Power of the Pillow

As many of us practice the Stay-at-Home policy we cannot help but notice our homes. We now have time to purge, organize, paint, clean, craft and decorate.

Our very own Jo lovingly reigns over our Pillow Department in our warehouse. She mixes and matches, takes chances and the outcome is beautiful. We all watch and learn.

Jo says “a pillow can magically transform a room. As we prepare for summer, it is more important than ever to love your space.” Her inspiration today came from Earth Day.

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There you have it!

You can always stop by our SHOP for tons of inspiration.

MIX & MATCH

Garden Revelry

Time for you to meet your new “go-to” gal for container gardening. Cindy Funes from Garden Revelry has been beautifying front porches, decks, terraces, back yards all across the land. We all need someone like her in our life,right?

For my interview with Cindy we decided to sit in our respective gardens and share a virtual cocktail while we chatted. She let me in on her favorite drink, (always a good way to start an interview)-a French 75. So we mixed one up and began a lovely evening talking about gardening and other things. She also shared a fun seasonal drink idea for all of you to try out - a Honey Sage Bourbon. That’s sounds like a gardeners drink! See how to make it here.

Cocktails refreshed and our interview continues:

1. What is the best purchase you’ve ever made?  Our house.  We have a view of Mt. Rainier. I love how every morning the sky is a bit different, yet it always looks so majestic.

2. What was the last gift you gave someone? A 1000 pieced botanical puzzle.

3. What is the worst thing about your work?  The fact that I have no control over mother nature.

4. What was the last book you read?  Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.  She was looking forward to hearing her speak at SAL at the end of the month but unfortunately canceled.

5. What do you think about when you are alone in your car?  My mind wanders...planting combinations, to do lists, people and then it always goes to “what should I make for dinner?”.

6. What is the weirdest thing you have seen in someone else’s home? A bong hidden among the leaves of a container planting.

7. What do you love most about your profession?  The opportunity to connect clients with nature and beauty by transforming their outdoor living spaces with container plantings.  Love the people, love the process, love the end result!

We move on to some Container Garden tips:

• Choose a pot that is bigger than you think you’ll need.  Preferably at least 12” in diameter. Larger pots hold larger volumes of soil and don’t dry out as quickly as smaller pots. 

• Use a high quality potting mix such as Sunshine LC1, Garden and Bloom, or EB Stone Edna’s Best Potting Mix. Utilize the Thriller, Filler, Spiller formula when choosing plants and have a mix of evergreen, seasonal color and foliage plants to create interest.

• Fertilize your plantings throughout the growing season. We mix in Osmocote, a slow release granular fertilizer, at the time of planting and then supplement with liquid Miracle Grow once every 3-4 weeks to replenish the plants with nutrients they need to perform all season long.

• Set a consistent watering schedule, create a system that helps in this regard whether it’s setting reminders on your phone or installing a drip irrigation system.  Plantings won’t thrive without consistent watering unless you’ve planted succulents.  And even then they need water too, just not as much!

For inspiration we faithfully follow Cindy on Instagram: @gardenrevelry. Her website just launched so that is a great visit as well.

Thank you Cindy for the fun visit!

If the inspiration has hit you then please head to our SHOP for some of outdoor entertaining items we love.

Change Your Space! Fall has arrived.

We gotcha covered here when it comes to decorating for fall. It is a perfect time to shake up some spaces by adding rich tone and textured throw pillows, maybe a bit of cheesy Halloween decorations, classic pumpkins, moody candles (well, I think candles can be moody), a fur throw.

Want some shopping ideas? Here you go….

Head over to our SHOP if you want even more ideas. I just don’t want to overwhelm you!

I hate to give away our secret!

Every room comes to life with throw pillows. They are the single most room transforming tool we use. The pillow department in our warehouse is in constant need of organizing after every job. It's like the brilliant artist at work with them thrown about in hopes of creating a great combination for our staging jobs. The pillows below are designer fabrics-they are exceptionally nice and come in many sizes. Click and see...

Target + Leanne Ford = Coolness

I told you all about HGTV’s Restored by the Fords show a while back in a post here. Brother and sister team who renovate homes in Pennsylvania. She has a sassy style and he executes her fabulous signature. Great ideas on re-purposing, refinishing, redoing, remodeling, you get the jig…Very much worth your time to watch it if you haven’t already.

Here is her Project 62 lighting line for Target. I love the look in very small doses.

Phinney Ridge Neighborhood

Listing by Kim Wesselman for Windermere Real Estate, Staging by us Stager Girls at Open House and photos by John Wilbanks.

Change Your Space! Fall has arrived.

We gotcha covered here when it comes to decorating for fall. It is a perfect time to shake up some spaces by adding rich tone and textured throw pillows, maybe a bit of cheesy Halloween decorations, classic pumpkins, moody candles (well, I think candles can be moody), a fur throw.

Want some shopping ideas? Here you go….

Head over to our SHOP if you want even more ideas. I just don’t want to overwhelm you!

Urban Farmhouse

What is an Urban Farmhouse?

An Urban Farmhouse, combines traditional features with modern trends to create an updated and fresh take on a classic. These homes are known for a blend of horizontal and vertical siding, open floor plans, covered back porches and metal roofs. They may have reclaimed woods, metal and leather elements, industrial elements with timeworn finishes and distressed details, and unique light fixtures. Essentially, straddling the line between rural and urban.  This eclectic, mix-and-match style is less about following the rules and more about creating a highly original look for every room in your home.  

Listing by Jason Viydo for Windermere Real Estate, staging by Open House LLC.  

Here is the cool part: You can shop the look here with us!

Get Our Look!

Staged in one of our favorite buildings downtown-The Ellington. A cozy condo with a big outdoor space. 

Condo listing by Orvis and Orvis Real Estate, photography by Steve Hanson @ Hanson Photo Group and Staging by Open House Staging.

GET OUR LOOK!

What a Difference a Few Changes Make!

Let's get one thing straight: I shot these photos on my iphone so they are not going to wow you but the room change may.

My daughter went off to college so it was time to create a more grown up beautiful room for her return. It only took me a week to complete. Here is how it worked:

I have been following Tuft and Needle mattress company for a couple of years. They sell 1 mattress in several sizes. The Queen is about $550. I tried it out, my nephew tried it and now my daughter. We are all fans. You do not need to pay big prices for a mattress anymore. I purchased mine from Amazon for a handful of reasons. Purchase here. Ships in a box, open, cut plastic and it expands. PRESTO!

The makeover cost me about $1400.00. That is with the mattress, hiring a painter, the paint, bedding, and accessories. No furniture. Everything was Home Goods, Target and Amazon. The furniture: bed (also sold on Amazon) and dresser and mirror are Ikea.

Before

The original room was Carrie's (Sex in the City) apartment color-left image. My youngest is not a fan of feminine so this is what we agreed on (back in the day). 

We are adding a collection of black and whites on the wall and I think that completes the look.

Get The Look!

Mother's Day Picks | Joanna Gaines Style

Every Monday morning our team of Stagers gather to discuss our upcoming jobs, staffing, vacations, weekend plans, funny stories, and blog ideas.  

I loved Jodi's idea of showcasing some of the pieces we like from Joanna Gaines' Hearth and Hand Collection at Target. 

We may have another Mother's Day Gift Giving post from our resident shopping Queen-Tara. Her experience is vast and on trend so cross your fingers and stay tuned.

CLICK & SHOP!

Jodi-Stager Extraordinaire!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!