Do you have an accent? French, English, German, Italian? Can you have more than one accent? The accents I deal with on a daily basis are not about your speech. The answer is yes, you can have more than one accent. Creating your own personal décor is all about neutrals and accents. When you choose a beautiful neural paint colour and work the shades of that colour through your home, it creates flow and allows you to add décor from one room into another and provide cohesion many home owners are searching for today. I receive calls often from home owners that are lost in they own sea of colour confusion. A few simple steps will eliminate all that. Sometimes it takes a call to a professional and a short home visit to make sense of the colour dilemma. For example if you choose a series of three tones of beige, (I know you are thinking, ugh, but fear not the selection is wide and varied.), that you love and begin to apply different depths of this colour to certain areas of your home, you will see the difference it can make. Rather than your eye going from pink to blue to green for example; that have nothing in common at all other than they all are paint. Making well thought out choices can make all the difference in the world. After creating a plan and sticking to it will let you enjoy the process rather than become discouraged and then make poor choices. Once the colour has been agreed upon you can begin your accents. Accents include art work, pillows, picture frame and mat colour, area rugs, towels, lighting and oh so many other things. Be aware you will have to choose a paint colour with those things in mind that are never going to change. This might be already purchased furniture, a sentimental piece of art you inherited from someone special, drapes that are staying. It is the larger picture you must consider to begin the creation. What type of flooring is in the home is it staying? What do you see from your main windows? What type of metal is used in your kitchen and for lighting? I understand why choosing a paint colour can be overwhelming. I have done this to myself in my own home. But when you follow a plan and think about each item that plays into the whole scenario, then it does become easier. Still find it hard to accomplish? Call a professional to help. Make life easier for yourself.

 

      

                          Buyer Turn-offs

Today's buyer is sophisticated, discriminating and wants only the best their money can buy. If your home is not selling, maybe it is turning off potential buyers without you even realizing it. Here are some of the biggest buyer turnoffs that will keep the "For Sale" sign in your yard:

1. Clutter - Having too much “stuff” around causes the buyer to focus on everything except for the house. Get rid of things you haven't used in six months or more and store items offsite that you can live without until you get into your new home.

2. Unpainted and Poorly Painted Walls - Unpainted walls leave a home feeling cold and uncomfortable. Walls with poor paint jobs scream lack of maintenance. Warm up the walls with soft, neutral colors - and pay attention to your painting - it's all in the prep work.

3. Unattractive or Dated Colors, Wallpaper and Borders - Purple passion may be a great color for your 4-year old daughter, but will the majority of homebuyers like it? No Way!

4. Worn-out Carpeting - Dingy, stained carpet is a huge deal killer. If you can't afford to replace it at least have it professionally cleaned.

5. Outdated Appliances and Fixtures - Today's buyers want modern amenities, no matter how old the house is. Investing a little money in updating these items will reap huge returns.

6. Bad Smells - Whether it be from smoking, pets, or cooking if a buyer can smell it you can't sell it. Invite a friend over who can honestly tell you if there are odors in your home. When you live there day in and day out your nose becomes immune to the smells.

7. A Dirty Home - No one wants to move into someone else's dirt. Clean your home so well that it passes the "white glove" test. If you don't have the time or desire, please hire a professional cleaning crew to do the job for you. They are efficient and definitely worth the money.

 

 If you really want to get top dollar for your home, consider hiring a professional home stager.  Home staging is a tried and true method of highlighting the best features of your property while appealing to a large number of buyers. By focusing on strategic furniture placement, de-cluttering, organizing, de-personalizing, color selection, and accessorizing a home stager can turn your home into a showplace that will yield a higher offer in a quicker amount of time. 

If you prefer to do your own work and have the time then I would suggest having a consultation done. This gives you a written guide to follow to prepare your home for sale. It includes a follow-up and quick touch ups for your MLS listing pictures and open house.

Planning ahead makes all the difference in timing of a sale and offers coming. Do your home work and be ready. It’s not magical but rather pure common sense. It would be much nicer to do the preparation rather than reduce the price by hundreds or thousands of dollars. There is no comparison money-wise between staging and reducing your price.

 

 

Relax & Enjoy.

 

Does thinking about decorating your home make your head ache? It shouldn’t. Decorating your own home should be an enjoyable experience not something you dread.

I believe in using what you have if possible, creating something from the pieces you own, and adding only those items absolutely needed. Of course it’s fun to toss everything and buy all new but can your wallet stand it? Mine tends to groan when I go shopping and it can be embarrassing when standing at the check-out.

Very often I am hired to ReDesign a room or two and I often shop right from the client’s home. ReDesigning means working with what you already own. I begin by emptying the room and beginning with a fresh palette. ReDesigning means editing your possessions and returning some but not all of those to the room being worked on. Sometimes I find a piece of art or furniture hidden in another room that was begging to be seen in the room we are working on. One time it was an oil painting down in the basement and forgotten about. Another time we found valuable two beautiful water colours in the garage.  So can you see how this works?

You may already possess all the components to make your new ReDesigned room spectacular.

Your home should feel like the place you most want to come to after a day at work. It is the place nearest and dearest to your heart and a place you love to share with others. It does not have to be fashion perfect and look like a magazine. Those rooms in pictures we all read about are there for a guide to give you inspiration for your own home. If you take a window covering from one magazine and a wall design from another and pull them together, that is how you are able to incorporate them into your home.

Never plan a room that does not marry well with the rest of your home, this includes your furniture and accessories. You have to do your homework, consider the character of the home and love the colour scheme and make sure it flows from room to room. Very often we get our ideas from one piece we already own. For example, I just painted my kitchen lime green and gray. The green came from a pitcher I was given a few years ago and I love the finished look.

Be yourself, ask for help from a professional, and most of all have fun creating.

 

Closing my Eyes!

 

I am just closing my eyes and dreaming of spring. Enough with the snow thank you! We are already past mid-February and surely on the down hill slide to warmer weather and green grass. Can’t you just see the buds on the trees and the green grass sprouting up?

Now is the time to begin planning your attack on redesigning your home and gardens.

Have you considered a coat of paint inside and maybe fresh paint for your front door? Nothing screams welcome as a bright new colour on your front door and a few pots of plants.

So many changes you can make inside too. Creating a new look for your bedroom with a fresh spring/summer colour combination. You do not have to spend a fortune either. Try adding a white bed skirt and a pale green blanket tucked under your mattress, add new white pillow cases and a couple green and white toss cushions. You can make toss cushions by covering the ones you have with material left from other projects or using a towel in the colours you like, a few ribbons tied on the corners make it secure enough for your bed. Check out bolster pillows, they are becoming quite popular on the fashion scene.

 Another quick and easy look for spring is take up your area carpets and have your bare floor showing or adding a sisal carpet for a summery feel. These are great for wear and tear with families. To clean most of them, you just take outside and use the garden hose to clean them and let them dry. Love the organic look of these.

If you use heavy draperies in winter, it is time to replace these with billowing sheers for spring/summer. Less is always more this time of year and you can cool a house down just by how you decorate. Exchange dark accessories for lighter one and use more natural fabrics, baskets, linen, flowers, grass, anything you like from outdoors consider brining those into your home.

Decide to use more flowers in your home. Adding fresh arrangements can make your whole world feel brighter and lighter. You do not have to buy expensive arrangements at all. A short drive in the country may give you a new look every week and for free. They may be weeds to some but a vision of beauty to you.

 It is not about how much you spend, it is all about filling your life with the things you love.

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DIY Projects for Easy Home Décor.

 

Do you love a deal? Save a bit of money? Be creative? I have found and used some of these neat ideas and they look great and you have not spent all your savings.

• Begin saving empty toilet paper rolls. If you cut them across the roll and then press down they look like the outline of a leaf. A large collection of these “leaves” can them be glued to a backing then spray painted to create an awesome wall hanging. The backing might be an old mirror, an old picture frame filled with a black paper then the leaves could be sprayed and then added. Let your imagination run wild.
• Make sparking candle holders from empty tin cans. Pizza sauce, or tomato cans are a good size. Remove one end and leave the other end intact for a base. Spray paint the inside with a shining gold, silver or even lime green and outside of the cans the colour you want in your room. Now place the cans on a round piece of wood, with the wood inside the can. Take a nail or awl and begin pounding holes in the walls of the can. If you want a certain pattern mark the spots with a Sharpie before making the holes. The larger the holes the more light. When you are finished add some sand to the bottom and insert your candle. Voila!
• Cut some branches from small trees or large twigs that are not too bushy and insert in deep vases or milk cans, anything you might have that will support their weight and not tumble over. You then may leave them natural or spray paint white or a colour of your choice. Instant art to fill a corner.
• If you have a buffet or sofa table and want to give it a new look, use old books as pedestals to show off pieces of art. Make a few of different levels. You can add other items around these to give a layered look and the whole look will be a great conversation piece.
• Do you need closet doors? Add a drapery rod and inexpensive drapes to hide your clutter and personal items.

 

Being creative is no more than expanding your imagination. Search for ideas and then make some of them your with your own design touch.

 

Are you Classic or Trendy?

 

When you consider your fashion and décor favorites, are you leaning towards classic or trendy designs?

Here are some classics to think about. Do you love a wing back chair? They seem to be right in about any home décor, even modern if the fabric is right. Do you love built-in bookcases? I saw a closet made into a reading room; three walls of bookcases and a center upholstered seat with many comfy pillows and just the right reading lamp attached to the wall. I would love that.

Faded oriental rugs; to some these are just not welcome in their home but to many they represent years of loving use and memories galore. Very often these are passed down through a few generations.

Painting your front door a glossy colour, says welcome home. Your thoughts?

A cozy spot in the garden for two bright colourful chairs; It looks like you want friends to sit and visit awhile.

What about exposed unfinished brick, a trend look or one that has lasted through time?

Do you own a wooden desk and do you feel it is up to date or out of date?

The command center of the home might be a kitchen table where the family members meet to share a meal and news of the day. It also is where many plans are made, bills are paid and many cups of tea or coffee have solved many a problem. Mine has been passed down a couple of generations and I would not part with it, no matter the trend.  I can’t imagine a pretty espresso finished table standing all the punishment this old table has seen.

Now let’s consider a few trends that are popular today and see if we think they will turn into a classic with time.

Acrylic chairs and tables that are called ghost because you can see through them? Will they be passed down to the next generation?

All the particle board furniture that reminds me of throw away furniture, it is difficult to imagine it lasting a decade much less a generation.

Shag carpet is returning, now is that considered a classic or another version of a trend?

Art work that is available at every chain store, will these replace the old classic paintings or designs from years ago? Will cost prevail and thus make us buy the lesser priced pieces?

Please feel free to comment on these thought provoking questions. I would love to hear from my readers. Enjoy your weekend!

 

 

 

Be Bold

  

How brave are you? I mean with colour, not zip lining or sky diving. You would think some people are going to jump from a plane without a parachute when painting a wall. It is only a can of paint.  Try something different for a change.

I tried a bedroom with the walls and ceiling the same colour of sage green and after a season painted again. It was the colour and lighting that was wrong not the concept of the walls and ceiling the same colour.

Next time I painted the ceiling a light cream and the walls a charcoal gray, I love it so much so I am doing it all over again in the new house. I also now have a guest room with a Wedgewood blue ceiling and white walls. It is so soft and calming, lovely.

Now to the rest of the house, lime green, robin egg blue, tomato red and chocolate brown, what to choose? I am having a Crayola moment and want to try them all. White is not one shade either so be careful choosing the finishes to go with your new wild colours.

Have you noticed how popular green has become lately? Not just using green products but the colour green and all the beautiful variations of it. Think about lime green with white, how crisp and clean that looks to the eye. You bring the outdoors in by using green.  Apple green with beige adds life to a neural room. Green with black is very stark and yet cutting edge modern. Grass green with natural wood gives a very natural outdoor feel to a room. A cool green with a marine blue, stunning; pea green and burnished orange creates an energetic feel to a room. Green and yellow and a touch of either blue or red allow the colours calm a room. Who knew it was so easy to be green?

Green is the colour we long for over a long winter. We are thrilled to see the first blades of grass and the green buds burst forth from the trees. If this one colour alone brings such joy then why not use it inside our home too. Green can stand alone in a room or be a happy pop of colour throughout. For not being a neutral colour green goes with just about any colour you like to use. Be brave; pick green for your next project.

 

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So you are selling your home. You cleaned and decluttered and painted everything white. Now you just wait for the sale. Have you actually tried your best? Did you look at other homes for sale and see how they are presented? Did you ever walk through Model Homes?  Be honest and compare yours to the Model Home.

Everything you neglect doing that would make your home more sellable, will take money from your pocket. Who can afford to give away money? Not me!

You are going to have an Open House; did you sincerely give it your best or did you open all the windows and pray the wind would take care of the dust? Did you think to clean inside your oven and refrigerator? Is your garbage still in the garbage cans throughout your home? Did you make sure all the cobwebs are down? Would you want a home that looks neglected?

Your Realtor can not perform miracles if you do not put forth your best effort. You must declutter and clean like the Queen was coming to visit. Also you must think about the curb appeal and how your home looks to buyers when they drive by. Sometimes the seller just does not see the whole picture as they have lived happily in this home for years. Now all of a sudden your home is being seen from hundreds of people, either on line or personal visits. Wonder what the honest comments are? For some reason we do not want honesty about our beloved home, but in fact we need to know exactly why people are not buying it. Do not be offended by the comments, rather fix the issues right away.

Go back to the Model Home, usually they are perfectly presented. Hardwood and ceramic is the most sought after flooring choice. Beautiful neutral colours and updated furniture abound. Lighting is updated and natural light shines through the home. The addition of fresh flowers and shining windows make a buyer want to sit down and stay. Is this how your home is being presented for sale? I hope so.

Staging presented on the popular television shows gives you a bit of an idea about staging but unless you are trained to have a buyers eye, you are not able to see exactly all the problems that can be holding your home from saying SOLD.

 

Need a Facelift?

 

Does your room feel drab and need a brighter new look? How to create this new look without breaking the bank is the next trick. I have gathered a few suggestions to make this easy and cost effective for you.

Begin by taking a few photos around the room you want to change and sit down and look these over carefully. Often when you “see” your room in a photo you really notice all the things you would change.

Of course painting is the first thing considered in brightening a room. The fresh new colours available today are endless. Be sure the colour flows with the other rooms connected and that it compliments your art and furniture.

While painting you will be removing everything from the walls and clearing the room, now is the time to declutter and discard items you do not want to put back in your room.

If you are not painting I would still take down all the art and hang it differently. Change is always good, especially if you don’t have to spend too much money.

Look over your lamp shades; are they clean and up to date? For less than $50.00 you can buy new ones and make your lamps look like they are from a home design magazine.

Steam clean your carpets if you have those or add an area rug to a tile or hardwood floor.

Tired of your sofa and chair, perhaps a slip cover would brighten that piece up or consider having them reupholstered if they are ones you absolutely love. The older furniture is made of solid wood and so much stronger, so keeping them is to your benefit.

Adding new toss cushions is an easy way to change the look of a room and today you can buy cushion covers for less than $10.00 then you keep the inserts; saving money again.

Clean all the inside windows for now and outside as soon as you can. Nothing improves a room like sparkling clean windows. White vinegar mixed 1part to 3 parts water and polished with crumpled newspaper gives perfect streak free glass.

Rearrange the furniture; maybe move a few pieces to another room. Shop in your own home for treasures you forgot you owned.

Reorganize your book shelves; less books and more décor of bright colour.

This is such an easy project, change the colours a couple times of year with just adding and taking away the pieces you love.