MODEL HOME TOUR

PJ & Company recently decorated this beautiful Toll Brothers model home – incorporating some of the latest design trends. White and silver paired with dark charcoal grey and topped with raspberry and yellow accents creates a glamorous, elegant design throughout the home. A closer peak at the color scheme, accessories, furniture selection and design layout will inspire your own home decor updates. Photo Credit: Jeff Kauffman

The cream ottoman offers contrast against the deep grey furnishings.  Placement of the artwork above the couch draws the eye up to highlight the rooms architectural details. Beautiful accessories throughout the space complete the room’s decor.

The warm grey and deep brown tones in this gorgeous master retreat create a calming, serene space. A chandelier and art deco mirrors complete the room’s sophisticated design.

A teal accent wall creates a wow in this second bath and is complimented by the additional teal accessories and natural accents.

Deep brown espresso furnishings paired with the warm grey wall color create a sophisticated dining space. Touches of teal accents add a burst of color. The modern, elegant chandelier adds a touch of opulence.

P & Company Home Styling, LLC offers in-home decorating and staging services to clients in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. Patti Stern, PJ & Company’s principal, interior decorator and accredited home staging professional, and her team, work closely with individuals to redecorate, renovate or simply refresh their home décor. She also offers comprehensive, turnkey staging services to help homeowners sell their home quickly and for top dollar.

For more information, please contact Patti Stern at 203-640-3762 or patti@pjhomestyling.com.

Connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pjandcompanyhomestyling or

Twitter at www.twitter.com/pjhomestyling

THE BEST HOME DÉCOR TRENDS FOR SPRING

This spring, trends in home decor will inspire anyone to update and brighten their home’s interior after a long winter. From soft, serene pastels to bold hues in everything from window treatments and tabletop accessories to pillows and rugs, color is one of this season’s biggest trends. Patterns in every shade and style with bold geometrics are also an important element in design this season. With so many unique options, it’s easy to add style to any home decor without spending a fortune.  

 

What follows are some of our favorite spring trends and tips to consider using in your own home decor. Please feel free to share with us some of your own spring makeovers.

• Geometric Patterns. One of the biggest spring decor pattern trends is geometric shapes, such as hexagons and repeated patterns. Artwork, window treatments, pillows, and rugs all add modern style to any room. Chevrons and stripes continue to be timeless choices. Pair complimentary patterns in the same color scheme to create a balanced design.

 

 

 

• Color. Bold, bright oranges, yellows, raspberry and teals are some of this season’s favorite hues. Experiment with these bold colors by painting an accent wall or accessorizing a favorite couch with pillows in these great colors. Pastels are also taking hold this spring and can be seen in aqua, pale coral, and lavender. Set a beautiful table with pastel colored candlestick holders in an array of these wonderful colors.   

 

• Organic Style. Nature provides one of the greatest inspirations in home decor with all shades of green as the enduring color this season. Emerald was selected as PANTONE’s Color of the Year, as featured in our blog last month, and looks great paired with jeweled tones (think Sherwin Williams’ Glitzy Gold). Sherwin Williams chose Aloe, with a slight hint of mint, as their color of the year. For a tranquil look, Aloe is paired with natural textiles, aged metals or warm wood tones in light to medium finishes.

 

• Back To The Beach. Coastal influences are always popular and create a sense of serenity in any room. Fill an apothecary jar with shells from your favorite beach. Add aqua colored throw pillows to your master bedroom or sunroom in soft summer linen fabrics to create a sense of calm. Choose navy and white designs for a crisp, modern style or incorporate gold to add a touch of opulence.

 

• Botanical Prints. Nothing says spring more than flowers. Wallpaper has made a comeback in recent years and an accent wall with a botanical print creates visual interest in a room. Colorful silk pillows with floral designs adds sophisticated style to the living room couch.

 

March Color Swatch: Green In Home Decor

As we await the spring resurgence of green hues in our landscapes, we thought March was the perfect month to feature Green as our Color Swatch pick to re-energize your interior after a long winter.

Emerald a lively, radiant, lush green, was chosen by PANTONE as the Color of the Year for 2013. 

From interiors, beauty and fashion – designers are embracing the color’s radiant power, which is also inspiring use of more subtle shades of green.

Incorporating color into your home’s décor can be done through paint, furnishings, accents and accessories. While the darker shade of Emerald exudes luxury and sophistication, it along with softer shades of green, also promote an earthy sense of renewal, balance and harmony.

For those homeowners who want to experiment with color but find a bold hue overwhelming –look to the simple 60/30/10 rule in design.

• Choose your dominant color for your room’s main areas – your walls and flooring – to represent 60 percent of the room’s color scheme. In the living room of this home PJ & Company decorated, we chose warm beige and wood tones as our foundation for the rest of the color palette. We were inspired by this green sofa for our furnishing and decor, which paired with jeweled golds, greys, and plums, creates a sophisticated yet relaxed environment.

PJ & Company Home Styling, LLC

• Incorporate a secondary color as about 30 percent of the design. If you are a little more adventurous with color, you can pair dark and light solids and patterns through accent pillows and lamps as shown below.

Houzz.com

• Add color with accent furniture. This accent chair provides a pop of color and an inviting entry. It’s also a great example of how you can reupholster an older piece of furniture to feature a more modern color trend in your design.
  

  Houzz.com

• Paint an accent wall. Paint is one of the least expensive design options that can really create a whole new look in a room. This accent wall in this nook creates a “wow factor” in this space.

Apartment Therapy

• The final 10 percent. Add an unexpected yet complimentary pop of color as the final 10 percent of the room’s palette. If you just want to experiment with Emerald pick up some bright accessories such as these elegant window treatments featured in this dining room.

P & Company Home Styling, LLC offers in-home decorating and staging services to clients in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. Patti Stern, PJ & Company’s principal, interior decorator and accredited home staging professional, and her team, work closely with individuals to redecorate, renovate or simply refresh their home décor. She also offers comprehensive, turnkey staging services to help homeowners sell their home quickly and for top dollar.

For more information, please contact Patti Stern at 203-640-3761 or patti@pjhomestyling.com.

Connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pjandcompanyhomestyling or

Twitter at www.twitter.com/pjhomestyling

SPRING HOME SELLING SEASON HAS BLOOMED!

As I look out my window at nearly 2 feet of snow piled up from Blizzard Nemo, it’s hard to imagine we’ll have an early spring.  Yet, in my world of home staging and decorating, spring has already bloomed.

PJ & Company Home Styling has experienced one of our busiest January and February staging seasons to date.  While many homeowners think spring selling means April or May, the reality is February and March mark the early home selling season.  Rising economic confidence in the 2013 housing market is motivating more sellers to prepare their homes for sale now, further indication of a market recovery ahead.

Buyer foot traffic is outpacing seller traffic, according to a national Realtor Survey. Excess inventory from the housing boom has bottomed out and sellers ready to put their homes on the market will establish a competitive advantage before a burst of new listings later in the season.  A home staged to attract buyers looking or move-in ready homes, coupled with a solid pricing strategy, could even command multiple offers.

If you are thinking about selling your home this spring, our Spring Staging Tips will help give your home mass appeal and increase your home’s value. For those who aren’t ready to sell, our strategies and decorating tips offer solutions to simply freshen up your own decor this spring season and make your home feel new again.

Happy Spring Selling!

SPRING STAGING TIPS

1.  Replace and Refresh Outdated Accessories and Furnishings.

February is a great time to find deals as retailers offer sales to move out old styles and make room for their new spring designs.

ENTRYWAY AFTER

ENTRYWAY BEFORE

2. Choose Neutral Colors

Neutral tones for walls and furniture will give your home mass appeal and help buyers picture their furniture in the space. Add interest by choosing clean, modern accessories and introducing pops of color as accents.

MASTER BEDROOM AFTER

MASTER BEDROOM BEFORE

3. Open Up Your Space

Oversized pieces or wall-to-wall furniture can make even well-proportioned rooms look smaller. If you aren’t taking all your furnishings to your new home and can’t repurpose them in other rooms, consider selling or donating them before your house hits the market. Replace bulky tables and pieces with open or pedestal style designs.

LIVING ROOM AFTER

LIVING ROOM BEFORE

4. Make Use of Unique Spaces

Repurpose small nooks or extra spaces in your home by adding a mini work station, library or organizing solutions. Buyers will love the character these nooks give your home and the extra storage will be a bonus.

5. Set The Table

While you may not be in the mood to entertain while your home is on the market, a bare table is uninviting. Creating a spot where buyers can envision themselves with family and friends will create a connection between the buyer and your home. A simple centerpiece of fresh spring flowers or candles will create a clean, fresh appeal.

6. Finishing Touches

Declutter and do a little spring cleaning so buyers aren’t distracted by personal belongings and can picture the home as their own. This is one of the simplest, most cost-effective changes to make in any home and according to HomeGain.com can increase a home’s value by as much as $2,000. Create a simple checklist before any showing: make sure the garbage is empty, dishes are clean, and personal items are removed, particularly from the bathrooms.

LIVING ROOM AFTER

LIVING ROOM BEFORE

How to Score Big-time this Black Friday

No, you don’t have to wake up at 4am. In fact, you don’t even have to leave your house in order to get the best deals this year on Black Friday! Unless you’re trying to snag a limited-quantity item, here are a few tips from NASDAQ on how to make sure you get those specific items on your list for the cheapest price possible!

Tip 1-Check Leaked Ads: Many websites like dealnews.com publish Black Friday deals before they appear on the retailer’s website. These leaked ads will give you a head start on where to start looking to make your first purchase. These will also help you compare prices with items located in other stores.

Tip 2-Sign up for e-mail Alerts: All retailers have an e-mail list and if you’re not a part of your favorite store’s lists, now is the time to sign up! Most retailers send sneak peaks or certain deals to people located on their e-mail lists first.

Tip 3- Social Media: Follow your favorite brands on social media. This will help you learn about all of their Black Friday deals/coupons.

Tip 4- Shop Online Before you Hit the Mall: Most of the best deals are located online for Black Friday! It was found that 70% of in-store deals were also available online. (Dealnews.com) Online shopping is not only more convenient, but it also starts as early as Wednesday night or Thanksgiving morning!

Tip 5- Use your Smartphone: You can scan barcodes with your phone with certain apps like Google Shopper. This will help you compare the store’s price with online offers. You can also get coupons using certain apps such as Foursquare. Definitely utilize your phone to get even cheaper items to cross of your list!

Tip 6- Buy Discounted Gift Cards: Many stores like Macy’s sell discounted gift cards so for example a $50 gift card will be $40 with a $10 savings. If you have something to buy at Macy’s you’ve already saved $10 on top of your coupon savings, its simple and cheap!

Tip 7- Stick to your Shopping List: Don’t buy extra things because what you wanted was sold out! Something that is not available then will be sure to show up later in the season at a cheaper price.

Happy Safe Shopping Everyone!

Curb Appeal: Your Home’s First Impression

If you’re thinking about selling your home, spring is the perfect time to do so. The weather is ideal to maximize curb appeal – one of the basic elements of staging. The outside of your home makes the first impression on buyers, so it’s important to show off your home’s best attributes.

The following tips will help your home stand out among the competition:

1. Walk the front and backyard. Assess your home with a critical eye. If you see something that needs fixing, such as a broken stone path or missing fence post, chances are buyers will catch it as well. Placing yourself in the shoes of the buyer is the best way to market your home.

 2. Spruce up your front entrance. The front door welcomes buyers into your home. Planting one or two flower pots will give the outside a pop of color, enticing buyers to come inside. Update the outside light fixtures and add a colorful welcome mat.

3. Replace an old or leaning mailbox. Buyers want to see that the outside of a home is in pristine condition, and this includes the mailbox. Having a new one will be an added bonus for buyers.

 4. Inspect the roof. Many homeowners think that the roof goes unnoticed, but buyers will be checking every last detail. Make sure there are no missing shingles and any problems (such as gutter leakage) are taken care of before your open house.

 5. Stage your outdoor entertaining spaces. Arrange your deck or patio as if you were hosting guests (clean concrete or wood surfaces, use new cushions and table settings, etc.). Buyers covet outdoor areas, and these updates will help them visualize using these spaces for their own get-togethers.

6. Consider adding storage. Sheds work wonders for outdoor storage – use it to hide yard tools, children’s toys and other backyard clutter. 

7. Let the sunshine in. Natural light works best when showing your home, so open up windows, curtains and blinds to let the sun stream in. Don’t forget to wash the windows!

The Benefits of Staging

Most people think staging is only needed for model homes shown in magazines, but did you know that it’s one of the key factors essential to a fast and successful sale? One of the core services offered by PJ & Company Home Styling, staging allows homeowners to showcase the best features of their home. It helps eliminate distractions (think trophy room, wall of family photos, tea cup collection, etc.) so that prospective buyers can truly envision living in the space. This not only helps sell the home faster, but also without a significant reduction in the asking price because the home will stand out from the competition.  With 95% of today’s buyers searching for properties online,  staged homes show better in pictures – a necessary feature in today’s online real estate market.

So how is staging accomplished? After an in-home consultation with my clients where I walk the home inside and out, I design a staging plan that will showcase the home’s architectural features and maximize the space — all within my clients’ budget. This can range from simply rearranging the furniture and updating the window treatments, to painting the walls in neutral tones,  to renting furniture, which we do for vacant homes because today’s buyers have no vision! (See our staged home below for an example). Other techniques I use include removing personal items, updating light fixtures, and adding new hardware to dated cabinets and bathroom vanities.

Living Room Before

Living Room After

Staging is an investment in getting a home sold.  We like to tell our clients that their home is no longer a home, but a product that they need to market to as many buyers as possible. The staging process becomes difficult for those homeowners who value preserving their home’s decor more than selling it. Those concerned about the investment need only look at these impressive statistics from HomeGain, the leading online provider of real estate statistics, which demonstrate how effective the process really is.

It’s no wonder that 94% of staged homes sell in 29 days or less, compared to 145 days without [ASP Staged Homes]! Remember, two things sell a home: price and staging.