Adventures in color

Is choosing paint color your worst nightmare? For many homeowners it is.

Amy Wax, author of Can't Fail Color Schemes, says color combinations you feel most comfortable with will make up your unique signature palette.

Take a cue from nature and your surroundings. Collect items with the colors you love and you will begin to see a pattern. Think about the mood you are trying to project in each room.

Calm and serene? try shades of blues and greens. These are calm, cooling and relaxing.

Optimistic and happy? Yellow is the color for you -and it can stimulate conversation and memory.

Passionate, energetic and stimulating? Red and orange colors are great for eating, socializing, and feeling confident!

There is a wealth of information in books and on the internet to help you nail down the colors that will work for you and your home. But if you are not a do-it-yourself type of person - hire a redesigner, color consultant or interior designer - they can help.

True Value has a fun color quiz for you to take to get you started - click on the link and it will bring you to the quiz. Color Quiz

Lisa Ryan is the owner of Smart Move Design, a Home Staging and Redesign company serving Central and Northern NY.

What you see (and smell) is what you get

(photo from hgtv.com)

At least that's what most buyers think when viewing a home for the first time.

That's why, when selling, making your home neutral is so important.

If your home has distracting colors, strong decorating elements, or noticible odors (food, pets, tobacco, etc) then a buyer will have a hard time visualizing their things in your house.

So neutralize the bold wallpaper, paint colors, & carpet.

Take down those political, religious, personal "statements" & family photo groupings.

Put away the cat litter box, refrain from cooking with garlic, onion or curry before a showing, and smoke outside.

Make your home the kind of home that ALL buyers walking through the door will see themselves living there.

Lisa Ryan owns Smart Move Design, a home staging and redesign company serving central and northern NY

Home Staging Tip of the Week

Let the sun shine in.

Buyers love light and airy living rooms. Open up your window shades to let some light in. Cheat some sunshine with a light-colored paint and lots of artificial lighting. You can never have too many lamps. Uplights are an inexpensive way to add lighting behind furniture and plants. Last, arrange the space with lightly colored furniture, and you'll have a living room that brightens your chances of a sale.

A recent vacant staging lighting dilemma -

This charming room had nice big windows in the front and these two side windows shown in the picture. Unfortunately, the three large front windows opened to an enclosed porch which darkened the room. It also had no ceiling light.

Light paint, light furniture, and 3 floor lamps placed in a triangular pattern helped give this room a nice glow, especially in the evening.

Smart Move Design is a Home Staging and Redesign company located near Syracuse, NY and serves the Central and Northern New York areas.

Let's barter!

Barter: To trade goods or services without the exchange of money.

I've always been a trader at heart. From trading marbles and rocks, barbie doll clothes to books, the love for trading hasn't changed since I grew up. My most recent "trade" is for salon services.

I am redesigning a small salon space in return for pedicure and manicure services. What fun! Not only do we both get to do what we love, she gets a new look to her space and I get some lovely guilt free nails and toes.

While bartering can't happen all the time as there are bills to pay, I definitely will barter when I can. Hmm, wonder if they would take staging services for my car payment this month?

Do you barter?

Smart Move Design is a Home Staging and Redesign company located near Syracuse, NY and serves the Central and Northern New York areas.

TIps to beat that summer heat.

This weekend in Central New York temperatures hit the 90's.

A/C is great for staying cool and so is a pool, but here a few alternative suggestions to beat the heat in your home and maybe even save some $$.

Change up your wall color this season. Cool colors will make your home feel cooler. White, gray, light green and light blue on the walls reflect the light away and won't retain heat.

Pair your wall color with white for an extra cool, summery look - white trim, soft white muslin drapes, and white accent pieces will give the room a breezy cottage feel.

Remove heavy rugs and throws and opt for lighter materials. Bamboo rugs are a great natural element to bring in (and they are inexpensive too).

Pull in a few accent colors from your garden - orange and yellow are especially vibrant against cool colors.

Turn on that ceiling fan - ceiling fans help keep you cool while using less energy than a 100 watt bulb.

If you do use A/C, make sure you keep your A/C unit in a shady spot - direct sunlight on the unit decreases efficiency. No shade? Plant trees or bushes around it to make shade.

And finally, switch from cotten sheets to linen on your bed. Linen will keep you cooler as it has better wicking properties.

Smart Move Design is a Home Staging and Redesign company located near Syracuse, NY and serves the Central and Northern New York areas.

Home Staging Tip of the Week

One of the hardest parts of getting your home ready to sell is de-personalizing it. In order to make it appeal to more buyers, you'll need to remove your family photos, all personal belongings and yes, even your collectibles. If a buyer feels they are "visiting" your home by seeing the family photos, collectibles and decor, then they can't picture themselves living there.

So when you are getting ready to sell, don't get overly attached to your things “We buy all our furnishings and accessories because we love them. We have a tendency to think everyone else loves them, too, and that’s just not true,” says Barbara Jennings, author of several home-staging guides. Look at your furnishings with a critical eye and remove anything that doesn’t complement each room’s best features.

Don't forget your belongings will move with you for a treasured place in your new home, so pack them away now.

Smart Move Design is a Home Staging and Redesign company located near Syracuse, NY and serves the Central and Northern New York areas.

One Minute Organization Tip

For remote controls and small “cluttery” items, store in a decorative basket or tin on a shelf or table where you will only see the container. It's an easy way to do a quick pick up and you can do the same in all rooms.

Smart Move Design is a Home Staging and Redesign company located near Syracuse, NY and serves the Central and Northern New York areas.