Times Advocate, 1996-12-04, Page 17Making a
Second Section -- December 4 1996
�use a home - without spending a fortune
Home coordination that respects the owner's taste
In addition to coordinating plants, lightig
Linda Reaume
By Heather Mir
T -A Reporter
ST. JOSEPH - You've just bought a new
house. Now the questions begin. Where do you
put the sofa? What color should you paint the
walls? How do'you give old furniture new life?
These are some of the questions a
professional home coordinator can help answer.
Linda Reaume coordinates homes on a room -
by -room basis, incorporating existing furniture
and family treasures while introducing a fresh
and accessories, Reaume offers advice,on
preparing a house for sale or special even,*
She suggests small changes such as cleani
windows and adding a fresh coat of paint iAs
ways to give a home more appeal. This
theory also applies to the outside of a horse
where creating a front door focal pointtha
works with the architectur 4flavor can nisice
a significant difference. 'One tip she revealed
involves painting the garage door to blenckin
with the bricks or siding and`tnly using a
contrasting color on the front entrance.
Reaume's business, aptly named Welcor*
Home!, allows her to make use of artistic
skills developed at an early age. She took a
job as a wedding consultant and has worked
in theatre cutting and designing costumes.
She also received an arts scholarship for oil
painting as a teenager.
"From a very young age, I've always
shown an aptitude for color," she said,
adding floral design is another skill she has
pursued.
Interaction with people is a part of the job
Beaume enjoys in addition to satisfying her
need for a creative challenge.
"I have to work with colo, and people."
The latest adventure of this self-
proclaimed gypsy took shape after a real •
estate agent noticed her past two homes sglc
perspective. within two weeks. Beaume soon be ar
Reatune opened her hon , usiness in dattita4.10r. reattors,stfigag
April, shortly after relocating t'r ii !s' tchell to on how to prepare a home forSale. Since
St. Joseph where she and her husband began then, she has taken a business course,
renovating a small cottage. She travels within a
wide area extending to Stratford, London and
Sarnia. According to her research, Beaume says
she is the only person in the area offering such a
service.
Acknowledging most people are working
within a budget, Reaume uses items people
already own and helps them make alterations
that transform a "house into a home."
"Money is tight for a lot of people. Because I
don't have a product, there is no pressure," she
explained ... _ _...
prepared a plan including a marketing
survey and begun taking clients. She
believes the difference in what she does, as
opposed to decorators, is in the comfort level
she has established. She has no inventory of
furniture or fabrics and is paid by each room
she consultants on, rather than by the hole..
She also avoids introducing trendy colors or
high priced purchases. She often considets
classic colors better investments, especially
for larger ticket items. N
•
Reaume brightened the dark family, room pictured above with,a color change and an updat-
ed
pdated window treatment. In the before photo, the dark wood panelling does not show off the
beauty of the woodwork. The panelling and brick were painted- the same .shade to brighten
the room and a new window treatment updated shears.
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