Well, this is what differentiates the experienced interior designers from those with less experience. Great interior design can be created in almost any room by manipulating the variables of design and using them to lead the eye to specific objects or areas of the room.

A room that is devoid of architectural details can be transformed with the purposeful placement of furnishings and color to help style emerge from the room. A timeless, mahogany wood floor could be installed on a 45 degree angle to create further visual interest and to draw your eye into the room.  Using several textures and fabrics on the furniture in the room can create an sensual look and invite you to investigate the room further.  Furniture must always be in proportion to the size of the overall room or else the room will appear overcrowded.  Window treatments can be prominent and become your focal point.

The addition of wood paneling, wainscoting, crown molding, chair rail molding, ornate corbels, or even shadow boxes can completely dress up a room and create a look and a feel that was not there before. This woodwork can establish a pattern and provide rhythm to a plain surface. The molding can be stained a dark wood stain to allow the grain to show through or painted a high gloss white to reflect the light in the room.

A room that has doors on opposite sides of the room can be setup as two distinct areas but similar colors and styles should be used to help unit the space. In a small living room with a low ceiling, tall thin bookcases can be used to emphasize vertical proportions and be placed at the ends of the wall.  Smaller rooms would be painted in lighter paint colors to reflect light and to make the room size less obvious. Mirrors should be used to provide focus and reflect light, especially in a darker room.  Art and accessory placement can really transform a room.  Symmetry and asymmetry needs to be applied when appropriate when implementing art and accessories.

Three types of lighting (ambient, task, accent) must always be used to complete the interior design of any room.  Having lights installed on dimmer switches will allow better control of ambiance in the room.  Three way bulbs are another great option to control the amount of light entering a room. Candle lights screams romance and intimacy and should be implemented when appropriate.

If your home does not inspire you, maybe it is time to call in an interior designer or interior redesigner. A great design will incorporate the home owner’s unique tastes to ensure you as satisfied with the transformation.  By using wall paint colors, different textures and fabrics on your furniture, selecting optimal lighting schemes, deciding on the room layout, selecting wall moldings, your home will be transformed from ordinary to extraordinary.

Kate, Kate’s Home Staging and Redesign, serves Rockland County, NY and Orange County, NY and Passaic County, NJ.  We specializes in home staging, interior design, color consultations, custom wood signs, semi-custom window coverings, home decor discounts, and more.  Contact Kate to schedule your design consultation at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com .

Feng Shui does recommends creating balance and harmony through the use of the 5 elements (water, wood, fire, earth, and metal) in every room. If you are new to Feng Shui, here is a Feng Shui Cheat Sheet blog that explains all the basics.  Many individuals are initially attracted to Feng Shui focused on increasing their business or financial wealth but are pleasantly surprised what the simple re-arrangement of furniture can achieve and the simplifying of certain cluttered areas can achieve. A Feng Shui practitioner will use a Baqua Map and place it over the blue print of your home to identify which areas of your home require action to create your desired life changes.

According to Feng Shui, a harmonious life is built upon of the following three principles:

1. The First Principle ~ This principle believes that everything in the world, including your home and all of its contents, are alive with chi (energy). Possessions in your home that hold negative associations will foster negativity and keep unfortunate circumstances in place, while the complete opposite is true with positive associations; a positive object will attract good fortune to your home. The goal here is to surround yourself with objects that enrich your life in some way and that uplift your spirits every time you see theme.

2. The Second Principle ~ The second principle supports the idea that we are all connected to people, places, and things, and the stronger our connection to all of these, the more prosperous our life will be. This principle encourages you to try and heal old wounds, create meaningful relationships with others, and to create a supportive environment. Any items that cause you physical or emotional distress should be removed from your environment in order to lift your mood. Furniture should be arranged so you enjoy optimal views and display personal objects that keep your spirits lifted.

3. The Third Principle ~ This principle believes that everything is constantly changing and that you should embrace change as your ally. By making positive changes in your living space (through simplification and organization) you will be able to realize your goals. By letting go of all the excess items in our lives, which tend to cause stagnant chi, you open up yourself for positive changes to occur.

The sooner we all realize how connected we truly are, the better off we all will be. By looking to the past for guidance, Feng Shui has given me such positive guidance that has really improved my life. If we all implemented the Three Feng Shui Principles mentioned above, positive changes will only follow. If you walk into your home every night and the lack of lighting bothers you, please go out and pick up a bright decorative lamp and remedy the situation. If a person has wronged you and angry thoughts fill your mind continually, forgive them for yourself and move on. Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness, it takes much strength to forgive someone (who may not deserve it). By having a home that is clean, de-cluttered, and organized, your life will become easier and you will be able to find everything more quickly without getting annoyed. My goals (business and personal) for 2010 are to try to implement all the Feng Shui principles to enhance my life and my families. 

Kate ~ Kate’s Home Staging and Redesign, www.kateshomestaging.com specializing in home staging, interior design, home decorating, color consultations, semi-custom window coverings, vacant home stagings, and home decor discounts. Call Kate at  845-538-3623 for your design consultation.

Here are the basis steps to design a master bedroom (or any bedroom):

When starting to design your master bedroom, the easiest place to start is the bed.  The bed, after all, will be the focal point of the room. There are many options of headboards and beds that you can choose from ~ a four post bed, a sleigh bed, upholstery headboards, to a simple iron headboard. Here again, your unique tastes and style will come into play.

Next, the selection of luxurious linens occurs.  This is a logical step after you select which bed to place in your bedroom. The linen you select can be a design inspiration for the remainder of your bedroom. Decorative pillows are the logical next step after the linens are decided upon.  A master bedroom will have a minimum of four pillows and several layers of decorative pillows in similar colors.

Decide on a quality bedroom set that has a classic look. Please remember that you will probably use this set for the next ten years, so verify that the dresser drawers are made of real wood and will stand the test of time.  The color of the furniture should be a neutral wood, nothing outlandish that will be out of style by next season.

To keep a consistant color scheme in your master bedroom, your windows need to either have a blind that matches the bedroom furniture or a soft drapery that matches the lines and decorative pillows. (Remember to order your drapes or roman shades with blackout liners, so you can sleep past 5:00 AM.)  If you go with a wooden blind, you may want to add the two inch fabric swatch on the blinds in a coordinating color to the linens.

The actual design setup:

The master bedroom setup that looks fantastic is when there is a nightstand on each side of the bed with a matching light on each side. There also needs to be some greenery brought in.

To create a warm feelingin your master bedroom, please decorate with beiges, warm browns, and terracottas.

To create a cool feelingin your master bedroom, please decorate with pale colors such as light blue and lavender.

If you want to create a focal wall, choose the wall behind the bed.  The focal wall can be painted a different paint color, fabric, or wallpaper can be used for an even more dramatic look.

Remember to keep your accessories to a minimum as the master bedroom is a place of rest and relaxation.  Once the furniture has been setup with the appropriate linens, you should have no trouble selecting the finishing touches such as artwork, candle sticks for romance, and perhaps a rug to keep your feet warm.

Remember if you get stuck with your master bedroom design, you can always call your local home stager and interior redesigner!  We are always here to help with all your design needs, from paint color selection to furniture arrangement.

Kate

Kate’s Home Staging and Redesign serves the Rockland County and Orange County area of New York, Bergen County and Passaic County of New Jersey. Kate is an affiliate member of the Passaic County of Realtors. Kate’s Home Staging and Redesign is now offering Full Digital Services to sell your home quickly. In other words, we will bring in the accessories, we will stage your home, we will re-take all the digital pictures, and then we will load these pictures into a virtual show to help sell your home. The virtual show is being offered to all our clients FREE of CHARGE to help SELL your home. Contact Kate today to see how a home staging consultation can help sell your home, for more information please visit http://www.kateshomestaging.com or call 845-538-3623.

There are varying degrees of “green,” also called eco-friendly design, but in general a product must be made from a renewable material that was grown organically with minimally impact to the environment; the manufacturing process must not cause pollution.  Green products may be recyclable, hypoallergenic, and biodegradable, and some may even save energy (such as energy star appliances and energy efficient light bulbs).

If you were to ask the average person what going green means, they may picture lines of solar panels angled on their roof line. While solar panels are a great way to save money on your energy bill and definitely fall under the going green umbrella – the expense of installing them can be very steep; simple changes can have a positive impact in our lives as well. If you need to upgrade your flooring, going with a bamboo or cork is a would be an environmentally friendly option.  When selecting a wall paint, it is always healthier to select a low or no-VOC paint, since it uses water as an ingredient and is less hazardous to the environment.

Eco friendly interior decoration avoids using toxin-introducing materials in your home. Synthetic fragrances and air fresheners may release  volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can irritate the respiratory system. Candles made before 2003 were made with lead-core wicks and are now banned, according to the National Candle Association.  Organic soy and beeswax are green options that are better frangrance choices for your home; these choices are safe for pregnant woman and people with asthma.

When selecting cleaning products, it is always a better option to select a green product.  Synthetic cleaners pollute our environment and can affect our lungs.  Using water and steaming your ceramic tile is a great way to clean your kitchen floor.  Products such as Cleaning the Green, are all natural and are great glass and surface cleaners.  Also, Pet Pure Ayre Odor Eliminator is all natural and safe for your pets and will eliminate all your pet’s odors.  Vinegar and water is also a great all natural cleaner for your kitchen and bathroom.  Believe me, you will start to feel better when you use all natural cleaners in your home.

Keep in mind that “greening” your entire home does not happen overnight, it is an ongoing process that can lead up to an large environmental impact overtime that will also affect your health positively. Adding plants are an excellent green option and design element to add to any room.

Kate

Kate’s Home Staging and Redesign, specializes in home staging, interior design, home decorating, vacant staging, color consultations, and more.  Contact Kate at 845-538-3623 to schedule your design consultation, www.kateshomestaging.com

Dimly lit rooms create an atmosphere of relaxation and restfulness, while highly lit rooms are beacons for activity and alertness. A dimly lit room is conducive to warmth and intimacy while concealing architectural flaws.  A master bedroom could be setup with a dimmer to support intimacy and romance. Candlelight is an excellent source of light for a romantic dinner; the flickering flames create an atmosphere for intimacy and relaxation. The red candle light flame even flatters most individuals’ appearances, who would not want to dine by candlelight?  To create a celebratory mood, bright light and the reflection of objects helps to achieve this. A room that has brighter bulbs on, especially during the winter months, is perceived as a warmer room. 

There are basically three types of light bulbs to choose from:

1.  Incandescent light bulbs ~ these are the most common bulbs. This type of light bulb turn on immediately, can be dimmed, come in many shapes and sizes, and are inexpensive to buy. However, incandescent bulbs are usually expensive to operate and give off a warm, yellowish glow.

2.  Halogen light bulbs ~ are a form of incandescent lighting, but are more costly to buy but are more energy efficient to use. Halogen bulbs can cause burns if touched directly. Halogen bulbs do not work in standard light fixtures and require protective housing. A benefit of halogen bulbs is the bright white color they give off is the closest to natural sunlight.

3.  Fluorescent light bulbs~ have been used in homes for decades but have a slower start up than the other bulbs.  Recent improvements in fluorescent bulbs make them more favorable to home owners. This type of bulb is very efficient and uses only 25% – 35% of the energy required for a comparable incandescent bulb, but cost more than incandescent bulbs.  Flourescent light bulbs can be used in most light fixtures but some can not be dimmed.  This bulb also contains mercury, so be careful if you break one.  This bulb gives off a bluish-white light.

Lighting can be “soft” or “hard.” Soft lighting is conducive for a relaxing environment and it also will minimize harsh shadows.  Soft lighting is diffused lighting. Hard lighting is usually used for supplemental lighting and it used for tasks such as reading or working.  Each light bulb has a color temperature and color rendering index. The color temperature is the color shade, however subtle, of the light emanating from the light source. Lamps with lower color temperature will have a warmer tone than those with higher color temperatures. The color rendering index (CRI) is a measurement scale on the light’s ability to render the trueness of colors, as they would appear in natural sunlight. The scale runs from 0-100 (100 is the best). A lamp with a CRI of 80 or better will represent colors the closest to sunlight. Incandescent or halogen lamps typically have very high CRI. Color rendering will influence how you see colors in your home; if the CRI is poor the colors in your home will not be true.

GE has put together a great page on which light bulb to choose based on the room and mood you want to create, click here to take a look.

Most incandescent light bulbs can give off a yellowish glow which can seem depressing at times. By changing to daylight style light bulbs, the light in the room will be closer to that of actual sunlight. However, some people may not like these daylight bulbs as they are brighter than the incandescent bulbs.  If you want to create a cozy feeling in a room, than use an incandescent bulb. To further enhance the mood, you can go with a lower wattage bulb to keep the room a little bit darker or use a dimmer.

Colored lighting may also be used to influence the atmosphere.  To create a warm atmosphere, use colors such as red, yellow, and orange. To create a warm atmosphere, use colors such as violet, blue, and green.  Just keep in mind, that the colors blue and blue-green are not very flattering on a person’s complexion. It is better to use a bulb that is not too rich in color as you can achieve the opposite effect that you were trying to achieve. Yellow and red can be used to create a romantic effect while white and yellow light are appropriate for formal occasions.

Using floor lamps in each room with three way bulbs can help to create intimacy when additional lighting is required. Overhead lighting will spread throughout a room and should be used to create an active mood.  To create an intimate mood, it is better to use a table or floor lamp.  The kitchen and bathroom are two rooms within the home that always requires bright lights.

 A successful lighting design will employ dimmers on various light switches so light can be adjusted for optimal mood enhancement.  It also contains ambient lighting for general illuminations with task lighting for specific activities. To achieve your desired lighting scheme in your home, lighting may need to be done in layers. With the large selection of lights available today at low costs, it is easier than ever to create the mood you are looking for.

Kate

Kate’s Home Staging and Redesign, serves the Rockland County and Orange County areas of New York and Passaic County, New Jersey.  We specialize in home staging, interior decorating, home decorating, color consultations, semi-custom window coverings, and home decor discounts.  Call Kate at 845-538-3623 for your design consultation or visit www.kateshomestaging.com.

To further clarify the issue, Feng Shui principles were implemented. Feng Shui believes in using the 5 elements – wood, water, metal, fire, earth – to create balance in a space and to allow the flow of energy or chi. Each element needs to be represented in every room but not equally in every room.

Here is a quick break down of all the elements and how they can be represented within a space:

The decorating in each room should contain all of the five elements; the Feng Shui elements do not need to be represented equally. A small grouping of the 5 elements can be used to balance a room.

Some objects combine several different energies together. For example, a white candle with a vine pattern represents a Fire object with a Wood shape and a Metal color.  The candle represents three elements. To make the candle represent all 5 elements it could be set on a blue (Water element) ceramic object (Earth element). If a green plant (Wood element) was placed in a blue (Water element) ceramic planter (Earthelement), three of the elements are already implemented and then all you need to complete your room’s Feng Shui balance would be a white candle (Fire element) on a silver tray (Metal Element). 

To create balance and harmony in a home by Feng Shui standards, the perfect Realtor closing gift would be a white candle with a vine pattern set on a blue ceramic tray. The goal of Feng Shui is to make sure chi or energy flows smoothly and that all inhabitant of the home are prosperous and have good health.  If this is what the above gift represents, then it is the perfect thank you or closing gift.

Kate

Kate’s Home Staging and Redesign, specializes in home staging, interior design, home decorating, color consultations, custom wood signs, and more. Call Kate to schedule your design consultation at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com

The Home Gain survey results are fantastic. In 2007, the Home Gain home staging return on investment results were 343%, so it appears home staging’s value has almost doubled in the past two years.

In this economy there are three things that sell a home:

1.   Price – This is set by your Realtor

2.   Location – unfortunately there is little you can do about your location.

3.   Presentation – This is where your professional home stager comes in.

Why take the risk with your most valuable possession? For a quicker sale and to make more money, call in a professional home stager today. A home that has been professionally staged will sell for up to 10% more money, and all you really need to invest is a few hundred dollar for a professional home staging consultation and a few hours of “hands-on” staging. An expert home stager has been specifically trained on what home improvements will attract the largest potential buyer audience. Home staging is much more than home decorating and interior design, it is a calculated marketing plan to sell your home quickly by focusing buyer’s attention to your home’s architectural details.

A professional home stager is trained in using proven design techniques such as visual flow.  Visual flow is created by using consistency in your design, repeating shapes, colors, textures, and patterns within a space and throughout a home to keep a potential buyer’s eyes moving from one room to another. The use of accessories is also very important in home staging and proportion and scale come into play here.  Accessories that are smaller may be placed together on a staging tray but a larger object may be able to stand on its own.

Color is also an important element in home staging.  It is always better to use a more neutral color scheme on your walls ~ such as beiges, sage greens, warm whites ~ when you are trying to sell your home and use texture, layering, and lighting to enhance the room.  Art and accessories are a great way to bring color trends into your home and it will help to create that WOW factor.  A color scheme should be consistent throughout the home, this also includes the accessories and art.

Many “do-it-yourself” home owners will try and stage their own properties but the results will never be the same as a trained home staging expert.  A few hours of “hands-on” home staging along side the home owners is usually all it takes to turn a home from ordinary to extraordinary. 
Kate’s Home Staging and Redesign serves the Rockland County and Orange County areas of New York, Passaic County of New Jersey. Kate is a member of the Passaic County of Realtors, Orange County Chamber of Commerce, Real Estate Staging Associations, American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners. For more information please visit www.kateshomestaging.com or call 845-538-3623.  A professionally staged home can sell for up to 10% more money!  My last hands-on staging job in Wayne, NJ received an offer within 24 hours of its’ first Open House ~ Staging WORKS!!!

Virtual Tours to Sell Your Home Faster

1.)  Evaluate all the natural light sources that are available in a room.  Sunlight can change the look of the color scheme selection used on your walls.  For example, a lighter colored paint will reflect more sunlight than a darken one.

2.)  Evaluate all of the homes architectural features.  For example, in a living room you would want to pay close attention to a fireplace with a mantle, windows with custom molding, hardwood flooring, and heating system.  These are the features of the home that you cannot change easily and will most likely be working around.

3.)  Take into account the overall size of the room.  To make a small room appear larger, you would want to paint the walls a lighter color.  A lighter paint color will make the walls appear to recede.  Of course, you would do the opposite in an extremely large room.  You could paint a huge bedroom, a dark blue paint color with crisp white molding on the ceiling and the floor.

4.)  Evaluate the furnishing and accent pieces in the room.  Since we are staging this home to sell, any extra furniture (that do not serve a purpose) should be removed from the home.  A chair’s fabric can be used to help determine a color scheme for your room’s walls. 

I would even recommend taking a piece of fabric with you to the paint store to help in your paint selection process.  I am drawn toward warmer paint colors and like to recommend sage greens and tans to my clients.  These colors are “safer” choices for a home that is going to be placed on the market. All window moldings should be painted a high gloss white to draw your eye to them.  All ceilings over 9 feet tall should have some sort of crown molding painted a high gloss white paint as well. Of course, the paint color scheme of one room of your home needs to compliment the rest of your home.  For example, your living room should not be a warm terracota paint color and run into your kitchen that is a bright violet shade of purple.

Kate’s Home Staging and Redesign offer color consultations as a service.  If you are having a difficult time picking out your wall colors, we can help.  We will bring our Benjamin Moore Color Kits to your home and help you decide on the correct wall color choices.

- Kate

Kate’s Home Staging and Redesign servers the Rockland County and Orange County areas of New York and Passaic County and Bergen County areas of New Jersey, please visit http://www.kateshomestaging.com or call 845-538-3623 for more information.  We also offer home staging, home decorating, interior design, redesign, custom wood signs, window coverings, virtual shows, and home designs.

Kate’s Home Staging and Redesign has an extensive accessory collection that allows us to stage all vacant homes from the very small to the multi-million dollar home.  Here is a brief list of all the accessories, we have at our finger tips to loan out to our clients:
    -  framed paintings and unframed paintings
    -  decorative vases of all sizes and materials
    -  silk pillows
    -  metal wall art
    -  silk floral arrangements
    -  fake palm trees (over 5 feet tall)
    -  more tables than I care to list
    -  glass bowls of all sizes
    -  metal and wood staging trays
    -  full tea sets
    -  chenille throws
    -  clocks
    -  table lamps and wall standing lamps
    -  books
    -  laptops

And of course we have towels to match any bathroom decor, we have so many silk plants and varieties for every type of home and room.

And the list just goes on and on.  Being able to offer Vacant Home Staging accessory rental to my clients is very important to me and to my business.  I have partnered with American Furniture Rental (AFR) and CORT Furniture to be able to offer furniture rentals to my clients when necessary.  Being an HSR Certified Home Stager has allowed my to form these multiple vendor partnerships, which gives my vacant home staging further choices when it comes to furniture selection. 

According to the Real Estate Staging Association, in 2007 an unstaged vacant home would sit on the market 131 days versus a staged home would sell in 42 days.  Vacant homes take more than double the time to sell which is more cost to the home sellers (mortgage, taxes, upkeep).

 If you are interested in learning more about my vacant staging services or my extensive accessory collection, please visit http://www.kateshomestaging.com or call 845-538-3623.   

- Kate

Kate’s Home Staging and Redesign serves the Rockland County and Orange County area of New York, Bergen County and Passaic County of New Jersey. Kate is an affiliate member of the Passaic County of Realtors. Kate’s Home Staging and Redesign is now offering Full Digital Services to sell your home quickly. In other words, we will bring in the accessories, we will stage your home, we will re-take all the digital pictures, and then we will load these pictures into a virtual show to help sell your home. The virtual show is being offered to all our clients FREE of CHARGE to help SELL your home.