Archive for May, 2010

One of the first questions I ask a new client is “How long do you expect to live here?”  My design advice differs If you plan to sell in less than 2 years versus staying longer.  Homeowners should decorate their home for themselves unless the move is imminent.

1)  If a sale is in the near future, fresh paint is the easiest and cheapest way to update the house.  I’m an advocate of color, but a potential buyer won’t be able to get past bold turquoise or burgundy walls.

2)  Arranging furniture is difficult for most people and impossible for the seller.  The biggest and hardest thing the seller has to do is downsize.  Grandma’s antique chair (or hutch or table or whatever) may be a beloved favorite, but if it’s taking up space, send it to storage.


3)  The buyer’s first impression should be “wow, look at how big this room is!”  That will be achieved when the clutter and excess is gone.


4)  The furniture should be arranged toward a focal point.  That could be the fireplace if there is one.  Otherwise, the view or a beautiful piece of artwork or even the TV.


5)  A furniture plan should allow for easy mobility and separate the seating area from the walk path or the front door.


6)  If the home has an open plan, there should be some distinction between the areas.  The dining room should be separate from the living space.


7)  Cleanliness and neatness should be the first item on the to-do list for the seller.  Potential buyers can overlook paint and carpeting, but will run for exit if the first thing they see is dirt and disorganization and chaos!

8)  Of course curb appeal can kill a sale before the potential buyer gets in the door.  A well maintained yard is a must.  Make sure there isn’t any peeling paint or shutters or gutters in disrepair.

Miss Muffet would be jealous of this fabulous chair!

I have had this great little bistro style chair hanging in my shed since last fall.  I should say my husband’s shed.  I get the house and he gets the shed.  He doesn’t touch my “stuff” and I don’t mess with anything in his 4500 square foot garage.  It’s the perfect trade off!  I do all the interior design at inside and he does all the outside work!   I do, however, store a few items in there once in a while.

A cut little bistro style chair in it's original yellow paint and vinyl seat

This chair for instance.  It was a great find for $9.99 at Goodwill.  I wanted to do something very girly in hot pink, so my 7 year old niece Kayla became the inspiration and recipient.  I knew it would be perfect for a child’s bedroom.

The glitter really sold me on this tulle!

I was very excited when I found this glittered fuchsia tulle and a floral fabric and embroidered trim to go with it.

Green paint really updates the look of the chair

A little sand paper to rough up the finish and a can of neon green spray paint updated the chair from the 1970’s.

The old seat batting was in good shape.

The black and white vinyl seat was stapled on and easy to remove.  Then I cut a piece of the fabric 2” wider than the seat and attached it with a staple gun.

A staple gun is the handiest tool when covering chair seats

I gathered a double layer of tulle by hand and stapled it to the seat making the gathers even all the way around.

Never cut off the excess fabric until you are satisfied with the fullness.

Instead of cutting off the excess netting, I folded it up for extra fullness and sewed it in place.  You could glue the trim to the fabric, but hand stitching is neater (no mess) and you have greater control.

The floral trim is the finishing touch

Miss Muffet would have loved this chair

I happened to find the lime green pom-poms in my stash that were a perfect match.  It turned out so cute and just right for a girly little seven year old.

A chair fit for a little princess (or even a Queen)

Adding  style and design to any room can be as simple as a trip to a resale shop and fabric store.  Go ahead, brighten your home with color!