Who Would Sell Your Home Faster: The Man Show or Martha Stewart?
If the female of the house is taking over with too much sugar and spice and all things nice... or the confirmed bachelor pad has the house looking more like a men's locker room than a stylish flat... both can be huge turnoffs for prospective buyers touring your home. Tone down the lilac and lace, girls. And guys, a man cave is oh so passe!
Shoes, shoes, and more shoes
Walking into a closet that is deemed a danger zone because of precariously placed stilettos can be a real problem. Sure, the female you're showing a house to will turn to her partner and declare that the closet is just PERFECT for her shoe collection. She'll already be plotting a way to line them up according to heel height. But the guy, on the other hand, will immediately look around the room and think "Great. There's no room for my sparse belongings." If you are an admitted Shoe Monster, consider storing your shoes with some organization - try these shoe stacking bins from the Container Store - BEFORE showing your home to prospective buyers.
Don't over-do the fluffy decorative pillows, floral patterned tableware, or dust-catching collectibles. This isn't your grandmother's house!
Managing the Modern Man Cave
We've witnessed several styles of man caves over the years. We're all familiar with the traditional dank basement or garage with tools and broken-objects-never-fixed. Then there's the sports "lounge" with pool table and mini fridge accessorized with empty beer cans and nacho crumbs. This also takes on the form of video game den with various controllers strewn across the floor and a shrine of energy drinks. Well, these days, the modern man cave is a geek's technology retreat, complete with wild servers and multiple monitors, spare hard drives, blinking lights and the sound of machines lightly humming.
If this sounds like you or yours, you might try switching to wireless devices, such as a wireless keyboard and mice, or a wireless monitor, to minimize unsightly cords. Run your speakers through the wall like a high end home theater. And as for the camera and phone accessories and the video game controllers, keep track of it all with a media rack such as the Coop Tower or the Wire Cube Shelf.
Otherwise, you're limiting the potential of your property to attract those searching for something that's beyond a bachelor pad.
[image of pillow from saksfifthavenue.com, image of cube shelf from CB2]
For more advice on home staging, check out the 21 Designer Tips that Sell Houses from Voila Design.
Read more about our new Real Estate Collective with Voila Design!
Repurposing Works! Aunt Anna’s Headboard in its New Home
Remember Aunt Anna's colorful headboard?
We recently sold it to a fellow who was able to repurpose the headboard for a completely different look in his own home.
Amazing! It goes to show that giving antique furniture with history behind it a second life is such a smart way to save money and be environmentally conscious.
Read more about our new Real Estate Collective with Voila Design!
Related:
Go Green or NO GREEN? Make a Statement!
Own a Piece of Aunt Anna’s Unique Furniture Collection
Defining the Second Bedroom
In the second bedroom you will always find a big question lurking about:
What do you do with me?
Is it a guest bedroom? Does one claim it as an office? Does it become a closet for everything that does not have a place? In many second bedrooms, you will often find chaos, storage, and a collection of lost and unused items. Our second bedroom was waiting for an identity.
We found ourselves using it as a combination office/closet. We knew the room had plenty of potential, and so after designing our dream bedroom, we asked Voila Design what to do about that second bedroom.
While we still need a space to accommodate guests, the room will only serve that purpose a couple of times a year. The rest of the time, our goal is to have a studio where Stephanie can draw and paint. Because we have so many books, it makes sense to store them here and lends to the feel of a functional studio. Stephanie can set up her easel or sit and read, and if guests happen to stop by? They have a bed in the smartly fitted room.
We lucked out on the bookshelves, found at Ikea's as-is sale bin. We added an Asian-inspired coffee table that Voila salvaged from our storage unit. The table has stools that tuck underneath it. We now have a sense of organization and harmony in the second bedroom.
Here is the revamped second bedroom!
Read more about our new Real Estate Collective with Voila Design!
Have a Home Decor Question? Apartment Therapy is in Philly with Answers.
You'll have to wait until Wednesday, when Apartment Therapy hosts a meetup at Mexican Post in Old City. We just saw on Philadelphia Weekly's Style blog that the all things home design site is coming to town. While we worship AT for their wide coverage, which gives us a sense of what everyone else in the country is up to, interior-wise, we do wish they had a Philadelphia section. We're not alone here. Every now and then we see clients or people we know that are featured on the site, and it's always fun to read and see pictures of Philadelphia dwellings.
What will they be doing at Mexican Post, besides sipping margaritas? They'll tackle your dilemmas in a Q&A session. Are you so excited that you just glanced around the room to find all of the potential things that are wrong with it? Good, now go seek some help. The event starts at 6:30 pm.
If you have a burning decor or design-related question any other time, leave it to us! Ever since launching our new real estate collective with Voila Design, we've been knee deep in color schemes, decor trends, and Philly's local resources for furniture and refurbishing. If we can't answer, we can definitely steer you towards the right person.
Related:
Philadelphia’s One and Only Art Hotel
Summer Reading: Make Room for the Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces
The Somers Team Dream Bedroom: Revealed!
If you've been following our bedroom makeover, well, today is your day. Enough teasing.
Here is how it all happened.
One of the biggest concerns for us was the comfort of our bedroom. We agreed with Voila that our sleigh bed commanded too much space in the room and we were not happy with our mattress. What we needed was a platform bed that would bring a level of modern edge, with crisp organic bedding and a pintuck duvet that would give the room a luxe, sanctuary feel. Kathryn from Voila put it best when she promised to turn the room into a "W Hotel experience".
Our bedroom went through a couple of stages during the design process. The change was dramatic and much welcomed.
By adding an accent wall to the beige room, in a gray hue called "Sparrow", and some soft, lush pillows, the earth tones coexist in tandem with the painted side tables (given a fresh coat of white paint from Carter Studios) and a new rug that has comfort written all over it.
It's the little things, like plush new pillows, that make this room extra special.
Platform bed, linens, rug, throw pillows from West Elm. Mattress and pillows from Sleepy's.
Buckhead wall accents, furry pillow, and painting from Pier 1.
Read more about our new Real Estate Collective with Voila Design!
For the full recap, check out our makeover posts:
The Somers Team and Voila Design: A Dream Bedroom Comes to Life
Platform Shoes…Platform Beds… Trends that Will Sell Your Home.
Want to Sell Your Home Fast? Go Both Ways in the Bedroom!
Go Green or NO GREEN? Make a Statement!
Like what you see?
Give Voila a call for a complimentary home staging proposal!
Voila Design
267-886-0317
www.VoilaDesignServices.com
"Your room service has arrived..."
Go Green or NO GREEN? Make a Statement!
Recycling furniture. It is fun, it is environmentally responsible, cheap, and the final piece is completely unique and has a story behind it. We salvaged two end tables from my late great Aunt Anna to be the statement pieces in the bedroom.
The side tables were green when the Voila Design team uncovered them in our Northern Liberties storage unit.
We took the tables to Carter Studios in Port Richmond for a paint job. The crisp white coating is refreshing instead of jarring, which will anchor the dreamy mood of our new bedroom, and we feel great getting new life out of these inherited tables. Sometimes going green means getting rid of the green.
Check back with us on Monday to see our full Bedroom Reveal!
Read more about our new Real Estate Collective with Voila Design!
Own a Piece of Aunt Anna’s Unique Furniture Collection
You've read all about my Great Aunt Anna and her rules of life in Good Girls Never Drink Beer From a Bottle. Now you can own all or part of her collection.
I have several unique selections that are available for sale! Click this link for a slide show of some of the furniture that is still available:
http://marketing.remaxdesigncenter.com/50/45050/1276085/index.ipv
$1,000 for bedroom set including armoire, dresser, mirror, headboard.
$1,700 for all items including dining set, chandelier and dishes. A la carte selections (or best offer)
Furniture: Armoire, Dresser, Mirror, Headboard, Dining set, Chandeliers, China, and more...
BEDROOM:
Armoire- $500
Dresser 6 drawer- $500
Mirror- $30
Headboard- $150
$1,000 for all
OTHER:
Wrought Iron Dining Table w/ glass top, 4 matching chairs, hand painted yellow and red- $900
2 Chandeliers- $20 each
6 “Rose Tattoo” cup & saucer set with matching “biscuit plates” in bone white, dusty rose and green - $30 for entire set
Black Crystal Lenox Goth Goblets, set of 9 (9 dessert goblets, 9 wine goblets, 9 water goblets) - $50
Good Girls Never Drink Beer From a Bottle
Amber Lynn of Amberella Gallery
Aunt Anna loved all things feminine, all things shiny, and gold. She had 2 hard and firm rules about decorating and life: 1) All things look better with tassels and 2) “Good girls never drink beer from a bottle”. She lived over eighty years with those values.
Aunt Anna (may she rest in peace with her one and only love, her late husband Harry) was like a 1950’s version of Amber Lynn Thompson (of the Piazza's Amberella Gallery) dipped in gold, dipped in white chocolate, and dipped in gold again. In her later years she retired her leopard print handmade outfits and would wear all white from head to toe. She began to resemble a nun or robed monk, minus the big jewelry, metallic slippers, and salon frosted hair, of course.
For those of us who were lucky enough to know her, we were enveloped by her regal attitude that would have been completely off putting except for a deep sense of loneliness that she simply could not hide since the passing of Harry. Their home was like a menagerie within a fairy tale castle furnished with such things as life-size Nubian statues, pink marble, leopard skin, and mirrors. So many mirrors!
Anna’s style was decadent and bold. Her look was one-of-a-kind. With all of this said in her honor, I introduce to you a very unique opportunity for you to emulate originality, a la Anna style. Imagine inserting a splash of the unexpected in your very own home, work space, studio, or gallery. I have FOR SALE, several eclectic furniture selections that you will not find anywhere.
Below is an example of how I personally repurposed (recycled) 3 pieces of Anna’s marvelous furniture for my own home.
Stay tuned for the list of items that I have for sale!
WARNING: the photos and slideshow below are NOT for the faint of heart, nor the color sensitive, and certainly not suitable for girls who drink beer from a bottle : )
I have several more unique selections that are available for sale! Click this link for a slide show of some of the furniture that is still available:
http://marketing.remaxdesigncenter.com/50/45050/1276085/index.ipv
Check out the items for sale!
[image via Amberella Gallery]
Want to Sell Your Home Fast? Go Both Ways in the Bedroom!
I have 2 buckheads hanging in our new bedroom (masculine) and those 2 fancy side tables (girly). Just how did we arrive at this compromise of tastes?
Going Both Ways.
Mixing feminine and masculine furniture or decorative accents simply works in the way that opposites attract. Mixing it up in the bedroom keeps the look fresh and memorable to buyers who are touring your home. Neutral does not have to be mind numbing and dull. But giving your room a look that plays to both sides makes it more versatile and appeals to a wider range of potential buyers. The manly man won't be turned off. The girly girl won't wrinkle her nose. And vice versa, as we know it often goes. The couple that's searching for the home that grows with them? They'll see the middle ground in a space that goes both ways.
For more advice on home staging, check out the 21 Designer Tips that Sell Houses from Voila Design.
Read more about our new Real Estate Collective with Voila Design!
Decks & Patios: Creating an Urban Oasis in Philly
Turning your deck, yard, patio, or garden into an outdoor oasis might seem like a lot of effort. But we've found that a quick trip to your local garden store to find some inspiration and a little bit of dirty work are all it takes to turn around your seemingly savage garden or neglected deck.
If you're selling, it makes all the difference in the world to have a well manicured exterior even if it is a small deck. Outdoor spaces increase the property value, so sellers , play it up!
And to new home buyers: A lot of first time buyers have just purchased a home due to the $8,000 Obama Tax Credit Incentive that ended June 30th, 2010. Now you have an entire new home to decorate. Don't forget about the outside.
For existing homeowners and renters: With the summer upon us and guests arriving, people want to show off their apartment, condo, or row home... . A beautifully appointed exterior space to enjoy the outdoors can create a warm and memorable experience for all.
Our deck used to look like this. We had amazing views of Northern Liberties, but no place to really enjoy them together.
I chose to visit City Planter, Lowes, and Pier 1 Imports. All local stores.
At Lowes I bought all of the plants on the clearance rack for $30 !
Pier 1 had a sale on the chairs and the pillows were 30% off !
We re-purposed a set in our storage unit that belonged to my late great aunt Anna. The table and chairs were freshened up by Carter Studios. Our deck was looking ready for summer. All it needed was some plants.
So our Outdoor Oasis 2.0 was well on its way. That's when we decided to add some finishing touches. The table and chairs is a nice, whimsical setting for morning coffee. But we wanted to add a more comfortable option for long-term lounging outside. The deck chairs with cushions (found at Pier 1) added a bit of contrast and color in addition to some softness. The white flowers that we chose for the planters are now in bloom and coordinate nicely with the table/chairs combo.
The decking material was replaced with a weatherproof material done by our preferred vendor, VAR Construction.
Trust the experts at these shops to answer your questions. We've rounded up our favorite sources for planters and tools below.
Port Richmond
The Port Richmond Lowe's has consistently great deals on landscaping needs like mulch and garden tools, for the neighborhood that has many porch front homes, lawn spaces, and back yards. It's where the community turns for their outside solutions. And don't forget to check out the clearance rack, like I did.
Lowe's
3800 Aramingo Avenue
Northern Liberties
We cannot get enough of City Planter, the shop you should turn to when you really need some ideas that will set you apart from your neighbors and give you a truly unique outdoor haven.
City Planter
814 N. 4th St.
South Philadelphia
In South Philly, Pier 1 has lots of outdoor furniture to choose from, whether you are looking for wicker or papasan chairs, or even a swinging chair. Pillows, cushions, tables, and umbrellas will help you build your new getaway, and it's all reasonably priced, too. One of the managers at Pier 1, who lives in Fishtown, was super helpful and professional on a recent deck-shopping trip.
Pier 1
2310 S. Columbus Blvd.
Finally, our urban oasis comes together in its third transformation!
We love what we've done in a short time with our roof deck and now we have the whole summer to enjoy it.
Related:
A Home is Only As Good As the Contractor Who Built It
Creating an Urban Oasis? Think Local. Visit City Planter!
A Visit to Carter Studios in Port Richmond
Outdoor Furniture for the Ultimate Urban Retreat
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