A stager knows what buyers are looking for and helps you have those aspects in the home. Homes that were staged sell faster and and get higher bids than those that were not. A picture of a staged home looks better then one that was not, so it gets more potential buyers to come look at the home. These homes even have an edge over competitive property,  even

sway buyers to chose  the staged home over the competition.

Staging is an art or an illusion.  It’s more than cleaning and decorating, it’s creating a mood for the buyer. It can take away from the negative areas of some more difficult homes, by lighting, mirrors or many other tricks stagers use. Home staging is what you do after the cleaning, painting and repairs, it is dressing the house up for sale. It’s all about making people want to buy a house by making it look bigger, brighter, warmer, and more loving.  Really, it’s about creating a place where your buyers can see themselves living in.

We know you live in your house. Prospective buyers know you live in your house. Well, really, deep in their subconscious, prospective buyers try to envision themselves living in your house. Having as few personal effects visible as possible makes it a whole lot easier for them to do so.

With this in mind, pack up and store all but the most prized nick-nacks. Then, go back and pack up half of what you left out. If it’s something you’re likely to use before you move, or packing it away would leave a wall or display case completely bare, by all means, leave it. But, if it’s not in a display case or it’s not the last thing hanging on that wall, pack it and get it out of the house. Storage units aren’t that expensive and many are climate controlled and feature gated access and on-site security.

You’ve just made your house a whole lot more inviting to buyers and, as a wonderful side-effect, protected your most treasured posessions from damage or theft.

When a prospective buyer sees a cat or dog, the first thing they think is pet stains. You know, those stains and odors which (although there are a number of products on the market that remove them permanently) everyone just knows will never come out. That thought alone is often enough to turn someone off of buying your home.

If you’re living in your house while you sell it, ask a friend or family member to take care of your pets. If you can’t find someone willing to watch them for a while, find a reputable kennel or pet motel where they can stay in the interim. If you’re moving out of the house while you sell, all is good, take them with you.

Once you have your pets out of the house, you’re almost home free. Be sure to vacuum everything, carpet, rugs, hard floors, drapes, furniture, lamps; everything. You want to get up every bit of pet hair.

Once you’ve done this, look around for anything that may have been scratched or chewed by your favorite furry (or hairless) friend and get it out of the house. If what’s been damaged is part of the house, repair it.

If there are any pet stains, use an enzyme-based product, such as OdorOut-222, to remove them. OdorOut does not contain any alcohol or perfumes, it does not hide or mask stains or odors; it chemically breaks them down, removing them permanently. There are many other products on the market that can do this, but I’ve used OdorOut and know it works, not just on pet stains, but on smoke odors and nicotine film, as well (I don’t smoke, but the previous resident of my apartment did). A little off-topic, but it also does wonders for cooking odors that may have been absorbed into walls.

Once you’ve moved your pets out, buyers can picture themselves moving in. You’re well on your way to selling faster, for the highest price you can get!

If your home has windows, what’s outside them is something you should definitely consider when selecting colors for what’s inside them. Look out the window, find a color out there that you like and have some paint color-matched to that color.

If your color of choice is a dominant color through your window, make it a dominant color in the room by painting at least one wall that color. If it exists more subtly in the landscape, go ahead and use your new color on moldings and baseboards, like I mentioned in the previous tip!

Of course, if your house doesn’t have windows, I hope you at least get out a lot.

If you’re thinking of using a bright tone like yellow or orange but the idea of your entire room being that bright frightens you, there’s a simple solution. If you paint the walls white and put your color of choice on doors, moldings and baseboards. You really can have your cake and eat it too!

Want more? Sorry, you’re going to have to wait for it. Don’t worry, I’ll have it for you soon!

–

Hey, I said I’d have it soon, didn’t I? Here it is!

There are literally thousands of paint colors available from the catalogs of almost every business that sells paint. That’s absolutely wonderful when you’re not sure which color you want! Even more wonderful, when you want the absolute perfect color in a room is that most places will color match almost any item you bring them and sell you paint in that exact shade, usually for no extra charge!

Find your favorite color somewhere, bring it with you and get a color nobody else has by ordering outside the catalog!

I have two more color tips for you, check out the next one!

If you truly want to create a space you can love, start with something you love! Look at the predominate color in whatever you pick. That’s the color you should paint the walls. Accents should be colored after the remaining colors on the object of your affection.

The only limitation on what you can pick from is this; please, pick something you love, not someone you love. Trust me, it won’t turn out as well as you think it will.

That’s not all, read on to find out how to get any color you want, even if it’s not in the catalog!

If you have a favorite place, be it somewhere you vacation, a store you love to shop at, even a restaurant you dine at frequently, you can pick your favorite colors from that place and incorporate them into your home. It will help to remind you of that favorite place, in turn helping you relax and making you feel more comfortable.

If you would like more color tips, please, read on!

If you’re going to be bringing several sources of color into a room, maybe you should consider painting the walls one of the many hundreds of clean shades of white.

Furniture, bedding, accent pillows, photographs, paintings, sculptures, even a window with a view can bring all the color a room needs.

If you’d like more color tips, please, be my guest!

You want to make a statement to people coming into your home. One way, perhaps the best way, to do this is by painting your entryway a bright color. Strong colors, which would be suitable for such an area, should be kept out of a kitchen, however. There, you should use white or a very pale pastel. Dark or extremely bright colors aren’t relaxing enough for use in a bedroom. You’re better off with a neutral or softer color where you sleep. Pretty much anything goes in the bathroom; it’s such a small space that you can get away with almost anything. Except dark colors, that is. They make small spaces look even smaller.

Interested in thinking bigger? Read on!

If you’re thinking of a bright color but are hesitant to paint an entire room with it, consider painting one wall and keeping the others white or neutral. Not only does this ground the room, it becomes the focal point in what may otherwise be a boring room!

As always, stay tuned for more! This is only the second of ten color choosing tips I have to offer!

Want more? Don’t fret, I’ve got you covered!

One of the most important things to consider is how the color on a room works with the colors in neighboring rooms. One simple technique is to start with hallways and other common areas of the house, selecting a neutral shade, such as one of the many Freshaire Choice paint colors. Bedrooms, bathrooms, the kitchen and other rooms connecting to those common areas can be filled with similar shades of colors you like.

If you’re eager for another color tip, I’ve got more for you right here!

If that’s not enough to turn you off, consider the fact that you have to cut large holes in your ceiling and hope you have enough open area to safely install those recessed cans for your new lighting.

Don’t worry, you can still enjoy light from above. Pendant lighting, lights that hang a short distance from the ceiling, can provide all the light of a recessed lamp, with less installation hassle and a lot more style.

If you already have some idea what style you are looking for, you can find some pendant lighting available to order online.

• Move furniture closer to the wall.
  • Furniture that isn’t against, or near, a wall can block walkways and interfere with your view of a space, making it feel smaller.
• Light it up!
  • Brighter rooms look bigger! Let in as much natural light as possible; light is the only thing you can fill a room with that doesn’t take up space.
  • If that doesn’t work, replace any light bulbs in the room with a good quality, high output compact florescent bulbs. This will not only make the room brighter, it will lower your lighting bill!
  • If there is only one source of light in a room, consider adding a lamp.
• Keep it clean!
  • If you don’t need it in the room, get it out of the room! If it must be there, keep it neatly tucked out of the way. The more open space in the room, the bigger the room will feel.
• Use a simple color scheme.
  • Use colors from the same color family.
  • Cool and light warm colors on most surfaces will make the room feel more open, dark colors will make it feel more cramped.
  • If you have to paint any walls, we recommend Freshaire Choice paint for its environmentally friendly properties and premium durability.
• Soften up!
  • Again, dark colors make a space feel cozy and intimate; in a small room, this translates to cramped.
  • Lighter, cooler colors can make the same room feel more open and airy.
  • Soft blue and green tones give the best effect.
• Check your coordination!
  • Your furniture will appear to take up less space if it blends in with the rest of your decor.
  • Contrasting colors break up a room, making it look and feel smaller.

Take these ides and run with them. Apply them to your smallest room first, then try them in your biggest room. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that your house is bigger than it looked!

Zillow has an interactive Home Value Report Map that, I have to admit, surprised me quite a bit… but in a good way. You may be shocked to find out where the values have gone up and where they have drastically gone down in the United States. Check the mad map out here.

A couple of things to do there:

 

See how home values have changed across the U.S.

Click on cities to compare neighborhood home values.

Download detailed city reports for more information, including single family vs. condo comparisons, and a ranking of neighborhoods within an area that are most popular on Zillow.

While the Pottery Barn sessions may not be for interior designers, they are a good start for homeowners who want to learn how to better select bedroom furniture and accessories, but aren’t looking to become designers. For those who are interested in training or starting an interior decorating business, Staged Makeovers is also offering Interior Redesign and Home Staging Classes at affordable prices. Find out more by contacting Sharon Kreighbaum, Accredited Staging Professional. Contact her by clicking here.

1. Use special latches on drawers and cabinets to prevent access to breakable or toxic items like bottles of cleaning agents.
2. Keep knives and other sharp items in an area where they cannot be reached.
3. Turn pot handles inward, away from the front of the stove.
4. Keep household cleaners out of sight.
5. “Never, never underestimate the reach and will of a curious baby.”
6. Get down to the child’s level, literally. See what they see.

Side note: Liebherr also is a manufacturer of concrete mixers, aerospace products, cargo handling machines, earthmoving and mining equipment, all sorts of cranes, and other large machines and tools!

In 2007, Faces in the Wild generated $26,000 for wildlife conservation, and since 2000, Faces in the Wild has raised more than $200,000, including matching donations by Humanscale.

Humanscale founder and CEO Bob King has served on WWF’s National Council since 1999. As a company, Humanscale is committed to environmental sustainability and continually strives to design, engineer and manufacture products that consume less of the Earth’s limited resources.

Create Art, Protect Wildlife

Faces in the Wild: Call for Entries

Calling all artists and designers, amateur and pro: Here’s your opportunity to do what you love most while showing support for a great cause.

Humanscale is now accepting original artwork submissions for Faces in the Wild, an annual art auction and competition aimed at raising awareness and money for World Wildlife Fund, the leader in international efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats.

Original artwork in any tangible medium depicting the face of a non-domesticated animal is eligible for entry. All artwork will be auctioned and judged by a panel of design and architecture leaders in Humanscale’s New York showroom in late April/early May. The artists behind three winning entries will each win a $1,500 credit toward Humanscale products. So unleash your best beast and take comfort in preserving the creatures that inspire your designs.

Due to space limitations, the number of entries is limited to a maximum of 75. To participate, contact Karen Brooking at 212-353-1383 or karen@bdeonline.biz.

> Learn More About Faces in the Wild
> Read Complete Call for Entries Details
>; See Previous Art Submissions

Rachel’s cat Ellie Vator (who once lived full time in an elevator company’s office) is retired and vowed to never step paw in an office again.

When doing research for this blog I found the ReadyMade Magazine website which has a million projects that anyone can search through with complete instructions – magazine subscription free! So if you like the mid-century post-war modern (Design Within Reach style) and IKEA or - better yet - Salvation Army prices, then this magazine might be for you!

I ran across a post from the Business Courier of Cincinnati. The article begins, “An Ohio furniture retailer with a nearly 50-year history is eliminating its corporate staff and beginning the process to close stores. According to documents filed with the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services, Sofa Express Inc. plans to close all eight of its Central Ohio stores and its headquarters and warehouse. Another six stores in northeast Ohio are scheduled to close, putting 436 workers out of a job altogether. That tally includes 253 workers at the Groveport, Ohio, headquarters.”

Yuck. As if Ohio’s economy wasn’t looking bad enough. The company’s reason for closing is their financial situation. Usually I can’t help but run into news like the closing of furniture retailers in my own backyard, but the company is quietly dragging out the closure. It will take several months for 40 stores to be closed.