GIVING THANKS & GATHERING with style.

This time of year is always sentimental. We've got food on our minds, but more importantly, friends & family in our hearts. It's so nice to gather around a home cooked meal and spend time with those we love. No matter where you call "home", decorating is certainly part of the tradition. Transforming your space allows your personal touch to not only shine, but uplifts everyone's spirit and reflects the blessing of all we've been given.

This week, we kick off a little decorating spirit with our first Facebook LIVE event. Hosted by First for Women magazine on Monday 11/21 at 1pm, Kelli will show you how to create a stylish yet simple place setting just in time for the holiday season.

This year's most popular trend seems to be adding natural elements to the table. This is great because you don't need to spend money to transform your space into a warm and stylish setting. 

There are so many ways to incorporate organic style into the home at the holidays. The table setting is certainly a popular place to start the creative juices flowing. Here are a few other hotspots in the house that can bring some extra style to the party.

~The Porch~

Another perk to having fresh snips of greenery around the house is that you can use items you already have in the house. Kelli will be touching on this with her table styling tips, but it really is great to accumulate less "new stuff" when we can. Perhaps it's because we see so many homes and so much STUFF when staging homes and editing out the clutter. It sure seems like a good idea to recycle some of our holiday goodies. 

The kitchen is certainly a hot spot for adults but can we discuss this ADORABLE kitchen for kids?!?!

Via PB Kids

I saw this in person and just died. It looks like my new grown up kitchen! 

Another space that can be so much fun to decorate is the Guest Room! Adding personal holiday touches helps make your guests feel extra special.

SHOP THIS LOOK

Here are few other favorites to give as Hostess gifts or simply enjoy for yourself.

SHOP the Fave's

For the Hostess gift: This book, with a cute candle and bottle of wine in a little wire basket. Favorite recipe from the Sunday Supper book:

So, hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and we look forward to our discussions from Kelli's Facebook LIVE event!

Happy Holidays!!

*Sponsored post

DESIGN STAGE with Kelli Webber

Staging your house & need a little help?

Just Ask Kelli   

Q: "I bought new bedding for the beds but I'm not sure how they should be made?"

{Kelli} A: I recently posted pictures of all the beds I have styled recently on my various projects and received emails asking how I make a bed look so good (why thank you, btw), so if you want to style a bed like me you'll need 2 things:

1. Clean bedding – because a bed can’t look gorgeous if it’s dirty, that’s science.  

2. A Steamer (here is the one I use which I bought with a 20% off coupon at Bed, Bath & Beyond and is the best $40 bucks I ever spent)  - because nothing looks good wrinkled.

While I have my favorite way to make a bed (I’ll reveal this later on), not all bed making is created equal. So first and foremost to consider; “Who is sleeping in the bed?” 

Hopefully it’s not the 3 little bears! In my world, and for this blog post, there are two rooms that take priority for a great looking bed; 

1. The Master Bedroom is the sweet spot for gorgeous bedding, after all, that is where the “King/Queen(s) of the castle” do sleep! 

1. The Guest Room, where you will comfortably entertain your overnight guests with your amazing new bed making ability. *disclaimer* it’s not my fault if they don’t want to leave. 

The second thing to consider is the style and design or décor in the room. The bed is surely the focal point and centerpiece to a bedroom so it should complement the rest of the room. Depending on the style of the room, there are a few options for how to make the bed accordingly. 

LUXURIOUSLY LAYERED

THIS IS MY FAVE! This is my go-to style of making a bed ESPECIALLY in a Master Bedroom. Simply use a pretty accent blanket or coverlet over your top sheet. Fold your top sheet over the blanket/coverlet right where the bedding pillows end. *TIP: lay your flat sheet on your bed right side DOWN so the right side shows when you do the fold over*.  Take your fluffy duvet or comforter and fold into thirds and lay over the bottom end of the bed! 

The bed shown above is the Master Bedroom in a staging I did in Weston, MA and this home happened to be in a 55+ community. I styled the room with a traditional gold metal bed frame (king size, btw) but made it look more modern flanked with mirrored nightstands and a canvas print overhead. Starting with a crisp white bedding set allowed me to add the luxurious layers in a coral color while topping it off with a few sophisticated, yet neutral, decorative pillows. 

I love the mid-century vibe in this Guest Room. Insert my Luxuriously Layered method and its perfection!  A white (and velvet feel) sheet set laid the foundation for a cool mohair blanket. The duvet was chosen to coordinate with 2 pillow shams, contributing to the layers, but offering a very monochromatic look. 

Another Guest Room here but with all the “feels” of a gorgeous Master Bedroom. The layers here are white and slate blue. The gray upholstered headboard and pattern in the decorative lumbar pillow complete the luxury in the layers.

This is a Master Bedroom in a condo I staged in Cambridge MA. Since the design itself was more modern, I kept all my layers in white, just adding some black and white decorative pillows to tie into the rest of the rooms décor.

SIMPLY SLEEK

This is an easy look to pull off requiring much less thought in the layering department. Simply lay a comforter or duvet over the spanse of the bed and place your pillows at the head. That’s it! 

You do need to be certain the comforter fits well and don't rely on bedding sizes, queen, king etc., not every Queen size comforter is the same size. Factor in that the mattresses themselves also come in varying heights, this is the tricky part of bed-making. 

How do you make sure it fits well? 

Start where you want your comforter to hang on the sides. In most cases, it’s just below the bed-skirt line, while in other cases you may want it to hang to the floor. Measure from this point up to about an inch over the top of the mattress. Take this number and multiply it by 2 (because beds have 2 sides). Now add the width of the bed to that number and you got the measurement for your perfect size Comforter width! Most bedding items will include measurements of their pieces in the description (because they know about the bedding dark side but they just don’t want to tell you).  You may need to buy a size larger depending on what you are going for, especially if you have a tall (deep) mattress.

Here is a Guest Room styled with my Simply Sleek method. The modern design of the room called for this style of bed making. The sides of this platform bed are finished with a nice wooden rail that I wanted to be able to see beyond the comforter. A fur throw softens the cool herringbone pattern of the duvet and the absence of decorative pillows keeps the look super Simply Sleek!

Here is a Master Bedroom in a modern apartment I staged in Boston, MA. I used my Simply Sleek method here combined with my white bedding love. The white duvet here does have a white on white pattern to it to add some texture, but adding a few decorative throw pillows is key to making the all white bedding look work.

One last example for Simply Sleek here, this is a Master Bedroom, waterfront nonetheless in P-Town. You can cheat with this look IF AND ONLY IF you have a bed with pretty side rails. Just skip all the measuring I mentioned earlier and tuck all the bedding in! This look only works with a less fluffy or flat comforter. See how nice it looks? And no one will ever know you cheated. Ssshhhhh.

This is a Guest Room bed I made with my Simply Sleek method but Punched Up with a few decorative pillows. Notice how the colors in the decorative pillows really bring the whole space together!

This Master Bedroom gets the Luxurious Layers treatment but goes all pattern, with a mix of stripes and prints in all the same color way.

The simply Sleek method is a winner in this Master Bedroom but Punched Up with an all over pattern duvet and pillows balanced out only by the solid sheet set and a few neutral decorative pillows

Mixing it up here to show you how I applied the Simply Sleek method to this Guest Room, Punching it Up with many vibrant decorative pillows. This not only made it look fab, but helped define the space as part office too.

And the ultimate *TIP* to make your bed SUPER EASY and come out looking perfect every time is………

Make your bed first,

Steam your bedding second!

No more sweating it out using an ironing board and having to deal with the expanse of bedding with numerous pieces. Just make your bed, then steam it while made! It will look great, perfect even. And for those of us who live in the real world, this is just enough work for what it’s worth, after all, we will be sleeping in our own beds!

So now you can be a skilled bed-maker too!

Send me pics of your newly gorgeous bed! kelli@nestaging.com

The Home Staging Hype- Whats The Point?

I was prepared to offer up some products I used this week in the Staging Challenge, which I will do, but I got a little derailed from my post due to a nasty client email. I thought I'd take this opportunity to do a post on the matter at hand.

Should You Hire A Home Stager?

Here's a little backstory on us. 

I started my home staging business in June of 2006. Prior to launching my business, I was a Realtor. In 2008, I added 12 Home Staging Professionals to my team, including Jennifer, whom is still going strong with me today. We have staged ALOT of homes. Hundreds of homes. I promise on my soul that only a handful of homes have not had a successful sale. Many of those were either so over-priced that they never got a showing, or the home was in a terrible state. 

I'm not saying that every staging has gone like a happy-go-lucky HGTV show, since many of our clients are going through a life change. Many of them have found themselves in a tight financial predicament, going through a divorce, experiencing a death, etc. We've had a few tough experiences trying to help people work through the changes made to their home but overall, we have never had an official customer complaint.  Until December of this year. It's been rough to experience one of our hardest working stagers be completely harassed by a Bully but I'm trying to keep in mind how lucky we have been to have 10 years without a complaint. And let me share with you a couple of examples of the integrity of my team. 

Jennifer Colvin: I received a call from Jen saying that she just left a home staging where the client has cancer, she's a young mom with kids and trying to sell with little time to live. Jennifer donated the consultation, design time, all of the staging items for free and staged her home at no cost. 

Kelli Webber: I've watched Kelli be completely composed in the face of a major professional change while still wishing only good things for everyone involved. 

These ladies are the real deal and I am TRULY blessed to have them on my team and in my life. If you have the pleasure of working with them, I can assure you, they will bend over backwards to help you.

Long story short, I try to find value in every experience and this experience, has led me to this post. 

What should you look for in a home stager?

Why should someone hire a home stager?

What if the staging doesn't work?

Should I invest in renting decor or use the money 

to update features in the house?

With the (unknowing. :)} help of some insight from Jennifer, Kelli and 10 years of staging experience, I have put together some answers to shed light on these questions. 

I realize how these questions are especially important for many reasons.

TIME IS MONEY!

{and} MONEY IS MONEY!

How do you weigh your options?? What should you look for in a home stager?

Q- WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR IN A HOME STAGER?

SF- When you hire any person for their professional expertise, you want to make sure they are in fact a professional. A home stager is a product merchandiser, a "visual expert", if you will. If I were hiring a home stager, I would make sure they have the following:

• A website with a good portfolio of their own work. As a "visual expert", if they cannot properly merchandise themselves, how can they merchandise your home properly?
• At least 2 years experience in a (very) related field. ie: Realtor, Designer, Builder. Hiring an inexperienced stager can result in costly mistakes and unnecessary improvements. If they are making suggestions for kitchen renovations, ask to see photos of kitchens they've done. Ask for photos! There is not a legitimate designer/stager out there that does not have some great photos of their work. 
• Lives and or commonly operates work in the area in which you are selling. Asking your Ethan Allen designer who lives on the other side of the country how your home should be staged will not likely provide accurate advice for your marketplace.
• Talks about your "target market or audience" in the interview process. Your target market plays the utmost importance in the staging process. Your stager needs to operate by those lifestyle drivers when making decisions for your home.
• If you are leasing furniture they should provide you with a contract. Read it and read it again.

On the matter of licensure and home staging designations, in my personal opinion, I do not feel like these are necessary to be a successful Home Stager. There is NO legal licensure for home staging professionals. Are those designations helpful for home stagers? I would say "yes". Are they necessary? I would say "no".  There have been many factors in building success in my staging career. My corporate business background, my real-estate background, my sales ability and an innate design ability. I certainly don't think there is one set of "courses" that can teach the staging business. With that said, having taken a few of the most common staging courses, the course I got the most value out of was earning my MIRM designation with the National Association of Home Builders. 

That one was a DOOZY and no joke. You need some real experience to get through the requirements. (That's why there are so few people that have it. HIGHLY recommend it!)

Q- WHY HIRE A HOME STAGER?

SF- A Professional Home Stager is simply hired to help you merchandise your home for sale. Your Stager will make recommendations based on your home's TARGET MARKET. The goal of home staging is not to "decorate" the house. The goal is to merchandise your home according to buyer preferences. Also, keep in mind that the Home Stager is trying to work with what you have. Does that mean that you wouldn't be better off buying all new stuff? Well, probably all of our houses would look better with all new stuff but that's not a realistic plan. Your Stager is likely trying to work with what you have, prioritize the main rooms and add some affordable decor items.

Your Home Stager can help you implement those recommended changes to the best of their ability but ultimately, it is up to YOU whether or not you choose to make and maintain the changes. Your Home Stager is not a home inspector. It's like the difference between a car "detailer" and a car "mechanic". (sort of.)

Q- WHAT IF THE STAGING DOESN'T WORK? IS THERE A GUARANTEE?

SF-  I am not aware of any Home Stagers that offer a guarantee. This is because there are many other factors that dictate the sale of a home. Showings or buyer traffic quite often is dictated by external factors such as economic conditions.  Interest rate fluctuations can drive more or less potential homebuyers into or out of the market. We do not assume risk with the staging because many things are out of our control once the staging is in place, including: 

• Price point -- we don't play a role in setting the price for your home and thus we can not guarantee that your home is at the place the market dictates
• Cleanliness - we have returned to many staged properties over the years where homeowners let the property go during the selling and it was an obstacle for the selling process.
• Time of year - Buyer traffic is seasonal. Check the average DOM (days on market) in your town to gauge how much time your house might do on the market. Statistically, staging your home can cut this time in half. 

Ultimately the above factors, in conjunction with your agency/agent will drive your traffic.  Make sure to give your home a fair amount of time to sell and most importantly LISTEN to your Realtor. Your Home Stager and Realtor will try to anticipate the feedback and the process but none of us have a crystal ball. If feedback comes up from your buyers, take it and try to remedy it. Don't waste valuable time blaming people for this or that. 

Q- SHOULD I INVEST IN RENTING DECOR OR USE THAT MONEY TO UPDATE THE PERMANENT FEATURES OF THE HOME?

SF- If your home has outdated permanent features that could hinder the sale of your home, I would recommend talking to your Real Estate Agent and a Professional Home Stager to get the answer to that question. It depends on the circumstance. Any changes made to your home while selling should be neutral colors and very sparingly. If your Home Stager suggests you paint or install anything of a color, (like a blue carpet or paint) I would get a second opinion. The hype about "add a pop of color" should ONLY come in through accessories. Unless you are using a professional model home merchandiser, I would be very careful with tackling strong colors in the staging arena.

Buyers are savvy people and for the most part, the staging decor only goes so far before they notice any under lying issues. For example, the house may be looking good but then the buyer opens the oven and sees a disgusting layer of grease that leads them straight out the door. The home inspection may also bring up some issues that your Home Stager did not uncover. 

This is all of course my own opinion however, I am hopeful that it might shed the tiniest bit of light into the staging process. I would love to have questions from readers and for anyone to share their concerns so feel free. I know there are also plenty of stagers that like us, have a Bully client every once in a while and have to try and do what's best to work professionally around that. 

We love our job here and hope that together we can grow a community of people trying to live their dream, create a safe and loving place to live, and have lots of fun along the way.

Happy Selling! xoxo

        

Shipping Off to Boston {to a staged home!}

This past week, I had the pleasure of working with Kelli Webber on a project in Boston, right on the corner of Park and Beacon. Aside from the killer views and the fabulousness of Kelli, I thought this would be a good opportunity to share an example of one of the many versions of "staging" we do.

Kelli's client is coming to Boston from San Francisco and wanted to lease furnishings for 6 months.
Together and from long distance, they worked with Kelli to design a space that they could seamlessly move into, without bringing much from home. Kelli measured and did the space planning for them, selected furnishings through photo sharing and scheduled the install prior to the client's arrival.

And voila, just like that, a furnished space with thoughtful elements from Kelli and even a quick food delivery for a stocked fridge the day before arrival. What a nice way to experience Boston.

These Views!!