Setting the Stage - Home Staging

Home Staging: The Emotion Behind the Commotion...

2008-06-11T22:45:24Z

Have you ever had one of those appointments that you were dreading because you just knew that there was no way these clients were going to spring for home staging? This was one of those times... I had met with them once already, and there was no warm fuzzy, no welcoming arms. Just outright skepticism and borderline rudeness, however, it probably ranks number one on the list of homes I have been to that absolutely needed staging. Over 30 years of clutter, paperwork and wall hangings were standing in the way of what could be a very showable home!

I approached the Saturday morning meeting with dread, knowing that I was driving across town simply to be told NO WAY, but the realtor insisted that he was going to push this one through or he would not list their home!

As we sat and talked, I got to know the mother and daughter a little better. I could see the stress in the daughters face as I outlined my plan. As her shoulders slumped and her mother kept talking, I started to feel a little bad about my initial feelings and started wanting to genuinely help them. The realtor laid down his ultimatum, and I walked out with a check. But most importantly, I felt emotionally attached to the project and the family, and have now been working side-by-side with them to declutter and stage their home. I am emotionally invested in their success, and genuinely want to see their home sell for the highest price possible.

Here's to home stagers - we're not a cold bunch of designers out for a quick buck, I believe that our passion comes from just plain caring about the families that we are helping, and that when we connect with our clients, we will go above and beyond to help make their dreams come true!

Yours truly, Rebecca

Home Design: Mudroom Design w/Lockers and Tin Ceiling

2008-05-22T22:19:30Z

Thought you might enjoy this mudroom idea - If any of you work with builders in the early stages of design, this has been a huge hit for our company. We started it last year, and every house we have built since has included this in their floor plan! Mudroom Design Idea w/Lockers and Tin Ceiling The key to a happy household is an organized household, and we've been trying to figure out the best way to get our model homes to work for busy families. We hit the nail on the head with our innovative mudroom idea. It incoporates many key features including:

Four individual lockers with organizers and shelves inside for shoes, hanging coats, and bag storage.
Window seat for putting on/taking off shoes, as well as a comfy place to hang out and read.
Drop-off zone for with a corkboard message center. It's a great place for storing mail and the inevitable "junk drawer". We've also added electric in the drawers so phones/Ipods can be charged out of site!

Many design elements were used to make this space comfy and inviting including:

1x4 Trim painted white - We typically use a fancier door casing, but this plain casing made a better statement in the mudroom.
Beadboard Wainscot throughout the ares - Protects the walls and gives it a true mudroom look. This beadboard was about 6' high with a 1x4 trim piece at the top. We added hooks to the trim piece for coats/pet supplies!
Window Seat - This comfy spot was finished off with beadboard and a painted seat with cushions.
Tile Floor - A durable floor that is easily cleanable is a key component to this space. Use your imagination when picking tile. Choose a nice light color, then make a tile "rug" with a mosaic border and tiles on the diagonal inside the border.
Ceiling Treatment - We attached these tin squares to think piece of plywood then nailed it to the beams in the ceiling. A little chair rail border around the edges, and you have a beautiful ceiling treatment!
Paint Color - Choose a warm color that highlights the tones of your tile - This color from Benjamin Moore is called Onandaga Clay (1204).

The most important function of this to room is organization, so keep that in mind when designing your mudroom. Identify the items that you wish you could eliminate from view everyday and find a way to store them in this out-of-the-way spot!

Home Staging: Before and After, Montclare Rowhouses, Chicago

2008-05-20T21:51:58Z

I finished staging this unit a few weeks ago and thought I would share the before/after video. It was particularly challenging due to the three floors and small spaces. I carved out several spaces for entertaining and relaxing including a great "coffee" nook in the bay window. We actually had to remove the stair railing to get the couch up the stairs to the second floor:). The good news is they have since sold their old model, and signed a contract on this one last week, so we are now going to be moving down one unit and setting it up again! Another successful project and a happy client! Thanks, and Happy Staging, Rebecca

I Kissed a Frog Childrens Bathroom Design Idea

2008-05-18T22:07:52Z

I Kissed a Frog Kids Bathroom: Product Guide and Details for a Unisex Kids Bathroom Design This adorable bathroom was designed for the family that has a boy and a girl sharing a bathroom. I wanted to do something fun and cute but still appealing to a boy. The vessel sinks and tilting mirrors are perfect for all ages and the beadboard walls make this room maintenance free! Read on for how-to's and a detailed product guide!
	To create this fabulous kids bathroom, you’ll need to start with a fresh coat of paint. I used Benjamin Moore Regal Matte paint in Fresh Grass - #426. Next, get some beadboard at your local DIY store - Most of it is easy to install with adhesive and rail at the top. I placed it all the way around the bathroom - it's so easy to clean and looks great too! Now for the cabinets - I had these custom made, but you can use any cabinet for this purpose. Just remember that if you are using a vessel sink, you'll want to make sure the cabinet is adjusted for the height of the sink. It's important to make sure that you do this so the sink does not end up to high for the kids. Find some great lighting at your local store or online - there are tons of great places to find kid-friendly bath lights - I like to find whimsical ones with frosted shades! Accesorize your bathroom - Start with towels - These frog towels are great for the boys and girls as one set had a pink trim on it and the other had a blue trim on it. I put some clear beads in the sink for a fun twist, and added some storage baskets at the bottom of the cabinets. You can see why kids of all ages would love this bathroom and there are lots of ways to customize it to fit your needs/bathroom layout!		Feature Articles Flower Power Girls Bedroom Hannah Montana Bedroom I Kissed a Frog Kids Bathroom

Girls Bedroom Ideas - 6 Easy Steps to a Flower Power Bedroom

2008-05-16T21:54:11Z

This bright and cheery girls bedroom is a great way to bring a flower garden indoors! With just a few quick and easy steps, you can have your own blooming garden in just a short time!

•1) Pick a great quilt or comforter to start your theme. There are tons of cute bedspreads so let your little girl pick her favorite! One of my favorites is this Flower Patch Bedding set - Lots of great accessories are available too!

•2) Start with a great wall color - I painted the walls a bright pink using Benjamin Moore Color Pink Ladies 1347. It's best to match the wall color to the comforter/quilt you are using.

•3) Purchase some white picket fencing. I picked up some unfinished pickets and sprayed them white. You can then attach them to the wall. I nailed mine right to the wall with a nail gun, but you could use picture hangers or any kind of wall adhesive.

•4) I found some great mini-adirondack chairs that were already painted a bright and cheery yellow - You can set those up with a matching mini-table for fun tea parties in your new garden!

•5) Now it's time to light up your picket fence. Any party lights on a string will work great. Just weave them in and out of your fencing and plug them in - It's a great night light!

•6) A fun way to accessorize the room is to use outdoor flags, big fun flowers, and artwork with garden sayings. You can find all of these things at your local craft store!

There are so many ways to make this room unique and cheerful. Have fun with it!

Visit thedecoratingideasite.com for more great decorating ideas.

A Day in the Life...of a Home Stager

2008-05-14T21:08:13Z

Today I received a call from a realtor for whom I do the majority of my staging work. He had a property that was on the market and had shown it to some potential buyers- relo's from Wisconsin who were transferring to Chicago.

The main problem with this house is that it should never have been put on the market in it's current condition. The residents had moved out leaving half of their belongings behind - including all of the children's toys and the shampoo in the shower. Furniture had been disassembled but not removed, and wall art had been taken down but the hardware/holes in the wall had been left behind.

After my initial shock at the fact that this house was even on the market, we made a plan of action before the owner arrived. Below is the plan we presented to him:

1) Clean it up and move it out - Pack up all of your belongings and get them out of the way. Take all of the abandoned toys and either donate them or have a big garage sale and use the money to get your house ready for market

2) Paint - Patch all of the walls and paint the whole house with a neutral color palette.

3) Windows - remove all of the paper shades and get the windows cleaned for a better view from the inside/out!

4) Finish construction - The basement was in a state of being half-done - A sauna/steam room had been constructed and all of the tile was ready to be installed but it had not been completed. It's hard for buyers to see past the WORK of it all, and the last thing they want to do on a $599,000 house is more work!

5) Landscape - Although the landscaping was completed, it had not been weeded or manicured since installation. We needed a full facelift on the outside of this house to keep buyers from being turned off before they even walked in.

Bottom line- The home owner wants top dollar for his home in a buyers market and with a product that is ina state of disrepair. He could either drop his price ALOT to make the buyer feel a little work/repair was worth it, or spend 10-15K to fix it up and keep his price where it was at - He chose the latter, and we've got a plan of action in place already. I'm looking forward to the results of our extreme makeover!

Staging Your Home - The Top 6 Reasons to Stage Your Home

2008-05-07T21:45:46Z

It's important to remember that when it comes to selling your house, buyers need to be able to imagine themselves living in your house from the moment they walk in the door. First impressions are everything, and by putting your home's best foot forward, you can strengthen the odds that your home will sell faster and for more money than others. Staging your home will give you a competitive edge in a tough market. The facts about homes that are professionally staged...

Sell 39.5% faster than other homes. Market time is almost cut in half for those homes that are neutralized and de-cluttered.
Sell for 5% more than other homes. In most instances, the money you put into staging your home will be recouped in the offers you may not have received otherwise. Instead of buyers looking for the negatives or repairs they may have to do, they'll be imagining themselves sitting in that cozy chair by the warm fireplace.
Pictures of Staged Homes look better than other homes, and more buyers are likely to ask to see your home in person. Since over 70% of homebuyers start their search on the internet, it's important that the pictures show an inviting and clutter-free home.
Buyers feel more comfortable inside a Staged home, and they stay longer. The longer the buyers stays in your home, the more likely they are to remember it at the end of a long day of house hunting.
Buyers view a Staged home as "well cared for", and may be more lenient about negotiating repairs.
Staged homes will compete more aggressively with new construction homes. If you live in a community that features sparkling new models, you'll need that extra effort to make sure your home is as move-in ready, clean and repair-free as the new homes are.

The truth is that staging a home speeds up sales in a sluggish market. For a small fee, you can usually get a detailed plan of action that you can implement yourself or have coordinated by a staging consultant. The initial fee will be more than recouped by less market time and better offers!

Hannah Montana Bedroom - 5 Steps to Creating the Perfect Hannah Montana Bedroom

2008-05-07T20:40:30Z

Hannah Montana is everywhere these days, and I'm sure your little girl is just like mine and will LOVE this rock-star bedroom on a budget. Keep in mind that there are tons of other Hannah Montana accessories to be found in stores, so let your imagination run wild - you'll have no shortage of items to pick from!

1. To create this glitzy and glamorous bedroom, you'll need to start with a fresh coat of paint. I used two shades of Pittsburgh Paints

•- Walls - #243-5 Imperial Plum

•- Ceiling - #244-4 Purple Dragon

These colors are a perfect match to the Hannah Montana bedspread.

2. For the ceiling fan, simply purchase an inexpensive white fan. Go to your local craft store and find jewels/stickers an d let your daughter decorate the blades. You can also order the supplies at Joann.com. Just click on the link and search on jewels.

3. Any bed will work for this room - we chose to make a platform bed with a white headboard and then glammed it up with some decorative jewels/stickers. You can purchase the Hannah Montana Comforter by clicking here. and just find some inexpensive hot pink sheets to complete the look. A couple of nightstands and cool paper lamp finish off the bed area. You can also find great hanging paper lanterns in hot pink, purple, and white.

4. Click here to find Hannah Montana wall art, clocks, lamps, and more. There is no end to the amount of merchandise for this theme.

5. Find some basic white curtains, and go crazy with the hot glue gun or iron. You can find iron-ons, jewels, and beading to make these curtains one-of-a-kind, and it's a great art project for you and your daughter!

I completed this bedroom for a model home and it is sure to be a hit with girls of all ages who visit our homes.

For more information and pictures goto Hannah Montana Bedroom