Guest Post: Your Spring Maintenance Checklist

by Dane O’Leary

As another long winter (finally) winds to a close, it’s time to think about letting out some of that stale and stagnant air, doing some spring cleaning to give your home a freshening-up, and of course getting some routine maintenance done. With mild weather right around the corner, your home is mostly likely in need of some upkeep in preparation for the hot summer. Here’s a list of maintenance essentials for you to get your home ready for spring.

Starting at the Top

Perhaps the best place to begin your spring maintenance is on the roof. Winter tends to be a punishing time for your home’s roof, especially those years when snowfall is heavier and more frequent than others. The dawning of mild warmth is the perfect time to get up there and check things out. Chances are that you probably already know if you have a leak — one of those things you usually have to learn the hard way — so you can take steps to get your roof back in tip-top shape. In particular, you’ll also want to look for shingles that are loose, broken, or missing and need to be replaced.

via Gutter Supply

Another important item on your inspection list is your gutters. By spring, you’ll have accumulation of fall foliage and winter precipitation that can really do a number on your gutters. It’s not the most enjoyable task — nobody likes being up to their elbows in wet, decomposing leaves and twigs — but the longer you wait, the worse it’ll be. Additionally, since spring tends to be a rainy season, this is something you’ll want to do before you get lots of precipitation; if your gutters are backed up, the runoff from lots of rain could damage your home’s foundation and cause an even worse problem.

On the Ground

Once your roof is in good shape again, you can take your battle to the ground. In particular, you want to look at all your landscaping and shrubbery that hasn’t gotten any attention for six months or more.  Spring is a great time for weeding. The soil is moist, but it’s not too cold so all those pesky weeds should slide right out of the ground. It’s also a good idea to trim back any dead annuals and perennials if you didn’t already do that in the fall. If your plants have been occupying the same areas for several years, it might be a good idea to mix some fertilizer into your gardens and flowerbeds so that new growth has plenty to eat.

Fresh Paint

You’ve tended to your roof and gutters, given your gardens a trim and prune. Now it’s time to consider giving your home a fresh coat of paint. If you paint your home’s exterior, this is probably the first painting project you’ll want to tackle since it’s the biggest. On the inside, it’s probably not necessary to paint your entire home, but it’s definitely a good idea to paint key areas like the kitchen and bathrooms since these areas see a lot of moisture and build-up of miscellaneous airborne funk.

via The Guardian

Rooms like the office, living room, and bedrooms don’t necessarily need a fresh coat of paint, but if you’re ambitious it certainly wouldn’t hurt. If you’d rather not paint those rooms, you could consider giving the walls a good once-over with a hot, soapy rag. Just make sure you ring the excess water from your cleaning cloth before putting it to the walls so that it’s not totally saturated. This is a great way to get all the dust and build-up off your walls while also making your paint more vibrant. It’ll look almost like you’ve give your entire house a fresh coat of paint.

Spring Cleaning

Last but certainly not least is the infamous springtime cleaning extravaganza. This is one of the most notorious cleaning sprees known universally throughout our entire culture. Though most of us aren’t enthusiastic about cleaning, there’s something unquestionably invigorating about getting rid of excess clutter, re-organizing, vacuuming, shampooing carpet, and moving fall and winter decor back into the attic. Perhaps it’s fueled by the excitement of summer being just around the corner or anticipation of not wearing socks for the foreseeable future.

via Sustainable Lafayette

Spring cleaning is the time of year for washing curtains, scrubbing floors, planning a yard sale to get rid of all the stuff we’ve amassed in only six months of hibernation, and using lots of cleaners and bleach. What’s makes spring cleaning so satisfying is definitely observing the fruits of our labor: There’s really nothing quite like the look, feel, and smell of a freshly cleaned, organized, de-cluttered, disinfected, polished home that says, “Spring is really here.”

*****

Dane O'Leary is a writer for Modernize.com. Visit their website to find inspiration for your home. If you are in the U.S. this site is also a great resource to connect with home improvement professionals in your area.

Staging with Pantone's Colour of the Year

Pantone is a company recognized throughout the world as the leading authority on colour. Every year a colour is declared as "Pantone's Colour of the Year" and this year's colour (2015) is.... Marsala.

In recognition of this lovely, deep and rich colour, I'm sharing some before and after pictures of a master bedroom we staged using this colour.

To give you an idea of how the staging process goes, I will take the 'before' shot during my initial visit to the house when I meet with the homeowner for the pre-staging consultation.  During this initial visit, I will give my recommendations of improvements that should be done prior to listing the home for sale as well as other tasks to complete in preparation for my next visit, which is when I come back to stage the home. Because each home is different, my recommendations will differ depending on the home. In this particular case, the house was fairly new, so there were next to zero repairs or upgrades needed. The walls were neutral in colour and still in good condition, therefore repainting was not necessary. Keep in mind, when I present my recommendations, it is entirely up to you as the homeowner to decide how much time and money to invest in this endeavor. If there are budget restrictions, we can prioritize the work and scale down how many rental items are brought in for staging.

So here is the 'before' shot....

Before

The following reveals my thought process when I am assessing your home and how I plan for what rental items are needed for staging....

These are small changes but all these enhancements make a big impact on the room's appearance, as you can see here in the 'after' shots....

After

After

The most significant change was adding the white duvet to the bed. This immediately brightened the room and accentuated the deep, rich marsala colour used in the room. The white also offsets the dark colour of the furniture and the floors, keeping the room from feeling dark and dingy.

As for the colour of the year, marsala?... Back in the day it was called 'burgundy.' And, well, it certainly brings back memories of my youth... as do several other colours that have come back in popularity, like emerald green, navy blue, gold, and amethyst. Usually, my initial reaction is why???? But, somehow we are able to keep it current and learn how to use it in slightly different ways that are better, fresher and modern. And we learn to love it all over again!

Here are some images I've gathered to give you more ideas of how you can incorporate the color, marsala, into your home.

Images: Pantone; Imelda Smith; Urban Outfitters; Apartmenttherapy; Etsy; Dailyfix; Cococozy; Style Me Pretty; decor8; The Everygirl

Making Your Guests Feel At Home

With the holidays around the corner it's that time of the year now when days are full with company parties, Christmas shopping, wrapping presents, decorating the house and making sure your home is clean and ready to receive guests. Out of town family and friends usually mean they will be staying overnight, so why not make their stay memorable by making a room for them that is comfortable and welcoming? Here is a guest bedroom I was asked to finish. We had to work with the existing colours, so the challenge was bringing together the yellow on the walls and the grayish purpley hue of the bed linens to make the colour combination more palatable.

Before

After

Before

After

How would you like to be a guest in this bedroom?

And, to help you with those little "extras," here is a checklist I took from realsimple.com  that you can follow to make your guests feel at home and well taken care of.

• Have a spare key made.Tell guests where it will be hidden (if they’ll arrive while you’re out) or hand it over when they get there, so they aren’t ringing the doorbell every time they return.

• Make the bed with clean sheets.If you have a guest room, freshen up its linens.

• Test the air mattress.If your “guest room” is a blow-up mattress in the living room, see that it’s in good condition. Inflate it to make sure there are no holes, and, if you have time, vacuum the surface so it’s free of dust.

• Gather extra pillows and blankets.Guests may be used to sleeping with two pillows, so an extra set (stored under the bed) is a good idea. Fold an extra blanket and lay it nearby in case guests get cold.

• Make room in a closet.If there’s a closet in your guest room, be sure that it isn’t stuffed with Christmas decorations and such. If there’s no guest room, clear a little space in your own closet for a suit jacket or dress that needs to be hung.

• Buy (or create) a suitcase stand.Clear off a storage trunk or have a folding stand ready for guests’ luggage. It will help them stay organized and keep the room neater.

• Have toiletries readily accessible.All of those mini bottles you've collected from hotels? Use them! Have shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, a bar of soap, and toothpaste in plain sight in the guest bathroom. If you’re sharing a bathroom, leave toiletries in a basket by the bed.

• Set out a spare towel.Consider offering one that’s a different color from your everyday towels, so a guest knows which is hers.

• Buy or make a few snacks.Have breakfast basics on hand: coffee, orange juice, fruit, granola, muffins. Small snacks for the afternoon will likely be appreciated too.

• Create a list of possible activities.Think about what guests might want to do when they visit, and know when shops or museums are open.

• Gather local magazines, brochures, and maps.If you’re heading to work instead of playing tour guide, have the local paper or magazines available with listings of attractions. Get a local bus or subway map, or provide directions if guests are driving.

• Put a few books near the bed.Give guests something to read before they go to sleep. If there’s an interesting book about your town, even better.

• Leave important phone numbers.Put together a list of emergency contacts in case something happens while you’re out. Give the name and number of a neighbor, family member, even a plumber (if you have tricky toilets)—anyone whom guests might need in a pinch.

• Write down household instructions.How does the remote control work? What’s the deal with that newfangled alarm system? Give guests some pointers in case they’re stumped while you’re gone.

Enjoy this time with your family and friends and may your home be filled with Christmas songs, cakes, candies and all the love that this festive season brings!

Lest We Forget

Today we are honouring Canadian men and woman who have served our country.  We are forever indebted to those who fought, and those who died, and those who continue to fight for our peace and our freedom.

Here are some interesting facts about the origin and history of Remembrance Day...

1. Remembrance Day was first observed in 1919 throughout the British Commonwealth. It was originally called “Armistice Day” to commemorate armistice agreement that ended the First World War on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m.—on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
2. From 1921 to 1930, Armistice Day was held on the Monday of the week in which November 11 fell. In 1931, Alan Neill, Member of Parliament for Comox–Alberni, introduced a bill to observe Armistice Day only on November 11. Passed by the House of Commons, the bill also changed the name to “Remembrance Day”. The first Remembrance Day was observed on November 11, 1931.
3. Every year on November 11, Canadians pause in a moment of silence to honour and remember the men and women who have served, and continue to serve Canada during times of war, conflict and peace. We remember the more than 1,500,000 Canadians who have served throughout our nation’s history and the more than 118,000 who made the ultimate sacrifice.
4. The poppy is the symbol of Remembrance Day. Replica poppies are sold by the Royal Canadian Legion to provide assistance to Veterans.
5. Remembrance Day is a federal statutory holiday in Canada. It is also a statutory holiday in three territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut) and in six provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador).
6. The national ceremony is held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. The Governor General of Canada presides over the ceremony. It is also attended by the Prime Minister, other government officials, representatives of Veterans’ organizations, diplomatic representatives, other dignitaries, Veterans as well as the general public.
7. In advance of the ceremony, long columns of Veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, RCMP officers, and cadets march to the memorial lead by a pipe band and a colour guard. At the end of the ceremony, they march away to officially close the ceremony.
8. Some of the 54 Commonwealth member states, such as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, observe the tradition of Remembrance Day on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Other nations observe a solemn day but at different dates. For example, ANZAC Day is observed in New Zealand on April 25. In South Africa, Poppy Day is marked on the Sunday that falls closest to November 11.
9. Many nations that are not members of the Commonwealth also observe Remembrance Day on November 11, including France, Belgium and Poland.
10. The United States used to commemorate Armistice Day on November 11. However, in 1954 they changed the name to Veterans Day.

From Veterans Affairs Canada- " 10 Quick Facts on... Remembrance Day."

Image: SantaBanta

Open House: My Sweet Paradise

Thank you, polar vortex...  first the ice storm, where we lost power for 2 days, and thank goodness we got it back in time for Christmas!  Now, we're hearing government agency warnings saying, "exposed skin may freeze in less than 5 minutes."  These crazy sub-zero temperatures we've been having make it hard to believe that we are only two weeks into winter!  To say it is "bone chilling" is not an exaggeration!  So now I am dreaming about living somewhere warmer and perhaps one day owning a house in Bermuda.  Given the restrictions the Bermuda Government has for buying property there, it is a plausible thought-- because my husband is Bermudian, born in Bermuda but raised in Canada. But is it possible?-- well, if you know anything about Bermuda, real estate is not cheap and neither is it cheap to live there... we'll need to start making a shitload more money! Anyway, a girl can dream... I found the perfect house and it's up for sale now listed by Sotheby's.

It is just over 2,500 square feet, with 4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths.  Located in Pembroke, it is described as "the quintessential Bermuda house with panoramic views over the North Shore."  Have a look!....

It's picture perfect!

I am indifferent about the verandahs on the new homes being built in Toronto.
But here, it makes so much more sense.  I love this wrap-around verandah!

A gorgeous view of the Atlantic ocean.  Some beautiful sunsets can be watched here!

I would redecorate the principle rooms... make it lighter and fresher.

I'm picturing a colour scheme of pastel blues and greens... think Sarah Richardson style.

Aside from adding some accent pieces to tie in with my new colour scheme
for the house, I wouldn't change anything in this kitchen  I love it!

The master bedroom could use some tweaking.  Just some
cosmetic changes.

Isn't it pretty?  I love the shutters!

The million dollar view...

The price tag for this home is $1.85 million USD.  You can view the listing here.


For now, I will just imagine being in the warmer climate and reminisce our last vacation there.  Let me share the warmth....

And, yes, the water really is that blue! ....no filter.

Regards,

Imelda

We are currently booking stagings for January.

Please contact me at (416)464-1781 or imeldasmithhomestaging (at) gmail (dot) com

for a consultation if you plan to list your home in the near future.

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...