North Vancouver, BC

Capilano Suspension Bridge – Canyon Lights - December's Season of Celebrations & Sharing

Are you finding the holiday break a little dull? Do you need some thrills and chills? Dig deep, find your inner superhero, and get ready to traverse the Capilano Suspension Bridge – by night!

The Suspension Bridge is donned with clusters of lights, leading the way to the other side of the park, where more lights await. Granted, the bridge is a little wiggly, but that just adds to the adventure. If ignorance is bliss, then crossing this bridge in the pitch black of night solves the problem of Vertigo. You can’t really see the complete blood-curdling drop of the rapidly flowing creek beneath you.

Once you reach the other side of the Bridge, there are more “mini” swinging bridges to walk over, again magically lit with lights. Relax, have a hot chocolate, then brace yourself for the wobbly walk back on the bridge. There’s a lovely display of First Nations totem poles and artifacts lit up with Christmas lights.

Donations are welcome and will support the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund

Dates: December 2, 2011 – January 1, 2012

Times: 5pm – 10pm nightly

Location: Capilano Suspension Bridge, Capilano Road, North Vancouver-

The Other Room - The Newest Furniture Store in North Vancouver, B.C.

As a North Vancouver Home Stager, it's always important to keep an ear to the ground and check out any new furniture stores in town. We were delighted to attend the Grand Opening of the newest furniture store in North Vancouver, "The Other Room". The Other Room is the cousin of the more traditional Country Furniture store. The Other Room is kind of like Barbie's younger sister, Skipper. While Country Furniture has a wonderful tranditional/contemporary feel, The Other Room is younger, more modern, clean lined and current.

The Other Room is located just below Marine Drive, on Lloyd in North Vancouver, where Brougham's used to be. The store's red carpet was rolled out to welcome visitors to this new, vibrant store. The furniture ranged from some nice contemporary pieces, to rather iconic furniture, such as the coconut chair and the Eileen Grey round glass side table. A bonus, was finding local B.C. furniture designers: Christina Holborne and Fine Line Creations. Holborne offers urban sustainable furniture fabricated from Kirei board, a material byproduct from Japanese sorghum crops. Fine Line Creations offers simple, beautiful, clean-lined furniture, with a nod to mid-century modern craftsmanship.

After a long day staging, it was nice to be treated to a wonderful evening, complete with wine bar, beautiful gourmet platters from Louis Gervais Catering, and a D.J. The candles were lit, and the fire was roaring. I was inspired by the beautiful furniture, and amazing art. There were some very unusual pieces that you don't see every day. I loved the zebra bar stools and the contemporary art. I highly recommend you check out The Other Room - oh, and say "hi" to Skipper for me.

Paris Haute Couture Meets Vancouver Home Staging

When I was in Paris recently... one of my favourite past times was keeping a keen eye out for the latest in clothing fashion. Whether through observing well dressed Parisians rushing off to work in their 4" stilettos on cobbled streets, or getting a glimpse of the latest scarf or purse as it rushed by, it was evident that Paris Haute Couture is alive and well, and living in Paris!

This window display in a clothing store in Paris certainly caught my eye. I love the combination of the colour red with the leopard print fabric. There's something very eye-catching and vibrant about this combination. Since returning to Vancouver, I've actually seen leopard print everywhere, so this mode has definitely made it across the pond.

As a Vancouver Home Stager, I look for inspiration everywhere. I decided to take the leopard/red combination I'd seen in Paris, and apply it to a living room we recently staged. If this interesting combination caught my eye in Paris, certainly it would have the same results in a staged home, and would catch a potential home buyer's eye, creating a memorable impression. Here are a few before & after photos:

Grab home buyers' attention with exciting, memorable designs. Property styling works when selling your home!

Home Staging Vancouver Causes Reenactment of the 7 Years War

Like a scene out of the movie, Night at the Museum, I may have unintentionally caused a second chapter to the 7 Years War, the infamous war between the English and the French during the mid-18th century. Let me back up and explain...

I was called in to add a bit of "wow" to an already gorgeous home for sale. This home was built in 1998, but you'd swear it was built 100 years ago. The builder really focused on recreating a period home, with beautiful wood moldings and paneling. The hardwood floor is gorgeous, and looks like it should creak, just as in an old home. There are nooks and crannies everywhere, and the home is oozing with charm and character.

However, there was still room for improvement.

- The formal living/dining room lacked a dining room table. In this $1.5 million home, buyers want to see a dining room area where they are able to entertain. Solution: We added a beautiful dining room table and chairs, appropriate to the style of the home.

- The rooms appeared very dark. Due to dark paint colour choices, the home felt very dark and dreary. Solution: We advised the homeowner to paint the living room a lighter, neutral colour, but in the meantime, we lightened and brightened the room using light coloured cushions, furniture and rug.

- The great room area felt very stark and empty. The sofa and t.v. off the kitchen seemed like an afterthought, and wasn't very inviting. Solution: We relocated a side table from upstairs to the family room, and added a coffee table, artwork, rug and accessories.

We addressed the above points, but what on earth does this have to do with the battle between the French & English, you ask? Well, above the fireplace sat a beautiful portrait of a distant relative of the home owner. This ancestor stared at you, sporting full British regalia. Clearly, the British were holding fort in this beautiful home. As the homeowner said herself, it felt as if the portrait was following you around the room with his eyes! We relocated the portrait to the study, where he would feel more comfortable. Now everyone knows I'm a francophile, so of course I had to bring in dining room chairs with French script and added an Eiffel tower.

What do you think will happen when the owners retire for bed and the lights are turned out? Will it be just like a scene out of Night at the Museum? Will the British ancestor leap from the confines of the picture frame and declare war against the French chairs?!! I guess we'll never know...

Here are some "Before & After" Photos:

LIVING ROOM - BEFORE

LIVING ROOM - AFTER

LIVING ROOM - AFTER

DINING AREA - BEFORE

DINING AREA - AFTER

DEN - BEFORE

DEN - AFTER

FAMILY ROOM - BEFORE

FAMILY ROOM - AFTER

What's Yellow and Black & White All Over? - Home Staging Vancouver - Before & After Photos

My company, Exit Stage Right, Vancouver Home Staging, had the pleasure of staging another condo in this new-build apartment tower. This unit is pretty small, so making the space look spacious and yet have multi functions was paramount. The demographic for the building is very mixed. There are older buyers who are gravitating towards the more expensive units and penthouses, and then there are the younger crowd, just getting in the market, who are happy with a smaller, less expensive unit.

For this condo, I went with attracting a young, hip, happening crowd. Ironically, I used some mid-century modern pieces, such as the LC1 chairs by Courboisier, but hey, what's old is new again. These are classic pieces of furniture that look sleek and don't take up a lot of room. I brought in texture with the black and white cow-hide cushions, and added edgy artwork. I'm happy to report that this condo sold within a couple of days, while other vacant condos are still unsold. Staging makes a huge difference in speeding up the sale of a condo.

Here are some before & after shots of this staged and sold condo.