Summer's Winning Color Trio

Lately I have been loving color. Specifically, three colors, all of which seem to shine with summer vibrance. They are canary yellow, camelia pink and fresh (not deep) turquoise.

I first noticed yellow popping up everywhere and one day felt inspired to purchase a giant bouquet of yellow lilies for a Sunday barbeque. My friend Trish showed up to said barbeque with a sunny yellow purse (paired perfectly with a white sundress, in case you we wondering...).

Then Chrissy and I set out to add punchy color to a girls' room in one of our staged homes. Everywhere we looked, we saw the most fabulous bedding and accessories in turquoise. So we gave in.

And finally, I found myself drawn to this shade of pink I had only recently seen on the retail scene: not berry pink, not baby pink, not hot pink. But this fabulous camelia punch-pink. It looks happy, grown-up and fun. I bought a few tops in this color, my favorite of which is this one from Victoria's Secret, which proudly displays my alma mater, UC Berkeley.

I love these colors on their own, paired with neutrals or as a trio together. I love them on clothes. I love them at parties. I love them as home decor accents. And this summer, you will love them, too.

Have a great, colorful week!

Staged Oakland Hills home for sale by Ed Marshall, Prudential Oakland: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4624-Belfast-Ave-Oakland-CA-94619/24785093_zpid/

Victoria's Secret Collegiate Collection T-Shirt: http://www2.victoriassecret.com/commerce/onlineProductDisplay.vs?namespace=productDisplay&origin=onlineProductDisplay.jsp&event=display&prnbr=CP-245973&page=1&cgname=OSPNKCLIUCB&rfnbr=5098

Deco House 2009

Last week our team at ROI attended our favorite annual event, the San Francisco Design Showcase house. Every year, an impressive, stately house is selected, and top area designers are given the opportunity to have their way with one room, leading to a house tour which inspires, educates, forecasts and above all, dreams BIG (ie the stairwell/foyer featured a giant hanging, oh let's just call it a "nest" woven from flowers and other botanicals, from the ceiling of the top floor, down to a tapered bottom suspended at eye level on the first floor).



Some trends to note as you peruse the slideshow of my snapshots at the link below: grey-based neutrals, dulled lavendar in unexpected places (like sisal carpet!), lots of moss and white laquer, tailored/slipcovered comfort, sizable scale, muted European flair. My favorite room of the tour (and perhaps of all time...) was the living room, the first in the slideshow.


Click the link below for the full show, but the designs are truly meant to be experienced in person. I strongly suggest you attend. All proceeds benefit The Financial Aid Program of San Francisco University High School. Ths showcase is open now through May 25. Design credits and more info at: http://www.decoratorshowcase.org/showcase/home.htm, or 415-447-5830.


Until then, enjoy!

Snapshot Slideshow of Decorator Showcase 2009: http://www.kodakgallery.com/ViewSlideshow.action?&collidparam=25786695307.738126918307.1242017086210

Have a great week!

W Hotel Event, The Modern Man's Space

Last week I had the pleasure of attending an event at the W Hotel in San Francisco, "The Styling of the Modern Man". In my opinion, the most stylish little slice of the evening was a room created by David Mast of David Mast Design (furniture provided by Tammy Tran, NuImage Furniture), featured in the upper echelons of the swank hotel's lobby. It was a space ideal for the modern man, indeed, with a very loungy Italian cream leather sofa smothered in ravioli-shaped pillows. Behind the sofa was a focal wall of trompe l' oleil sepia-toned bookshelf wallpaper. A thick shag rug and details such as an alabaster lamp by Thomas Pheasant and perfectly lounging tulips made it a space that was organic yet polished, rugged yet sleek and an all around confection of lovely machismo. Learn more about this annual event through Shaun Saunders, Graffiti PR (link below).





















David Mast Design: david@davidmastdesign.com
NuImage Furniture: http://www.nuimagefurniture.com/
Images from the event, courtesy 944.com: http://www.944.com/nightsites/gallery/styling-of-the-modern-man/
Graffiti PR: www.graffitipr.net

Kitchen Geek Chic

Do you want to know a secret? Even design professionals get a little bit intimidated by the ever-flowing font of newer, chicer and more efficient kitchen gadgetry. Every time I begin a new kitchen project, I am amazed at how much has changed since the last one--there is always so much to learn. That's why I rely on my appliance expert (and secret staging weapon), Dave West at Friedman's Appliance in Pleasant Hill, CA.


Besides the sheer coolness of being a company with a long and storied history, Friedman's Appliance is also the newest go-to showroom for chic, high-design appliances you won't find anywhere else on display. I stopped by last week for a visit and asked Dave to show me his favorite new kitchen toys. After painfully narrowing it down, we decided on five showroom stars that are designer-, chef- and gadget-geek-approved.


1. "Single" Double Oven. Talk about adding modern features to an older kitchen! This oven is a stager's dream! The magicians over at GE have found a way to fit two ovens into the space of one (that's Dave in the photo). My realtor clients will love that I can add a feature line-item "double oven" to their listings' flyers without tearing out any walls or cabinets. Can't wait to use it.


2. Shirestone Countertop, as seen in Friedman's SubZero's "Living Kitchen". The Sub-Zero Living Kitchen is incredibly sleek and impressive. All appliances are live and active, ready for cooking demonstrations. And while I love the plethora of refrigerators (like shoes, a girl can never have too many), the most interesting element of this space is the giant plateau of a countertop island. It's made of Shirestone, which is basically poured concrete, except better. It never needs to be sealed, is 15 times as strong as cement, and comes in limitless colors. As in, match your countertop to your wife's eye color, your car color, or even the color of the sky at sunset in Hawaii. Dave can't wait to accept your color challenge....


3. Liebherr Wine Refrigerator. I L.O.V.E. this refrigerator. It's not that there is anything functionally better about a wine refrigerator within a regular refrigerator. It's just something about containing all of your refrigeration needs into a single, beautifully designed rectangle that makes my little designer heart just flutter. Don't you just love those Germans?


4. Miele Steam Oven. Yes, steam. Quickly, conveniently and impressively (party trick, anyone?) steam your chicken, fish and veggies. Or serve the most elegantly fluffy hot dog buns ever.



5. The La Cornue. I suppose technically it is a "range", but don't dare to call it that inside the Friedman's showroom. There, it is referred to simply as "the La Cornue". And truly, it is in a class all its own. Entirely handmade in France, this lovely kitchen centerpiece starts at $29,000 for you penny-pinchers and goes all the way up to $150,000 for the uber-fabulous version. Stop by the showroom to take it for a test drive.


I'd like to invite all of you to stop by the showroom sometime soon and see the many, many truly cutting-edge (sometimes mind-blowing) displays. Email Dave ahead of time (below) and he'll be thrilled to show you around. Also email him to inquire about any of the products you see here.


Have a great week!

Email Dave West @ Friedman's Appliance: west.david.m@gmail.com

As Seen on TV!

Lately, it's been exciting, if a bit surreal, for me to see how home staging has seeped into the mainstream entertainment market. New clients increasingly impress me with their familiarity with my profession. I can't tell you how many times a day I hear, "We LOVE watching those staging shows on TV". It's so refreshing to me that people are interested in what I do, and I love that I entertain them while doing it!

Our website, http://www.roihomeservices.com/, has a plethora of info about home staging including Chrissy & Ashley's "Must Do" List (link below) and a Portfolio of houses (link below) with explanations about why we make the decisions we make. If you are interested in learning more about home staging, it's a fun place to poke around and learn a little something more about staging to sell. On each of these pages, we offer a little anecdote called "This Works" ('cause it does!), which boils it all down to a basic principle of staging or design. Read them all here and in the link below, and browse through our staging portfolio to see the houses they describe.

This Works:

“It’s not just about making pretty. It’s about making money.”

“When space is limited, use vertical space such as art or drapes to visually enlarge a room.”

“Knowing what’s hot and what’s not can be the difference between a home that feels modern and one that feels dated.”

“Buyers need to feel that they are in their home, not your home. Removing personal items and bold colors helps achieve this.”

“Good staging showcases the style of the community and the house”

“Lifestyles sell. Stage dinner parties, art galleries, movie nights and romantic retreats.”

“Work with what works. Store what doesn’t.”

“When it comes to rehabs, keep it clean, keep it simple, keep it profitable.”

“Drapes make rooms feel bigger and cozier.”

“Limit your palette to 3 colors when possible to unite the home and keep buyers focused on features.”

“Diplomacy and flexibility are key when helping a client adjust for a sale—accomodating works. Judging doesn’t.”

“Rich silhouettes, materials and color palettes can lend architectural interest to a simple property.”

“Use color and texture to warm up a space with clean, modern lines.”

“Layers add character to a vacant space.”

“Creating a purpose-driven space, like a breakfast area, gives buyers an extra bonus.”

“To highlight great features such as flooring or cabinetry, use similar-toned colors in art and furnishings.”

“Everyone knows mirrors can make a space look bigger, but correct placement can also reflect a great view, add natural light or mimic an extra window.”

“Balance is more important than abundance. Rooms should feel consistent.”

“Features are valuable real estate. Show them off with staged ‘activities’”

“Buyers will remember feelings. Make a house feel fun and make it memorable.”

“Good staging shows buyers how challenging floor-plans can work for them, not against them.”

“Draw attention to valuable views.”

“A well-placed rug can anchor a room.”

Still need help? Give us a call--estimates are free and consultations start at just $175.

Have a great week!

ROI Home Services Staging Home Page: http://www.roihomeservices.com/roi_staging/staging-1.html

Staging Portfolio: http://www.roihomeservices.com/roi_staging/portfolio-main.html

This Works: http://www.roihomeservices.com/roi_staging/this_works.html

Chrissy & Ashley's Must-Do List: http://www.roihomeservices.com/roi_staging/must_do_list.html

Natural Fantasies

Someone once told me that Jose Canseco used to keep live giant turtles on the fenced-in front lawn of his home in the posh gated community of Blackhawk, near my hometown. Ever since then, whenever I see or hear of semi-wild animals kept exotically in regular-old homes, I find myself lusting over such a fantastical lifestyle. Wouldn't it be amazing to see not just a garden sculpture of a swan, but an actual swan, in an actual garden? I love the idea of it.

That's why I was so excited and inspired by a recent spread in C magazine (above and far below). What? No staff on hand to clean up after the swans? Here's how I would add a bit of fantasy to my house and garden in a practical way. Like anything, this lifestyle is kept stylish, not tacky, by limiting the elements to one or two per space.

Swoon over swans. Swan sculpture (like this one from Mecox Gardens, right) is best when combined with water features--sculpture near a swimming pool or carved into a fountain filled with waterlilies.

Really row your boat. I love the playful way a real canoe is brought into the swimming pool in the C shoot (right). I would love to add a real polished-wood canoe to a corner of a client's childrens' play room, filled with pillows or books, with oars hung criss-crossed on the wall above.

Up, up and away! As a little girl, my favorite thing on the playground was always the swings. Even the motion of it feels magical, fantastical and carefree. Like a little bit of an escape. Pamela Anderson famously had one hung above Tommy Lee's piano (!). I would love a tall, authentic swing with an oversized plank seat hung from thick rope on a giant tree. For a more unique and fun take, hang one inside your home, in a childrens' play room or even as a bold statement in an entry hall. Or be like Pam and hang a feminine swing in a special place (cover ropes with pastel silk chandelier chain-covers to replace rusticity with romance).

However you choose to play, I hope you bring a bit of youthful, outdoorsy joie d'vivre fantasy to your week.

Mecox Gardens Swan Sculpture: http://www.mecoxgardens.com/pageItemDetail.asp?RECORDID=6166

Old Town Classic Wood Canoes: http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/canoes/

Luxurious Living

Luxury is one of those underrated concepts that is often dismissed as something reserved for the lazy, the bourgeoisie, and worse, the snob. But luxury is simply a way of living comfortably, allowing oneself indulgences which take a bit more effort but in the end make life a lot more enjoyable.


Luxury is:

Thin, delicate wine glasses


A perfectly ergonomic desk chair (like the classic Aeron in titanium, below)

Sand between your toes at least once a year.

Everything you need, neatly organized and at the ready in beautiful containers (pencils, paper, snacks, remote controls, throw blankets, magazines, etc.)

Materials that feel good to the touch—faux fur, silk, real hardwood, down-filled pillows

Al fresco living and dining

Thick, matching bath towels (perfectly heated, of course, by this wall-mounted towel heater, below)

A comfortable chaise in the sun

Filtered light in the mornings (try sheer drapes or blinds layered under solids)

Candles at unexpected, casual moments—cooking in the kitchen, showering in the morning

Have a great, luxurious week!

Aeron chair from Room & Board: http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=19053&category=rm_workspaces&subcategory=wks_chair

Towel Warmer: http://www.towelwarmerstore.com/HardwireTowel/Electric-Heated-Towel-Warmers_2900499.html

Bali Rustic Teak Chaise from Pottery Barn: http://www.potterybarn.com/products/p8689/index.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1%7C20%7C%7C%7C0%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7Cchaise&cm%5Fsrc=SCH