Yes Irene..that’s what I said! Free paint on Saturday!

Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch paint anymore.

All day Saturday at your local ACE HARDWARE store they are giving away a quart of free paint to introduce a new premium paint found exclusively at ACE called Clark+Kensington.

Only a quart you say?? Hey…if you are picking out paint colors for a new room you need a quart to test it out on various walls so this is perfect.

Or if you are like me and have been putting off painting an ugly pine bookshelf you can paint it now for free as all you need is one quart. Or maybe you have a small table, bench or chair that needs a fun color??

See how many things you can do with a quart of paint! Clark+Kensington has the primer already included so I won’t even have to prime my ugly bookshelf first!

Let your Redesign or Home Staging juices flow!!

And here’s another secret…..ssshhhh….on Memorial Day weekend the paint is going to be $7 off per gallon! So get a free quart this weekend to test your color and then get the paint on Memorial Day weekend and save big!

I love my local Ace store! They are friendly, knowledgeable and

most important….available to help you unlike some Big Box stores.

They are each locally owned so even better! Check out your local ACE Hardware today and see if they are giving out free paint on Saturday too!

Need help choosing your paint colors? Let Rooms With Style help!

I am Now a DCC!! And of Course I Had to Reward Myself!

Yes….I just completed my training and received my DCC certification.

No, not Doctor of Chiropractic, that is a DC.

This is much better! Dewey Color Consultant!! How Fun Is That!

Yes, I went throught the two day class to learn now to put together 25,000 color combinations and make no mistakes. I learned so much.

“We Make Color Easy”!

Undertones. Blends. Neutral blends. Split Compliments. Triadic Color Schemes. Achromatic Color Schemes.

What if my client wants a triadic color scheme with a neutral blend? Is that okay??

Now I know with certainty! My clients don’t need to know those terms, I just need to help them decide what colors they love and how to put them together.

Better yet, if a husband and wife have totally opposite tastes in color I now know how to find some common ground. I now have the tools to do so.

OH…AND OF COURSE I HAD TO REWARD MYSELF AFTER COMPLETING THE CLASS.

What better way than with a new bag. AND WHAT A BAG!!

It holds my ‘Dewey Color Coordinator’ and ‘Embrace Hue You Are’ Books perfectly plus my note pad.

Isn’t it fun? Oh…and what color scheme is it?? LOL

Are you looking for assistance with color in your home but are afraid of color? Don’t know where to start or what colors to put together?

As a Certified Dewey Color Consultant Shar Sitter from Rooms With Style can give you the confidence to pick the right paint and fabric colors for one or multiple rooms.

Yes….That’s What I Said. This is Part 5 in my 4 Part Series on “Home Staging is More Than De-Cluttering and Moving Furniture”.

So don’t tell me I can’t count, I know, I know!

I first told you that this would be a four part series featuring one home and suggestions I made in each room. I wasn’t going to include the bedroom and I wasn’t going to include the kitchen because that had been a separate post.

But then I thought, why not highlight the Master Bedroom even if the suggestion was basic? And why not show the kitchen again for those that missed it since it is all the same house.

So, the bedroom.

My suggestion: buy some simple luxurious bedding and make this room feel like the best Five Star Boutique Hotel you have ever been in. Think escape, retreat, a sanctuary from the kids and life.

The homeowner decided at the last minute to have me bring in furnishings from my warehouse since I was doing other rooms. This wouldn’t have been needed as there was nothing wrong with her furniture. But she wanted to get settled in her new home.

I also suggested paint for the room and it definitely added warmth.

When staging a bedroom the linens should be neutral but it doesn’t have to be boring. It can be fun and have some pizazz.

Throw pillows, large lamps to frame the bed….you get the idea.

So now for the kitchen. In my post: “Are Your Kitchen Cabinets Dated But You Don’t Have Thousands of Dollars for New?” I highlighted the kitchen in this home. You can link back and read the entire post but I wanted to recap it here so you can see the entire house with all the suggestions I made. Here is the kitchen.

I suggested painting both the upper and lower cabinets and purchasing stainless steel appliances. What a difference!! The counter tops look like new and the modern “dark on bottom light on top” cabinet mixture looked great.

Miss any of the series? Here is a recap so you can catch up on what you missed:

Part  1: The Family Room

Part  2: The Living Room

Part 3: The Dining Room

Part 4: The Porch

The Kitchen Post

Home Staging is so much more than de-cluttering and moving furniture so call Rooms With Style for expert advice on how to get your home in top selling condition.

952-567-1124

www.roomswithstyle.com

Home Staging Isn’t Just About De-Cluttering and Moving Furniture Around – Part 4

Staging A Home – Minneapolis, MN

This Four Part Series takes place in one home and I am highlighting the suggestions I made to the client in various rooms.

Part 4: The Porch

This porch was an addition; built around the original stucco exterior of the home. It looks out onto a stunning landscaped yard. Let’s take a look.

ERRrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkk……hold on! Is it the porch???

Let’s check again……maybe we took a wrong turn.

Nope I think it’s the porch but it sure is looking like an office to me.

Pretty tough to sell a wonderful 4-season porch (a huge plus in Minnesota) when it isn’t looking like a porch.

Easy Home Staging suggestion: Stage it for it’s original purpose.

That’s it. No paint, no repairs, no lighting changes. Just stage it for what it is.

Priceless!!

To Read More From This Series:

Part 1: The Family Room

Part 2: The Living Room

Part 3: The Dining Room

Oh….and Surprise!! I decided to add a 5th part to this 4 Part Series!

Need home staging advice? Rooms With Style is the Premier Home Staging Firm in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area with an entire warehouse of furniture and accessories to assist with your every home staging need.

952-567-1124    www.roomswithstyle.com

Home Staging Is So Much More Than De-Cluttering and Moving Furniture – Part 3

Home Stager Minneapolis, MN

In this series I have been showing rooms in one home and explaining the suggestions I made in each room.

Part 1 was the Family Room, Part 2 was the Living Room, and Part 3 now looks at the Dining Room.

The suggestions for this room were simple. Simplify and Paint!

The room had too much going on with the table and chairs, chairs in the corners, a huge hutch, a busy rug, and art work that was too small for the walls and not really “dining roomish”.

The furniture was all antique (table needed some repair) which can be beautiful but it sets a tone that isn’t modern or one that a younger buyer can relate to.

The original paint color was not doing much for the room; much like the other rooms in this series as well. I suggested something warmer and with more punch.

Throughout this series you have noticed a lot done with paint. I chose one main color throughout the home but added something slightly darker for the formal dining room and something darker yet for the family room.

Although the paint colors were different they are within the same tones so the home still flowed from room to room. Your eye didn’t jump from one extreme color to the next.

Paint color selection is key!!!

Paint is a simple fix for your home whether staying or selling.

Suggestions do not always need to be huge to make a huge difference.

Rooms With Style will make the suggestions to best fit your budget as well as reach your potential buyer.

Check out the tips from the first two parts of this series:

Part 1: The Family Room

Part 2: The Living Room

Coming Soon to a Blog near you……Part 4: The Porch!

www.roomswithstyle.com

952-567-1124

Home Staging Is So Much More Than De-Cluttering and Moving Furniture – Part 2

Home Staging Minneapolis, MN

If you saw Part 1 of this series you will remember that I am showing pictures of one home and suggestions I made in each room.

Part 1 showed the Family Room and now lets take a look at the Living Room.

It was the first room you saw inside the front door. Yes the client was moving but they never really used this room so it was empty and neglected.

The focal point of the room is the fireplace and it isn’t looking very happy. The light blue walls are actually making it look even more tired.

Here is the room after. Modern furnishings were rented from my warehouse since the room was empty and needed to set a great first impression. But other than the difference with the furniture what do you notice?

My first suggestion was the paint color but what else do you notice???

Clue……look at the fireplace. Do you see the difference in the wood mantel?

I suggested that they paint it white to highlight it, making it a feature of the fireplace as well as making it look more modern.

And an extra little touch…..white birch logs in the fireplace. The white mantel and white logs make a great contrast to all the brown brick.

I also put a picture with color and vibrancy on the mantel, a few tall accessories to further draw your eye up and show off the high ceilings.

Home Staging is so much more than de-cluttering and pushing furniture around. Hire a trained expert who can provide the suggestions that will make a room sizzle with excitement.

Be sure to check out Part 1 of My Series “Home Staging Is So Much More Than De-Cluttering and Moving Furniture.

Rooms With Style is a full service Home Staging and Redesign firm serving the entire Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area.

952-567-1124

www.roomswithstyle.com

Home Staging is So Much More Than De-Cluttering and Moving Furniture – Part 1

Home Staging Minneapolis, MN

Yes, Home Staging is about de-cluttering, yes it is about moving furniture for the best traffic flow and focal point. But it is so much more.

In this Four Part Series I will show one home with suggestions made to each room.

This is the Family Room. The paint was the main issue. Although blue is an ‘in’ color right now, it depends on the shade and tone of blue and the room it is used in.

This blue wasn’t doing much for the room, it didn’t show off the beautiful wood floor or the hand crafted white entertainment center.

I suggested a dark paint color…..yes much darker than most people would think a home stager would suggest.

The homeowner even emailed me and said “Shar, this is dark”.

“Trust me…it will be okay”

I received this email three days later: “The paint color is fabulous!! It makes the room look so modern and it isn’t too dark”.

The difference it made in enhancing the details of this room are amazing.

The paint color isn’t too dark because the room has southern exposure with a huge double french door and three other windows.

The homeowner also took my suggestion and had Rooms With Style bring in modern furnishings.

When staging your home for sale it isn’t just about de-cluttering. It is so much more so hire a trained professional home stager to give you the best advice to to get your home ready for sale.

Call Rooms With Style to gain the best advantage in this competitive market.

952-567-1124

www.roomswithstyle.com

More Before and After Photos

Is It Ever Okay to Paint a Room Stark White?

Home Staging and Redesign in Minneapolis, MN

You know us home stagers, one of our mottos is “Neutral Does Not Mean White”.

We are always telling our clients: “Paint the room a warm color, it’s okay to go a little darker, don’t worry.”

So, I ask again, is it ever okay to Paint a Room Stark White?

“Maybe”.

Ha, Don’t You Love That Answer.

But seriously, rooms can be all white, soft ivory, etc. It is all in how they are finished off and their purpose. When I say white I don’t mean builders white throughout the home. But a room in white or ivory is okay.

Let me show you an example. I designed a porch for myself off of my dining room. I designed a room that felt like it was floating in the trees, like you were outside but that you could enjoy even in the harshest blizzard.

The windows reach almost to the floor and almost to the ceiling. And guess what? I painted everything white!

I thought the contractor and his workers were going to kill me. They almost refused to do it. All the wood for the walls and ceiling is tongue-n-groove bead board and they insisted it needed to remain natural wood. They said it was a crime to paint it. (I think that is a guy thing, or a Midwest thing).

“Ya,…but I don’t want a brown wood room. I want an all white room and I’m the client!”

So here is the results:

The walls are white, the ceiling is white, the window casings and trim are white.

As you can see most of the furniture is white, even the TV is white!

I bought a big old ugly oak table second hand and painted it white, I added in antique and flea market dining chairs and side tables also painted white.

I added little pops of color for some fun and “Wallah”….a porch that is bright and cheery on a dismal winter day and part of the outdoors in the summer when the windows are open and the breeze is coming in.

Do you know why it works? It is grounded by the Douglas Fir wood floors below and the brown rattan ceiling fan above adds some interest. It’s all in the details.

So it’s okay, paint a room white…..just remember it is all in how you finish the room with the accessories. Don’t forget the details!

Not sure if you want to tackle it yourself? Rooms With Style Home Staging and Redesign would be happy to give you pointers or design it for you.

Are Your Kitchen Cabinets Dated but You Don’t Have Thousands of Dollars for New?

Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis, MN.

As a Designer and Home Stager I come across many kitchens that need updating. Many homeowners want to update their kitchens, either for gaining top dollar when selling or for their own enjoyment.

I can’t say it enough, “KITCHENS SELL HOMES”. Period.

A total kitchen update costs tens of thousands of dollars and if you are staying in your home it is okay, do that and spend the money. If you are selling you may be wondering the best place to spend your money to update the kitchen to receive the greatest return on your investment.  Or you may be staying in your home and want to update but have limited funds and are wondering what you can.

I have a suggestion. Paint those dated cabinets! Yes it is okay to paint wood……trust me.

It’s an easy update that will cost fractions of what new cabinets would cost and is especially the way to go if the insides of your cabinets are in good shape.

Take a look at this kitchen. Nothing has been updated for at least 20 years. The homeowner did not want to invest the money for new cabinets or counter tops but wanted an updated look.

My suggestion? Paint the cabinets, change the hardward and buy stainless steel appliances.

As you can see I suggested a two tone look for the cabinets. Dark on the bottom, light on top that is fresh and modern.

The wall color was also selected to enhance the color of the cabinets and counter top. Darker than the tops cabinets and lighter than the lower cabinets. A new faucet also added an instant update and the entire kitchen looks new and fresh.

So if you are asking my opinion “Is it okay to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets?”

“ABSOLUTELY!!’

Rooms With Style is a full service Home Staging and Redesign Firm. If you need suggestions to update your home for selling or for your own enjoyment please give us a call.

 952-567-1124

www.roomswithstyle.com