Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Have YOU Decorated for the Holidays Yet?




Have you decorated for the Holidays yet?  It's not too late!

Let's start with the outside, here are some great ideas I found on Pinterest.    


                      CHRISTMAS OUTDOOR DECORATION                       50 Creative Christmas Outdoor Decorations for 2012


228210_471879846184841_2034035614_n.jpg 450×650 pixels
      What a great idea for a mailbox!!
                                              
  Creative Christmas Outdoor Decorations for 2012 | Creaciones ...




Don't we all have buckets behind our sheds?  This is a great idea to re-purpose containers we don't use in the winter.

          Snow man door wreath - Christmas by Monika.                     Vintage Bicycle Wrapped In Twinkling Lights
                                     Love these simple yet fun ideas!    

         patio holiday decorations ideas | Decorating Ideas from Out on the Patio: Christmas Outdoor Decorating ...     Christmas Outdoor Decor


                        No instructions for this, but wouldn't be hard to recreate.  I would start with the larger "outdoor" balls on the bottom and work up to the smaller ones and then the point.  Would probably have to use E6000 and hope that the balls wouldn't move until they were dry because hot glue would probably break glass balls or melt plastic ones.  Any ideas on gluing the balls on?     Sassy Sites!: Christmas OUTDOOR decor - Click image to find more Holidays & Events Pinterest pins

There are hundreds of decorating ideas on Pinterest!  Whatever your style is from over the top to very simple, you can find all kinds of inspiration on Pinterest and many other sites on line.
 http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=christmas%20outdoor%20decorations&rs=ac&len=17

Here are a few ideas to brighten up the interior for the Holiday season and some beautiful trees!

I love the elegance of this arrangement.  Gold has made a come back for sure... Nothing says Happy Holidays like a beautifully decorated mantel.


           Mix greenery with metallics for a gorgeous Christmas mantel! More Christmas living rooms: http://www.bhg.com/christmas/indoor-decorating/pretty-christmas-living-rooms/?socsrc=bhgpin113013mixgreenerywithmetallics&page=10       We love this fun alternative to stockings!  More holiday decorating ideas: http://www.bhg.com/christmas/indoor-decorating/decorating-in-red-and-white/

             Rustic Christmas Mantel Decor Christmas Mantel Decorating and an easy DIY chalkboard tutorial
         
Christmas Mantel Decoration
Loving this very colorful and fun mantel decor!
                           
                                              pinterest christmas 2013 decorations | Here we give you some cute Christmas mantel decorating ideas pictures:

 

indoor Christmas-decorations-

I like the greenery on top of the mirror. 23 Gorgeous Christmas Mantel Decoration Ideas
These room look so cozy and welcoming for entertaining friends and family.
                     

  Christmas Table  A spectacular Holiday table!!


Well, I don't know about you but I'm really getting in the Holiday spirit finding all these wonderful ideas on Pinterest.  I hope I was able to give you some great ideas to start your decorating or maybe add some new ideas to your home for celebrating with friends and family.

From our home to yours Happy Holiday's and here is to a Very Happy New Year!!! Cheers!


                                  


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Front Door Envy


Thinking of selling your home?  How does your front door look?

Curb appeal and how your front entrance looks are very important when getting your home ready to sell. When a buyer is ready to make a final decision they will remember which home made a lasting first impression. So... Don't slam the door in their face, instead have your home say, "Welcome Home".


Here are some curb appeal ideas:



  • Prune those shrubs! Pruning is vital to help see your home on the listing and from the road.
  • Pull the weeds you keep walking by and freshen up the bark mulch.
  • Add a few mums to the front walkway and around the mailbox.  

Some favorite curb appeal photos from Google.com and my own home.





Here is an example of what your house should not look like when trying to sell it, just had to share it:



Front door transformation:
  • Touch up trim paint so it looks clean and fresh.
  • Wash windows especially in the front of the house so it will sparkle.
  • Update the door or add a new coat of paint so it will pop compared to the rest of the house.
  • Don't forget to wash the outdoor lights or better yet replace them with a more updated style.
  • Pressure wash, pressure wash, pressure wash! It is amazing how good your walkway and front stairs can look after a good pressure washing.

Here are some updated front door examples.  Using a different door color can really help your home stand out from the rest in your neighborhood.



I hope I gave you some ideas when getting your home ready to sell!!











Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Sell Faster!!



Selling, Selling, Sold!



If you are thinking of selling your home you may want to take a look at other homes similar to yours on the market.  Look at the on line pictures to see how the home is being marketed to buyer's.


When I'm working with a client very often one of my recommendations are updating some areas of the home, such as the kitchen and bathrooms. It is amazing how making a few simple cosmetic updates can help sell a house faster. http://www.mirrormate.com/ 

Only 10% of people can see beyond what is in front of them when looking at real estate.  Working with a Home Stager can help set the stage to appeal to buyer's which help market the home better on line and for showings.


Here are some examples of some of my clients before and after bathroom updates.


Before this bathroom was dark and dated.



The bathroom was painted a neutral color, the sheers were removed, added some new accessories and towels. This bathroom now looks updated!


   

                          Before some updates and staging.


This bathroom just needed some decluttering, a good cleaning and some simple accessories to give this bathroom a clean fresh feel.

This bathroom had a dated feel so we suggested updating the mirror, light, counter, painting the oak cabinets white, new hardware and new crown molding.

This bathroom looks updated, clean and high end.  Which bathroom would you like to see in a listing?    

























The cabinets in this bathroom were painted black, updated the light, added a MirrorMate frame to the mirror and some new accessories.

Don't they look better staged???


So, if you are thinking of selling your home find a Home Stager http://arrangedtosell.com/ in your area that will help your home out shine the competition!!!  You'll be glad you did...



Thursday, January 31, 2013

So Many Choices!


Decisions, Decisions...

I have been looking for the perfect chandelier for my dining room and my head is spinning with all the different styles available.


Here is what my dining room looks like now.





Here are some chandeliers that I like from http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Chandeliers-Pendants/34/subcat.html?TID=TN:RD:Chand












I want the chandelier to fit in with the rest of the home which is traditional with some contemporary french country craftsmen thrown in. Wow!

I can see from my selection I'm a fan of curves. I don't like anything too modern with sharp edges.  One must have is that I don't like having the shades angled down, they must be facing up to the ceiling. I know, I know it's just one of those things that I can't stand.


How big should the chandelier be? A good rule I remember is a chandelier should be about 1/2 the width of the table and hang about 30" from the tables surface.


Along with the chandelier I also want to change out the valances for drapes! I know more decisions!!!


Until next time...




Thursday, January 17, 2013

Oops Don't Open That!



When getting your home ready for the Real Estate market, organization is an important ingredient. 

When I walk through a home with a client I ask them if they mind if I take a look in their cabinets and closets. 

As a Home Stager (http://arrangedtosell.com/staging.html) it is my job to look at the home with objective eyes.  I think of myself as a buyer and what would be important to me when looking for a house to buy.

As a buyer I’m making a “To Do” list as I tour the property. What needs to be fixed, painted, replaced or sometimes even gutted.  Only 10% of home buyer's can see what potential a home has. 

Organization is a main key element to please a buyer. Why do closets, pantries or cabinets need to be organized?  When a buyer enters a home it usually is in a foyer and the first thing they would do would check out the coat closet.  What is the first impression when looking in that closet?  Is it stuffed with coats, wrapping paper, bags, snow pants, gloves, tennis rackets and many other items? The impression given is that it appears this house does not have much storage space.
  • Tips for organizing all closets; remove 50% of the items. This gives it a feeling of spaciousness. Purge the items you don’t use or pack them away. Add decorative baskets for the top shelf to hide away any clutter.

So the buyer moves down the hall to see the desirable area that is the kitchen.  A buyer wants to see if they can see themselves cooking in this kitchen and of course they open the cabinets. Do things fall out at the buyer when they open up the cabinets? Are the counters lined with cooking gadgets?
  •  Some tips for organizing kitchens are to purge items! Think of it this way, your intention is to move so let the packing begin now. 
  •  A pantry is a great feature in a home. Play it up by making it look nice and neat!  Organize like items together and purge outdated ones, use canisters and baskets to hide the little things. If the pantry has an upper shelf that is usually a great place for a mixer or other large items you do not use often.  
  • If you have cabinets with glass doors it is great to display nice plates, glasses or bowls in it.  
When a buyer enters a bathroom what is the first thing most look for?   Besides the whirlpool tub they look for storage as in a linen closet. When they take a peek in is it stuffed with towels, sheets, heating pads, dirty laundry among other things? 

  • Tips for the bathroom; make sure the linen closet is not stuffed with items.  Remove 50% to insure that it looks spacious.
  •  Fold the towels neatly with the nice side facing out. Freshen up the closet and space with fresh new towels. 
  •   Baskets are great for wash cloths and to hide little items.
  •   Fold the sheets neatly with the folds facing out.

  •  Go through the cabinets and purge. Using baskets under the sink helps to keep items organized and looking neat. 
Here is an example of what an organized linen closet looks like from www.houzz.com.


Also throwing in a picture of my dream closet hmmmm.


Remember when you are selling your home view it as a product you are selling.  How are you packaging the product? If you were shopping would you buy something that was not packaged well?? Think about it…

Have fun and keep staging!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Projects Around My House




We all have them; the things we need to get done around the house, things we would like to see get done and the things that absolutely need to be done!

Here are a few projects we have been working on around our house:

Our biggest project we started is doing some DIY renovations around the house.  We want to sell our home in the future so we decided update areas in our home to make it more marketable.

Our inspiration http://www.cyberrentals.com/USA/Massachusetts/r1111.htm was a beach house we rented in Plymouth Mass last summer. We just fell in love with all the moldings this home has and it got our wheels turning with ideas.  We knew that once we started we needed to finish the job, especially where we are replacing all the moldings throughout the home with taller ones. 

 We started with our ½ bath where we enlarged the moldings, added crown molding, replaced the sink and faucet, http://www.homedepot.com/ added a new mirror, lights, painted the walls and painted the existing cabinets.  Now this room feels updated and I love the look crown molding brings to the space. 


                                                Before



                                                After



It does help that my husband is handy and has a workshop. I know if we had to hire someone and pay for the labor we would not have done as much as we have.  


The next room we tackled was the kitchen.  BIG job!  In our inspiration kitchen we loved the lighter cabinets, dark granite and stainless appliances.  We also liked that the cabinets went all the way to the ceiling and had lighted doors as accents.                                           

                                        Our Inspiration Kitchen



Before


My handy husband came up with ideas to make our dream a reality.  We painted all the cabinets and spray painted the doors.  He built boxes to add to the top of the cabinets and added new crown molding.  We saved money by painting the existing cabinets and created the look we wanted by extending them up to the ceiling.  I love the results!

                                                         After






We decided to paint the island a contrasting color of chocolate brown, added moldings around it to give it a beefier look which coordinates with the taller moldings.   We are still in search of the perfect counter stools.  Where we have gone with neutral colors and white cabinets I want to bring some color to the space with the stools and accessories.  



The next room we worked on was our dining room.  We had wallpapered above the chair rail 13 years ago and I was pleasantly surprised how easy it came off.  


In the dining room we added wainscoting to the walls and taller moldings.  We are trying to be consistent with our wall color http://www.sherwin-williams.com/ so again it is SW-Irish Cream. 

                                                    Before


                                                                           
                                                                              After




We next moved to the living room. This space is still in the process of it's transformation.  My husband Eric is installing hardwood flooring, sanding and finishing it himself.  I’ll let you know if that was a nightmare or not.  He will also be adding the taller moldings, wainscoting, crown molding and a fresh coat of SW-Irish Cream.  I can’t wait until it is finished!! 



                                                 Before



                                                                           During


                           




The tape is to keep a cute little dog named Max out of the room.  

So this is where our DIY projects stand for now.  I will update with some after photos when this project is complete!

GO HUBBY!!!