The Great Fall Fix-Up

Join me for the Great Fall Fix-Up at the REdesign Blog

Fall will be here before we know it, officially starting on September 22. Now is a great time to make those home improvements that you’ve been putting off all summer, getting your home in tip top shape if you are in the market to sell, or into picture perfect condition for the upcoming holidays.

Join me over at the REdesign Blog, where I show you some fresh, easy and budget friendly ways to transform your house into a home.

Perfecting the Great Outdoors

In the past few years there has been a trend of moving living spaces from the inside out. People are integrating outdoor living into their daily lives and are creating fully functional and furnished outdoor living rooms. This time spent outdoors has contributed to the increase the creation of outdoor kitchens with all of the bells and whistles found in interior gourmet kitchens are now present outside. Pizza ovens, ice makers, grilling stations, Viking appliances and wine refrigerators are just some of the things you are bound to find outdoors as part of this new trend. 

You can’t forget to have your outdoor spaced staged if you are in the market to sell. It surprises me how many homeowners will remodel a kitchen or bathroom, only to completely neglect the outdoor space. According to realtor.org, 90% of homebuyers used the internet as an information source in their home search compared with 87% who utilized a real estate agent and 40% who found a home for sale from a newsapaper ad. Those are some compelling statistics! Make sure the listing of your home show clearly defined and appealing pictures, including the outdoor space.

Not every home will have top of the line outdoor kitchen or living room, but it is essential to make sure the area is neat, well maintained and appealing.

I am actually in the process of redoing the outdoor space in my home and have come across some great spaces as inspiration.

This is a restaurant patio in Austin, TX, but I love the use of the lights strung across from the trees across the dining area. It provides an intimate setting at night as well as defines the space.

I love, love, love the use of canopies in this outdoor space.  Living in the desert, any opportunity to incorporate shade into an outdoor space is taken.

Who doesn’t want an outdoor fireplace? I love this space because of the incorporation of an outdoor seating area, right in front of the fire, perfect for end of summer get togethers.

Do you have a favorite feature of your outdoor living space? Share them here!

What to do about all that 'stuff'…

I have been getting a lot of questions on home organization lately. Especially what to do about keeping a home ‘staged’ while it is on the market to sell or lease, and while still living in it—with kids.

I get the feeling that the questions I get around this time of year are coincidentally related to the end of summer and the impending start of the school year for many families. Along with end of summer send-offs and jean shopping for littles who seem to have grown 6 inches in three months, surely you have imagined all of the stuff they soon will be bringing home by the backpackful.

What are you supposed to do with all that stuff?

We have a place in my home right inside the doorway from the garage reaching down a short hallway to the kitchen, that we jokingly call the “dumping ground.” This is the place when everyone gets home, where, you guessed it…we dump everything. In my defense (because I should know better, right?) the dumping ground is just a landing spot before all the stuff gets to its rightful place inside the home. You, too, can create a “rightful place for all the stuff” a.k.a., a workspace, in your home whether in a dedicated room or within your current living space with these easy tips.

1. Invest in adequate furniture.
I used to be a basket and bin girl. Then I realized that even all the baskets and bins needed a home. Instead, try to invest in functional furniture pieces for work and storage. This way, if you have to incorporate your workspace into a family room or other living area, you will be able to choose pieces that coordinate with your existing décor.

Your students will need a clear work area, and that means providing adequate space for computer equipment, books, file space and a location for frequently referenced supplies and paper. Make sure your furniture (desk, chair, bookshelves to start with) provides ample space for work and storage.

2. Establish activity centers.
Divide your workspace into zones and activity areas. For example your zones can include:

• The Work Center: which includes a clear workspace, computer and frequently used supplies.
• The Reference Center: which includes binders, manuals, dictionary, books and materials.
• The Supply Center: which contains office, school and paper supplies.

5. Establish a paper processing area.

• Create an area within your Work Center for papers that need immediate action.
• Store paper associated with ongoing projects in an area that is easily accessible and within your view.
• Establish a permanent filing system for papers you will want to keep for reference, but will not need on a regular basis.

Bring style and function to your workspace with these Estate Organizers.

Contact me about ordering information for the Estate Organizers featured above, or the ever functional and stylish Hurston Collection.