Storage Solutions - BTSH Around The House Tip of the Week

I continually hear people say “I wish I could be as organized as you!”. I am always looking for ways to better organize my own home, and make things easier to find and access. I’m a firm believer in having everyday things at my fingertips. The first step in organizing is to sort through the areas of clutter and arrange a system. Categorize the items by what needs to stay where it is (but in an organized way of course), what is truly junk and can be tossed, and what is worth keeping, but is in the wrong place. Once you’ve done this, start with the “wrong place” items, and put them in the correct place immediately. Next, conquer the clutter and organize the items that are going to stay put.

Small Solutions
Jewellery trays—these don’t have to be your traditional silver trays, but can be a vintage ceramic plate or bowl. I keep one in every bedroom in my house, so that guests have a safe place to put their jewellery, watches, and other tokens.
Store remote controls in a decorative dish or basket (one with dividers is ever better!). This could also be a good place to keep a pen and paper handy.
Use small clear containers or reseal-able bags to store small items such as paper clips, hair elastics, travel shampoos, etc. By using a clear container, it will be easy to find, and keeps all like items together. I have a large collection of craft items and find that this is the best way to keep all my thingamajigs and doohickies organized.

Kitchen Storage
Perhaps the room that simply never seems to be big enough, or have enough storage space! When doing staging projects, one of the first things that I always suggest to homeowners is to clear off the kitchen counters. From a resale point of view, buyers want to see the counter space available, so you don’t want to hide it. The problem? Homeowners shriek at the thought of having to find room in their cupboards for the items that are sitting on the counter! As a first step, I always recommend looking at what is on the counter, and see what is used several times a week. For items that are not used as often, consider how important it is to the kitchen, and whether it can be stored in another storage area (such as a crawl space, closet, or even the garage), or whether it can be tossed altogether.

A Few More Kitchen Tips
Add drawer dividers to keep even your junk drawer organized
Use clear, stackable containers to store flour, sugar, rice, etc in your cupboards
Make use of the empty space above the fridge—place baskets or storage boxes to keep it looking clean and organized, and store takeout menus, recipes, and special occasion dishware.

I Know I Said To “Toss” It, But Please Don’t Throw It Out
Since this article touches so much on “tossing” unnecessary items, which may not be the most environmentally friendly approach, consider donating to a salvage store, or selling through a local classified paper or online site. The latest in re-using is “Freecycle”, which allows only free items to be posted in an effort to keep them out of landfills. Search online to find a site for your region.

Written by Shauna Lynn, Beyond The Stage Homes
www.beyondthestagehomes.com

Spring Prep For Your Yard and Garden - BTSH Around The House Tip of the Week

Wow, in some areas the snow hasn’t even finished melting, so why are we thinking about getting our yard ready for spring? Well, believe it or not, this weekend will mark the first day of spring, and in order to make your yard tasks less overwhelming this year, it’s best to get an early start. So, when the sun is shining, take it outside, soak up some vitamin D, and get your yard in shape.

Raking and Seeding
This is a great time to rake up any left-over leaves from the fall, as well as clean up any other debris that has blown in and around your yard over the winter. Raking also helps to prepare the grass for growing season. By giving your lawn a good, deep rake, you can remove any built up thatch, dead grass, as well as lifting any matted blades to allow for new blades to sprout. Overseeding is a great practice that can be done even before the last frost. After raking, spread new seed and fertilizer throughout the lawn, concentrating especially in any bare patches. For uneven areas, add some fresh soil to level out. While some recommend that you wait until fall for overseeding, I prefer to do this in both the spring and the fall. If doing this in the spring, be sure your new seeds get lots of water. With rainy season approaching, you may be able to capitalize on this method of watering.

Herbs and Vegetables
If you’re thinking about a herb and/or vegetable garden this year, now is the time to plan. There are several things you will want to take into consideration when planting.

Annuals vs Perennials—Determine which plants are Annuals (will need to replanted each year) or Perennials (will return year after year). For lower maintenance gardens, try to focus on planting mainly perennials.

Planting from Seeds or Plants—If planting from seeds, you will want to start potting these indoors soon to ensure proper germination. For best results, plant indoors approximately 2 weeks before last frost, and transplant into your garden after last frost.

Placement of Plants—Take into consideration how the sun rises and sets in respect to your garden and be sure to plant accordingly. Some plants will require more sun than others. As well, be sure to take into consideration the anticipated size that the plants will grow to, and avoid blocking the sun from smaller plants with larger plants. Space your plants appropriately. Some plants require more growing room for roots then others. Most nursery plants and seed packs will provide instructions for this.

With all this being said, if you live in Canada, don’t put that snow-blower and shovel away just yet. While many areas have experienced spring like temperatures in the recent weeks, there is always a possibility for more snow. Check with your local weather authority to see when they are forecasting last frost to ensure safe transplanting.

Written by Shauna Lynn, Beyond The Stage Homes
www.beyondthestagehomes.com

Displaying Your Artwork - BTSH Around The House Tip of the Week

As a general rule, artwork should always be displayed at eye level. This means that while it might seem like a good idea to center the art on the wall, it may not catch your eye the way that you would like. Of course, this rule is often broken, so if you’re looking to break away from tradition, here are some ideas for displaying your art.

Don’t Hang It, Display It
Who says you need to actually “hang” your artwork? Consider displaying pieces of art on narrow art shelves. Or, display several pieces on a mantel. Choose different sizes and overlap slightly for extra effect.

Grouping Art
Group several similar pieces together and display as one unit. Each piece should share a common theme, whether it’s simply a colour tone, or image similarity. You can choose to hang symmetrically, by framing all in the same frame style and size, or you can choose to display all different size pieces. If choosing this method, I suggest laying them out first on the floor or a table, to determine placement. Then measure the whole unit and ensure that the space you have chosen is appropriate.

Lighting Your Artwork
A beautiful piece of art can be lost if not properly lit. Display in a well-lit room, or provide accent lighting, such as wall sconces on each side, or installing a picture light above or below the piece of art. This technique for lighting your artwork also makes the piece a focal point in the room, and captures attention.

Hanging It
For a more casual atmosphere, hang your groupings in an asymmetrical pattern. Wherever you choose to hang your artwork, be sure to choose picture hangers appropriate for your art, and your wall. If you’re unsure, ask for assistance at your local hardware store.

Choosing Your Artwork
This has been touched on briefly in other pieces I have written, but I like to compare choosing art to choosing wine—there really is no wrong choice. If you love it, then make it work. Be sure to blend colours to the room and the art’s surroundings though. Also, don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Some great artists create masterpieces through metal works. It’s not just about a brush to canvas. Wreaths, empty picture frames, old windows, architectural pieces, and other objects can all impart unique style to your home. Take a favourite hi res photo and enlarge and frame it. Whatever it is, let it inspire you, whether it’s by the colours the artist has chosen, it’s unique style, or the story it tells. Remember that you are looking at these pieces more often than your guests, so be sure to select pieces that you will enjoy.

Written by Shauna Lynn, Beyond The Stage Homes
www.beyondthestagehomes.com

Making a Big Screen TV Work - BTSH Around The House Tip of the Week

So, you have done your research, and you have carefully chosen that big screen TV for it’s sound, picture, and size. But have you figured out where you’re going to put it? When staging a home, it is common practice to eliminate TVs wherever possible. Unless we are showing a room as a “man den”, we don’t want the TV to be the focal point. This is generally easiest to do when the home is not being occupied. However, realistically, the average person watches about 20-26 hours of TV each week, so eliminating the TV altogether isn’t always practical. When entertaining, drawing the focus away from the TV can often be a dilemma. While occasionally your entertainment is centered around the big game, generally you aim to distract from the big TV in the room.

Choosing Your TV
While I can’t tell you how to choose your TV from a resolution point of view, or whether LCD is better than Plasma, I can advise you on choosing the appropriate sized TV for your room. It’s been shown that choosing a smaller TV that fits the room appropriately will allow for a more enjoyable viewing experience then choosing one that is just too large for your room. Sometimes bigger really isn’t better. The chart to the right provides a bit of a guideline to ensure that you get the most out of your HDTV.

Positioning Your TV
For starters, lose the traditional entertainment center. Today’s flat-screen TVs offer the advantage of being able to mount them almost anywhere. You can mount on a flexible arm so that you can store flat against the wall when not in use, and angle appropriately to maximize viewing when it is in use. This helps to minimize it as a focal point. Another idea to “camouflage” the TV is to use a dark paint or wallpaper on the wall, so that the TV blends into the wall. Media accessories can be stored in decorative cabinets above and/or below.
Another idea is to surround the TV by artwork. An asymmetrical design works best for this, helping to blend the TV into the background. For an added touch, consider adding a frame to the TV.

Perhaps my favourite method though for concealing your big screen TV when not in use is the 2-way mirror. This is one of those ideas that you see, and really wish you had thought of it yourself. While I can’t take credit for the idea, I can certainly promote the cleverness of it. When the TV is off, you simply have an elegant mirror mounted above your fireplace or other focal point, however when the TV is on, it comes through the glass brilliantly.

Written by Shauna Lynn, Beyond The Stage Homes
www.beyondthestagehomes.com

Murphy Beds - BTSH Around The House Tip of the Week

What Is A Murphy Bed?
A Murphy bed or wallbed is a bed that is hinged at one end to store vertically against the wall, or inside a closet or cabinet. The term “Murphy Bed” was patented in 1916 by William Lawrence Murphy To achieve this, the mattress is attached to the bed frame, often with elastic straps. Wall beds are a great space saver, and while they have been around for almost 100 years, they have changed significantly over this time, though the basic concept is the same. Unlike sofa beds or futons, the mattress is not folded, and keeps it’s natural shape, and in fact most standard mattresses can be used in a Murphy Bed.
Murphy beds are usually hidden in the wall by faux cabinets or shelving that opens or slides to the side to allow for the bed to come down.

Why Should I Consider A Murphy Bed?
The obvious answer to this one is simple—space. As metropolitans grow, accommodations get smaller, and when finding yourself in a studio apartment every inch counts, and you want to make the most of it. Have a two-bedroom home where your guest room sits empty majority of the time? A Murphy Bed allows you to make daily use of this room as your office, but still accommodate guests. Don’t have a guest room? Add a Murphy Bed in your family room. The cabinetry can be customized to contain your entertainment devices.

Where Do I Find a Murphy Bed?
This is the tricky part. The original Murphy Bed manufacturer is located in San Francisco, now operating under the name “Murphy Bed Co. Inc.”, and has distributors in most major cities in the US. They have also been known to ship to Canada, though this can become costly. If you are in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, you would be looking at getting a bed likely from London or Toronto. To name a few, check out Toronto Wall Beds by Cabinetworks Ltd., Urban Cabinetry (locations in Etobicoke and London), and Roman’s Murphy Beds in London.

How Much Does a Murphy Bed Cost?
Pricing for a Murphy Bed will vary, depending on the size and the cabinetry that you choose. You may be able to save some money if you already have a mattress that can be used in the Murphy Bed. Generally it is recommended that the mattress has a thickness of no more than 12”, but ideally less than 10”. Pricing for the bed frame and cabinetry and hardware generally starts around $1000, and can go up from there. A worthwhile investment, a Murphy Bed can also add to the sell-ability of your home, and add to the overall value on resale. Some companies offer you the option of installing yourself. Unless you are skilled in this area, I recommend spending the extra money to have it installed, to ensure it is sturdy and safe.

Written By Shauna Lynn, Beyond The Stage Homes
www.beyondthestagehomes.com

Lighting Your Home - BTSH Around The House Tip of the Week

No matter how well you’ve designed your home, if it’s not lit properly, the whole effect can be spoiled. Lighting affects the mood, atmosphere, and overall appearance of a room.

Did You Know??
Cleaning your windows regularly helps to significantly increase the lighting in your home, which not only improves the look of the home, but also helps to save energy. In order to properly showcase your home, keeping your windows clean is just as important as keeping the rest your home clean.

Setting The Mood
Before you start changing up your lighting, you need to determine the use of each room, and the mood that you would like to set.

Task Lighting—For areas such as the kitchen or the office, you’ll want to be sure that you have appropriate task lighting for areas where work is accomplished, for example the sink, stove, desk, etc. In the office, this could be as simple as a table lamp, but in the kitchen you can either place light fixtures over specific areas, or install track lighting.

Ambient Lighting refers to the general lighting of a room. The room should be evenly lit, and at a level at which people’s eyes can feel comfortable. Recessed lighting is a great way to light a whole room evenly, however can be costly if not installed when the home is built. If you are building a house and think that this is something that you would want, be sure to address this before the room is completed. Chandeliers are often used to light rooms, however they shine light up towards the ceiling rather than down towards the room, and may need to be supplemented with appropriate task lighting. Use of a dimmer switch on your task lighting is a great inexpensive way to decrease the amount of the light in the room when it’s not necessary, and help to soften the mood.

Accent Lighting—If you want to highlight certain features of a room, you’ll want to add some accent lighting. Accent lighting is often used to illuminate accessories such as artwork, collections, or cabinets. Install a picture light above or below your favourite piece of art. Or place a light inside your china cabinet. The light will reflect off of the glass and china to showcase your favourite pieces. Wall sconces are another great way to enhance a room. Installing in an archway can help to showcase the unique architectural details, or hang on either side of a large painting. Always be sure to hang in pairs.

As a final consideration, think of the mood that you wish to create in each room. Bright and natural light can create an upbeat, uplifting mood, while soft, warm lighting, yellowish in colour, can be intimate. Cool lighting, the kind with a bluish tinge, helps to promote deep relaxation and sleep.

Written by Shauna Lynn, Beyond The Stage Homes
www.beyondthestagehomes.com

Valentine's Issue - Love Your Home - BTSH Around The House Tip of the Week

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, why not share a little love with your home? Is there a room in your home that is feeling neglected? A complete home makeover may not be in the budget, but there are lots of cost-effective ways to give your home a special treat. Redesign focuses on working with what you already have, but finding new ways to reconfigure, repurpose, and revive for a fresh new look.

Clear Out The Clutter
Yes, this generally falls under “Spring Cleaning”, but in the springtime I like to be outside, so to me this is a great winter project. Nothing revives a room more than simply re-organizing. As much as I strive for a place for everything, and everything in it’s place, clutter can inevitably build up. Go through your closet and clear out the clothes you don’t wear and donate them to a local charity. Then take a look around the rest of your home with fresh eyes. Are your toiletries taking over your bathroom? Pick up some matching decorative baskets and group like items together. Weed out items that are not used every day and find them a new home. I picked up these baskets at the dollar store for $2 each, but no one really needs to know that!

Re-Arrange Your Space
Sometimes we get so accustomed to our room layout, that it doesn’t occur to us to change it. In Home Staging, I find that the number one problem with most homes is the furniture arrangement. It’s amazing what re-configuring can do to a space. Be sure to measure before doing any heavy lifting. For rooms that are used often for entertaining, determine your focal point. If you have a fireplace, or distinct architectural features, this can be obvious. Otherwise, perhaps it’s a bold painting, or a focal wall, or maybe it’s a vignette that you created after reading last week’s article! Once you have determined this, arrange the furniture to compliment the focal point, and not distract from it or worse yet, hide it.

Small Projects with Big Results
Paint—I speak often of the wonders of paint. It really is the most cost effective way to dramatically change the look of a room. If you’re not interested in a painting a whole room, consider a focal wall. Take a look at your furniture. Have a piece that is dated, but isn’t in the budget to replace? Give it a face-lift with a fresh coat of pain.

Hardware—replace your hardware on cupboards in your home, whether it’s your kitchen cabinets, your bathroom cabinets, or your dresser. Updated pulls and handles can make a world of difference.

Add a colourful area rug to a room that is lacking in colour. This is an especially great tip for decorating in apartments, where it’s not always an option to paint.

Lighting—move your lamps, or add a dimmer switch to your chandelier to change the mood of a room.

Replace Your Bedding—while a decent bedding set can be considered costly, if that’s the only thing you do in your master or guest bedroom to change the overall look, it is money well spent!

Written by Shauna Lynn, Beyond The Stage Homes
www.beyondthestagehomes.com