Kitchen Updates That Don't Break The Bank

The kitchen is known for being the heart of the family because it is where the family’s food comes from. In most homes it is the kitchen that has small space that is why most people carry out remodeling of the kitchen. It is not easy to carry out remodeling because it takes time and it can turn out to be an expensive affair. But if you are tight on budget there are ways that you can invent in order to carry out kitchen updates without breaking the bank.

Because of grease and dirt build up, sometimes kitchen appliances look dull and old. To give them an attractive look you can carryout a thorough cleaning. When cleaning, use products that are safe for all surfaces. This will make your kitchen appliances look as if they are new.

Updating hardware is very affordable, think of the hardware as jewelry for the kitchen. Hardware will enhance the total design of the kitchen. Just like how you would accessories a dress for an evening out.   

Painting out wood cabinets is another inexpensive trick to breathe new life in to a dated kitchen. Nothing says “fresh” like a new coat of paint. Consider updated counter tops with a looks like granite product, sold at most hardware stores to complete the look.

Update fixtures, kitchen fixtures are practical and a great way to add some flair to your space. Look for a fixture that matches your style this will enhance the overall design.

Planning is important when carrying out kitchen updates. This will ensure that the budget you have is enough for carrying out the updates. The first thing to do when it comes to remodeling is to carryout thorough cleaning. You can introduce new fabrics that reflect your personality, removing those fabrics which are outdated. The goal is to make your home have a fresh appeal and you don’t have to break the bank so as to achieve this goal.   

Common Design Mistakes in Home Decorations

People today are constantly decorating and redecorating their homes in order to make it beautiful and trendy. However, there are many problems interior designers encounter, especially ordinary interior decorators in their attempt to make their homes go with the trend. These are some of the common decorating mistakes in interior decorations.

First decorating mistake is disregarding the importance of a focal point. A focal point is the main point or the “center stage” in a room, it is where you focus your designs and draw people’s attention to. A focal point may be a fireplace, the bed, a fabulous painting or such. Using the focal point as the base of your decoration, you then build around it.

For example, if your focal point is a fireplace, you can place sofas and chair around the fireplace inviting people to turn their attention to that focal point, the fire place, this is the same in other rooms in the house. You must first consider your focal point and then build or decorate around it in order to focus the attention of people towards it. Time and time again, people tend to clutter rooms with decor rather than designing it. They tend to add things to a room until it becomes more of a stockroom rather than decorating it.

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 Next decorating mistake  is to ignore lighting, especially the use of different kinds of artificial light to add flavor to a room. Lighting is very important as it dictates the mood of the room. The correct use of artificial light is also as important as with natural light. Many today will settle with ordinary fluorescent bulbs to light up the interiors, but it gives bland light. If you want to spice your nights, candle lamps and other bulbs with different shades can really add an exotic flavor to your room.

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Another mistake is not using mirrors as a decorating tool. Mirrors are a fabulous item to use in order to make your room beautiful and cozy. The reflective nature of mirrors can fill up your home with natural light during the day which can deeply enhance the liveliness of your home. You can place a mirror directly opposite a window, allowing sunlight to be reflected, filling your house with natural light.

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Design Predictions For 2013

There are many things that have happened this year and we have seen all of these innovations and creative ideas that flooded the market. As this year comes to an end, the trending styles in home designing for 2013, is slowly taking shape. These are some of the designing forecast by professional interior designers on the trending styles that will be in demand next year.

First of these trending designs is the increased preference of interior designers and homeowners for spacious and “triangular” living rooms. The open spaces make living rooms more lively and beautiful. The demand for such living room styles have began late this year and it expected to spread like wildfire next year.Triangular placement of sofas and the couch is gaining popularity than the traditional box style where the sofas and couch are placed in a box like position with a small table in the middle.

Next is the revival of outdoor “living rooms” in vast open areas. Outdoor living is now being preferred more as compared to the declining taste of outdoor kitchens which was prevalent during the recent years. More homeowners are favoring houses with open lawns and backyards in order to transform it into a beautiful place for outdoor living.

Another thing that is gaining preference and trending is the use of extended units or rooms outside of the house for entertaining guests. These units are still connected to the house but are not part of the house proper. It is a stand alone “house” intended just as a receiving area for entertaining guests.  

Also glass rooms where 90% of the walls are transparent glass to create a light-filled space perfect for relaxing and enjoying natural light. These open spaces in a home has been prevalent during the last decade, but today and especially in the year to come, this room design will surely be one of the most used style in home designing.

Lastly, the use of small compact, pocket office is in high demand today. Utilizing a small corner of a house or a small space normally used as places to store excess items into a small office is gaining popularity today, especially with the increasing rate of people working at home. The compact office will surely dominate homes of people nationwide.

Staging a Behind the Scenes Look

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When I tell people I’m a home stager, they say “What a fun job!”

I love my job, but there is so much more to it than arranging stuff in a house.

A typical staging job starts the moment a homeowner or Realtor calls. Step one is to go look at the property. Every property is unique, with distinct features. And each property will have a unique buying audience that we wish to target. This is why Stagers don’t prefer to estimate fees over the phone, site unseen. After careful consideration of the property’s needs, style, and demographics, a quote is prepared for the client within 24 hours.

Step Two: With the client approval and a date set, we move ahead with creating the design plan. After identifying the property’s needs, we head to the furniture store to pick out pieces for rental. We then source accessories, artwork, area rugs and anything else needed to complete the look. A full toolkit is essential too.

The pre-work is done. Step Three is staging day! Jessica from Fresh Moves and I meet at the property promptly at 9am with two full SUVs. The property is on the main level but down several looooong hallways. We unload our cars, piling everything in the lobby. The sight of beautiful accessories, furniture, and yes, a broom, makes passersby curious. We stop to chat with a few homeowners wondering if we are the new neighbours!

  

Shortly after, the large furniture pieces arrive. The moving men careful swivel the furniture into the condo. Andrei and Raymond of The Supermovers are simply awesome! Cheerful, skilled, and service-oriented, they really live up their name. We recommend them to anyone needing movers. They graciously help us move a pile of stuff from the lobby into the condo before heading off to the next job. Jessica and I are very thankful since each trip, that hallway gets a little looooooonger.

Now Jess and I are in full staging mode. Jessica starts to unpack accessories as I set up the beds in both bedrooms. We find it works best to put everything in the kitchen, but what a mess!                            

Starting in the bedrooms we first decide on the best layout, then choose the perfect pillows, artwork and accessories to complete the bedroom. We want to draw attention to the windows. This condo is nestled in Discovery Ridge and all the windows have a superb view of huge pine trees, your own private forest. In our opinion, an excellent selling feature! 

Now it’s time to tackle the main living area. Placing the furniture and art to highlight the focal points, dressing the sofa, mantle, and tables with just the right finishing touches – this is the art of staging that we love! A well-positioned mirror reflects the gorgeous kitchen and the wonderful view.

A few simple touches in the bathrooms takes them from empty-feeling to well-dressed and spa-like.

Now comes the steaming process! All bedding and towels are steamed so they are wrinkle-free, fresh and crisp. Time to tidy up and re-pack our cars with any extras floating around, plus the recycling.

Finally we snap a few shots for our portfolio and a quick phone call brings the homeowner running to the reveal. She is thrilled with the transformation! We’re thrilled that she’s thrilled. Another great day of staging complete!

For more information on having YOUR home transformed, contact Elysse at Simplystylishstaging@gmail.com; or Jessica@FreshMoves.ca.

To contact The Supermovers, call 403.437.MOVE (6683)

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 

Checklist for Showings

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Once your home is on the market you need to keep it in tip top shape for showings. Don’t get over whelmed here is a checklist of things you can before each showing. This short list will only take 15 to 20 minutes to complete and it will ensure that your home shows best to potential buyers.

1)     Open the curtains and blinds, this will allow natural light in, which make your property look bright, clean and spacious.

2)     Make the bed, have you ever noticed how clean the bedroom looks once you have made the bed?  It’s the biggest piece if furniture in the room so your eye is drawn to it.

3)     Pick up everyday items, day to day items are small and eat up visual space, I tell my clients anything smaller then a soccer ball should be put away.

4)     Remove pets – Only about half the people that tour your home with be pet people the other half not so much. The best way to combat this is to remove all signs of pets, food dishes, toys, cat litter and even the food in the pantry.

5)     Put out display towels in the bathroom and make sure the toilet seat is down.

6)     Weather permitting, open the windows. When showing your home the best smell is no smell.

7)     Ensure laundry is out of sight

8)     Wipe down counter in bathroom and kitchen to ensure they show clean.

9)     Turn on all the light even outside, this will welcome the buyer into the property.

10)  Go out! This is important one buyer’s will feel uncomfortable if you are home while they tour your property. The goal is to keep the buyer in the home as long as possible.

For a complete list and advice on prepping your home for the market or showing please contact us at 403-710 -4229

Simply Stylish staging

Step into the Buyers Shoes

Which one would you buy?

When you list your home, remember that your home is now a product on the market and like any product, it must have nice packing. Buyers are not looking to buy work or in the case above are not sure what the purpose or function of the space is.

I have heard that buyer shop with blinders on only focusing on the negative. Staging will highlight the features of the property helping buyers take the blinder off to see the positive features of the property.

Over 90% of home buyers search online for homes they would like to tour. The more pictures the better. No pictures say to the buyer “this house must need work” or “there is a reason there’s no pictures “sending signals to the buyers they is something wrong with the property. The buyer will quickly cross that house off their list.

MLS photographs need to show clean, free from clutter and each photo must show the function of the space. Photos should highlight the features and focal points of the property too.

The Internet is a very powerful tool for real estate, your home needs to make a good first impression.  In today’s market you need to capture the buyer online in order for them to come take a closer look.

Elysse Bulloch
Simply Stylish staging