decorating Archives - Staged for Upsell

Alternative Wall Decor

Decorating walls can be tough – even designers can find themselves struggling to fill negative wall space. A well designed room has a balanced proportion of positive (furniture, decor, art) AND negative (empty floor and wall) space. In today’s world of open concept living, it can be challenging to fill negative wall space as you don’t want to have too many competing pieces of art around. These instances call for some creativity and outside-of-the-box thinking to figure out what ELSE you can use to decorate your walls. Here are some of our favourites:

Woven Wall Baskets have livened up a number of our designs over the past few months. We have used them individually to fill a tiny wall, as a small group of three slightly staggered, and as a larger, asymmetrical grouping where they are slightly overlapping each other.
Juju Hats are another piece of alternative wall decor that we have been loving. The softness of the feathers and the texture that they bring to a space adds immediate warmth and helps to fill empty wall space without grabbing too much attention. TIP: Try creating a collage of binga baskets AND one or two juju hats for an amazing display of pattern and texture. We recently completed a project where we did this over a sideboard in a dining room and the finished look is to die for!
Wall Hangings have been around for a while and we don’t see them going anywhere in the near future. They are usually soft and natural in colour which means they won’t steal too much of your attention, and that makes them perfect for filling empty wall space.

Remember to always take a step back and assess your space before committing to too many pieces of wall decor. You don’t have to have every wall in your home covered with art and accessories. Let your walls breathe a little bit while keeping in mind that you need some empty space to balance out the rest of your furnishings and accessories.

Visit our shop to create a little magic of your own.

Proper Height for Your Dining Table Light

Adding a hanging light fixture over your dining table can have a huge impact on your dining room’s design. When placed properly, it adds an ambiance to the room that just can’t be achieved with a fixture that is flush to the ceiling. The tricky part is knowing how big the fixture should be in relation to your table, and how high it should be above your table’s surface. We deal with this often, and through our experiences we can provide you with some guidelines to follow when picking out and hanging a fixture over your dining table.

First, consider the scale of the fixture compared to your table. A fixture that is too small will feel underwhelming, and a fixture that is too big will take over the room. Also consider how big your dining room is. You can get away with a larger fixture if you have an open concept room. A small room might mean you need to go slightly smaller with the light fixture. Typically, the diameter of your light fixture should be about 12 inches less than the width of your table. So, if your table is 36 inches wide, then your fixture should be about 24 inches in diameter.

When deciding how high the fixture should be, the rule of thumb is for the bottom of the fixture to be about 30 to 36 inches above the surface of your table. If you have a really tall ceiling, you should add a few inches to that distance. This is a guideline only, so do what feels best while you are standing in the room. A few points to consider are that you don’t want it to be too low and shining too bright into your eyes while you are sitting at the table, but you don’t want it to be so high that it is not providing adequate lighting.

Always look at the fixture from various points in your home when deciding on the height. If you have an open concept dining/living area, go sit in the living room and look towards the dining table and light fixture. Also walk out and back in to the room, paying attention to the light fixture’s height and scale compared to the room and dining table. It is possible you will need to make some minor adjustments based on how it looks from all angles of the space.

When in doubt, give us a call and we will be happy to come to your home and guide you through the process. Even the smallest additions to your home come with many decisions, and we are experienced in making them.

Dining Table Light Height

DIY Stair Runner

Runners are back in, and we love how they can transform a stairwell. However, if you’ve ever priced out a runner you know they can be pretty expensive. And then the cost of install…ughh.

Good news is there is an affordable option. You can purchase a set of runners and lay them one after another. They are very easy to install, and something you can do within an hour. I’ll walk you through how I did this runner and where you can purchase them.

Before and after DIY stair runner

Tools you will need:

Measuring tape
Utility knife
Pneumatic staple gun
Staples

Step 1 – Determine the size of the runners you need

First thing you need to do is measure the width of your stair tread. You will want to leave approximately 4 inches or so on either side. You will want to buy a runner as close to this width as possible.

Then measure from the bottom of the first stair tread to under the nose of the stair tread and to the back of the next riser. Then times this by the number of stair treads. This is the total length you will need to cover.

How do I measure for a stair runner

Step 2 – Laying the Stair Runner

Lay the first runner out on the first tread so it is evenly spaced between the stair tread. Double check your measurements on both sides to make sure it is evenly spaced between the stair tread.

Measuring for a DIY stair runner

Then wrap it tightly around the nose of the tread and wrap it to the bottom of the trim along the first stair tread. Use a pneumatic stapler and place your first staple along the bottom and continue to staple it along the bottom.

Installing a stair runner DIY

Your next spot to staple will be tight under the first stair tread nose.

How to install a stair runner

And then at the back of the first tread into the second stair riser.

How to install a stair runner yourself

Continue until you are getting close to running out of your first runner.

DIY stair runner installation yourself

This is where you are going to stop and cut your first runner. Hold it flat and tight up under the nose of the tread and make a mark where you are going to cut the runner. I left enough room for the edging of the next runner to be tucked very neatly into place. Staple it in place after cutting off the excess.

How to install a stair runner yourself

Start your next runner under the nose of the tread lining up the edges of the runner below it. Staple it in place and keep going until you are done!

After photo of a DIY stair runner

Tip: Use some caulking along the edges of the treads to clean it up nicely when you are done.

Where to buy the runner:

Runners come in different sizes, and for this one we needed three to run the entire length. I find Wayfair has lots of options. Click here to buy this runner.

Tips:

Apply a fresh coat of paint first.
Use some caulking along the edges of the treads to clean it up nicely when you are done.
Order a bit longer than what you need as there will be some wastage.

Click here to check out another mix and match runner installed at another clients!

Making a zippered pillow

Sometimes I get frustrated with the limited variety of pillows available within Halifax. Sure, you can go into HomeSense and find three to four rows of pillows on any given day. But the reality is there is still little selection! I’ve seen the same pillow in HomeSense a thousand times. Sometimes I can’t even find the colour, let alone the tone or texture I’m looking for. Two hundred grey pillows to choose from, and not one yellow pillow, or teal pillow in your selection today HomeSense? Even blue can be hard to find most days.

Then I have other pillows that I will never use again that are stock piled separately. These ones are colours or patterns that I really don’t like. Given that the cheapest pillow you can find is often $39 I like to up-cycle these ones.

I look in my inventory and yes, I have over a hundred pillows sitting there looking at me saying “take me”, “use me”. But honestly for one of my projects this week, even with all these pillows batting their eyes at me I still need one more to complete one of my projects this week. It’s a yellow geometric pillow that I want and I have the material that I found in a remnants bin at the fabric store.

I couldn’t for the life of me remember how to do the zipper, even though it had only been about 3 weeks since my last one. It might have been that it was 9:30 at night and I was just tired. I contemplated just forgetting about it for the night and going to bed. But I needed the pillow and it was tonight or tomorrow night. Scratching my head, and really not having a clue, I stared at the material for a bit but honestly I couldn’t for the life of me remember! I considered asking Suri, but decided to use my laptop instead. Setting up my sewing machine, back to back on my desk with my laptop I grabbed another chair for the other side of my desk.

Googling it I found the same tutorial I used the first time on Heytherehome.com. Skimming quickly I remembered right away. I have to admit, I wasn’t up to reading it again…I just needed to see the image for the zipper placement again quickly.

Twenty minutes or so later, ta da, my yellow geometric zippered pillow!

It’s really not that hard, and it’s a great way to reuse old pillows and save money. Check the remnants bins at your local fabric store, or wait for a sale on fabric. Oh, you will need a zipper as well, they will run you around $4.00 each, but again you can wait for a sale.
Here’s a link to the full tutorial is you’re up to trying it yourself: Zippered Pillow tutorial
I promise, it’s really not that hard!

Transforming a Vintage Side Table

So many people have a piece that was handed down to them from a relative that they don’t use as part of their decor. They don’t want to part with it, but they don’t want to use it either – so it gets tucked away in storage or a corner of the house somewhere out of site. That was the case with my clients beautiful side table. It has been passed down from my client’s grandmother and wasn’t being used or displayed. I don’t necessarily blame them, I’m not a big fan of it in it’s original condition.

However…some Annie Sloan Chalk paint and some clear and dark wax…and well, we have an amazing transformation!

My clients have purchased a new home that is undergoing a big transformation as well – walls have been removed to create an open concept throughout the main living areas, bathrooms and the kitchen are getting a complete makeover. This side table, previously tucked away in their old house is now going to be positioned in the entry way and will be the the first piece that you see when you enter their home!

Please excuse the after photos, I still need to get some good photos of this piece! This piece was painted with a custom colour, I started with Annie Sloan’s Paris Grey but wanted it darker so I customized it. The top was refinished to a darker colour and I used clear and dark wax on the base to give it an antiqued look. Quite the transformation if I do say so myself! 🙂

Before:

After:

Vintage desk makeover

I wasn’t a lover of this antique desk before it’s makeover, however, I have a new found love for it now. It’s finished with a two-layer colour distressing process (coal and ash fusion mineral paint), finished with subtle light off-white waxing to add to it’s aged look. I couldn’t help but decorate it with my beautiful steamer trunk that I obtained over the holidays! 😉

Here’s what it looked like before the transformation

And I love this steamer trunk I recently acquired…love it!

Decorating, yes we do that too!

I’m often asked “do you also do decorating?”, and the answer is yes, we also do decorating! Many decorating, or interior design projects actually come from past home staging clients. One of the greatest compliments I can get from a home staging client is, “I don’t want to move now’, or if it’s a vacant property “I want to move back in!”

You don’t have to wait until you’re listing your home to have your home look amazing. Everyone should love their home while they’re living in it…make it ‘home’ while it’s yours! A place you can’t wait to get back to at the end of the day. Many clients wonder why they didn’t make the changes years ago.

Perhaps it’s just a room or two you want help with decorating, or you’re looking to make some updates and need help more interior design services in selecting products, colours, fixtures, flooring, etc. Maybe you’re moving into a new home and doing renovations, or just need some help pulling the space together. I believe in utilizing what you have when at all possible and keeping costs to a minimum.

I’d love to help you love your home…now. Contact me for more information or if you’d like to book a consultation.

Lighting when selling or updating

Lighting updates are a reasonably inexpensive improvements that can create an amazing difference in the overall appearance of your home. As a home stager I’m always looking at existing lighting fixtures to see if new fixtures should be considered to update the home for sale. When I’m wearing my interior decorating hat this is almost always an area that requires updating to bring a fresh new look and style to a home.

Local hardware stores are terrific sources for great lighting options that won’t break the bank. Consider updating pendant lighting over an island or the dining table overhead fixture. Under cabinet lighting in the kitchen is a dramatic possibility that costs very little to achieve. A home stager can help you pick out lighting, and some can even coordinate the installation with an electrician.

Here’s an example of a great light that was chosen for a client with an older home in the south end of Halifax. It really fit the style of the home adding elegance.

And here is a photo from a vacant staging project where all the lighting was updated by the client shortly before listing. Wow…love the lighting!

Need some help – contact me for a home staging consultation or decorating consultation. I’m here to help!

Event Furniture and Decor for Networking Event

I had the pleasure of offering event staging services for 100 Men Who give a Damn. 100 Men Who Give a Damn Halifax is an organization that involves close to 250 men within Halifax that come together quarterly to help local charities.

It’s a great concept, four charities have 5 minutes to pitch why their charity should receive the money gathered during the evening. I should go back…each member contributes $100 during each meeting. Right after the presentations by the charities the men vote and a cheque is presented to the charity that received the most votes. When all members are present the contribution is over $20k! At this last event the Kids Help phone Halifax received over $16K and that amount can go up ad absent members send in their cheques.

One of the main organizers, Neil Stephen, felt that the group would benefit from more networking after the event and that setting up the venue with some lounging areas and cocktail tables would provide a better atmosphere, to compliment the already existing cash bars.

Feedback was great, Neil felt that it was their best networking event, tightened up the space, and that the set up did exactly what he wanted…created a better space and atmosphere for the event.

It was a fun event to stage. My goal was a sophisticated “man cave” networking space. I used grey leather furniture, modern black chairs, Noguchi style occasional tables and décor rental pieces were made from metals and woods to give it a very masculine feel.

Do you need an event design company to create an amazing event space, or need event furniture rental? Contact Staged for Upsell for all your event staging and event design needs.

Event staging - Man cave style — Event staging – Man cave style

Event staging - Man Cave — Event staging – Man Cave

Add space and transform a room with mirrors

One of the challenges in interior design is to make your space look bigger. This is especially relevant for small apartments or for homes that have small rooms and cramped spaces. Almost everyone has at least one corner that they wish could look roomier. Creating the appearance of spaciousness is especially important if you are trying to sell your house. Home buyers are looking to get the most space possible for their budget, and rooms that look spacious and full of light will be the most appealing.

Of course, cathedral ceilings and large windows will help your home to look spacious, but you can’t do much to change whether you have those. Mirrors are the next best thing. Well placed mirrors will reflect extra light, break up cluttered space, and make rooms look larger. It’s important to place mirrors strategically. If done well though, mirrors can greatly enhance your space. Read on for tips on where to place mirrors around your home and how to use them to the greatest effect.

Mirrors amplify a room’s light
Mirrors do a great job of adding brightness to a room. Placing a mirror behind or next to a light source will reflect that light back into the room, making it appear brighter and more spacious. The darker your room looks, the more it appears to close in from the corners. Light opens the room up. This trick works around both windows and artificial lights. Across from windows, mirrors have the added benefit of doubling the room’s views. In the example below, a large mirror reflects light from the doorway back into the room, filling the entire space with natural light.

Photo via www.thebrooklynhomecompany.com

Mirrors can brighten up corners
Especially when paired with a window or lamp, mirrors are a great way to brighten up boring corners. Corners can often be the gloomiest and most neglected part of a room. A mirror can stop them from looking cramped and reflect light back into the room. Check out the before and after pictures below of a home staging project by Staged for Upsell, and you’ll notice how mirrors add interest and charm to a previously dull corner. They also brighten up what might otherwise be a dark space by reflecting light from the two windows.

Photo: Staged for Upsell home staging project

Mirrors enhance entryways
Entryways can be a difficult space to decorate. There’s often not a lot of space to work with, and a lone table can look unintentional by itself. A mirror in the entryway creates a sense of light and spaciousness as soon as you or your guests walk into your home. Behind a piece of furniture, it adds a sense of purpose and prominence. They’re also very convenient to allow for one last look-over as you walk out the door.

Photo via Haybert.com

Large mirrors double your space
You’ve likely walked into a restaurant and only realized after sitting down that a wall of mirrors made you think it was twice its actual size. The same principle can work well in your home. A large mirror along a wall creates an illusion of space and can appear to double your space. These can work especially well in small dining areas. Placed opposite a dining table, they create balance and greatly enhance the appearance of spaciousness.

Photo via Decoist.com

Home buyers want the most space they can get for their money, so when selling your home look at ways to add mirrors to create the appearance of a bigger space.

Category: decorating

Alternative Wall Decor

Proper Height for Your Dining Table Light

DIY Stair Runner

Step 1 – Determine the size of the runners you need

Step 2 – Laying the Stair Runner

Where to buy the runner:

Tips:

Making a zippered pillow

Transforming a Vintage Side Table

Vintage desk makeover

Decorating, yes we do that too!

Lighting when selling or updating

Event Furniture and Decor for Networking Event

Add space and transform a room with mirrors

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Step 1 – Determine the size of the runners you need

Step 2 – Laying the Stair Runner

Where to buy the runner:

Tips:

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