What's Old is New Again!

     I do not know if many of you will remember "bark cloth".  Bark cloth was popular in the 40's into the early 60's.  It is a densely woven cotton, thick, textured with a rough surface, hence it's name.  It was known for it's bold colors, and tropical and abstract prints.  You typically found it being used for draperies or slipcovers.

   

     Pictured above is a vintage piece of bark cloth drapery I found at Area 51 Vintage Interiors.  I have always been fascinated by bark cloth and was pleasantly surprised when I stopped at Home and Office Upholstery and found new samples of bark cloth!  Visit Paul at his upholstery shop and take a look at the samples.  Full Swing Textiles is the distributor.  I think the fabrics are beautiful and would be great in a four seasons room.  Pictured below is a Full Swing fabric.

.       There is an endless variety of fabrics available.  Always look for that unique fabric that will finish off your room so it will not be like everyone else's. 

 

EXCEPTIONAL BATHROOM TRANSFORMATION

I recently completed this exceptional master bathroom remodel.  The room features many creative ideas and was a collaboration between all of the craftsman involved.  The homeowner had a clear vision of the finished product and it was up to me to bring that to completion.

Brent's Fine Painting did the painting.  We chose to  paint

 the ceiling the same color as the walls.  In this case with the

 lighting and a window placed in the middle of the exterior wall

 the room is not dark.  I encourage you not to  be afraid of

 painting your ceiling a different color other than white.  

The contractor for the project was Chris from Sawdust Pile.

The mirror, vanity and make-up counter were handcrafted by Chris.

The finish on these items is painted rather than stained.

The counter top is quartz.

The open shower with the glass block wall prevents the

feeling of confinement in the shower, not to mention the

artistic quality it adds to the room.

The white, 8" x 20" wall tile, has a linen type texture,

 and was installed vertical instead of horizontal, which

 gives the shower a very modern feel.  The  band

of contrasting tile breaks up the white and provides

a wonderful accent to the shower wall.  I created
the tile design and Molony Tile was the source for
 tile and installation.   

The homeowner chose to have the closet open to the 

master bathroom.  A closet by Techline was installed. 

We are still waiting for the door to the entrance of the room

to arrive from the Sliding Door Company.  I will post a photo

when it is installed.  It will truly be the finishing touch to an 

exceptional bathroom! 

RECENT SUCCESS STORIES

     The Madison, Wisconsin real estate market has seen some nice activity this spring.  I have given advice to many sellers since the start of 2012.  Here are three recent success stories:  

1. Home listed at $300,000, less than 20 years old.  The home sold in seven days.  The seller had a target date in mind for listing the home and allowed adequate time to make needed changes.  Some rooms were painted, light fixtures changed and the kitchen counter top changed to granite.  And of course I went through room by room listing what should be removed or replaced. 
2. Home listed at $169,000 over 50 years old.  The home sold in seven days.  The seller had already vacated the property but had the kitchen remodeled.  The paint was touched up in all rooms and the home was spotlessly clean.  I created vignette's and accessorized in key areas.
3. Home listed at $239,900 over 90 years old.  In 24 hours of the listing going live the home received 2 offers and was sold.  This home was a very classic bungalow in an old established neighborhood.  The objective here was to eliminate furniture to create more visual space and add accessories in high impact areas.  The kitchen had already been remodeled and the color palette of the walls was perfect.

     All three of the sellers were motivated to sell.  Therefore they listened to my advice and followed through.  Guess what?  It paid off.  The sellers followed four important steps when selling a home:  

1. They hired a professional home stager for advice. 
2. The home was spotlessly clean.
3. Necessary up-dates were completed.
4. A Realtor* was hired to insure the home was priced right and properly marketed. 

     The market is showing some nice activity with many homes being listed for sale.  If it is your intention to list your home, make sure that is shows at it's best by following these four important steps.

  

A vacant home will show much better when vignettes

and accessories are added. 

      

A Clean Home is a Home That Sells

A Clean Home is a Home That Sells

    When you make the decision to sell your home it is important to have it in near perfect condition.  If you are unable to afford costly improvements the one thing everyone can do is clean. My advice is clean, clean, clean and then clean some more.  No one wants to purchase someone else’s dirt.  With the numerous houses I enter on a regular basis there is nothing that stands out more than a spotlessly clean house.  Leave no surface untouched, floor to ceiling, inside, outside, closets, cabinets, basement, garage, light fixtures and windows.  Are you worn out yet?   A clean home will leave an impression on the perspective buyers.     

     I was helping prepare a home for selling and I told the home owner the windows needed cleaning.  I used the tried and true solution of ½ cup ammonia, ½ cup white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a bucket of warm water.  Remember not to wash your windows when the sun is shining directly on them, you will get streaks.  The home owner could not believe the difference the clean windows made.  Clean windows allow more light in, and instantly brightens the space.

     There are many cleaning products on the market that will help you achieve the results you desire.  The Hope Company has a wonderful product for polishing laminate counter tops.  One of my favorite products is Briwax.  It is a color tinted paste wax for wood.  The color tint helps to hide scratches.  It will bring new life to your interior doors, wood trim, cabinets etc. 

     Once you have cleaned the soap residue from a fiberglass shower enclosure polish it with TR Industries, GA12 Gel Gloss or any fiberglass boat polish.  Never polish the floor of the tub!!! It will be too slippery.

     The above mentioned products are just the tip of the iceberg.  Send me an e-mail with any particular element you may be having difficulty with and I will do my best to find a solution for you.  A clean house is something every homeowner will be able to accomplish.  The attention the home will receive from perspective buyers will be worth the work. 

        

Remove all personal care items from the bathroom countertop.

Make sure there are fresh towels out for a showing. 

Add an attractive accessory to the countertop. 

Preparing Your Home For The Market

Preparing Your Home For The Market

     You love your home and it’s many memories, but now you would love to sell it!  Whatever your personal reasons for selling a home there is a lot of preparation that will need to be done to have the property ready to compete in today’s market.  There is more to selling a home then putting up a “for sale” sign and waiting for the buyer to hand over the money.  With the multiple television shows airing about real estate home staging the buyer has become more discriminating in their selection of potential homes to purchase.  The buyer now expects a great deal more from the seller. 

     With all the competition in the market and money difficult to acquire, it means the home needs to be in complete repair, clean, attractive and eye catching in order to attract the buyer.  The goal is to set the stage to entice a buyer to utter those magic words, “I love this house, I want to buy it!”  There is one more important point that comes into play, the home needs to be priced correctly. 

     To assist you in preparing your home to look it’s best and be priced correctly, requires the assistance of a professional home stager and real estate agent.  The manner in which you live in your home and the way you should present your home to perspective buyers are two different things.  The home stager and Realtor* work together to provide vital information for preparing your home for the market.  When your home looks great online and is priced correctly, it will receive more showings than other competing homes on the market. 

     For a complete guide on preparing your home, check out my book “Showing Well, Selling Well”, which may be found on www.lulu.com.  

Create attractive vignette's.

 

 Color and design style should carry through from room to room.

Think Spring

Think Spring

     Doesn’t the home always look bare and dull after we put away the Christmas decorations and lights?  It’s nice to create a new display with something you already have...  just take a look outside for inspiration.  I created a new accessory for the mantel that was inexpensive and easy to assemble.

     

1.     First I cut two small branches from a birch tree.  I like the birch tree because of it’s thin branches with multiple shoots. 

 

2.     Next I took a small block of green floral foam, glued it to a base of cardboard, and stuck the branch in it.  I discovered the block was not evenly balanced and leaned forward.  To balance it I hollowed out the back of the foam and glued a small rock to it. 

3.     Then I cut a piece of natural burlap into a square large enough to cover the base and fringed out each side about an inch.

4.     I placed the foam block with the branch in the center of the burlap.  I then put fiber fill around the base to fill it out a bit and gathered the corners of the burlap, tying them around the base of the branch with a piece of jute. 

5.     For the perfect finishing touch, I purchased a nice looking bird from a floral shop and hung it on the branch.