About Vancouver's Kerrisdale

Home Redesign Adds Personality to a Bland Home. Find out how...

In the last PRES 5 day training course we had the opportunity to do a home makeover for a client who said her home was very bland, and seemed to lack personality. (A home makeover for living is all about bringing in the home owner's personal taste unlike staging where you want to create broad buyer appeal to the seller's target market) In the PRES hands-on course students apply what they learned in class to the two homes we transform - - one is a home makeover for living and one is a home makeover i.e. staging for selling.

When I did my initial consultation and tour of the home I noticed they had a lot of very nice bigger furnishings and some attractive accessories scattered throughout the home. But it was true - everything was quite bland UNTIL ... I sat down with Maureen, the home owner, and asked her if there was anything in storage that she might like me to incorporate in the home. BINGO! She said she and her husband had just come back from Africa, where he was born, and they had brought back some African art and even a canvas painting of the house he was born in.

When we arrived, myself and my students, we were delighted to see more African art and accessories on the kitchen table. Now we had more to work with. So using the PRES 10 step secret success formula we got to work by emptying the room and then building it back up.

We did our 'walk about' in the home and discovered some African masks and some gorgeous African vases that would fit in perfectly with the new personality of the home.

Bland Personality in Living Room Before

We were able to incorporate some new furnishings and removed the curio cabinets to a new location.

A created 'art wall' of more of their African collection!

The Secret Garden - Afternoon Tea in Vancouver, B.C.

Who doesn't enjoy the wonderful tradition of Afternoon Tea? We recently had a lovely day visiting the Kerrisdale area for a little shopping, girl talk and tea. My mum was over visiting from Vancouver Island, so my sister and I rounded up our teenage daughters, and we made an outing of it. First stop were the various little boutiques and food shops along 41st, where we found all sorts of unusual items to purchase. Yes, I even picked up a few unusual accessories for my Home Staging business.

Of course, shopping works up an extreme thirst, so at noon we visited The Secret Garden, a lovely, little oasis in the shopping jungle, for a full on British Afternoon Tea. The first taxing decision was to decide what kind of tea to order. The Secret Garden boasts 40 different types of tea. I ordered the Creamy Earl Grey tea. Delightful. Next, up came a lovely 3-tiered china serving plate, overflowing with tiny, delicate sandwiches, tarts, cakes and of course, scones with jam and Devon clotted cream.

If you don't have time to leisurely feast on these delicacies, you can also order take out goodies from the glass case section. The Secret Garden is located at 5559 West Boulevard, Vancouver, B.C. Here's a photo of (left to right) my niece, Emma, my Mum, and my daughters Dominique and Madeleine. Oops, I should have taken the photo before we'd polished off the scrumptious Afternoon Tea!

Vancouver Home Staging Meets Bells and Cloches

As a Vancouver Home Stager, I'm always looking for interesting accessories which add a certain panache to a home. We've all seen the usual vase of flowers or set of candles, to adorn a space. Pretty predictable items to find in a home that has been staged for sale. And hey, there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes, however, I like to add an item that is a little different, a little out of the ordinary, something approaching more like a "curio".

One item that I've often enjoyed is a glass cloche. The word "cloche" is a French word, meaning "bell", and these bell shaped domes were created to help protect and grow plants from the harsh elements.

I was out shopping the other day, when I came upon these beautiful cloches in the high end garden store, Thomas Hobbs, located in Kerrisdale. I love the fascinating items placed inside the cloche. There's a real, inquisitive, turn of the century feel to these cloches, that would certainly be fun to use to enhance a home's appearance. You can really place anything inside a cloche. Candles, small statues, feathers, sea shells... the list is endless.

I've also used more modern cloches. Here are some fun, bright, perky cloches, filled with fruit.

Do these cloches ring your bell?

Kerrisdale, A Small Town in the City

Kerrisdale has that small town feel. with residents and businesses that have been stable main stays of the neighbourhood for many years. Kerrisdale is home to a variety of businesses that have survived over the years thanks to the support of the local people.

If you live in Kerrisdale, there is a good chance that an employee or business owner working in Kerrisdale happens to be one of your neighbours. Kerrisdale Lumber is a good example of a business that has been around for quite some time, operating in Kerrisdale since 1921.

The main street offers a good variety of independent stores to pick up those everyday items such as groceries, baking, clothing, books and prescriptions, and has it's fair share of coffee shops. Stop in at Moore's Bakery for a loaf of bread or for lunch, a chicken and brie sandwich to eat in or to go and an eccles cake for dessert.

Central Kerrisdale is located around 41st and West Boulevard and has a library and community centre. Housing consists of many unique single Detached Homes, Townhouse, small walk-up Apartments, Condominiums and Co-ops as well as high rise buildings that have sprouted up over the years. Kerrisdale is well known for having many Co-op apartments that were built in the late 40's and 50's most of which have been kept in good condition over the years.

The Olympic torch made it's way through Kerrisdale for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Highlights:

Good Variety of Local shopping
Easy access to downtown
A quiet central location
Close to Bike route
Local green grocers and a quick drive to large grocery stores
Easy access to University of British Columbia & Langara College

Search for homes in Kerrisdale

Contact Jeffrey Sefton for more information about homes in the Kerrisdale area of Vancouver.

Jeffrey Sefton
Macdonald Realty
604-263-1911
jeffrey@sefton.ca | www.sefton.ca

Kerrisdale, A Small Town In The City of Vancouver.

Kerrisdale is a neighbourhood with residents and businesses that have been stable main stays for years. Although Kerrisdale is located in the city, it still has the feel of a small town and all you need to do is visit to understand why.

Kerrisdale is where many businesses have survived over the years thanks to the support of the local people. If you live in Kerrisdale, there is a good chance that an employee or business owner working in Kerrisdale happens to be one of your neighbours.

Kerrisdale Lumber is a good example of a business that has been around for quite some time, operating in Kerrisdale since 1921. Moores Bakery also comes to mind as a business that has been around for a few generations. The main street offers a good variety of independent stores to pick up those everyday items such as groceries, baking, clothing, books or prescriptions. You will also find a few green grocers and Kerrisdale also has it's fair share of coffee shops.

Central Kerrisdale is located around 41st and West Boulevard and has a library and community centre close by.

Housing consists of many unique single detached homes, small walk-up apartments, condominiums and coops as well as high rise buildings that have sprouted up over the years.

Recently, the Olympic torch made it's way through Kerrisdale for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Highlights:

• Good Variety of Local shopping
• Easy access to downtown
• A quiet central location
• Long established neighbourhood
• Close to Bike route
• Close to University of British Columbia
  
• Close to Langara College
• Quick drive to large grocery stores

Contact Jeffrey Sefton if you are buying or selling a home in the Vancouver Real Estate Market.

Jeffrey Sefton
Macdonald Realty Ltd.
604-263-1911
jeffrey@sefton.ca | www.sefton.ca