holiday decorating

Decorating for the holidays doesn’t have to be a source of stress.  Consider the following tips to help minimize or eliminate stress this season.

• Set aside a specific date or time to decorate and make this a fun time.  Start things off with a cup of hot chocolate, eggnog or gingerbread flavored coffee or tea.
• Play your favorite Christmas CDs while decorating.
• Remove some of the existing décor to make room for the holiday décor.  This will eliminate “holiday clutter”.  Remove a chair to make room for the tree if necessary.
• Every room doesn’t need to be decorated.  Only decorate the rooms you use most often.
• Set up decorations in a different location from the previous year.  Enjoy the decorations from a new view.
• Freshen up your décor - add fresh berries, fruits, nuts, pine boughs, etc.
• Include scented oil with an aroma reminiscent of the holidays such as pine or cinnamon.
• Add flickering battery operated candles – eliminating the need to monitor candles while entertaining.
• When it comes time to pack up the holiday décor, store the items in red or green bins that are easy to locate next year.  Clearly label each bin:  tree décor, greens, lights, etc.
• Save time – hire a professional who will set up your décor in ways you probably haven’t considered!

Wishing you a stress-less Merry Christmas!

© Star Interior Solutions 2008
Erica Starich is a certified Interior Redesigner and Real Estate/Home Stager and the owner of Star Interior Solutions, an award winning company serving South Metro Denver, Colorado.  Please visit her website www.StarInteriorSolutions.com or contact her at 303-909-3491 or erica@StarInteriorSolutions.com.

decorating with artifical planta

Sooner or later, that couch you loved ten years ago, now looks old, frayed and dated. Ditto on the kitchen curtains and the sterile white walls everywhere you look. You want a fresh look, but your budget for a redecorating project is modest. Don’t despair. With a few inexpensive changes and a little planning, you can have a new look you’ll love! Read on to learn of one of the highly effective and well-kept secrets of professional decorators.

A fresh coat of paint all around in colors that reflect your personality will work wonders. Perhaps colored levelors, to replace those dowdy curtains, will jazz up the the kitchen, allowing light and privacy at the same time. This is a good start. Now how can you infuse the scene with lively accents without breaking the budget? Any décor benefits from a few strategically placed plants. Plants lend a soft, cozy feeling that creates an inviting ambiance. Restaurants, coffee houses and corporate offices often use plants just for this reason.

There is a drawback to plants - they require maintenance and a green thumb for long-lasting success in a decorating scheme. Consider artificial plants as a low-cost, low maintenance solution. Technology is now so advanced. Quality artificial plants are so real looking, you’d need to put on your glasses for a close inspection to tell the difference between the faux plant and its fertilizer-gobbling counterpart.

With artificial plants, you needn’t engage a neighbor to water your friends when you go away on vacation. Weekend plans won’t be disrupted with watering, trimming, fertilizing and repotting tasks. Yet your home’s appearance suggests you’re a master gardener with decorating flair.

Among the many types of artificial plants available, one stands out as superior in appearance. Artificial plants made of silk are almost indistinguishable from the real McCoy. They’re a bit more costly than artificial plants made of plastic, but are truly lovely and they never die! A hanging fern in the bathroom appears as natural as the real thing. Any gardener will tell you that ferns need lots of moisture and typically thrives in a bathroom setting where steam and moisture keep it hale and hearty. An occasional spray with a spritzer bottle enhances this illusion.

A tall umbrella tree in the living room gives lots of value for your decorating bucks. Placed next to your couch by your reading lamp on the end table, this artificial plant makes your couch a desirable place to kick back with a good book. Add a nice throw blanket and a few new pillows and that old couch is back in business!

Just as real plants can be dressed up with backlighting, your backlit artificial tree can provide a romantic highlight. String some lights through its branches for a stunning effect. If your budget is very tight, you can always add to your artificial plant collection later. So there you have one of the best tricks in the pro decorator’s arsenal!

Something Special Interiors is the place to find the best selection of life - like trees anywhere. Our silk trees, silk bushes silk flowers, artificial plants, and silk floral arrangements are a beautiful addition to any home or office.

Record an energized marketing message on your voice mail: outline the unique services that you provide clients.  State what differentiates you from your competition.

2. Add a powerful marketing message to your email “signature” line: most email programs will allow up to five additional lines under your name—for free!

3. Use the back of your business card as a dynamic marketing tool: list the ‘value added’ services and benefits that buyers and sellers receive from you.

4. Regularly send out an article, post card or note and share tips, hints and information that is interesting, easy to implement or valuable in some way.

5. Create and distribute a bio sheet: give your existing and potential clients a brief overview of you as a person as well as a professional.  List your background, accomplishments, hobbies, interests and even a favorite quote or photo.

6. Sponsor a home improvement, home decorating or home organizing seminar for your clients. Contact a Professional Stager, Organizer or Decorator and ask them to speak on one topic or a combination of home related topics.

7. Mobile marketing messages: consider adding your company contact information on your car windows (window film), car doors (magnetic signs) and on license plates (personalized)to help spread the word about your business

About the Author: Sandy Dixon is a former Realtor® and sales, marketing and training executive. She teaches people how to start, market and grow their own real estate staging and interior redesign businesses, also offering redesign/staging workshops for both existing business owners and those looking to start a new career. Visit her website at www.interiorarrangements.com for information on her PR and marketing products and her training and mentoring programs.

staging during the holidays

As a large portion of my business, Design By DesAnn, we Stage hundreds of homes every year.

At this time of year with the Holidays approaching I am asked by clients and Realtors what we recommend for Holiday Decorating.

1. First of all let’s start with the outside.

   I like to see lights outside but kept to specific areas that will make our product shine. 

2. A spot light on a beautiful wooden door with a LARGE wreath is fantastic. If there are tall wooden columns flanking the entry showcase them with lights and natural green boughs of Pine. Natural Pine roping can be found at Nursery’s and Christmas tree retailers.
3. I like to stay true to the products age and Architecture. Showcase any Trees you may have with lights. You can either hang lights from low branches and/or Spot Light those tall Evergreens. 
4.  I like to see all the lights the same color as not to “clutter” the visual affect. White lights are gorgeous, in my opinion, yet will the perspective buyer notice another White Holiday lit home? 
5. All Red or All Blue or Green lights perhaps. They need to flatter the selling features and compliment the products color and style.Warm & Inviting is always a Stagers desire for the exterior of a home for sale. This is the perfect time of year to Stage your product. The idea is to have the Buyer WANT to be there to EXPERIENCE the Holidays.
     
   WOW them with a bold statement done simply.

Consider using the new LED window candles in every window that can be seen from the street. Makes ya just want to go in and be cozy.
 
Really understanding who it is you are Marketing too is crucial.

1. With Interiors it can be tricky. We Stagers are accustomed to asking our clients to minimize all religious Icons. There are however certain neighborhoods known for their Church, Synagogue, Temple and so on. In my city where we live there is an entire area of town called The Saint Jude’s neighborhood. Having a Nativity scene in this specific neighborhood could be a positive point.
2. I recommend that my clients really discipline themselves to only display a small portion of their decorations.
3. Keeping the product warm & inviting, cheerful and uncluttered should be the goal.
4. A particular home here in my hometown always has their Christmas tree in their beautiful 10 ft. windows. If I were looking in that area and price range… that staged scene of that tree would have me buying in a heartbeat
5. This is the perfect time to have a Dining Room set for a party. This would have the buyer dreaming of perhaps them entertaining their friends and family in that room.
   Staging any home is problem solving.

Be particularly careful not to leave decorations up after the New Year. It conveys that you are not “on top of things”. I recommend that an exterior door wreath be replaced with any other shaped decoration for winter such as a basket with cascading greens or a Pear shape. The wreath, circle, shape seen on homes in February will look like a Holiday Wreath.

A great source for inspiration is the Better Homes & Gardens online site.

Please Decorate your home even while it is in the market. Life is short and you need to enjoy your home during the selling process, but PLEASE restrain yourself.

DesAnn Collins O.D.S.D.P., CSREP
Design By DesAnn LLC
440-324-1957
www.DesignByDesAnn.com
info@DesignByDesAnn.com
Changing the world one room at a time

decorating a bathroom

Yes, it is true, the investment return on bathroom remodeling is high if you do remodel them, but in today’s economy, people still want to update and refresh their home, but don’t want to spend a lot of money doing it. Here are some quick and inexpensive tips to update the look of an outdated bathroom.

1. Paint the bathroom. This is a quick and dramatic way to instantly refresh and change the look of your bathroom. Choose a color that already exists from your master bedroom to tie in with the bathroom. (try to stay away from white) Remember to choose a semi-gloss for the bathroom walls. Not only does it change the look of the bathroom, but it is also helpful with trapping and sealing out any existing odors in the bathroom.

2. Add or replace hardware to the cabinets and drawers. This creates a more stylish and appealing look for a quick update to old cabinets.

3. Remove any old light fixtures and replace with updated ones.

4. Buy window or door moldings and glue onto the mirror to create the look of a framed mirror. Measure the outside width and height of the mirror, and cut the mouldings to those dimensions. Paint the moulding a color that will add drama to the bathroom since the mirror is the first impression of a bathroom. Home depot can cut the moulding for you. Use liquid nails to apply the moulding.

5. Shop your home to find some of your favorite collectibles. It doesn’t necessarily have to be bathroom accessories; it can be any pieces of accessories that you like. Don’t forget to add candles for a touch of aroma and ambiance for the finishing touches and “the ultimate interior design makeover!”

Denise Reilly Baker
Art of ReDesigning
“the ultimate interior design makeover!”
www.artofredesigning.com
760-944-7903

home staging business training

Home staging is the hottest new profession in real estate and is being promoted by the top real estate agents from across the country. Agents understand that in order to get top dollar for their clients homes they must first be staged.

Now is the time to take advantage of this hot new profession and start your home staging business training today. 

Here are some reasons you may want to look for staging training:

There are many differnt training options to choose from. If you’re looking for a full certified course then check out the Interior Redesign & Home Staging Directory at: Interior Redesign & Home Staging Directory

If you want to learn on your own check out this great e-book at Home-Staging-Business.info