The Savvy Stager

Domino no more??!!

thesavvystager — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:11:29 +0000

I could not believe my eyes when I read on the domino magazine website that they are closing shop! The economy has taken yet another victim.I for one am extremely saddened by the news.I loved the magazine and it was always my go to source for inspiration in decorating my own place as well as my clients’.We’ll miss you Domino!

The Housing market is down…builders are looking to stage!

thesavvystager — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 07:18:55 +0000

As we all know, nowadays the housing market is slow.In Houston many builders are looking to stage their vacant homes despite having an on site model.Why? Because builders get it! They know that staging is a marketing technique and it sells homes!

New Living….a green addition on the map of Houston!

thesavvystager — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 04:08:11 +0000

Today I had the opportunity to visit the New Living store on Kirby drive. It was truly a pleasure and such a relief to see that one can just go and pick up home products with eyes closed and be assured of their user and planet friendliness. They have everything from non- toxic paints to recycled glass tiles. And that’s not all, they have an in- home cleaning supply line which is made in partnership with a local social service group that employs special needs people.How’s that for giving back to the community?

For more information go to www.newliving.net and sign up for their green newsletter while you’re at it!

Target Is the Best!

thesavvystager — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:03:44 +0000

I have been looking for lamps for a while now but nothing I saw clicked till I laid eyes on thisGreat value for money at $39! Thanks Target…again!

Pottery Barn hosts free decorating classes!

thesavvystager — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 05:48:05 +0000

Pottery Barn has been holding free decorating classes for the general public and the latest one is this Sunday January 25th.Not too bad if you consider nothing is really given away for free these days!Not only that, but whatever they feature in the class is 10% off for participants.The downside? It’s first come, first serve so reservation is required.

Hanging Art (the easy way!)

thesavvystager — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 05:22:35 +0000

Although I bought this neat little gadget a while back, I had not had the opportunity to give it a try.It is called “The Hang and Level” and I must say, it’s pretty neat.

All you have to do is hold your artwork and press on the tabs which in turn mark the spot where you have to put the nail ( the reason three are given is to enable heavy art to be hung.) Once that is done you can ensure that it is hung straight by looking at the leveler at the top.

Granted you still have to measure the center of the wall and such but it sure beats eyeballing and making multiple holes before finally getting it right!

Moving The Obamas Into The White House

thesavvystager — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:56:21 +0000

So ever wondered how the transition from one president to the the next happens when it comes to moving homes? I mean the Bushs’ and Obamas’ met for tea at the white house before they left for the swearing in of President Obama with the Bushs’ clearly the hosts.

Well, once they leave, the white house staff (a staggering 93 in number) have 6 hours to complete the moving in.Once the Obamas’ return their personal belongings will be all moved in and their new home all ready for them…right down to their favourite foods being placed in the pantry.

So while we were watching the most historical event in history, there were people working frantically to get an almost impossible task done!

Kudos you guys!

Green Staging

thesavvystager — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:31:51 +0000

These days with all of us more aware than ever about our responsibility towards mother earth, being green has covered everything from grocery shopping to party planning to disposing off our garbage. That’s not where it stops however, staging can be done in an ecologically responsible manner also.Are we ready and committed to it though?It is tough when so many much cheaper alternatives are out there but baby steps can be taken in an effort to do our part as an industry.

Here are some to name a few:

* Recycling, reusing and refurbishing things in an owner occupied property rather than buying new pieces.

* In Vacant properties the furniture and accessories used are recycled to begin with.If you have your own inventory you can start buying green furniture but if you go through rental companies they are not always eco- friendly but it’s a start just recycling and reusing them.

* Using paints that are safe environmentally.Mythic paint is one name that has made a splash with their VOC free paints.You can learn more at www.mythicpaint.com

* Using bamboo instead of cotton in bedding.Although bamboo is a lot more expensive it is grown without the use of pesticides and fertilizers and needs very little water to grow.

* Using natural products as prop i.e. live plants, fruit. Rocks and sand instead of synthetic vase fillers.

These are just some of the things we as stagers can do to help our planet.It may be costly but little by little we can make a difference.

Happy green staging !

Pier 1 store closing.

thesavvystager — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:22:42 +0000

I don’t know about your neck of the woods but the Pier 1 store near my place is closing down and the bargains are fabulous.I bought an occassional table worth $ 96 for under $30! Keep your eyes open folks, there may be one closing down near you.

BOOK SHELF MAKE OVER

thesavvystager — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:50:55 +0000

After
Before

Over the weekend, tired of the hodge podge that was my son’s bookshelf, I decided to give his room a makeover…or rather the corner where his old changing station was doubling as a bookshelf.
Bookshelf $100, bins $25, sense of achievement priceless!