The days may be getting longer, but Daylight Savings Time hasn’t arrived yet, and the cold, dark, winter nights are still with us. So here are some cold-weather tips for interior lighting that will keep your home looking warm and cozy during the remaining weeks of winter.
- While recessed lighting easily illuminates a room, it does not provide the ambiance that lamps do. Use down-lights and accent lights to create a medley of effects from spacious to intimate.
- Use a minimum of three lamps regardless of overhead lighting. This will give the room a more spacious feeling as the light radiates inward. Place the lamps triangularly in the room to ensure that the dark corners are illuminated.
- Change a dark lampshade to a translucent shade and you’ll bring a new and brighter look to your lamp and room.
- Up-lights give a radiant glow to a room. Place a floor style lamp next to a sofa or chair where a table lamp won’t fit.
- Lamps do not need to match, but they should share the same weight and mood.
- Small lamps can add a warm, inviting look by placing them in unlikely places such as inside bookshelves, on a kitchen counter, in bathrooms or on small foyer tables.
- To soften the edges of kitchen counters, use under-cabinet lighting. This not only provides ample light for kitchen tasks but leaves a warm, inviting look to your kitchen.
- Accent lights are wonderful to spotlight special pieces such as artwork, large plants or trees, important collections and displays. For example, you might shine a light up through the foliage of a large plant or tree, producing an interesting interplay of lights and shadows.
- Set a pretty table for two, buy fresh flowers and dine by candlelight.
- Nothing makes a home cozy like the crackle and warmth of a hearth. So get a fire going and make the most out of your fireplace while it’s still cold outside.
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If you’ve decided to sell your house, you may be asking yourself, “Where do I begin? Do I call a real estate agent first, should I spruce things up myself or call a real estate home stager? When should I start packing, sorting and tossing? And should I start on the inside or outside?”
First check in with yourself emotionally. Whether you’re selling your home because of a job transfer, downsizing or looking to move to a larger home, moving has many aspects and can be very emotional. Suddenly the house you called home has become a commodity, and it can sometime be difficult to set emotions aside when sentimental attachments interfere with selling your house.
When it comes to choosing a real estate agent, ask around. Get names of agents from relatives, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Ask what they liked or disliked about the agent and ask if they would use them again.
Get a fresh, new opinion of your house. Take a look at your house from across the street and drive past your house from both directions. See it as a buyer. Curb-side appeal is number one! Make sure your front door and entrance are inviting. Does the door need a fresh coat of paint? Are the walk ways full of weeds and are the shrubs overgrown? Walk around your yard and make sure everything is neat and well manicured. The last thing you want is a house hunter to drive away for lack of curb appeal.
Then assess the inside. Walk through your home room by room. Be objective! Do the rooms need fresh paint, are the carpets and floors old and worn, are the rooms crowded with excess furniture, and is there a general feeling of clutter? As you begin to prepare your home for sale, take it one room at a time. Doing too many areas at a time can become confusing and counter productive. If the job at hand becomes overwhelming, this is the time to call a certified real estate stager. We’re trained to quickly and efficiently prioritize, de-personalize, de-clutter and give your house a model-home look.
And when your home is ready for the “For Sale” sign, remember your home is now designed to sell not necessarily decorated for your comfort as it was before. Keep everything tidy by finding a place for everything, make the beds each morning, keep tubs, showers and sinks clean, don’t let laundry pile up, and put away personal items. And last but not least, make sure your home passes the sniff test. Pass on cooking foods that have a strong odor, and make sure kitty litters are clean and odor free.
So put your plan into action, and with these suggestions, I believe your sale will be simplified and more profitable.
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Decorating on a budget can be challenging, but it can be very rewarding too when you sit down in your finished room and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Learn how to decorate your home with these tips and ideas—and still have money left in your wallet.
Start with plan. You’ve probably heard this before, but by having a plan you will avoid a lot of detours and pitfalls. Having a plan doesn’t mean that you know exactly what you want to do with your rooms; what it does mean is having a place to begin and a direction to keep you going. This will keep you from mistakes and save you a lot of time and money.
So start with the three things you need to know most… color, style, and form. With all the colors available, selecting a color scheme can become overwhelming and confusing. Look through magazines, catalogs, visit furniture stores or pat and wallpaper stores—something will catch your eye.
While you’re looking through magazines, catalogs or visiting furniture stores, notice what style appeals to you. Maybe you feel most comfortable with Country Farmhouse, or come alive with a bold Contemporary style, or perhaps you like the familiarity of a Traditional design, or it might be the Eclectic look—a little bit of everything. Whatever catches your fancy, notice how items are displayed so you can get ideas for your own home. And think innovatively. Many items that are meant for one use can be creatively adapted for use in another way.
And finally, form. Perhaps you like a more formal look where the room is decorated in a particular period, or you like things to match symmetrically. You may like a more informal look where there is a relaxed feeling to the room. Just be sure it fits you and your or you and your family.
So, the next challenge is to do this on a budget.
Many furniture stores have outlet centers with ongoing or seasonal furniture sales. Furniture in these outlets may be slightly scratched, a second, an overrun, or imperfect. Prices reflect the imperfections and may also be negotiated.
Look for furniture in the classified, flea markets, consignment shops or yard sales. You can buy quality furniture this was for a fraction of the cost of new. Attending auctions is another way of buying quality one-of-a-kind furniture and accessories. Take advantage of the preview time to examine any pieces of interest. Painting furniture is a great was to renew old tables, chairs, desks or book cases.
Shop for alternative products whenever possible. Flat sheets, which are especially inexpensive during “white sales”, come in many colors and patterns. They make great curtain panels, comforter covers and matching throw pillows. If you need to find a color or design you like, buy an extra sheet—you never know when you might need it for your color scheme.
Sometimes you won’t be able to find exactly what you’re looking for, so you will need to get creative. Look at furniture with an eye for its line, size, and details. It may be able to be repainted and up-dated with new hardware. Painting furniture all one color helps unify your furniture grouping. Or a scratched table can be sanded and re-stained. And covered seats can be recovered with a pretty coordinating color.
Another way to stretch your decorating dollar is to create your own artwork. Frame what is free: items from nature, create a collage, make a shadowbox collection and use your camera. Framed photos can make beautiful artwork.
With a little thinking ahead and a little creativity, you can have a well decorated home on a budget.
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The entryway or foyer is the first room your visitors see, so make it pop! Your home’s first impression is one that lasts and will continue to welcome your family, friends and guests. So whether your entryway is small or large, you can make a warm, welcoming statement.
Decorate the Entryway from Floor to Ceiling.
Make the floor stand out whether it’s tile, carpeted or hardwood. Use area rugs or runners for accent colors and keep bare floors sparkling clean and shiny.
If you have an expensive area rug, be sure you have a welcome mat outside for people to clean off their shoes. And for the day to day traffic, you might want to place an inexpensive, washable throw rug over it for protection.
It’s important to decorate your foyer so it complements and flows into the rooms next to it. Keep colors in the same hue, but graduate shades and add contrasting accessories to give your entryway some pizzazz!
Use your foyer as a small art gallery. Hang a grouping of your favorite prints all framed the same. The prints will stand out more if the frames are painted a contrasting color to the walls. And a gallery of family pictures is another creative way to decorate your entryway.
Wall sculpture, a mirror, shelving displaying collectables or perhaps a colorful tapestry are all eye-catching ways to grace your walls.
For the ceiling, a light fixture or chandelier is a great way to establish the feeling of your home. If you have room for a console table, add two lamps on each end and place a seasonal floral arrangement in the center. If your foyer is quaint, try wall sconces, and if your ceiling is high, a brilliant chandelier is perfect. Just be sure your lighting is in correct proportion to the size of your space.
Don’t Forget Function
While style and décor are important, don’t forget the function of your entryway. If you have enough space in your foyer, consider purchasing entryway furniture. There is a great selection of benches for seating and storage. Many come with two or three baskets for housing personal items such as mittens, hats, dog leashes etc.
Clothes trees or hall trees are tastefully designed to add style and function to your foyer too. They are a wonderful place for visitors to hang their coats and hats and place their purses and umbrellas before entering the next room in your home.
An entryway can reflect personality and welcome guests into your home. So get creative and have fun decorating this unique space. A lovely entryway immediately makes a good first impression.
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Whether you’re downsizing or helping someone else, the process is never easy. With each move, things are eliminated, but it can be difficult to choose and even harder to give up items that have been a part of you for a long time.
So, where do you start?
First obtain a blueprint or layout of your new home. Find out the exact measurements of each room. Measure each piece of furniture and then decide what furniture will fit and which won’t. Knowing ahead of time makes the decision a lot easier when it’s time to move.
Pack one room at a time. Deciding room by room what goes to the new home and what items must find a home elsewhere prevents an all-out mess. Keep the boxes, tape and piles confined to one space so it doesn’t take over your life.
Get help. Recruit your family, or a no-nonsense friend who can speed through clutter and closet removal. And if you need additional help, hire a professional like myself who can help you sort, discard, pack and arrange items in your new home.
Take pictures of your home. As close as possible, try to place furnishings in a similar way so that you will feel at home and comfortable in your new place.
Downsizing doesn’t mean getting rid of all your treasures. Your smaller home can still reflect your personality and style—but it does mean less clutter, and that can be quite liberating. There are many decorating tips to make small spaces appear larger and roomier.
- Painting walls a light, pretty color makes a room feel larger. And to enhance the flow of your place, paint the additional rooms a different shade. This makes the rooms flow and again gives a larger appearance. Paint all trim the same color.
- Keep the ceiling painted white.
- Wall to wall carpeting or wood floors unify the room.
- Mirrors reflecting the window will make the space feel larger and brighter. There’s no decorating like sunshine.
- Hang curtains at ceiling level. This gives an appearance of higher ceilings. Keep window treatments simple.
- Have “hidden” seating for larger gatherings, such as an ottoman that doubles as a coffee table and cushioned footstools.
- Use accessories, but sparingly. Fewer, larger pieces works best.
By following these few, simple suggestions, your move will go smoother, and your new, smaller home will feel intimate with room to spare!
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Welcome to my Blog! Here you will find articles, insight, tips, and other useful information about decorating, renewing your rooms, real estate staging and more!
In renewing your rooms, I will use your existing furnishings, artwork and accessories and rearrange them in creative ways to reflect your personality and life-style. You will not need to purchase anything new, but by simply displaying your things in different ways, your rooms will be changed into an up-dated, comfortable look that you can’t wait to come home to.
Selling a home in this competitive market can be a daunting experience. You want your home to stand out from the competition so it will sell quickly and for top dollar. I can achieve this goal “staging” your home. I will prepare your home to sell for the highest price in the shortest amount of time by arranging it in a way to appeal to buyers both emotionally and visually. I have worked with both sellers and realtors when preparing a home for sale.
If you are looking for some inspiration or decorating consulting, I would be happy to work with you. Whether it’s a decorating dilemma, choosing a fabric, a color for your walls, window treatment, flooring or wall arrangements, Rooms Renewed will assist in defining your needs, style and help you in up-dating your décor.
Please check back often for updates and new articles and information.
In the meantime, please visit my website.
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