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Happy Friday! 

Todays inspiration comes as no surprise if you follow my Pinterest Board Studio McGee=Love. Yes, I really do love all of their work. The design firm started by Syd and Shea McGee based in Utah maybe far but their work leaves me smiling every time. 

All of their projects are worth taking a look at if you are looking for any design inspiration. From their beautiful colour choices and spot on styling everything they do comes together seamlessly. Studio McGee not only has great inspirational design photos, but fantastic tips on how to style your home. 

Below are some photos of their beautiful work. Enjoy!

Denver Tudor – Studio McGee

Haddonfield Project – Studio McGee

Vineyard Street Project – Studio McGee

Midway House – Studio McGee

Modern Mountain Home – Studio McGee

Promontory Project – Studio McGee

Happy Wednesday!

Well the day has finally come and our stuff is packed…….well mostly packed. I feel a little more organized this time around. Here are ten tips that can help when moving. 

• Plan early. Packing takes time so plan ahead. Give yourself lots of time as it usually takes longer than what you expect. 
• Purge. This is a great time to purge. Donate used items or sell furniture pieces you no longer want. 
• Find a safe place for valuables. Moving can be hectic, things like small pieces of jewelry can get lost. Take the time to find a place for your valuables ahead of your move. 
• Consider storage containers. I love these. They are easy to pack, move and stack. They can be rented at Dymon Storage or Frog Box. 
• Label everything. This is a no brainer but sometimes we forget. It helps to find a place for everything when you move into a new home. 
• Pack essentials for your new home. Garbage bags, a fire extinguisher, toilet paper are some things that we like to have on hand when moving into a new home. 
• Book daycare for your pet. Yes, think about your four legged friend or other pets when moving. 
• Pack fragile items with clothes, or towels. This can save on bubble wrap. Packing two items at once is nice!
• Clean your home before you leave. Cleaning your home leaves a good impression and well it is just nice to do before you leave. 
• Offer beverages to your movers when moving. If it is sweltering hot outside it is nice to have a cold drink!

Happy Friday!

RESA the Real Estate Staging Association has some very valuable information on the impact and importance of staging a property. I wanted to share their statistics report with you. Some homeowners are still skeptical about property staging. It is my job to inform people on the benefits of property staging. 

We just sold our home for 97.5% of our asking price. There are always more variables to look at when you sell though. Scott and I believe what you make per square foot is important to look at as well. We ended up getting $362.00 a square foot. That is pretty good for out here in Stittsville. The home was showcased beautifully and the price is a reflection of that for sure! 

If you are thinking about a price reduction at least consider showcasing your property first. The cost of staging is a lot less that your first price reduction. 

http://www.realestatestagingassociation.com

Happy Wednesday!

I love Pinterest and here are a some green paint colours that are trending now. Some paint colours are showing up in design magazines more than others but pretty much all of them are beautiful! Any of these paint colours would look great for a statement wall as well.

Have a look at some of these amazing colours!

Benjamin Moore – HC-158 – Newbury Green

Elizabeth Reich

Benjamin Moore – HC-157 – Narragansett Green

House Beautiful

Benjamin Moore – 2050-10 – Salamander

Studio McGee

Benjamin Moore – 6204 – Sea Salt

Sherwin Williams Sea Salt is a beautiful colour. It is still a favourite amongst designers and is a perfect colour as well for showcasing a bathroom or bedroom. 

See you Friday!

Happy Monday!

Designers have been adding brass fixtures to their bathroom projects for a while now and I love it! What a nice change. It is not so much as the polished brass I grew up with that I love but the brushed or satin brass that grabs my attention all the time. 

Are you considering a bathroom renovation? Maybe brass fixtures is what you are looking for! Brass fixtures look stunning with grey or even blue cabinets as shown below. It might be trendy but if you are tired of satin, polished, brushed nickel or even chrome then maybe it is a great option. I think it depends on the bathroom project but the photos below leave me drooling!

I decided that I would include brushed brass somewhere in our home and I am glad I did. I have chosen it as our hardware of choice for our kitchen but decided on polished nickel for the bathrooms. 

Holst Brothers General Contractors

Sophie Burke Design

Studio McGee

Meredith Heron

Happy Friday!

Patterned tile can add so much interest to a kitchen. It works especially well with Morrocan or Mediterranean inspired homes. It can really add character to an all white kitchen too! 

I also think that your home should be a reflection of some of the things you really love. If you know your are going to be in your home for a long while why not add beautiful tile that you love!  

Angela a close friend of mine has a Spanish inspired home and it is refreshing to see all the detail in her home. The home has plenty of character but is collective as well. Her kitchen has a beautiful tiled backsplash that captures the style of her home perfectly. 

Here are some patterned kitchen backsplashes that make a huge splash!

Trevor Brown Architect

Wiseman & Gale Interiors

Buckminster Green LLC

Beth Simmons Interior Design

Harrison Design

Happy Wednesday!

A property that is sold in one week with a solid offer is pretty amazing! Congratulations to AgentDK and his team for trusting that occupied consultations are extremely important! 

Properties can sometimes sit for months, and sell for a significantly reduced price when the process of a consult and showcasing is not done correctly. 

Back in 2007 we paid for a staging consult when our property went on the market. It was worth every penny for sure! We sold for close to asking. Although I thought our home looked perfect (as do most homeowners think) the advise that was given to us was valuable. I had no problems paying the $150.00 for a verbal walk through consult. In the end we were able to ask for more money for our property as well as a closing date that we wanted.  

To maximize your homes equity remember that staging consults are extremely, extremely important! 

Happy Victoria Day!

Have a great day today.

Happy Wednesday!

I love the look of area rugs in rooms, they seem to always unify the room and make the room look complete. Sometimes I see itsy bitsy area rugs in large rooms and the rug can sometimes throw a whole room off. 

Here are a few guidelines to make sure you have the right size rug.

• The front legs of your furniture should be on the rug or all the legs of the furniture should be placed on the rug for living room or family room furniture.
• Some designers suggest extending the rug 6″ on either side of the couch in a living or family room. 

Dining Room

• I always think about this guideline in terms of having enough rug extended to accommodate a chair being pulled out when you want to sit down. 

Smaller Rugs

•  They can add texture and colour to a room. If you own a cool  looking rug show it off! A smaller rug in the front entrance can sometimes work if you want to showcase the front entrance tile.

Bedrooms

• From what I can find roaming the internet the general rule is that the rug should extend 12-18 inches beyond the sides of the bed. (Depending on the size of your bed; King size bed=18  inches.

These are only guidelines and work well if you are staging your room!

Here is an example of a nice sized rug for the living room-DiGiacoma Homes & Renovations

DiGiacomo Homes & Renovation

Austin Bean Design Studio