decorating: Design Trade Superstar Contest ~ Please Cast Your Vote!
- 10/19/10 10:16 AM
Design Trade is a national magazine, Web site and series of directories celebrating the people, products and projects of fine design. The print magazine is available three time per year in book stores and design centers nationwide. The print directories are published annually in California, Florida, New York and Texas. They are running a design contest and the prize is a feature in their magazine! We submitted one of our photos and we hope you'll take a moment to visit the link below and 'like' our photo. Every 'like' counts as a vote and the picture with the most votes .. you guessed … (7 comments)
decorating: Reflections at Laurelwood: Kitchener-Waterloo Model Condo Designed to Sell
- 09/17/10 09:00 AM
In June, Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design was contacted by UrbanEra Homes about a new condo project they were planning to launch in September 2010. We had worked with this builder/developer last year, decorating their two model homes for the Village Park on Harvest Lane project in Delhi, ON. This time however, we were not simply asked to decorate the model condo, we were asked to make all the design choices from paint colour, flooring, cabinetry, countertops, backsplash, light fixtures and hardware for the model. In addition, we were asked to select all the base and upgrade selections for the buyers purchasing … (13 comments)
decorating: How Professional Home Stagers Help in Kitchener-Waterloo
- 09/05/10 04:26 PM
I was driving in the car today and listening to the radio when an ad came on for How Realtors Help homeowners sell their homes. I understand and agree that Realtors are excellent guides for the home selling process. They deal with people and situations that homeowners shouldn’t have to and they provide essential information which is crucial when it comes to getting the most money for your biggest asset – your home.
What I didn’t agree with and continue to have issues with is how these ads claim Realtors can help homeowners stage their homes. Professional stagers don't … (8 comments)
decorating: 5 Days to Stage a Luxury Home in Cambridge, Ontario!
- 08/20/10 03:31 AM
My partner Alana and I were hired by the home owner of a truly stunning home to do a complete make-over and staging of his impressive home. The property had been on the market since early January 2010 and was listed in 'as is' condition. The house didn't sell. As we often tell our clients, the higher the listing price, the higher buyer expectations are. In this case, the home had spectacular curb appeal but the online pictures weren't doing the property justice and when buyers visited, they were overwhelmed by the personal decor choices which they would have to … (42 comments)
decorating: Virtual 3D Designs - Which Looks More Realistic?
- 05/05/10 06:22 AM
I love interior design programs and have been using them for years. Last year I found a website that allowed me to create virtual 3D designs for clients and I fell in love with it. Unfortunately, it wasn't a great program for my computer and it took me hours to do one room because it kept causing my computer to crash. So, I found a new software program by Chief Architect which allowed me to do all of the other things I could do in the previous program plus exciting things like creating actual walk through's of the home showing the … (4 comments)
decorating: Staging a Beautiful Luxury Home in Cambridge, ON
- 04/27/10 07:26 AM
On Friday April 9th I did a consultation for the home owners of a large luxury home in an elite part of Cambridge, ON. We were called in by the realtor who realized that there was a lot of work to do in this large home before it could sell at the price the sellers wanted to list at. This particular realtor's office is one we partner with often and they are extremely pro-staging which makes a tangible difference in what clients are willing to do to get their homes ready for sale. This particular home was vacant and while it … (13 comments)
decorating: Interior Design is not the same as Home Staging
- 02/12/10 05:05 AM
After being told several times over the past few months that one of the main reasons realtors opt to not call us is because their listings are already "nicely or professionally decorated", we decided to do some homework. Over the past few weeks, my partner and I have had the opportunity to go through many open houses and look at homes which were marketed as "updated and decorated beautifully throughout". We weren't sure what to expect and it became increasingly clear that the term decorated encompassed a wide variety of personal design styles, colours and even room functions!
decorating: UrbanEra Model Homes Staged by Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design
- 01/09/10 01:04 PM
Last year, my partner and I were hired by a local developer to stage their model homes. We worked tirelessly with the builder to create two stunning & entirely different designs and feel we succeeded. We chose to decorate the home with simple, yet stunning furniture and accessories which allowed each home's layout and architectural details to shine through. In the traditional home, we used a rich gold toned paint and accented it with a stunning palette of luxurious colours and materials.
In the contemporary home we used crisp modern furniture accented by stunning … (22 comments)
decorating: Home Staging: From the Client's Perspective
- 07/25/09 12:12 AM
Okay, so I thought I would write a few blog posts from the different perspectives of the people directly involved in the home selling process. This first one is going to be written from the perspective of the sellers - and trust me after talking to many of them and hearing their reactions (good and bad) and knowing how I would feel as a seller, I think I can make this believable. Why am I writing this? Because after listening to both sellers and realtors I realize there is a lot of miscommunication, misunderstandings, and trepidation which shouldn't be there when … (6 comments)
decorating: Stratford Home Staged to Sell!
- 06/12/09 08:57 AM
We work with several realtors in Stratford and we got called in to stage at a home where the home owner had done a lot in the way of renovations. It was actually the mirror image of a vacant home we had staged in the area with the exception that our client had blown out the back of the home to add a gourmet kitchen, a great room, another bathroom and office. The realtor we work with said the home had great bones, it just needed some "tarting up" as the occupants were men and there was very little in the … (5 comments)
decorating: Kitchener Home Staging Makes Online Pictures Stand Out!
- 03/27/09 05:47 AM
My partner and I recently did a presentation for a Home Buyers & Sellers Seminar this past week and one of the things we talked about seemed to resonate strongly with our crowd. That is the importance of home staging to a home's pictures online, which is the place to shop for a home these days. We call shopping for a home online "speed dating". Its very similar to going out to one of those speed dating events where you have only a certain amount of time to impress another person enough that they want to get your contact information in … (8 comments)
decorating: Waterloo - Vacant Home "Before & After" Pictures
- 03/14/09 04:44 PM
Rooms in Bloom staged a vacant home in Waterloo this past week. We took an awkward layout and made it seem both cozy - and contemporary! We have contracts for five other vacant homes in upcoming weeks. After forwarding RESA's staging statistics to many Realtors, we have gotten a phenomenal response! Please let us know your feedback on our pictures!
Living Room "Before"
Living Room/Dining Room "After"
Living Room/Dining Room "After"
Dining Room "Before"
Dining Room "After"
Family Room "Before"
Family Room "After"
… (11 comments)
decorating: Kitchener-Waterloo Vacant Home Staging Basics
- 01/08/09 01:52 PM
This is an article I wrote which is being featured not only in Rooms in Bloom's newsletter, but several other Realtor newsletters in our area. I just thought I would share. Also - if anyone else has any input on how they handle inquiries about the feasibility of staging vacant homes, I would love to hear what you say. For us, we get inquiries daily which is why I thought I would write this short article. Vacant Home Staging Basics Yesterday, my partner Alana and I received our third inquiry from a Realtor about what was involved in staging an … (21 comments)
decorating: Waterloo Vacant home staged and SOLD!
- 12/09/08 06:07 AM
Back in September, we were contacted by a realtor's office whom we partner with and told that one of their clients needed our staging expertise as he had a vacant home in the Beechwood area of Waterloo on the market and it wasn't getting much interest - and had in fact been up for sale since the beginning of June. We did a consultation and staged after some issues with the home owner (he was against staging as he didn't want to spend any money). We staged at the end of October and the house got three offers within three weeks … (7 comments)
decorating: Stunning Stratford House Staged to Sell by Kitchener-Waterloo's Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design
- 10/17/08 12:09 PM
We were called in to stage a vacant house before it went on the market - the home owners had been advised by a savvy realtor to do so. We were called and the result? A beautiful home! We have a great slideshow of the pictures at www.roomsinbloom.org under the featured homes section. I tried loading pictures however I kept encountering errors and got frustrated - sorry everyone - but please do take a look!
Family Room "After" - Before we started all there was in this room was a giant fish tank! We worked with the paint colors and … (4 comments)
decorating: Lovely Kitchener Bungalow - Staged & Sold in under 10 days for 98% of Asking Price!
- 09/05/08 02:47 AM
This house is a lovely bungalow in Stanley Park, Kitchener which we were called in to help with before it went on the market. The home owner was an older lady who had moved to a nursing home and her relatives who lived outside the country were put in charge of getting the house sold. Our first impressions of the house were a lot of wallpaper, clutter and religious items. We were hired to stage but also to manage the wallpaper removal/painting project, general repairs and to de-clutter the house. Once done, the house was neutral and appealing to a wide … (3 comments)
decorating: Guelph Vacant House Staged to Perfection!
- 09/05/08 12:19 AM
We got referred to clients in Guelph who had had their house on the market since June however it hadn't had any action. A lot of the feedback was negative because the rooms seemed really small and buyers couldn't imagine their furniture fitting into the space. The home owners had done a lot of work updating the space with neutral paint color, new flooring and updated fixtures in the bathroom. We came in and added furniture and purpose to each room, even a small room which previously seemed like wasted space and we staged as a small home office!
We … (11 comments)
decorating: Staged to Sell: Stunning Kitchener Century Home Sold First Day on Market!
- 08/20/08 02:26 AM
We were called in by the home owner to help get this beautiful home in the Old Westmount area of Waterloo, in tip top shape before going on the market. We were hired as project managers and home stagers so we have overseen every step of this process and both my partner and I are a little sad that it's over. We're wildly elated for the home owners who listed the property privately as within 24 hrs of their first open house they got an unconditional offer for full asking price - but we're sad to say goodbye to this labour … (5 comments)
decorating: Beautiful Little House - Great "Before & After" Shots!
- 08/19/08 10:33 AM
We got called in to help get a great little bungalow ready for sale about two and a half weeks ago. The owner is an elderly lady who is now living in a retirement home and her family is selling her house for her. As part of our services, we also manage projects like having all the wallpaper taken down and all the rooms freshly painted. We de-cluttered, staged and voila! The house shows beautifully!
Living Room "Before"
Living Room "After"
Master Bedroom "Before"
Master Bedroom "After"
2nd Bedroom "Before"
2nd Bedroom "After"
Bathroom … (3 comments)
decorating: Convenience is so appealing for clients!
- 07/17/08 01:21 AM
This past week, my partner Alana and I got contracts signed for two staging projects which are slated to finish in the next three weeks. For each of these projects, we went in like usual and did full consultations with detailed recommendations and presented these reports to our clients. I should mention that we have noticed a growing trend towards convenience - ie. clients want us to take care of the recommendations and bring in the professionals to give quotes and do the jobs. These last two were much much bigger than what we'd dealt with before. In fact, with very … (0 comments)
Blog written by Heather Cook, award winning home staging designer for Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design Inc. Great information on home staging & re-design for realtors, sellers and buyers!
Design Trade is a national magazine, Web site and series of directories celebrating the people, products and projects of fine design. The print magazine is available three time per year in book stores and design centers nationwide. The print directories are published annually in California, Florida, New York and Texas.
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