a little staging please...

hi guys.  it's been awhile - sickness and memorial day weekend - what can i say? okay, back in the saddle.  since my bread and butter is staging, i thought a post or two dedicated to it would be a good idea...


what do you need to do to prepare your home for sale? first impressions are EVERYTHING, so let's start on the outside...

take a walk down your street checking out the homes around you.  then, walk up to your house.  take it all in...how does the front of your home make you feel?  how would it make a potential buyer feel?  yard, sidewalk, flowers, steps, paint job, door?  you want people to WANT to come inside.  SO make sure the grass is cut and shrubs are looking good.  mulch is an easy way to make things look great.  add some color - plant some flowers or at least have some in pots near the entry, but no need to go crazy -you don't want a ba-zillion pots cluttering things up.  how is the paint job looking? i know you don't want to paint, but if things are looking dumpy...and sometimes just painting the trim and the door can spruce things up.  what about the door hardware? lighting?  if it's rusty and/or outdated - replace it.  and please, please, PLEASE get rid of the spiderwebs, people!! if you have a large porch you will want to highlight it with a bench, or some chairs.  oh, and a new welcome mat is always worth the money.

via hgtv.com

via plushemisphere.com

entryways & foyers are up next, so stay tuned!

all was lost

i guess blogger was having some serious issues!!!!  oh well.  i guess i can try and repost my lonny room breakdown or i can just move on. i'm feeling a bit blah right now, so who knows...

sorry if i seem a bit grumpy, but my day has been filled with house bidding wars, lost blog posts, and a sweet, but sick, son peeing on my sofa.  today, i just can't win.  hopefully, the sun will come out tomorrow..............................oh, go stick it where the sun don't shine, annie!

anyways, here's a pretty picture to make me feel better and for you to forget that bit of nastiness to little orphan annie.

elle decor via caitlin wilson designs

it's keri russell's house AND she designed it herself.  what a lovely room - bravo!

lonny love

i'm not sure if i'd want to live in this room, but i certainly love looking at it.  i need a bubble swing in my life.

via lonny

the bubble swing is pricey, but the rest of the room can be totally done on a budget. i have bills to pay today, but will post a breakdown of budget finds tomorrow, so stay tuned...

Happy Mother's Day!

my mom is a fantastic woman and a great decorator.  growing up, she was constantly moving around furniture.  it would drive my dad CRAZY.  if he came home late from work, he'd be bumping into things because they were in a different place than when he left for the day.  my mom explained to him that it's cheaper to rearrange than to buy new things.  he never complained again.

my mom and i have been working on her guest room/den.  i'll be posting pictures soon, but here is a design board that we started with.  most of the original furniture is staying.

get this look...

                                                           via Lonny Mag

okay.  so how cute is this room? lots of personality without being too much- LOVE IT!  what else is great about this room (besides the great tips to the right)?  it's not going to cost you $$$$$$$$ to get the look. Hell ya!

take your sofa.  you have a sofa, right?  put a white slipcover on it. pottery barn has some great, well-reviewed ones.

add a white LACK table from IKEA. i believe this one is $19.99 - seriously.

rug - okay - may need to spend a little more than the coffee table...Overstock has one $174 and it looks a lot like the one in the pic.

pillows - etsy - duh!  how about this baby for $10.00

sunburst mirrors - here's a great round-up...
thanks 6th street design!

you can definitely get a great mirror for under $200.

this one is for $89 at Kirkland's...

bravo!

side tables... this is a dead ringer at overstock.

tv stand.  again, hello IKEA.  they also have other white stands. from about $50 on up.

lamps in this day and age, lamps are easy.  check out home goods, target, IKEA, etc.

those are the basics.  add your own frames.  maybe buy a couple of bigger or smaller frames to mix it up some.  and you can add the pouf  if you love it, or maybe another type of floor pillow...and DONE!

i love a design board...

i love making design boards!  it's a great way to get an idea of how things will look when changing paint, lighting, or adding furniture and pillows.

as well, as narrowing things down when you love too many things!