Whenever I Think of Our Military I Start to Cry.

 It doesn’t matter where it is. A story on TV. A soldier walking on the street in his/her uniform.

What really affects me is when they have our veterans and current soldiers stand at church and we pray for them and their families.

I have tears streaming down my face right now. I seriously can’t think of them without crying.

They do so much for us. They give up precious years with their families, they lose limbs, they suffer emotionally and financially, and some give up their lives.

Wow….they are my earthly heros without a doubt.

I salute you Military members current and past and your families. May God Bless you All.

Today is a good day to take the time to watch and listen and honor.

Ideas and Inspiration - How to Think Outside the Box with a Flea Market Find. Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis, MN.

I love flea market finds. First because they are cheap.

Second because they are unique and different.

The best part is to find a way to use them for something other than what they were created for and you will really have a unique piece.

You may remember my post on “How To Create an Outdoor Living Space”. I mentioned that I used an old table from a flea market to add character to the space.

Well, I found this old wood medicine type cabinet at an outdoor flea market. At the time I had no idea what I would do with it. It was just interesting.

So after pondering it for the winter this idea popped into my head when I was planting flowers this weekend.

Why does it have to be vertical on a wall with it’s door closed? Why not flat and it’s door open?

So here is what I came up with.

What do you think? Does your brain work like mine? Okay…don’t answer that!

If you look back at “How to Create an Outdoor Living Space” you will also see this old barrel from a flea market sitting on top of the flea market table so check it out.

Happy Summer and Happy Flea Marketing!

It’s Sunday So Guess Where I Will Be?

The obvious choice would be Church. Well yeah I went there too but some weekends I go on Saturday night so wrong answer.

Next obvious choice, Perkins for Omelets and Pancakes! Nope but it is sounding good.

It is Sunday and that means one thing for sure.

DOG PARK!!!!!

My kids wait and wait and wait for Sunday to come. All we have to do is get out our tennis shoes and the laps around the house start and Timber runs and gets his leash. Sometimes he even gets his sister’s leash for her. He is sooooo helpful.

So….here is what someone has to say about it:

“I Can’t Believe We are Finally Here!!” 

“Come On Mom Hurry Up Already……”

“Forget It…We Aren’t Waiting for You Anymore”. 

“Yeah! A Dog to Play With!!” 

“I’m so excited. I’m so excited. I Just Can’t Stop Bounging!!” 

“Get A Load of My Brother’s Tongue!” 

“Ahhhh…..water at last. A girl only drinks out of the jar at the dog park you know.”

 (Seriously, she won’t drink out of her bowl at the dog park).

Hope your Sunday is extra Special Too! Signed…..Sally.

The Most Common Mistakes I See in People’s Homes – Part 4

Home Staging and Redesign in Minneapolis, MN

What are the most common mistakes people make in their homes? As a Home Stager and Designer I see them over and over and they are quick and easy to fix.

Check out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of this series to see the first of the four mistakes I feel are the most common mistakes I see when I walk in to people’s homes.

The fourth and last in the series is:

Artwork Hung too High

I see this all the time. Artwork most typically should be hung at eye level…..eye level for someone at about 5’4”. If you are 6′ tall the center of the artwork will be approximately shoulder level.

Artwork hung too high is kind of “hanging out there”. Pun intended . It isn’t part of the room when it is up in the rafters. You’ll be surprised what a few inches will do. The eyes come down into the roomas the arwork becomes part of the room.

There are many instances where artwork may be hung even lower. An example of this would be if you have a chair with an accent table and a table lamp.

Artwork positioned in the nook of between the lamp and chair should be very low creating a vignette with the grouping.

Another example of of artwork hung lower than eye level would be on either side of a bed. You want the artwork to be part of the bedroom setting, not up high all by itself.

If you are uncertain where your artwork should be hung get someone to hold it for you and step back and take a look.

Or easier yet call Rooms With Style Home Staging and Redesign and let them hang it for you!

If you missed the first posts in the series here is a recap:

 Common Mistake #1: Furniture Pushed Against the Walls

 Common Mistake #2: Not enough Lamps

Common Mistake #3: The Absence of a Coffee Table

Rooms With Style Home Staging and Redesign in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

www.roomswithstyle.com

952-567-1124

shar@roomswithstyle.com

The Most Common Mistakes I See in People’s Homes – Part 2

On my previous post I shared a common mistake I see in many homes in Part 1 of this Common Mistake Series. As a Home Stager and Designer I see hundreds of homes.

Don’t beat yourself up if you are doing any of these mistakes. That is the reason I call them “common” mistakes. The second most common mistake I see in homes is:

Not enough lamps

Ceiling lights do not replace the need for lamps. If you are selling your home lamps are needed to bring more light into a room, light up a dark corner and make a room cozier. Lighting from the lamps will also make a room look larger.

If you are not selling your home you need lamps to warm up a room, disperse the lighting throughout the room and create more ambiance for entertaining.

As a general rule a living room or family room should have three lamps; placed in as close to a triangular position as possible. What a difference this will make!

As a side note, make at least two of the lamps ‘table’ lamps if possible. Floor lamps are great and are necessary in tight spaces but three floor lamps in one room is not the best.

If you tuned in to Part 1 I talked about a common mistake in furniture placement. How does the arrangement in the two pictures above avoid that mistake?? Yes….this is a quiz. LOL

Table lamps on each side of a bed is the best way to make an impact and frame out the bed. Don’t have these lamps be too small. A secondary mistake, let’s call it #2B, is dinky little lamps by the bed. The more massive the bed the taller and beefier your lamps need to be.

I am a Designer and Home Stager and I see things in homes that are sometimes difficult for others to see. I can’t fix my leaky faucet so I hire a plumber; I can’t write a computer program so I hired an expert to put together my website. We are all good at different things.

If you need an expert eye to help with your home, Rooms With Style Home Staging and Redesign would be happy to give you the suggestions you need!

The Most Common Mistakes I See in People’s Homes – Part 1

As a Designer and a Home Stager I see a lot of things in peoples homes. I see homes in all price levels from a couple hundred thousand to a few million. There are a few design and home staging mistakes I see over and over and they are so easy to fix.

One of these common mistakes is:

Having all the furniture pushed back to the walls.

Even in a small room this is not always the best option. Usually something can be angled or pulled forward.

In a large room, the room actually looks smaller when all pieces are back against the walls. Plus, the room is not very cozy as the conversation area is too far apart.

My advice is to move the furniture up and create a cozier conversation area. If the room is overly large you will need to split it into two sections.

It is okay to have furniture away from the walls. You can have it floating out into the room as long as it is anchored with an area rug, side tables and/or coffee table.

A tree or a sofa table and lamp can be added behind the furniture to draw the eye back and add height.

Pull chairs away from the walls when they are flanking a fireplace, don’t have them stuck back in the corners and touching the wall. By doing this you will actually draw even more attention to the the fireplace.

Pulling furniture away from the wall is hard for many people to visualize or imagine. It is difficult to see alternatives to furniture placement, especially in your own home. You aren’t alone in this. That is why I am calling this a “common” mistake.

If you are selling your home or just want it refreshed for your own enjoyment, Rooms With Style Home Staging and Redesign in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN can provide options for placing your furniture in it’s best location.