Eleven Expert Tips To Make Small Rooms Feel Larger
March 8, 2010
As a professional home stager in Pasadena and Los Angeles, one of my primary jobs is to make smaller homes feel larger, or at least, feel as large as they really are.
Here’s a list of my tips for making a small home feel larger. You can use these tips whether you are staging your home to sell or if you are planning to stay, but just need some help dealing with smaller rooms. These tips will work with either vacant or occupied homes:
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Pare down what you need to have in a smaller room to the essentials. Do you really need a chair in your bedroom, or can you sit on the bed to put your shoes on?
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Clutter makes a room feel smaller. Lots of smaller items, like your Hummel collection or your bowling trophies displayed on every horizontal surface, eat up visual space. Only display 3-5 items at a time. Store the rest and rotate them out of storage throughout the year. Not only will the room feel larger, but each item displayed will stand out more.
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Use fewer pieces of furniture. Its better to have one larger dresser than 2 smaller ones.
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Use appropriately sized furniture. Having a large sectional in a small family room will highlight how small the room is.
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Cooler colors recede, so painting a room a pale blue, green or gray will make it feel larger.
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Show more hardwood. The larger the expanse of hardwood, the larger the room will look. See how the room looks without an area rug.
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Try using one larger area rug instead of several smaller rugs.
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Use fewer patterns on upholstery and bedding. For instance, use a solid color blanket or bedspread on a bed in a small bedroom to make the room feel larger.
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Strategically placed mirrors make a room feel larger.
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A well lit room feels larger.
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Minimize window treatments. The simpler the better. Shutters, blinds or simple drapes (no flounces, ruffles, strong patterns or complicated valences) take up less “visual space”.
These home staging tips work if you are staging to sell or just want to make the home you are living in feel larger.
If you need some help figuring out how to make your home feel larger, consider hiring us for a home staging consultation. You’ll get some expert home staging and interior design tips from the Real Estate Staging Association 2010 Professional Stager of the Year. Prices start at $250 for a verbal consultation or $350 for a comprehensive written consultation. Its the best “bang for your buck” and it’s a great investment in preparing your home for sale, or making your home more livable if you are planning to stay.
Staging Your Closets With Feng Shui
January 20, 2010
If you’re like me, the thought of tackling a major job like cleaning out your closets makes your head spin, whether you’re doing it to stage your house to sell or for better Feng Shui energy.
In Feng Shui, having orderly closets and dressers is a very good thing. Having closets and dressers that incorporate some empty space is desirable because it allows room for new energy (and Jimmy Choos 
) Holding on to old, damaged or unused items creates clutter, which slows down the flow of energy (Chi).
In order to get started organizing your closets, many professional organizers advise you break the project down into small chunks, so its not so overwhelming.
Only have a half hour to spare? Clean out a drawer. 15 minutes? Get rid of all the wire hangers and dry cleaner bags cluttering up the closet.
- Remove everything from your closets. Assess everything and determine if it is really useful. With the exception of some seasonal items, if you haven’t used it in the past year, you should get rid of it (donate, give away to a friend, recycle or throw it away). If your closet is full of outdated, ill fitting items, there is no room for anything new to come into your life and it is a drag on your energy. The goal is to get rid of clutter and make space.
- Vacuum out the closet once it is empty. You will be amazed (and grossed out by all the accumulated dust and dust bunnies you’ll find).
- If you have the time, energy & money ($20-$50 depending on the brand of paint and what supplies you already have on hand) repaint your closet. It will look soooo much better when you’re done.
- Put the items you are keeping back in the closet in an orderly fashion, and in a manner that allows the item to be useful and of service to you. No matter what anyone tells you, if the organizational system is not organic to your way of doing things, you won’t be able to maintain it and it will devolve into chaos quickly. I invested in Elfa type closet organizing systems for all our closets, and I consider it one of the best investments of time and money I have made. I can see everything I own and can choose what I want to wear quickly and easily. Stores like the Container Store will help you design your closets for maximum efficiency and you can install the elements yourself to save money. Need something even less expensive? Check out the closet organizing systems at IKEA or Target.
- If possible use all the same hangers (you can buy nice wooden hangers from IKEA and they are inexpensive)
- Have the hangers facing the same way (most people prefer hooking hangers over the top of the bar from front to back as opposed to under the bar back to front)
- Separate the types of clothes – group shirts with shirts, pants with pants, dresses with dresses
- Organize by style – group all short sleeve shirts with short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts with long sleeve shirts, etc. Go one step further and organize by color (all white shirts together, blue shirts together, etc.)
- Organize by color – after you’ve separated the clothes by type and style, the gold standard is to organize by color – all white short sleeve shirts together, all blue slacks togehter, etc.
- Put all shoes on shoe racks, hanging shoe organizers, or clear plastic shoe boxes.
- Whenever possible don’t keep anything on the floor of your closet except shoes and those should be neatly organized on shoe racks.
Home Staging Tip:
If you are staging your closets because you are planning on selling your home, then the closets should be no more than half full. Pre-pack any clothes that you want to keep but won’t need for the next few months. Put the unneeded items in storage. Label every box well so that you can grab a particular item in the event you need it. Follow the tips above regarding what to keep and how to organize the remaining items.
Charitable Clothing Donations:
If you have women’s business clothing you no longer wear, please consider donating the clothing to an organization like Dress For Success - The mission of Dress for Success is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Another great Los Angeles area orgnization is Clothes The Deal. They provide business training and appropriate business attire to men, women and at risk youth job seekers in need.
We’re here to help. Contact us if you need help organizing your closets or for more Los Angeles home staging or practical Feng Shui information.
Pasadena Architectural Salvage 3-Day Holiday Sale
November 15, 2009
Pasadena Architectural Salvage Stained-Glass
Pasadena Architectural Salvage Stained-Glass
Pasadena Architectural Salvage is having a year-end inventory reduction sale!
Everything in the store, with the exception of a few consignment items, will be at least 25% off of the list price. The SALE starts Friday, November 20th at 10AM and ends at 5 PM, Sunday, November 22.
Shopping at Pasadena Architectural Salvage is always a delight, especially if you are like me, and love to look at beautiful vintage architectural stuff like old columns, doors, stained glass and fireplace surrounds and mantles. In addition, PAS sells vintage hardware, door knobs, sinks and bathtubs, as well as old pottery, architectural ornaments. They also have quite the collection of books and publications on old houses and architectural salvage.
A few years ago, I was working on a complete down-to-the-studs renovation of a vintage 1920 Craftsman cottage in Highland Park. In order to return the home to its original charm (and eliminate a heinous circa 1970 bathroom remodel) I purchased a vintage claw foot bathtub from PAS. I also purchased some very groovy circa 1940 metal porch rockers. I had them powder coated and often enjoy watching the sunset while sitting in them on my front porch.
I always look for an excuse to visit, and I think you will too, once you step foot inside.
For more information about Pasadena Architectural Salvage call (626)535-9655 or visit their web site Pasadena Architectural Salvage.
And of course, if you wonder if something you see at Pasadena Architectural Salvage is right for your home, call me. I’d love to assist you. Its what I do!
Huge Silk Trading Company Sale on Fabric & Drapery
October 31, 2009
Photo Courtesy Silk Trading Company
Photo Courtesy Silk Trading Company
Huge Silk Trading Company sale on fabric, furniture, throw pillows & drapery 50%-80% off!
OK, there’s some good interior design news and some very bad interior deisgn news here.
The bad news?
It appears Silk Trading Company is closing their Los Angeles store. Silk Trading Company has long been a favored destination of Los Angeles interior designers and fabric junkies. We’re losing a wonderful resource. Silk Trading was a great place to shop for high end designer fabric that could be purchased off the bolt without having to order it from a design center showroom.
The good news?
All of those gorgeous silk & linen fabrics, sumptuous ready-to-hang drapery and beautiful silk throw pillows are now on sale for 50%-80% off. I bought several yards of a stunning gold silk brocade and some very unique wedgewood blue linen with an embroidered floral pattern. Both of these will be turned into throw pillows and bed shams for use in my Los Angeles homes staging projects.
While I was shopping, I heard another interior designer, who had made a large purchase exclaim “Wow, I just saved my client $10,000!”
Disclaimer: It was very difficult to get information from the sales people regarding the future of Silk Trading.
I was told that the sales are ongoing in the Los Angeles and Atlanta showrooms. I was lead to believe that those are the only 2 stores that remain open. I’m not sure if they will continue as an on-line store or not. I hope that they are not, in fact, going out of business, just restructuring. I will be sad to see them go, as I have shopped there for many interior design clients over the years. I’ve purchased custom and out-of-the-box drapery from them as well as hundreds of yards of upholstery fabric and throw pillows.
The Los Angeles store is located at 360 S. La Brea on the corner of 4th.
I’m not sure how long they will remain open, so if you are in need of a gorgeous fabric fix, head on over as soon as possible for the best selection.
And, as always, if you need any interior design or home staging assistance, call Michelle Minch at (626)441-8975. I’ll be happy to help.
Holiday Greenery Sale – Ballard Designs
October 27, 2009
I just received notice that Ballard Designs is having a holiday greenery sale.
Most greenery items are 25% off. Ballard Designs has some beautiful furniture and accessories. I’ve been very pleased with the items I have ordered for interior design clients.
Della Robia Wreath from Ballard Designs
If you would like to freshen or redesign your Los Angeles or Pasadena home for the holidays, please call us at (626)441-8975.
We offer many levels of service from a simple consultation to color consultations, accessory shopping, redesign and interior design. Our services are a la carte. Just let us know what you need. We provide home staging, redesign and interior design services throughout Los Angeles, Pasadena, Arcadia, San Marino, Los Feliz, Silverlake, Sherman Oaks and Encino.
Happy shopping!
Curb Appeal Tip: Improving The Appearance Of A Concrete Block Wall
July 15, 2009
If you’re preparing your home for sale or just want to beautify your yard, here’s a home staging tip on how to improve the appearance of a block or stucco wall.
One of the biggest eyesores affecting curb appeal is a big concrete block or stucco wall right outside French doors or the kitchen window.
While the block wall probably provides security, privacy and noise control, they are usually butt ugly! I discovered a brilliant, simple and inexpensive solution on the CaliBamboo web site. By attaching 2×4’s top and bottom to the face of the stucco or block wall using concrete screws or anchors, it enables you to attach bamboo fencing panels and give the wall a much more pleasing appearance.
This bamboo application could work well with many architectural/garden styles.
Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet and is considered a renewable resource. Bamboo is also amazingly strong, durable and insect resistant. Many Bamboo cultivars grow particularly well in Los Angeles gardens.
Click here for more extensive instruction on how to face a block or stucco wall with bamboo.
Burkard Nursery Summer Sale
July 13, 2009
Burkard Nurseries, a Pasadena gardener’s paradise since 1937, is having a summer sale July 17-July 26, 2009.
Take 35% off all items!
Burkard is a fantastic nursery with a huge selection and very knowledgeable staff. If you have a shady dry corner of your yard, a sunny wet corner, or want to know which tomato plant produces the largest fruit, the Burkard staff will be able to point you in the right direction. And with a 35% discount, you’re in big box store pricing territory.
Some of the many things I have purchased for my Pasadena garden:
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Blueberry plants
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Strawberry plants
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Tomato plants – Burkards is famous for their heirloom tomato selection
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Roses – they have one of the best selections in Southern California
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Fruit trees – Peach, Nava Nava Navel Oranges, and Satsuma
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Landscaping plants – Kangaroo Paws, Gardenias, Camellias, succulents
Definitely worth a trip if you are getting your Pasadena home ready for sale and are working on your curb appeal or want to start that Freedom Garden.
For more information you can call Burkard Nurseries at (626)796-4355.
If you need assistance with curb appeal and preparing the outside of a home for sale, call Moving Mountains Design (626)441-8975. That is one of the many services we offer to help homeowners and real estate agents in Los Angeles and Pasadena prepare homes for sale.
Designer Furniture and Accessories Sale Starts June 6, 2009
May 29, 2009
One of my favorite Los Angeles furniture and accessories stores, Grace Home Furnishings, is having a major sale beginning June 6th. The mailer I received today says “up to 75% off regular price” on all floor merchandise and warehouse inventory. That’s a major discount on some seriously beautiful furniture and accessories. If you have been thinking about redoing your living room, dining room or master bedroom, now’s the time to do it. Grace Home Furnishings is located at 11632 Barrington Court in Brentwood Village, Los Angeles 90049.
If you’d like some assistance purchasing furniture or figuring out what to do with it once you purchase it, give me a call. That’s what I do:o))
(626)441-8975
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