Kates Home Staging Interior Design Blog for Rockland County NY & Bergen County NJ

In today's real estate market, it is imperative that your online home pictures really WOW any potential buyers.  A certified home stager can help any home seller or Realtor sell their home quickly and for the highest dollar amount.

The latest HomeGain 2009 survey states that home staging services have a 586% return on your investment.  Home staging may also be tax deductable since it falls under marketing and advertising for the sale of your home.

Here is an example of a bedroom before home staging:

Here is an example of the same room after home staging:

What a difference some fresh paint and carpeting made.  We simple rotated the bed and added some fresh linens.

Kate's Home Staging and Redesign, we specialize in home staging, vacant home staging, color consultations, and interior designs.  We cover the Rockland County, Orange County, Bergen County and Passaic County areas.  Call us at 845-538-3623 to setup an appointment.

Home Staging can address many different issues when you are trying to sell your home.  By knowing what furniture to remove and what items to eliminate, any room can be transformed.  By selecting the appropriate wall paint colors, a room can go from dark and uninviting to a complete standout.

Home Staging is not expensive and is considered a less expensive alternative to interior decorating.

Home Gain's latest survey gives home staging a 586% return on investment.

The typical home staging consultation in Rockland County, New York will run about $250 - $300.

The cost of home staging is always less than your home's first price reduction.

Here is an example of a Living Room before the home staging consultation:

Here is the same Living Room after:

By simply removing the sofa table and all the items resting on it, the view into the Kitchen appears much larger.  By clearing off the Kitchen counters, the Kitchen appears much neater and cleaner.

The above picture is an example of the difference a simple Home Staging Consultation can make.

Kate ~ Kate's Home Staging and Redesign

If you are planning on selling your home in Rockland County, NY or Orange County, NY please contact Kate for a home staging consultation which includes a customized Action Plan and complementary paint color consultation.  Call Kate at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com for more info.

Mirrors are a Feng Shui chi enhancement because this object can activate and circulate chi throughout your home. A well placed mirror can bring light into a dark area, reflect something beautiful, visually enlarge a small space, and provide s sense of safety. Since mirrors activate chi, their placement is always a good idea in your home office, kitchen, living room, or family room.

Your bedroom is a place for relaxation and reflection. Mirrors can activate energy in your bedroom, which can influence your sleep. The larger the mirror is, the more it will negatively influence your sleep.  Closet doors with mirrors are considered a problem and should be covered with a curtain that can be closed at night and opened during the day.  Another option for the mirrored closet doors would be to replace them with a wooden door.

Mirrors on top of dressers are another problem in bedrooms.  A simple solution would be to drape these mirrors with fabric during the night to ensure your sleep is not disturbed.  According to Western Feng Shui, the only time a small mirror is permitted in the bedroom is when the door cannot be seen from the bed. All other mirrors should be avoided in the bedroom.

When selecting a mirror (for your living room, kitchen, bathroom) it is important to ensure the mirror will reflect entire images.  For example, if you have a dressing mirror that chops your head it could affect how you feel about yourself negatively.  Also, it is best to avoid mirrors that are broken up with decorative bevels.  Mirrors should never be placed directly across from each other, this creates an endless reflection which can be very confusing.

So, if you are having trouble sleeping in your bedroom perhaps it is the active chi in your mirrors keeping you up at night. Covering your bedroom mirrors with fabric for a few nights may be worth trying to see how much better you are able to sleep.

Kate, Kate's Home Staging and Redesign, we specialize in home staging, interior redesign, home decorating, color consultations, home decor discounts, crown molding installations, and more.  Call Kate to schedule your design appointment at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com

The most buyer traffic will come through a home the first two weeks it is on the market than any other time period. No one gets a second chance to make a first impression and when you are talking about real estate, the only way to generate new interest in your home is to drop your price to attract a different group of potential buyers.  With buyers expecting move-in ready homes and becoming more aware of what to expect in a home, more Realtors and sellers are turning to home staging to help them differentiate their homes from the competition.

Home staging is the process of de-personalizing a home and making it "buyer ready" so it appeals to the largest potential buyer audience possible using proven design techniques that highlight the home's best architectural features.  Home staging, also know as real estate staging, is not home decorating but rather an art that utilizes a home owners existing furniture, lighting, and art work to draw a potential buyers eye to the positive aspects of your home.  Home staging will address furniture layouts, paint schemes, clutter, traffic flows, focal points, lighting, accent colors, and creating that WOW factor.

The potential benefits of home staging for the sellers are:

• Sellers who stage their properties first, also end up packing most of their belonging before the home goes on the market; this makes the move less stressful.
• All the clutter is removed from your home prior to your first Open House.
• The statistics show your home will sell faster because it will show better.

The potential benefits of home staging for potential home buyers are:

• The buyers can see the architectural features of the home they want to buy rather than wading through clutter and family pictures.
• Potential buyers are able to envision their belongings fitting in the space because all excess furniture and clutter has been removed.
• A property that has been professionally staged has an optimal room layouts, which shows all potential buyers the best way to utilize the space in every room.

The potential benefits of home staging for real estate agents are:

• A home seller who has paid for a home staging consultation will be more likely to listen to the advice of their Realtor regarding price and marketing of their home.
• A professional home stager may be able to say things to a home sellers that a Realtor may not be able to without jeopardizing his/her relationship with their client.  A home seller expects design advice from a home stager and usually welcomes it.
• Having a professional home stager on a Realtor's team is a positive marketing tool to gain more home selling clients in today's competitive market.
• A professionally staged property will present better on the MLS and will result in attracting a larger buyer audience.
• The statistics show your home will sell faster because it will show better.

If you are still unsure about the benefits of having your properties professionally staged, contact your local home stager for a Realtor presentation on the benefits of staging.  The proof will be in the before and after pictures and how fast the homes sold. Home stagers, Realtors, and Sellers all have the same goal - to sell your home quickly and for the highest dollar amount.

                  BEFORE                                                              AFTER

Kate, Kate's Home Staging and Redesign specializes in home staging, interior design, home decorating, color consultations, custom wood signs, semi-custom window coverings, and more.  Call Kate to schedule your design consultation at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com.  We serve the Rockland County, Orange County of New York and Passaic County, New Jersey

From recycled glass tile, bamboo flooring, textiles, low VOC paints, cleaning products, to home design products, the trend towards green design seems to be growing due to consumer's heightened consciousness of the importance of using items that are good for our environment. Using recycled items is also gaining interest among interior design clients.

There are varying degrees of "green," also called eco-friendly design, but in general a product must be made from a renewable material that was grown organically with minimally impact to the environment; the manufacturing process must not cause pollution.  Green products may be recyclable, hypoallergenic, and biodegradable, and some may even save energy (such as energy star appliances and energy efficient light bulbs).

If you were to ask the average person what going green means, they may picture lines of solar panels angled on their roof line. While solar panels are a great way to save money on your energy bill and definitely fall under the going green umbrella - the expense of installing them can be very steep; simple changes can have a positive impact in our lives as well. If you need to upgrade your flooring, going with a bamboo or cork is a would be an environmentally friendly option.  When selecting a wall paint, it is always healthier to select a low or no-VOC paint, since it uses water as an ingredient and is less hazardous to the environment.

Eco friendly interior decoration avoids using toxin-introducing materials in your home. Synthetic fragrances and air fresheners may release  volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can irritate the respiratory system. Candles made before 2003 were made with lead-core wicks and are now banned, according to the National Candle Association.  Organic soy and beeswax are green options that are better frangrance choices for your home; these choices are safe for pregnant woman and people with asthma.

When selecting cleaning products, it is always a better option to select a green product.  Synthetic cleaners pollute our environment and can affect our lungs.  Using water and steaming your ceramic tile is a great way to clean your kitchen floor.  Products such as Cleaning the Green, are all natural and are great glass and surface cleaners.  Also, Pet Pure Ayre Odor Eliminator is all natural and safe for your pets and will eliminate all your pet's odors.  Vinegar and water is also a great all natural cleaner for your kitchen and bathroom.  Believe me, you will start to feel better when you use all natural cleaners in your home.

Keep in mind that "greening" your entire home does not happen overnight, it is an ongoing process that can lead up to an large environmental impact overtime that will also affect your health positively. Adding plants are an excellent green option and design element to add to any room.

Kate

Kate's Home Staging and Redesign, specializes in home staging, interior design, home decorating, vacant staging, color consultations, and more.  Contact Kate at 845-538-3623 to schedule your design consultation, www.kateshomestaging.com

As discussed is some of my earlier blogs, lighting is usually one of the least planned design elements in a home or commercial place but it has a dramatic impact on the atmosphere. Lighting can be used not only for visual comfort, but also to achieve predetermined emotional responses from the lighted environment. By manipulating the illumination levels of lighting and the color of the light in the light source, certain emotional responses can be achieved.  When using light to create a mood, it may be necessary to hide the light source and only show its effect.

Dimly lit rooms create an atmosphere of relaxation and restfulness, while highly lit rooms are beacons for activity and alertness. A dimly lit room is conducive to warmth and intimacy while concealing architectural flaws.  A master bedroom could be setup with a dimmer to support intimacy and romance. Candlelight is an excellent source of light for a romantic dinner; the flickering flames create an atmosphere for intimacy and relaxation. The red candle light flame even flatters most individuals' appearances, who would not want to dine by candlelight?  To create a celebratory mood, bright light and the reflection of objects helps to achieve this. A room that has brighter bulbs on, especially during the winter months, is perceived as a warmer room. 

For a quick review of the types of lights and light bulbs, click here.

Lighting can be "soft" or "hard." Soft lighting is conducive for a relaxing environment and it also will minimize harsh shadows.  Soft lighting is diffused lighting. Hard lighting is usually used for supplemental lighting and it used for tasks such as reading or working.  Each light bulb has a color temperature and color rendering index. The color temperature is the color shade, however subtle, of the light emanating from the light source. Lamps with lower color temperature will have a warmer tone than those with higher color temperatures. The color rendering index (CRI) is a measurement scale on the light's ability to render the trueness of colors, as they would appear in natural sunlight. The scale runs from 0-100 (100 is the best). A lamp with a CRI of 80 or better will represent colors the closest to sunlight. Incandescent or halogen lamps typically have very high CRI. Color rendering will influence how you see colors in your home; if the CRI is poor the colors in your home will not be true.

GE has put together a great page on which light bulb to choose based on the room and mood you want to create, click here to take a look.

Most incandescent light bulbs can give off a yellowish glow which can seem depressing at times. By changing to daylight style light bulbs, the light in the room will be closer to that of actual sunlight. However, some people may not like these daylight bulbs as they are brighter than the incandescent bulbs.  If you want to create a cozy feeling in a room, than use an incandescent bulb. To further enhance the mood, you can go with a lower wattage bulb to keep the room a little bit darker or use a dimmer.

Colored lighting may also be used to influence the atmosphere.  To create a warm atmosphere, use colors such as red, yellow, and orange. To create a warm atmosphere, use colors such as violet, blue, and green.  Just keep in mind, that the colors blue and blue-green are not very flattering on a person's complexion. It is better to use a bulb that is not too rich in color as you can achieve the opposite effect that you were trying to achieve. Yellow and red can be used to create a romantic effect while white and yellow light are appropriate for formal occasions.

Using floor lamps in each room with three way bulbs can help to create intimacy when additional lighting is required. Overhead lighting will spread throughout a room and should be used to create an active mood.  To create an intimate mood, it is better to use a table or floor lamp.  The kitchen and bathroom are two rooms within the home that always requires bright lights.

 A successful lighting design will employ dimmers on various light switches so light can be adjusted for optimal mood enhancement.  It also contains ambient lighting for general illuminations with task lighting for specific activities. To achieve your desired lighting scheme in your home, lighting may need to be done in layers. With the large selection of lights available today at low costs, it is easier than ever to create the mood you are looking for.

Kate

Kate's Home Staging and Redesign, serves the Rockland County and Orange County areas of New York and Passaic County, New Jersey.  We specialize in home staging, interior decorating, home decorating, color consultations, semi-custom window coverings, and home decor discounts.  Call Kate at 845-538-3623 for your design consultation or visit www.kateshomestaging.com.