Holiday Decorating on A Dime - Part 5 Last Minute Decor

Time is flying by and before you know it, we'll be shoving pounds of wrapping paper into the recycle bin and vowing to join a gym. This being the last installment in this series, I thought I'd share some quick, easy decorating ideas for those who either haven't started decorating or have run out of decorations and need additional holiday bling.

Edible Decor - One of the toughest challenges we face at the holidays is enjoying sweets and snacks in moderation. I always end up with a surplus of candy canes and hot cocoa kits and at some point those end up in my belly or the trash. What better way to avoid eating sweets than to decorate with them? Here are several creative ways to accomplish unique décor goals and prevent unwanted weight gain. Unpack your favorite stemware and fill it with sugar (white, colored. or brown), top with mini marshmallows and multi colored peppermint sticks or candy canes. Need a place to store candy or nuts when you’re not entertaining? Fill different sized mason jars with pistachios, walnuts, peppermints and the like and position them on a counter or window sill until needed. Wrap a red bow around them for added festivity.

Simple Decor - Have some leftover shirt boxes laying
around? Wrap the empty boxes in your favorite ribbon and bows and use them to decorate a mantel or bookshelf. Can't afford a stunning wreath but still want to show a little spirit? Buy plain green wreaths and randomly place them on a bookcase. I personally lean towards a more minimalist, modern style (less is truly more as far as I'm concerned) and the wrapped t-shirt boxes and plain wreaths are by far my favorite finds this year.

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday with family and friends this holiday season! Relax, eat too much and look forward tor 2010 design tips and trends from your friends at Just Perfect! Cheers!

Perfectly at Home - Part 2 Walking the Walk

There's nothing like brainstorming a list of all the repairs and updates that your home will need before you can sell it to help you reconsider staying another five years. I walked around my house with a camera documenting areas that will need my attention. Some of the tasks such as painting walls and trim can wait until just before we get ready to put the house on the market. Other things such as repairing the hardwood floors and landscaping the backyard will require a time and money investment that we will need to budget for. Listed below in order of importance and priority are items around my house in need of repair or attention. They relate only to my home and likely wouldn't apply to other homes. The act of making a list, however, would apply to any homeowner. Every home will have it's own personalized list of major and minor repairs and it's a great idea to get an idea well in advance of what, how and when they will need to be made.

• Replace planks of hardwood floor damaged by overzealous puppy

• Install shoe mould at base of kitchen cabinets

• Patch and repair wood trim chewed by anxious dog left alone for too long

• Remove vinyl flooring damaged by toilet leak
  
• 

• Patch, sand and paint holes in garage wall

• Remove paint spilled in garage

• Install hardware on master bath cabinets

• Remove wallpaper on master bath wall

• Fill holes in backyard, landscape along fenceline

Hopefully my next installment will include progress on one of the projects listed above. Stay tuned.

Live Oak Model Home Makeover - Brunswick Forest

More often than homeowners or real estate agents like to admit, homes can sit on the market, especially in a down market, for much longer than it is financially convenient. Any number of reasons can keep a home from selling. There could be a flood of homes on the market, it might have strange paint colors or odors that turn buyers off, an overinflated price tag or it could be something as simple as a failure to hire a successful staging company. :-)

Just Perfect! recently worked on the Live Oak model home (1002 Leesburg Drive) in the Parkside neighborhood at Brunswick Forest to give it a fresh new look and help renew interest in a house that is certain to become a much loved home. In addition to a fresh coat of paint by Jernigan Homes, Just Perfect! Home Staging has re-staged this beautiful model home with new furnishings and layouts that truly highlight it's best features. Stop by today to see this showcase listing! It won't last long!

Holiday's are Just Perfect! around here...

From The Client's Perspective...

My company helps individuals with all aspects of estate planning. As executor, I was responsible for selling a home for one of my client’s estates. My client had been ill for a number of years and had not been able to maintain her home as she would have liked.

Because of the neglected condition of the property, we were faced with two possibilities: putting the home on the market at a greatly reduced asking price or investing money into repairs and updates in an attempt to recoup the home’s true value.

Jessica Pirone of Just Perfect! Home Staging and More provided a professional consultation to help me make an informed decision on my client’s behalf. She had wonderful suggestions on how to update the house for a reasonable price. She provided an estimate and a written contract that provided both a time line and an outline of the changes she would make.

Jessica and her subcontractors did an incredible job; by the time they were finished that neglected 15-year-old home looked like new construction. They removed wallpaper, repainted rooms, changed carpet, added new landscaping to increase curb appeal, and transformed a home office into a third bedroom to boost the home’s total value. The entire project was completed in a month.

I put the home on the market in February 2008, at a time when the housing market had severely declined. Thanks to Jessica’s improvements and her expert staging, the home sold for the asking price just 33 days later. After the cost of staging and improvements with Just Perfect!, we netted a profit of $15,000 more than the house would have commanded in its original condition.

Just Perfect! completed the entire project within budget and on time, despite a short deadline. I highly recommend Jessica and her company as an outstanding professional and a worthwhile service.

—Judy Shaw, LTCA Legacy Planning

Citrus Cove's Islamorada - Vacant or Staged?

Just Perfect! recently had the opportunity to stage the Islamorada model home in Citrus Cove, a cozy new community in the Monkey Junction area of Wilmington, NC. The plan features include 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths on the first floor, formal dining, kitchen, spacious living room and breakfast nook. A fully finished 2nd floor offers a large additional living space, full bath and 4th bedroom. Homes are priced from the low to mid-200's and square footage ranges from 1400sf-2500sf.

One of Just Perfect's most important tasks when staging a home is to give each space a purpose. The latest trend in home design is the open floor plan. It allows more spaces to be connected without the division of walls or barriers. While this trend is very attractive to homeowners, it can often present a challenge when deciding where to put their furniture. If a home is vacant, it can be very difficult for potential home buyers to see how the space could be setup. The same challenge can often apply to the FROG (finished room over garage). Take a look at the before and after photos of this formerly vacant home and decide for yourself whether staging helps define a space and ultimately sell a home.

Holiday Decorating On A Dime - Part 4 Create-A-Card

Every year I spend too much time trying to decide what type of Christmas card to send out. More often than not I’m left scrambling last minute because I can’t make up my mind. Should it be a photo card, an ultra modern statement from the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) or a one with a clever Dr Suess rhyme on the cover? I always want my cards to be unique and stand out in my recipients minds. Whether or not that actually occurs I don’t know, but I put forth the effort nonetheless. This year I stumbled across something completely different and affordable at the same time. Making your own cards might sound time consuming and intimidating but I’ve found some great examples that should ignite the creative bug in us all. Anyone with an arts & crafts stash or a scrapbooker enthusiast can put these cards together in a flash. They’re homemade (always a plus adding that personal touch) and they allow you to use up leftover ribbon, wrapping and scrapbook paper. You start by buying blank cards (often less expensive than themed ones) or make your own with a sturdy cardstock or construction paper. If you make your own be sure to size them to fit in a standard size envelope. Cut ribbon strands and paper into the shape of a tree or star, use a popsicle stick as your tree trunk, and circle stickers to make ornaments or wreaths. Throw a party and have friends come over to make their own cards or set up a table and put your kids to work. It’s a great excuse to get together or find some much needed family time around the holidays.

'Tis the Season

Just Perfect! recently decorated a house for the holidays while the owners were out of town for Thanksgiving. How great would it be to leave for an afternoon and come home to a beautifully decorated home and tree? We know the holidays can be a busy time and we'd love to help you scratch one thing off your to do list by giving your home a fresh, inspired look. Our team can use your existing decorations in new, creative ways to develop a refreshingly different Christmas look in your home. We can rearrange furnishings for optimum seating capacity or remove them completely if you need standing room space for a party. Our services include, but are not limited to window displays, tree trimming and decoration, fireplace displays, table settings furniture arrangement and infusion of holiday spirit! Call us today to ensure your holiday entertaining space is Just Perfect!