From as early as the age of 12 I can remember organizing and decorating my friend’s bedrooms.
Having a slumber party with me meant an organized closet, new pictures on the wall and other changes that were needed to create the happy spaces my childhood friends most desired.
My room had become the envy of my peer group. With each stage of my life my mom would include me in the transformation to create a space specifically for me. I distinctly remember how excited I was to pull into the Sherwin Williams parking lot to select my wall color at the age of 8! We found the perfect hue of pink and then set off to find fabric for my custom bedding and window treatments. Together we created a space I would forever be proud of.
My first real memory and the beginning of Simplifying spaces was in 7th grade. I was staying at a friend’s house for a sleep over with two other girls. We spent the first several hours in her room giggling, looking at magazines and talking about the boys we wanted to go to the dance with. It was when we opened her closet to choose a dress for the dance that it all began. I quickly began looking through the selections finding it difficult to do as her closet was anything but organized. How in the world did she find things in here?! I started rearranging things by category and before we were done she not only had the perfect dress selection and a newly organized closet! I distinctly recall the astonished look on her face as she asked me, “How do you know how to do that?” She was amazed at how quickly and calmly I took over and created order in the land of chaos. She later confessed to me that getting ready in the morning was so stressful until I got her closet in order. That made me smile.
In high school I would almost always go into my friends rooms and change up the space. Moving a small piece of furniture, hanging artwork and creating ways to showcase trophies and awards became something they began to look forward to. I had no idea this was a talent. It was just something I did. When I walk into a room I instantly see a new way of using the space.
My love for organizing and design continued into my adult years all the while not knowing it was rare. I’m fortunate to say that many of those high school friends are still my friends today. As we grew into adulthood these same friends would always get my advice on wall colors, decor selections and organizational ideas. One friend used to have me over every time she hosted a party to set up and make minor changes. She always told me that I should do this for a living but I had no idea I could do it w/out a degree. That kept me away from pursuing my passion for a long time but when I finally caught on it was the best day of my life.
professional advice to get the right color throughout.
Carpet: If you have old carpet you should consider removing it completely or replacing it with new. If you have beautiful wood floors underneath it is worth the investment to have them refinished. Most people suffer from allergens found in carpeting and this may deter them from seriously considering your home.
If you have pets I’m sure you love them as much as I do mine but they should be kept in a crate or at another location for showings. If you have a cat box, these can easily be moved for showings and I strongly recommend it.
If you have a vacant home staging is key. The first place potential homebuyers will see your home is online. Having professional photos of your home is crucial to getting homeowners in to see it. Most people simply cant visualize a space and how it is intended to be used if they are looking at an empty space. A vacant room also appears smaller and leaves buyers puzzled on scale and flow.
As you can see it’s all a game of psychology. Creating a space that feels good will result in a great return!