This BLOG has moved!

Hi Everyone,

All summer we have been working on remodeling our website and blog.

The fresh updated look just launched.

Go and take a look:
www.thehomestylist.com


Our blog can now be found at:
www.thehomestylist.com/blog

Please follow us to the new blog. See you over there!

Julie

Bookmarks and Diggs

Have you noticed on the left side of this blog the bar that says "SUBSCRIBE"?It is a cool little widget that lets you, my dear readers, subscribe to this great little blog. You will be notified about new postings.I would like to invite you to subscribe to INSIDE THE HOME stylist blog. It is easy, quick and you won't miss a single post.

Have you noticed on the left side further down is a bar that says "BOOKMARK"?Have you ever wondered what that is? It is a way for readers, just like you, to bookmark this blog and share your find with others. Two of the most popular collective bookmarking sites are called DIGG and DEL.ICIO.US. Visitors to Digg and del.icio.us can view what other people think are neat blogs and websites. The more diggs or points you get the more people can learn about other cool sites.

I would love for you to add me to DIGG and Del.icio.us. You can add this blog and/or www.thehomestylist.com website.It is appreciated. Thanks for spreading the love.

Are you trying to sell your house?

Did you put your house on the market this spring but it has not sold? You definitely need to stage it. It should be decluttered, cleaned and staged to sell.


The Complete Idiot's Guide to Staging Your Home to Sell is the best do-it-yourself resource for this project. (yeah, I am bias 'cause I am the author)



Don't make the mistake of thinking: "I know what to do" or "Everyone will like my house just the way it is".


Competition in the housing market is tough. Staging Your Home to sell helps you beat the competition and get the most out of your biggest asset.

Get this book today to help get the most money for your home in the quickest time possible.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Staging Your Home to Sell

HGTV's Design Star - Do you watch?

Shh...don't tell but my guilty pleasure is watching HGTV's Design Star. Like its sister show Next Food Network Star, the show casts off people until the one left gets their own TV show.

Here is the link to the show: Design Star

The judges this year are great: Genevieve Gorder Candice Olson and Vern Yip .

Do you watch? What do you think of the contestants or the projects they are asked to do? This year the budgets seem to be more generous but it is the time frames that are so unrealistic.

Your thoughts?

Super busy this summer. why?

In the interior decorating and home staging business, summers can be slower than other times of the year. In this area (Buffalo, NY) folks are finally able to be outside and enjoy the gardens, BBQs, and picnics. The spring is very busy and summer slows down. Not this year!

I am having one of my busiest summers ever. My theory is that the unusually cold and rainy weather has people inside more. They are stuck inside on a rainy day and say to themselves - "I really don't like this room".

With my services of do-it-yourself decorating and staging, homeowners stuck inside can actually afford to make those room transformations by doing some of the work themselves. But more importantly have a plan so they don't make mistakes and save money.

What are you waiting for? Love your home again.

Julie

The power of staging, again

Last week I was called in to consult on a very nice home in desirable area. It had been for sale by owner for a month or so then the real estate agent came on board.

He realized right away that even though it was nicely decorated, he knew with a few changes it could be great.

I came in and made several simple suggestions: Move furniture for better traffic flow, removed small area scatter rugs to make the room less choppy, and we even talked about painting over a small mural in the kitchen.

I met the homeowners on a Thursday night. They did much of the work themselves including painting over their beloved mural. On that Saturday's open house, the house SOLD!

Prepping a house for sale is decluttering but it is also depersonalization (the mural) and making the house appear as large as possible (traffic flow). The hardest part of this for homeowners is depersonalization because there is not objectivity - the exact reason to bring in a professional home stager.

The homeowners and real estate agent are thrilled! and so am I.

Julie

How about you, do you need so professional objectivity to get your house sold? call me (716- 912-1581)

the demograhics of doilies

I have been very busy these last couple weeks. Who said there is a recession. The housing market is hot.

The last three houses I have done a home staging consultation for have had one thing in common: doilies.

In my most professional manner I kindly explain that the house they are selling is aimed at a certain demographic - young upper mobile professionals.

The doily is not a decor object that normally appeals to that age group.

What I really want to say is doilies reminds that generation of their grandma and they do not want to buy a "little old lady house" - there I have said it.

If you are putting your house on the market - do a doily check. Please remove them from all horizontal surfaces including your end tables, toilet tanks and plant stands.

It is easy to do and costs no money - no excuses. And yes, that means you.

Vinyl Frames in the Buffalo Decorators' Show House

The Buffalo Decorators' Show House was so much fun to do. The most popular items in my teen girl's bedroom was the repositionable vinyl frames that covered two of the walls.

Here is the link on my web page where you can order them for your teen room, hallway or even powder room!

http://www.thehomestylist.com/vinylframes.php

Great Color Expertise

As a professional it is always important to increase your knowledge base, learn new skills and keep up on trends. I recently found a great blog all about color.



The blog is Colour Me Happy by Maria Killam. I have learn quite a few great tips from this. Her enthusiasm for choosing the right color and teaching you why is contagious.

I think you will really like the blog too. Check it out here:



http://colourmehappyblog.blogspot.com/

Julie

Do you need to be good at math to become an interior decorator?

Sometimes I get the opportunity to speak to high school students about becoming an interior decorator. One question that often comes up is "Do I need to be good at math to become an interior decorator?"

My answer: You will use math everyday!

This surprises most of the students. Now note I said you use it everyday - I didn't say you need to have an natural aptitude towards it.

To give you an example, I was recently helping my son who is in 5th grade with a math worksheet. These math examples came right from the math book:

Rashid can paint 2 square feet of fence in 10 minutes. How long will it take him to paint a fence that is 6 feet high by 25 feet long?

or

Regina wants to cover one wall of her room with wallpaper. The wall is 9 feet high and 15 feet wide. There is a doorway in the wall that is 3 feet wide by 7 feet tall. How many square feet of wallpaper will she need to buy?

See...you do use math in interior decorating.

Julie

Are you a e-newsletter subscriber?

Thanks for reading this blog. Glad you like it.

Did you know there is a e-zine/e-newsletter/blog-o-letter you can subscribe to?

It comes to you once a month (on the first of the month) right to your e-mail box. And the best part? It does not cost you a cent.

You get additional decorating ideas, home staging tips, more fun before and after photos and cool new trends or websites to check out.

Want to join? (don't worry I won't share you e-mail with anyone)

Look for the button on the left side of this blog that says: get FREE monthly styling tips: Join email list

Thanks!

Satisfied Staging client

I recently got this sweet note from a client:

I just wanted to write to you and thank you for all your helpful advice you gave to me when I was staging my home in West Seneca for a sale. I believe you may have come over sometime before summer 2008. I made the recommended changes you suggested, i.e. new front concrete steps, laminate floors in dining and living room, removal of border in kitchen, and painting of many rooms.

My house sold in 3 1/2 weeks!

Jean P.

Do you want results like this? Contact me at (716) 912-1581. I can help you!

Got the spring cleaning itch?

As the weather starts to break and the sunshine highlights the dust bunnies and dirty windows, it is time for a really good cleaning frenzy.



Do you need some help? encouragement? a plan?



Check out this website: http://www.totallytogetherjournal.com/



The same blogger that did crockpot cooking everyday for a whole year (2008) has some great advice with a dash of humor to help you get your house organized, clean and meals planned. Sounds good, right?!



I like this website and blog because it makes the tasks not seem so overwhelming.

I particularly like her post on the huge task of SPRING CLEANING

http://www.totallytogetherjournal.com/super-simple-spring-cleaning

Julie

Will you be my Friend?

Hello faithful readers of my blog.

Lately I have been working on beefing up my Facebook page and LinkedIn profile.

Are you also in Facebook?

Will you be my friend? (I feel like I'm on the grade school playground again)
http://www.facebook.com/ You'll find me under Julie Dana, of course ;)

Just be sure in mention in the friendship invite that you are a blog reader so I know you are not some weirdo ;)


Do you know about LinkedIn?

It is a professional networking site. I highly recommend it to connect and reconnect with other professionals.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/thehomestylistjuliedana

I would love especially to get testimonials from former clients. Is that you? Can you do me that favor?


Interior Decorating and Home Staging is a very personal type of business. I really get to know my clients. I consider many of you my friends. Let's help each other network and connect.

Does your house stink?

Cool new product alert!


Cool Contest alert!


Yes, one in the same!




Dutch Boy paints and Arm & Hammer have joined forces to create a product that will be a huge hit. It is paint that helps eliminate odors in your home. Cool!

They are launching this new product with a contest. It is simple:

Upload a picture and tell a short story about a room in your house you'd like to freshen up. On their website, you can also look at everyone rooms and vote for which you think is the stinkiest. Win prizes for the stinkest room- not just paint but cold hard cash.

Contest website: http://www.myhousestinks.com/

Dutch Boys Refresh Paint website: www.dutchboy.com/refresh/

Julie

Decorator Show House progress

My assigned room within the Decorator Show House is progressing nicely.

With help from Scheer Painting Company (thanks Carolyn and Monica!), the room looks fabulous.


Benjamin Moore Aura paint used:

• White Chocolate - a beautiful soft creamy white
• Squish Squash - a cheery mellow yellow that pulls in the nearby bathroom tile color
• Sweet Sixteen - a pretty elegant pink for the closet

Here are some photos:

This room will look great! Want to see it? Get tickets and open dates at www.jlbuffalo.org

See you there!

Julie

Helpful home staging book

This year's real estate market is ramping up. If you or someone you know is putting a house up for sale, be sure to have it decluttered, cleaned and staged to sell.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Staging Your Home to Sell is the best do-it-yourself resource for this project. (yeah, I am bias 'cause I am the author)

Don't make the mistake of thinking:
" this is not done in my area of the country" or
"my house is fine just the way it is".

Competition in the housing market is tough. Staging Your Home to sell helps you beat the competition and get the most out of your biggest asset. Get this book today to help get the most money for your home in the quickest time possible.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Staging Your Home to Sell

The Home Stylist quoted on MSN today

On MSN.com today there was a front page article on selling your home in a crowded market. I was interviewed for the article awhile ago and then to be honest I forgot about it until my Dad called me today and said "Hey - did you see this article?" Good catch, Dad!

This article has many good tips about selling your home in a difficult market.
Check it out here:

MSN on 7 Tips to Sell Your Home

Cool Wallpaper!

As you may know, I am getting ready to work on the bi-annual Junior League Show House. The teenage girls room is going to be great. One of the signature style elements in this room will be it's wall treatment.

On a recent Rachael Ray show rerun, I saw very similar wallpaper used in a decorating segment. My wall treatment will be slightly different but similar to the "frames" wallpaper in the first of this video. You'll have to check it out. It is really cool!

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/overhaul-your-entranceway/

Home Decorating magazines

In the last month or so, two of my favorite shelter magazine have closed. The magazines, domino and "O" at Home, are no longer publishing. Yes, I guess it is the sign of the times but I am still bummed. Home style changes so fast that by the time some books get published cutting edge tips and designs have come and gone. Magazine print cycle is faster so you can (er--rather could) keep up with the trends.

What is your favorite shelter magazine? I need a new favorite to fill the void. What do you suggest?