About this Blog... Trick # 1...PAINT!

Welcome to my at home tricks and decorating and staging tips blog. It all began when I was a kid and growing-up I watched my Mom decorating the house, painting, and coming-up with festive ideas for the holidays and for hosting guests. Never did I know at the time that I would "inherit" some of her talent as a homemaker and decorator. though I've always loved looking in Home Decor magazines and watching all the great reality decorating shows- it hasn't been until the last 7 years or so when I have REALLY become interested in pursuing some form of interior design for myself. Since my husband and I got married and have owned various different homes, I have had a blast choosing furniture, wall decor, paint color and ultimately designing and decorating our living spaces. From one home to the next I've gradually learned and gotten better with themes and color palates and I finally feel comfortable enough to share some of my talent with others.

My husband's business calls for staging opportunities and we recently "flipped" a couple homes. This is when the reality of becoming a home-stager got "real" to me. Therefore, I have now decided to take my talent to the next level, study some design books and educate myself a bit more about interior design and staging. I have done some work in our homes as well as in other homes and this is where I will share my work and give some tricks and tips that I use around my house and in other homes.

Decorating has truly become a passion for me and eventually I hope to grow this passion into a business where I can help others and enjoy every second of the process at the same time. Enjoy!

My FIRST TRICK...PAINT!

* In my opinion, there is nothing more boring than white walls. White walls do not express any sort of personality. When you walk in your door you want to feel "at home." In doing so you want your environment to reflect YOU and your family, of course. Whether you like things soft and nuetral, or loud and bold...OR somewhere in the middle, find a color that demonstrates who you are and will be comforting and inviting to you and your family when you're at home. Go to Behr.com and "try-on" some colors- OR click on my "Try-on Colors" link to the left and click on "explore color" at their website.

TIP #1: Also keep in mind that someday you may want to re-sell your home. If that day will come sooner than later than a better option might be to keep your colors nuetral, something a "majority" of people may prefer and be comfortable with. However, you can always cover-up paint. So don't fret too much if the next buyers don't like your color choices...you can start all over (but would you want to)?

TIP#2: I've used many different paint brands over the years and if you want a paint that will cover in 1 coat and maybe only 2 coats for darker colors, well, quite simply, BENJAMIN MOORE ($40-50/gallon) is the place to go. You will pay more for the paint but have to do less...otherwise you will pay less and need more paint and it will take-up more time to do more coats! If you're looking for a good less-expensive paint I'd suggest Behr ($28/gallon carried at Home Depot). See my link "How to Paint" in the left sidebar to learn some techniques and preparation to get yourself started! If you don't want to tackle the job yourself, I've used Craigslist as a great resource to find qualified painters. Always check references!