Keep calm and sparkle on

A little sparkle goes a long way, whether staging your home for sale or decorating for the holidays. Nothing brightens a room more than the shimmer of silver, the glint of glass or a flash of chrome. But beware, there is a fine line between too much bling and tasteful sophistication.

Here are some of the ways I like to add glamour to a room, without overdoing it.

Mirrors

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Lighting

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Mercury Glass

contemporary-vases

 

 

Velvet pillows (or upholstery)

 

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Glass

 

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Art

 

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Adding any of these accents will instantly add sparkle and update your decor to get your rooms noticed.

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Top photo shoot styling tips for selling a home

Home Stagers are experts in styling homes for photo shoots. In a few hours we can whip and flip a home into a stunner. Your on-line photos are the #1 advertising element of your for sale home. Don’t stop short when you publicly introduce your home to potential buyers by not making it perfectly groomed for its Internet close-up.  Here are a few of my top tips and techniques.

Make your bedroom a showstopper

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Master bedrooms are a big deal for buyers. A place to relax and unwind from the stresses of the day and every room needs a focal point. Plump those pillows (no pancake, lumpy old pillows) invest in fresh new pillows and bedding. It’s a small investment that can go with you to your new home and trust me it makes a huge difference in how buyers react to online images.

Make bathrooms sparkle with a spa theme

 

Every bath needs fresh, clean, fluffy towels, a seat down, glistening surfaces, and not a personal product present. No toothbrushes, potties, boxes of tissues, bath rugs on the floor, toilet brushes, cleaning products etc. etc. Many bathrooms are small and the least bit of clutter will make it even smaller online.

Kitchen counters

Remove all clutter, small appliances, paper towel, vitamins, paperwork, boxes of cereal etc. etc. Kitchen counters tend to be a dumping ground for all and sundry. You want to show how spacious your counters are and highlight those fabulous finishes. Don’t forget to remove rugs, door mats, dish soap and tea towels from stoves.

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Photography and Lighting

I can’t stress this enough. Hours of of staging and prep will be ruined with dark, blurry images taken from bad angles. This is your chance to shine and impress buyers who are seeing hundreds of online images of the competition. Open all drapes and blinds. Often perfect opportunities to wow are lost when a beautiful view from a window is unseen or you can’t see how beautiful flooring or molding details are. If your images aren’t cutting it hire a professional, you won’t be sorry.

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A little Prep

Chalk Paint Uses

Crazy about this stuff !

Everyone is singing the praises of chalk paint and for good reason. It really is a fast, easy way to update just about anything. Minimum effort, maximum wow factor. Here are 2 projects I worked on this week. A makeover on a bench that was a tad dated, where I painted fabric for the first time with great results and a chalk board paint project on a $2 yard sale find. Check them out.

 

Bench Makeover 

Dated but  sturdy bench
Dated but sturdy bench

 

 

 

First step coat of Paris Grey chalk paint
First step coat of Paris Grey chalk paint

 

 

 

To finish apply Dark wax to fabric and legs
To finish apply Dark wax to fabric and legs

 

 

 

Waxing the fabric gives the look & feel of leather
Waxing the fabric gives the look & feel of leather

 

Tips for painting fabric with Annie Sloan chalk paint

1. Soak fabric a little before painting or do as I did and thin paint with water 50/50 so it absorbs well.

2. If you want to do a design e.g. stripe, mask off the area with masking tape once the base coat is dry and apply your second colour.

3. Most important step, apply wax to protect finish. Annie Sloan wax comes in clear and dark. The clear wax only slightly darkens the paint colour and the dark is very dark and gives a more antiqued look.

4. Let the wax cure at least overnight but a couple of weeks is optimal. I buffed my bench to make sure the finish was even.

 

Painting ceramics with chalkboard paint 

A $2 yard sale find
A $2 yard sale find

 

Loved the shape of this urn, pattern not so much. A coat of chalkboard paint later and a design drawn with a chalk pen and it has a new lease of life.

Caulk paint works well on ceramics
Chalk paint works well on ceramics

 

 

This guy knows

Well said sir, well said
Well said sir, well said