Today I'll be partnering at a Lunch  Learn Broker's Open at a vacant home that I staged.  It's a great opportunity to showcase my client's home, promote my work and create partnerships with the Realtor and vendors I worked with on this project.

We've set the scene from 11-1 with a Home Staging tips and techniques workshop, a guided tour of the home, catered food and sassy invitations to locals - both Realtors and Clients.

My workshop is titled  5 Home Staging “Musts” in This Market

- On my end, I'll be bringing some simple floral arrangements to create a bit of home ambiance, workshop pass-outs and gift bags with my marketing materials and mini color fan decks from Pottery Barn.

Broker's Open - Open House Gift Bags & Goodies

As a Home Staging Professional, don't stop at the staging, continue packaging the home by offering your expertise and talents in marketing the home as well!

Julea Joseph of Reinventing Space has created her own recipe for success with her signature Interior Stylist Philosophy. She helps you develop your style, celebrate your home and makes the most of what you already own.



Julea has been featured in countess articles in newspapers and magazines, HGTV’s “Decorating Cents,” “My First Place,” and array of Chicago TV, and even hosts two hometown cable Cooking & Decorating shows. Over the past 8 years her expertise has extended to educational forums ranging from industry certification educator, library workshops to a Board of Realtors Instructor.

It’s my business to make homes better. As an interior stylist, I’m the new generation of designer that can seamlessly progress from a home staging professional to interior design consultant (always on a budget.) My job is to celebrate your home and make it beautiful no matter what chapter you may be on in it. From when you 1st move in, to when you sell - I’m there to make your home better.



My business philosophy is to spend it where you need to, and fill in the blanks with chic, yet cheap finds – The perfect mix of Rich with Poor. Like I always say …“If you keep your big mouth shut, they’ll never know…”

So… it’s almost spring.

Whether you are going or staying, the induction of spring seems to be the cue for home makeovers. Just like the longing for a fresh breeze through open windows, homeowners are ready for change. From simple updates like a fresh new paint palette, to the restless rustlings of bigger remodeling projects; this season seems to burst forth home makeover needs like the crocuses popping up in your lawn.

In this series of three articles, I’ll be offering insight on how to go about a home makeover project. The 1st of the series is “Where to Begin,” followed by two other articles “Style & Details Defined” and “Current Trending & Savvy Shopping Sources.” Hopefully, your makeover needs will be more defined, and if not, I’ll be getting a call (708.448.7500.)

Where to Begin?

The 1st step to home makeover projects is to define your room goals, create a plan, and be realistic of a budget. Unlike the makeover shows you watch on TV, unless you had stock options for an Internet IPO, any home project will cost you more than the materials you purchase.

DEFINE YOUR ROOM GOALS. Is it that darn lack luster living room in need of a décor boost and a color correction? Is it your kitschy out-dated kitchen that will never appeal to the 30-somethings that will be the ideal buyer for your home in need of an overhaul? By sketching out your goals, you’ll start defining the steps you’ll needs to complete the makeover.

When I work with my clients, my 1st step in defining your goals is to use adjective packed sentences to describe how you want to define the space. As an example:

“I want my lackluster living room to feel warm and inviting - a cozy place to curl-up on the couch to read a book, or engage in the latest news with my favorite neighbor. Buttery tones, soft, tea-washed fabrics, with simple, yet sophisticated French flea market inspired accents will fill this space.”

Or, “I want to update and redefine my kitschy out-dated kitchen, complete with duck-with-bows wall border into a turn-key ready, for a family of four, with smart, shiny new appliances, envy-evoking, trend forward cabinets and irresistible, yet no-fuss quartz countertops – so that the kitchen appeals to the target buyer of my home.”

CREATE A PLAN. Create a workable outline of all the projects you’ll need to do to complete your makeover. From wallpaper stripping, to accessory shopping, define, outline and calendar your plan. The best and most effective way of succeeding in this plan - is to take a hard look of what you are and are not capable of. Please, just because you once read in a magazine “3 Easy Steps on how you can reface your cabinets in a weekend with Contact® paper,” doesn’t make a saleable worthy kitchen remodel. Consider your time restraints, knowledge and expertise in all project details, and understand that if you really want to get this done in a timely matter, you’ll need to seek professional help in certain areas.

ATTACH A REALISTIC BUDGET. Once your goals have been described, a plan has been defined you can now attach budget estimates to each of the projects. By attaching a budget to each of the projects, you’ll get a realistic view of your financial investment. By far, the most faulted area of any home makeover is not being realistic of the costs to complete it. It is not an educated guess that your new complete furnishing dreams for your living room will cost $399.00 because that’s what the price quoted on the HGTV show. News alert, a side table for your living room is around $399.00 – Just the side table! Be smart, weed through catalogs and jot down home décor pricing, scour over Sunday newspaper flyers and the internet, and get estimates by referred professionals for deeded work.

Once you’ve established your budget projection, completed your goals and plan - you can proceed to “Style & Details Defined” step of your home makeover. This style definition exercise will help you understand the psychology of the home makeover, understand your home and your lifestyle - which will help you choose color, materials and the overall look of the makeover.

Since 1999, interior stylist Julea Joseph has owned Chicago area based interior design and home staging business - Reinventing Space.  Your can see her work on HGTVor in the news giving homeowners expert insight on how to refresh, style and celebrate their space -Whether prepping their home to go on the market, just settling in, or just in need of a change.  Julea also offers her expertise with certification training and mentoring  offerings to Realtors and Home Stagers in the industry. Visit her site, JULEA.com more information oe email her at Julea@Julea.com.

 
With holiday celebrations just around the corner, now is a perfect time to address our Dining Rooms. The dining room is typically the least used room in any home. It also tends to be the room that is most difficult to decorate. Big, bulky furniture suites, extensive hardwood surfaces and space constraints conspire to prevent you from putting your personal stamp on the room. The dining room was intended to be a space used for celebrations, lively conversation and special occasion dining. Decorate this family gathering space with color, creative displays and décor that will make every guest feel welcome!




Ralph Lauren Wallpaper in BURNISHED CORK - TOBACCO

 • With wallpapers back in vogue, this may just be the room to unleash a paper creation! Textures, faux techniques, patterns, metallic’s and more are readily available with today’s advanced technology. With a dining room’s hardwood and suite of furniture, wallpaper is a great juxtaposition to the sameness of the space.

• If paint is your choice, choose a hue to compliments your furniture and celebrates you personal style. The dining room was meant for family gatherings and entertaining, so this is a perfect space to show off your personality. Why not pick a color that has been inching up to a new favorite?

• What's on your floor? -  Rug or no rug? Rugs can add warmth, anchor furniture, add color, texture and ambiance to a space.

• Rethink your Lighting. If your chandelier has seen better days, why not replace or repurpose the one you have? A chandelier should be about 12" narrower than the width of the table over which it hangs and hung approximately 30” above the surface. If you want to reinvent your existing piece – A new coat of paint, new shades or a ceiling medallion, can give a new piece a new life. Swap out your old switch for a dimmer too.


• Hang paintings, family portraits, and other wall art at a lower level so that you and your guests can enjoy them while seated at the dining table. Place a large mirror in the room across from windows to create an illusion of space or reflect your lovely chandelier.

• Shop your home, a local art gallery or store for paintings, prints, plates to adorn your walls. Antique or specialty plates make great wall art, especially hung in a collection. Art in this room should feed the soul with food or dining themes – Still life settings, photography of bistro store fronts, or club car dining are all great ideas for hung art.



Still Life Wtih Blooming Red Tulips Print by Nicole Etienne at Art.com



• Give your china cabinet a makeover by creating a seasonal display or a vignette of precious family objects. From holiday China to treasured ornaments removing the typical stored finds and reinventing the space will give your room a whole new identity. Antique family photos in small sterling silver frames become more meaningful when paired with an heirloom object, such as a pocket watch or a baby’s bootie. Creatively displayed postcards, pictures, souvenirs and other special remembrances make wonderful dinner conversation starters.

• Slip cover, reupholster or replace worn dining chairs. Purchase custom slipcovers with interesting details, such as back lacing, monogramming or fun trims. Reupholster your seats with a colorful fabric that matches the freshly painted walls. Replace the two captain’s chairs with upholstered parson’s chairs. The fabric will soften the hard woods in the room and create a softened look – Best of all, these chairs can be rotated into other spaces when needed.


• Finally, set the mood for your room with accessories. For the table, river a Pashima shawl for a stunning look, tall glass footed hurricanes filled with seasonal finds, your buffet set with a sparkling silver pieces and each of your seats paired with a lumbar pillow.

By putting your personal stamp on your dining room you reinvent a forgotten space, create a mood for a room meant to celebrate family and friends and having a seasonal jumping off point for your holiday and entertaining decorating for this year