My top 10 favorite paint colors for home staging
One of the best things you can do to get your home ready for sale is to give it a fresh coat of paint. A nice neutral color let's potential home buyers visualize their furnishings in your space and gives it that "move-in-ready" appeal. That perfect shade of red you agonized over in your dining room may be perfect for you, but not necessarily right for the majority of buyers. A versatile choice like gray, however, will work with all styles and and all accent colors.
So, now that I've convinced you to go ahead and pull out the brushes and rollers, what color do you choose? Standing in front of that HUGE paint color display can be quite intimidating, I know. Not to worry, I've got you covered with my Top 10 Favorite Paint Colors for Home Staging list. And even if you're not selling your home anytime soon, you might want to consider an update with one of these classic colors.
BM Decorator's White It's not called Decorator's White for nothing! This is one of Benjamin Moore's Designer Classic colors and is a favorite among homeowners and designers alike. It is a great color to use if you lack natural light and need to brighten things up. It is also a nice backdrop for art collections.
BM Gray Owl This is a soft, versatile gray that is easy to work with. It is both warm and cool and light enough to work in rooms that tend to be dark. I would use this color anywhere!
BM Simply White This bright white is perfect for all your trim. If you have lots of interesting molding or wainscoting, paint your trim and walls the same color for simply stunning results!
BM November Rain This goes a little more cream than gray and has a slight green undertone. It looks gorgeous with warm, hardwood floors and is definitely a classic with Simply White trim.
BM Revere Pewter This seems to make every designer's top 10 list. It is a classic gray with warm undertones and has a unifying effect that calms and restores. One of my favorite colors to use in a bedroom!
BM Pale Oak This gorgeous neutral is graceful and elegant. On the paler side of gray, it is another good choice if your home tends to be on the dark side, but will still contrast nicely with Simply White. It works well in a modern, open floor plan.
BM Jute This is a super creamy beige that is beautiful with spa colors like blues and greens. It really works with anything, but I especially love it in a home with a coastal cottage vibe.
BM Moon Shadow I dare you to say the name of this color without busting out a little rendition of the Cat Stevens classic. It has been described as "the perfect gray"...it's not too dark...it's not too light...it's just right! For this reason, I'm giving it the coveted Goldilocks Award!
BM Half Moon Crest Depending on the lighting, this gray will sometimes have a green or blue undertone. It is a rich, restful gray that will add a level of sophistication to any room. Particularly stunning in a kitchen with white cabinets!
BM White Diamond Another great white option, this one pairs especially well with cool blues and greens.
All of my color choices are from Benjamin Moore, one of my favorite paint companies to work with. But if you, or your paint contractor, have a specific brand you like to work with, most will do a color match for you. I always suggest buying a small sample to try out in your home, as colors will look different based on the amount of natural light and your home's orientation (north/east facing will appear cooler than south/west facing). And rather than paint directly on your wall, paint a large square onto a poster board. That way you can move it around the room to see how it will look on every surface and you won't have ugly splotches everywhere.
If you live in the greater Sacramento area and need some help getting your home ready to sell, I would love to help! Contact me now to get started!
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3 tips for perfectly placed artwork
Hanging artwork is something I get asked about all the time. It is also one of the biggest decorating mistakes I see on a regular basis. When hung correctly, artwork can dramatically change the look and feel of a room. It injects color, personality and completes the space. If hung incorrectly, however, things can feel disjointed and out of sorts. It's like wearing the wrong pair of shoes with an otherwise stunning outfit - devastating!
So follow these 3 tips and make your walls WOW instead of WOOPS:
1. How Big - In artwork, size really does matter (insert your own joke here). It matters in relation to where it is being placed, whether above an anchoring piece or on a blank wall. Just remember the rule of thirds, which is most pleasing to the human eye. So whether it is a single piece of art, or a grouping, the overall area should be roughly 2/3 the width of the anchoring piece or 2/3 the width of the blank wall.
2. How High - Just like a perfectly hemmed pair of pants, artwork needs to be hung at the appropriate height in relation to an anchoring piece of furniture, or the floor if hanging on a blank wall. The biggest mistake I see is hanging artwork too high (think about a pair of pants that are hemmed to short).
3. How Far - When hanging a grouping of art, keep it tight. A good rule of thumb is 2" - 3" apart. This may fluctuate depending on the different shapes you are using, but closer together is always better.
And just so you can keep these tips handy the next time you need to hang some artwork, I have created a cheat sheet with all the info for you. Just sign up for my newsletter, Stylish Solutions, and it will be sent right to your inbox. You're welcome!
2016 Gift Guide for Her
If you are still looking for some last minute gift giving ideas, I've got you covered. These are my top picks for all the stylish gals in your life:
The #girlboss
- This chic stapler will make office work much more enjoyable.
- I'm a doodler, so this desk blotter is right up my alley.
- I don't know any working girl who wouldn't love this tech organizer.
- A new year calls for a new agenda, and this one is my pick for 2017, along with these personalized notebooks.
- Handing out business cards has never looked so good with this card holder.
The Mixologist
- Mad Men has nothing on the stylish gal who uses this jigger.
- Shaken, not stirred please!!
- Any cocktail will taste better in this beautiful glassware.
- This is the ultimate cocktail guide to host the ultimate happy hour.
- She definitely needs a place to store all her chic new bar accessories, and this bar cart is just the thing.
The Baker
- She will deliver baked goods in style with this vintage inspired cake carrier.
- These lovely baking dishes and accessories will become her new favorites.
- Serving tea from this kettle will be the perfect accompaniment to all her delicious baked goods.
- And don't forget the mugs.
- Any good baker knows an apron is a must for keeping flour at bay, especially when it says "Eat Cake Before Breakfast".
The Gardener
- She will love this little boot ornament for the tree.
- But even better, are a pair of real gardening boots.
- Of course gardening gloves are a must.
- These pocket snips are perfect for flower gathering.
- She definitely needs her own selection of gardening knives, and these are so pretty HE will leave them alone.
The Girly-Girl
- This hybrid smart watch is what stylish girls wear when they want to track their steps.
- Girly-girls like flasks too, especially when they are rhinestone encrusted!
- What girly-girl doesn't like makeup? This box set from Laura Mercier is the ultimate beauty gift.
- Where does the girly-girl keep her trinkets? In a French bulldog trinket box, of course!
- New Year's Eve requires that perfect going out clutch. And this one will have her saying "Who...Moi?"
I know there are at least a couple of items on this list that I hope make it under my tree! What's on your list?
Happy shopping & the happiest of holidays!
In the beginning . . . the first chapter in a new home project
Anytime I take on a new project, especially when it's a brand new home with a clean slate, there is inevitably that feeling of "where the heck do we start?" There are so many decisions to make, flooring, counters, cabinets, fixtures, paint, not to mention furniture and accessories. The thought of it can be quite daunting, but it doesn't have to be. The key is having a plan, and a good plan starts with inspiration. When you have inspiration, all decisions are effortless and just come naturally.
Here is an example of one such project. A brand new home, construction has not even started yet. The clients want something totally different than they've had before. They might keep some artwork and a couple of small pieces of furniture, but that's it. So, where do we start? Let's start at the beginning, the architecture.
The exterior elevation they have chosen is a Spanish ranch style, with arched windows, tile roof and wrought iron fixtures. This is our first, and most important, clue to where our inspiration will come from. Next we talk about color, are they drawn to warm earth tones, like olive greens, reds and gold? Or are they more inclined to cooler blues, greens and maybe a splash of fuchsia? I show them some examples of warm and cool color palettes and they both agree that the cooler blues and greens are the way they want to go. Yes! We are on a roll.
Now that we have a jumping off point, I start my search for inspirational photos to create a mood board. This mood board will be the basis for every decision we make; light fixtures. tile, paint and right on down to the knobs on the cabinet doors. As I sit in front of my computer to get started, what happens next can only be described as divine intervention. I get an email from Wisteria, one of my favorite online sources. It reads "Join the Adventure: destination Andalusia". Hmmm, I'm not a cracker jack geographer, but I'm pretty sure that's in Spain! I click on the link and as the images start to appear I could hear a choir of angels sing "hallelujah"! The inspiration we have been looking for is all right there. Thank you Wisteria!
This is the first mood board, one of many for this project, Color Inspiration:
I will be sharing more details from this project as it progresses, from finish selections to room by room detailed plans. If you would like to follow along, be sure to subscribe here!