Styled, Staged & Sold
Bringing you the latest home and design trends.
Forget the Water, Dye the Lawn Green With Spray Paint
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine Nothing kills curb appeal like brown grass spots or an uncared for lawn. Buyers love vibrant green lawns, but when you’re dealing with abandoned foreclosures, homes in drought areas, or home owners who haven’t committed to the upkeep, getting that green lawn seems impossible. Not anymore — and you don’t even [...]
Making More Out of Space: 24 Rooms in a 350-Square-Foot Apartment
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine Hong Kong architect Gary Chang doesn’t sacrifice any square inch of his tiny, 350-square-foot apartment. He’s found a way to turn it into a home office, master bedroom, kitchen, guest room, media center, and more…in just 350 square feet. Chang designed what he’s nicknamed the “domestic transformer” and has shown how [...]
Give Sellers Free, Concrete Curb Appeal Tips
By G. M. Filisko, contributing writer, HouseLogic You’ve preached to sellers that curb appeal goes beyond making a good first impression and that the way their house looks from the street can impact its value and shorten the time it takes to sell. But have you given them concrete curb appeal tips they can implement today? Get [...]
New Law Likely Will Lead to Higher Prices for Furniture
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine Those kitchen cabinets may soon get pricier. A new law recently signed by President Obama limits the amount of formaldehyde used in U.S. products. Formaldehyde can be found in the glue that holds wood together, often used in furniture, cabinets, and inexpensive wood products. While the new law will make furniture greener [...]
5 Ways to Pair Function and Comfort
By Barbara Ballinger, Architecture Coach columnist Functionality is still a key driver when home owners spend thousands of dollars to build and remodel kitchens and bathrooms. But high performance shouldn’t exclude comfort — and fun. These products, which were highlighted at the 2010 annual National Kitchen & Bath Association show in Chicago, mesh function and comfort: 1. [...]
Small Is ‘In’, Formal Spaces ‘Out’
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine The sagging economy is influencing home design as more home owners favor smaller indoor and outdoor spaces that are often cheaper to maintain. Forget the formal spaces that are rarely used. Home owners nowadays don’t want to waste space and want to use every square inch of their home. Home sizes [...]
Color Combo Trends: Try Yellow and Gray to Brighten a Room
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine Add calmness to any room with an eye-catching color combo: yellow and gray, says designer Elaine Williamson with Elaine Williamson Designs. “It’s so peaceful and calming –it’s just a really good combination,” says Williamson, adding that white added in can exude even more sophistication. Need some ideas on how to mix in [...]
Help Sellers Get More Bang for Their Kitchen Remodel Buck
By G. M. Filisko, contributing writer, HouseLogic A do-over in the kitchen will bowl over buyers—and sellers will recoup most of the cost when they sell. A mid-range kitchen remodel brings an average 72 percent return on investment, while an upscale kitchen re-do returns an average of 63 percent of the money invested, according to Remodeling [...]
Flying the Flag Proudly and Properly
By Erica Christoffer, Multimedia Web Producer, REALTOR® Magazine Happy Independence Day! This weekend, many of your sellers will raise the flag outside their homes in celebration of the day our nation was formed. Of course, many of you will also be displaying the American flag outside your homes and businesses. But before the Stars and Stripes [...]
Do You Need a License to Design?
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine Should interior designers be licensed? The question is being debated among a Pennsylvania House panel on whether to require interior designers to get licensed in the state. Nevada, Florida, and Louisiana currently are the only states that require such a license. The Pennsylvania bill, if passed, would require interior designers to hold [...]