February 2008

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"Havens for Healing"

Winter's Blues Gone Bye-Bye  Written By:  Mary Desiderio, The Art of Arrangement, L.L.C.

Now that winter is here in earnest I'm sure you've already brought in your potted plants from Old Man Winters grip. Now is the perfect time to create a charming indoor garden room to help beat the winter blues.

Gather some of your favorite outdoor sculptures, birdbaths, and wrought iron trellises. You loved them in your outdoor "rooms" and you'll love them just as much in your new indoor garden room. 

Mix your plants with the garden elements in new ways.  For instance, use the birdbath to hold magazines, a wire birdcage to hold a large candle or a potted orchid. Your stone garden bench can be brought in and used as a coffee table.

Then add floral patterned tablecloths on your tables, botanical prints on the walls, and vases filled with fresh flowers.  All of these ideas will go a long way in chasing away the winter blues.

This annual event is the forum where hundreds of professional Interior Redesigners, Real Estate/Home Staging Specialists, and Decorating Professionals meet to network, advance their business skills, and learn about the latest and most Innovative industry products and services.  

This popular 3-day event features dynamic keynote and closing speakers, educational workshops covering a wide range of topics geared to professional Interior Redesigners and Stagers, networking with other professionals, as well as exhibitors featuring innovative products and services.  Over 300 Interior Decorating attendees and over 30 corporate partners are expected to participate this year.  

For more information about IRIS and our state of the industry 2008 conference, visit http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=4bawaicab.0.0.rbrjx9bab.0&ts=S0315&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.weredesign.com%2F&id=preview or contact iris@gss.net

Written By: Cheryl Deagon, Arranging Places

However, sometimes it's necessary to make a few new purchases to achieve the look you want when doing an interior redesign.  Here are some suggestions for going green in your home when making new decorating purchases:

• Consider buying furniture and rugs from second hand or antique stores - anything used is considered green.
• Look for wood products made from sustainable woods such as bamboo, eucalyptus or merbau (this is a new one I just learned about today) - these woods grow quickly and replenish themselves.
• Purchase items made from recycled or salvaged materials.
• Buy products manufactured close to home - it takes less energy to transport them.
• Look for fabrics and carpets made from non-chemical finishes and natural fibers - typically organically grown cotton and wool.

No matter what your personal style is or how beautiful your furnishings may be, a well decorated living room needs a fixed point around which everything else revolves. Decorating professionals call this a focal point. It can be anything -- a couch, a painting, a wall unit, your fireplace -- but making the most of your focal point will make your room inviting and warm, as well as functional.

Take this quiz to find out if your room has a focal point -- and learn how to create one if it doesn't.

http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=4bawaicab.0.0.rbrjx9bab.0&ts=S0315&p=http%3A%2F%2Fquiz.ivillage.com%2Fhome%2Ftests%2Ffocal.htm&id=preview

Years ago, a Realtor friend in my small hometown of Casper, WY received a call from a man who wanted to see a property near the mountain. That man attacked my friend and nearly killed her with a knife he found on the kitchen counter. That memory has never left my mind.

Realtors and homeowners alike need to be aware of the real dangers for Realtors showing a home to perfect strangers. Most people are kind and do not wish a Realtor harm, but personal safety must always be at the forefront of all agents' minds.

How many of you list your homes for sale and never give the block of knives a second thought? That block of knives needs to be removed from the kitchen altogether. If that isn't possible, then relocate the block of knives to a bottom cabinet and turn the block so the handles are facing the back of the cabinet and then slide it clear to the back. Also, place any sharp utensils that may be in the silverware drawer, like steak knives and forks, in a plastic bag and put them in the same location as the block of knives.

As a professional home stager, I passionately share the story of my friend's attack with all my clients. I recently consulted with a woman whose home had been on the market for a long time. As I was walking through the home, I noticed that not only did she have the block of knives on the kitchen counter, she also had three rifles perched against her husband's desk in the basement. When I suggested that she remove the rifles from the home, she balked, saying the guns were not loaded. I then reminded her that many people have been killed or gravely wounded by the butt of a gun. She quickly picked them up and placed them in the trunk of her car.

Please help keep your realtor and stagers safe in your home while showing it. It's always better to be safe than sorry!

       Interior Redesigners change lives, not just furniture        The New Year is perfect for Interior Redesign

 

Are you ready to redesign?  Several of our IRIS members tell you just how easy it is to get the home of your dreams in the new year.    Click here to read the article