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Shannon Campbell of StyleCo Home Staging and Design on Rogers Television with “Tips” on Staging for Spring!
Valentine Inspiration!
“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.
(And speak from the heart to be heard.)”-
WILLIAM W. PURKEY
Have you been craving a serene, calm master bedroom, but don’t know where to begin. Well, Valentines Day is a good prompt since it is a romantic occasion. Why not treat yourself!
Often when I go into a property for a home staging or re-design project, what seems to be very common, is that the living room, family room, dining area, kitchen, etc. have all been updated or changed to some extent, but the master bedroom has not. This is the room we sleep in, relax in and spend quality time in. Sleep is crucial to our well being and having a room that we can retire to and turn off the world in, is very important.
Here are some suggestions to get you started.
Try a ”quiet” colour scheme in either pastel hues or soft, warm greys and combine with dramatic choices of furniture and beautiful lighting/accessories. Start by selecting your Wow Factor, the element that you can build your design around. This could be your headboard, a light fixture or a piece of furniture that holds some sentiment for you. If you decide to create a monochromatic colour scheme, implement more than one wow factor to create drama in the space. This upholstered headboard, fabulous chandelier and bench with vintage finish are all good choices and each contribute to the overall design.
Below are more fabulous designs to inspire you!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
Contact StyleCo today for your home staging, re-design or decorating needs!
Let’s get started!
Shannon Campbell StyleCo Home Staging and Design
EASY STORAGE AND WORK SPACE SOLUTIONS FOR THE HOME!
Are you lacking a convenient home office or work space with easy storage solutions in your home?
Often times the challenge is space and convenience. How do we keep the area tidy yet stylish, easily accessible, practical, customized to our own needs and unique all at the same time?
In our experience, there are just a few things to keep in mind making YOUR space, all of the above!
If you have a closet at home that is not being utilized to it’s full potential, clear the space through elimination, combining or donating items.
Have a design plan in mind, with regards to style and colours and stick to it. Without this, it’s easy to waiver and lose direction, and completing the space takes much longer.
Here are some tips and tricks to get you started.
- Add a “shallow” desktop in proportion to the depth of the closet.
- Keep it as open as possible, so if necessary, storage and garbage bins can be placed underneath, and of course a much needed chair.
- Try open shelving above the desk for easy access and simplicity.
- Add colourful baskets on these shelves for organization.
Following these simple steps keeps the small space “visually” open and airy.
You’re not only re-purposing but you are re-cycling and re-using in a very efficient way. When the space isn’t being used, simply close the doors.
Do you have a spare room in your home, and don’t know how to make the transition into home office?
Ensure first, that you know how you want the space to function. Once you know this and have a design in mind, the rest is straight forward.
Try these easy and simple steps for a personalized, unique space.
- Use storage solutions that are easy on the eye and complimentary to the colour palette you have chosen.
- Try shelving that you can personalize by hanging as many or as few shelves as you require. If you use open shelving remember to keep it tidy.
- Hang a corkboard or bulletin board directly over your desk for those important “things to remember” and “to do” lists. You can make these unique and complimentary to your space by covering with a favourite fabric.
- Choose a desk that doesn’t necessarily look like a desk. Try an antique farmers table, or create your own.
- Use wicker or fabric baskets stacked in a corner or beside your desk for easy accessibility.
- Try portable storage on wheels that can be moved throughout the space. If you can’t find what you want, buy an ottoman with storage and add wheels to it.
- You can also do this with baskets or bins of your choice.
Have fun with it! You deserve a lovely workspace and you can create one, all your own!
Home Staging For Christmas!
I had a client ask me the other day, since I am listing my home over the holidays, “is it okay to decorate for Christmas”?
My answer to this is a straight forward one. Absolutely! Please keep in mind though, that the idea of home staging is to neutralize, and de-clutter, so if you choose to decorate for the holidays, these principles need to remain.
If you would like to put up a tree, especially if you choose a real one, ensure that all of the needles are cleaned up on a regular basis, and that the tree is in a spot in your home where it doesn’t obstruct pathways and take up a great deal of space, visually. When a potential buyer comes through the door for a viewing, feeling the Christmas cheer and seeing what can be done with the space, can be a fantastic selling feature.
If you have a lovely spiral staircase or banister, decorating it but keeping it to a minimum will allow potential buyers to see this lovely feature and highlight it. Garland, a few baubles and white lights would be a nice addition.
Decorating a mantle is also acceptable, in keeping with the Christmas cheer and as a focal point of a room is a lovely addition that reminds potential buyers of “home” and again what they can do with the space.
In general, decorating for the Holidays when your home is listed, will work as long as the main staging principles are kept in mind, ensuring pathways are clear and the space potential is not compromised.
Decorate away and enjoy the season!
Contact StyleCo today for more information, tips and tricks with home staging.
10 Tips For Getting Your Home “Winter” Ready!
Like it or not, the winter season is right around the corner and there’s no stopping it. Now, this means a lot of things. Frosted leaves and almost ‘naked’ trees, really cold nights, warm cocoa, and additional undergarments, etc.
Time to prepare our homes! Why? Well, first of all, we want to have peace of mind our home is ready for the cold weather, that way we can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the cold season. We can’t do that if there’s a broken window, old and clogged filters, etc. Also, since we love our house so much, we want it to be able to take on the winter ‘hits’ and still (hopefully) be in tip-top shape during and after the cold season.
So, without further ado, we bring you the ten tips to get your house ready for winter.
Interior Checks:
1. Have the heating unit / system checked. Test it yourself or call an expert to check your heating system. Make sure that it’s thoroughly checked and working properly, and that the filter is brand new. Go and take advantage of those summer discounts!
2. Change air filters and dust those registers or baseboard units! Air filters are supposed to be changed regularly anyway as it improves the air quality inside. This step also protects your heating system. Dust buildup is inevitable so vacuum or dust, dust, dust those registers and baseboard units.
3. Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Make sure that they are working properly. If you don’t have them, this is the best time to have them installed in your home.
4. Get those carpets cleaned. Well, if you have a carpeted home, this is the time to make sure that your carpets are very clean. As you know, this will also help improve the air quality in your home. So go, and get them ready for winter!
5. Check your doors and windows. You can actually do this one yourself, or hire a home contractor to do it for you. This will help decrease those enormous energy bills during winter as it will certainly prevent the cold air from entering your home. If there are broken windows, now is the time to replace them.
6. Have a fireplace? Get your chimney checked. Getting the fireplace ready before the winter season is really great. Make sure that you have them cleaned – if you haven’t done that for a while. It also helps if you have a screen or some sort of cap on top of your home’s chimney.
Exterior Checks:
7. Roof and gutter inspection. Make sure that you check and replace worn roof tiles or shingles. Check and clean your gutters – it’s not the easiest chore but it is rather important to make sure that there will be no (again, hopefully) ice damming.
8. Ready your snow shovels, ice scrapers and sidewalk salt. It’s better if you know where to get them (and you can easily get them) when needed.
9. Prepare your lawn. Aerate, fertilize and re-seed your lawn. Before you store your lawnmower, make sure that it is clean and that the gas is drained.
10. Goodbye summer décor. Hello winter. If possible, patio furniture should be stored during winter. If not, make sure that you have waterproof protectors to cover as the winter season will not be so nice to them. If you plan to put up some winter decorations, go ahead and do this as early as now.
Decorating With Feng Shui Principles
Eco-Friendly Organizing
Great information on eco friendly organizing!
Attracting the Right People to Your Website – Brand Development
94% of ASP Staged Homes Sell on Average 29 Days or Less!
Can homeowners “stage” their own homes? Well, there are certainly things you can do to improve the condition, etc. but having an accredited staging professional do the work, takes the pressure off both the homeowner and the realtor. With StyleCo’s trained, and objective eye, we make the process so much simpler and clearer for you!
One of the biggest obstacles for homeowners is changing that “personal” space into a “product” that will become a commodity on the market.
How do you take the lead or have the edge on your “product”? Well, we can help! Start with a home staging consultation with StyleCo and make the decision following that, whether the items recommended are things you can do on your own, or something you want the professionals to do!
At StyleCo we do everything from home staging consultations including a valuable comprehensive report for the homeowner to follow along, and everything in between to complete home staging with furniture, artwork and accessories.
Sometimes all it takes are a few “tweaks” and you are armed and ready with the advantage in the market!
Call StyleCo today and we’ll make certain you “have the edge”!
Increasing Your Home’s Appeal
The way you live in your home and the way you market a house are two different things. You have to think of your home as a product.
Barb Schwarz
Connect with us for current “tips and tricks” on everything from Home Staging to Re-design!
Buyers think of homes as “good ones” and “bad ones”. You want your home to be considered as the former, not the latter.
This is where beating out the competition comes in! Buyers want as much bang for their buck as they can get.
As a home seller, it’s up to you to provide what the buyer wants and affect your bottom line.
It’s time to get “back to basics”. If your family room is void of all furniture except a pool table, turn this room back into its intended use. A “family” room for “living”. If your dining room is currently being used as an office, and you don’t have another eat-in space in your home, turn it back into its original use. A dining room.
Bringing back the home to its intended space usage generally brings back the attraction.
When staging, we refer to the term “neutralizing” a great deal. Neutralizing doesn’t mean getting rid of the personality of the home, it just means “defusing” your space, through elimination and organization.
It’s easy! Defuse your decor and increase your homes appeal.
StyleCo Home Staging and Design 