Home Staging Pennsylvania- Hart & Associates Servicing the Main Line, Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties.

It's not too often we get snow here in the Main Line Suburbs, but this latest snow storm has found me wanting to hibernate rather than leave my home to seek out new decor finds. After living in the Philadelphia region for over nine years, it seems I've lost my Massachusetts roots and my blood has thinned.

So what is a dedicated shopper to do when it is too cold to hit the streets? Armed with my laptop, I plunked myself down in front of the latest installment of The Real Housewives of Orange County (when will they do The Real Housewives of the Main Line?) to search for great home deals online. Check out my faves:

Chiasso, chiasso.com
Finding great stores that feature contemporary home accents has always been challenging. This funky on-line store showcases the latest in modern décor. The pebble doormats and the Libby fruit bowl are sure to fit in with any design.

Nicole Jane Home, nicolejane.com
Canada has more to offer than Canadian Bacon and Tim Horton's! Sometimes you have to look north of the border to find the latest home decor trends. This website store stocks gorgeous pillows, fabulous table linens and wonderful tabletop accents. Make sure to check out the Suto Woven Rattan Stool-it doubles as seating or a great side table.

Overstock, overstock.com
This bargain mecca is probably not the first place you'd think to click on to find the latest home trends. When a real estate staging friend told me she used Overstock for her latest home staging project, I had to check it out. Not only was I pleasantly surprised by the great home accessories they stock, I was also impressed with the outrageously low shipping. Overstock charges a flat fee of $2.95 to ship any order-even furniture items. When you add in the costs of gas and a babysitter, you can actually spend less on shopping at this website. I loved the Hourglass Bella Spice Chair-at under $200, it adds a touch of modern elegance to any room. Check it this cute chair at the top of this blog! (photo credit overstock.com)

Source Perrier, sourceperrier.com
If you don't already get this traditional home design catalog, then you need to go online and view its gorgeous selection of decorative accents, mirrors and bed linens. This site is perfect for anyone who loves classic, clean design with a touch of whimsy. I can't decide what I like better: the fern needlepoint chairs or the zebra ottoman. With free shipping on orders over $100, you can almost afford to get both.

For more design ideas visit Open House, my design blog for Main Line Today magazine at www.mainlinetoday.com

Need more proof that staging your home can help to sell your home faster? Read these testimonials for properties we staged and sold in December 2008.

Getting home sellers to commit to staging their home is a challenge in any market let alone the current real-estate-rollercoaster conditions we are facing now. These clients in the Philadelphia area know that investing in preparing their homes for sale made all the difference in selling their homes last month. Realtors, feel free to share these testimonials with your clients to show them that staging works!  

Multiple Bids in Less than One Week:

Dear Kate:  No doubt, this is a tough market!  But your staging expertise did it again to help the Renninger Family garner multiple bids in less than a week!  With three children under the age of three and a big Dalmation your guidance helped ease what could have been a long process.   Their home sold in less than a week in an area where the average days on market is over 90+ days.   I truly believe that proper detailing of the home, aggressive marketing and correct pricing make a winning combination and help a seller attain the highest dollar in todays market!  Thank you again.  Best, D.Z. Berwyn, PA

Staging Accessories $50.00, Home Selling in 2 weeks, Priceless!

Dear Kate:I am writing to compliment you on the outstanding job you did staging 
our house.  When a job transfer caused us to have to put the house on  the market during the holiday season and in this severely depressed  housing market, I fully anticipated a long wait to sell the house.   But, after having you stage our home, it was only on the market for  14 days! Your process for staging is professional yet comfortable for the home owner.  I appreciated you using the resources already in the house to stage the rooms.  I spent less then $50 to complete the look that you  recommended - and look at the results that I got for that! I would highly recommend your services and would gladly serve as a  reference should you need one. warm regards, K.L. Conshohocken, PA

Staging is Pure Genius!

Dear Kate,

We did it again. You staged my latest listing and I priced it right. We were on the market for 18 days. We had thirty parties to our open house. We had six second showings and multiple offers. Last night we accepted an offer and today my clients purchased a new home. Who would have believed it...in this economy and this time of year!

This isn't sheer luck, this is pure genius! You staged other homes for me this past year and we achieved the same results. Thank you for being part of "my team". We first met when you were staging your first home. I kept your business card, with good reason. I will heartily recommend you to anyone who asks.

Hopefully, this is a sign that the coming year will be a better one. Best wishes to you and your family for the coming season.
M.F Lafayette Hill, PA

Are you a Philadelphia area home seller looking for easy and affordable ideas to get your home ready for sale? Then watch Kate Hart of Hart & Associates Staging and Design share her home staging tips on NBC 10 Philadelphia's 10! show.

Kate's team stages homes in the Main Line and Philadelphia suburbs including Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. Contact her today for a home staging consultation and plan of you can prepare for a faster and more profitable sale.

Below is a recent blog I wrote for my design blog Open House. I hope you enjoy learning new ways you can design and enjoy your home this year. KH

If you're like me, you greet each New Year with the typical to-do list: exercise more, write thank you notes, and complete those never-ending home projects. But instead of stressing over spending money to redecorate or renovate, focus this year on what you love about your home. Below are some simple and affordable things you can do to rediscover what your home offers:

· Rearrange: Making some simple changes to the furniture layout of a room can give it an entirely new look using what you already have. Need to make a room look larger? Remove any unnecessary furniture pieces, such as tray tables, storage bins and extra chairs. Place your bed on an angle to add drama and make a small room feel wider. Want to give your room a cozier look? Create separate seating areas and anchor each with an area rug to create more intimate conversation zones.

 

· Repurpose: Oftentimes, clients will tell me they want to add onto their homes because they need more space. What they don't realize is that there are a lot of rooms they're not using that can be given a new purpose. Have a guest room that's never used? Turn it into a home office by adding a desk, chair and bookcase, and turn the bed against the wall to make a daybed for seating and sleeping when guests do visit. Have a living room that's rarely used? Instead of finishing your lower level, make it a game room or music room for your young family. Get creative and remember there are no rules for how you have to use each space. Make each room work for what your family needs.

 

· Repaint: Color is one of the most affordable ways you can give your home a new look. If you don't want to commit to painting an entire room, consider painting an accent wall behind a bed or the seating area in the living room. This will create an instant, dramatic focal point. Reveal your home's architectural details by painting the back of a built-in bookcase to give it more pop, painting your trim a semi-gloss white, or making your stair risers and railing a new color to give your foyer a welcoming new look.

 

· Recycle:Go green and reuse items in your home to give it a new look. Need a new headboard? An old door painted a funky color will add a cottage chic look to a child's bedroom. Add a glass tabletop to an oversized garden urn for a one-of-a-kind coffee table. Make it a conversation piece by adding seasonal items on display under the glass, such as pine cones from your yard, shells collected at the Shore, or mock birds' nests.

 

· Relax: One of the best ways you can "re-appreciate" your home this year is to enjoy your home for the comforts and amenities it offers. Rather than going out to eat, break out your china and linens, light a few candles, and savor a meal in your dining room. Take some "me time" and spend a Sunday morning in a sunny chair in your bedroom reading the paper or doing a crossword puzzle. Enforce a no-TV rule in your living room and spend a Saturday night by the fire playing board games.

What are some of your home resolutions for 2009? Do you have any tips for how to re-appreciate your space? Post a comment below or feel free to contact me at kate@hartstaging.com.
 

 

 

 I have a confession! It is a secret that I have been hiding from my husband for the past 9 years. Here it is: I hated the custom window treatments in our first home. I hated them from day one. I hated them even more when I re-hemmed them at 3 in the morning the night before our dinner party. I hated that they never pleated right. I still hated them the day we moved out five years later.

I made a gigantic mistake when I picked them out-and since they cost a small fortune, I brought them to our new home. Now they're in the basement. I haven't been able to donate them to the Junior League or Goodwill because I simply cannot admit to my husband that I hate them.

I'm not alone in my dissatisfaction. Time and again, clients whisper to me that they selected a certain fabric because it looked lovely in the store and they didn't realize there would be "so much pattern" when they installed the panels. Shyly, they admit that the swags and jabots they had custom made looked great in a neighbors home but don't quite make the same statement in their dining room. Defeated, they admit the reason they have no window treatments is they couldn't decide on a fabric and didn't want to regret their decision later.

Thankfully, for Main Liners, there's a solution to this dilemma. Just like you can go to a store and try on a dress before you buy it, the Curtain Exchange in Wayne lets you take window treatments home with you to try on your windows before you commit to purchasing them. If it works, you can purchase the curtains that day. If you want to alter the trim or length, custom draperies can be at your home in just a few days. Owner Joan Flynn offers a free service in which a professional designer will visit your home with samples and measure so you get the look you want the first time.

So, if you're designing a room in your home, make sure to add their showroom to your "must shop" list. Their luscious silks, crisp linens and knockout prints will make it hard to pick just one. The best part is you don't have to right away-you can take them all home and decide later. Spread Eagle Village, 503 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; (610) 765-1142, thecurtainexchange.com.

Have any tips for stretching your design dollar or any resources you want to share? Feel free to contact me at kate@hartstaging.com.

When I'm brought in to give advice for a house that's going on the market, or for a family doing some decorating, I often get the feeling that something is missing in the room. At first look, everything seems in place. The color palate is tranquil and on trend, the seating arrangement works well with the size and shape of the room -but something just doesn't feel right.

Lack of artwork is typically the culprit.

People seem to have a problem adding artwork to their walls. Is it because they're afraid it can't be removed once it's hung on the wall? Maybe they think it will make some sort of statement about them and their ideas? Or is it because they just don't know what to select? My theory is that some are afraid their taste isn't highbrow enough and that people will judge what they've selected.

Fortunately for Main Liners, there are a lot of solutions for those blah walls. If you're on a strict budget, I recommend you look around your home and use what you already have. One of my friends recently used plates to spell out the word "WISH" on the wall over her bed. Another added a mirror to an old window to create a focal point above her living room sofa.

If you prefer family photos, check out Allpopart.com, where you can download a favorite pic and instantly transform it into a silhouette of the image for a more traditional graphic look, or warp it into a colorful Warhol-like piece for a contemporary look. Don't limit yourself to portraits. Simple objects like a bicycle or flowers can be made into one-of-a-kind images as well.

Like jewelry, artwork is an investment, and purchasing it shouldn't be made in haste. If you're looking for a signature piece, try Wayne's Connor Ryan Gallery(129 N. Wayne Ave.), where you can view work from local, national and international artists. My favorites are landscapes of some of the Main Line's most scenic vistas, among them Valley Forge and Ardrossan. Make sure to meet with Sheila Donahue, the gallery's consultant. She'll help you select pieces, and even visit your home to advise on proper placement. The gallery is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

So the next time you redesign a room, take a step back and take a hard look at the space. Does it simply need a little bling?

Have any tips for stretching your design dollar or any resources you want to share? Feel free to contact me at kate@hartstaging.com.