Small Foyer Update for under $100

Decorating small entry ways can be challenging but should never be overlooked since it is the first impression visitors will get upon entering your home. Even if it's just a doorstep visit your visitor will get a glimpse into your personality  by way of the entry. Remember too that your entry area looks different from the outside view than the inside view, so it's a good idea to step out your front door and take a look from the visitors perspective. As you open the door what do you see, what does it say about you, and what do you want it to say? A small entry is the perfect place to show your personal style & interest.

If you don't have an entry at all, you can still create an area to use as a first impression wall, welcome space, key area etc.  Also,  don't be afraid to go bold with your decor, sometimes by adding bold wall colors, large mirrors and accessories this can give the room some much needed drama,  but remember even the smallest touches can add a lot to the space.

My entry way is  only 4 1/2 ft. x 5ft  with the entry door on one wall the hall way door on the opposite wall and the opening to the living room on the other wall. That leaves me with one wall to work with. Let me show you how I made the most of it.

First I added a large mirror (a thrift find-$25) mirrors always make the room look larger.

Then I went on craigslist to find a table. However it had to be narrow to avoid having the front door hit it when the door opens. And I found one for only $25.00.

And then for the accessories:

Some vintage wooded birds  that I fell in love with at an antique store. ($40 for the set) and a plant that I already had.

That was it! for basically under a hundred dollars I was able to have my entry say a little something about me.

Here are some great finds that would look great in an entry way.

Gold Wall Mirror

Small Wood Accent Table

Half Moon Table

Door Stop

 

French Country Wall Shelves

Mirror and Shelf Combo

xo,

eLAINe

 

Staging 101

So our house is officially on the market.  The FSBO sign is off and it is now on the Multiple Listing Service.  Since the internet is where most buyers start their home search, having pictures in your listing is vital, and a properly staged home will attract more buyers to your photos.  So here are a few tips when it comes to staging.

1.) Get rid of your clutter- I have 2-year-old twins so their junk is always all over the place.  My trick...stratigically place boxes and pretty baskets that I can throw stuff in pretty quickly.  You never want to say no to a last-minute showing.  Start storing personal items like photos and keep your counter tops in your kitchen and bathroom clear.  There is nothing worse than walking into a home with the owners personal junk all over the place.

2.) Less is more- Start moving now! Only keep key pieces in the home.   Too much furniture can actually make your house look smaller.  Rent a storage facility or utilize some storage space in your basement to temporarily put things.

3.) Set the stage- Define the areas and set a mood.  You want a home buyer to be able to picture themselves living there.  Shy away from placing all the furniture along the wall.  Putting the furniture in the middle of the room actually helps with the flow of traffic and makes a room look larger.  Make sure each room has a purpose because contrary to popular belief not everyone has an imagination.  Put dishes out on your table and set up a faux cocktail bar if you like.  Put a cushy robe on a hanger in your bathroom or set out a bottle of sparkling cider and 2 glasses and light candles.  If some of these ideas seem too over the top for your geographical area or your personality, think of something that is practical for you and makes sense.

4.) Paint- Nothing against you people who love white walls, but the majority of us out there would prefer some added warmth to our homes.  Paint is the cheapest yet most eye-catching upgrade that you can make to your home.  Keep it someone neutral to appeal to the masses, just don't forget neutral doesn't necessarily mean beige.  Some greens and blues are pretty neutral, and if you must go beige darken it up a little with a latte colored brown.

5.) Make a first impression- Don't avoid your foyer or your front door.  Most people get a feeling about a home when they walk into the front door.  So make sure your foyer and/or living room are well staged and immaculate.

6.) Lighting- When you have a showing, make sure you turn on your lamps to create warmth.  If you have a fireplace, light it.  Also a few candles for light and scent are good, just avoid the strongly scented candles because they may be a little over kill.

7.) Yes people open things up-  Make sure your closets are de-cluttered.  You should store about half of your clothes  and leave half in your closet (the stuff you use everyday) so that people can actually see the back of your closet.  It is also important to keep drawers organized, especially in the bathrooms and kitchens.

8.) Not everyone loves your furry friend- So I'm a big animal lover, but not everyone is.  Nobody wants your furry friend at the showing nor do they want their hair or scent.  Remove all signs of pet presence.  This means hide the cat litter box, the pet bed, and vacuum up all the hair.  Use a pet neutralizer to try to neutralize the odor as best as possible.

9.) Don't let them drive away-  This means curb appeal.  People will judge what they see outside and already have an impression in their heads before they go inside.  You could have the most updated, upgraded home in the neighborhood and potential buyers may just drive away.  Touch up your paint, stucco, or siding wherever you might spot damage. Make sure your lawn in mowed, your flowers are manicured, your mailbox and house numbers look good, and that your mulch has been redone.  To add a designer touch, add a couple of urns with plants flanking your doorway, and I always suggest to purchase a new welcome mat.

10.) If you have no clue what you are doing hire a professional- Like I said earlier, not everyone has an imagination.  So if you are one of those people get yourself a Lisa Laporta or a Sabrina Soto.  There are many interior designers out there who specialize is staging. If you home is vacant don't leave it that way. Get yourself a staging company that you can rent furniture from or buy some key pieces on craigslist on the cheap.

Here are some examples of well staged rooms

Kitchen design by Touch of Class in Northern Kentucky.

Living room design by Moving Mountains Designs in Los Angeles, CA.

Master Bedroom design by Sensational Home Staging & Design in Danville, CA

Now I must be off to do some staging myself.

xo,

Monica

Tot to Tween for your Princess

We all want things to endure the test of time.  Your children growing happens so amazingly fast.  You start with the nursery, then go to the princess room, and next thing you know they are teenagers.  There definitely is a way to decorate that will withstand all those phases.

Now I know some of you don't mind decorating, and redecorating, and redecorating again.  In fact, I'm probably the last person to be talking since I'll probably decorate my little girls room 15 more times until she turns 18.  But for those of you who want their girls room to go from Tot to Tween and then to a guest room here are some ideas.

#1- Start with a color that is not pink or purple.  The best way to not age the room is with a coat of paint.  Go with neutrals like sagey greens, light blues, greys, and browns.

#2- Skip the toddler bed.  Of course you will need a crib and some may opt for a crib to toddler bed conversion, but to save money skip the toddler bed and buy some rails for a big girl bed.

#3- If you must use pink or purple use it in the accessories.  Comforters, lamps, pictures are all easy to replace.

#4- Get a teenagers opinion.  I know, kind of funny.  The last opinion you want is a teenagers, but this way you know if your little girl will like the room when she is a teenager.

#5-Use multipurpose/ functional furniture. For example a vanity can easily become a desk and an ottoman can be used as a step stool.

When I decorated Daniella's room she was 18 months old.  The twins had shared a room in California, but now that we were in a larger house we had the room so split them up, plus I thought it would be fun to decorate a boys room and a girls room.  So I started searching the internet for inspiration.  This is what I came up with:

Designed by Lisa Epley for her daughter.

I started with some pale blue paint and a upolstered headboard from Target and went from there.  I did some Craigslist shopping and got the dresser, nightstand, and vanity for $60 bucks.

The Eiffel Tower is a wall decal from Amazon.

This is one of the dressers I got from Craigslist.  Although it was already cream color, it was kind of dingy and needed a fresh coat of paint and I decided to paint the hardware metallic silver.  The Paris painting was painted by my mom and the two little ballerinas were a thrift store find for $1.50.

Here is her little dressing area.  Vanity was part of the Craigslist furniture.  The stool I purchased on clearance at Value City for $20 bucks.  The mirror is from Lowes -$14.99.  The lamp and pictures are from Home Goods (each $29.99).  The little end table I stole from my Family Room.

This nightstand is also part of the Craigslist furniture, but I opted to paint it metallic silver just for the fun of it.  It actually didn't match the other 2 pieces anyway, but the guy I bought it from threw it in.

The ottoman I got on clearance at Value City for $40 bucks.  It's great for storing blankets or toys and helps Daniella climb into bed.

Here is another angle.  The curtains are panels from Wal-Mart for $14.99 each.  There is a white outdoor roll-up shade underneath them for under $10 dollars at Lowes.  The Chandelier is from Ikea for $39.99.

If this room is not your style here are some other rooms that will grow with you from tot to tween.

I love the wallpaper in this room.  Now these are toddler beds from Ikea which I probably would skip, but a nice iron headboard would do the trick as well.  There is a great post about wallpaper at Making it Lovely.

Here is a fun and graphic route.  I love the bright colors that are used.  See more at Turquose L.A.

Finally for a more luxurious look, opt for this textured room.  Mustard would be the last color a lot of you would use for a little girls room, but it really adds depth and texture to this room.  I love the rug and the faux fur used on the bed.  There is a great post about luxury girls rooms at DigsDigs.

Last but not least, have fun.  Your princess will love it!

xo,

Monica

 

Mixing in Mid Century Pieces

I absolutely love mid-century modern pieces, but I also don't want to live in a time warp home that looks like I just stepped into the 1950's. Don't get me wrong, I would buy a mid-century house in a heartbeat. In fact if I had my choice of buying a dream home, my first choice would be a large mid-century ranch.


This is one of my proudest craigslist finds. I love it because it has a story. I bought it from the original owner who in the late 1950's purchased it as her and her husbands first piece of furniture after they got married. Isn't that so cute? They were finally selling their house and moving on to retirement and were ready for a new style. I got it for $40 bucks. Now, it is actually a 3 piece wall unit that you can retrofit to suit your needs, but my needs were something to flank the fireplace so I split it up into 2.


I actually think it gives our traditional home a more modern flair then some built-in book shelfs. I'd also love to pick up a drum shade chandelier, but I can't convince my husband to let me block his TV view from the kitchen (as if he is always in there cooking).

modern family room design by san francisco interior designer Cecile Lozano Interiors

I love the built-ins in this room that flank the fireplace as well. I also love the neutral pallet with tones of green and beige and pops of red and orange.

eclectic living room design

This room makes great use of a repurposed mid-century dresser as a TV console. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the ceiling fan (punt intended). Not that I don't like it because I almost bought that exact one for my bedroom (upstairs bedrooms can be quite warm in the summer), but I think a hanging light fixture would've been more well suited for the room. Of course that is just my opinion.

xo
Monica

I Love Panels

Ok so I was recently out on a thrift day when I saw this sliding panel. Cool, but what to do with it since it is made to be vertical and was part of a 3 door panel.  I knew there were 2 matching panels that originally went with it since I was just at the same store last week and passed on them since they were kind of pricey ($35 each).  Kind of regretted it because when I went back 2 had sold.  Well I just couldn't resist getting it for 10 bucks because it has that midcentury thing going on which I love!  so I bought it. It went so perfectly on the wall above my dining table and chairs. It didn't even need to be stain or painted. It is made of wood with a plastic insert that looks like rice paper, really cool! I just added some flush mount hooks on the back, $2 and 10min later, Voila!

Since you have not seen my dining room let me share a little bit about how we even got to the wall art portion of it.  The table I bought from craigslist.   Originally  it was a medium-brown nasty color. My husband just couldn't understand how I could be giving up a cute glass table…constant dusting (obviously something he did not partake in) and colorful chairs but new, for this ugly old thing that come out of the 70's  and someones garage, but once we stripped it and stained and painted it he saw the light!  He now love love loves this table. It has a cool grain pattern on it and is solid as they come -oak . I paid $40 for it!



The chairs also a craigslist find $12 bucks each. They originally were black and were used by the previous owner for some photography shoot. We primed and spray painted them to match the table. We left the velvety baby blue upholstery because it go's well with our decor.  They really are the perfect chairs…lightweight but super sturdy and comfortable. For $12 bucks each a great find!

This chandelier is modern from Osh hardware. I picked it up on sale for $60. I liked it because I has somewhat of mid-century look and the chrome matches my curtain hardware. I am hoping to change out the shades for round drum shades, That would complete the look I am going for.

After finding the great panel for my dining room, I saw this beige panel around two weeks later at another thrift store for $5 dollars and of course i immediately grabbed it! I am not sure yet what i am going to do with it but whatever I do end up using it for I am sure It will look great. I think the possibilities are endless, and for $5…right?

xo
Elaine

Cocktail Party Anyone?

I was having a cocktail  party and needed to get this room together fast.  For a while all that was in the room was a couch and an old credenza I had bought off of craigslist and painted black .  Off to Ikea and Home Goods I went.  I got 2 Lack Coffee table at Ikea for $7.99 each and put them together.  I got a large mirror at Homegoods for $59.99.  The pillows came as freebies with an ottoman I had in my bedroom closet so I threw them on the couch.  As for the accessories well I got creative at the Dollar Tree and made them.  The party was a success and this room with the mood lighting was a hit.  I still have some finishing up to do, but I'll have to have another Martini to get me motivated.  For now, I'm happy with the results.

 

The Work Zone

So now that I've officially started my Etsy Store, I had to find a place to work and I needed to do it on the cheap.  I was able to rescue this credenza and desk from the basement of the Boy Scouts.  It was so heavy and large we actually had to cut the desk to get it into the room.  It also had a dark finish and I decided to give it a fresh coat of white high gloss paint.  It definitely was not easy as it took 2 coats of primer and several coats of paint.  Ultimately I am happy with the results since I wanted a dramatic effect with the dark walls ($5.00 oops paint from Home Depot)  and white furniture and accessories.  I picked up a couple of extra $20 dollar chairs from Ikea to go on either side of the desk.  Bonus:  they are the same chairs I have in my dining room so when I expand the table for guest I have extra matching chairs that I can pull out.