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Dear IRIS,
February is the month of love so use these great redesign and repurposing tips from our members to fall in love with your home all over again, without spending a lot of money. Lori Brasseur Editor
Quick Tips Assistant Editor: Sandi Gregory, Details Redesign and Staging
Now that winter is here in earnest I'm sure you've already brought in your potted plants from Old Man Winters grip. Now is the perfect time to create a charming indoor garden room to help beat the winter blues.
Gather some of your favorite outdoor sculptures, birdbaths, and wrought iron trellises. You loved them in your outdoor "rooms" and you'll love them just as much in your new indoor garden room.
Mix your plants with the garden elements in new ways. For instance, use the birdbath to hold magazines, a wire birdcage to hold a large candle or a potted orchid. Your stone garden bench can be brought in and used as a coffee table.
Then add floral patterned tablecloths on your tables, botanical prints on the walls, and vases filled with fresh flowers. All of these ideas will go a long way in chasing away the winter blues.
Redesign Industry News Assistant Editor: Cheryl Deagon, Arranging Places
The 2008 IRIS Riding the Wave to Success conference will be held in sunny San Diego, CA. on October 8-10, 2008 at the Hilton Hotel in Del Mar.
This annual event is the forum where hundreds of professional Interior Redesigners, Real Estate/Home Staging Specialists, and Decorating Professionals meet to network, advance their business skills, and learn about the latest and most Innovative industry products and services.
This popular 3-day event features dynamic keynote and closing speakers, educational workshops covering a wide range of topics geared to professional Interior Redesigners and Stagers, networking with other professionals, as well as exhibitors featuring innovative products and services. Over 300 Interior Decorating attendees and over 30 corporate partners are expected to participate this year.
Inquiring minds want to know, "How does redesign fit in with green design living?" ReDesign is the rearrangement of existing furniture, artwork and accessories to suit the unique lifestyle, tastes and needs of an individual or family. This is a quick, economical and environmentally responsible way to achieve a whole new look for your home without throwing everything out that you own and starting all over.
However, sometimes it's necessary to make a few new purchases to achieve the look you want when doing an interior redesign. Here are some suggestions for going green in your home when making new decorating purchases:
Consider buying furniture and rugs from second hand or antique stores - anything used is considered green.
Look for wood products made from sustainable woods such as bamboo, eucalyptus or merbau (this is a new one I just learned about today) - these woods grow quickly and replenish themselves.
Purchase items made from recycled or salvaged materials.
Buy products manufactured close to home - it takes less energy to transport them.
Look for fabrics and carpets made from non-chemical finishes and natural fibers - typically organically grown cotton and wool.
With an interior redesign you can transform your home and help sustain the environment at the same time.
Quiz / Puzzle Editor: Lori Brasseur, LB Designs
Is Your Home Cozy or Cluttered? By:Ivillage.com
No matter what your personal style is or how beautiful your furnishings may be, a well decorated living room needs a fixed point around which everything else revolves. Decorating professionals call this a focal point. It can be anything -- a couch, a painting, a wall unit, your fireplace -- but making the most of your focal point will make your room inviting and warm, as well as functional.
Take this quiz to find out if your room has a focal point -- and learn how to create one if it doesn't.
Transforming a room with redesign brings out the best in every room. Take this dining area for instance, the homeowner was unhappy with the basic look of the room. It functioned but had no warmth or style and appeared cluttered. We moved out the low folding bookcase, the rug & the excess. The table was angled to change the dynamics. The view was enhanced using a corner piece found in a bedroom. To add color and interest we shopped the home and found 2 delightful lanterns in the kitchen and attached them above the table using press on hooks. Simple light kits could be attached to increase light in the room. The lanterns set the scene for an exotic feel then incorporating the owner's fabrics and Indian accessories finished the look. A few bold pieces grace the shelf and table. The perfect picture was found on the floor in the bedroom. The room gains depth and warmth, and suddenly this is an enticing spot to eat dinner or hang out with friends and family. The owners were thrilled with the transformation in a day, and their 18-year old son's reaction when he entered the house was, "Wow Mom, what did you do to the room? It looks great!"
Real Estate Staging Assistant Editor: Kathy Mohr, Begin it Today Design
Years ago, a Realtor friend in my small hometown of Casper, WY received a call from a man who wanted to see a property near the mountain. That man attacked my friend and nearly killed her with a knife he found on the kitchen counter. That memory has never left my mind.
Realtors and homeowners alike need to be aware of the real dangers for Realtors showing a home to perfect strangers. Most people are kind and do not wish a Realtor harm, but personal safety must always be at the forefront of all agents' minds.
How many of you list your homes for sale and never give the block of knives a second thought? That block of knives needs to be removed from the kitchen altogether. If that isn't possible, then relocate the block of knives to a bottom cabinet and turn the block so the handles are facing the back of the cabinet and then slide it clear to the back. Also, place any sharp utensils that may be in the silverware drawer, like steak knives and forks, in a plastic bag and put them in the same location as the block of knives.
As a professional home stager, I passionately share the story of my friend's attack with all my clients. I recently consulted with a woman whose home had been on the market for a long time. As I was walking through the home, I noticed that not only did she have the block of knives on the kitchen counter, she also had three rifles perched against her husband's desk in the basement. When I suggested that she remove the rifles from the home, she balked, saying the guns were not loaded. I then reminded her that many people have been killed or gravely wounded by the butt of a gun. She quickly picked them up and placed them in the trunk of her car.
Please help keep your realtor and stagers safe in your home while showing it. It's always better to be safe than sorry!
Members in the Media Submitted By: Anna Jacoby, IRIS
Interior Redesigners change lives, not just furniture The New Year is perfect for Interior Redesign
Are you ready to redesign? Several of our IRIS members tell you just how easy it is to get the home of your dreams in the new year. Click here to read the article
IRIS Headquarters IRIS (Interior Redesign Industry Specialists)
First Impressions Home Staging & Interior ReDesign is a nationally award winning company owned and operated in Summerville, SC a suburb of Charleston, SC. We provide high quality staging for both occupied and vacant homes in the greater surrounding areas and beyond! For more information please visit, www.WeStageSC.com. If you are interested in learning about making Home Staging your profession, please visit, www.StagingAndRedesign.com for more information.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
The 2008 IRIS Riding the Wave to Success conference will be held in sunny San Diego, CA. on October 8-10, 2008 at the Hilton Hotel in Del Mar. 
Dining Room Style
ew bold pieces grace the shelf and table. The perfect picture was found on the floor in the bedroom. The room gains depth and warmth, and suddenly this is an enticing spot to eat dinner or hang out with friends and family. The owners were thrilled with the transformation in a day, and their 18-year old son's reaction when he entered the house was, "Wow Mom, what did you do to the room? It looks great!"
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