The Use of Navy Blue

20 March 2015March 20, 2015Elizabeth Daigle

I have been doing a lot of research on branding which has led me to information how colors can elicit a certain type of emotional response. Without going into about my own personal branding strategy (more to come!), I have been looking into the color navy blue. Of course, it is no secret that I love navy and would much prefer navy over black or brown any day.

The color navy blue originally got its name from the British Royal Navy as the men wore dark blue uniforms contrasted with white. Psychologically, the color blue is associated with trust and responsibility.

Blue represents:

Communication
Peace and calm
Honesty.
Authority (the darker the shade of blue, the more authority is represents).
Religion
Wisdom

“Dark Blue: Dark blue is the color of conservatism and responsibility. Although it appears to be cool, calm and collected, it is the color of the non-emotional worrier with repressed feelings, the pessimist and the hypocrite. Dark blue can be compassionate but has trouble showing it as its emotions run deep. Dark blue is a serious masculine color representing knowledge, power, and integrity, and is used quite often in the corporate world.”

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How can you use this information? Knowing the meaning and emotions behind a certain color can help in branding, in my current case, it can also be helpful to know when choosing colors to use in a room. When choosing a color scheme or paint color for a room you can of course chose the color that speaks to you. Another approach would be determine the ‘feeling’ you want a person to feel while in the room. If you would like a room to feel peaceful, wisdom (such as a library) or elicit a feeling of open communication – blue might be a great color to chose. Interesting enough, when I went looking for pictures of rooms that use navy, I found a lot of living rooms, bathrooms and libraries.

Pottery Barn

Cory Connor Designs

HGTV

Contemporary living room by Lisa Patrole Photography

What does navy blue mean to you? What room would you paint navy?

In addition to writing for Daigle’s Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth’s expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352

Out-Of-Pocket Expenses for Buyers

18 March 2015March 18, 2015Elizabeth Daigle

Buying a new home can be daunting for the first time home buyer and the experienced buyer, alike. Through the process there are a lot of numbers being thrown around. Numbers related to the loan such as payments, insurance, terms and, also, out-of-pocket expenses. So many numbers that it can make your head spin! I put together a flyer regarding out-of pocket-expenses that you can expect with your home purchase in Denver.

Hopefully this helps set expectations about what the buyer will be responsible to pay out-of-pocket. As always, consult your real estate agent to get a better estimate of costs and when they will be due. Often times these expenses are due at time of service, such as inspection and appraisal.

Denver Public Schools

16 March 2015March 16, 2015Elizabeth Daigle

I have gotten very integrated into the school system through offering the Homes for Heroes program which gives discounts for teachers (also, administrators and support) when buying or selling a home. Denver Public Schools is the school system for the city of Denver and it covers elementary, junior and high school.

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With so many moving to Denver, the school district is thriving but also has had to accommodate which has resulted in change in the schools. Go here to see the facts about the school district. As I have mentioned before, there are 50,000 people expected to move to Denver yearly and that trend will continue for upwards of ten years. All of the new people will change not only the landscape of the Denver Metro area but also the school districts. The Denver Public School has a long-term plan for the schools in the District to accommodate the change and provide the best education for its students.

Are you relocating to Denver or changing school districts? There are a number of resources that could be helpful to you. Take a look here for the individual school’s ratings for both the current year and years past. On this page you can also find a description of the rating system to help you better understand how the schools rate. In addition to the public schools offered in the District, Denver Public Schools also offers the option of Magnet Schools. Students that join the Magnet Schools are chosen through a lottery system or based on academics.

If you are wondering about the public’s view on individual schools; greatschools.org offers a forum for the public to rate schools and provide their comments about their experience of the school. If you have any questions about a school, please do not hesitate to Contact me.

I spend a lot of time weekly in the schools talking about how I provide discounts to teachers buying or selling a home through Homes for Heroes and have met a large network of people in the Denver Public School System. I can offer a high level of support helping you chose the right neighborhood and school for your little one.

Home

13 March 2015March 13, 2015Elizabeth Daigle

For people that know me know that I am a collector of quotes. My Pinterest page is full of quotes about life, love, home and every other topic you can think of. I saw this quote and it made me stop. As I approach my one year mark in Denver I’ve been mulling over the idea of home. Is it Denver, yet? The short answer is sort of. I’ve been moving in that direction in the past few months. The things that have made it a bit easier lately are actually having my own place, finding a handful of friends that I jive with and creating a community in my new neighborhood and the city. Home, to me, is comfortable, stable, a connection to community, and also a place to be creative. All of these feelings can take time and I feel like in a few months I will be able to truly say Denver is home.

What makes a home, a home for you? Is it a person? A feeling?

Shared Bedrooms

11 March 2015March 11, 2015Elizabeth Daigle

As a child my sister and I shared a room for a short time. We both had twin beds with matching Popples comforter. Maybe it is because the first 5 years of my life involved sharing a bedroom with my sister but nothing melts my heart more than seeing two twin beds in a bedroom, especially decorated as a child’s room. I have seen some great ideas on how to separate the room to allow both children to have their own space and personality.

Different color, but same design, comforters can create a unique space for each child.

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Different color paint for each side of the room.

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Pictures of each child hanging above the bed.

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Different artwork above the beds and different decorative pillows on each bed.

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A curtain divider physically separates the space.

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Did you share a room as a child? How would you separate the space?

The Go-Giver

9 March 2015March 9, 2015Elizabeth Daigle

While on vacation I read a great book called The Go-Giver. It had been recommended by a number of people in real estate and finance who proclaimed that it matched my business philosphy. When I started my real estate business, I never wanted my clients to feel manipulated, controlled or not represented. I wanted (and still want) each and every one of my clients to have my undivided attention, to know they are represented, to offer an expert opinion of Denver real estate, the schools systems, the neighborhoods and the community. To perfect this I read everything and anything that I could get my hands on about Denver. I visited schools, parks, recreational buildings and drove around the city to get a feel for the different and ever-changing neighborhoods. My business philosophy is a simple one – give before receiving. I was entering a city that I had just moved to and was looking to gain trust and business. To do this I started volunteering at local hospitals and schools which had many benefits such as giving back, learning the community and gaining people’s trust.

Starting any business can be terrifying and often times I would stop and question whether you can build a business under the premise of doing and being good. Enter the Go-Giver, a small but mighty book emphasizing that you can do just that. The concepts in the book not only apply to business but also life. Without spoiling the book, I would like to make mention of the five laws of success:

The Law of Value – Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
The Law of Compensation – Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
The Law of Influence – Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interest first.
The Law of Authenticity – The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
The Law of Receptivity – The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

If you ever get the chance, read The Go-Giver. I promise it is worth the time. Although a quick read it offers a great philosophy on giving and receiving in the business world.