Favorite Local Finds for Gifting

Try supporting small local businesses, artists, makers and friends with service-based businesses. Yours truly is being gifted by a husband as a surprise for his wife who has been wanting a consult with me. You may choose to shop online but even that can be with local businesses. Here are a few favorites.

Read more

Outdoor Living Spaces from Wish List to Reality

Comfort levels about socializing indoors vary during our current state of pandemic life. New York has proven that wearing a mask and safety protocols work. Not everyone is on board which has affected our traveling locally, nationally and internationally.

Define your space based on purpose. With some creativity for simple projects or remodeling, here are some ideas to create a staycation.

Read more

Is your house a home or a storage facility?

Question: “We will be selling our home and moving to a new home. We need to declutter, get rid of some ‘stuff’ but don’t want a yard sale. How can we get rid of perfectly good new gently used stuff before a move?”

Read more

Preparing for nesting at home

September feels like the start of a new year whether dealing with a school schedule or not. My family’s back to school days have ended yet it still feels like it’s time for a fresh start without the January pressure of New Year resolutions.

Read more

Trends in window treatments

When it comes to window treatments, personal taste, style of home and privacy are considerations for selection. As a professional stager, I’m usually suggesting my clients remove heavy window treatments and layers of coverage before listing their home for sale. Why? Those layers hide the architectural features of the home.  Read more

Keeping a cool house on hot days

Question: What are some active and passive ways to keep your house cool in the summer?

As temperatures rise during the summer months, keeping cool becomes a priority. Air conditioning is ideal, but not all homes have it. When my former house was being building in the late 80’s, we added central air with multiple zones and the builder thought we were crazy. Crazy or not, it is a necessity in my life and well worth the investment. In my new house, which is 3 levels with one zone, I’m getting adjusted and finding ways to cool my house. Here a few of my tips followed by shared tips from readers.

Read more

Landscape with good bones

Attractive landscapes need good bones. Look around your neighborhood to notice what this means. The hardscape of good-looking properties is well designed and developed with natural landscape to enhance it.

Read more

Go to your room!

The master bedroom is the most important room of a house and often the most neglected. By the end of this column, I hope you will be inspired to make your bedroom your sanctuary.

Your bedroom should be a relaxing comfortable space. It should not be cluttered or filled with things that cause stress. You may not see the pile of paperwork or laundry but your body picks up on that energy.

Read more

The 2019 Colors of Year

Every paint company announces their color of the year along with Pantone, the global color trend forecaster. Based on trends and color psychology, here are a few color trends for 2019.

Read more

Finding inspiration and connections

In October I attended my first conference with the International Association of Staging Professionals held in Charlotte. The Staging industry has becoming a vital marketing component for Real Estate. It takes more than just watching a TV show to become a stager. Look for professionalism and accreditation.

 

“Our 2018 IAHSP Conference & EXPO was a HUGE success! Not only did we have the largest number of attendees to date, we also had the hottest duo in the Home Staging/Design world – The Scott Brothers!  They charmed and educated our attendees and added such great celebrity star power to our event!  All attendees earned their Luxury Home Staging (IAHSP-LHS) Designation as well as learned valuable information and insights from top-notch speakers.”

– Jennie Norris, Chairwoman, IAHSP International

Read more