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About Cathe Rousselle

Creating casual spaces and comfortable places where families can relax and enjoy their time together is the purpose of Casual Interiors.

Founder, Cathe Rousselle, began her experience in 1987 as a self-employed Decorating Consultant.  For eight years, she provided friendly, professional service that her clients came to depend on.

She gained further knowledge in the areas of paint and color, flooring and window treatments at a local Design Center.  There is where she realized using all the elements of decorating is what she enjoys most.

She is a graduate of the School of Interior Redesign in Brookfield, CT. and is certified in interior redesign and home staging by IRIS-Interior Redesign Industry Specialists- a national organization whose work is often featured on HGTV.

Cathe currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Painting and Design Technology Department at the Greater Lowell Technical High School.

What clients are saying...

"Thank you for your assistance in the interior design of our new sunroom.   Your choice of colors and all the other design decisions were remarkable in bringing out the warmth of the room. Your professionalism and quick response to our requests made the entire process seem stress free.  I would gladly recommend you to anyone that would be in need of the services that you offer. The sunroom is now our favorite place to be and we thank you again."  

"I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you for all your help with the redecorating of my living room, bathrooms and kitchen.  The suggestions and ideas you had were great!  I have had wonderful comments on everything from the wall colors to the fabric, furniture and flooring choices.  Everything just seems to flow together now.  Thanks for the awesome job.  I love the new look!" 

“Cathe is very professional and it was a pleasure to invite her into our recently purchased home to help us with our design plan. Her perceptive eye picked up on a “trend” which we never would have seen without her. She also gave us a plan of attack for how to make the biggest impact with moderate changes, and how the flow of our public living space could work better for us. As a new homeowner overwhelmed with the work ahead of us to make the space truly our own, it’s great to have a blueprint that will be effective, sensible, and achievable. I recommend Casual Interiors highly!”  

"We specialize in helping busy homeowners get their room makeover project right the first time!"

Casual Interiors is a professional, reliable interior decorating service certified in Interior Redesign and Real Estate Home Staging.

At Casual Interiors, we combine your vision with our experience and knowledge to create a space that reflects you and your unique lifestyle.

Whether you need a little guidance with coordinating paint color or a complete remodelling project, contact us today and we can help make you love where you live.

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Portfolio

Some of our client projects 

Living Room Makeover

                                       Fireplace Before               Fireplace After

This wood burning fireplace was converted with a gas insert. Glass and stone tile was installed over the existing brick. The new hearth stone matches the tile perfectly.

Sunroom Redesign

Before                                   After

Removing the paneling in this Sunroom really updated this space.  We added more detail to the room with beadboard and a chair rail. New Lloyd Flanders patio furniture means this lakeside retreat can handle many family gatherings for years to come.

Designer News

Cathe Rousselle with Margi Kyle at the Association of Design Education conference in Mystic, CT.

Margi is the Executive Director of We Make Color Easy and host of many tv shows such as The Designing Doctor and Lets Build a House.

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Services

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Classes & Seminars

We offer classes, seminars and presentations tailored to your group or function.

In-home classes, conference room or lecture hall settings, choose from many interesting topics ranging from decorating to home and office organization.

Casual Question & Answer

Question:
My living room/dining room is long and imbalanced.  If I position the furniture in front of the fireplace, I have an entire area devoid of furniture.  If I locate the furniture in the middle of the living room the fireplace is off center.  HELP!!!

Answer:
The focal point of your room should be the fireplace.  This is where I suggest you arrange your main seating area by placing two sofas to create a U-shape with the fireplace.  I would add a sofa table behind the sofa where the open space is and make this a secondary seating area. I suggest either a chaise lounge or two upholstered chairs with a side table and lamp.  A large tree behind the grouping would fill in the space further and add height and texture.  This will make a comfortable reading area as well as add another layer of interest to your large room.

Question:
We are in the process of re-decorating our dining room.  I would like to change the window dressings, but I have a very limited budget.  Do you have any suggestions to make the windows look pretty for next to nothing?
(Jennifer sent me a picture of her existing panels with matching balloon valances.  She also enjoys sewing.)
Answer:
As I see it, you have two options:  
1) Use your existing hardware and purchase ready-made valances. By shopping the internet and home stores, you can probably find valances for around $20/ea. 
2) Make your own valances that are board mounted. The choices are unlimited for styles and fabric choices.  Home-Dec fabric can always be found on sale or clearance.  A board mounted valance is super easy to attach and will update your windows.  

Custom is always the better choice and you’ll be creating one-of-a-kind windows that reflect your personality. 

Email your question and your answer may be featured in a future edition!
Click on the contact us page to submit your question.

 

WCAP Radio Show

Cathe Rousselle was the guest speaker on WCAP radio's The House Market Show. 

On Sunday, February 22nd, Cathe was the guest speaker on The House Market Show. Seen here with hosts Dennis and Donna Ready of Century 21 Landmark Realty, their weekly radio show highlights open houses each Sunday from 9:00-10:00AM on 980 WCAP, AM.

Our exciting hour was filled with Home Staging tips on how to prepare your home for the Real Estate Market.  Listeners also learned how other Casual Interiors services can be used on their current homes.

Home Staging Tips

Step 1) The first thing to do when preparing your home for the market is to downsize and declutter. This means going through your basement, garage, closets, cabinets and attic and eliminating the things you no longer use or need. Pack away things that may clutter your home while "showing" it to potential buyers.

Step 2) Now that all the clutter is cleared away, everything must be sparkling clean.  This includes woodwork, windows, walls, ceiling and fixtures. You may consider a cleaning service for either the initial clean or regular upkeep. 

Step 3) A potential buyer will explore every aspect of your property. Make sure they cannot find fault by ensuring everything is in working order and repairing items that are damaged.  Such as:
- Cracks in ceilings and walls
- Worn flooring, outdoor decks and siding
- Drippy faucets and squeaky cabinet doors
- Clean any grout so it is in immaculate condition
- Ensure all electrical items are working like doorbells, ceiling fans, switches and garage door openers

Step 4) Today’s buyer wants to purchase a home that requires little work, if any.  It is difficult for seller’s to see that some aspects of their home may be dated or not in style. The key items that can classify your home as "out of date" are cabinets, paneling, lighting, wallpaper and bathroom fixtures. 

It isn’t always necessary to spend a lot to update your property. This is where a professional home stager is beneficial.  We can save you time and money by evaluating and making recommendations on how to get the most return on your efforts.

Step 5) This last step is when the finishing touches are made to create an inviting atmosphere where everyone would want to live. 

Here are just some of the many techniques home stagers use:

-Arrange furniture to highlight features in each room such as a fireplace or window
-Create small seating areas in large rooms and avoid using too much furniture in small rooms 
-Hang artwork in relation to furniture 
-Use punches of color with pillows, throws and fluffy bathroom towels 
-Keep table arrangements simple and avoid personal photos and mementos 
-Use lamps rather than overhead lighting when showing

Most people think of just this last step as staging.  But as you can see, preparing your home for the real estate market is a process.

Every property has the potential to “show well”.  By staging your home correctly, you can increase the selling price and decrease the number of days your home remains on the market.

Fun-ctional Family Room

Is your family room as comfortable and functional as it could be?  Here are some easy tips to help you create a welcoming, fun space just by rearranging your existing furniture.

First, evaluate the room.  How does your family use the room?  Do you need to create separate activity areas for talking, watching TV, working on the computer or playing games?  What is the main architectural focal point of the room - a fireplace or window? 

Second, make sure that your large pieces of furniture are positioned to face your main focal point.  If you have multiple focal points, try to place your furniture to combine them.  For example, place the TV near or above the fireplace.

Third, begin to rearrange your pieces following these rules:

·Place furniture no more than 4’-5’ from each other.  (L-shaped or U-shaped groups work well for a cozy conversation area.)

·Position seating far enough away from your TV for comfortable viewing.  (The distance between the TV and seats should be 3X the diagonal size of the screen.)

·Each seat should be near a table to place drinks, books, etc.

·Place the coffee table 18” from your sofa and align edges of the end tables with the edge of chairs and sofas.

·When space allows, arrange the furniture in multiple groups to create secondary activity areas.  Use area rugs to anchor each area.

Look for pieces to add to your new design in your basement, attic or garage. Just by rearranging and reusing what you already have, you can create a more fun and functional room. It’s all a matter of getting off the couch!

Cathe Rousselle

Home Staging

What is Home Staging?

Staging is preparing your home to sell.  It is the process of downsizing and neutralizing your home so that a potential buyer can see themselves living there. Statistics show a home that has been professionally staged sells faster and for a better price than a comparable one.

Do I need my home staged?

Many of us have a deep emotional attachment to our homes and the things that have sentimental value to our families.  Casual Interiors can make the focus on your home and its features. We are a Certified Interior Staging Specialist trained to advise you on how to make your rooms have generic appeal.

Realtors, Agents and Builders

Casual Interiors can teach your clients how to downsize and arrange their furnishings to maximize their home’s worth. By properly placing furniture and accessories, Staging can turn any house into warm and inviting home where clients can envision spending time.

Staging Inspection and Report
We walk through the exterior and interior of your property and discuss the highlights and features of the home.  We take extensive notes and digital pictures.  Within a few days you will receive a detailed, room by room report listing our suggestions to help maximize the value of your home. 

Redesign for Staging
Don’t have the time to do the items on your checklist?  We can do the work for you. Whether you choose to Stage one room or several rooms, Casual Interiors can complete a Redesign and make all the changes needed to make your home appealing to potential buyers.

Consultation
If you have concerns or questions regarding specific areas of your home, we can consult on an hourly basis.

  Living Room before staging                                              Living Room after staging

   Kitchen before staging                                        Kitchen after staging 

Shopping Services

At Casual Interiors, our client shopping service makes the most of your time and money.  Let us shop for you and take all the stress out of finalizing your room details.  Or, bring us along for our advice and guidance to help make your shopping excursion more productive.

Accessory Shopping
We shop for just the right pieces keeping in mind your room style while staying within your budget.  We then bring our findings to you to meet your approval.

Furniture Shopping
We can search for furniture, take digital pictures and acquire fabric samples and pricing.  We then meet with you at your home or at the store and present our findings.

Decorating Consultations

Are you redecorating or remodeling and feeling overwhelmed? We understand all the decisions and choices that need to be made. Whether making a few small changes in one of your rooms or beginning with new construction, Casual Interiors can guide you through your project. 

We meet with you and discuss your project.  We then make recommendations on how to accomplish your finished space.  Whether you simply want us to give you suggestions, or you need us to work with your contractor, together we can develop a plan-of-action to complete your project. 

Paint & Color Coordinating

Are you confused with paint color? 

At Casual Interiors, color is our passion!  Paint is the most cost effective way to make a change in any area of your home.

We’ll meet with you and discuss your vision for your interior or exterior paint project.  We will work together with various color selection tools and come up with a plan of action.  You are then given the color swatches and a list of colors along with any additional notes for your plan. 

Fee $75.00 per hour. 

After the first hour, fees billed in quarter hour increments. 

“Cathe was a life saver when it came to picking out colors for my bathroom! She came to my house with hundred’s of paint colors and showed me just how each color would go with my décor. Her expertise in color palette and all facets of home decoration were more than I could image or tackle on my own. I could not have done it alone! I highly recommend her to help you when it comes to one of your most important decisions of decorating your home.”

"Cathe really helped to clarify and expedite the process of choosing colors.  She really listens and helps you to focus and bring an overwhelming array of possibilities down to a manageable set of choices.  She rendered an often painful process a pleasant one."

Interior Redesign

Is your room no longer attractive to you and could use a change? Do you feel like your room just doesn’t have the function your family needs?

A Redesign is just your solution!

What is Redesign? 

Also known on HGTV as no cost decorating, Redesign is using the furniture and items you already own and rearranging them to create a new space.

At Casual Interiors, we differ from other Redesign services because we offer you choices:

We begin with an initial consultation with you, the client.  We listen to your needs, wants, likes and dislikes about the space.  We may take measurements & digital photos and "shop your home" for items that may be used.
You leave your home the day of the Redesign and our staff completes the transformation.  Or, with the client’s assistance, you are present and involved in all aspects of moving and rearranging and you get an opinion on what gets reused in your room.

You now have a new space that is functional and fresh and reflects your family’s personality and lifestyle.