Small Space Design

Since 1960 homes had been doubling in size. For the first time in 50 years the census data now shows a decrease in home sizes. With a decrease in size comes the challenge of adjusting from large spaces to smaller while still having a feeling of comfort and design.

5 tips for small spaces

Have a bench and hooks at an entry way to allow jackets, hats, and shoes to stay together in an organized way.

Make a room feel more open by using glass tables.

Hang a mirror at or above eye level to open up the space without showing clutter on the floor. Hang it across from a window to bring more light into the room.

Create multifunctional zones within a room: a drop leaf table behind a sofa can act as a sofa table, dining table, and desk.

Larger furniture with fewer accessoires allow a room to feel comfortable and uncluttered.

Guest blogger: Tess Johnson

Have fun with murano glass beaded wallpaper

Faux glass bead wallpaper makes for a lovely and glamorous look for your wall anywhere in the home. The wall coverings shed beautiful light to give an impact. They give a statement to any space and are available in a wide array of colors. This is an easy way to bring color and texture into your home while making an impression on the space itself.

Guest blogger: Katherine Fountain

Organic Design

Organic design

In today's society the use of organic materials is becoming not just a trend but also a necessity for people with extreme allergies. Many products have “off gassing” that contributes to air quality in the home. Designers are working with organically made products to create a more healthy environment.

• Organic bedding made with organic cotton

• Organic rugs and carpets made of wool, jute, bamboo, cotton, and hemp.

• Flooring made of bamboo and reclaimed wood.

• Low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paints

These are just a few materials you can begin to change when designing or redesigning your home.

Guest blogger: Rebecca Plank

Easy Art

We were looking for a way to do some inexpensive art for kids and teens rooms when we stage vacant homes. These were a breeze to make.

Fabric circles made from embroidery hoops and different patterned fabrics.

Fabric squares and rectangles made from different sized canvas stretcher bars and patterned fabrics.

All materials found at our local Hobby Lobby.

Why you should stage your home

I was recently a guest blogger at Your CNY Home Blog, an informative real estate blog produced by The Pei Lin Team in Syracuse, NY.

I have had the pleasure of working with The Pei Lin Team for several years and have seen first hand the lengths they go to provide top notch service. They know what it takes to get homes in and out of the market quickly and they know the value of home staging.

Check out their very insightful blog and my article on Why You Should Stage Your Home.

Decorated Stair Risers

I wanted a new look for the stair risers at my Smart Move Design office but didn't want to paint. This was done in an hour using wrapping paper. (I found the paper at Hobby Lobby and it had a nice one inch grid on the back for easy cutting). I cut the paper to size, painted modge podge on the risers, placed the paper on the risers and smoothed it out, then trimmed with an exacto knife.

Cheryl Tiegs visits the Syracuse Parade of Homes

Cheryl Tiegs, spokeswoman for Cambria Stone Products stopped by the Sciuga Home in the Syracuse Parade of Homes today.

The Sciuga Home has Cambria products for the kitchen counter and island, bathroom vanities, laundry room, fireplace and even the master shower walls. The home is gorgeous!

The Parade of Homes runs Sept 10 through Sept 25 and is located across from Wegmans on Taft Road in Liverpool.

This is the 2nd year Lisa Ryan has worked as the designer and decorator for the Sciuga Home.