Mood Board Mania- A Designaholic's Dream

If you are like me, a designaholic, you will have a lot of fun with a free internet site that I learned about recently. It's called Polyvore . With Polyvore you can create Design/Mood Boards at no cost. Interior decorators and designers use these pictorial collages to communicate their ideas to clients. Not only does Polyvore have a multitude of photos at your disposal but you can import pictures stored in your computer and many that you find online. I was able to import pictures of furnishings from some local stores although when I went to the Pier One Import catalogue I did not meet with success. This is a great tool for both the professional and the amateur. I've included a Design Board I created for a client's bedroom using the Polyvore images. Although my client's room will not have the actual furnishings that appear in the collage, the colour combinations and the mood we are working to achieve are communicated on the board. When the room is completed I'll share it with you. I've also included a board that elicits the mood of my condo's main living space.

So if you are a designaholic , register at www.polyvore.com, click on 'create' and design to your hearts content. You'll have fun and will be sure to garner Rave Re:views. Be careful though. It's addictive!

Bejeweled and Bedazzled

Just wanted to share a little 'outside the box' thinking with you.

A couple of years ago I purchased the cutest little pillow to grace a bench I had in my dining room. Black and velvety, a gentle flounce of organza bordered it. I loved the combination of the two very different textures and the feminine touch that was created by the wave of organza. But.... nestled among the other pillows on the bench, something seemed amiss. Like a black dress in need of a gold necklace, my pillow lacked oomph. Well, I couldn't adorn it with a necklace, but what about a gold broach. Off to my jewelery box I headed. I didn't own a gold broach but a pair of earrings, untouched since the '80's, called out to me. I took one of the earrings, centred it on the pillow and voila! The little black velvet pillow bejeweled.... now bedazzled. When downsizing last year I just couldn't part with that little pillow. I knew it would find a home somewhere in our condo. And so it has.

Design Tip: Think inside your jewelry box when you want to transform bland into beautiful. And when you do , I'm sure you will garner Rave Re:views. I'd love you to share your "outside the box " thinking with me. Or in this case... inside the box.

Glad to be back blogging. I was away for a week and upon my return home a couple of job prospects presented themselves to me. What a great way to start the new year!

While away I bought a super new camera that I know will serve me well . As a home stager/ redesigner a camera is a necessity, not a luxury. My 7 year old Canon was dying a slow death. Goodbye to purple blurriness. My new camera, a Panasonic Lumix ZS3, with its ability to take wide angle shots is a dream come true. Today I ran around Homesense snapping picture after picture of some fantastic finds but please bear with me. Now I have to learn how to transfer the photos on to my computer. That's next on tonight's 'to do' list.

Down Sizing Dining Solution

Downsizing- the act of moving from a larger to a smaller living space.

In actuality, downsizing is much more than that. It is a lifestyle change, growing in popularity, embraced by some, derided by others. Empty nesters, my husband and I represent the former. Tired of maintaining a large home, tired of the the feeling of loneliness that unused rooms evoke and finding ourselves at opposite ends of the house unable to carry on a conversation, we took the plunge and have not looked back.

Downsizing for us also signaled the beginning of a less formal living environs. We traded in our formal dining room with its rich red walls, 7 foot glass table, 8 black lacquered queen Anne chairs, elegant brass chandelier and plush Chinese wool area rug for..... no dining room at all.

The designated eating area in our multipurpose main living space consists of our former kitchen table and its 1970's 4 retro chairs. Six can just squeeze around the table, a slab of butcher block that sits atop the base of my grandmother's singer sewing machine. While we love the intimacy of small dinners for 6, there are times our guest list includes more than four. When planning our living space I sourced out a number of options, including coffee tables that convert to dining tables, plastic fold away tables and drop leaf console tables. I liked the concept and design of the convertible coffee tables but decided that a noguchi glass coffee table would work better with the look I was after.

It was at Ikea online that I found what I was searching for. Believe it or not, we do not have an Ikea store here in Halifax. Ikea has a collection of table tops and legs that allows you to 'design your own table'. While not a perfect match to our existing table, I selected a natural wood veneer butcher block table top and two like coloured trestles upon which to lay it. The table surface is not attached to the trestle legs but merely rests on top of them.

When not in use as a dining table, one of the trestles functions as a funky display shelf in our hallway.

I hide the very heavy table top and the other trestle leg behind our Chinese folding screen.

Is storage space lacking in your home? Don't have a screen behind which to hide the table top? A simple solution... slide it under a bed.

Don't have a spot to house the trestle legs. Stack them one on top of the other to create a tall shelving unit. Once again 1+1=1......Or...... use the table as a desk in an office space and reinvent it as a dining table when company comes.

Design Tip #1: From table trestle to funky decorative shelf, think outside the box when storage space is tight.

Design Tip #2: Folding screens are attractive hiding places for small living spaces lacking in storage. Decorative and functional they will serve you well.

Design Tip #3: Check out the Vika system to design your own dining table, desk/work surface in the 'Work Spaces ' section of the Ikea catalogue.

Design Tip #4: The most budget friendly solution to down sized entertaining would be to purchase a plastic table that folds in half when not in use. Cover it with a floor length table cloth and your guests will be none the wiser.

Intimidated by the thought of downsizing, you can count on Rave Re:view to ease the burden. Been there. Done that and loving it!!!!!

Merry Christmas From a Satisfied Client

I was happy to receive this picture from my client whose living room transformation was showcased in the Better After Blog as well as on mine. You might notice a slight change. The glass vase, filled with branches has been replaced, after I found this incredible black vase at Pier One Imports which I felt would be the jewel in an already sparkling crown. No wonder those fiery red flowers that bedeck the vase are called POPies! Not to worry. The glass vase and curling branches which Paula and I both love, now reside in her dining room.

Talk about sparkle, your tree looks beautiful Paula! Thanks for the picture.

To Paint Or Not To Paint- Please Advise

During a recent Home Staging consult the ' To Paint or Not To Paint" question came up. My client's family room fireplace is surrounded by solid oak shelving and cabinetry. The room is not overly bright and my thoughts were to paint all of the wood work white to brighten up the focal wall. As a stager I know that buyers are looking for bright airy living spaces but my clients have often been complimented on their oak cabinetry. Hence the dilemma.

In my newly chosen career I wear two hats; that of home stager and that of design/redesigner. Contrary to what many people think, staging is not decorating. As a stager I aim to prepare a property so that it appeals to the public in general. I arrange furnishings and choose paint colours that visually expand a space. As a decorator I aim to create an ambience that reflects the tastes and needs of one particular family. Hence the debate...'To paint or Not to paint'.

Home Stagers, 'What would your recommendation be?'

Buyers, what would you prefer in a home?

Home owners, what say you?

For every response I get during this first month of the new year I will donate $00.25 to....

Habitat For Humanity, a Charity of Choice For Canadian Staging Professionals. Hope you'll help me Reach My Goal of $100.00.

I'm happy to report that the clients hired me to do the final showcasing of their property. That will take place in early January after my recommendations have been carried out. Will they be painting the oak? You'll have to wait and see.

To learn more about the differences between home staging and decorating check out my website:

www.ravereviewhomestaging.com

I'm off to NYC to spend New Year's with friends and to squeeze in a very short visit with my son and daughter-in-law who are heading back to London via New York, having 'Christmassed' in Rochester.

I probably won't be able to write again until after returning home on the 4th. Here's wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!!!

Joanne

From Pillow Case to Cushion Cover

Thanks to Encore Decor I was able to repurpose a downfilled pillow that no longer fit the palette in our condo. I was smitten by a pillow case with its soft cotton texture, its red patterning, its Asian inspiration and its border of camel ribbon embroidered with like coloured dragons. Not one for theme decorating , I am drawn to Asia decor and sprinkled it liberally in our eclectic living space.

While not a budget friendly find, it was affordable because I already owned a down filled pillow that was still alive and kicking in spite of the abuse it took through twenty years of family living. The deal was sealed when I found out that the cost to have Encore Decor make the pillow for me was only $10.00.

I loved the fabric so much that I had a second pillow made for our bedroom. From one quality pillow case, two sexy red pillows took form. With still enough fabric left over to make a third pillow cover, the purchase of a higher than average priced pillow case was more than worth it.

Two pillows for $ 45.00. Not bad after all!

Design Tip: To save money and the environment keep your worn out old pillows and breathe new life into them.

Ottoman Turned Sofa With A Little Help From Some.... Drapes

I went to take pictures, today, of the rainbow of pillows that line the shelves of Pier One Import but my camera turned the riot of colours into a mass of blurry purple nothingness. Frustrated I headed to the nearest camera store only to learn that my camera has been dying a slow death. The sensor is failing. Panic stricken, because I rely on my camera both for my job and my blog, I have no option but to purchase a new 'home stager friendly' camera that will take wide angle pictures with a low angle cost. Any suggestions?

Enough of my camera woes, time for some pillow talk

Because a sofa, the obvious choice for the conversation/television watching/lounging area in our multi functional condo living space would have hindered our view of the Halifax Commons, I positioned a leather ottoman in front of the window. Determined to transform the ottoman into a cozy sofa substitute I decided to create the comfort and look of a sofa by leaning pillows against the window ledge. I selected my palette of pillows which included two soft shaggy sheepskins, one cream and one a black/cream mix along with a raw silk textured black pillow peppered with machine embroidered white flowers. Oh and of course a 'redophile , I needed that 'pop' of warmth to complete my palette. All cuddle friendly, down filled low cost finds. But the backless sofa, as I like to call it, is three feet deep. Great for lying on, but when I nestled against the pillows in a sitting position, my legs splayed out awkwardly in front of me and could not reach the ground.

Problem #1- How to create a sofa like piece of furniture that is shallow enough to sit on and does not obstruct the view.

Solution PART 1 : To keep the pillows upright I purchased a 4 foot long uncovered memory foam bolster. Because a hide of leather would have cost almost as much as the ottoman itself, I decided to cover the bolster with fabric. While wandering around Home Outfitters I found myself in the drapery section. A black microfibre tone on tone zigzag patterned drapery panel caught my eye. It's texture , a contrast to both the raw silk- like and the shaggy long haired pillows, was a perfect addition to my palette ........BUT.......the problem was not yet solved.

SOLUTION PART 2: The ottoman was still too deep. I have never been a fan of sofas that have 4 or 5 massive square shaped pillows rather than one or two rectangular pillows extending across the sofa. While this sofa design is aesthetically pleasing it tends to be lacking in the comfort department. I didn't want our ottoman turned sofa to be overrun with pillows since comfort is key. Then I remembered that hidden away in our storage closet was the perfect pillow-well almost perfect pillow. Over sized and rectangular it could rest against the bolster and support the already existing palette but it's outer covering left much to be desired. Not to be deterred I went on the hunt for fabric. Once again it was a drapery panel that saved the day.

A blackish grey & white tweed, it had a band of textured black tone on tone microfibre running across its top in which chunky chrome grommets were embedded. I fell in love with the chunkiness of the grommets and with the contrast of tweed and black microfibre banding.

I found the panel at a store that carries very stylish bed linens and drapery panels in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia called Encore Decor. They make custom pillows and charge next to nothing when the pillow covers are made out of a product they sell.

Seamstressly challenged, they were the answer to my prayers. Following my design instructions they helped me transform a nondescript pillow into a handsomely tailored addition to my pallette . Visitors love to cozy up on our ottoman turned sofa. So does our terrier mix, SOHO. As for me, when I nestle up against the pillows my feet now reach the ground.

Design Tip 1: No room for, or can't afford a sofa. Transform an ottoman into a sofa by leaning it against a wall and layering it with a palette of pillows. For comfort sake, the ottoman should be 3 feet deep, allowing room for the pillow 'back rest' and adequate seating depth.

Design Tip #2 Drapery panels are not just for hanging. Can't find the perfect pillow; can't find a fabric you like; think drapery panel.

Design Tip # 3 Don't discard the grommets. Adding a band of grommets to a bland pillow will be a sure fire way to earn you a Rave Re:view

Check out my last blog entry for more pictures of my reinvented ottoman.