A Year's Worth of Quick & Easy Updates for Your Home

January – Remove your holiday decorations by the middle of the month. Organize them when putting away so you're ready for December.

February – Apply a fresh coat of paint to any rooms that need it. This is one of the least expensive ways to add a change to the inside of your home.

March – Move some accessories or a piece of furniture to a different room to give you a fresh perspective.

April – Update the pictures on your walls. Double check that they're not hung too high.

May – Get a fun new welcome mat to usher in spring.

June – Paint your front door. It's the quickest, easiest way to increase curb appeal.

July – Have a piece of furniture you can't stand? Paint it!

August – Organize your bookcases to create an arrangement that's pleasing to the eye.

September – Rearrange your living room furniture. Pull the sofa away from the wall.

October – Get ready for winter by tossing warm throws over your sofa or chair. Add a couple of new throw cushions in warm colours and soft textures.

November – Get rid of one box of clutter this month.

December – Treat yourself to new bathroom towels (maybe even a shower curtain & bath mat!).

Woohoo!! We have a winner!!

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway!

Congratulations to the winner - Vanessa at momsgotmanyhats! Let me know whether you'd prefer the candle holder or the wine rack and I'll get it set up :)

My Very First Giveaway!!!!!

I'm super-excited to announce my very first giveaway!!

I was thrilled when the folks at diningroomsdirect.com offered to let me use one of their products as a giveaway...I easily spent an afternoon browsing through everything on their site (besides dining room furniture they have a ton of awesome accessories - it took me forever to choose!).

Being as indecisive as I am, I couldn't narrow it down to just one item, so they took pity on me and are letting me give you a choice between my 2 favourites:

a) Teak Tea Light Candle Holder or b) 7-Bottle Wine Rack

How to Enter:

You can get one entry for each of the following...

• visit www.diningroomsdirect.com then come back and tell me your favourite product
• become a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post
• visit my facebook page and become a fan
• mention the giveaway on your own blog with a link back here (let me know in your comment!)
• mention the giveaway on Twitter (leave a comment here letting me know)

That's up to 5 chances to win one of these awesome prizes - what a great way to end the year!

Giveaway ends Friday, December 11, 2009.

Before & After - House of Bras

Just got back from taking after pictures at House of Bras (on Wilson Avenue in Timmins) - I loooove how it turned out! I wanted to stay and look at it all day.

A bit of paint (deep purple and lime green) and some faux brick made such a huge difference! The store is much more warm and welcoming, and the new look really shows off their gorgeous merchandise.

Before:

After:

Finding Hidden Space in Your Home

To really maximize your space, look in places you normally may not think of.

Take advantage of space between wall studs to carve out a shallow display shelf. I did this in an upstairs hallway between two bedrooms. A narrow expanse of wall created an awkward space; centering a built-in shelf on the wall fixed the proportion problem and gave the wall a new purpose.

Try adding a shelf above a doorway (great for bathrooms – put some pretty baskets on the shelf to hold various toiletries while keeping them out of sight).

To make use of empty space under a window, try a low bookcase. Or build a window seat with a hinged lid for even more storage and seating options.

Many people have wasted space under their stairs that can be put to good use as well. This is a great place for built-in cabinets or shelving.

What hidden space can you find in your home?

Blog Party Time Again!!

It's Wednesday - which means it's time once again for the HOMEdigz blog party!

Check it out at www.homedigz.com

Quick & Easy Living Room Makeover

This client called me immediately after moving into their new home - the current wall colour did nothing for their sofa and they wanted to change it right away. The first thing I noticed when I walked into the room was the yellow-beige of the sofa vs. the pink-beige of the wall. An easy fix!

The solution? A rich brown to offer contrast. Now the couch stands out instead of blending-in-but-not-quite! The client's bolder artwork finishes off the wall. A simple change and a gallon of paint resulted in a much happier homeowner!

It's a Blog Party!

Check out the Blog Party today at HOMEdigz!

Lots of great design blogs to keep you busy!

Real Estate Photo Tips - Part 2

3. Turn off the TV: Buyers want to see the room, not what TV shows your family watches! When the TV is on in the photo, their attention is drawn to it first, not the room. In the living room, potential buyers want to see the size and shape of the room and whether it would work for their furniture –- having the TV on distracts them from this.

4. Check the reflection in any mirrors: You want to show the room, not a photographer holding up a camera. The bright flash in the mirror distracts viewers and takes away from the room. Even the most beautiful bathroom looks awful with a bright flash of light in the middle of it.

5. Don't just take random shots: The goal of real estate photos is to show off your home's best features. A random section of wall for no apparent reason doesn't help someone visualize themselves living in the home. Buyers want to see the home's significant areas. Show as much of the room as you can. In the bedroom, for example, don't show a close up of the bed and nightstand with a tiny piece of wall –- people aren't buying your bedspread, they're buying your bedroom. Get as far into a corner or doorway as you can and get as much of the room in the photo as possible.

When selling your home, it's important to plan your photos carefully. You want potential buyers to be able to see themselves living in your home and to want to tour it in person. Keep this list handy and use it to help you take pictures that show off your home's best features. Look at each photo and ask yourself: Will this picture SELL my home? If not, don't let it get online. A few extra minutes of planning can go a long way!

Click here for yesterday's tips!

Selling Your Home - Taking Better Real Estate Photos

Thanks to online real estate listings, today's homebuyers are forming their thoughts about your home well before they even see it in person. With a few clicks of a mouse, potential buyers can see which homes they want to explore further, and which ones they want to avoid.

Since the shopping starts before the buyers even set foot on your property, it's more important than ever to make sure your real estate photos show your home at its best.

Here are a few simple (yet very effective) things you can do to improve the quality of your real estate pictures:

1. Clean & de-clutter: Hide the remote control and take the cell phone and keys off the countertop before you take your shots. Tables and countertops should be bare other than decor items. Take magnets, pictures and school calendars off the fridge. Remove any visible garbage cans and tissue boxes. In the washroom, hide room sprays and toiletries, and remove shampoo bottles from the shower. And don't forget to put the toilet seat down -- a simple but often overlooked step!

2. No people or pets: Your photos should have nothing but the room and its furnishings -- no people or pets allowed! While browsing a local website I was shocked to see the photo the homeowner had chosen to best show off their front hall. Your attention wasn't caught by the entryway, its flooring, wall colour or closet...but by the person peering in through the front door! Unfortunately this is a common occurrence -- I've seen many photos of kitchens with someone washing dishes and living rooms with someone watching TV or bending over to pet a dog. Good real estate photos have no living creatures!

Click here for tomorrow's tips!