1. How do I decide whether I need redesign or interior design?
The trade-off is usually budget-driven. Redesign makes use of your existing furniture and provides unity through color flow. It allows us, in a minimum amount of time and on an hourly cost, to refocus your space.

Interior design takes you a few steps further. It can start with the same reworking of existing spaces as redesign, but considers how to make them more functional and sensory. We recommend that you live in any space for at least six months before you embark on this process. It allows you to get a better understanding of what you like or don't like about it and how you want it to function. In a remodel or new construction. however, it is better for us to become involved at the beginning. We work with your architect to ensure design elements enhance your space and create intrigue, saving time and money down the road.

2. If I am selling my house, are there ways you can help me stage my home myself?
Yes, we are available for consultations. Also, see our home staging tips, which provide a general overview. Staging a home, whether vacant or furnished, has been statistically proven to provide a competitive edge in real estate marketing for two reasons:
a) It clarifies the buyer's vision of how he would look and feel in your house, and
b) It helps you hold a fair price, preventing the home from getting "old" on the market and requiring price reductions or broker changes, both of which cause valuable lost time.

3. How much time do I need to give you before you can begin a project and how much time will it take to complete the job?
Much of the answer to these questions depends on what service you choose. Staging can be done immediately. The time involved depends on the size of the house and whether it is furnished or not. We will be happy to provide you with a written quote. Redesign also depends on budget and desired outcome, but can also start and end in a reasonably short period of time. Interior design depends entirely on scope and can sometimes take a year.

Tips for Home Staging:

1. Make a good first impression. Nothing sells a home more quickly than great curb appeal. Straighten up the yard. Trim back overgrown trees and shrubbery. Introduce splashes of color with potted plants and flowers.

2. Clean up the clutter. After your yard, a buyer enters through your front door. From this vantage point, your home should invite potential buyers to mentally move in and easily move around. Clutter can detract from your home's positive features and sense of space.

3. Neutralize vibrant colors. Clean, soft palettes sell, providing buyers a safe, visual backdrop for seeing their own personal effects in place around your house. Neutral colors provide a "stage" for all furniture styles and color schemes.

4. Stash personal objects and pet paraphernalia. Your tastes may not be that of your buyers'. Remember, you are creating a product that appeals to multiple people. Your family photos, Aunt Ida's crocheted pillows and your dog, Ralph's, food bowls may not appeal to everyone.

5. Streamline furniture settings. Often, less is more. Play up the positive features of your room by directing attention to your focal points. Concentrate on major pieces of furniture and eliminate non-essential accessories.