The Dallas Chapter of the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) invites all professional stagers, real estate agents and industry related professionals in the Metroplex to join its rapidly growing organization in 2011.

“Membership in RESA not only provides credibility to your business, it creates an excellent network of professionals that share common values and business practices,” 2011 RESA Dallas chapter President Karen Eubank said. “Monthly meetings are structured to engage and support our members by providing insight and information they might not find elsewhere. At each meeting RESA Dallas hosts a speaker that appeals to home stagers as well as Realtors and industry affiliates.”

Start the New Year with RESA Dallas by getting motivated! Our January guest speaker is Artemis Limpert, is an internationally recognized motivational speaker, coach and entrepreneur.

“You have to get in the game to play the game,” Limpert said. “Transforming the world starts with you.” If you are hoping to transform your life, achieve your goals and take your business to the next level, begin your year with RESA and Limpert’s inspiring topic “Get Motivated. Get in the Game!”


About Real Estate Staging Association: Dallas Chapter:
RESA Dallas provides peer-to-peer support for all chapter members, promoting education to real estate agents, homeowners and the general public regarding the value and benefits of home staging. The Dallas chapter has a dedicated membership working to grow visibility and credibility of the home staging profession within the Metroplex.

Please RSVP for January meeting at The Real Estate Staging Association Dallas Chapter on Meetup.com.
For more information on RESA please visit
http://www.realestatestagingassociation.com/
www.facebook.com.
For more information on the guest speaker, Artemis Limpert, please visit www.artemislimpert.com.

Contact:

Stefanie Levine
817-494-4881
stef@niptuckhome.com
Karen Eubank
214-912-9263
eubank@sbcglobal.net
Holly Bellomy
http://www.dallasrealestatestaging.com/

Home Staging for the Master Bedroom: Before and After: Plano

Home Staging for the Master Bedroom: Before and After: Plano



We had the opportunity to stage a master bedroom in Plano.
This is what the master bedroom looked like before the home staging.
This is what the room looked like after the home staging.

To stage this master bedroom in Plano, this is what we did:

1. We highlighted the tall ceiling and shape of the bed with three framed prints. These belong to the homeowner and were originally used in the family room. They look great in the master bedroom and tie in perfectly with the decor.

2. We changed out the lamps. The original lamps were buffet lamps, so we took them to the dining room and placed them on the buffet. The homeowner then purchased a new pair of lamps, according to our specifications, that are jut the right size and scale for the furniture.

3. We suggested drapes to add the look and feel of luxury. We purchased four drapery panels at JC Penney for less that $140. The curtain rods were purchased at Target for less that $40 each. The red drapes add color and sophistication to the room. Dallas Real Estate Staging installed the rods and hung the drapes.

4. Then, to finish the room, we brought in some accessories for the homeowner to lease.

This Plano, master bedroom is complete!

What can you learn from this home staging example?

First, drapes do not have to be expensive; they just have to look expensive. If your walls are beige and you have white wood blinds; drapes are a great addition to give the room the look of luxury.

Second, use what you have. Try bringing in art and accessories from another room.

Third, every room needs more that one source of light. The ceiling fan with light kit just won't cut it! Consider table lamps and floor lamps. Lamps are a wise investment because you can take them with you to your next home!

And remember, the master bedroom is one of the most important rooms in the home, so make sure to stage it!

Holly Bellomy is a home staging consultant for Dallas, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Fairview, Lucas, and the surrounding areas.

For more information visit: www.dallasrealestatestaging.com

Home Staging for the Senses

Home Staging for the Senses
The Sense of Hearing

Noise! We’re inundated with sounds all day long! While some sounds bring a smile to our face like the laughter of a child, other sounds, such as the chronic barking of a dog can be exasperating.

We can all agree that a quiet, peaceful house is priceless; especially at the end of a long day. This is what potential buyers are looking for too, a quiet sanctuary to unwind in at the end of a day, or for those who work from home or who are retired a quiet paradise may be necessary.

There are some sounds that are not appealing to home buyers. Three of them are road noise, barking from dogs, and interior noises that clamor for maintenance.

Road Noise:
While it may be challenging to sell a home that is located near a busy street or strip mall there are a few things you can do to compensate for the noise pollution.

First: Make sure that your home has extra curb appeal. A well manicured lawn and fresh paint on the home’s exterior are a must. The goal is to get the buyers into your home.

Second: Clear out all clutter inside your home: extra furniture, toys, etc. and rent a storage unit for these items.

Third: Make all necessary repairs before listing your home. Don’t give buyers more reason to say “no” to your home.

Fourth: Hire a home stager to make sure that your home stands out from the other homes in the area.

The key is to create an environment so irresistible that your home is chosen above the others in the neighborhood. And don’t despair; there is a buyer out there for every home!

Barking from Dogs
I have also visited homes to perform consultations all the while listening to dogs bark while I looked at each room with the home owner. There is nothing more distracting than a barking dog! Take your dog with you for showings or find a neighbor or pet sitter who will care for your pet for showings.

Interior Noises
There are other bothersome sounds that you can take care of. These include leaky toilets, smoke detectors, dripping faucets. I remember a time when I went to look at a vacant house to prepare a bid. I toured the house, all the while listening to the chirp of the smoke detector which needed a new battery. I couldn’t get out of that house fast enough because the noise was so irritating.

And for those pleasant sounds, play them up!

Music: If you have speakers, use them! Play a satellite or cable station through all interior and exterior speakers. Light jazz music is preferable.

Movies: Play a movie to show potential buyers how wonderful it will be to have their own movie room; all the while distracting them from the road noise.

Water feature: Do you have a pool with a fountain or other water feature? Turn it on for showings and let the soothing sound of the water entice potential buyers.

In other words, maximize the positive and eliminate the negative!

Holly Bellomy is a home staging expert who specializes in occupied and vacant properties in Allen, Plano, McKinney, Fairview, Lucas, Frisco, Dallas, and Richardson.

For more information log on to: www.DallasRealEstateStaging.com

Home Staging Tips: Easy Updates

Home Staging Tips: Easy Updates

One of my favorite quick, easy and inexpensive updates is replacing cabinet hardware. I like to use my electric screwdriver to quickly remove the old knobs and pulls and to install the new ones.

Two popular hardware finishes are brushed nickel and oil rubbed bronze. I like to coordinate the cabinet harware with the light fixture, faucet and door knobs in the room.

As you can see from the following before and after photos, new hardware makes a difference!
Replace brass knobs with brushed nickel knobs. The chandelier in the kitchen nook was also replaced.

Replace country knobs with oil rubbed bronze.

Replace mismatched brass knobs and pulls with oil rubbed bronze with copper accents.

My favorite places to buy beautiful and inexpensive cabinet hardware are: Home Depot, Overstock.com, and Habitat Restore in Plano.

Youe Home Staging Consultant,

Holly Bellomy

Home Staging and Interior Decorating for Dallas, Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, and the surrounding areas.

Home Office Transformation in Allen, TX

Home Office Transformation in Allen, TX

I had the opportunity to stage a home office in Allen, TX. The office had nice features: built-in bookcases, tons of natural light, wood floors, and slate tile on the walls. There were, however some changes to be made. This is what the office looked like before the home staging:

As you can see, this Allen home office had red walls, clutter, and some personalized items. Home staging is meant to highlight a rooms positive features so I made the following recommendations in order to feature the bookcases, slate walls and wood floor:

1. Paint the walls with Behr Premium Plus Ultra in a satin finish in the color Paramount. Paramount is a dark, neutral color that harmonizes with the slate. This cool color is relaxing, unlike the red color which is very exciting and contrasting to the cool slate. These office walls were painted with one coat. Can you believe it? All of the red paint was covered with less than two gallons of paint!

2. Paint the built-ins. The white paint had yellowed over time.

3. Pack most of the books, all of the collectibles and the personalized items such as the diploma.

4. Bring in some art from the other rooms in the house.

5. Accessorize with other items in the house.

6. And, of course, clean the blinds, windows, and ceiling fan.

After the cleaning, painting, and accessorizing, here is what the office looked like:

The homeowner's furnishings, art, and accessories were used to transform this office and keep the cost of home staging quite low.

When staging your home, keep three things in mind: color, clutter, and cleanliness!

Your Home Staging Consultant,

Holly

http://www.dallasrealestatestaging.com/

Staging and decorating homes in Allen, TX

Family Room Update: Interior Redesign and Decorating

Family Room Update: Interior Redesign and Decorating


I had the opportunity to help a Carrollton resident with her family room. We rearranged the room while using the items that she owned. After I left the residence in Carrollton, the homeowner got busy making the additional changes that I recommended.


This is how the room looked before the redesign:



This is how the room looked when I left:

This is how the room looks now.

The homeowner:

1. Added a leather chair that was upstairs and not being used

2. Moved the TV to the opposite corner so that it can easily be viewed

3. Purchased a sofa table, baskets, side table, and plants

Now this room can now seat more people and it is conducive to conversation...exactly what the homeowner ordered!

Your Dallas Home Decorator,

Holly Bellomy

Dallas Real Estate Staging offers home staging and interior decorating solutions to Dallas and the surrounding areas including Allen, Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Lucas, and Fairview.

Home Staging Tips: Define the Room

Home Staging Tips: Define the Room

I had the pleasure of helping a homeowner stage the dining room in her Allen, TX home. As you can see from the photo below, the room was used for many activities, except for dining.

Tip: When staging your home for sale it's important to define each room, in other words, tell potential buyers how the room should be used by placing specific furnishings in it. This way buyers can imagine themselves living in the home.

Our goals for the room:

1. Clear out the clutter, including the personal items and collections

2. Maximize the architectural details

3. Maximize the square footage

4. Define the room as the formal dining room

This is how the room looked after we staged it:

This is what we did:

1. Took the table and chairs from the kitchen nook and placed them in the dining room

2. Released the chandelier which had been tied up

3. Touched-up paint

4. Placed decorative plates in the niches

5. Hung iron art on the wall

6. Accessorized the dining table

Your Dallas Home Staging Consultant,

Holly Bellomy

Home Staging and Decorating for Allen, McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Dallas

Family Room Dynamics

I recently met with a home owner in Carrollton, TX who said she wanted to stage her home, but she didn't want to sell her home. She wanted a "model home" look so that she could enjoy her house and I said, "I can help!"

She gave me the grand tour of her home and proceeded to tell me what she liked and disliked about each room. We ended up in the family room where she said that she wanted it to look inviting and accommodate the adults. She had recently changed the drapes and pillows but the furniture arrangement wasn't working. In fact she said that when her family of six gathered to watch TV, her seat was on the floor!

The home owner and I quickly began to move the furniture. Here is a before photo:
As you can see, there is no focal point and the furniture is not set up for intimate conversations. The TV is not easy to view either! So, this is what we did:

1. We pulled the sofa away from the wall and into the room. We placed it across from the fireplace, directing the attention there.

2. The corner to the left of the fireplace is where the TV will find it's new home. It will be easier to view.

3. The chair was moved next to the sofa to encourage conversation.

4. The homeowner had a coffee table that she brought out and I accessorized it with items she had around the house.

5. I leaned a different piece of art on the mantle for color and drama.

Here is a different view of the room before the redesign:

And here is the room after the redesign.

We used what the homeowner had in her home for the redesign.

In order to complete the room I made the following recommendations:

1. Hook up the cable at the opposite side of the room.

2. Purchase a sofa table with cubbies that will hold baskets of toys for her young son and place it behind the sofa.

3. Bring down the leather chair from the loft that doesn't get any use and place it to the right of the fireplace.

4.Purchase a side table and place it between the sofa and chair.

5. Purchase a lamp with a satin nickel finish and make sure that it's taller than the furniture and place it on the side table.

6. Add a potted plant next to the side table.

This homeowner has a plan for a sensational family room. She can complete the room over time, adding furniture and accessories as she likes! And, hopefully, with the extra chair, she won't have to sit on the floor!

Holly Bellomy

Dallas Home Staging Consultant

http://www.dallasrealestatestaging.com/

HGTV is coming to Dallas!

Are you a first time home seller? You may qualify to be on HGTV! And if you do, I would be happy to help you with a complimentary home staging consultation or complimentary furniture lease for a month.

Call me if you live in Dallas, Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Allen, or the surrounding area.
Your Dallas home staging consultant,
Holly
214-532-9677

Home Staging 101: Establishing the Focal Point

The focal point in the family room is almost always the fireplace. Achieving scale and balance in order to draw attention to this feature can be tricky, especially when you have an open floor plan.

I had the opportunity to rearrange this family room in a home that is on the market in Plano. The first thing that I noticed when I walked in to the room was the teal sofa. I didn't want potential buyers to walk in and notice the sofa as I did; I wanted them to notice the features of the room; I wanted them to notice the fireplace.

Here is the before photo:


So, I moved the sofa and placed it across room from the fireplace. This solved two problems. It balanced the room and drew focus to the fireplace and not the teal sofa. The console table was behind the chair and I placed it behind the sofa to draw attention away from the teal color.

Here is the after photo:

Here is another before photo:

You can see in this after photo that the room feels more spacious. The seating is intimate, the view of the yard is unobstructed and the focal point is established.

Holly Bellomy, your Dallas Home Stager!

www.dallasrealestatestaging.com
Home Staging and Interior Decorating

Home Staging Tips for the Master Bathroom

The master bathroom is one of the most important spaces in the home. It should look fresh, clean and inviting.

Consider these tips for your master bathroom:

1. For a quick and easy update, replace the cabinet hardware. In the photo below, we replaced the knobs for less than $50.
2. Purchase new towels that are just for "show".
3. Frame a window with a soft, fabric treatment. Fabric adds luxury and softness.
4. Add candles to the bath surround.
5. Pick up small bath mats; they break up the spacious feeling of the room.

Here are the before and after photos of the bathroom that we staged in McKinney.

Holly Bellomy is the owner of Dallas Real Estate Staging. Specialties include: occupied and vacant home staging and home selling consultations. For more info. browse our website: www.dallasrealestatestaging.com

A Reinvented Family Room

I had the opportunity to reinvent a family room. The room had nice furnishings, soothing aqua colored walls, and an abundance of natural light. In order to balance the weight of the room and provide the homeowner with more storage I added two matching bookcases that were upstairs in a bedroom. I placed them right next to each other to create the feeling of built in bookcases. I shopped in several rooms for items to display on the shelves and I found items from India and Africa; things collected from the family's travels.

The homeowner was also wanting to use the space for entertaining friends and extended family, so I rearranged the furniture to create a cozy L shape...perfect for intimate conversations. I streamlined the mantle by clearing it and hanging a collection of pillow covers from India. The colors are beautiful and the theme tied in nicely with the items on the shelves.

The room is well balanced, the fireplace is the focal point and the accessories are displayed as reminders from family travels! The best part is that only two pillows for the sofa were purchased! Everything else was found in the home!


Look at the before and after photos:

www.reinventingrooms.biz
http://www.dallasrealestatestaging.com/
family room, home staging