Reading Lamps for any Budget.

Looking for a reading lamp, this rainy weather makes for a guilt free day of staying in and curling up with a good book. We comb the streets and internet to find that perfect reading lamp for any budget that will look great in your space too. Here are a few tips to pick a reading lamp to suit your reading needs.

 When buying a reading lamp you need to consider where you will be reading? Depending on your position you can choose from desk lamps, floor lamps and wall lamps.

 You also should consider the height of the lamp. It be should be tall enough so it provides a direct spotlight on your reading materials, but not to tall to create glare.

Keeping these couple tips in mind we hit the streets to find a floor reading lamp to fit any budget and design. 

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West Elm's Overarching floor lamp is our favorite from our online research. It offers a sleek design but is at the top of the budget and can only be ordered. $249.99 

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Urban Barn's Lochellen Floor Lamp, the minimal shade on a thin base perfect for any space. It has spotlighting, perfect for reading. Price $189.00

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Pottery Barn's Adair Floor lamp has a vintage feel also offering adjustable height $179.00. If you like this style its also offered as a bedside lamp.

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Pier 1 Imports Down Bridge Floor lamp is budget friendly ringing in at $125.00. 

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Ikea's Regolit floor lamp has adjustable height perfect to suit your reading needs $79.99.

Which lamp do you like? I like arched lamps for their sleek design which won’t take up to 

much space. They work great in larger or small spaces to offer task lighting to suit your needs. They also look stunning in an office space or living area.                    

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 

Related articles

• Energy Saving Tips - Appliances (structuralinfo.wordpress.com)
• Save Energy With Your Existing Hot Water Heater (nationaldamagerestoration.com)
• How To Evaluate Energy Star Ratings (mydecorarticles.com)

Things That Turn Calgary Home Buyers Off And Their Solutions

Image by thinkpanama via Flickr

Are you thinking about selling your Calgary home? Wondering where to start? Here are a few budget friendly ideas to help get your home sold.

We know that bathrooms sell houses .if you have a small bathroom, consider taking out your vanity and replace it with a pedestal sink. Buyers will love this modern take and it shows off your square footage.

Shower door get grimy and dell instead of spend a couple hundred dollars on replacing them get out your rubber gloves. Mix 1 part decaling liquid to 10 part water and scrub with steel wool .A little bit of elbow grease and your shower doors look new again.

When selling your house you need to make sure that each room is not to gender specific. Edit items that may be specific to one sex. Paint walls a neutral color and add accessories to match.

Update an old brick fireplace, if the bricks on the fireplace are overpowering an easy fix is to paint. Paint each brick with a rag or brush a coat at a time. Pick a color that matched the wall and your fireplace will tie in nicely instead of standing out.

Brass fireplace, an easy fix is to pick up some heat resistance paint, tape to protect from over spray, spray with steady strokes 18cm away from surface. In no time your fireplace will look modern.

Wood paneling is screaming Hello 1970. Pick up some wood filler fill the cracks between each panel after the wood fillers dries paint the room and we are back in 2010.

Fix all repairs one thing buyers do not want to see is work. Repairs left for the buyer to see mean low offers.

If you need help preparing your home for sale contact us for some free advice on home Staging.

Simply Stylish Staging

Elysse Bulloch

Related articles

• Staging your home on a budget (pinkbananaworld.com)
• Changing Curb Appeal of a House (brighthub.com)

Moving Out Of Calgary Help Me Save money

Image by carlaarena via Flickr

  I got a call from a client today their house has been on the market for two months and now they are moving into their new home that is across Canada. The client has been advised that an empty house will come across cold and dark and they should consider staging. I see this all the time clients don't think about staging until they have a empty house two mortgages and moving costs.

   It's unfortunate that my client was not advise sooner on staging, we could have pre pack the house and had it moved to the new home. We could have cut cost on rental furniture and used the existing furniture in the home.Moving is expensive and staging your home is a great way to  achieve a higher return on your investment.  Keep your budget in mind and a professional stager can advise you on the best way to prepare your home on that budget . 

 If you would like more iformation on Canadian Staging Professional orfinding a stager in your area .Please contact Simply Stylish Staging at 403.710.4229

Elysse Bulloch

Calgary Properties Sending Bad Signal to Buyer's

Image via Wikipedia

 September is fast approaching with the city getting settling down after a short summer season of camping and vacations. Lots of family are ready to commit to the selling process. Calgary has shifted to a buyers market. So what can a seller do it attract buyers.

 You need to be able to look at your house from buyers eyes. This is very hard when you have lived in a house for a few years, its almost like we put on rose colored glasses . By fixing all repairs and cleaning your home Q-tip clean it sends out the message pride in ownership. Pride is like sending out trust vibes to the buyer.

 Its very hard to recreate a first impression so before you put your house on the market you need to capture your audience. Talk to your Real Estate Professional about  what kind of people would be buying your space. Once you have a better understanding of the demographics, you will understand what that group of potential buyers would be looking for, so if  your home is more suited to a family you want to show the function of the space to suit a family.

 Now is the time,you want to prepack. your going to have to do it sometime so why not now? I recommend packing up all your seasonal item and clothes. This will really open up your closet space, buyers need to envision their stuff fitting in your closets.

 Remember you need to create a home that attracts the buyers, you only get one chance to capture the audience  and make a lasting impression. If you need any help with Staging or have any question about staging please Call Simply Stylish Staging 403.710.4229


Elysse Bulloch
 Here are some other really great links about the staging industry.
 www.cspiacademy.com
 www.stagingtraining.com
 www.homestagingbook.com

How Do I choose a Staging Professional In Calgary ?

Image by thinkpanama via Flickr

You might think it an easy job and anyone can do it, but thats is not the truth. Staging is the is the art and science of  merchandising property for sale giving you the buyers eyes.

  When looking for a stager you need beware you get what you pay for. Anyone can move items around and hang art work. Ask for credentials or look or a designated symbols from the intuition they graduated from.Look at their portfolio so you can see jobs that stager has worked on. Don't be afraid to ask for references or to call their testimonial.

 What happens next ? Weather your house is vacant or occupied a staging professional will come to look at your property to assess what needs to be done to prepare your property for listing. They may leave you with a homework list of things you need to do before staging can take place. The list may include repairs,cleaning and packing.

 Your ready to set the stag now that your homework is done staging day is here. Staging takes about a day depending on the size of your home and the detail of the project.Feel free to go out and enjoy your day when you come home your home will be ready to sell.


Elysse Bulloch
403.710.4229
Simply Stylish Staging

      www.cspiacademy.com
-    www.stagingtraining.com -
-    www.homestagingbook.com