| |
Painting a room is the least expensive fix...Big bang for your buck...Huge change for cheap...okay already, we get it. Its not news to us that painting a room refreshes everything. Unfortunately, there are some potential obstacles to this easy home improvement job that can block even the best of us:(1) making a color choice; and/or (2) procrastination (understandable!). I have suffered from both indecision and sheer laziness to the point of absurdity in this realm of painting-"I want a neutral that complements my salmon,brown and taupe tile, but does not match exactly; and I want it to look modern, yet be true to the original mid century fixtures; and I do not want white or a shade of eggshell, but browns/taupes would be a bit much...." You can see the dilemma of expecting too much magic from a fresh coat of paint. Finally this past winter, I re-painted my bathroom the same shade of egg shell it has always been. Not what I had in mind, but 7 years of waiting for the color inspiration of a lifetime was just plain silly. I figure a fresh coat of the old color is an improvement, because who knows how many more years it will take me to be sure of the right color. Here is my advice, Just Do It (isn't that a catchy slogan).
Here are some color trends for the season/year...I am not endorsing them necessarily, especially not for staging a home for sale where wall color should be neutral and less personal, but here they are for you paint warriors-
shades of plum and mauve
goldish-yellow and oatmeal-neutral
shades of blue
Once the paint color has been chosen, please, don't scrimp on quality when buying paint...the more expensive paint covers better.
Annie and Bob Pacieznik...your Edina & Minneapolis neighborhood experts.
PACIEZNIK: "a name in real estate you might not be able to pronounce but can certainly trust"
I love the word "treatment" for window coverings...like a prescription to make the window healthier, a cure, a fix. So what is the primary ailment of windows? Its dirt, dust, water marks, and/or an unsavory view. Window shades, blinds, curtains and draperies can indeed save a room from a less than ideal view, and they can mask the dirty window problem. My problem with window "treatments," however, is that they are often worse than the original ailment. They block light, can get way over-done, over-decorated, over-coordinated, and can be so-so-so fussy. I am a big fan of simple, simple and more simple. I would love all of my windows to sparkle with the sun shining through, completely naked of treatment. Unfortunately that is not always practical... for the sake of privacy, and temperature. (The summer's heat and the winter's cold can be an issue in untreated panes. )Even me, a purist and true minimalist has to admit that asthetically, sometimes the right window treatment makes a room feel RIGHT...it may balance the "weight" of a room, provide "support" for a floating ceiling, or finish the open "hole" a window may leave in a wall
Here are my suggestions: Simple drapes that can be drawn open and shut; neutral shades that go up and down, blinds that are wide enough to make cleaning possible. Try making a window appear larger by over-hanging the rod on either side of the window. During the daytime, open your curtains to the framing. Also, try changing up textures and colors on larger windows that might require more panels. sometimes darker on the outside and lighter on the inside gives a stage-like impression...
Stay away from multiple layers of heavy draperies (dusty, heavy, yucky), and also those mini-plastic blinds (also dust collectors).
Annie and Bob Pacieznik...your Edina & Minneapolis neighborhood experts.
PACIEZNIK: "a name in real estate you might not be able to pronounce but can certainly trust"
"A little bit of elbow grease goes such a long way," I always say. For all you home shoppers, home show-ers and home owners out there, there is nothing worse than coming in from the cold and wet, taking off your shoes (as we like to do here in the snowy Midwest), and feeling a greaz-y carpet, sticky linoleum or grubby tile floor permeating the protective layer of your socks. How about the hard and sticky dried up food bits, not to mention hair of all unmentionable varieties and rocks that we also feel when walking (usually on tip-toe) through the house. In such a case, I have decided not to go into a room or down the stairs due to this "gross me out the door" phenomena. Filth is a huge turn-off...and so easily avoidable.
In the grand scheme of things...clean sells better than dirty! Clean allows a potential buyer to take note of the important selling features, and not the disgusting smelling creatures...If you can't paint, repair or even clear the clutter...Clean your house, it's the least you can do in preparing a home for sale. It doesn't have to cost a cent, although you can hire the job out if cleaning isn't for you (a 1- time deep clean can run anywhere from $100-$500). Don't gross me out the door, literally. Don't distract me from the features of your home by scaring me with its dirt, dust and yuck. Clean it ! Especially the floors, bathrooms and kitchens...these need to sparkle!
Annie and Bob Pacieznik...your Edina & Minneapolis neighborhood experts.
PACIEZNIK: "a name in real estate you might not be able to pronounce but can certainly trust"
Book shelves are often seen super-staged, in a way that I feel is a bit contrived. Instead of fake plants and fake books, please use real, live and authentic books, plants and art. Leave at least half of the shelves "open" to show room for more. In the open areas, a few decorative items are good. The key here is neatness (organize books by size) and balance (place some horizontally and others vertically.) The entire shelf should look functional and pleasing, not prop-like.
Annie and Bob Pacieznik...your Edina & Minneapolis neighborhood experts.
PACIEZNIK: "a name in real estate you might not be able to pronounce but can certainly trust"
Save a tree. Stop delivery of telephone books!
You can do so by contacting the distributors and letting them know that you'd like to opt-out of the unwanted deliveries.
Even though the books are recyclable you can help the environment even more by stopping the deliveries altogether (Did you know that 85% of all phonebooks in Minnesota are thrown in the trash rather than recycled)...
I called all three of following distributors...the customer service departments were quick and friendly...now let's see if I ever get a phonebook again!
DEX 1-877-243-8339
YELLOWBOOK 1-800-929-3556
VERIZON YELLOW PAGES 1-800-888-8448
Annie and Bob Pacieznik...your Edina & Minneapolis neighborhood experts.
PACIEZNIK: "a name in real estate you might not be able to pronounce but can certainly trust"
Here is a tip from I received via my sister-in-law...and it makes sense. I hope it saves a dryer or two. "The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something, and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material. The hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets create a film over that mesh and that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't see the film, but it's there. That "film" is what makes your clothes soft and static free, nicely fragranced too. You know how dryer sheets feel waxy when you take them out of the box? Well, this film builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This film build-up is what can potentially burn out the dryer's heating unit and burn your house down. The best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months."
 
Whether your home is on the market or not, decorating for the holidays can be overdone, overwhelming and overly complicated. It need not be. My ideas for keeping your home festive without too much effort, expense, or fluff:
If you add something to a room, take something away. This maintains a sense of open space for peace of mind as well as practical maneuverability. (Especially if you are showing your home during the holidays, maintain that sparsity that sells square footage.)
Stick with a simple decorating thread---pine cones and greens, berries and silver, brown and green, white candles, red accents, etc. Remember, not all the decorations need to come out every year.
Think textures... of shape, scent, shades of color, finishes (shiny, matte).
And always...keep it real! I like fresh pine, real candles, dry berries on twigs and fresh berries in water, growing herbs, clove scented oranges...
This year my love of pine cones is taking center stage. Over the years I have collected bags of pine cones from the big and sappy to the tiny and brown. I have cinnamon scented ones (great in a bathroom). I have a line of tiny, brown and frosty pine cones on my mantel. I have a lone pine cone, a group of three, a pine cone and a simple candle, a textured green wreath and ornamental pot accented with huge pine cones...you get the idea.
Annie and Bob Pacieznik...your Edina & Minneapolis neighborhood experts.
PACIEZNIK: "a name in real estate you might not be able to pronounce but can certainly trust"
Its hard to believe that Monday of this week was over 75 degrees, and now on Friday we have snow falling and sticking to the trees. Only in Minnesota! I guess that puts an end to the fall leaf project, which is never ending until the snow blankets the lawn!!! I think that I have it in me to blow and mulch one more time before retiring inside for the winter. Which brings me to another subject I often visit---those front step pots. My mums and pumpkins are ready for the compost bin. With this morning's snow, I am ready to dive into the winter greenery, berries, and sticks. I like a lot of texture in my greens: spruce, fir, cedar, boxwood, pine. I also like contrasting twigs:white birch, redwood dogwood, yellow curly willow. Berries are great for color accents, however come January they are usually squashed into my welcome mat...citron, red, deep purple,...some years greens and twigs are just enough.
Annie and Bob Pacieznik...your Edina & Minneapolis neighborhood experts.
PACIEZNIK: "a name in real estate you might not be able to pronounce but can certainly trust"
I just wanted to share the simplest of staging "rules." Never line up the furniture around the perimeter of the room, pushed right up to the wall. It would seem that this would be the best way to maximize space, especially in smaller rooms, BUT it is not! Always leave a little room between the furniture and the wall. Just that little shadow of space allows the feeling of ample room and breathing space, instead of congested and backed against the wall. Following this same line of thought, even in a tight bedroom, there should always be room on both sides of the bed for that feeling of ease and peace.
Annie and Bob Pacieznik...your Edina & Minneapolis neighborhood experts.
PACIEZNIK: "a name in real estate you might not be able to pronounce but can certainly trust"
|
|
Annie & Bob Pacieznik
Edina,
MN
More about me…
REMAX
Address: Edina, MN, 55410
Office Phone: (952) 253-5634
Cell Phone: (952) 334-8225
Email Me
Real Estate and Home Staging Experts
 Links
Archives
|
;)
;)
