Dawn Bach Thurman - Redesign & Staging Services

Every once in a while, we're asked to do our best to recreate large scale artwork. And most often, it's on a small scale budget. Recently, one of our redesign clients showed us this photo out of a magazine and said, "I'd LOVE to have something like this."

The budget? Less than $100. So. Hm. We thought a bit about how best to achieve this (on a smaller scale) and came up with the least expensive solution we could find.

Here's our end result:

It's a bit bolder in color, but definitely provides the visual impact we were looking for. And because we wanted to achieve the shiny, lacquered look above without the expense of investing in 16 different paint colors, we brainstormed a bit. One option was to frame blocks of colorful photos from magazines, but we were also short on time. So we went a little crazy. We used nailpolish. Yep, nailpolish!

Here's the tally:

1) 8 x 8 frames from a dollar store x 16 $16

2) Nailpolish on sale for $2.50 from Target x 16 $40

3) Matte-grade poster board from an art supply store $7

4) Various picture hanging hardware from local hardware store $8

Final total plus tax = approx $75

Our client's reaction?

"You are genius!!!!! The installation piece is incredible!!!! You are so creative!!!!! I love the colors and if you used nail polish like you talked about - well, you need to make more of these and sell them & you'll make a fortune!!!!!!! I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Yay! We love to make clients happy!

Dawn is a Certified Redesign Specialist with Eye to Eye Interiors and specializes in rejuvenating spaces to live and to sell. Serving Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. (773) 350-7020. www.eyetoeyeinteriors.com

My husband and I are in the midst of buying our first single-family home (we've been renting since selling our condo in 2007 - yep, just in the nick of time) and our Agent suggested I blog about the experience. "It's always good to be reminded of the Buyer's perspective," she said. She's a good Agent in my book.

So I've written a few posts that I'll share when all is said and done. I'm a superstitious sort, though, and don't want to jinx a deal by spilling any beans before closing. But here's a tale I can share now - a tale I struggled to give the proper title. My favorite contenders:

• The Deal that Went So South I Now Have a Tan.
• The Inspection That Tanked...a/k/a...The Best $385 I've Ever Spent.
• Gimme Back That Filet ‘o Fish... I mean....Earnest Money (man, that jingle sticks something fierce, doesn't it?).
• Getting Back on the Horse. Overcoming the psychological effect of such an ordeal is what I really want to focus on here, so that's the title I'll use here, but any of the above would do.

I know we all love a good story... so what happened? Now that I've cashed the refund check, I can tell you.

We found the place in a time crunch. With our modest budget, we were seeing a bunch of REOs and short sales, so stumbling on any "estate sale" or "can close quickly" description was very appealing. It wasn't an estate sale, but the Owners were getting a divorce. The place was cute - not the mansion of our dreams, but affordable and we could see ourselves in it. That is, until the inspection.

Where do I begin? I'll start with our inspector. He's an affable sort - recommended to me by both my Agent and Attorney. A search on Angie's List and a phone interview sealed the deal. He was my guy for the job. He walked us through the inspection at every turn, pointing out little quick fixes we could accomplish for $5 at Home Depot and any not-so-little fixes we should look into. He explained which parts did what, what pipes led where. The exterior was fine, not much to report. The garage had some issues. And we knew heading into it all that the roof needed replacing. But little did we know the horrors waiting for us inside...

Allow me to fast-forward to the highlights, because reliving the whole inspection is simply too painful. The upshot? An estimated $30,000-$50,000 worth of electrical and plumbing work would be needed to make the place livable. We're talking health and safety here. The Seller had bypassed the main - was double-tapping 200 Amps into his little 100 Amp box - a wire had already blown and fused to the bolt. They got lucky on that one, especially since both the furnace and hot water heater were back drafting. The pressure release valve on the water heater had already melted. No wonder the basement didn't smell like cigarette smoke - they probably knew one spark could kill them all. The sewer kit was open, with pipes draining directly into it from the basement shower. (Ew, what's that smell coming from my shower head?). Folks, this was just the beginning.

It was a blow, for certain. And no amount of staring at the list of checkmarks in the "No" column on the Seller's list of disclosures was going to change a thing. This was not destined to be our Home. Setting our Attorney on the path for the Refund was a no-brainer. We left that inspection with our head held high, so very grateful we had retained a good inspector. He confessed to our Agent it was the worst property he had seen in quite some time.

The place is no longer on the market - the last listing I saw said it was Contingent. I'm glad for the Sellers that it appears they've found a taker, but I sincerely hope the new Buyers don't explode or burn down. At least whoever buys the place has the benefit of knowing the results of our well-spent $385.

And about that Horse? We took about nine days off to recuperate. Our Agent understood and gave us some room. But we picked ourselves up, dusted off and got back on. We were out again, looking at properties after one weekend off. Agents with Buyers in a similar position - please feel free to repeat our story! Remind them that there is hope, even if you're feeling defeated. As for us, we found the right place a short two weeks later. We're past inspection and attorney review, on our way to closing.

Stay tuned for more...

Dawn is a Certified Redesign Specialist with Eye to Eye Interiors and specializes in rejuvenating spaces to live and to sell. Serving Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. (773) 350-7020. www.eyetoeyeinteriors.com

As some of you know, my husband and I recently turned into house hunters. We are grateful to have a fabulous and wonderfully patient agent as we navigate this crazy, upside down market. Taking us through vacant and sometimes dirty properties, she's often turned to me and said, "Oh, the things you could do with this place, Dawn." I appreciate the compliment and look forward to having my way with the property we do end up with. But in the meantime, I have to relay a cautionary tale about the house we couldn't get out of our mind. And not in a good way.

It was a lovely 3BR/2BA ranch with a basement. It had all the things we were looking for (we passed on it because of location, but I digress). It was obvious the homeowner (and I'm going to blame the homeowner here - I truly don't think my colleagues would have made these mistakes) had done some homework on getting a property ready to sell. The staged result would have pleased a handful of people - no doubt - but it left my husband cold. I begged him to see "beyond" the staging, but he just couldn't. It wasn't what ultimately made us pass on it, but had the location been right, I would have had an uphill battle trying to convince my husband we could make it our "own."

The dining room table was set. Fine. If subtle, this can be a nice touch. If over the top, it's a teensy bit creepy. In this case, it was a nice touch. The kitchen counters were free and clear. Again, nicely done. The floor was immaculate, the layout was lovely. So what was it that turned us off? Two simple things:

1) The smell. As we opened the door, we were greeted by a woodsy, spicy scent emanating from a tiny vase perched on the windowsill. The sad part is I doubt anyone was trying to cover up another scent. But the result was so overwhelming that the three of us mentioned it out loud; and

2) Too much stuff. We were greeted by so many décor accessories that it was hard to focus on the beautiful structure of the living room! It had a lovely picture window, curved archways and some very pretty architectural details - a leaded glass window, an alcove in the wall. But to find these details, even I had to focus carefully. The accessories were EVERYWHERE! And they all looked new. Matching up-lamps on the mantle, a vase with long curvy sticks, newly fluffed accent pillows on the couch, baskets of grasses on the coffee table. A box filled with orbs. Faux books stacked on a side table. My husband said he didn't know where to look first.

Our homeowner had violated the golden rule of staging: to showcase the best features of the property. Instead, we felt like we had walked into a retail store, complete with a signature scent. When we should have been thinking, "How old is the furnace?" we were wondering "Which store did this all come from and how much for the lamp?" (I knew both the answers.)

I watched the property for a little while on my list service, and sure enough someone snapped it up. It was a lovely place. It's just too bad that the homeowner easily spent more money than was needed in order to spruce it up. Starting with the spruce scent for $7.95.

For more tips on redesigning, selling and staging properties, contact a Certified Redesign Specialist with Eye to Eye Interiors for an affordable consultation. Serving Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. (773) 350-7020. www.eyetoeyeinteriors.com

Inspired by the many social networking lists of "random things" floating out there, I thought I'd share a random list of ten thoughts on design. Please feel free to chime in with your own! In no particular order, here are some of my favorites:

1) Trust your instincts! If it doesn't look right to you, change it.

2) Never underestimate the power of really well-placed lighting. And yes, there is such a thing as too much light.

3) When you're faced with a permanent design element that can't be "fixed" without tearing out the walls, make it look like a design choice. Green and pink tile in the bathroom? Dive into the 50s! Go retro to make it look like you meant it all along.

4) Remember to hang your artwork higher in places where you stand and lower in rooms where you sit. If you have to crane your neck to see it, it's hung too high.

5) A mirror can make or break a room. Make sure it reflects something you want to see twice.

6) Brightly colored accent pillows can wake up that beige couch and save you from design boredom.

7) Suffering from a case of the sleek, industrial look? Sure, it's elegant and contemporary, but it's also sometimes just plain cold. Be sure to add a natural element with texture to bring in some warmth and interest. Try a sisal rug, a bamboo lamp, or a woven pillow.

8) Be respectful - but never afraid - of color!

9) It's time to throw away those posters you had in college and invest in some art.

10) Bring in the green. Strategically placed houseplants can instantly freshen a room. Many of them can even stand up to a little neglect. In exchange for a little water every week, plants do a world of good.

For more tips on designing, selling and staging properties, contact a Certified Redesign Specialist with Eye to Eye Interiors for an affordable consultation. Serving Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. (773) 350-7020. www.eyetoeyeinteriors.com

How often do you find yourself saying, "I'm a visual person," or "I can't picture it - I've got to see it?" Well, you're not alone. The majority of people consider themselves visually oriented. Which is why when I tell people about what I do as a stager and redesigner, 9 times out of 10 they'll ask if I prepare drawings ahead of time. I am not an architect or interior designer, so I don't generate blueprints or deliver design portfolios. My process is much more organic. I could plan on paper all day long, but that couch won't find its perfect place without me moving it around, stepping back, taking a look, and nudging it until it's just right. You see, I'm visual too!

All of that being the case, I have found that there is a place for some fancy schmancy renderings. And I've fallen a little bit in love with the way to do them - Plan 3D. It's not CAD and it's not 100% perfect, but it's pretty snazzy and quick, once you get the hang of it.

How have I used it? Here's an interesting case - I recently had a consultation with a potential Buyer, set up by the Seller's Agent. I was asked to come in to help the potential Buyer visualize how to make the best use of the main living areas. The potential Buyer loved the house, but just couldn't "see" how the furniture would fit on the ground floor. So the Buyer's Agent agreed to provide me with her client's listing photos, which I perused to get a sense of the potential Buyer's style and current furnishings. Armed with both parties' listing photos and the floor plan from the Seller's Agent, I set out to virtually play with layouts and décor on my laptop. The result? See for yourself...

BEFORE & AFTER

I admit it - I was pleased with how the consultation went. The Seller's Agent was happy. The Buyer's Agent was impressed and her potential Buyer took another walk-thru of the property, with the virtual photos of the decorated space fresh in the mind. I don't know if that bid will come in, but it was a pleasure to help someone visualize the possibilities. And I give kudos to both Agents for being open to such creative marketing!

AN UPDATE: The Seller's Agent just contacted me to let me know they are now Under Contract - with the Buyer with whom I met. This is now a virtual staging success story!

For more tips on selling and staging properties, contact a Certified Redesign Specialist with Eye to Eye Interiors for an affordable consultation. Serving Chicago and the surrounding suburbs... and anywhere in the world, with Smart StagingSM Virtual Solutions! (773) 350-7020. www.eyetoeyeinteriors.com