Neutral Paint A Stylish Way to Wow Buyers

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Paint is the easiest and least expensive way to transform your space for staging or living. Even the smallest, room can look spacious and bright with the right paint choice. Neutral color with white ceilings appeal to a wider range of potential buyers. This color combo will make your space appear clean, light and spacious.  

If budget is a concern opt to paint the kitchen and bathroom these areas draw the most notice from potential buyers. The best type of paint to use in these areas would be semi gloss because it can be washed, wiped and is resistant to moisture. Flat is recommended for the rest of the house.

 Don’t forget to fresh up the trim and baseboards too, I recommend you keep them light as well. This will draw the eye to the windows and doors rather then stopping the eye. White trim will make your space feel fresh, bright and contemporary.

Staying neutral is important because it reflects move in ready which most buyers are looking. Colored wall can leave buyers wondering how hard it will be to paint over not to mention if it will match their current furnishings.

 An all white color scheme can be bright and refreshing in a house but in a condo it can look sterile and incomplete. Instead choose shades that are creamy or off white.

Accent colors are the best way to liven up your neutral color scheme. You can go bold with color in small doses. A great way to add color is with cushion, decor items and artwork. Adding an accent color is a stylish and fun way to add some visual interest to your neutral color scheme. By keeping your color in small proportions you are able to change the color to stay current with trends or the season.

Elysse Bulloch

Simply Stylish Staging

Maximize Natural Light In Your Home

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Many of us are starting to feel the winter blues. Natural light keep us healthy and our homes looking fresh all while saving energy.  Studies show that people are happier and more productive when exposed to natural light. Here are some tips to maximize the natural light in your home.

When I stage a house for sale, I always remove the window treatments. Most people have bulky dark curtain to block the sun out or for privacy. A better solution would be shears, light-colored drapes, or blinds this will allow you to control the light. Bright rooms tend to appears fresh, energetic and more inviting exactly how we want to greet buyers.

The color scheme in your house could be swallowing the natural light. Lighter colored wall and furniture will reflect the natural light making the space seem larger.  Add color with cushions or accessories, this will add visual interest to the room. Bright colors seem more vibrated in well lit spaces. Using high gloss paint on the ceiling is a great way to increase natural light because it reflects light better than matte finishes.

Mirrors are a great way to add more light to your space since they are reflective.  Stagers love mirrors for the fact you can double your space visually, try to hang the mirror so it catches the rays of the sun though the window to maximum the light it reflects.

One of the most obvious ways to increase the natural light in your home and most overlooked is to clean the windows. Dirt and grim gives everything a dull look, the light filters through the dirt making the cleanest room dreary.

Making the most of light is economical, energy efficient and keeps us healthy. Sunlight will help your home feel bright and warm even in winter. A few simple and easy changes will make a big difference in maximizing natural light, changing the mood and attitude of the space. 


Simply Stylish Staging 
Elysse Bulloch

Staging Ideas For the Bathroom

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 I am sure that you have heard this before, kitchen and bathrooms sell homes. If your one of the many that will be listing your home this spring. You might want to take a look at your bathroom or consider staging to prepare for the market.

Cleaning should be the first thing you do prepare, but don’t stop there. You need to get the buyers to envision using your bathroom everyday. Spending a little money on updating, things like taps, mirror, handles and lighting fixture will greatly appeal to buyers. Money spent in the bathroom is money you recover in the list price.

Add luxury entices your buyers into the spa in your home, fresh white towels and candles are great accents in the bathroom. Baskets, tray and canisters are a great way to hide the everyday clutter. Add a little sparkle with a tray that matches the finish on the faucet.

If you have a larger bathrooms add a table or bench seat which can store towels or accessories. It’s always nice to have extra towel at arms reach. The table or bench will give off a high end feel buyers love.

Bathrooms are supposed to fell calm and cozy so ditch that plastic shower curtain. A fabric curtain will bring soft touches to the room. You will be amazed at the difference.

Stick to natural colors this helps bring out that spa feel, colors like soft grey or white works great. Bright colors tend to add visual clutter making the space seem small and busy.

A little time, effort and money and your bathroom is a spa oasis that will wow buyers one at a time. Check out our blog for more tips on preparing your home for the spring market.

Simply Stylish Staging

Elysse Bulloch

Stool Height Explained

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Islands and Bars are a popular design element in most homes today, but many people do not know the correct height for seating under the island or bar. Use this guide to help you choose your seating for these areas.


Before you go the store measures your bar or island twice, so you only buy once. Proper measurement will ensure your family or guests will be comfortable. A good rule to follow is allow for 10 to13 inches between seat of stool to the bottom of the counter or bar, this will ensure you will have enough room to cross your legs or swivel and sit comfortably. Bar height is  usually between 35” and 36”. The best seating height to choose is the seat height of 24” to 26” inches. Kitchen and vanity are just a little shorter usually between 28” to 30” inches. When buy a chair or stool you should be looking for a seat height of 17” to 18” inches. This will provide max comfort when using the kitchen island or bathroom vanity.

How many stools can fit under the counter? To figure out how much seating you have room for, remember stools should be spaced about 30 inches of the middle of one stool to the middle of the next one. Correct spacing you should be able to get on and off the stool comfortably.


Going to the store with no idea of what kind of stool you need could leave you over whelmed. Before you go to the store think about what kind of stool will fit your family’s needs? Something to consider materials stools are made from, would you prefer wood or metal? Do you need arms? Do you need stools to swivel? Do you want back or backless? Putting some thought into these questions can help determine what the perfect stool looks like for your family.


Bar stools are great ways to change the look of your space. Weather your selling or just changing things up with a redesign,  bar stools are a great way to save on space. I hope these tips help you find the stool that fit your homes needs.


Elysse Bulloch


Simply Stylish Staging

Pillow Talk

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Have you ever thought about the impact pillows have on your space? If you’re trying to sell your home pillows can make the whole space come together changing the feel of your space. Since you only get one chance to make a first impression let’s take a look at do and don’t of pillows to ensure your home sends "buy me" signals.

Something you should look for when choosing pillows is the size and scale compare to the sofa. You don’t want to lose seating because your pillows are too big. Pillows are meant to be an accessory. Like wise you don’t want the pillows to be too small either. Try to pick a size that will compliment your sofa. I like to layer bigger pillows with smaller pillows to give depth and variety.

Don’t be afraid to choose different textures and print, this is a great way to dress up a contemporary sofa. Use color blocks, often the same color scheme looks great even thought the prints don’t match.

Pillows are a bit of an investment so look for pillows that have a zipper, this way you change up color for the season or mood. I recommend down filled pillow because they can be washed and they will never lose shape lasting you a life time.

Don’t over due it; pillows with fringe, sequins and appliqué are to busy and too much. For staging I prefer to stick to solid color,so they do not distract the buyer. Don’t over due the amount of pillows either too many pillow tend to look messy and also take away from your seating. If you have to move pillows to sit comfortably you have too many. I like to group pillows in odd numbers as it is more pleasing to the eye.

Elysse Bulloch

Simply Stylish Staging

Cleaning Tips to Prepare for The Spring Market

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When buyers get more serious about making an offer they start looking closer and closer at the property. At a closer glance buyers can get scared away if appliances are not well maintained. Red flags are raised and buyers wonder if sellers are hiding anything else, stop these thoughts in there tracks by making sure everything is Q-tip clean.

 Spring cleaning time is fast approaching especially if you’re trying to get your home ready for the spring market. The one thing that seems to always be the “to do list” is to clean the oven. We all hate cleaning the oven, procrastination makes this worse. The longer you put it off the harder the job gets.

Without proper maintenance the oven vents clog up and the oven will start to smoke. Here is a step by step guide to cleaning your oven chemical free. If you clean your oven after every use, you will never need to spend hours scrubbing away again.

For gas stove tops remove all grate and griddles and wash in hot soapy water. Scrub with a scouring pad; dry all part thoroughly before putting back. Look for blockage on all fuel parts use a paper clip to free blockage. For spills soak a cloth in hot soap water and place on the spill let the water penetrate the spill for a few minutes. Remove build up with a rubber scraper. Wipe the surface clean with a damp sponge. Make sure the sponge is not to wet ,excess water can damage the igniter on glass or ceramic stove tops.  

If you have an electric stove top the first thing to do is remove the coil and reflector bowls, wipe coil with a damp sponge. Clean out the reflector bowls with hot soapy water and a scouring pad. I you have build up on the coils put the stove top back together and turn the burns on high let the build up burn off.

Now for the hardest part cleaning the oven, starts by removing the racks .Soak them in hot soapy water using a scoring pad to remove splatter build up. If you have heavy build up sir together ¾ cup baking soda and 1/4 cup water Smooth paste all over oven accept the door. Let sit a few hours or over night. Wipe out with a damp cloth, repeat to remove any streaks. The oven door should be cleaned with equal parts water and white vinegar. The baking soda mixture can run down in between the glass which can only be removed if the oven door is taken apart.

Now that you have tackled the oven, you might want to start on the microwave. In just 5 to 10 minute it can be sparkling too. The easiest way to clean the microwave is to prepare a bowl with one cup water and 1/2 cup lemon juice, the lemon juice act as a deodorizer. Heat the bowl for three minutes and let sit in the microwave for 5 minutes. The stream will loosen build up. Wipe out the inside of the microwave with a sponge dipped in warm soapy water. Clean the control panel with a very damp cloth.

Please feel free to share your oven cleaning tips. Look forward to hearing what works for you.

Elysse Bulloch

Simply Stylish Staging

Reducing My Carbon Footprint

I have been thinking a lot lately about my impact on the planet and how I can reduce the effect I have on the earth. I want to share with you the steps I will be taking this year to be more earth friendly.

 I started looking at my carbon foot print and how I could reduce it with small changes. Carbon foot print is describe as the impact an individual has on the environment in a year based on the amount of green house gas you produces due to burning fossil fuels. A carbon foot print is measured in units of carbon dioxide. Greenhouse gasses are emissions at earth’s lower atmosphere that trap energy from the sun preventing it from leaving the planet atmosphere. The heat trapped by these gases is what causes global warming. You can check you carbon footprint here .You may be surprised at how high it is, I was! Here are my results.

One of the biggest and easiest changes I will be committing to is not using plastic bags from retail stores. Did you know that in 2007, 100 millions barrels of oil were used to produces plastic bags. I carry a reused able shopping bag in my purse at all times. I also carry them in my car for grocery shopping.

In my home simple changes I can make on a day to day basis are instead of rinsing dishes before loading the dishwasher is to scrap plates in the garbage. Rinsing dishes can use more water then the entire wash cycle. We only run the dishwasher when it’s full and always after 8pm to avoid peak energy times.

We have also switched to recycled toilet paper; I was surprised to learn that if we all switch out just one roll of toilet paper, to recycle paper we could save 400,000 trees in one year. I had trouble trying to find out just how many trees it takes to make one roll of toilet paper, but I did learn that on average we each use 35 rolls of toilet paper in a year.

Many of you are a head of here, but I have committed to recycling. My condo just introduced blue boxes which make it so easy for me to recycle. Up until this point I am embarrassed to admit everything went in the garbage.  Living in a condo mean no storage and the storage I do have is not for recycling. I have no excuse now. How many of you are using your blue bin ?  The City of Calgary is hoping that the  blue bins will reduce the amount of garbage in the land fill by 80% by 2020. It may be an ambitious goal but I will do my part to help reach these goals.

Do you think about your carbon footprint? If so what kind of changes are you making reduce your footprint and effect on the earth?

Elysse Bulloch

Simply Stylish Staging

Reducing our Energy Consumption at Home

Now more then ever before the world is becoming more and more cautious about the effect we have on the earth. Consumers are staring to take advantages of the benefits of being green.  Simple changes to your home not only benefit the planet, they also benefit our health and wallets too. On a month to month basis people who live in green homes use less water and energy compared to a standard home. They also spend less money on maintenance. Green homes tend to be more durable due to the construction process and higher quality materials.

In Canada, 17% of all energy goes to running our homes and, here in Calgary, 30% of our use is from household electrical consumption. Additionally, the average household in Calgary is using 8% more energy today than it did in 2005.

Green homes can use up to 40% less energy. Next to a mortgage, energy costs are the most significant household expense. Something you many not know is your plasma TV uses five times more energy then the old tube TV.

 To estimate appliance consumption you can use this formula,

Wattage x hours per day divided by 100 = Daily Kilowatt-hour consumption

You can usually find the wattage on the appliance, stamp on the bottom or side. Many appliances still draw electricity even when turn off this is know as phantom load. Appliances that are known for this are stereos, computers, and televisions just to name a few. If you have older appliances you can use a device to control and reduce energy consumption. These devices control and regulate the energy delivered to the appliance. Appliance newer then 1990 may not see any benefits from this device because of their existing energy saving features.

The Kitchen is an area in the home that has a lot of energy consumptions here are a few way to cut back on usage. You can save energy day to day by manually chopping instead of using mixers and grinders. Small changes can make a big difference, cook meals in smaller appliances like microwave or toaster ovens. If you’re shopping for a new fridge a great choice is one with the freezer on top. These models are more efficient then models with the freezer on the bottom or side by sides.

We all need to do our part to conserve energy. Simple changes will not effect our day to day living to much, but can have a huge impact on the future of our planet. 

Elysse Bulloch

Simply Stylish Staging 

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