09.30.08
World Wide Staging Services Day
I recently had the privilege of working with the Washington DC chapter of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals on our World Wide Staging Services Day project. Each year, all active Accredited Staging Professionals (ASPs) dedicate a day during the week of September 12-17 to community service. We were so pleased to work with Homestretch Inc., a local organization whose “mission is to empower homeless families with children under age 18 in northern Virginia to return to stable housing and self-sufficiency by giving them the skills, knowledge and hope they need to become productive participants in the community”
This was the first year I’d had the chance to be part of this great event. Our team of 15 ASPs and ASP Realtors converged at the small apartment early on the morning of the 17th, ready to transform the home through Staging. The tiny, three bedroom was home to a single mother, a teenage boy, and two teenage girls, the youngest of whom shared a room with her mother. There was no kitchen table, as it had been broken some time ago, with the remains of the top propped up so that one end could be used. The family had no place to have a meal together! We were about to change all that! Armed with artwork, new kitchen accessories, and bedding, our team got to work.
Furniture was graciously donated by Brook and AFR furniture rentals. Finally, the family could eat together. The team put their creativity to work, moving furniture, accessorizing and changing the entire look of their home!
The family was so thrilled and overwhelmed with the results. We were really able to impact a family in a way that allows them to feel more comfortable in their surroundings. For those of you who have experience being displaced, or having to live in a place that you weren’t at all comfortable, you have then the smallest idea of what it might have been like for this family.
I am so very proud as an ASP to be part of the Staged Homes family, and fortunate to have such outstanding and generous members of our local IAHSP chapter. I have learned so much from my fellow stagers, and continue to be thankful for the opportunity to be part of that community. Owning your own staging business can be a solitary endeavor if you are going it alone. It’s not like owning a franchise, or starting a partnership. It’s YOU and just YOU. Having these relationships to share our successes and learn from our mistakes is invaluable, and I just thought I’d take a moment to express it.
Leigh Newport
Staged by Design
Looking for love in all the wrong spaces: How to fall in love with your home all over again.
If your home were to write a personal ad, would it look something like this?
“Charming, but lived-in SFH (Single Family Home) craving adventure. Prefers urban lofts, but open to new experiences. No Victorian, Country or Shabby Chic, please”.
Is your home crying out for a new look, but you find yourself struggling with where to begin? Don’t waste your time hoping your perfect décor match will magically appear. You’ve got to get yourself out there, jump in feet first and make it happen! Start with home magazines, model homes, and design centers to help you identify your desired style.
-Use fabric or artwork as inspiration for your color palette, choosing no more than three shades. You can then select furniture to coordinate and contrast the look.
-Does your current furniture reflect the style you crave? If the pattern or color is the biggest factor, consider re-upholstering or a slipcover for an easy update. Pre-made slipcovers are also an option for an interim fix, until your budget can accommodate furniture replacement or the hiring of a professional.
-Is the wallpaper or wall color contributing to the outdated look? Paint is the least expensive method of transforming a room with the highest impact. Select the color for your furnishings first, though. It’s much easier to find a paint color to blend with your sofa than it is to find a sofa in the right style AND color to blend with your walls. Your local paint store can also create custom blends if you are having a difficult time finding just the right shade.
-Accessories are often the easiest way to inexpensively bring a room together. Look for items that complement your color palette. When it comes to artwork, you may even be able to use your existing frames with your new art.
When all else fails, consult an Interior Redesigner. They are the matchmakers of home décor, carefully screening your options and taking your own furnishings into consideration to find your true design match.
Leigh Newport is owner of Staged by Design Home Staging and Interior Redesign. www.Staged-by-Design.com, serving Northern Virginia.
*Originally published in the Loudoun Independent, October 2008, written by Leigh Newport
