October / November 2010 - The Hays Daily News

HausDasHOME & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINEMind-changerOld home helps new Haysresident find exactly whatshe was looking forOCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2010

HausDasfeatures7 Energy BoostNew appliances can providepizzazz, energy efficiency12 At home IN HaysMi n d-Ch a n g e rPorch helps woman become sold on large house8 Time to DecorateIt might be time for Halloween, butChristmas is right around the corner10 Taking Center StageWhen you’re thinking of selling yourhome, staging can mean everything4 • OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2010 DAS HAUS • w w w.HDNe w s.n e t

REACH YOUR CUSTOMERSIN YOUR CHOICE OF MEDIAwww.HDNews.net• Area’s Most Popular Web Site• Enriched Content• Multi-Media PresentationsNiche Web Sites• KanConnect• KanPrep• Larks• FHSU SportsImage Services• Specialty PrintingDaily Newspaper• Award Winning Coverage• News, Sports, Lifestyles,Business, Religion, etcSpecialty Publications• Das Haus• ONE• EXTRACustom Videos• Cooking with Carla• Voices of NorthwestKansasPixel Power Haus• Customized Web Site Creation507 MAIN •HAYS, KS www.HDNews.net (785) 628-1081

ENERGYboostWhether purchasing appliances forbetter energy savings, to investin your home’s value or simply toenjoy new levels of functionality,homeowners can reap the benefits of technologicalinnovations in the kitchen.A relatively new technology for cooktopsis induction, which uses a high-frequencyelectromagnet to transfer energy into metal.The transferred energy causes the metal inthe cooking vessel to become hot.“You can put your hand on the cooktopall day long, and it will never get hot,” saidKeith Eilts, owner of Arrow Maytag Home ApplianceCenter, 1224 E. 27th, “But if you usea pan that’s magnetic, it will heat up.”Seventy percent more energy efficientthan a gas cooktop, an induction burner canbring water to the boiling point in 90 seconds.In addition, the burners adjust to thesize of the pan being used.continued on page 16 >>a p p l i a nc e s w i t hPIZZAZZBy DAWNE LEIKERDAS HAUS • w w w.HDNe w s.n e t OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2010 • 7

d e c o r a t i o n sGALOREBy DIANE GASPER-O’BRIENDecorateTis the season toMention a holiday in October,and a lot of peoplewill think of Halloween.Not Caroline Von Lintel,an interior designer and ownerof dV8 Design Haus, 809 Main, aninterior design business specializingin tile boutique and cabinetry set toopen later this month in Hays.Von Lintel already was thinkingChristmas when she went to marketin Los Angeles in September. Shegoes to market several times a yearin different parts of the country andbrings back with her new ideas.New trends this year, said VonLintel — who also does completeChristmas decorating as a consultant— are clip-on ornamentsand metallic or glass ornaments,eliminating the bag of hooks tokeep track of.8 • OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2010 DAS HAUS • w w w.HDNe w s.n e t

She said if you didn’t get all youwanted in after-Christmas, super-dealaisles in January, the beginning of Novemberwould be a good time to startlooking. Some even start decorating bythat time.Of course, if you are partial to freshtrees, the week after Thanksgiving ismore practical.A way to enjoy decorations longerand still have a lot of green at thesame time, Von Lintel pointed out, isto go with live potted trees you canreplant.“That is a huge trend,” she said,adding another popular trend isthemed trees and children’s trees.Children’s trees give youngstersan “opportunity to collect and participateand not have the worries of thembreaking heirlooms or collectibles,”while themed trees let kids of all agesexpress themselves.And some folks do both.“I have found that people aredoing more than one tree,” she said.“(They’ll have) the larger traditionaltree and a smaller, playful interactivetree.”A convenience, as well as a safetyfeature, for any kind of tree lights inrecent years is a remote or wirelesspower bar where all lights can beturned on or off with a touch of a button.While there are lots of stores thatsell online holiday merchandise, VonLintel likes a website of a store in asmall town in Michigan called Frankenmuth.“It’s a community that is committedto promoting the spirit ofChristmas,” she said. “And it also is aGerman community like Hays.”Bronner’s Christmas Wonderlandin Frankenmuth — www.bronners.com — calls itself the world’s largestChristmas store featuring “your onestopshop for ornaments and everythingChristmas.”

TakingcenterSTAGEEven in a tough economy, homeowners who take the time to“stage” their home often are able to sell their homes fasterand at a higher selling price.It’s important for homeowners to know staging is a process,said Kris Dewell, accredited home-staging specialist, accreditedbuyer’s representative and certified residential specialist.“It’s a process of pulling together yourhome and putting your best foot forwardfor your home so that you can get top dollar,”she said.m a k i n ga h o m e SELLPointing out the attributes of the staged By DAWNE LEIKERhome at 1404 W. 45th provided by CovenantBuilders, developer for the new King’sGate Addition, Dewell emphasized the use of space and color.“This home has personality,” she said. “It’s got some pop.”Since nearly all real estate now is marketed through real estateWeb sites, staging has become a particularly important step in themarketing process.10 • OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2010 DAS HAUS • w w w.HDNe w s.n e t

The appearance of clutter in photoscan undermine a home’s appealto online shoppers.Often a homeowner has difficultybeing objective about the strengthsand weaknesses of his or her ownhome. Dewell has been an accreditedhome stager for four years and assistshomeowners by pointing out pitfallsof a home’s appearance and suggestingchanges that can make the homeappealing to a wide range of potentialbuyers.“The seller should somehow connectwith the buyer and make themfeel like this could be their home,”she said. “They need to rememberthat buying is an emotional decision.”Adding furniture to a vacant homeis helpful, Dewell said. In metropolitanareas, many homeowners rentfurniture to make the home looklived-in. However, Dewell finds amore common issue in her local businessis removing excess furnishingsfrom a home.“The homeowner may haveto rent a storage unit or move thefurniture to the new house they’rebuying,” she said. “So that is more ofa problem than actually having to findfurniture.”Staging doesn’t have to be costly.Dewell recommends painting as thetechnique that often provides the“biggest bang for the buck.”She pointed out a recent listing,on the market only a few days, withseveral offers already in the works.“Painting that home cost under$500, and I can almost guarantee itmade several thousand dollars differencein the price,” she said. “We hadpurple walls, pink walls, yellow walls,green walls, wallpaper and borders.It was a mishmash of ’80s style. Nowit’s cohesive.”Several steps are involved in thestaging process, according to Dewell.1. De-clutter: Make every effort toshow as much square footage of thehome as possible without making thehome look bare.2. Clean: Go through the housewith a careful, thorough and objectiveeye, and make everything shine —KanConnect.net is the most completeand reliable directory in NorthwestKansas-with more than 15,000businesses and organizationsShare your story with potentialcustomers-offering expanded featureslike pictures, interactive videos,coupons and more.KanConnect .netthe home should smell clean as well.3. Repair, replace, redecorate:Don’t start any major projects, butfinish small projects that are in theworks and fix things that are broken.4. Depersonalize: This doesn’tnecessarily mean making the homeentirely generic, but can mean repaintingrooms formerly decorated inteam colors or removing a few familyphotos.5. Finishing touches: Replacedingy or dated bedding and towels,add throw pillows to a couch, replaceworn window treatments or add deckfurniture and a potted plant.Do You Remodel Bathrooms?Make sure your business can be found on the internet.KanConnect.net from The Hays Daily News.It’s your home, home on the web.

Mind-

changerPorch helps woman become sold on large houseWith her four children grown and out on their own, Pam Pyle waslooking to downsize when she moved to Hays from Dodge City thispast spring.She wanted to concentrate on her new job as a registerednurse at Hays Medical Center and not have to worry about keeping up a largehome and yard.Something easy, something small,she told her real estate agent.Then one day on a whim, AdeleShaver showed Pyle an old 3,500-plus square-foot, two-story home atthe corner of 14th and Ash.“She couldn’t figure out whatI wanted,” Pyle said of Shaver. “Iwas kind of all over the place. Shementioned this home one day, and Idecided to take a look.”The Victorian-style home, built inAt home IN haysstory byDiane Gasper-O’Brienphotography byRaymond Hillegas1903, was the exact opposite of what Pyle had been looking for. But one lookat the woodwork and high ceilings, and some precious memories from herchildren’s days of growing up in Dodge City came flooding back.DAS HAUS • w w w.HDNe w s.n e t OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2010 • 13

“We lived in a two-story housethat had all the bedrooms on onefloor,” Pyle explained. “The kidswould go to bed acting like theWaltons,” she said of the popular TVseries that ran from 1972 to 1981.“They would say each name, like‘Good night, John Boy,’ go throughthe whole list.”That kind of home, however,was not what Pyle was looking for inHays.“I had wanted the laundry roomand bedrooms all on (the same)floor,” she said. “But I did want adining room large enough to haveall the kids home at once, plus fourgrandkids.”That all seemed simple enough,except she also wanted a porch onthe house.“I always wanted a porch,” saidPyle, who admitted it was love atfirst sight when she drove up to thehome with a wraparound porchalong the east and south sides of thehouse. “This house had everythingI wanted, so I said, ‘I think I’ll takeit.’ ”“Really?” Shaver asked.Really.That was a few short months ago.After looking at the house in April,Pyle closed on the deal in May andmoved to Hays in June.Now, Pyle spends her free time— which sometimes is in the middleof the night because she is used toworking the overnight shift — workingin her yard.A large wooden deck on the backside of the house provides a “perfect”outdoor area for her two smallpet dogs, Abby and Molly.Pyle already had plenty of furnitureto furnish the home, and beforeshe makes any significant changes,she is having fun learning about thehouse’s history.“I looked up some of the historyon the Internet, and nuns livedhere, and some nursing students,”Pyle said, admitting that bit of newswas interesting since she is a nurseherself.14 • OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2010 DAS HAUS • w w w.HDNe w s.n e t

The kitchen has been modernized;otherwise, the rest of the homeappears to be much the same aswhen it was built. A small butler’spantry serves as an entryway fromthe kitchen to the dining room.Hallways are wide and spacious, anda large, wide wooden staircase takesher to the second floor that featuresthree bedrooms, an office and abathroom. Wooden floors are in allbut one room.A third-floor loft that can bereached only by an extremely narrow,steep staircase could be finishedand make for even more room.In one corner is a turret with severalwindows overlooking the streetbelow.“I think that could make a reallycute apartment,” Pyle said. “AndI already have a college kid fromDodge who wants to live up there.”Smith said she “loves” the spaceand already hosted a large familygathering during the Fourth of Julyweekend.She said it was the first of manysuch events she plans to have at hernew home, which, for her, the realdrawing card still is the porch.“So relaxing to sit out there, especiallyat night,” Pyle said. “Watchcars drive by, people go by on foot oron bicycles. Really peaceful.”DAS HAUS • w w w.HDNe w s.n e t OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2010 • 15

ENERGY, from page 7 >>Electrolux also offers wall ovensfeaturing convection cooking modesand multi-stage cooking options.Some innovative features include:perfect turkey button, “my favorite”settings, bread-proof mode and slowcookmode.Energy savings is an importantconcern for many appliance shoppers.By replacing existing kitchen appliances,including dishwasher, microwave,refrigerator and oven, with ConsortiumEnergy Efficiency Tier 3 rated appliances,a homeowner can realize upto $400 a year in energy savings, Eiltssaid.All Energy Star appliances are notcreated equal. Eilts said shoppersneed to consider the differences inan appliance’s CEE Tier ratings. Tier 1rated appliances save 10 percent inenergy costs, Tier 2, 20 percent andTier 3, 30 percent.Replacing that outdated, 30-yearold refrigerator might save up to $200a year. Eilts said an Electrolux Tier 3energy rated refrigerator uses lessenergy than a 60-watt lightbulb. With atemperature-controlled drawer designedfor specific items such as wineor cheese, the appliance is really arefrigerator within a refrigerator.It’s not just a matter of energysavings, but food budgets can bereduced with the addition of a new energyefficient refrigerator. A refrigeratorthat keeps your food fresh longer canmean less food is wasted and pay forthe upgrade in food bill savings.Selecting the right appliance alsocan increase the bottom line whenselling your home.“This is what will make or breakyour house,” Eilts said. Adding functional,technologically advanced applianceswill bring “added value and areturn on your investment.”“If you have a good kitchen, peoplewill overlook other distractions in thehouse and want that kitchen,” Eiltssaid. “But not only that, you will havesomething you can really use and appreciate.”DAS HAUS • 16

After floods and storms, residents can build back smarterKANSAS CITY, Mo. — Thisyear’s spring and summersevere storms took a tollon homes, businesses andcommunities throughout the Midwest,leaving many to muck out,clean up, repair or rebuild.The silver lining amid the devastation,though, is individuals andcommunities can take action to betterprotect themselves in the futureagainst the impacts of all kinds ofweather, from tornadoes and floodsto ice storms and blizzards. Thoseactions are known as mitigation, ordisaster-resistant measures. Theideas of what can be done are endlessand the costs can fit any budget.“It’s been proven time and againthat mitigation works and that theimpact on lives and properties canbe reduced in future disasters,”said Beth Freeman, FEMA RegionVII administrator in Kansas City.“Financially, the savings can be assignificant as four or more dollarsfor every one dollar spent on mitigation.If that’s not incentive enough,just think about the heartache andinconvenience that can be saved.There’s no doubt that taking protectiveaction before the next storm isworth it.”Repairing, remodeling or buildinga new home or business — no matterthe reason — all present perfectopportunities to incorporate mitigationmeasures. Residents alwaysshould check with local officials todetermine what kind of permitting isrequired.Consider some of these ideas:• Reinforce the roof.• Seal all exterior openings, suchas holes where wires, cables andpipes enter or exit a structure (windsof 74 mph can blow water up a wallabout 4 feet).• Raise electrical panel boxesand outlets.• Elevate appliances such as17 • DAS HAUSa washer and dryer, water heater,furnace or air conditioner.• Anchor propane tanks.• Strengthen garage doors byinstalling wood or metal stiffenersto an existing door or replacing thedoor with one that is specificallydesigned to resist high winds.• Consider elevating an entirestructure. Check with local buildingofficials for details.• Purchase flood insurance.Here’s how residents can get started:• Make a plan.• Set a budget to help avoid overspending.• Check local requirements beforebeginning work.• Hire a professional whenneeded.Source: FEMAwww.fema.gov

All‘kid’dingMaking rooms thataren’t childishasideBetsy Burnham loves designingbedrooms for youngchildren. But before she canbegin, she sometimes has tosteer clients away from painfully cutedesign ideas.“I don’t like cutesy things — themurals, the Disney things,” saidBurnham, an interior designer basedin Los Angeles.“Why give them areally babyish room,when it’s so expensive tochange everything” asthe kids grow older?A child’s room canbe wonderfully whimsical,she said, “but it can also fit inwith the rest of your decor.”Many parents feel obligated tostick with colors and imagery commonlyassociated with little kids.“But when you do that,” saiddesigner Brian Patrick Flynn, founderof decordemon.com, “you create apowder keg, because then you haveto redecorate when they get bigger.”How do you create a space thatis kid-friendly, but will also grow withyour child and mesh with the rest ofyour home?Flynn, Burnham and HGTV’slatest “Design Star” winner, EmilyHenderson, share their advice:As k a DESIGNERBy MELISSARAYWORTH, APBreak the rulesForget the typicalpastels and primary colors.Flynn loves vibrantoranges and greens forkids’ bedrooms: “They’rehigh energy, but totallygender-neutral.”White and brownalso are a great combination, he said,because you can accessorize themwith a range of other colors as thechild’s taste changes.If you’re set on pink, Burnhamsuggests using a shade like salmon orwatermelon instead of a more predictablebubblegum pink.18 • OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2010 DAS HAUS • w w w.HDNe w s.n e t

And rather than a basic royal blue,consider a deep navy for a look that’scrisp and a bit more grown-up.“There are so many ways of doingcolor and pattern in sophisticatedway,” Henderson said. “So many fabricsand wallpapers that are amazinganimal prints, figures of animals thatare modern and fresh and fun.”Consider painting stripes on kids’ceilings, or wallpapering the ceiling tobring in a pop of texture and color.“Especially for a baby,” saidHenderson, decorating the ceiling “iskind of going to wake up their imagination.”Flynn likes using geometric printwallpaper that evokes ‘60s or ‘70sstyle, perhaps in black and white orolive and taupe. He also likes usingindoor/outdoor fabric in children’srooms, because of the impressivedurability.Skip the kiddie furnitureBurnham said a dresser with achanging pad on top can be a functionaland stylish alternative to atraditional changing table. And ratherthan buying a prefab kids’ table andchairs set, Henderson recommendshunting at flea markets for vintageschool chairs and desks.No need to buy a toddler bed:Your child doesn’t need one.“If you invest in a couple of reallynice twin beds, or just one twin bed,”Burnham said, “you can probably turnthat bed into a daybed once the childmoves on to a full- or queen-size bed.”And leave that Spiderman lamp onthe shelf at the big box store. Flynnsaid vintage lighting can give a child’sroom much more style. Chrome orbrass works well, he said, “or usethe plastic ones from the ‘60s. Theyhave nice fluid biomorphic lines. It’splayful and fun and doesn’t take itselfseriously.”Keep the characters in the toybox“Buy them a Buzz Lightyear toy,”said Burnham, “but don’t put BuzzLightyear all over the walls.”Many kids’ rooms these dayslook like advertisements for popularlicensed characters. Nothing datesa room more than focusing it on onecharacter — within a few years, yourchild will be into something new andyou’ll be stuck with the redecoratingbill.