A few weeks ago a sweet reader (hi Jayne!) emailed me with the following question:
"How do you learn to pull all the ideas you have for say a living room and make it look good?"
This actually comes up a lot and I think it is something that many people struggle with and for good reason. It's kind of freaking hard. Here is what I shared with Jayne. I hope you find this helpful too!
House Flipping: The Dalton House - Week 1
So... did you notice anything different about the title of this post? Note how it doesn't say "flip hunting" - rather "house flipping"? (!!!) That's right guys, we have our first oh-fficial flip under way and I am SO freaking excited to share this whole project, process, and budget with y'all. I guess it's also pretty obvious which house we got - the Dalton House! A little bit of a gamble since it is a manufactured home, but still plenty of room in the budget and I think pretty fancy for a mobile home flip. Sadly, this renovation isn't going to be of Fixer Upper caliber. In other words, we're mostly going to be repairing, cleaning, and sprucing up a little. This is great news for the renovation cost, but there will not be these dramatic before and afters like the Myrtle House. So, shiplap lovers and farmhouse aficionados - my apologies in advance!
10 Easy + Affordable Real Estate Staging Tips from an Interior Designer
When you are selling your home, the importance of staging is often down-played. In my opinion, staging is incredibly important when selling a home, if not completely necessary. Think of it like a job interview. When you are going to interview at your dream company for your ideal job, you are going to present the best version of yourself, right? If you show up in your PJs with bedhead, it's going to be hard for an employer to see you fitting in at their company. The same goes for buyers. The majority of potential buyers will have a hard time seeing through clutter, wild paint colors, and outdated finishes, even though you know the house is a wonderful place to live.
Family Dresser Before + After
When selling The Brooklyn Street House, we had zero furniture. And needed to stage on an itty bitty budget. ASAP. Luckily, my parents graciously let us have a chest and dresser set from my mom's childhood. It was also mine growing up. The set was showing it's age, but the construction was solid and we decided to spruce the pair up with paint and hardware. Refinishing furniture makes me nervous (the outcome is often a gamble), but I am thrilled with these!
Trendy Backsplashes for $5/Square Foot or Less
Kitchen back splashes are often afterthoughts of a renovation or remodel. People tend to focus on flooring, cabinets, appliances, and countertops, then use the backsplash to tie it all together. I think backsplashes are pretty important since that is one of the first things that grabs your eye. A lot of back splash options can get pretty pricey, though. Mosaic and specialty tile can run $20 a square foot and up. These seven trendy tiles will cost you less than $5 a square foot and you won't have to sacrifice on style or quality.
Affordable Beach Furniture + Decor at Target
We just had about 7 inches of snow where I live and although the snow flurries sure were pretty, I am starting to look forward to warmer days. While snowed in, I started browsing Target's clearance section of furniture and home decor and realized they had a ton of coastal-inspired tables, chairs, rugs, and accessories that would be perfect in a little seaside retreat. The best part is that all of the items are 50% off or more!