2012 – My Favorite Redesign Project. Home Staging & Redesign Minneapolis MN

At the end of each year I like to look back and think about the projects I have worked on. I had some that were great, some that were easy, some that were tough and of course I had my favorites or most memorable projects.

At the completion of each project I have had so much fun and gotten so involved that it feels like I have given birth to a child and it is my favorite. We really shouldn’t have favorite children but how can you not?  For 2012 I had a few:

1) Favorite Home Staging New Construction,

2) Favorite Redesign Project and,

3) Most Meaningful Project

So here is the second of my three ’2012 Year In Review’ posts: My Favorite Redesign Project!

This project was so much fun! First of all it was a lake home about an hour outside of Minneapolis so I got to spend the entire beautiful summer day at the lake!

Second, when working on Redesign projects the purpose is to use as much of the owners items as possible. You take what they have and ‘Redesign’. Well this client had the COOLEST items!

I had worked with this client before on her principal residence in the city so when she called me to come Redesign her lake home I couldn’t wait. I literally arrived on moving day with the movers taking out the past owners things and bringing in my clients things.

I had free rein to do what I wanted and put things where-ever I thought they should go.

Take a look:

Entryway Upon My Arrival:

Entryway Upon My Departure:

Living Room Upon My Arrival:

Living Room Upon My Departure:

Family Room Upon My Arrival:

And My FAVORITE AREA EVER!! Hip Urban Chic Meets the North Woods!!

Family Room Upon My Departure:

So….can you see why it made my Top Favorites List of 2012?

If you missed My first 2012 Year In Review Post check it out at: 2012 – My Favorite Home Staging for New Construction.

If you would like some assistance with your home contact Rooms With Style. 952-567-1124

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.

Lonny Magazine has released its list of the Top Five Design Trends for Your Home for 2011.

You’ve seen some of these in the stores or you may have a few. I started using  a few of these last year myself. Now it is the must have for 2011. Remember…..this does not mean you have to re-do your entire house, use pieces of these here and there. Design trends for the home are not like fashion, here today and gone tomorrow. They last many years.

#5: Mirrored Accessories and Accents

This can be an actual mirror, a mirrored  tray (love these), or if you have room a mirrored furniture piece (really love these!). A mirrored table would make a fabulous night stand, entry way table or hall table.

#4 – Typography Art

They are modern, cool and fun. You can even make them with your own picture.

#3 – Storage Art

You’ve seen them….all the beautiful boxes to store your things. The storage piece is almost a work of art in and of itself. Bring your things out of the drawer and display them. Clear acrylic jewelry boxes holding vintage pins would be beautiful on your dresser.

#2 – Mid-Century Lamps

It doesn’t matter what style home you have, you can put one of these lamps anywhere and with anything. Mix your styles…it’s okay.

#1 – Rust

From deep rust to bright orange. No need to go overboard and paint an entire room orange but pops of this color to freshen up a room would be great. Throw pillows, an upholstered chair, a lamp are just a few ideas.

It’s a new year, have some fun and be daring.  Add a mirrored accessory, a mid-century lamp and a pop of orange and you’ll be right in style when you do!

If you would like assistance incorporating any of these new trends into your home give us a call at 952-567-1124 or visit our website at: www.roomswithstyle.com

To learn more about Lonny Magazine visit: www.lonnymag.com

Attract More Tenants – First Impressions are key. If you are a property manager of an apartment complex the most important thing is keeping the apartments full. 100% occupancy is your goal.

What if your property is in a very young and hip area but what the potential tenant sees upon entry is this:

A tired and worn out entry may not set the tone of who your target market is for the area which is young professionals. The first impression is important so this may attract more tenants to your property:

Here are more before and after pictures of the apartment entryway and sitting area:

Rooms With Style can assist you in updating any office, common area or property. Set the tone from the minute the potential tenant enters the front door.

People are always looking to create a certain feel in a room. They may want energy in a workout room or calm in a bedroom. Many people do not know how to create that feel so let me help by giving you a little Color Knowledge.

Here is a list of colors and the emotion it will generate. The depth of the color as well as the hue and underlying tones will definitely play a factor in the degree of emotion created.  

A bright orange wall versus a soft pastel tangerine, while both being energetic colors in the orange family, will bring a different level of intensity, drama and feeling into a room.

 PINK: Gentles, acquiesces, promotes intimacy and affection.

ORANGE: Cheers, expands, promotes informality and activity. Declassifies.

BLUE: Relaxes, refreshes and cools. Supports tranquility and trust.

YELLOW: Expands, warms, promotes communication and anticipation.

RED: Empowers, stimulates, dramatizes, impulsive, increases appetite.

GREEN: Rests, balances, normalizes, encourages emotional growth.

WHITE: Lights, purifies, cleans unifies, enlivens other colors.

BROWN: Stabilizes and supports. Secures. Is friendly and receptive.

BLACK: Strengthens, authorizes. Denotes status. Elegance. Ominous.

PURPLE: Creates mystery. Enlivens imagination. Spiritualizes.

Choosing a paint color is not the easiest task. There are underlying tones in every color and not everyone can see that color clearly. I recently did a Home Staging consultation and commented that the kitchen and dining room should be painted. The response from the client was “we just did”. Ugh, not the response I would want to hear. The color was very pink. The client thought they were selecting a basic tan; there is no such thing in my opinion. This tan had a definite pink undertone which became even more apparent with their lighting. A pink kitchen and dining room is not a Home Staging “Do”, it’s a Home Staging “Don’t”.

Suggestions when choosing paint color:

1)     Look at the paint colors on the entire card from the paint store. Some of the other colors on the card may give you a clearer idea of what that underlying tone really is.

2)   The color you see in the paint store is not what you will see in your home. All lighting is different with the types of bulbs used and even the time of day. Check the paint in YOUR lighting.

3)   As I stated above, the paint will look different during different times of the day, you need to look at it in ALL lighting. ALWAYS, ALWAYS pick two to three colors and paint them on your walls in various spots. In a dark corner, near the woodwork, next to the carpet or sofa. Then look at them for a couple days in different lighting. Sunny, cloudy, evening, etc. This makes a HUGE difference. If you don’t want to mess up your walls just yet, paint large pieces of tag board and tack them to your walls.

4)   Hire a professional. If you are nervous or just want a second opinion, it is always nice to bring in a professional who may see tones that you do not see, or have ideas that you may not have thought about.

Do what I say, not what I do, ha. I learned my lesson on this subject years ago when I was painting my home. I was swamped and I described to my painter that I wanted a deep sage green for my living room. He bought a sample and painted it on different areas of my walls just as I recommend. However, I came home when it was dark, and woke up and left for an appointment when it was dark (one of those short winter days) and told the painter to go ahead, I loved the color. Oops, didn’t take my own advice. I woke up the morning after the painting was done on a bright sunny Saturday morning and walked down to a living room so green I thought I was a pimento inside of an olive! Thus, the repainting began.

Take the advice of a professional that learned the hard way. Choose two to three colors, apply them on the wall, and look at them for a few days in ALL lighting.

“A family room addition returns an average of 65% of its cost at resale, as long as the improvement is in line with other homes in the neighborhood” says houselogic.com, a website giving ample advice on making improvements to your home.  That rate of return may be even less for those of us in the midwest, more for homeowners on the west coast. HouseLogic is a site provide by the National Association of Realtors. A lot of helpful information is provided on any addition you may be thinking of making to your home, even a second story!

To see more on this article go  to: http://www.houselogic.com/articles/family-room-addition-return-investment/

Here is a great tip on how to keep your carpet looking great. Find additional great tips at: www.carpetnetwork.com and click on the link for “Floor Care Store”.

Proper care and cleaning can make a big difference in retaining your carpet’s beauty over many years of regular use.

The most important thing you can do for your carpet is to vacuum it regularly. Removing dirt particles will reduce fiber abrasion that will dull carpet fibers. Be sure to adjust your vacuum to the height of your carpet to provide proper pile agitation and suction to remove soil.

Most dirt, and even dust, takes the form of hard particles. When left in the carpet these gritty, sharp particles abrade the pile of the carpet. Regular vacuuming not only prolongs the life of the carpet and promotes a healthy environment, but will enhance its appearance as well. Most soiling in carpet is of the dry, particle type, which can be removed with a vacuum cleaner.

Use a vacuum with a rotating brush or beater bar. Change the bags often and check the beater bars for burs and gouges so as not to damage the surface of the carpet. Some thick loop pile carpets will fuzz if a rotating brush vacuum is used. In this case we recommend a suction vacuum only.

One question I get a lot relates to color. The answer depends on whether you are selling your home or looking to change the look for yourself. If you are selling, neutral does not mean white!! You need color to sell a home but of course it cannot be taste specific.

If you are refreshing your own home for personal enjoyment, don’t be afraid of color. Color is powerful and it can calm your mood after a hectic day or energize you in the morning. Paint color sets the immediate feel of a room. You need to think about how you use a room and what feeling you are trying to convey or want to experience while you are in that room. Is the room for rest and quiet time? Is it for cozy family and friends gatherings? Or is it where you want to be uplifted and energized.

One look I love right now is black and white. You can do so much with these two basic colors and combine it with almost any style. It can be extremely elegant, funky, or art deco. From black on white toile fabrics to popping it with hot pink, lavender or lime accents, there is no limit to what you can do. Use seasonal colors to change it throughout the year. Warm wood tones of furniture or flooring will ground and balance the room. And don’t forget about texture. This can be done with the fabric in linens, throw pillows, or sofa throws.

If you are nervous about using black and white, start small. I recently changed the look of my guest bathroom. Previously done with a fun kids theme for my visiting nieces, they have grown up and I personally needed a change. I kept the basic light café latte wall color, added a black and white classic patterned shower curtain with velvet, a couple of fun new prints and inspiration woods on the walls and black, white and tan towels. I LOVE those three colors together, very classy. What a transformation and I did it all for under $200.

Be inspired. Take a risk. Have fun.