Sometimes it's all about the accessories!

 

Sometimes it's ALL about the accessories.  Take a look at this traditional room.  See how there's some really good pieces, yet the overall effect is "blah"?  The after photo shows how the right accessories, such as art, plants and pillows, can really make the difference between boring and terrific!

Connecting the indoors with the outdoors...

Especially in S. California, where a lot of living is done outside, it's important to connect your home to the outdoors as much as possible. This can include replacing windows with French-style doors or sliders. The investment in your home will yield results as your property becomes far more desirable. Imaging the home pictured without all the generous doors and sliders. And even in a traditional home, the replacement of windows with sliders and doors can have an amazing impact!

BEFORE & AFTER: Oahu, Hawaii condo with a view.

These are the before and after shots of my friend Mark's condo on the island of Oahu. It's really one part staging (using what he had, including a cool Danish-modern teak dining table) and one part interior design. It's what's often called "re-design"... using elements you already have mixed with new items. (And yes, we replaced the ugly fan and cheap pendant light!) Like many people, Mark likes a mixture of modern and traditional.


BEFORE: Living Room #1. Inexpensive and over-used "college-age" furniture is too big for this compact condo. None of the woods in the room coordinate, neither does the rug.


AFTER: Living Room #1. New colors, new furniture and a fresh perspective. Exciting pops of blue contrast well with the neutrals. The wood "coffee table" in the previous photo was painted espresso and re-purposed as the corner table. Instead of a side chair, the espresso colored ottoman keeps the view open when the drapes are pulled.



BEFORE: Living Room #2. Clutter everywhere. No place to store DVD's, books, etc. And that halogen floor lamp? Ugh.



AFTER: Living Room, #2. It's important to remember that Staging and interior design really are different. In this case, Mark really needed storage and a workstation. Normally, I would not fill up a space like this, but we got the storage and work area Mark needed while keeping it stream-lined. The modern milk-glass front armoire hides his computer, and the buffet with the milk-glass top makes a great entertainment console.



BEFORE: Dining Room. A great Danish modern table but the space has nothing else going for it.



AFTER: Dining Room. More pops of blue in the new end chairs and the art, plus a soft green on the accent wall, really dress up the space. An alabaster pendant light completes the scene.

ARTWORK: Mark loves modern, abstract art. For the main wall we found some exciting, mid-range priced originals (above photo). The opposite wall reflects Mark's love of nature with photos of his native New Hampshire ordered off the internet (below).

By the way, here's Mark's view. Not bad, huh? Can you see the plane in the upper-left corner?

Staging is more important than ever...

Folks, just like real estate agents have the Realtors Association, home Stagers have the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, or IAHSP. The IAHSP conducts surveys of markets conditions and how they apply to the home staging industry. And the most current info shows that staging is STILL an essential part of selling a home:

Fully 94.6% of all homes that are staged by a member of the IAHSP sell within 35 days. A non-staged home remains on the market, on average, for 175 days. Yes, my friends, you read that correctly. So the solution for those who either want or need to sell their home is, Home Staging!

BEFORE & AFTER: Lake-front home, 3

Part 3: Sometimes, only a few simple changes are needed to make a room feel more spacious and elegant...

BEFORE: The carpet "ate up" the real estate and made the dining room look smaller than it is. A gaudy gold chandelier destracted the eye from the room, and a 1980's window "swag" wasn't helping either!

Not shown: The homeowner also had the armchairs placed at the ends of the table, a paisley fabric runner on the table under the faux flowers, and a set of candlesticks flanking the flowers (in this photo I had already moved all these to show her what a change it made).

AFTER: Now, the carpet is gone (revealing the beautiful wood floors) and the new chandelier is still elegant but not distracting (and hung higher to make the room feel larger). We now have a clean and contemporary candle arrangement on the table to freshen this traditional room. An accent wall of buttery cream warms the space, and new art (purchased at Ross of all places!) finishes the look.

BEFORE: "Grandma's" dated, busy tapestry fabric duvet cover on the bed, an oversized lamp shade, a personal photo on the nightstand (verboten when selling your home-- it distracts), and a cold white color on the walls isn't helping this room or the beautiful bedroom set that's in it. Also, no artwork (yawn).

AFTER: Now we've gone "Tommy Bahama" tropical with new prints, warmer paint color and a nuetral duvet cover with just a pop of color on the throw pillow. Soft, soothing, contemporary and inviting...

My latest design....

You have a sink, toilet and bed... what more do you need? OK, I'm kidding, of course. This is a photo of a 1919 isolation cell. My designs are FAR more comfy and stylish!

Happy New Year!

May you ALL have a prosperous, joyful year to come!

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