Many of you may not know about Virtual Staging, also known as Conceptual Staging. Your rooms are conceptually staged to see and confirm what your design will look like. It’s one step further to reinforce how staging can really work along with actual staging, and well worth the investment to sell your home.
I have been offered an opportunity to become an exclusive Stager for Conceptual Staging to my customers in Orange County CA. These would include homeowners, real estate agents, builders, investors, businesses, and senior assisted living facilities. The list is endless, and it can provide service to many on a small budget.
Check out the poll I’ve created on Linkedin and vote for your choice about Virtual Staging.
http://polls.linkedin.com/p/71467/sdsph
DC Redesign and Home Staging offers staging for all of Orange County CA and some surrounding areas. If you are interested in getting an estimate for staging or you are interested in Conceptual Staging, please contact me.
What these cabinets looked like before paint!
Another view
Adding paint to your 80’s oak cabinets is a very easy and inexpensive way to change the look of your kitchen! Since both my husband and I work full-time, I took some days off, and we worked on these whenever we could for a solid week. It took a little bit of “elbow grease” but worth the effort. We also worked in sections with the island being the starting point.
Supplies:
- Simple Green, Krud Kutter, spray bottle, wet sander sponges, pail, putty knife, rags
- Primer paint – I used Behr Premium Ultra Paint and Primer in one. Interior Satin (Light Incense UL 150-7)
- Finish paint – I used 1 Qt. Valspar Latex Enamel in Black. You can buy it off the shelf.
- 6″ Whizz rollers for Doors and Cabinets (sponge in packs of 2), 1.5″ angled paint brush.
- White flat paint for the inside of the cupboards. You can buy this off the shelf at Lowes or Home Depot.
- CLR – to soak the hinges, empty coffee can
- Sander and sand paper, 150 grit. You also might want to use a mask when sanding.
- Phillips screwdriver, container for cabinet screws, felt pads for finish work
- Drop cloths, old towels and latex gloves. I bought a box of them.
In each section, empty cabinets and drawers and remove cabinet doors and hardware. Soak the hinges while refinishing the doors and drawers. Just a tip – I soaked the hinges a bit too long and they disintegrated part of the mechanism. We had to find more hinges online since our 80’s hinges were no longer available at Home Depot.
Lay the cabinet doors on a flat surface, spray with Krud Kutter, let it set for a couple of minutes and then scrub, scrape with the putty knife in the cracks and on the flat surface. Wipe and repeat until the doors are not “sticky” feeling. When you are satisfied with the way they feel, spray with Simple Green, wipe down with a clean wet rag and let the surface dry. Once they feel dry, sand the cabinets, but take doors and drawers outside; wipe dust off. They now are ready to paint. Do not paint while sanding; it gets in your paint. Paint the sides of the inside of the cabinets with white flat paint. Paint two coats and let dry.
Lay the doors on a clean (covered) flat surface and ROLL on the paint. The answer to a great looking finish is to use 6″ Whizz rollers for doors and cabinets. You can pick them up at any Home Depot. Let the paint dry overnight. Then turn the doors over and paint the other side. Repeat. I gave my cabinets, doors and drawers 2 coats.
Painted island and cupboards, Big Improvement!
Another view after paint
View 3 after painting
Contact Diane Concialdi at DC Redesign for any of your redesign or real estate staging needs. Located in Orange County, California, and surrounding areas.
Call 714-815-3506 or email diane@dcredesign.com
Combining two houses full of furniture from “bachelor and bachelorette” is not easy, and something you probably wouldn’t discuss much before walking down the isle. Living your lives separately has created your own style whether you like it or not. You may have too many of one thing; lamps, sofas, beds, more than 2 sets of dishes, or not much of anything, but it’s fun to create your new home together.
First, decide what items you want to keep, choose paint colors, and pieces you love. I’m sure there will be compromising when a piece is a floral pattern. In my opinion, you should create a home that’s more masculine in taste; it’s a lot easier for a woman to live with masculine tastes than a man when furniture and accessories don’t fit in the plan. Also guys, please be sensitive to your lady’s feelings when you want to use your favorite sports team colors! We bought patio umbrellas this past weekend, and the Bronco fan that my husband is, wanted one orange umbrella and one blue umbrella, both to be set up on the same patio! Do I need to say we bought two orange umbrellas?
If you’re having trouble placing your furniture in the right spot, or choosing colors and furniture pieces to stay in your home (I’ll also referee), please contact me for a redesign consultation. My report comes in a nice binder with pictures and suggestions, and the cost is based on the size of your home and how many rooms you want help with.
Contact DC Redesign, (714) 815-3506, for any of your real estate needs.
I just finished a redesign and it was really a lot of fun. De-cluttering your home, whether it’s for sale or just for an update, really alleviates stress. It’s almost like you are able to completely focus on your day!
Getting ready for your redesign is really simple; de-clutter, de-clutter, de-clutter! Clean off all shelving, tables and counters; make room in cupboards and closets; throw away what you don’t want or drop it off at a thrift shop. Sort through your accessories and create an area somewhere in your home for a “keep” section and a “maybe” section. There may be an accessory you just don’t know what to do with but want to keep and a redesigner will give you ideas where to place it, especially if the piece has sentimental value.
If you are a collector of things (as we all are), have a place to store all of the collection together. I collect golf balls from courses we’ve played but searching for the right wall shelf to display them on. Remove old magazines and newspapers, move around art and combine photographs in like frames. If you are getting ready to sell your home pack away personal photographs or keep to a minimum arrangement.
Once everything is put in it’s proper place, stored or donated, you will feel more like taking the next step in redesigning with paint or rearranging furniture and accessories; even moving pieces into different rooms.
Whether you are selling your home or just need to put new life into your home, you will be amazed what the impact of a redesign will do for your home and your family!
Diane Concialdi is President and Lead Design of DC Redesign, consulting with Realtors, homeowners, builders and investors in Orange County, CA. Always here to help you get the best price using home staging for your listings. Call DC Redesign at 714-815-3506 or visit our website dcredesign.com.