Eye Me STAGED!: 2013

2013 Flipagram

Another year has gone in, what seemed like, a flash. 2013 was a full year for our family. We reached a milestone with sending our firstborn off to university. But we also had a few setbacks with my grandfather and my aunt passing away. Despite the setbacks, I am grateful and choose to count my blessings. And most of all, I am excited about starting fresh and making my resolutions for the new year!

Here are some quotes to inspire your new year's resolutions! Looking forward to a great 2014!

Happy New Year!

--Imelda

Decorating for the Holidays: One Room, Three Looks

Your Holiday decor doesn't have to be the same every year. Switch it up by adding a few key pieces to bring in the Holiday feel and use accessories to create your colour scheme.

1. Classic Red

Here, we used the traditional colour of red to decorate the room.
The sofa is layered with red cushions and a soft plush throw. The tablescape sets
the tone for Christmas with a reindeer and more accents-- poinsettias,
a pillar candle with pinecones and Christmas ornaments, all in red.

2. Modern Blue

For a fresh, contemporary look, blue is a popular choice if you want to
move away from the traditional colours of Christmas.
Again, layering the sofa with cushions and a throw to bring in the blue.
Adding blue accessories and changing the artwork punches up the colour even more.
To bring in the element of Christmas, we added accessories that sparkle
and decorated the candles with evergreen sprays.

3. Naturally Beige

If you like a more natural and rustic feel, add accessories made with natural materials.
A light, creamy beige is the accent colour here and we've used accessories made with natural elements--
the wrought iron candle sticks, burlap and linen covered cushions, and a wool knit throw.
The distressed framed art and a rustic bouquet, made with birch bark,
twigs, and pinecones, are the perfect finishing touch.

What colour are you decorating with for Christmas? Do you have a preference out of these three styles? Which look is your favourite?

--Imelda

If your home is being listed over the Holidays, restrained Holiday decorating is key.
Add just enough Christmas decor to signal festive but keep it to a minimum.
For a home staging consultation, please contact me at
imeldasmithhomestaging@gmail.com or 416.464.1781

Photos: Imelda Smith

Saturday's Slumber & Sweet Success

As promised, I said I would share pictures so you could see how the decorating came out for my daughter's birthday party. But first, let's look at the inspiration photos again.

Here is the garland that I wanted to hang above the table.

And here is my inspiration for the sweet table.

And here is what I made...

I wanted the tassels to be fuller so I just used twice as much tissue paper.

This is what I came up with for the table.

I was very pleased with how it all turned out. What do you think?

It was definitely a fun weekend for my birthday girl. Her friends came to sleep over Saturday night. But before that, we took them out for dinner at an Italian buffet. I told you that I was making the sweet table for her with plans to keep it modest. Well... I didn't factor in all the dessert that they would be having at the restaurant. It is a buffet, remember... ice cream bar and all. Brilliant planning on my part.. here I was the whole time thinking I would have their sweet intake all under control! And the best part was as we were settling the bill after our meal, the girls started a race of who could eat though a stack of sugar packets the fastest! Needless to say, I was horrified! At that point in the evening, I just had to let it go. I did, however, suggest to put the Wii Dance Party on when we got home, to burn off that sugar. It was an idea that actually worked out well.

As you can imagine, the table was a hit. The girls cleaned off everything that was on it by the next morning. It was quite easy to put together with supplies that I got from the bulk food, craft, and dollar stores. I love tables like this because it not only is a nice treat for your guests to eat, but it is a visual treat for them as well. Have you ever put together a dessert table like this?

Photos: Trendhunter; Candy Warehouse; Imelda Smith

Busy, Busy, Busy

We've got snow outside and all the holiday trimmings up! It's beginning to feel alot like Christmas! ♫♫♫ Now all I need to do is finish checking off the gift list... my timing is just perfect for the Black Friday sales. Yes, Canada is embracing the whole idea of Black Friday which, I think, is a good thing!

Happy Thanksgiving, America! And to everyone celebrating Hanukkah, enjoy the season in health and happiness!

--Imelda

Although it's a busy time of the year for everyone, don't put off planning the sale of your home if you want it done in the new year... January is just around the corner!
I'm a phone call away...

Birthday Party Decorating

It's my daughter's birthday this week. She's having a party with her friends on the weekend so I've been scrambling to put together a theme. Gone are the days when kids could just invite friends over and be happy to play games, have birthday cake, while being left to their own devices to entertain themselves. Now kids need to be WOW'd! ...with party themes and elaborate decor. I blame the internet... there's just way too much inspiration out there!

It's going to be a slumber party and she wants to have a sweet table. All that's going through my mind is eight 11 year old girls loaded up on sugar and staying the night... am I crazy?!

Here's my inspiration...

This table is perfect because it is modest. I just think these sweet tables can become
excessive.. with way too much candy for my liking. Mine will probably be even smaller.
(Yes, I will be limiting their sugar intake!)

I'd like to make something like this garland to hang against the wall above the table.

We've already started with the loot bags.
Orange is her favourite colour so we picked that as the decor theme for her slumber party,
and each child will get a mini pillow pet to take home!

Stay tuned! I'll post pics so you can see how it all turns out.

--Imelda

If you're planning to put your house on the market and require some home staging advice, please contact me for a consultation at imeldasmithhomestaging@gmail.com

Photos: Candy Warehouse; Trendhunter; Imelda Smith

DIY Holiday Urns

As I get older, I despise the cold weather we have during the winter season and I dream about one day moving closer to my sister who lives in southern California. There is, however, something to be said about being in the cold climate during Christmas... it just doesn't feel right otherwise. And seeing the snow fall on Christmas Day-- there's nothing more perfect..with all the Christmas lights and decorations, I get the warm and fuzzies and suddenly the cold isn't so bad!

One of my favorite things I love to see this time of the year are winter urns. They are perfect for bringing life to your front entry and help create a warm and inviting feeling for your home. Here are my winter urns and I've decked them out with red touches for the Holidays...

Supplies: an urn with soil, pine, cedar, spruce, dogwood, magnolia leaves, decorative balls and mesh ribbon. The spray bottle is a product called 'Wilt Proof' and you apply it on the greens to prevent moisture loss.

And, here is how you put it together...

Guest Post: Home Decor: From Living Room to Lavatory

Hi I am Amber Hash from "The Vanity Room" and today I will be sharing with you some unique ideas to decorate the 5 most important rooms in your house!

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Each home is different, offering different proportions and unique opportunities to get your personal stamp in plain view. Whether you are renovating, redecorating or starting from scratch in a new place you CAN make a beautiful home that you will be proud to show off to friends and family!

Living room:

The living room must be easy to maintain being one of the most high traffic areas in the home. Not only will the entire family, pets included, spend much of their time in this room, but it is the place that you will bring your guests to. Choose hard wearing, stain resistant carpets and sturdy durable furniture, adding appeal with judicious furniture placement and the addition of delightful pretty touches; wall art, ornaments, family photographs in attractive frames.

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Dining room:

The dining room tends to be a practical room, used for mealtimes and occasionally for work that requires a large table. Therefore, the dining room is unlikely to be regularly disturbed by family relaxation. Choose an attractive dining table set, and make sure that it is wiped down according to manufacturer's guidelines daily. Wooden dining table and chair sets look magnificent against formal, thick curtains that hang in stately folds, giving the room a grand and formal air.

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Bedroom:

Comfort should be the watchword in the bedroom, and the style should be tailored to those who will get maximum use from the bedroom. Bedding, curtains and carpets can be feminine and frilly or masculine and sombre, according to taste. Accessories should be bought after the main pieces of furniture have been chosen, so as to create an appealing and harmonious whole.

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Bathroom:

Let your quirky side out in the bathroom! Choose underwater wall-paper, decorate the walls with fish and other sea creatures and do not worry about being tasteful and stylish – just in this one room! If your bathroom makes your guests smile and mention the décor to others, then you have done it exactly right! You can use tiles to revive the look of your bathrooms as well. I was looking for bathroom fittings and fixtures online suppliers and found My-Bathrooms really affordable.

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Kitchen:

The kitchen is the area that gets the highest traffic and has to contend with the eating habits of the entire family, again, pets included! The floor should be easy maintenance and waterproof so that you can mop it down regularly without worrying about causing any damage; the surfaces should be smooth and unblemished, without any nooks and crannies for grime and dirt to build up. Clear, clean surfaces look fantastic in any room, and that is especially the case in the kitchen. Silver, white, cream and blue are brilliant colors for kitchens, especially when teamed with touches of bright red! If you want to paint your kitchen walls here is an online wall painting calculator which will tell you exactly how many liters of paint you will require according to your wall dimensions.

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Each room of your home will have a personality or 'feel' that is unique. If you can capture the spirit of the room and harness it to your perfect décor ideas you are sure to create a wonderfully warm and welcoming home.

xoxo

Amber

Real Potential

While kitchens and bathrooms give the most return on investment, not every homeowner is prepared to undergo a major remodel. Particularly if they want the home sold within a specific timeline. So in a case where the home is old and outdated, if you present it well, you can help buyers appreciate these rooms for what it could be.

After we staged

A fresh coat of paint, crisp white towels and shower curtain, black and white scenic art, greenery, and a few shiny accessories... coordinating these items together in the room help renew and refresh the space, diminishing attention to the dated finishes.

Before we staged

The fall real estate market is upon us so if you think you're ready to sell, now is the time to call me for a pre-staging consult and we can book your staging date. In the meantime, while you're thinking about that move, here is an interesting post to peruse on Why real estate heats up as the sun sets on summer.

Ground Rules for Roommates

Are you or your son or daughter living in a dorm or apartment? Here's a great read from houzz.com on 13 ways to keep the peace with roommates.

Well, the kids are back in school full swing. Where did the time go? ...Summer just came and left. And speaking of time, this year is a significant time in our household. We have entered into a new phase where our first born, who in his emerging adulthood years, has now gone away to start university. I am overall happy, although am with mixed emotions. Our home is not the same.

Photo: Houzz: By Robeson Design

Setting the Stage

Beds should take center stage when you walk into a master bedroom. Creating a symmetrical look using lamps and side tables give a sense of "peace and balance" ....not something that would be necessarily in the forefront of the buyer's mind when shopping for a home, but a calm and inviting space is what sparks interest and stimulates those "buying" sensibilities.

Mississauga project. Originally there was only one nightstand in this master bedroom. In order to create symmetry, we found a matching nightstand that we were able to take from another bedroom. Rentals included are a set of lamps, accent cushions, a throw, tabletop accessories, and artwork. The homeowner purchased the quilted coverlet which we recommended. They can bring the coverlet to their next home and easily use it to match any colour scheme they choose since it is a neutral colour.

Thornhill project. The client had already vacated the property but to save costs, they were able to leave some furniture behind for staging. The furniture was dated but adequate enough to create the desired effect. With the right adornments, we were able to achieve a fresh look. Rentals added to this master bedroom are a set of lamps, bedding, pillows and accent cushions, tabletop accessories and artwork.

Markham project. This master bedroom was completely renewed after we had the original wood finish of the beadboard wainscoting painted. We re-positioned the bed to the center of the wall and dressed it with lovely silk bedding the homeowner had. We took the drapery panels from another room since it was more suitable and coordinated well with this room. The rentals we brought in to finish the look are a set of nightstands, set of lamps, accent cushions, and art.

If you are planning to put your home on the market soon, call us and book a consultation. For occupied homes, we take pride in having a vision for any style presented to us, utilizing your own belongings as much as possible. We will put together a custom staging quote that is unique to you based on an equitable budget and your home's requirements.

Imelda :-)