The Outside Blog Minion Report

Carolyn Tann-Starr on Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Creative Home Expressions. This firm provides Interior Decorating, Redesign, Home Staging, Color Consultations and Shopping Services. The best part is you get an incredibly talented person who will go the extra mile to make sure a client receives everything that client needs. I'm on the waiting list and am very happily anticipating a crack at getting the boys room done. My 7 and 2 year old could use "a boy's room." Seriously. There's lots of clutter under foot but no real personality, so my wee people have lots of attitude about making that room their own. I have the drawings and scrawls on the walls to prove it, so it's time to get it done. When I say that "The Wiggles" and "The Lion King" have been scrawled in technicolor on every available surface at least once, it is an understatement. Think I'm finally getting the hint? You betcha' and in Autism/PDD-NOS spades (LOL). 

If you click on the above link you will be pleasantly surprised that Kathy P's firm has a program "for every reasonable budget." Not being independently wealthy, that means a lot to someone like me. I need help. That room is a disaster. Yes, I know, I know, bad minion mommy, but what's a busy gal to do? Besides, they really do enjoy trashing it as only little boys with lots of energy can do. I must confess there was a time or two I helped them make a mess (LOL). When your speech delayed little boy invites you to play a game, you play the game and you play it by wee people rules...  :-)

What can I possibly say about Kathy Passarette? Besides the fact that she's going to save me? That she is a close personal friend of the little minions and we absolutely adore her? That KP is awesome? That in our book she put the "A" in AWESOME? Hmm... I could say a lot, but I'm biased (LMAO). She happens to be my favorite Stager and I am very happy to report that my gal pal is all that and a bag of chips. Have you seen her Localism Blog? It's Spanking-A. Need I say more?

I love stagers because they make my life so much more interesting as a Realtor. They help me to encourage my clients to  use their imagination and see the potential in pursuing the intangible. They make our homes and commercial spaces  beautiful. They redefine the concept of comfortable living space. They make you crave comfortable things. They have a way of making you feel like you are really worth it and absolutely deserve this.

I like that.

If you're like me and have busy little minions, you totally get the need for comfort, the redefinition of space and personal boundaries (LOL). The emotional and physical space that we place between ourselves and others not only help define who we are but doing so also feeds our personal needs. In a nutshell: Setting proper boundaries is important to our mental health and when a person can embrace that fact, then that same person will also be able to embrace the fact that they would really like their home to reflect more of their personalities. Sometimes people realize they are not completely satisfied with what they have, yet they have no idea where to (or even how to) start upgrading their living and recreational spaces.

I can raise my hand here on that last point of order. I'm 43 years old and it has been hit or miss with me and mine for a while now. My kids break something, we replace something. People give us something, we stick it somewhere. Start running out of room, we throw something out and/or give it away. Pretty soon the place doesn't match but you don't notice because every item tells a story and represents a point in your life, so you let it stay. After all, what if that friend or relative visits and their "gift" is missing? (LOL)

As an artist, you'd think I'd at least have the color thing down (LMAO). I am probably the only artist in New York who leans all of her paintings against the wall rather than hang them throughout her apartment. (Ahhh, the things we are prone to confess when blogging - LMAO) Yes, it is true, there is only one painting hanging and I am standing in front of it in my profile picture.

May I suggest starting by making your home more comfortable, a better sanctuary for you to "get away to" rather than come home and "tolerate"? This isn't a girlie-girlie thing by the way, so don't be too quick to pooh-pooh the idea. Everyone would love to be more comfortable and relax, that's why we spend so much time planning our vacations. Why not plan to create a vacation at home? ;-)

Why not do a new thing with your life and slowly turn your home into your favorite mini-vacation spot where comfort and relaxation is the name of the game? I bet most of you never thought about hiring an interior decorator. I certainly didn't and we've been friends for a while before I got that epiphany (LOL). I bet you thought you couldn't afford a personal shopper, either. My mouth dropped open when I discovered just how reasonable her rates were. I bet you've watched HGTV and thought about trying it out but didn't and went back to your normal routine because it's "a fantasy" or "treat"  that you will get to "one day."

Well, your "one day" is here. You, my friend, need a Stager. A reasonably priced interior decorator that investors, builders and families love to work with. You will not be disappointed if you dare to take a chance and retain this particular one. She is very good at what she does and you will never be able to escape the simple fact that Stagers help you make your living space beautiful. They know where to find the gorgeous stuff you haven't thought of. They will teach you how to maximize an effect with the budget that you have. Sometimes it is just a matter of rearranging the furniture and applying new paint. You may already have most of what you need and don't know it. A consultation may be in order...

KP is my fave Stager and she knows New York. She is a Shopping Diva. I have a thing for eye candy and chicka has a beautiful mind. Kathy P can take a house and rock it sideways with her decorating skills. She has a photographer's eye. I do not know where you live, so you will have to find your own fave if you live out of state (or consult on-line swapping digital photographs). Of course, if you want my gal pal to travel out of state, the price is negotiable, but I must say she has a full schedule so you may have to pay a premium for the extra travel. If you do, it would be well worth your effort and design budget because girlfriend is uber cool and has impeccable taste. Check out how she staged a million dollar home that sat on the market for a while. It went to full contract after she added a few personal touches to the home. You can read all about it  here. If you are thinking about selling your home, you definitely want to consult with a Stager to give you an edge over the competition.

If you do not subscribe to her blog, you may want to reconsider. Her pointers will inspire you to try things on your own. You may find yourself in the same position I did (e.g. wanting to know more, not knowing where to start, reading KP like crazy until the light-bulb went off and I decided the little minions needed a makeover to keep them in their room entertained rather than wrecking the rest of my apartment for entertainment). Here are a few of my fave staging blog posts from the "It's Time To Come Home" Series: (1) Flooring (2) Window Treatments (3) Window Treatments (Part 2) 

My fave KP Outside Blog Posts: (1) New Year, New Room (2) Creating A Relaxing, Uncluttered Bedroom (3) Bringing The Indoors Out (Part 1)  (4) Bringing The Indoors Out (Part 2)

Did you know that Kathy has been involved in Interior Decorating for over 20 years? I am very happy that a few years ago she decided to open a business named Creative Home Expressions. I was lucky enough to stumble across her commenting on a blog post, we started chatting and we became fast friends ever since. She has a very interesting Active Rain profile. I am going to quote a little of it here: Kathy Passarette is "a Certified Interior Decorator, Interior Design Society Affiliate, and Window Fashions Certified Professionals Associate. She has established herself as an expert in her field with her tips and articles being published in such newspapers as: Newsday, Newday's How To Guide, New York Resident Magazine, the Gwinnett Daily Post, the Denver Post and the Miami Herald, among others. Kathy recently initiated the formation of the Suffolk County Long Island Chapter of the Interior Design Society, and holds the office of Vice President. Kathy also conducts Adult Education programs on various aspects of interior decorating at the Mount Sinai High School."

How cool is that? Very. :-)