Author: Avril Brown

 

For most of us,the Holidays may be the only time we can corral all the family at once and sit down to celebrate together.Setting a fabulous table for dinner just isn’t realistic in everyday life but taking a little time to dress your Holiday table adds to the excitement.Choose an unexpected colour sceme and run with it. Dinnerware doesn’t have to be fancy,it’s how you put things together that will add impact!

 

Holiday decor doesn’t have to be red and green.Match your table to your decor,pick a theme.Woodland ,Nordic,”Madmenesque”,Glam, whatever works for you.A colour scheme for a Holiday table works well when done all out.Mass inexpensive ornaments or flowers for maximum impact.

Layer linens,china,heights to make an interesting table.China doesn’t all have to match.Mix it up.Solids,patterns,textures,price points,there are no rules.

Setting a kid’s table you can go hog wild.Bright colours,patterns and a few treats might make them sit a little longer and enjoy the meal if you can tear them away from all the Holiday haul!

 

Apple green is a great fun colour with red and more on trend than the usual “forest” green.A modern twist on Oriental for a Holiday Season party.

 

Happy Holiday’s from Prep Home Staging

www.prepstaging.com

If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace in a room, it presents the perfect opportunity to create a focal point. Buyers usually love this feature in a home so play it up,especially in the cooler months. The trick is to draw attention to the fireplace but not over accessorize. I often see fireplaces blocked with furniture or covered up all together.A poor arrangement ruins the relaxing effects of a fireplace.

 

Choose props for your mantel that have varying colors, textures, shapes and sizes. Just as you’ve done with the rest of your staged house, stay away from small stuff and go for big, clean shapes. If your decor is formal echo this in your mantel decor.A formally staged mantel  needs to have balance e.g. a pair of identical vases, candlesticks,sconces or picture frames. Set one of a pair on each end of the mantel.

 

For less formality, group items closer together and balance the mantel asymmetrically. This style allows you to be more creative with the objects you choose and placement.Stay away from large family portraits and wedding pictures. Buyers need to imagine themselves living in your home without constant reminders they are in someone else’s personal space. Colourful artwork and contemporary pieces showcase a sleek, modern fireplace. Leave the hearth clear so the eye isn’t distracted downwards.

 

 

 

Selling a home during the Holiday’s can be a challenge and the tendancy to over decorate can be distracting when buyer’s are trying to concentrate on the features of your house, not your “stuff”. Keep it simple, you can go all out in your new home next year.Just a few items with a Holiday theme are all that is needed to create a warm and welcoming listing. Natural elements work well in this instance. Flowers, greenery, votives all add spakle and interest without over doing things.

 

 

 

 

What was I saying about overkill, yikes!

www.prepstaging.com

 

 

 

 

Sometime’s you have to think out of the box when it comes to home decor, especially when just starting out.Feathering the nest can be costly but with a keen eye and lots of imagination you can get the look you want for less. Upcycling second hand items keeps things out of the landfill and can give your home a custom look. I love to find a great item that needs some TLC and put my own twist on it.

This is one of my recent finds,a black metal frame $2.99 and a piece of granite found at Habitat Restore for $15. Originally I was looking for a piece of glass but this granite was the perfect size and too good a deal to pass up.If I see a great item I grab it,even if I don’t have a plan right away, I will use it eventually. I love my new side table for under $20. I saw a similar one in a store the other day for $199, quite a saving!

 

Another of my favourite pieces is an ottoman I found at Value Village for $20. The salmon floral fabric was a litte Laura Ashley for me but I splurged on a piece of navy and cream zebra print.Much better! The ottoman was in great shape and easy to reupholster.All I needed was my trusty staplegun and a little patience.

 

 

Spray paint works wonders on so many items. I love the look of all white accessories so earlier in the Summer I gave some of my pieces a new lease of life and an updated look. Grouped on a shelving unit they make an impressive display.You could use any colour that takes your fancy, or different shades of the same colour (oh,oh,I see another project in my future) Look for interesting shapes and don’t worry about condition. The items I painted were in every colour and finish from brass to black wood. Just vary heights and shapes to make it interesting. I just need to add some Christmas ornaments or greenery to change the look for the Holidays.

 

 

Another project recently was my desk. I wanted a large surface for my home office but didn’t like the price tag on anything I saw. Habitat ReStore came to my rescue again. A door for $30, a small can of grey stain and some elbow grease later and I had the rustic look I wanted for minimal cost. Now I’m on the hunt for some brushed nickel legs to complete it. It even had the hole drilled for a handle which was great for the lamp cord and laptop wires!

 

This next one was an “Aha” moment. I purchased some glass jars at the Dollar Store for office supplies. They looked too plain to me, plus paperclips are not too pretty, so I remembered I had a book of  black and white cardstock purchased at HomeSense. I cut a few pieces to line the jars and a glass lamp base I had, a $2.99 Value Village find. Voila, quick, easy, inexpensive. It even coordinates with my black and white canvas, a stroke of luck.

 

A box of “Lonely Planet” postcards had been sitting on my desk waiting to be transfomed. The phtography was beautiful and all that was needed were some Dollar Store frames in a brushed nickel look. I now have a small gallery wall of beautiful artwork. You could do the same with old book illustrations or wallpaper. Just group together for more impact. If you have unused frames or find some second hand, spray paint is your friend once again.

 

Below is a great site for some Upcycling inspiration.Have fun!

http://www.upcyclethat.com/