I’m re-posting this entry in its entirety and regret doing so because of copyright concerns, but there’s no other way to show you how incredibly awesome and amazing the ENTIRE Catalog Living site is otherwise!

The Caption:
Sure Gary’s out of town, but I’m perfectly capable of starting a fire in the fireplace by myself, thank you very much.

Go to Catalog Living if you need a really good laugh!  Perhaps these picture perfect catalog photos aren’t so perfect after all!

Enouno brings us an interactive mirror.  LOVE!

Via Inhabitat.

This sure beats your children climbing on bookcases and dressers!  From the Yanko Design web page, this wall art is sure to be a hit for the kids of the house,

What kid or child-at-heart wouldn’t love this?

You know how valuable it is to stage a home when you’re ready to sell.  However, here are some Ridiculously Ugly Rugs Owned by People with Extremely Poor Taste that you might want to avoid!

The only thing I can think of that would make me put one of these rugs on my floor would be if it were to cover something hideous going on with the floor underneath it, and that would only be if I had no other options. But for most of these rugs, it would take a real catastrophe in the home to cause a large enough problem with the floor to make me willingly lay one of these rugs down.

Ha! Click through to see the double yolk egg rug.

By simply making a couple of changes around your own house, it will feel like you live in a bigger space.  From The Sun’s Financial Diary, here’s one tip:

Use paint to make rooms seem larger. Lighter colors often make spaces look larger. If you want to lighten up your rooms but still wish to have some pizzazz, use bright or dark colors to create accent walls.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that every room in my house except the kitchen/dining room have white walls.  Maybe it’s time to just get rid of some junk!

I hope that this weekend we can start going through our garage.  I think it’s time my daughter’s new Girl Scout leader inherits the troop’s camping supplies!

The sun is shining beautifully today.  I’m smelling the gorgeous aroma of lilac blossoms and am looking forward to sleeping late at least one day this weekend!  On another day, I’ll be gone all day to a baton workshop with my daughter… where seating is limited and quite uncomfortable.

Which brings us to this random item that’ being promoted to use in small spaces - tiny apartments, tiny houses. It’s a strap chair and somehow I don’t think I’d be able to get myself unwrapped from it after using!

Thanks Apartment Therapy for bringing us this!

Photo by Justin Ruckman via flickr creative commons.

In the past when sellers were staging their homes for sale, they went all out with designer paint colors, fancy china and linen napkins on the dining room table, candles on the fireplace mantle, and lush curtains.  Today’s staging has changed somewhat - the minimalist approach seems to be working best.

RIS Media reports that according to Sandra Rinomato, host of HGTV’s Property Virgins,

“Now we take the minimalist approach. Basically, you want to strip the house to its bare essentials, depersonalize it so potential buyers can superimpose themselves and their lifestyle on the house.”

I too have witnessed this.  You want buyers to be able to visual themselves in the house and if they’re just out of college, chances are they won’t likely have the Waterford crystal candelabras to accent the entry foyer.  A simplistic approach works well so people can decorate the entire room in their own minds.

A table, chairs, couch, chair, lamp, rug, and beds in the boudoirs will do nicely.  Make the beds.  Keep surfaces as uncluttered as possible.  Make sure the front entry is also visually appealing, as well as the back yard.

However, most important for sellers is to remember to CLEAN EVERYTHING.  From the baseboard to the duct covers to behind the bathroom door and the window ledge … clean clean clean.  If it’s clean both in smell and to sight, you’re chances have improved greatly to find a buyer willing to write an offer.

Home pictured is kitchen of condo listed at $95,000 right outside of Nashville.

When I’m working with first-time buyers, I love reading the words “All appliances remain!” especially when they’re coming from apartments and have nothing but milk crates and mattresses with which to decorate.  It does take time to build up an income to replace appliances and to take on other house projects, so appliances remaining are a huge selling point.

Sometimes, however, the appliances that remain are old.  Functioning, yes.  Attractive, no.  The good news is you can make these appliances look a lot nicer with a little ingenuity and elbow grease.  Apartment Therapy offers some tips on how.  For example,

Many appliances can be fitted and updated by changing their fronts. A great option for renters who are stuck with built in appliances like dishwashers. Contact the manufacturer of the appliance who can provide you with a listing of face panels that will fit existing appliances, and face panels that will require customization.

By the way, my friend who just moved hasn’t yet brought over her fancy new washer and dryer, so she’s been using the landlord’s old-fashioned one that has the rotator.  She said the old one works MUCH BETTER!

Photo by Lara604 via flickr creative commons.