Painting Kitchen (And Bathroom) Cabinets Pros & Cons Of Four Different Methods I've Personally Used

I get quite a few emails with various DIY questions each day, and for at least the last three years, the majority of those questions have been about painting furniture and cabinets. I think this is a topic that makes many new DIYers a bit anxious because (1) painting cabinets is a huge job, and []

Interior Decorator To The Rescue! A Hectic Lifestyle, A Peaceful Home

Life is busy and hectic for most of us. And that goes double for those who work in high-stress jobs and who also have a family to look after.

In this case, I was hired as an interior decorator (not a stager) by a husband and wife pair – she a medical doctor, and he a lawyer – and four kids too.

Talk about stress!

This lovely couple had so much to worry about during the day that they barely had time to catch their breath in their spare time, let alone think about redecorating their home. And that’s why they called me.

Before An Interior Decorator’s Touch

One room in particular caught my attention, and I wanted to share it here. It was a grand, lovely room, but because of their high-stress lifestyle, it had become a simple catch-all for the extra stuff they had lying around the house. Old toys and old furniture abounded, along with a dark, cold, boring, blank wall. This was not a place anyone wanted to spend their time, not even the kids – who at this point had outgrown most of the toys in there.

This room needed an exorcism, a complete purge. We needed to start fresh.

After Some Interior Decorator Magic

One of the most exciting parts about this job was the fact that this family had gone away to Italy for three weeks while I worked on things. So they didn’t see the in-between parts, which can sometimes get a bit messy. They saw the before, they saw the after, but they didn’t see how I got there. It was like I’d waved a magic wand!

Sometimes when you decide to renovate an old building, you realize it’s actually so dated that you’re better off knocking the whole thing down and building a new one. I didn’t knock the house down, but I may as well have!

In short, I changed everything. The furniture – gone. The toys – gone. The wall colour – gone. I needed a blank slate to get this room looking good again. The only thing I left was the carpet.

And here’s how it turned out:

Does that look like a bit more of an enjoyable space to spend your time? The homeowners thought so – they were absolutely thrilled with the results.

“I wish we’d done this before,” they told me. “I had no idea my home could look so good!”

Contact Interior Decorator MatiDesign

Are you getting tired of your home and want to spruce things up? Tired of doing the same old things and want a more contemporary look? If so, contact MatiDesign to book your interior decorating consultation. You’ll walk away with some great ideas for how to redecorate your home in a way that fits with your lifestyle.

Learn additional information about interior design, decor, and style at: london's best interior decorator

Home Stagers Challenge: A Smelly, Vacant Condo To A Warm, Welcoming Home

Usually when someone hires home stagers in London here, it’s one of two types of people: home owners, or their real estate agents.

But this home was a different story. Instead, I was contacted by an accountant. The owner of this condo had passed away, and his accountant was taking care of his estate on behalf of the next of kin – his two sons. Anyway, when he contacted me, it had been sitting on the market for a while and hadn’t sold.

So I walked in the door and was greeted with this:

What would you do with this room, as a home buyer? If you have no idea, you’re not alone. It’s hard for most people to picture what their life can look like in a vacant room.

It’s like reading a book where all the pages are blank. Sure, you can imagine whatever you want on those pages, but without a little guidance you have no idea where to start.

This photo, too, doesn’t show you one of the biggest problems with this place – the smell. Not only were you greeted with a vacant room, but the place REEKED of cigarette smoke. That’s not a pleasant smell for anyone, even if you’re a heavy smoker yourself.

If there was ever a home that needed my help, this was it!

Waving My Home Stager Magic Wand

The original owner had bought the condo 35 years ago, and in that time he hadn’t updated a single thing. So the faucets, the sinks, the toilets, the light fixtures – all of it had to go.

I had the carpets steam cleaned and the place aired out to get rid of the smell, and a fresh coat of paint on the walls to brighten things up.

And we just HAD to open those windows! It’s not a dungeon, after all.

Here’s the result:

Big difference, huh?

Take a look at the fireplace – what do you see that’s different than before?

That’s right, we took the bronze trim off it. It was attached with magnets, so we were able to completely transform the fireplace from a dated, tired look to a fresh, contemporary one with just three small tugs.

After staging, this condo sold in just five days. And you can see why – instead of a cold, empty, stinky room, it became warm, welcoming, and relaxing.

Contact MatiDesign Home Stager

If you’re getting ready to sell your home, be sure it sells for all it’s worth! Contact MatiDesign today to schedule your in-home staging consultation. You’ll discover some insider tips on how to sell your home quickly, and for more money.

Read additional tips on interior design, decor, and style at: london's best interior decorator

Home Staging Service In A Vacant Condo

When someone walks into your house with the idea of buying it, they’re asking themselves all sorts of questions in their head, even if they don't even know they're asking them. And a home staging service is meant to give them the answers they’re looking for.

Let me ask you two different questions – and you tell me which one you think is easier to answer.

“What is your favourite song?”

Or

“Do you like Fleetwood Mac or The Eagles better?”

The first one is more open-ended. You can give any answer in the world! So it can be overwhelming.

On the other hand, the second one is more directed. The person asking you the question is guiding you toward one of two possible answers. That makes it a lot easier to find the answer.

The same goes with staging. Take a look at this picture and imagine the possibilities:

When someone looks at this room, they ask themselves all sorts of questions. Things like:

- Could I picture myself sleeping here?
- Would I be comfortable in this room?
- Would my spouse be comfortable here?
- Would I be able to enjoy intimate moments in this room?
- Would this room relieve my stress at the end of the day?

If you walked into the room you see above, what would the answer to those questions be?

Would you want to buy this home if it looked like this?

Time To Call A Home Staging Service

This was a vacant condo for sale, with only the occasional scattered piece of furniture available – like the inflatable mattress above. It had no appeal at all, and as a result it sat on the market for two months without selling. So the agent contacted me.

They had a small budget to work with, which was fine – in most cases I can make a difference on any budget. But I had to be more strategic.

Instead of creating grander areas, I had to create smaller vignettes into which the buyer can insert their own life. We used the blow-up mattress in the room and rented a few accessories and pieces of furniture to improve the room. That might not sound like much, but it makes a big difference. Take a look for yourself:

Now think about those questions above.

What do you think the answer would be this time?

The results speak for themselves – after sitting vacant on the market for more than two months, this home sold two days after it was staged for above the original asking price.

Home Staging Service London Ontario

If you’re considering listing your home on the market, or if you’ve already listed it but it isn’t selling, contact MatiDesign today for an in-home staging consultation. Remember, staging is always less expensive than your first price reduction.

Find more ideas about interior design, decor, and style at: London Home Decor

Bathroom Interior Decorating Ideas: Home Staging Before & After

One of my favourite parts of being a home stager here in London Ontario is the amazing difference staging can make. Not only can it give a room a completely different feel, it can also help the homeowner make more money in selling it sooner and for more money.

As I like to say, the cost of a home stager is always less than your first price reduction.

When the agent for this home contacted me, it had been on the market for a couple of months already. Their previous agent was with them for a 60 day contract, and when it didn’t sell with him they decided to work with a different agent. Their new agent and I had worked together before – I stage all of her listings before they go on the market – so she brought me in for this one.

Home Staging Before & After – The Problem

Here’s what the ensuite bathroom looked like before I arrived.

What do you think when you see that photo? What does that room make you feel?

Does it tell you a story? Does it seem warm and inviting?

No, it tells about as much of a story as a blank piece of paper – and that’s the problem. When people looked at this home, they couldn’t picture themselves living in it. They couldn’t imagine what life would be like here. It clearly has no appeal at all.

An ensuite bathroom needs to show romance, intimacy, intrigue, and dare I say... sex appeal? It needs to be a place people can envision themselves going to at the end of the day and relaxing, feeling completely at peace. It needs to be a sanctuary.

So I went to work.

Home Staging Before & After – The Solution

Can you spot the difference?

It’s not the wall colour, or the vanity, or the bathtub, or the tiles. All that stayed exactly the same.

It’s the accessories. The candles sitting in the tub, the fragrance sticks on the counter, the flowers, the artwork, even the towel strategically draped over the edge of the tub – it’s all there to tell a story. What woman wouldn’t want to relax in a luxurious bubble bath, candles burning ever so gently, as soothing fragrances grace her nose?

So What?

The second photo is obviously more inviting than the first, but so what? What does that mean? Why should you care, as a homeowner?

In this case, this home sold in just under a week. Staged homes usually sell more quickly, but because this house had been sitting on the market for a while its owners missed out on a lot of potential buyers. This is why it’s a good idea to stage a home before you put it on the market for sale.

Contact MatiDesign

Is your home currently on the market but isn’t selling? Are you planning on putting your home on the market soon? If so, contact MatiDesign to book a home staging consultation.

You’ll walk away armed with the information you need to sell your home more quickly, and for more money – including things you can do yourself, as well as some bigger things your home may need to get the full value for it.

Get additional information on interior design, decor, and style at: London Interior Decor

8 Biggest Mistakes You Make Decorating a Small Space

These designers explain why you shouldn't play it safe (no white paint!) in a tiny room.

1. Playing it safe

"Instead, put a large-scale printed fabric or wallpaper on the walls and even the ceiling. It's easier, safer, and less expensive to be dramatic in a small space. You might get tired of a bold print in the main living area, but it can make a smaller, less-used room an exciting space to spend time." — Victoria Neale

2. Cramming the space with too much stuff

"A large piece of furniture can actually make the space feel larger, as long as it's selected carefully. For instance, if you have the benefit of high ceilings, a tall cabinet appropriately placed has the effect of drawing one's eye upward and away from the small footprint of the room. Just make sure every piece counts and holds its place and lets your eye rest." — Laura Kirar

3. Not strategizing

"Decide everything that needs to happen in a room, and then work that legerdemain, baby. Divide a room geometrically into task-oriented zones — working, sleeping, relaxing, dining. Think in halves, quarters, or even on the diagonal and assign a function to each section." — Elaine Griffin

4. Not paying enough attention to the color of flooring and walls

"Lighter walls and lighter floors do automatically give the illusion of more space." — Mary McGee

5. Relying on small furniture

"Dark colors and just a few pieces of large-scale furniture, with the appropriate lighting and accessories, can give a room a larger, more luxurious feel." — Mona Hajj

6. Missing the silver lining

"Turn it into a jewel box. For instance, I turned a small room in my apartment into a luxurious retreat. I upholstered the walls in a soft chalk-striped brown wool flannel, coffered the ceiling applying custom-designed 'faux bois' wall covering in the coffers, laid a plush red carpet, installed a flat-screen TV on a flexible mount, hung an oversize faux-tortoise-frame mirror to create more dimension, and, finally, designed a custom-made sectional sofa to optimize the space. Now it's a cozy space my whole family uses." — Philip Gorrivan

7. White walls

"Paint the room a dark charcoal gray or Ralph Lauren's Black Truffles, one of my favorites. This will actually really open up the space." — Paul Mathieu

8. Proportion and scale are vital

"Custom upholstery is essential if you want to avoid burdening a room with furniture that looks like it's on steroids. You should have furniture made in the correct width, height, and depth for the scale of a room. For smaller rooms, I try to avoid anything over 36 inches deep. Better not to overpower a room with the steroid-injected, super-deep models made to fill titanic spaces in McMansions. Bigger is not always better." — Todd Klein