Find out about the latest news in Madisonville, Louisiana as well as St. Tammany Parish. We will keep you “tuned in” to all of the information about Southeast Louisiana as well as the real estate industry in general. Many new home buyers are concerned about the market, mortgage information, and builder trends. We plan on keeping you as up to date as possible on these and many more topics. There is a lot going on in the Greater New Orleans area, so you will have plenty to read!

Custom Can Balance Trends and Timelessness

You don’t need an interior designer to buy custom furniture, you can actually do it on your own. Many stores like Sherrill Furniture have experts who will work with you on buying the perfect custom piece.

Inspiration Can Come From Anywhere

Getting inspiration for design and color can come from experiences or vacations or anywhere. Designers can tell you that some of their clients have gotten inspiration for a sofa from their favorite movie.

“A great benefit is that the design inspiration does not have to start with the piece. We can be inspired by wallpaper, art, or travel,” says DuVäl Reynolds of DuVäl Design. “Customization grants the freedom to select textures and colors that enhance our inspiration.”

“Instinctively, we rush to view all options,” he says. “Instead, opt for colors and tones that align with the design, rather than solely basing it on personal preferences. And consider taking calculated risks with only one or two elements of the custom item—not every piece should be overly prominent.”

Custom Covers a Lot of Ground

“A drawing or sketch with the customization details avoids mistakes,” Neal says. “Also, understand the parameters from the supplier, because there is custom and then semi-custom: You may be able to change the finish, but not the size.”

You want to envision what the whole piece will look like first, then work on the cover. Working with a store such as Sherrill Furniture who has a Design Your Own Custom Program will help you choose the frame shape, dimensions, and fabric of your ideal seating to smaller details like seam stitching, arm style, and leg shape.

Custom Can Be a Real Problem-Solver

Let’s say you choose a piece and design a room around it and when you go to purchase, you find out it has been discontinued or indefinitely delayed. If you work with a custom piece then this will not be a problem. “With constraints, or the need to fill a larger room, a custom piece may make most sense,” says Reynolds.

Custom Can Balance Trends and Timelessness

If you have a space in your home that is filled with heirlooms, then adding a new piece to the mix can look out of place. If you design a custom piece, you can make it blend with the older pieces. “In a current project, I specified a case-good piece from the Sherrill Occasional line, and we’re having a hand-applied striping decoration added, so it feels as aged and collected as an antique piece in the same space,” Sherrell Neal of Sherrell Design Studio says.

Finishes Can Make New Feel Heirloom

“I have a soft spot for the Mr. & Mrs. Howard line, and specified the Bambu bed for a project,” she says. “We chose a rich brown wood finish called Modern Walnut, designed to live between two chests in a Seaglass finish that are also from the line.”

“I really love the Sherrill family of brands, and how each one offers something distinctive in either style or customization,” Neal says. “With the array of finishes and customization options on offer, each project can be well-tailored but unique.”

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Covington Is Getting Ready for the Holidays

Every year Old Covington has its Covington Heritage Foundation’s History and Holly Tour. Old historic homes will be decorated for Christmas and open their doors for patrons to tour them. The Heritage Foundation loves to keep this tradition going because it is a spirited way to get a look inside some of Covington’s most historic homes, and admire not only their charm, but their holiday extravagance.

“It’s a great way to kick off the holiday season, and it has become a signature event in Covington,” said Verret, who is also a council member for the city.

The Covington Heritage Foundation was founded in 2013 and created the History and Holly Tour as their biggest fundraiser. The foundation was created for Covington’s bicentennial and still is going strong today. They preserve the town’s history by hosting educational events throughout the year. These include a cemetery tour around Halloween, a mystery and history tour, a local farm-to-table dinner and historical talks.

The walking tour has four historic homes that Patrons can enjoy touring indoors and a fifth home that patrons can tour on the outside. During the tour, patrons will have areas where they can purchase drinks and socialize. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Kiwanis Club Christmas will provide carolers that will entertain along the way to the tours.

The tour will begin at the Covington Trailhead and will cover an area around S. America Street and Jahncke Avenue. The homes are decorated by their owners and the tours will be guided by the Heritage Foundation volunteers.

“We pick between three and five properties that have historical significance or where people would love to go into that home and see,” said Verret. “They are decorated for the holiday season, and homeowners welcome up to 700 guests.”

“We’re trying to make history come to life,” said Verret. “And the History and Holly Home Tour helps us do that throughout the year.”

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Home Upgrades For The Extreme Weather

Weather can wreak havoc on a home which is a very important investment in our lives. In recent years we have seen unprecedented flooding, record-setting temperatures, and out-of-season storms. To prevent anything from happening to your home, do these five easy things to upgrade your home.

Install an Effective Home Generator

Not only will a home generator save you in a bind, but will also add value to your home’s resale price. “Standby generators are becoming more of a necessity than a luxury because of health issues that rely on powered devices, like CPAP or home dialysis machines,” says Woods. When choosing a generator, choose one that is commercial-grade for your home. Consider one with an automatic transfer switch and a corrosion-proof enclosure.

Invest in Modern Windows

Windows can help keep your environment warm in the winter and cool in the summer. If you have old single-paned windows, they can cost you as much as 30% of your heating and cooling monthly bill. Older windows do not let in the outdoor air, but will also let in water. If left leaking a while, there can be a lot of damage done to your home.

Add a Rain-Barrel System

Every house has a gutter system that runs the rainwater away from the home, but they can get backed up or not work very will during heavy rainfall. Gutter runoff can cause damage by allow water to seep into your home. Adding a rain barrel can help as backup for your gutter system. A rain barrel will collect gray water which you can use on your landscaping.

Repoint Your Chimney Mortar

If you live in the Northeast region of the country, this tip will come in handy. Fireplaces are perfect during those cold winter days, but if not maintained, they can actually backfire. Checking the structure of your chimney is very important. The brick used on your chimney will expand and shrink when there are temperature changes. This will cause some wear and tear allowing water to creep in. To ensure this does not happen, repoint your chimney so the gaps will be closed.

Go Big on Landscaping

Trees can help with shading which can help cut the cost of your energy bill during the warmer months. Their roots can also help with flooding as well and also serve as buffers to the harsh winds.

Remember to follow these tips to help keep your home ready for the harsh weather. Harsh weather can wreak havoc on your living space and your life.

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Holiday Library Fun

This December, St. Tammany Parish Library will have its Annual Winter Bingo. Bingo is for all ages and will be a great way for residents to enjoy some holiday fun together.

The way it works is to sign up for Beanstack to play. Patrons have a chance to complete five badges in a row and win blackout (all badges on the card). Beanstack is available online or in the app store for phones. If you cannot do the game electronically, you can go to your local library and get a physical bingo sheet (you will still have to sign up for Beanstack.

Beanstack is a great way to get patrons motivated to read. It is a great way to hold a reading challenge by using this free online service. Started by a family who wanted to have a way to create love and passion for reading in communities around the world. Create an account then log in to the books you read for credit.

You can create an account at sttammanylibrary.beanstack.org and you will get your first prize for just registering for the Winter Reading Challenge! Bingo prizes this year include treasure chest goodies for children, library swag for teens and special edition coloring books for adults. If you win a blackout card, you will then have a chance to register for the big prize drawings. These include a Lego set for kids, a $25 gift card for teens and a Disney puzzle for adults.

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New Residency Program for St. Tammany

All over the US, there has been a doctor shortage and St. Tammany Health System and Ochsner Health are joining forces to help remedy this problem by creating a new family medicine residency program. The program will be on the Northshore in Covington and is already under construction.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the country might have a big shortage by 2034 of 50,000 primary care doctors. In the state, the Louisiana Board of Medical Examiners reported in 2022 there were a little over 18,000 licensed doctors.

The 18,000-square-foot clinic is slated to begin in July 2024 with eight residences and then add twenty-four residents each year. Both health systems want to bring more doctors to South Louisiana. “Workforce has become all of our challenges. We’re always looking to create a pipeline,” says Joan Coffman, president and CEO of St. Tammany Health System. The program’s director will be Dr. Lisa Casey, who will work with all the residents. The clinic will offer x-rays, lab work and physical therapy.

This is just part of the healthcare expansion around St. Tammany. Currently, there is a $75 million outpatient surgery center that is planned to open in 2024 and a $50 million three-story addition to Slidell Memorial Hospital. “We are seeing healthcare change, so it is more important than ever that we adapt to families’ needs,” Dr. Timothy Riddell, CEO of Ochsner Northshore and Mississippi Gulf Coast Region said.

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A Mortgage Can Do a Lot When It Comes to Your Home

When it comes to mortgages, they are generally thought of as just for buying or building a new home. A mortgage can also come in handy when it comes to renovations, repairs and restorations. This means when you are in the market for a mortgage, you need to understand what the different loan types are.

Private loans are only offered by private lenders. They are offered to approved homebuyers and come as conventional, construction and jumbo. A buyer must have a good credit history, 10% to 20% of the loan’s value for a downpayment, and want the most attractive current rates available for a conventional loan. For a construction loan a buyer must have an excellent credit history, must be building a new home on purchased land and have a bit of a longer timeline than most. A jumbo loan a buyer has to have an excellent credit history, a home valued over $424,100 and a high down payment.

Government-backed loans are backed by the government. An FHA loan is for a homebuyer with a low income, only has 3.5% to 10% for a down payment and can also be a first-time homebuyer. A USDA Rural loan is for a homebuyer who lives in a rural area, has a low income and little downpayment and is fixing up the home. A VA loan buyer has to have had at least six months of military, reserves or National Guard service, or a spouse of a veteran who died in active duty and fair credit history.

Purchasing a home is a very exciting time and financing your home should be also. Understanding the different types of financing can help reduce the stress of the process and make it much more enjoyable.

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