knoxville tn: LEARNING SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY... - 04/12/10 05:27 AM
LEARNING SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY can be hard to do...but on this particular day I was just having a casual conversation with a friend and this is what I learned...This is going to be something that I will incorporate into my staging...
There are smells, not bad not good, in a home when I have had to stage. I do not like to cover them up with sprays or candles. I have wondered what would be a good way to get rid of the smell and came across this solution.  
    Yes, coffee grounds, they absorb the smells without covering them
up. … (16 comments)

knoxville tn: I GOT THE "VIBE" BUT CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE I GOT IT - 03/09/10 02:58 AM
Rerecently I read a blog post about homes giving off a "VIBE". ( Sorry to say I did not bookmark, so if anyone knows where I saw it or who wrote it please let me know, it was full of great information ) I was so impressed, as I have been trying to come up with this for a couple of years now. The main "VIBE" that I seem to run into a lot is "an older person lives or lived here". Actually, the first home that I did a "Walk Thru" with a Realtor. I said walking up to the front … (9 comments)

knoxville tn: ALMOST AS MUCH FUN AS BEING TURNED LOOSE IN A JIMMY CHOO STORE WITH $5,000 - 03/07/10 12:59 AM
                     HOME STYLE AND STAGING does its share of moving, lifting, packing and unpacking !!!
             
However, when given the chance I will jump at the chance to be turned loose in a store with $5,000 !! Well who wouldn't?? But if that doesn't happen, I will be just as happy ( well almost ) as being able to stage a home where the owner is moving out, and leaves some things for me to stage with.
That means, all I have to do is show up and go from room to room moving things around and … (17 comments)

knoxville tn: ASHSR EAST TENNESSEE CHAPTER MEETING TO BE HELD - 03/02/09 01:33 AM

The American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners of East Tennessee will be holding their March meeting on March 18, 2008 ( Wednesday ) at Noon. Copper Cellar Resturant on Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN.
We will have as guest speaker Powell Florist, Powell, TN...
We are looking for a great turn out this month..we had several new members in January.
We will planning our up-coming events and speakers for future meetings.
Please contact me, Mary Lou Teague  Home Style and Staging LLC  (865) 368-8484 if you would like to attend our meeting.
 
Mary Lou Teague, East Tennessee President
Home … (0 comments)

knoxville tn: MY FIREPLACE "RE-DO" BEFORE AND AFTERS - 02/02/09 02:07 AM
Thought that I would share with you a LITTLE project that I did last weekend. My fireplace was brick (ugly colored brick) so thought that I would jazz it up alittle...I primed the brick with Kilz, that was a pain..The brick was uneven and gaps between the brick so had to use a very small paint brush...took forever...

So here is the end result...I am really proud of it and think that the outcome was worth the work !!! The photo is alittle dark...but it is painted a semi-gloss black...  Now I have to find a fireplace screen..Thought of taking this off and … (10 comments)

knoxville tn: WHAT A SURPRISE WHEN I OPENED MY DOOR THIS MORNING !!!! - 01/07/09 12:17 AM

I opened my front door this morning to let the dogs out. Sitting on the front steps was a stack of baskets....my first thought was, as I have just moved to this neighborhood, that it was the "Welcome Wagon".   
 On closer look, it was from a friend of mine that was cleaning her attic and bought several baskets and never used them so she thought that I could use them in my staging !!!! What a wonderful gesture on her part...
Just wish that she had rang the door bell and come in for coffee !!!!! Bob and Patti Wilson from … (15 comments)

knoxville tn: TO PAINT OR NOT TO PAINT THAT IS THE QUESTION... NOW I NEED AN ANSWER - 12/30/08 08:10 AM
I have a very small bath that has green striped wallpaper. This house is older ( built circa 1969 ) and the tub, commode and tile is a pale yellow..YES I know I have my work cut out for me...Here is my question.
I want to paint as the wallpaper has to go..I have tired to remove ( only by tearing it down, not steaming as yet ) is there a way to paint over wallpaper ? Have any of you done so ? What was the outcome ? I don't have a lot of time to finish this project, so need shortcuts. There … (13 comments)

knoxville tn: I JUST FOUND YOUR GROUP.... - 12/29/08 07:44 AM
I just, by accident found your group. I am so excited to find a group that is for dog lovers...I cannot wait to read up on everyone and to get to know you and your dogs...I been on AR for over a year and have several posts however, and for reasons I do not know why, I have just found your group...So to get started here is photo of Lexie and Lucie, They were two on Halloween of this year...

 
Looking forward to reading about everyone's pets..
Mary Lou Teague
Home Style and Staging, LLC Knoxville, TN
… (0 comments)

knoxville tn: HOLIDAY DECORATING WITH A FLARE....WHAT TO DO WITH THE TOP OF THE TREE - 10/27/08 11:21 AM
The top of the tree is always a challenge for some. I did a tree in a home that had 15 foot ceilings and we had to make the most of the extra room from the top of the tree to the ceiling, so that the tree would not get lost in the room....Problem solved by adding a large topper to the tree. I used feathers, balls, and anything else that I could find to add the height needed. This tree was done in very vivid colors that accented the room's decor.

HOME STYLE AND STAGING LLC  (865) 368-8484  MARY … (1 comments)

knoxville tn: SO HERE IS TO THE ONE THAT SAID MY HAIRSTYLE WAS "DATED" !!!! - 09/24/08 10:25 AM
          Now I am not about to suggest that I look like her, however a couple of months ago I got a nasty e-mail from a reader on AR that suggested that I might like to update my hair style...This photo was taken several months before we even knew who Sarah Palin was...so to the nasty letter writer...MAYBE I AM NOT SO OUT OF STYLE AS YOU SAY I AM...  So now I can cancel my therapy sessions and get on with my life...and you and you know who you are...can find someone else to rag on....
 
 
 
… (12 comments)

knoxville tn: NEED TO KNOW HOW YOU GET THAT "SMOKE" SMELL OUT - 08/27/08 01:49 PM
Recently I received a call from a homeowner who has had her home on the market for over 4 months and has had 4 showings...during our discussion I asked what were the comments from the potential buyers after they saw the house.... She said they all said the same thing..that it smelled like cigarette smoke..
             She informed me that she was a heavy smoker...... 
I have seen the photos on the Realtors website and it is a lovey home...the price is right...the only draw back is the smell of cigarette smoke...
I  have an appointment to go and see the … (22 comments)

knoxville tn: ASHSR EAST TENNESEE CHAPTER MEETING TO BE HELD KNOXVILLE, TN - 02/06/08 09:02 AM
I would like to invite all those that are local to the Knoxville, Tn area to come to our first ASHSR East Tennessee Chapter meeting. It will be held at Copper Cellar on Kingston Pike at 11:30 AM on February 12th. We will have a Realtor on hand to answer questions that we may have for them. This will be a round table discussion. Please if you are interested in attending go to WWW.ASHSR.COM then to Chapters.. then East Tennessee.. and you can e-mail me your RSVP if you would like to join us. Looking forward to a great meeting.
… (0 comments)

knoxville tn: STAGERS GETTING A BAD NAME, AS IF WE DIDN'T ALREADY HAVE BATTLES TO FIGHT - 01/17/08 10:01 AM
I was recently contacted by a local mortgage professional. He was working with two Realtors in my area and had dropped by when they were having an open house. Much to his surprise the house had been staged ??? and was to say it mildly, a disaster. The stager ( can she actually call herself that ???) had told the Realtors that they could just keep the sofa and the staging "props"). This "stager" had brought to the house a worn-out couch, a picture frame with no print in it ( hung on the wall ) and this is the deal sealer.. … (6 comments)