home staging tip: FUNCTIONAL ART - one of the best ideas yet! - 07/23/08 11:14 AM
This is by far one of the best solutions to a flat screen TV to come down the pike ever!
Click here to watch the screen in action.
To make one of your own (not automatic) create a shadow box with a print or fabric on the front...and for home stagers; be sure there is a safe place to store the faux print when the TV is in use. Sweet!
If you have created more fabulous solutions for the Ugly Eye syndrome, please share with us. Just the opposite can be acheived for vacant home staging by framing a … (27 comments)
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home staging tip: Clever window treatment! - 05/22/08 10:50 AM
My hats off to Becky Zimmerman, Interiors by Decorating Den for taking First Place at the Window Fashion Envision Design Competition held in Atlanta for 'Whole-Room Integration.
I don't know Becky and she does not know me but her approach to this window is brilliant. No swags, scarves, valances, rods, cornice boxes, etc. Such a simple concept yet I have never seen it before nor would I have ever thought of it.
This is a very easy treatment to use in home staging and very practical. By upholstering simple square boards with foam and … (35 comments)
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home staging tip: Testing...testing...are all your senses working? - 03/27/08 06:04 PM
Home Stagers wake up those drowsy home buyers and bring them to their senses with focal points like these!It is up to us to bring life to a depressed market and liven things up! Agents and their clients are counting on us...so refresh your spring look with bouquets of every fancy. Just one in each home is all you need to get the hearts pumping for all those who enter. … (19 comments)
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home staging tip: While Your House is on the Market...7 BEST TIPS! - 02/29/08 01:11 PM
One of the hardest things for a family to deal with is living in a product. Here are some tips to help speed up the process.
Keeping the house 'up' while it is on the market; Often times tidy spaces are the most difficult to maintain. One of the best benefits in staging is ridding yourself and your family of the clutter that makes the messes. Mom, Dad, if it is left out and not supposed to be there...throw it in the box labeled misc. and be done with it. Eventually the messes will end :)Keeping the faith; Doubting that your … (31 comments)
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home staging tip: CORIAN talking to HOME STAGERS? - 01/30/08 08:08 PM
I have an addiction I would like to confess knowing I am in good company. I am addicted to tearing pages out of magazines no matter where I am...the doctors office, the dentist, any waiting room will do. I just have to have "it" and feel so lucky I stumbled upon the best plaster wall color, or the clever trick of the trade I rely on so much, or the to die for recipe that I will use for my next dinner party.
You all know what I am talking about...and these piles and piles of tear sheets are a source of … (27 comments)
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home staging tip: Holiday Decorating Secret of the Professionals! - 11/30/07 11:53 AM
What do decorator/designer/stager's have that others don't?
CONTROL! That's right...control, control, control.
Let's take a look at 'lack of control...aka everyone': The average person spends years gathering little decorations they think will look cute on their mantle or shelves, TV, etc., maybe with a theme in mind. Others will make all their displays with the kids and have to keep using them for 50 more years aka gingerbread ornaments. I know, every time you put out the little manger it brings back all the memories of Christmas's past...however it just does not get you the LOOK you are going for no … (17 comments)
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home staging tip: Is Your House Ready For Today's Market? 10 Tips to Make Sure! - 10/25/07 11:50 AM
Most homes are decorated WRONG if decorated at all. Since entering the decorating business in the early 80's, I can count on two hands how many homes I have walked into where the furniture was in the right place, the art was hung the right height, window coverings were flattering and functional, and accessories were exciting and fresh. I can count on one hand how many homes CLOSETS were neat and organized...smelling fresh, and towel bars were lint free and polished, dog dishes coordinated with the decor, and the beds were made properly.
Another bugaboo of mine is seeing liquid soaps, … (14 comments)
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home staging tip: Money Talks...even to children! - 10/10/07 04:13 PM
The two most difficult obstacles to overcome when staging an occupied home are...
1: The kids: Why isn't it as fun to put something back as it is to take it out...does it get heavier? What's the big deal about picking up after yourself? We all get sick of saying "Clean your room right now!" and we would drop dead in the doorway if the room was actually clean when we go check on them.
Most of us are parents and we know how hard it is to get kids to do something they don't want to do. But the bottom … (20 comments)
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home staging tip: (((BAM!))) THAT'S WHAT EMERIL WOULD SAY IF HE WERE AN AGENT. - 09/26/07 03:55 PM
THE HOUSING MARKET IS BROKEN SO HOW DO WE FIX IT?
"KICK IT UP A NOTCH" AS EMERIL LAGASSE WOULD SAY ON HIS FOOD TV NETWORK SHOW; ((((((BAM!))))))
What does Emeril do when he is given a boring slab of chuck roast? (He would never serve it to his customers like that, ever!) He kicks it up a notch of course! HE ADDS HIS FIVE SPICE, ONION, CARROTS, BELL PEPPERS, GARLIC, BASIL, BAY LEAVES, SALT, FRESH GROUND PEPPER, HOT CRACKED PEPPER FLAKES, A LITTLE BRANDY, AND WHATEVER ELSE IT WOULD TAKE TO MAKE THIS PIECE OF MEAT ((((((BAM))))) WORTHY!
What do you do … (17 comments)
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home staging tip: Have We Been Taking The LOVE Out of the Home Unknowingly? - 08/24/07 11:02 AM
As an interior designer and home staging consultant, pets conjure up a big red flag and a potential mine field for me. In the past it was my job to rid any evidence of the household critters from existence during open houses and showings...and removed entirely for a time. Are pet owners afraid to invite us into their homes because they know what we will say: "GET RID OF TOR LOVED ONES...NOW!"
Some of you may already know about my change of heart (heart life actually) recently because of , and either the world has changed and filled up with dog and … (16 comments)
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home staging tip: Why Don't You Take A Picture Of It Then! - 07/23/07 03:07 PM
What would really be the difference between looking at a picture of a sentimental object and looking at the actual object(s)? Not that much really. The experience can be very much the same with one very big benefit...de-cluttered spaces. Using this technique to help clients clear up their clutter also works because it disarms their objections.
Awhile back I wrote a blog about cleaning out my closet and letting go of my favorite outfits. Some I had hung onto for years and years just because of the memories I had while wearing them. What I discovered was...with the new digital camera … (30 comments)
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home staging tip: Real Estate "BUZZ WORDS" of the Rich and Famous - 07/10/07 05:59 PM
I have been meaning to get this information into print for a few months now and decluttering my cluttered to do list is my current project I am passionately attacking.
Awhile back I wrote about a new show on VH1 called Fabulous Life Presents Really Rich Real Estate. I paid close attention to what the agents said about the homes, what they think are features, and how many were repeated throughout the shows (3).
Create or enhance as many of these features as possible...
large foyerbeautifully landscapedoutdoor entertaining areas lush lawnsgourmet kitchenmedia roomspa bathtowel warmerswater featuremarblegranitetumbled stonerubbed concrete counters and floorsgallery wallshigh ceilingsskylightsviewslarge … (15 comments)
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home staging tip: Using Staging Techniques for Dinner Parties - 06/09/07 04:19 PM
Sometimes in performing the normal tasks of running a business, you will come across an idea that really hadn't occurred to you before and it is like putting a banana on top of your head, so to speak. It's like "What is this?" And as amazed as I am it makes perfectly good sense...
The Dinner Party Planning Site is one of my busiest affiliates, if not the busiest. This gal is a go-getter and is doing all the thinking for her customers by using 'out of the box' techniques like home staging instructions as guidelines for the preparation of a … (6 comments)
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home staging tip: My Favorite Decorating Tip #11; The Arched Window Wrap! - 05/15/07 05:14 PM
This is a really crude drawing I just put together from my Paint program but it will have to do for now. Many of you already know my laptop crashed with all my photos locked away inside...that I thought I had backed up...I know...duh! However, I know that arched windows were always a problem for myself and everyone else I know and I this treatment with my staple gun and no sewing. In my original photo that I cannot show you, I used a black and white plaid taffeta fabric from a fabric shop...the kind of fabric used for evening gowns … (18 comments)
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home staging tip: My Favorite Decorating Tip # 10...FRESH LOOKING SILK FLOWERS. - 05/12/07 09:10 AM
I need PRETTY right now. I need a fresh look, a new feeling when I walk through my house. I, I, I...I need pretty.
My new flower I am passionate about are the hydrangea. Although I have always looked at them as a traditional looking flower, the light celery green is really fresh looking so I made one out of silk and love it. It is beautiful, contemporary, and real looking. They are so easy to make and less than half the price if you could find them to purchase. Here is how you can make this arrangement yourself...
Purchase … (33 comments)
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home staging tip: Home Stagers the "Go To" Professionals for Strapped Real Estate Industry? - 04/14/07 12:26 PM
As quoted from the realestatejournal.com, First American CoreLogic, a provider of real-estate information, expects to see 1.1 million foreclosures nationwide over the next six to seven years as a result of jumps in monthly payments on adjustable-rate mortgages made from 2004 through 2006.
What does this mean for home stagers? It means that there are some serious challenges to consider and how to position ourselves for the possibility of seriously neglected homes going on the market or newer homes that were never landscaped, or homes that have been vacant and vandalized.
In thinking ahead, what can we do to prepare? Putting together … (17 comments)
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home staging tip: Move Over Craig's List! - 04/12/07 08:38 PM
Look what I just found while decluttering my bookmarks. I have a blog in Yahoo 360 that I started in 2005 with one post and have not returned until today. I thought I would play around for a few minutes and found a blog that led me to this...
This table is only $80.00! It is certainly not my style but for a staged home it works.
The site is called LEJEUNE YARD SALES. The link to this page is here.
I could not believe my eyes...is this table and chair set in perfect condition??? I think so. Have at it. I am … (15 comments)
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home staging tip: Decorating Tip #9: The Custom Table Skirt! - 03/27/07 11:57 AM
The best look for staged bedroom lamp tables are instant tables with custom table skirts. They are easy to make and so much better than using sheets. No more lugging heavy lamp tables...who needs that headache!
You can buy 3 legged round tables in 18" to 30" in diameter. I use the smaller sized tables for night stands. I use the 30" tables for sitting areas in master bedrooms in place of heavy dressers. They are also beautiful as a table in a family room or living room for any vignette setting. The legs unscrew and the table lays flat. (The chair … (39 comments)
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home staging tip: Decorating Tip #8: The Industry Standard in Measuring - 03/16/07 12:47 AM
This doesn't seem like a very exciting tip but it is one of the most important tips I can ever give to budding decorators. There is a standard that is used by everyone in the industry.
When you are measuring anything, you measure the width first and then the height, and then the depth.
Example:
Windows - always measure the width first. You will need to know this when you order custom draperies
In a house...always measure a room clockwise.
For bedrooms you start with the master bedroom and then the next room to the right is bedroom #2, then #3, and so on.
I have … (15 comments)
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home staging tip: The Impulse Buying Factor - I Spent $52,750 on 8 Rolls of Wallpaper! - 02/21/07 02:15 PM
After reading this post you are going to wonder how I ever became an Interior Designer but I did. They say that people become what they need in this life and I am no exception!
It didn't matter to me that there wasn't a back door leading to the back yard. It didn't matter that the carpet was orange. It didn't matter to me that there were 40 windows I had to put window coverings on. The cost of those window treatments never entered my mind. It didn't matter that the house didn't have air conditioning. I was told it wasn't … (31 comments)
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