FSBO Jane

You might not believe me, but fashion experts are claiming that the next big trend to take over home furnishings is going to be corduroy! Lots of retro 60s and 70s styles have resurfaced in the fashion world, and corduroy is no exception. Levi announced early in 2010 that they were releasing an all-new, all-corduroy line of clothing. As I’ve mentioned before, home decorating trends follow clothing trends.

The trend will probably take off by the end of summer or early fall, so to get ahead of the crowd, start thinking about how you’ll incorporate corduroy into your home decor. Start small, such as covering a chair with a corduroy slipcover or adding throw pillows with corduroy pillow slips. Incorporate a thin strip of corduroy into your draperies, or cover a picture frame with corduroy fabric.

How do you prevent your corduroy from looking outdated? Buy the version available now rather than finding old corduroy furnishings at a flea market. Like every type of old fashion that comes back around, the new version is tweaked in some way to make it look modern and sleek. Also, bright colors will complement contemporary decor, such as corduroy in pure white or vibrant yellow. Good luck!

Fashion experts have named turquoise the shade of the new decade. So whether you’re shopping for clothes, furniture or bed sheets, chances are you’re going to notice shades of turquoise. As a lover of the bright blue hue that reminds me of the ocean or a cloudless summer day, I’m a huge fan of incorporating the newest trend into my décor!

That isn’t to say that you should cover every wall with turquoise wallpaper, every cabinet and countertop with turquoise paint and every floor with turquoise carpeting. Think of it more as an accent color that beautifully corresponds with neutral colors that you already display. Tans, grays, browns, whites and blacks all agree with turquoise. If you match it with light shades of beige or cream, turquoise creates a calm, tranquil atmosphere. Matched with dark grays or browns, turquoise will really pop and create a bold statement. There are also numerous hues of turquoise itself, such as a grayed version that looks sophisticated and historical, or a bright lagoon hue that is full of energy and vibrancy.

Turquoise also holds many different meanings around the world. In some cultures, turquoise is believed to be a protective lucky charm, while other cultures see it as a color of deep compassion, healing, faith or inspiration. You can choose what turquoise means to you and work from there. In the bedroom, it can bring balance, harmony and calmness. In the kitchen, it can bring energy and entertainment.

For wall colors, decorating experts recommend combining turquoise with warm, rich colors, such as olive, amber or coral, or with bright colors, such as light greens, bright yellows or cobalt blues. You can paint one wall a solid hue of turquoise, blend turquoise with other colors in a designer wall pattern, paint moldings turquoise, or even paint the ceiling turquoise, like the sky.

Aside from painting, accessorizing with turquoise offers endless possibilities! In the dining room, you could set the table with turquoise dishware, table settings, napkins or a flower vase. In the kitchen, find turquoise appliances, which are readily available right now, such as coffee pots and toasters. In any room, add patterned curtains, throw rugs, pillows, blankets or artwork that incorporate the color turquoise. Accessories can be added or replaced at any time, so get creative!

If you’ve already experimented with turquoise, the color for 2010, let us know what you’ve done with it!

There’s nothing especially impressive about this quick tip, but it works. In terms of decluttering, remember this: Trash.

• Simply put, if you don’t use an item, trash it.
• If you don’t need an item, give it away.
• If there is no place for an item, find one or get rid of it.

Decluttering can seem overwhelming when you’re looking at a room filled with knick-knacks, so pick a place to start, and take it one item and a time.

If you have children, this blog is for you. No matter what age your children are now, eventually, they will grow into teens and will want to eliminate anything that reminds them of childhood. Why do most children go through this transitional phase of suddenly hating all their cuddly stuffed animals and Disney princess décor after years of idolizing them? Maybe they’re afraid of their friends making fun of them if they don’t destroy childhood idols fast enough, or maybe they want to prove to themselves (and their parents!) that they aren’t kids anymore and they deserve a grownup bedroom. Whatever the reason, you might as well prepare yourself for this day that brings a hardcore remodeling job to your duties as a parent.

What should a teenage bedroom look like? The Better Homes and Gardens website explores different color schemes and decorating ideas to help you down the right path. Here are some major areas of the room to consider:

Colors

You and your teenager should decide what colors he or she enjoys now and will continue to enjoy for years to come. A female teen might opt for a bright room full of orange hues that coincide beautifully with maroon and plum shades, or she might opt for a softer, more neutral room with lavender or pastel pink walls, chiffon curtains and a white bedspread to counteract the colors. A male teen might want to stick with white walls and deep blue or black furniture (black is not a bad thing!), or he might want to paint his walls the color of his favorite sports team, along with some framed player photos or hanging jerseys.

Accessories

The room should still be fun, just not childish. Some accessories that could add to the fun factor might include a canopy over a girl’s bed, a sports logo stenciled onto a boy’s wall, a modern shelving unit to help organize and show off framed photos of homecoming and prom dances, a cozy corner with chairs and bean bags for friends, movie posters, vases of flowers, a desk with computer space, a full-length mirror, a miniature TV and more. You don’t want to include so much in the room that the teen never feels the need to leave (is a mini fridge really necessary?) but you want to include enough so that the teen feels comfortable in his or her private space.

Furniture

You don’t have to toss all the old furniture. Chances are you can spruce up what’s already in the room with some fresh paint and accessories! Paint a wooden dresser white and paint the drawers or knobs an accent color found on the walls or bedspread. Have fun with it. This is a job you and your can do together! Also, to add colorful oomph, add pillows and throw rugs to the room’s ensemble instead of replacing furniture. Allow for one drastic change, like replacing the twin bed with a double bed, switching carpeting for hardwood, or adding a computer desk or TV.

The most important thing to remember is that each teenager is an individual. Just because your son or daughter no longer finds cartoon wallpaper appealing, it doesn’t mean that he or she doesn’t appreciate all the time you spent creating that themed bedroom. Changes are necessary as children age, so make the most of this time with your teen as you together come up with a renovation plan!

Already been through the process of altering your child’s room to a teen-appropriate room? Share your stories or advice below!

Looking for a new décor style? Trendir, a home decorating trends magazine, suggests decorating with symmetrical style. What does this mean? Going square. According to Trendir, “the clean lines and simple, geometric design [is] ideal for contemporary-style homes.” They suggest going as large, small and oddly shaped as you wish, with the sky as the limit.

What can you add in a squared or cubed form? Try a sofa with obvious edges that make it appear sharp and contrasting with the rest of the room. Choose a soft, plush material that is still comfortable for lounging. Other options include square tables, square ottomans, square televisions with obvious frames, square pillows on the couch, a square throw rug or square wall hangings. The example of wall décor that Tredir provides is a full-length image of a keyboard with obvious square keys.

For more images and ideas, visit Trendir.com.

Have you always dreamed about living in a trendy industrial loft? What if you could do that without moving to a big city, without giving up a backyard and without paying a hefty price for your pad? I’m here to show you how to get the look of a loft without making a big move, sacrificing space or spending too much money.

First, consider the location…within your home. If you don’t have an open floor plan, a loft-like living room might look a little awkward next to your country kitchen. Also, at the risk of redoing your entire home, rather than just one room, you may want to choose an unused space like the basement, the attic or the bonus room over the garage. These spaces typically don’t fit with the rest of the house and take on a personality of their own when finished and decorated. By choosing to redecorate one of these low-traffic spaces, you can still pursue your dream while having a functional home that meets your needs and possibly the needs of a new owner should you ever sell the property.

Now, on to the construction…

• Exposed Brick: If you know that brick exists behind the plaster in your finished basement, you need to consider the condition of the bricks and the absence of insulation before you knock down any walls. Cut a small hole in the wall first to test the waters. If you need to install brick, you can do so easily by applying veneers. The process of creating a brick face is similar to that of adhering a backsplash onto the wall of your kitchen.

• Exposed Ductwork: You would most likely deal with exposed ductwork in an unfinished basement. So if your basement is not finished, you may already have a loft-like ceiling! If your home boasts a finished basement with a tile ceiling, you can easily lift up one of the tiles to see the condition of the ductwork. Consult a professional contractor before you knock down a drywalled ceiling.

• Flooring: Hardwood floors are typical of lofts. Feel free to choose any type of wood you want. However, if you want to keep costs low, a Pergo or laminate faux wood floor is the best option. You can always add area rugs for added flair and comfort.

• Painting: Where is your “loft?” And what kind of look do you want? If you constructed this industrial space in an unfinished basement, inexpensive spray paint allow you to create your own custom designs and replicate an urban graffiti style. If you’re working with a finished basement or attic space, paint the drywall yourself. Neutral hues like black, brown, tan and gray are good base tones. A colored accent wall is common in many lofts and may make a smaller room appear larger.

• Artwork: A typical urban loft shows somewhat like a gallery. However, you don’t need to spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on an original Monet or DaVinci. Create your own unique works of art by framing personal photos, magazine clippings or travel calendar pictures. You could also use patterned wallpaper.

• Mix & Match Design: Today’s “modern” décor is all about mixing new pieces with old. This look is easily achievable by purchasing a new expensive piece and complementing it with vintage pieces from yard sales or thrift stores. You can also separate your large space into smaller areas using multi-functional dividers like a long dresser, a trunk, lockers, or an island, depending on the look you’re going for and what is available to you.

Every potential home buyer unconsciously looks for a house that feels like a home. As a home seller, you’re duty is to make your home feel like a home to all those who enter it. To do this, focus on creating a homey ambiance for open houses. Ways to accomplish this feeling through the five senses:

• Smell: Light scented candles, such as a soothing lavender or a delicious birthday cake. Allow the scents to coincide with the time of year and upcoming holidays. In the mornings, brew a fresh pot of coffee. In the afternoons, bake a batch of homemade cookies.
• Flavor: Offer the freshly brewed coffees and freshly baked cookies to your potential homebuyers. Provide flavored coffee creamers, and include a backup, healthier alternative for those who deny a cookie.
• Sight: Use the time of year to help decorate your home. Add odds and ends to your neutral décor when a holiday is coming up, but otherwise, keep it simple. Use warm colors, declutter tables and bookshelves, and store away any personal items, such as family photos.
• Sound: Feel free to have some soft music playing in the background, but nothing that will make people feel uncomfortable. Choose a soft-rock radio station over a heavy metal station, for example.
• Touch: Incorporate appealing fabrics into your décor, such as a soft fleece blanket on the back of a couch, or satin curtains around a window. Though these aspects aren’t staying with the home, they still allow the buyer to imagine living there and enjoying the homey aspects.

One of my favorite decorating blogs is Nesting Place, where The Nester’s motto is “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.”

A recent post described the importance of having seating space in your home, so that you can accommodate guests. I loved that point!

I have this little game that I play with myself. To me it’s fun, but I’m the type who would never want to bungee jump or anything. I always try to see how many different seats I can get in our main living area/family room. This room has 11. You can’t see the ottoman on the other side of the red chair.

Read the rest of the article here.

Holidays usually bring a fun, festive décor into your home, and a decorating diversion to look forward to. However, while you are trying to sell your house, the rules change. Do you want a potential homebuyer to remember your decorations or to remember your house? For home sellers, keeping the decorations to a bare minimum is the best choice you can make. This October, here’s a list of Halloween do’s and don’ts to help you out:

• Do decorate with festively fall décor, such with as pumpkins, an array of gourds and squash, seasonal mums, and inside, freshly picked apples. About a week before Halloween, carve the pumpkins and place a candle inside to light up the design. Dispose of the pumpkins on Nov.1.

• Do place some sort of festive greeting or wreath on your front door, and Halloween stickies are okay to stick onto one window, such as the window above your kitchen sink, or the window in a child’s bedroom. Don’t go overboard.

• Do add decorations on Halloween day: this is the day to go all out and not worry as much about potential homebuyers. For trick-or-treaters, create an explosion of spooks and shrills in your entryway by hanging spider webs in the corners, flanking a staircase or doorway with carved, lit up pumpkins, hanging a skeleton or ghost from the door, or setting up a masked monster on a bench. Take down all décor by Nov. 1.

• Do offer homebuyers’ leftover Halloween candy for a week or two after the holiday has ended! Fill a festive bowl and leave it on the kitchen table or island.

• Don’t allow your Halloween decorations to be the first thing that potential homebuyers notice about your house. Keep the outdoor decorations to a minimum, such as a few pumpkins, in order to keep the focus on the house itself.

• Don’t scare away potential homebuyers, literally. You want them to feel welcomed, not scared. Steer away from hanging skeletons and swaying ghosts, and definitely forget the talking gravestones and creepy musical tunes.

• Don’t clutter your interior with unnecessary objects. If your fireplace mantel is a central selling point, don’t cover it up with sticks, leaves and pinecones. Don’t switch custom window curtains or classy tablecloths with Halloween alternatives.

• Don’t leave Halloween costume scraps around in the open, and hang finished costumes and props away in a closet. You want buyers to walk away from your house remembering your house, not the intriguing costume that they now want to recreate!

No matter what time of year you are selling your home, the home itself comes first. You’ll have plenty of future years to decorate your new home.

If you’re selling your home this fall season, or if you’re just looking to perk up your home’s décor, try incorporating fall accents into your interior! I look forward to fall every year, mostly for the pumpkin farms, apple picking, corn mazes, haunted houses and my favorite, hot cinnamon apple donuts. If you’re like me, and all those other people whom seem to share my love for fall, you will feel much better about the end of summer once your interior feels cozy and homey.

Once upon a time, I sold my house during the fall season. I couldn’t wait to incorporate fall into my open houses! Beforehand, I flanked my front door with giant pumpkins that I bought at a local pumpkin patch. On my backyard patio, I created an autumn masterpiece! I bought an oversized straw cornucopia from a hobby store, and then I filled it with an assortment of gourds that I bought from a farmers market. I got lots of compliments on that. Inside, I didn’t have a fireplace mantel, so I decorated a wooden shelf that rested over my desk. I filled it with twigs and pinecones. I also bought an array of fake colored leaves from the hobby store, and I tied branches together to make them look like mini trees. These were scattered throughout my house. I also placed a mini pumpkin on each stair of my staircase that lead upstairs. That might have been a little much.

On the day of the open house, I would light fall-scented candles throughout the house. My favorite was cinnamon apple, because it reminded me of my favorite donuts! In the kitchen, I baked chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin bread. This way, I could offer potential buyers sweet delights while also filling the kitchen with food aromas! What better way to help a potential buyer imagine living in my house than to actually put my kitchen appliances to use?

These were just my ideas. There are lots of more creative ideas out there, and some of my favorites I found from Better Homes and Gardens and from the Buy Owner Blog. Good luck, and feel free to share your own ideas below!