Blog

See more, or subscribe on Blogger.

thumbnail

Historic Home Staging - Before and Afters

Wednesday, October 7th, 2015
It's no secret that I haven't met an old home that I don't love. Show me an expanse of hardwoods, some thick wood trim, a butler's pantry, and a claw foot tub and I'm hooked!  When I tour a historic home ... (read more)
thumbnail

Staging a House I'd Like to Move Into

Sunday, April 5th, 2015
Every once in awhile, I fall instantly in love with a house.  From the second I walk in, I begin to devise a plan to convince my family that we should pack up everything and move in.  That's exactly the ... (read more)
thumbnail

No Staging Needed

Monday, March 9th, 2015
I had the pleasure of "staging" a patio home recently.  I use the word staging extremely lightly here because the house was 99.9% market-ready before I even arrived.  Instead of fluffing and swapping and moving and shifting, I spent the ... (read more)
thumbnail

Small Tweaks Make a Huge Difference

Monday, February 2nd, 2015
Sometimes showing off the very best parts of a house and preparing it for the real estate market can take weeks...and sometimes, like a recent staging project, it takes a couple of hours and some very small tweaks to make ... (read more)
thumbnail

A+ for Staging!

Thursday, November 6th, 2014
I'm giving my newest staging clients an A+ for getting their house ready to sell.  They followed all my staging advice and turned their already-beautiful house into an absolute stunner.  Do you want to know the craziest part?  I haven't ... (read more)
thumbnail

Transforming Furniture for Staging

Monday, September 15th, 2014
 I love estate sales.  They're a perfect place to find awesome deals on great pieces of furniture that can be used when staging vacant homes.  Recently, I found this diamond in the rough...  When I found it, I couldn't wait to hand over ... (read more)
thumbnail

Art on the Walls

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014
I love the houses that each staging and design adventure brings me into.  The walkways, the windows, the rooms, the floors, the outdoor spaces, I love them all.  However, there's something I love even more than the houses.  It's the ... (read more)
thumbnail

The Power of Paint

Thursday, June 5th, 2014
Sprucing up a house with a bit of paint can sometimes be one of the best things homeowners do before they put their home on the market.  While a little time consuming and certainly a bit of work, paint is ... (read more)
thumbnail

Move-in Ready!

Tuesday, May 20th, 2014
Recently I had the opportunity to help a great couple transition a house they purchased into the home they dreamed of living in.  With only a couple of weeks before they moved in, we managed to install a new kitchen ... (read more)
thumbnail

Staging Lakeside

Thursday, April 24th, 2014
Go ahead and pinch me.  I just can't believe my dream job brought me to a gorgeous estate along Canandaigua Lake!  For our latest staging adventure we took a drive to Naples to a stunning home built decades ago as ... (read more)
thumbnail

Let the Light Shine In

Monday, April 14th, 2014
During a recent staging project our focus was brightening each room, de-cluttering, and making each space look as big as possible.  We spent an afternoon lightening and brightening up the place.  In the end, all the great things about the ... (read more)
thumbnail

A Little Goes a Long Way

Friday, April 4th, 2014
Every staging job that I'm lucky enough to work on is different.   Sometimes we stage a house using only Bloom Staging and Design's inventory of furniture, art, and accessories.  Sometimes we just use the homeowner's items and rework them in ... (read more)
thumbnail

Design Ideas - Table Centerpieces

Thursday, March 6th, 2014
Even tabletops get some love and attention when we stage homes.  Whether we're using sellers' current accessories or bringing in some of our own, we always try to keep centerpieces simple......a bowl of fruit, a couple of candlesticks, a decorative accessory. ... (read more)
thumbnail

Take a Look Inside

Thursday, February 20th, 2014
You already know that I love houses.  However, I'm not sure if I've shared with you how much I enjoy working with the homeowners on each of my projects.  In the case of this staging job, the homeowners were truly ... (read more)
thumbnail

Another Fantastic House!

Tuesday, February 11th, 2014
One of the top reasons that I began my home staging and design business is because I love houses.  I'm one of those people who checks out real estate listings when I have no intention of buying a home.  I've ... (read more)
thumbnail

Staging - Using What You Have

Friday, January 31st, 2014
Sometimes the people I have the opportunity to work with move into their next home before listing their current home.  That means that many of their possessions get moved out and pieces that don't work in their new place stay ... (read more)
thumbnail

Staging in the Kitchen

Friday, January 24th, 2014
In real life, kitchens need toasters and microwaves and canisters of cooking utensils.  In real life, our kitchen counters are littered with yesterday's mail, bags of bread, and the milk we have yet to put back in the fridge.  However, ... (read more)
thumbnail

Goodwill is Great for Staging

Tuesday, January 14th, 2014
Almost every property I stage has a set of build-ins or bookshelves that could use a little pizzazz.  That means that I'm constantly building my inventory of staging items that I can add to some bookshelves.  One of my favorite ... (read more)
thumbnail

5 Standards in My Staging Toolkit

Friday, January 3rd, 2014
Carpenters have toolboxes, parents have diaper bags, ladies have purses, and home stagers have a bag full of items for making a home look its best.  My staging bag is filled with all kinds of tools and items that make ... (read more)
thumbnail

Lobby Makeover

Friday, December 27th, 2013
Recently I updated the lobby of a stunning apartment building at 1625 East Avenue in Rochester, NY.  It was such a fun project!  When I first checked out the lobby at East Ave., I knew that a few little touches ... (read more)
thumbnail

Mirrors, Mirrors on the Walls

Thursday, December 19th, 2013
One of my latest design projects (updating the furniture and accessories in a beautiful apartment building's lobby on East Avenue) had me on the search for two really large and affordable mirrors.  My goal was to install each mirror between ... (read more)
thumbnail

Vacant Home Staging ...Why and How

Thursday, December 12th, 2013
A lot of people think an empty home is easier to sell. However,vacant houses typically sell slower and for less money than homes that are occupied.  There are lots of reasons why vacant homes sit on the market longer than ... (read more)
thumbnail

Clearing the Clutter

Friday, December 6th, 2013
Clutter...we all have it.  Actually, as I'm writing this post, my entry table is lined with a plethora of chotchkies, my kitchen counters are covered in small appliances and dishes, my bookshelves are filled with one (or twenty) too many ... (read more)
thumbnail

Design - Personalized Art

Tuesday, November 26th, 2013
Recently, I had the opportunity to redesign an office space for Hoffman and Haymes Associates, Inc.  When I first consulted on the space, I could see right away that it had a lot of potential.  It also had a lot ... (read more)
thumbnail

Vacant Stage - Part Two

Tuesday, November 19th, 2013
Last week I shared some before and after photos from a beautiful house that I staged a few weeks ago. Today, I have some more spaces to show you...BEFOREAFTERBEFOREAFTERAFTERSUN ROOM / POOL AREA - BEFORE (during staging item drop off)AFTERAFTERBEFOREVIGNETTE STAGE ... (read more)
Copyright © 2024 Betty Lou Designs, LLC | All Rights Reserved. Web Design and Development by Steven Smith Enterprises.