Fall is fast approaching and fabulous moody shades are popping up in home décor.
My latest crush is yummy plum.
Soon to show up in your wardrobe, plush pillows, cozy throws, bedding and more.
Furnishings are a great way to introduce a new colour into your décor.
Plum velvet, very Austin Powers baby.
Fabulous for a Fall Wedding
Nature always gets it right
Pretty pick for an accent wall
Fabulous fabric, so many possibilities
And to polish it all off
Loving the berry shades
www.prepstaging.com
One thing I think most people struggle with when decorating is accessorizing. Those beautifully composed vignettes in magazines look oh so easy but a lot of trial and error goes into that perfect shot. Getting the balance right is key. Scale, colour, texture….they all come into play to creative an eye catching “still life”. There are a few golden rules to follow that ensure you display your prized possessions in all their glory.
Use what you love
There are certain things that make us smile, evoke memories and we would never part with. Display and enjoy them. I have a small Wedgewood china box that I have had for 35 years. I love the pattern and colours but never really have had the perfect spot for it. Finally I paired it with some books and a chevron print I picked up on sale for $10 in HomeSense. Now it makes sense and still looks updated and on trend.
Mix textures
If you don’t want to add a lot of colour but still make a display interesting, add texture. I had 2 reasons to layer the twiggy thing (technical term I’m sure) in this large bowl. I wanted to add another element and the ceramic balls sat too low in the bowl and required to be raised up. This natural object was perfect, a Value Village find, style doesn’t have to be expensive. Mix high and low priced items to get the look you want.
Look to Nature
Living by the ocean, I’m naturally drawn to shells. Displayed in this pale blue, matte finish bowl (another Value Village find) and set on my marble coffee table, helps to bring the outdoors in. A piece of driftwood picked up on the beach on a weekend away adds a personal touch. Elements that connect us to nature are always soothing and easy on the eye.
Colour block
Using a dominant colour balances a display. On this bookshelf I colour blocked all my blue books and some white accents .An oversized letter “R” (my husband’s initial) in faux croc and again my favourite shells. Place books vertically and horizontally for interest. That little pop of bright pink on the top book adds some contrast.
Use timeless classics
Some décor items never go out of style and blue and white china is one of those. This ginger jar was a gift from my mother, that again, I never felt I had the right spot for it but recently I redecorated my bedroom in indigo blue, cue ginger jar! Paired with this whitewashed carving from Wicker Emporium, it rests on top of my bedroom dresser. The details on the china piece tie into the leafy pattern of the wooden object.
Vary Heights
Using items all the same height can make a vignette flat and lifeless. Vary heights from tallest in the back to shortest in front. Mix materials and textures, e.g. glass, metal, fabric, floral elements. Choose unusual shapes. One of my favourite items is a lamp base of the Eiffel Tower, again a second hand find. I paired it with 2 glass vases from HomeSense and a mirrored clock from Value Village. Adding some ribbon to the inexpensive grey lampshade gives contrast.
Use what you have
I have wanted one of these manikins forever and when I received a gift card at Christmas time I knew exactly what I would purchase. It now stands in the corner of my bedroom with a lovely blue and white scarf and necklace, easily changed up if I want to add another colour or pattern. You could dress it with a beautiful party dress and really bling it up with some sparkly baubles. I added the inexpensive print from Target that was part of a set of 3 to tie the colours together.
Up cycle
If you find a piece with good lines, make it your own. This rocking chair was a sweet second hand find. It has solid construction, a good quality rush seat and simple, clean lines. Only problem, it was bright pink when I found it. I tried to make it work with my décor but it just wasn’t to be, so a couple of coats of grey paint later it has a new lease of life. I love the look of fur draped on chairs which is a trend at the moment. I searched for a sheepskin at Christmas time to use but to no avail but browsing in HomeSense I came across a white fur synthetic rug in the bath rug section…sold! It was perfect with a white pillow purchased in the New Year sales. I love finding a look for less:)
Have fun with it
Final rule, have fun with your décor. This vignette is on a shelf above my desk. Yes I shop a lot, but usually for other people, so this sign was perfect for me. The glass jars are Dollar Store gems, lined with scrapbooking paper to hide paperclips, rubber bands and all the not so pretty office stuff. These would be a good solution for a bathroom too, just coordinate the paper to your décor.
And final final rule, edit edit edit.
Have fun.
Avril 🙂
If the last time you updated was in 1985, you need to remedy that, stat! That dusty rose and forest green floral border is a red flag to a buyer. They are thinking, if you neglected to ditch the décor what else has not been maintained in the home. Same goes for shag carpets, swag lighting, shabby worktops and avocado appliances. These things will scream at a buyer in online images and you won’t even get them in the door, except for the ones looking for a rock bottom deal. Yes, you may like it or not want to invest the time and effort to change things but you have to put a buyer’s wants before yours when marketing a house. If not, be prepared for a no sale or lowball offers, it’s that simple
Colour is a very personal choice. Colour, well being and emotions are very are closely linked. It not only affects how a room looks but how it feels. Colours can also play eye deceiving tricks, making a large room seem smaller and cozier and a small room more spacious. You can also use colour to draw attention to good features in a home and disguise less attractive ones. When a home stager makes a recommendation to change a colour in a room there is always a reason why. If the response is “But I love my bright pink kitchen” (not with oak cabinets, sorry)/ “Navy blue, tiny sitting room” (dark, dingy rooms with no direct light turn buyers off) / “Canary yellow living room” (lets try a calmer colour, buyers are stressed enough as it is) Remember, once on the market it’s not your home any more and some colours just photograph better than others. That internet thing again!
Lighting, like colour creates mood and atmosphere. Sunlight instantly raises our spirits and makes us feel good. When buyers have to strain to see features in a room or the exact colour of the walls, they are not happy campers. One little dangling 40 watt bulb in a room, however well presented, is just sad. Time to pump up the volume with the highest wattage light bulbs a fixture can take, well placed table lamps and light fixtures that appeal to young buyers. You don’t have to spend big dollars these days to switch out dated fixtures. Ditch the shiny brass and go for simple, stylish designs. Less is more, even a simple drum shade is better than a fixture that would have looked at home in “Southfork” (the old series, not that new one, they could never replicate those shoulder pads and big hair) RIP Larry Hagman.
Oh clutter, where do I begin!!! Ok here’s the deal. You are selling square footage to a buyer. You are not selling, 20 years worth of National Geographics, a doll/ Star Wars/ cat figurine collection /every pair of shoes you ever bought since 1972. Need I go on? Pack it up, sell it, put it in storage or send it to your Mother in Law’s house. Clutter will eat up your equity. When buyers see clutter they are thinking “This home doesn’t have enough storage”, This Home isn’t well maintained” , “This home doesn’t meet my need’s” and online images of a cluttered home are the worst. It makes it hard to focus on the features of the home when all you can see is other peoples “stuff” Yes, it’s a pain to get rid of but you have to pack anyway so get a head start. If you need a plan of action that’s what stagers are for. A 2hr consult will be money well spent if you need a nudge in the right direction.
I can usually instantly smell if a house has mould, smokers, are into cooking or if pets live there. Scent is one of the biggest turn offs for a buyer. Like clutter it’s something that you get used to everyday and becomes a non issue but to a buyer it can make or break a sale. The sense of smell is controlled by a primitive part of the brain, which is closely connected to the area that also controls mood and emotion. Some smells linger longer than others, on heavy drapes, furniture and rugs. A deep cleaning by experts is often the only way to remedy this and fresh paint works wonders in a room that has been smoked in or for cooking odours. Don’t go too heavy on the Glade plugins either, it just looks like you are trying to cover something up. A small pot of water boiled with citrus peels added will help get rid of cooking smells.
Any time you put a home on the market without defining what each room is used for you are leaving money on the table. If a bedroom, sitting room or dining room is used as a catchall for clutter, the ironing, unused toys or the dust collecting treadmill you have wasted a golden opportunity. Never use an unused room to stack boxes in. Not only does it look bad, it doesn’t give a buyer a clear idea what the heck they could use that room for. (Ever looked at a listing online and wondered what that room with all the boxes was for?) So many possibilities. Office, craft room, play room, nursery, extra bedroom. You have to market to your target buyers. A young family might need a playroom or nursery. Stage to sell, borrow items if need be, ask your stager if they rent inventory or search online or at yard sales. An older couple may wish for a small sitting room where they can relax when not entertaining or a craft room. If you are not sure where to start this is where a stager can answer all your questions and give suggestions to make sure you are marketing your property for maximum impact.
I love a blank canvas, in my case usually a room/rooms, though I have been known to paint a canvas or two. Much like creating a work of art, lifestyle staging whether for Real Estate or to promote a product is all about layering elements.
The images myself and Vanessa Lentz of www.farmgateimaging produce for Halifax retailer www.wickeremporium.ca are done in a photo studio at Wicker Emporium’s head office in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Not quite a room ( we usually work with 2 walls) the other half of the studio is used for web product photo shoots. This half is painted in white and resembles a skateboard ramp with one wall curved on the bottom to eliminate shadows in the finished web image. Every Wicker Emporium item from napkin rings to armoires is photographed here so it is a busy spot.
As soon as Vanessa and myself finish a lifestyle shoot we are busy planning the next one. Each shoot takes a week or more to plan. First step is to collaborate with Wicker’s Marketing Director to get an idea of what products to promote. Next I make a list of items I will need for the shoot. This involves checking the website , visiting the stores and sending the list to the inventory department. If available the large items of furniture are reserved in inventory for the shoot and placed outside the photo room for me before shoot day.
Lifestyle shoots are all about creating a mood so lighting comes into consideration. Vanessa and I discuss the setup (is this a morning/ afternoon/ evening vignette) We have a moveable wall on wheels (wouldn’t we all love one of those! ) which has a window with frosted glass. There are more than a few challenges to overcome when shooting. The photo studio has large windows that look out on a parking lot, a drop ceiling, a large double door and 1 smaller one that lead to the warehouse and a staircase, which we can use in the shoot if we reposition the wall.
I arrive the day before the shoot or the morning of to unpack and position the furniture, steam linens if needed, select and pick up accessories from one of the stores, shop for any food, flowers etc. for props and unload and unpack any additional items needed for props from my own inventory. I start with positioning the larger pieces of furniture (I may also get a sneak peek of any new items just arrived in the warehouse, it’s like Christmas!) Once I have this part right I can start to layer. Rugs, drapes, artwork, accessories. It’s a process that takes a lot of tweaking before I am happy with the finished result. It usually takes 4-5 hours to set up a small shoot. More elaborate shoots like the Holiday ones may take up to 2 days to complete.
This particular shoot was a “bathroom” setting. Not being done in an actual bathroom we had to get really creative to give the look of a country bathroom without a tub, sink or even running water. To make it even more challenging for Vanessa I used a large mirror. Mirrors are so tricky in photo shoots. The reflection of a drop ceiling and warehouse doors does not a pretty image make, so I positioned the moveable wall to reflect the window, quite effective in the finished image! There is a lot of tweaking during the actual shoot too, just off camera one part of the setup can be ripped apart as we reposition everything to get a good variety of images. There can be dozens of images shot but only a few are used (the cream of the crop) Even slight adjustments can make a world of difference to the final result so Vanessa and I constantly review her shots on camera and make changes as we go along to get the perfect end result.
After the shoot, it’s time for Vanessa to work her magic in the editing department. It’s always a thrill to see the final images after Farm Gate Imaging has done the technical stuff (she’s a genius) and it always amazes me how her vision and expertise can change what I might think was an ok shot into something spectacular.
Here are some images from the shoot. Prepped, re prepped, tweaked, edited and finally with text added by a designer. A lengthy process but so satisfying to see the finished result after everyone has done their part. These images are used for website, Face Book, Twitter, print and in store advertising.
Final Face Book banner image 
We try to make every shoot different and fresh and we are so proud to be associated with Wicker Emporium, a fabulous local Halifax company that is expanding in big ways in Canada.
Country Fresh
Props added
Showcasing accessories
Final Web image
Last weeks shoot was a kitchen setting and I have to say Vanessa outdid herself. Keep checking the Wicker Emporium website, Face Book page and Twitter account to see new images of our work and Wicker Emporium’s beautiful products.
In a few weeks it’s time to start on the Fall lifestyle shoots, I hope the weather cools down before I set a Thanksgiving table.
Enjoy your Summer 🙂
Avril
Avril Brown
Vanessa Lentz
