Addition By Subtraction

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Things have been moving right along with our little house, and it is so exciting to go and see the changes every day. Here is what she looked like right before we went to settlement:

Her roof was leaky and there was a very strange, poorly built addition put on the front sometime in the eighties, I am guessing, which obscured her lovely brick and true Cape Cod style.  (There were a lot of strange things that were done in the eighties, no? Trust me, I know...)

It was a long, dark and narrow room on the inside, too narrow to be of much use to anyone. In addition, it made the living room on the other side of it much like a cave.

Not a good first impression, for sure.

Her new roof is on, and the enclosure that had been attached to her front is off. Here she is under the new blanket of snow we received on Friday:

Please post some comments! What do you think about the new/old facade??

I will be posting picture updates each Monday, so visit again soon!

Selling Your House Now

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I am currently getting a house ready to go on the market, and thought that some of you might be also. From what I understand, the Spring real estate market goes into full swing right after the Super Bowl nachos have been devoured, and the beer bottles have been put out in the recycling bin. SO, what is it that makes your house more marketable? How does one put their best foot forward? Julia over at Hooked on Houses featured a post recently about the five things that sell a house faster right now.  I wasn't surprised that she mentioned that a new stainless steel fridge can make a whole kitchen feel updated. In addition,  your front door should be drop-dead gorgeous.... especially  since  buyers decide within the first 10-15 seconds of seeing a house whether or not they are interested in buying it.

I think this before and after from a house I staged a few years ago tells the whole story!

Most often when talking about preparing one's house to be shown, the emphasis is placed on providing a neutral color palette in clean, clutter-free spaces so that your potential buyer can picture themselves and their belongings moving right in.

It is also very important to remember that most of us reach for our wallets (or our pens to sign documents) when we are moved emotionally to do so.  Marketers know this, and the most successful retail establishments spend big bucks to pull at your heartstrings & help you imagine a dreamy lifestyle associated with their products.

So, while cleaning up and clearing out is important, remember that the house should still have warmth and style that can speak to the heart of the buyer and inspire them to write an offer on the spot.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Clients

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When one is in the business of making things look good, the pictures that tell your story and show what it is you do should, after all,  LOOK GOOD! As you know, it isn't about the appearance of things that matters most to me, but rather the feeling one gets when they enter a room. How do you convey that to someone? How do you capture that in a two dimensional image??

Enter stage left: Mary Parnell of Picklepuss Photography!! Hooray!

Mary has been in the business of capturing the essence of her subjects for many years now, and I am so glad our paths have crossed. Her images of children and families are so beautiful, crisp, and playful.

Wonderful!

She even made me look good! :)

A few months ago we met and she snapped some amazing pictures of a few of my completed projects. I am very pleased with the way they turned out, and wanted to share them with you.

If you have been looking for someone to capture the cherubic cheeks of your little ones or create some lasting beautiful images of your family, give Mary a shout~and tell her I said "Hey" when you do!

The Master Bath Complete

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Back in October I posted some pictures of a Master Bath I was working on. Do you remember this post? There were two rooms, really: a bathroom and a walk in closet. The design that we put in place removed the dividing wall and vaulted the ceiling.  Here is a picture of the room as it looked during construction:

The room was completed in December, and I am so proud of the way it turned out. My clients say they go in there often just to enjoy the room. "Perhaps we should put a church pew in there?", they said to me a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't sure what they meant, but maybe due to the cathedral ceiling and the beautiful view of the trees outside, it actually inspires one to pray??

I only have an image of the finished product that I snapped on my iPhone. It isn't as clear as I would like, and I am resolved to get some better pictures to share with you soon...nonetheless, here is the finished product.

I am especially proud of how the materials all came together to make a beautiful room that is so at home in this structure's wooded setting. The room feels very serene, as my clients had requested, and yet reflects the personality, organizational needs, and tastes of the two people for whom it was created. What a wonderful blessing and opportunity to get to do what I do each day.