which countertops take a beating and which simply hold only a toothbrush and hand towel? At Tuscan Stone Imports, managing partner Keven Hicks recommends natural quartzite and granite or man-made quartz for kitchens, as these three materials are the most durable. These products also work well in bathrooms, but natural marble is a favorite in this application because of its timeless look. — KELCY WILBURN

Sweet Spot

Add extra pizzaz with a chic accent chair

WHETHER BEING USED TO CREATE A VIGNETTE, or to spruce up an otherwise mundane area, accent chairs provide that extra punch to bring a space to life. One we love is the new Coliseum Club Chair by the New Orleans furniture brand, Doorman Designs. The first iteration of the chair — which is modern, funky, classic and sculptural all at once — has been made in collaboration with another New Orleans brand, a textile company dubbed Palm Orleans.

The Doorman team bends each panel by hand on a metal press; welds and fabricates the chair back and seat; and then powder-coats the metal in bronze, black and white. The base of rolled aluminum stock with intricately turned zig zags provides a backdrop for the sun-resistant, acrylic-dyed Palmetto Stripe fabric (available in three color ways). The Coliseum Club Chair also is also available in a white Perennials Performance fabric with black piping (or custom materials). It is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

Get a sneak peek at the Coliseum Club Chair at The Columns on St. Charles Avenue. $1,700 for indoor chairs and $1,900 for outdoor chairs. doormandesigns.com — MISTY MILIOTO