Of Bugs and Bones
So I have a fascination with, well, let’s call them ‘natural elements.’ My family and, as I've learned recently, the cleaning crew find this fascination a little disturbing. See, I like things like giant great horned beetles and skulls of all sorts and sizes. This...
Saving original elements in your home remodel
If you have a house that you are considering a remodel for and your house has some original details, think twice before tearing them all out. These “time capsule” elements, as I call them, can add such cool design elements to a more modern space. There are several...
For the love of architectural salvage
Anyone else love the look of architectural salvage? You know, those old seemingly unusable pieces of houses and buildings? Maybe it’s my deep passion for history, or my devotion to sustainability but I can’t bear to throw away cool old doors or windows, doorknobs,...
Styling Bookshelves
The allure of bookshelves is that they serve two purposes: design and function. The reality of bookshelves is that they often end up cluttered and somehow leave the space feeling disorganized. But wait, it doesn’t look like that in magazines, right? That’s because...
A stager’s take on designing a wedding shower
I’ve designed hundreds of well-thought-out spaces in all different kinds of homes, but I never thought of myself as much of a wedding designer. In fact, I was never much motivated by weddings at all until my daughter became a bride. Jessie, aka J, is actually my...
Chair up!
As a stager, I give a lot of thought to choosing the right color and style for each piece of furniture in whatever particular space I am staging. Recently, a client met me in one of my staging warehouses in search of the perfect chair. After talking and looking and...
Applying ‘The Rule of Three’ to your home
I’m all about vibe when it comes to design and while it might seem like I’m a go-with-the-flow, feel-the-space kind of gal (which I am), I also respect one of the most fundamental rules of design, the Rule of Three. It is a sacred rule that has worked faithfully for...
Finding the perfect couch
If you’re like me, you’ve probably spent more time on your couch than ever before in the last year. In lieu of going out, you’re staying in and watching movies. When the office space you've created at the dining room table feels uncomfortable, you grab your laptop and...
This HAS to be said….
Ok, it’s time for a little chat. We need to get on the same page about staging and how it works. I am going to share a personal story with you in an effort to help give you a clearer picture, and reduce the number of headaches I get by having to repeat myself. There...
How to use rugs
In staging, I like to think of rugs as the cherries atop a delicious, well-crafted banana split. Sure, the banana split is still delicious without the cherries - but the overall look of this iconic yummy dessert is lacking. It’s missing the punch of color and texture...