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ELIZABETH LAKEFRONT Spectacular
views from this lakefront home. Completely
renovated features living room with granite
fireplace, hardwood floors and plaster cove
moldings. Dining room with wall of windows
boasts lake views. New marble baths. Walk-
out lower level with 2nd kitchen, family room
with French doors to lanai (20x10) leading to
paver patio. All updated mechanicals. Move
right in. Not a drive by! Includes boat dock,
boat lift and paddle boat. $275,000

BIRMINGHAM Four bedroom renovated
charmer with a huge yard located on a
premier street near town. Living room with
arched entry, fireplace and bookcases leads
to sunny library/solarium. Classic white
kitchen with granite tops, butcher block
island, stainless appliances opens to vaulted
family room with fireplace and custom
built-ins. Upper level features master suite
with walk-in-closet and white marble bath,
finished lower level playroom, beautiful
landscaping. $950,000

BLOOMFIELD Gracious French inspired 1st
floor master colonial with views of Kirk in the
Hills. Stunning 40' marble foyer with sweeping
staircase. Spacious living room and dining room
great for entertaining. Cherry kitchen with island
boasts vaulted breakfast room adjacent to family
room with tray ceiling, fireplace and French doors
to rear patio. 2nd floor family bedrooms with
study area. Complete walkout lower level with fill
kitchen, great room with fireplace, home office,
exercise room and 5th bedroom. A true dream
home! $999,000

BLOOMFIELD 5,400 square foot newer

construction on 2.73 acres with ravine setting.
Large foyer with open staircase and bridge leading
to 6 bedrooms. Living Room with limestone
fireplace centered on French doors to bluestone
terrace. Formal dining room. Custom Amish
kitchen with island, stainless steel appliances and
granite tops opens to double story family room.
Vaulted beamed screened porch overlooking in-
ground pool and spa. Lower level features 10 foot
ceilings and exercise room. 3 car garage. Great
floor plan. Birmingham schools! $1,479,000

EXCLUSIVE AFFILIATE OF

CHRISTIE'S

INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE

72

July 14 • 2011

0

f course, you love your pets,
but let's face it: Sometimes
they smell. And whether you
are hosting guests or trying to sell
your home, the last thing you want
visitors to remember is an offensive
odor. Luckily, there are a number of
ways to eliminate those less-than-
pleasant pet odors and let your home's
personality shine.

Refreshing walls:
Paint is one of the most dramatic and
cost-effective ways to give your home's
interior a new look, and now it can
also give your home a new fresh scent.
Dutch Boy's Refresh paint features
odor-eliminating technology from Arm
& Hammer. It reduces odors caused by
pets and other sources, keeping your
home smelling as good as it looks.
Proven to reduce household smells,
a coat of Refresh paint will prevent
bad odors from lingering for months.
By trapping and neutralizing odor
molecules, this paint doesn't cover
up unappealing smells, but actually
reduces them.
Refresh paint is available in a broad
range of colors so you can reduce
unpleasant smells without compro-
mising your decorating taste.

Clean with steam:
Even if your pet isn't allowed on the
furniture, your home furnishing
fabrics are holding onto unpleasant
scents. Though you may vacuum
regularly, animal hair and dander are
trapped in the fibers of your cushions,
curtains, sofa and other decor.
Using a steam cleaner is the best
way to eliminate bad smells in uphol-
stered furniture and other items that
cannot be laundered. Hire a profes-
sional service to treat the common
areas in your home, or purchase a
steam cleaner specifically designed for
pet hair removal.
Deep-clean common area fabrics

several times each year and to help
maintain a fresh smell day to day, use
an odor-neutralizing fabric spray regu-
larly.

Hit the floor:
The biggest source of your home's
objectionable smell could be right
under your feet. As anyone who has
house-trained a pet knows, they don't
always get it right, and sometimes
those accidents go unnoticed and
cause stains to inevitably set in.
To remove odors of any age, scrub
bare floors with white vinegar and
water or an odor neutralizing cleaner,
and thoroughly wash carpets and rugs
using an odor-neutralizing shampoo.
You can also hire a professional to
clean the carpets and provide extra
deodorizing treatments.
If stains or smells remain, you'll
likely need to replace the carpet and
padding. If this is the case, be sure to
scrub the floor beneath before laying
new carpet down. After the carpet has
been thoroughly cleaned or replaced,
regularly use carpet deodorizer formu-
lated for pet odors when vacuuming.

Scented accessories:
Tie a ribbon on your odor-free home
with strategically placed candles and
air fresheners. Choose classic scents
that complement your decor, and use a
variety throughout the home to avoid
an overpowering result.
Many candles and fresheners offer
odor-neutralizing technology as well
as pleasant scents — ensuring unfa-
vorable smells are not only covered up,
but eliminated. Jars of potpourri or
scented crystals add touches of per-
sonality to any room decor as well.
No matter what types or the num-
ber of pets that share your home,
these tips will help keep it smelling
fresh all year round.

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