Tag: home decorating

Should I Put Up Wallpaper or Paint?

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CorduroyPine1To be perfectly honest, we do not see many houses with wallpaper. In the 1970s wallpaper donned many kitchens, bedrooms, and living rooms. In the 1990s wallpaper borders were popular in living rooms, bathrooms, and kitchens. Today, however, with the influence of HGTV and other media, neutral pallets dominate the general decorating “vibe.”

From this month’s HGTV magazine that featured a plethora of “paint” choices to our visit to our local interior design studio, Corduroy + Pine, we are leaning toward the return of wallpaper and bold, bright colors to refresh spaces.

Yes, you are thinking, “What happens when I go to sell my house?” Unfortunately many decorating decisions are based on what the “future buyer” will want when they tour your house. In fact, trends change often and it is hard to predict what will be “in or out” as far as decorating when it’s time for you to sell. That is why, most of the time, people choose to live in a neutral environment. Why not add some color or “pop” to your living space?

Most people who crave color or adding some personal style to their houses start small when transitioning away from neutrals. According to Elizabeth Dececco, lead stylist at Corduroy + Pine Interiors, “I have many requests for wallpaper for the first floor half bath.” This is a good place to dip your toe into the wallpaper trend. If you are thinking about wallpaper for a foyer, rear entry, or bedroom, it is best to consult an interior designer to avoid missteps.

If you are thinking about adding color, wallpaper, or texture to your house give us a call and we will point you in the right direction. Remember, it’s also best to consult a professional when it comes to selling your house as we will set you up for success if you are thinking about redecorating or refreshing your space.

C’mon Get Cozy: Decorating for the Fall

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1509030266860Welcome to decorating season! From now through Thanksgiving we will be refreshing our décor to reflect the upcoming season and holidays. This month we want to share our Fall decorating tips. From September through Thanksgiving our clients ask us for decorating tips. Take a quick trip to buy seasonal throw pillows and blanket throws. Stop by your local craft store for twinkle lights and autumn leaf garlands. Here’s what we do:

Layer your look. We start with a “base” of autumn accents in September through early October. Pick areas in your house where you can display fall “vignettes” of leaf garlands, scented candles, throws, and pillows. No need to rearrange entire bookshelves or curios, just “add” autumn color to your palette.

Add twinkle lights. As the days get shorter we like to add accent lighting to our displays. Lights with timers are the best. Carolyn has a remote control for her lights but she can’t find it … that’s a whole other blog post.

Mid-October – we bring out the “boo!” Jennie has a classy collection of skull-themed Halloween décor and Carolyn’s theme leans more toward “The Great Pumpkin” with Snoopy rising out of the Pumpkin Patch. Just layer it on top of your autumn base.

November – Now you see the method to our decorating – just strip off the “scary” and you’re left with the autumn hues to carry you through your Thanksgiving Feast.

If you’re looking for more decorating tips and tricks, “like” and follow us on Facebook for our Tuesday Tips.

4 Easy and Affordable Ways to Get Your House HGTV Show Ready

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living room areaWho doesn’t love to watch HGTV (Home and Garden TV)? From “Love It or List It” to “Property Brothers,” we spend hours watching the transformation of living spaces.

Try our 4 favorite tips to create a designer “look” at your house:

Buy new pillows and throw blankets. Add seasonal trends with textiles. The easiest way to perk up your couch and bedrooms is to drape a colorful throw and stack different sized pillows.

Rearrange your bookshelves or built-in shelving units. Take a photo of the “before” then remove all books, objects, and decorative items from the shelves. When you put them back arrange by size, color, and special grouping of items. You don’t need to fill every space, think in terms of a decorative vignette to tell a story. Then, take an “after” photo to admire your decorating skills.

Add some local items to your décor. Whether it’s a welcome mat with your favorite sports team or a bowl of pinecones collected from your backyard, local touches are great conversation starters when guests arrive.

Pick up battery powered twinkle lights and a remote. Why not have some fun with setting a festive mood even if you are the only one to enjoy it! String the lights on a mantle, around a bannister, or even tucked into a floral arrangement. Use the timer feature on the remote so you don’t have to worry about turning them off.

Need more decorating help? Jennie is an Accredited Staging Professional and can help you create your dream spaces. We make house calls to get your house “show ready,” whether it’s just for your own enjoyment, or, if you are thinking of selling.

Does Decorating Matter – How do I Stage my House for the Holiday Season?

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p: jennycookies.com

As we get into the decorating holidays, Sellers always ask, “can I decorate for the holiday?” The short answer, “yes, with some ‘staging’ recommendations.”

True story – I once showed a house with one fully decorated artificial Christmas tree in every room. Well that’s not too weird, right? Did I mention it was July?? Sometimes it’s difficult to imagine “not” displaying treasured holiday keepsakes or seasonal decorations when your house is on the market. So, what about decorating for holidays when it makes sense – October, Halloween; November, Thanksgiving; December, Christmas/Hanukkah? Unless you are showing houses to Scrooge, most buyers are in the holiday mood and a welcoming seasonal wreath, doormat, or display on the kitchen island makes them feel welcome. Too many decorations can be distracting to buyers, much like a wall of family photos. Here are the Weaver Team’s tips for the upcoming holiday season.

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First, Halloween. Don’t get us wrong, we love Halloween – who doesn’t? The candy, the costumes, the orange & black decorations – what’s not to love? Many of you will even buy a costume for Fido or Kitty. Awe! Cute! Pumpkins, mums, decorative kale and cabbage, all safe bets if your house is for sale. Unfortunately, most buyers are a little scared of zombies, skulls, and anything with fake blood. For more formal spaces, like living rooms and dining rooms, try a “Martha Stewart” type vibe with white Cinderella pumpkins and black branches. Orange and black are not everyone’s favorite color combination so be careful not spread the decorations into every room. If you need to be “spooky” try to keep it on the front porch or back deck, that way once inside the house the buyers feel more at ease.

1-Rustic-Fall-DecorNext, Thanksgiving. Autumn and fall colors blend nicely with most décor. A spray of silk autumn leaves or mums fit nicely into nooks and bookshelves. Your fall-themed pillows, blanket throws and flower arrangements will add a cozy and warm vibe to the interior. Don’t skip the autumn decorations in November and go right to Christmas. If you get weary of thinking that you need to overhaul the house again for November here’s another Weaver Team tip – “layer” your decorations. Place autumn first as a base, think leaves, mums, fall colors and then add your Halloween decorations. When it comes time to switch on November 1st just remove Halloween and voila! All set for November.

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p: theharperhouse.com

Finally, everyone’s favorite decorating holiday – Christmas. Okay, you have permission to dive right into the holly and “ho-ho-ho” the day after Thanksgiving. Here, again, just a caution about overusing red and green in every room. Like Halloween, you may want to research a more elegant look for your formal rooms. Gold, silver and white may be decorative enough to add an air of festiveness to your living room without overwhelming the buyer’s senses. If you celebrate Hanukkah then you are all set as the silver, white, gold and blue theme compliments almost all styles.

So, go ahead! Trim the tree, display the Menorah, put a scarecrow on your front porch. But, remember, take them down when the celebrations are over. You don’t want to end up in my blog – like the condominium owner that still had a Halloween mat at his front door – in March!