IDHome Staging Report- Thursday 10/13

Today’s journey took our Team to 5 projects…

GENERAL STREET- Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Service call today to add new energy saving light bulbs to all of the table and floor lamps. This way, our Client can leave the lights on for showings- and takes less time for him to get the property in showing Staged condition. This Realtor Client of ours is known for some of the fastest sales results- he Stages EVERY listing of his in some capacity. In fact, there was a pause in our Staging yesterday while potential Buyers stopped by… for a second time! We have very high hopes for this property- it really needed definition to a lot of the open spaces.

BRETT PLACE #13- San Pedro
I stopped by today to see how this previously Staged property was performing. This is one of our REO Stagings for the same Realtor as WEST GENERAL STREET, and it is already in Escrow… I was just stopping by to check on it. Everything was in order and this baby should be ready to clear Escrow on time if not a little bit earlier.

ALLIENE AVENUE- Lomita, CA
Continuing my tour for above mentioned Staging Realtor Client- I stopped by his next project in Lomita, CA. We are believing this property will be fully Staged, inside and out. We definitely need to offer some definition to spaces, and we need to help activate some “dead spots” in the property. This listing has a great “Anomaly Space” that I cannot wait to Stage- an anomaly space is the area in each property that is unique to only it, or the specific location. StageHands (what we call member of our Staging Team) for Identity Home Staging know how to extract the charm and positive buying emotions of these unique and often unaddressed areas. Keep your eye out for updates on this Staging project, watch what we do!

LEMON AVENUE- Long Beach, CA
We were ecstatic to show up to Lemon Ave in California Heights (Long Beach) today to DeStage it. If we’re DeStaging a property… it’s meant one thing… IT SOLD! Our Clients hired us to conduct a moveover Stage for them with their furniture. Check out below how the moveover ended up- VERY NICE!

ST. GEORGE ROAD- Westminster, CA
So… what do you think so far? We Staged this property with the same inventory from Lemon Ave. Same day pickup, travel and delivery at a new property. All of the furniture belongs to our Staging Clients- and we add in the colorful and textural scaled pieces to help round out the look. This is another excellent way professional Stagers can stay flexible working with their committed Clients- and help their Clients save more on their long term Staging investments. St George Rd will be finished and ready to go back on the market by noon tomorrow!

General Street- Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

We have just completed the Staging at General Street and have passed the torch to Avenue Eye for their professional photography and marketing services. This project has taken several forms, and quite rapidly too. Originally, we were to just Stage the public entertaining spaces such as the Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen and Family Room.

Color Concepts for 2011

Color has a vital role amongst the visual world we live in. Color is the identity of shape, it can subconsciously influence our moods, our thinking, our decisions and preferences.  Color can be reactionary or can instigate action amongst people.   Color is often used to help conserve energy, but in the past it has also been found to be a contributor to global pollution. Psychologically, it can add to or subtract from space, allowing you to pull everything together, or create specific focus.

Color has been used in marketing, to help steer products and style schemes to buyers, to activate or curb appetites, and it is used to emotionally bind ourselves to possessions and desired objects.

Color is an irreplaceable communication tool that sends universal messages.  Traffic lights and signs, warning labels, medical, political and health products all use color universally to communicate benefits, options and warnings.

Every year, certain individual colors and color combinations are identified as “Stand out stars” for the year.  These colors are embraced by Researchers, Designers, Manufacturers and Retailers- you can generally expect specific colored products that coordinate with the color themes.  From fashion to graphics to interiors, color is celebrated for its impact and influence worldwide.

2011 brings us a very unique view of color from the perspective of Sherwin Williams Paints.  With technology spreading communication at a keystroke, color now has global exposure.  Sherwin Williams shares four major themes that will dominate the color spectrum in 2011.  These uniquely themed palettes are reactionary and responsive to our environment, culture, technology, economy and health.  Which of these palettes do you gravitate towards?

PURELY REFINED

KEYWORDS:  Tailored,  Timeless, Textural

Elegance no longer commands its presence with glitzy glamour.  It whispers luxury with its streamlined elements, tailored details and timeless handmade quality.  Restrained simplicity is the new upscale.   Organic textures and colors create a harmonious, historic and grounding color palette that is soothing, luxurious and opulent.

Three individual colors you can expect to see in retail for fashion or home:

SW6242 Bracing Blue

SW0012 Empire Gold

SW6164 Svelte Sage

BOLD INTERVENTION

KEYWORDS: Electric, Energetic, Expressive

Energetic self-expression bursts through the scene, offering high drama impact, spontaneity and even rebellion amongst color.  This techno-inspired theme embraces bright, luminous and surprising color and pairs multiple sheens of finishes and shapes.  Consider it an all-out assault on your color stamina, inspiration for this palette comes from Latin and Central America, the upcoming Olympics in Rio de Janiero,  the rebirth of 3D movies and graffiti bold art.

Go BOLD and grab your favorite of these individual colors at any major retailer:

SW6711 Parakeet

SW6947  Tempo Teal

SW7589  Habanero Chile

GENTLE MEDLEY

Reminiscent, Refreshing, Refined

Gentle Medley is the “Un-“ and the “Re-“ color.  It unravels the tense and tight times we are in like a soft relaxing massage.  It re-energizes and refreshes not only our mind set, but allows us to repurpose items… it’s like giving everything its’ second chance.   It’s fun but not flirtatious.  It’s poignant but not feminine.  Vintage plateware, dragonfly and butterfly collections, hand tinted photography, herbal botanical gardens, small sugar frosted desserts, raw unstripped or refinished goods create the inspiration for this honest and humble color palette.  Consider it, “Ahhhhhhhhh” for the mind.

Float away to gentler times by embracing these individual colors:

SW6353 Chivalry Copper

SW6463  Breaktime

SW0073  Chartreuse

RESTLESS NOMAD

Exotic, Ecclectic, Earthy

Thanks to technology, you can toss out your passport for the internet and bring faraway cultures to you.  Visit exotic cultures and immerse yourself in the vibrant spiced dyes, the juxtaposition of pattern between Indonesian batik, graphic animal skins, and Persian paiselys.  Colors wander all over the spectrum from fierce pinks and reds to earthy browns and blues.  Warm and optimistic yellows flank the generally darker, dustier theme.  And an old favorite (burgundy) is resurrected as an essential lead color for this palette.  Think spicy.  Think pattern.  Think pink!  (Which happens to be a shade embraced by Pantone as the 2011 Color of the Year entitled, “Honeysuckle.”)

Travel afar (…or to your local retailer) to find these exciting individual colors:

SW6551 Purple Passage

 

SW6354 Armagnac

 

SW6840 Exuberant Pink

Holiday Gifts Go Green

By:  Kevin Htain- ASP IAHSP

Principal Accredited Staging Professional, Interior Designer

IDENTITY HOME staging+design- Long Beach, CA

kevin@identityhome.com

It’s been a tight year for most all of us.  Finding yourself dreading this upcoming Holiday Season ?  You’re not alone.  This year, economists anticipate retail shopping to be weaker than usual as most consumers are choosing to cut back and save this season in order to get themselves ahead for 2011 rather than continue the dismal financial challenges of 2010.   As this year’s Holiday Season quickly approaches, Gift givers are seeking new alternatives and ways to complete their entire shopping list on a tight and limited budget.  Enter the concept of gifting “Gently used” products, which has proven to be gentle on the wallets of Shoppers and equally kind to Mother Earth.  The “New To You” phenomenon has been born!

“New To You”

The concept of “New To You” is basically repairing and updating items in hopes of rejuvenating the product(s) and giving it more use.  The ultimate goal is to alleviate the Earth from the scavenging of natural resources used to create newer products, as well as saving landfill area from electronic and industrial waste which may not biodegrade normally if at all.  Gifting these green or recycled gifts has become the norm practice amongst those who follow the “New To You” lifestyle with discipline.

House Beautiful’s Statistic

Revamped Vintage Mixer

Recently, House Beautiful Magazine released a statistic based on its estimated 5 million readership.  They have estimated that we could save approximately 100,000 wildforest acres by surpassing retail stores for purchases such as a brand new blender or toaster and instead committing to purchase a “New To You” appliance that has been repaired and is in matching working order.   With a statistic like that, it is very hard to argue that recycling or fixing and reusing certain items wouldn’t improve the  environmental impact we make on our planet.

Replacement Gift Ideas

-Luxury gifts are being reformulated with a more simple, yet elegant and timeless look.  The rustic look is becoming more affluent.

-Consumers are stemming away from gifts such as brand new high end leather embossed journals with silver clasps.  Instead the similar effect is being replaced with more simplified distressed leather journals simply tied with leather cording or twine.

-The art of the handwritten and handmade has not been lost.  In fact, with new technology and modern inventions springing up left and right, the handmade expression has increased in popularity- perhaps as a counteracting balance to the rigid yet convenient lure of technology.

Bunched Vintage Teacup Chandelier

-From light fixtures made out of vintage teacups to food mixers retouched in optimistic fun and bright confectionary colors… the trend grows on repurposing, refinishing and reusing products as creative and stylish gifts. Countertop appliances are quite popular retouched, as is creating fixtures out of repurposed items.

New To You Decorations and Décor Parties

Recycled CD Ornaments

Holiday Decorations as well have began to embrace the idea, also more commonly known as “New To You.”  Handmade ornaments decorating Holiday Parties are increasing in popularity, where Friends and Family gather to create ornaments for their homes, using simple craft items.   In this photo example, old CDs are cut into Holiday shapes and used as ornaments.

whimsical mismatched buffet table spread

One of the most popular “New To You” Décor items is mismatched plateware and decorative settings you can use to create your own tablescape for your Holiday Dinner or Cocktail Party.  Strive for the Poetically Chaotic looks!  Items such as these are dimes to the dollar and can be creatively displayed in an eclectic manner to feature your food and drink items when entertaining.

Enjoying these few new tips will add more green cheers to your Holidays without losing the green from your pocketbook.  Happy Holidays!