Professionals or Handymen: Which Should You Use?

Do you need a project completed in or around your home? Be it painting, electrical contracting or even construction, you might be considering hiring a handyman to do the job quickly and affordably. However, the phrase ‘you get what you pay for’ is highly applicable in this regard; while a handyman might be able to get your tasks done fast, the quality of his work will often be left up to a number of variable factors.

Smaller, simple jobs might also look easy enough to get away with not hiring professionals, but at the end of the day, many home-owners end up saving more money in the long run by getting the job done by experts the first time around. Here are a few good reasons why you should turn to renovation and design professionals instead of handymen for your next home-related job!

Reliable Rates

The services on offer from a local handyman can vary considerably, and of course, so do the rates for these kinds of services. Handymen base their rates on a number of factors, including their personal preferences, the current market, and the size of the job in question. These are jacks-of-all-trades; individuals who know how to perform a wide variety of tasks, but are often not trained or officially skilled in many.

A large percentage of handymen tend to rely purely on experience to teach them how to complete renovation tasks and minor home repairs, so the quality of their work is also based largely on the amount of experience they have and how long they have been in the industry. Paying a flat rate to your handyman can seem advantageous if he gives you an honest quote as to how long the job will take – but if he quotes for a six-hour job and gets it done in just two, you would essentially have paid triple what you should have.

Minor, quick jobs (such as changing electrical outlets or replacing faulty thermostats) might cost you somewhat less with a handyman around too, but again, the quality of his work may vary and you might not get the lasting result you are looking for – which can be worrying, especially when dealing with electrical issues! Turning to a renovation professional, on the other hand, means that you will receive proper, formal quotations, competitive industry rates, and the services of trained experts who know exactly how to complete the job safely and effectively, with no hitches or mistakes along the way.

Guaranteed Quality

When you decide to hire a handyman to paint, decorate or do electrical work on your home, your only guarantee of the quality of his work will be his credentials and his reputation. Of course, a good reputation is a solid start, but this can change unexpectedly with little path for recourse should something go wrong. Essentially, the only way to assure the quality of the work you receive is to hire a professional, accredited organization that protects both you and the investments you choose to make in your home.

Handymen are, to all intents and purposes, the freelancers of the home improvement world. They often work alone, and do not always belong to industry organizations – although some may opt for independent memberships. In some areas, handymen are obligated to hold licenses before they can offer their services to the public, but even so, practically anyone with a few basic skills can rightfully market themselves as a handyman or woman, leaving their reliability largely up to fate.

When you hire a company that supplies expert contracting services, however, you will receive services that are monitored constantly by industry watchdogs, who can also assist you in the case of something going wrong. Some companies even hold their own quality guarantees as stipulated in their work contracts, meaning that you can legally hold your contractors and painters to their words. Aside from a few rare cases, handymen do not provide such contracts!

Invaluable Experience

In every possible scenario, experience is an extremely valuable commodity when it comes to contracting and renovation. You will likely pay higher rates for more experienced workers, regardless of whether they are handymen or professionals. The professionals, however, are also trained in risk mitigation and a wide variety of jobs and services, whereas handymen tend to gather their experience from learning (and sometimes making mistakes) on the job.

A cheaper rate may seem attractive at first, but if your handyman makes a mistake or has an accident, you could be left with serious and expensive consequences. By investing more into hiring professionals, you will be paying for the services of licensed, educated and regulated experts who have the proper insurance, permits and liability coverage needed should something go awry on the job.

Now that you know about the benefits of choosing trained contractors over handymen, which will you be choosing for your next project? Contact our team at Canaima Design today and allow us to improve your home with professionalism, reliability, and the utmost integrity our clients have come to expect from us!

How to Pick the Perfect Wallpaper Every Time

There was once a time when wallpapered walls were considered vintage, dated... and perhaps even outdated. However, this choice of wall covering is making a big comeback, and has become an increasingly popular pick for home-owners across the globe thanks to its versatility of style.

With all that said, if you are new to the wonderful world of wallpaper, you might be wondering exactly how to manoeuvre your way through the endless ranges on offer to make the best possible picks. Naturally, we at Canaima Design are here to help you out, so read on to discover how to choose, match and apply the perfect wallpaper for your home.

Matching the Ambience of Your Room

The first, and possibly the most important tip that we have when it comes to choosing a wallpaper is to match the paper to the style of the room you want to decorate. Here are a few examples:

• If the room is traditional, consider stripes, intricate damask patterns, or simply plain block colors, which work well alongside classic furniture and décor.

• If the room is contemporary or modern, opt for bold geometric prints, or even wallpaper with high gloss or metallic finishes. Large, confident floral patterns also make an impactful statement.

• If the room is boho or romantic, choose delicate floral and damask prints in muted, neutral or pastel shades.

• And if the room is more casual in style, try a stucco or beadboard faux finish for the most impact. Combining beadboard wallpaper with flowing, organic-looking floral prints makes for a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere in any room.

Placement, Layout, and Statement Walls

The next step to consider is how you will be using the wallpaper in your room of choice. Not all styles work in the same way, so you (or your design professional!) will need to put some thought into placement and layout. Some popular options include:

• Covering all four walls. A simple plain or horizontally striped design across all of your walls will provide a look that is fresh, neat and contemporary, while not overwhelming the rest of your décor

• Choosing a feature wall. Many home-owners choose a single wall, like the wall behind a bed or a sofa, to cover in a bold or dramatic wallpaper to highlight a certain area of a room. If you opt for this approach, take it to a new level with a glossy, mica, or metallic finish.

• Make the ceiling your feature wall. You can easily add interest to your ceiling by adding a unique textured wallpaper to the mix. Alternatively, you could also paint it in an appealing metallic shade for a Victorian-style tin roof appeal.

Demystifying Different Wallpaper Types

Next, you will need to pay some attention to what type of backing your wallpaper has. Wallpapers with non-woven backings (also known as ‘paste-the-wall’ papers) are fully strippable when you decide you need a change, and the backings on these do not expand when wet, either. As this paper does not need to soak before application, pastes can be applied directly to the wall itself, which significantly shortens decorating time when compared to traditional woven-backing papers.

It’s also a good idea to consider the texture of the wallpaper you are looking to add to your home. Textured patterns can provide an interesting look and feel to a space, and tend to create a more casual ambience, while flat wallpapers typically look more stylish and refined. If you have any imperfections on your wall you want to hide, textured options are the way to go, and some textured wallpapers are even paintable if you are keen on a monochromatic room. Flat wallpapers, on the other hand, are capable of supporting embellishments like mica, metallic or gloss effects – and if you have wall imperfections but prefer the flat look, you can always use a wall liner as a base layer to smooth things out.

Take Advantage of Our Expertise

As with all interior design projects, there is a lot more to bear in mind when choosing a new wallpaper. You need to measure all the walls accurately for their total square footage, deduct space taken up by windows, doors and entrances, check the roll label for its square footage coverage... or you could leave it all up to your trusted design professionals.

Our team here at Canaima Design is highly experienced in selecting and applying a wide variety of wallpapers and finishes, leaving you with none of the stress and a beautiful final result. Contact us whenever you feel like a change and we will gladly help you pick the perfect wallpaper for your living space!

7 Good Reasons Why You Should Hire an Interior Designer

If you have already used the services of an interior designer, chances are you are now hooked for life! A client who has enlisted the help of a design professional will know all about the difference between an amateur and expert approach to design, décor, construction and more – but if you have never worked alongside a professional before, you might be unsure of what to expect (or why you need expert help in the first place).

Read on as we break down the best reasons for hiring a pro interior designer, and the benefits you stand to gain from doing so rather than tackling the whole task yourself!

#1: We Know the Industry Inside Out

When you enlist the help of a team of design experts (like our team here at Canaima), you will be enjoying the combined expertise of trained and experienced professionals who know exactly what they are doing.

A team like ours knows precisely how to read and match colors, how to choose the right finishes for the job, and how to align your home or space with the latest industry trends at the same time.

We are also trained to know the characteristics, functions, proportions and scales of almost every material out there, so we can combine them properly and use them in the most appropriate settings possible.

#2: We Save You Money (and Time) in the Long Run

Many folks believe that interior design services are better left to the rich and famous, but this simply isn’t true. Hiring a team of professionals might cost you more as an initial investment, but over time, a carefully selected designer may actually save you plenty of money in the long run.

Your designer will help you to plan, organize and coordinate every step of your design project, while minimizing the chances of any errors or mishaps happening along the way. This can ultimately prevent unnecessary delays or potentially costly mistakes, while also giving you the exact result you have been aiming for.

#3: We Help You Stick to Your Budget

Setting a budget for your renovation or design project is the easy part of the process. Planning how you will divide your funds across the different aspects of your project is another story entirely!

Luckily, design professionals are fully trained to do exactly that; they work with a strict budget to ensure that you get the best value and functionality for your money. They also have specialized contacts to help them source materials at better prices, which can help to stretch your budget even further without compromising on quality or style.

#4: We Know How to Liaise

If you have a big project in the works, your decorator, landscaper, architect and contractors might not all be on the same page, which can create issues in its own right. Your designer, on the other hand, is something of a ‘Jack of all trades’, and can liaise between all of your other professionals to ensure that they work together harmoniously. This can also help to prevent any design or execution mistakes in your plan, and is essential for managing your time and money well.

#5: We Increase Your Property’s Value

By hiring a design professional, you will enjoy returns on your investment in more ways than one. Aside from enjoying a more comfortable and functional living space, an expert interior job will also make your home easier to sell.

Aside from practices like home staging, simply showing potential buyers a neat, well-built property will influence their decision – and potentially get you more money for your sale, too. We are trained to consider the tiniest details (like how light enters a room and how to make a space look as large and airy as possible), which creates a sense of balance between your interior and exterior spaces and adds a significant appeal to your home, both for you and for your buyers.

#6: We’re On Top of the Latest Trends

As pro designers, we always have our fingers on the pulse of the latest developments, products and suppliers in the industry. We see new designs and new information every single day, and we incorporate countless years of knowledge and expertise into our concepts for both new and existing living spaces.

#7: We Bring Your Visions into Focus

Everyone has an ideal picture of how their homes should look in their heads, but translating this into reality can be quite a task without the right know-how. Even if you are a creative at heart, there are so many furnishings, fittings and fabrics to choose from that it can become overwhelming to do everything alone.

By hiring a skilful team like ours at Canaima Design, you will get all the help you need in focusing and structuring your vision for your home as we break it down into simple, manageable tasks. Contact us today for all the assistance you need to turn your design dreams into reality!