Color Personality

Do you find you struggle to determine a style or color scheme for your home? Often times I have clients that think they want one thing, but after meeting and beginning to work with them realize we need to tweak those colors to make them ultimately happy in the space. 

PPG has this great Color Sense Game that I recommend you try. You simply answer some questions such as; what color do you respond to most? What word best describes you?

The result is a recommended paint palette in PPG colors. 

Ready to try the Color Sense Game? 

Click here!

Making a Bed More Beautiful

There is something about walking into your bedroom when the blinds are open, sunshine is pouring in and you have your bed made up with your favorite bedding and decorative pillows. Talk about a warm and cozy feeling!

I'm a big believer in making your bed EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Do it the second you roll out of bed and it will be made before you even fully wake up!

Here is a great tutorial from My Home Ideas on how to properly make your bed.

Gorgeous Baker Furniture

Are you a Baker furniture fan? Take a minute to check out these gorgeous rooms styled using Baker furniture.

Want to see more from Baker? Click here!

Staged Home

I've recently started doing more staging for resale and thought I'd post some pictures of a recent home that I completed.

 I worked with an investor on this home. His goal was to make it sale-ready, but not sink too much money into it. I really had to get creative on a few areas as it was really rough when we first went in. 

Living Room

The wood floors and trim work was really damaged so we had these refinished. A fresh coat of a soft, neutral paint was added, simple window treatments and then some cozy furniture and decorative accessories were added. 

Dining Room

The floors and woodwork in the dining room also had to be refinished. The built in cabinets needed to be cleaned up and also a fresh coat of paint added to the walls. A light fixture was added above the table to create a more intimate feeling in the room along with a few accessories. 

Kitchen

The owner did not want to tweak the cabinets, and in fact they were not in bad shape. We simply added satin nickel hardware to update the look, added a new countertop and a decorative tile backsplash which really added a fun element to the room. 

In addition to these rooms, we updated the master bath with new tub and tile tub surround, new hardware and I added a few decorative elements. All three bedrooms were updated with fresh paint and carpeting in neutral colors

In the end this was a very fun project. Sometimes a tight budget can be even more enjoyable because it encourages you to become more creative. 

On to the next project.....

Home Decor Sales

Who doesn't love a great sale!?!?

There is nothing better than finding the most perfect bedding at an amazing price or purchasing your new favorite chair for a steal! I thought I'd share with you a few great sales currently going on.

World Market

World Market currently has all their living room furniture at savings up to 50%. They also have end of season clearance on wall decor, candles, dinnerware and more.

World Market

West Elm

Check out West Elm today only for 20% off bedding! It's time to get that new duvet or quilt you've been thinking about. 


JC Penney Home

JC Penney has their home decor on sale, ranging from 20% to 50% off. You can get a great deal on window treatments, bedding, furniture, mattresses and more.



Home Decorators

Visit Home Decorators for several sales, including; 10% off home office and bookcases and 30% off rugs and outdoor items.

Happy Shopping!

15 Tools Every Woman Should Have

I consider myself somewhat of a do-it-yourself gal.  Over the years of living on my own, having roommates that were clueless and just not having someone around to complete projects, I decided I’d better just figure it out.  I also have a friend Deanna who knows how to use tools and saws that very few men know how to use…..talk about inspiration!  Now I have my husband who is actually pretty handy but I still love doing projects around the house.  

Before embarking on a project it’s best to have some basic tools on hand. You can visit your local hardware store or one of the large chains like Lowes or Home Depot and find most of these at reasonable prices. 

Here goes…

Lisa’s List of 15 Tools Every Woman Should Have 

1. Safety Glasses 

   

   Ace Hardware

2. Work Gloves (No sense in ruining your manicure)
3. Toolbox
4. Miscellaneous Fasteners such as screws, nails and drywall anchors
5. Tape Measure
6. Utility Knife
7. Tape - duck tape, electrical tape and painters tape
8. Hammer (I found an adorable pink hammer at Lowes that I just love!)
9. Level

   

   Home Depot

10. Pliers
11. Sandpaper
12. Screwdriver – both Flathead and Phillips
13. Putty Knife
    
14. Spackle/Putty
15. Cordless Drill (ask the store associate to teach you how to use it.)

Now that you have a basic list, head out and start collecting these items. Play around with each and don't be afraid to google for instructions like I did. Have fun!

Yellow Home Decor

Hello Yellow! 

I’m a huge fan of yellow tones; I love everything from a pale buttery yellow to a deep goldenrod. You’re probably thinking of flowers, lemons, warmth and that cheerful paint color you recently saw. 

Did you know that a yellow ochre pigment was one of the first colors used in prehistoric cave art? 

marthastewart.com

Not ready to devote entire walls to this color? 

Opt for some great accessories like these....

 

Mizone Mackenzie Bedding from Overstock.com

Room Essentials Pillow from Target

Aurora Vase from Crate and Barrel

 

Frankie Armchair from Pier 1 Imports

It’s no wonder that when people think of this hue, they associate it with optimism and pleasure. Enjoy giving your room a punch of happiness and joy using this fun color!

Accessories

I spent the day staging a home that is going up for sale. I have some favorite pieces that I use for staging and thought I'd share them with you. They're great pieces of decor that work in almost any home with any style and color scheme.

Lantern

I love using lanterns! They look beautiful on an end table, or a collection as a dining table centerpiece. They're also great to stick in that little nook. Better yet, add some of the great battery operated candles to create ambiance in the home. I particularly love these lanterns from Pottery Barn. 

 

Ottoman

Having an ottoman is a great piece of furniture. I have this Issac ottoman in Black from Pier 1 Imports. I've used it in almost every room; add a tray and you have a coffee table, use as extra seating and I've even used it as an end table when staging a bedroom. 

Coffee Mug

Yes...go ahead and laugh...I have a favorite coffee mug. I like to place coffee mugs in a kitchen to give it a comfortable feel so the potential buyer can imagine themselves coming downstairs to grab their morning cup of joe. These mugs from Crate and Barrel are perfect. A clean white color paired with a simple clean shape provide for the perfect home staging mug.

 

Storage Baskets

I don't know of a single house that can't benefit from some great storage baskets. I like to use these great baskets from Target to show how the homeowner could keep organized. I use them in every room from the office to the bathroom.

Candle

 I find my favorite white or cream pillar candles at Pier 1 Imports. They always have tons of the unscented candles in stock in every shape and size you could imagine. They also offer the battery operated candles and they even have great scented ones too. I addition to the Pier 1 candles, I also love to add Illume brand candles to homes. They are my favorite and have amazing scents. Their Pineapple Cilantro will give the room an amazing scent without even lighting it! They can be sometimes difficult to find so check out their website here. 

I hope you enjoyed viewing my list of MUST HAVES for home staging. Have a great day!

 

 

    

 

Houzz

Traditional Kitchen by Toronto Interior Designer Cheryl Scrymgeour Designs

Who else loves Houzz??? If you have not yet ventured onto the Houzz website, set aside a couple hours because you'll need it. Once you start, it's hard to stop! 

Houzz is a great website for both homeowners and professionals. Professional builders, architects, designers and more post photos of their recent work. Homeowners can then create Ideaboards to post these projects to. I encourage my clients to create their own idea books for projects. It encourages them to see all the options out there and let me know what they really love or really don't care for. 

Houzz is also a great way to locate professionals in your area. If you love a particular design, you can contact that professional directly to learn more. 

Over 14 million people use Houzz every month!

I recently attended a Houzz seminar at the Ohio Design Center. It is always fun to get together and meet other designers and the information they provided was great. Houzz shared the results of their 2012-2013 Houzz and Home Survey for the Cleveland market.  Below are a couple interesting facts from the survey.

85% of people in the Cleveland area have plans to re-decorate or remodel

The top three projects

Bathrooms

Kitchens

Patio/Landscaping

81% said improving the look/feel/flow/functionality was an important motivation behind their projects

51% will be improving their home for resale

44% are looking for storage and organization

Contemporary Bathroom by Denver Interior Designer Ashley Campbell Interior Design

Go to Houzz.com 

and create your own ideabook with your favorite looks!