Every year our family celebrates 4th of July with a different twist on decorating! My mother-in-law started a tradition over 10 years ago of Waffle Decorating! I know you're thinking how does this relate to 4th of July? We decorate with strawberries (red), blueberries (blue), and whip cream (white).
Competition gets tougher every year to come up with an original idea! We've had everything from the Statue of Liberty to Elmo. Days, even weeks ahead, the phone calls start coming in with family asking ‘have you thought of what you're decorating this year?'...but I know a good artist never tells reveals their masterpiece until it's complete.
Prizes are awarded, and range from the most creative, best overall, and most delicious! I must say before we had kids, my husband and I thought the idea was a little strange. After having children, they cannot wait to get to grandma's and get their groove on!
Here are some of this year's entries, can you guess what they are?
Just a little fun to share and a reminder to think outside of the box, be creative in your own way, and enjoy the little things in life!
Michelle and Joe Kaspari.Essential Home Staging.Sacramento CA
Often times we walk into a home that's been freshly painted before entering the market. New paint is one of the most recommended upgrades for home sellers. A fresh coat of paint showcases the home in a ‘newer' condition even if the home is older.
Before selecting the obvious WHITE for your wall color, consider painting an alternate neutral color throughout the home to give warmth to the space. Remember neutral colors extend past the obvious white and tan.
Here are some of our favorite colors we've recommended to realtors.
Trim, Woodwork, Ceilings - Swiss Coffee BEHR Paint #1812, This creamy white is our all time favorite.
Wall Colors - 
Gallery Taupe, BEHR Paint, #ICC-89 
Navajo White, BEHR Paint, #1822
Oyster, Kelly Moore Paint, #26
Don't be afraid to go neutral with something other than tan. We recently consulted on a property and used a light sage green throughout the home as our neutral. The results were beautiful. Color trends are recommending lighter versions of green, yellow, and blue as the ‘new neutrals'.
Once you've chosen your color, you'll need to decide on the proper finish. Satin, Semi-Gloss, High Gloss, Eggshell, Flat, how do I choose? Here are some basic rules to follow:
Flat - Its matte appearance softens a room and helps hide surface blemishes, making walls look smooth. Ideal for: Adult bedrooms, Dining rooms, Formal living rooms, Ceilings.
Satin - With its slight gloss, this finish offers the benefits of a flat finish with added cleanability. It works best for high-traffic areas such as: Halls, Woodwork, Children's bedrooms, Family rooms. This is our finish of choice in most cases, when in doubt go Satin!
Semi-Gloss - This lustrous, durable finish is perfect for areas that get cleaned frequently, such as: Kitchens, Bathrooms, Utility area, Closet doors, Trim
Gloss - This extremely hard and shiny finish provides a rich, smooth luster and is excellent for: Wood trim, Cabinets, Doors, Furniture
Companies like BEHR, Kelly Moore, and Sherwin Williams offer lots of tips and techniques on their websites. ‘Finish Selection' was shared from the Sherwin Williams website. When in doubt about the color you are selecting, feel free to contact us for a quick and affordable paint color consultation. Your clients will thank you!
Michelle and Joe Kaspari. Essential Home Staging. Sacramento CA
After sitting at Tae Kwon Do with the kids' yesterday afternoon, I thought about the 6 Tenets of Tae Kwon Do they repeat at the beginning and ending of every class. These basic, yet powerful words can inspire you in any profession. Enjoy!
COURTESY - Definition: A polite remark or gesture. Are you courteous in your actions, towards your clients or competitors even when they are being difficult? The old golden rule ‘treat others how you would like to be treated'.
INTEGRITY - Defnition: Firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values. How we view and carry ourselves is very important in determining how others view us. Your clients want to work with someone that has a reputation of being professional and an expert in their field.
PERSEVERENCE - Definition: Steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. This can be a tough one in today's market. The media gloom can bring your mental perception down like there's no hope in sight. We need to be strong and clear in our thoughts that the market will turn around and we will persevere through tough times.
SELF-CONTROL - Definition: control or restraint of oneself or one's actions, feelings, etc. It can be difficult at times to hold back comments with people who push your buttons, but in the end, being a professional and maintaining a higher level of courtesy and self control is the better choice.
INDOMITABLE SPIRIT - that cannot be subdued or overcome, as persons, will, or courage; unconquerable: an indomitable warrior. Have courage no matter what the odds are. ‘When things get tough, the tough get going'...
VICTORY - Definition: a success or superior position achieved against any opponent, opposition, difficulty, etc. Conquer the things you set out to do no matter how big or small. This may be as simple as filling out your weekly calendar, or as big as creating your marketing plans for the next few months. The victory of completing and accomplishing your goals is extremely self rewarding!
When Michelle Kaspari, owner of Essential Home Staging and President of the Sacramento Chapter of the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) met with another RESA member Charles Wood, owner of Brite Ideas, to discuss local association activities, an idea was born. It was time for RESA to give back to the community. Michelle Kaspari then contacted Loaves and Fishes who her directed her to the Sacramento Self Help Housing coordinator Michelle Ward.
Sacramento Self Help Housing just happened to be in position to house some recently displaced individuals from the nationally recognized "Tent City" that had grown drastically over the last couple of years. Our recent economic times have fallen hard on our community and many people found tent city as their only and in some cases best option for housing.
On June 12, 2009 the Sacramento RESA Chapter took their idea and turned it into reality. "Staging and decorating is what we do, it made sense to partner with SSHH during their time of need", said Michelle Kaspari. We pulled our resources together with donations from the community and other Home Stagers.
Photo Above: Joe Kaspari, Barbara Bussey, Lori Kim Polk, Michelle Kaspari
This is the first of many events our Sacramento RESA Chapter hopes to host. Michelle Kaspari would like to thank the following RESA Members for donating time and resources for this fabulous event. Charles Wood of Brite Ideas, Lori Kim Polk of Artful Journey Designs and Staging, Valesca Bogard of Welcome Home Furniture Rental and Staging, Thank You!
Photo above: The new tenant, Lori Kim Polk, Michelle Kaspari
We also had other local Home Stagers within the community volunteer on this project as well. Thank You Barbara Bussey of Transitions Home Design and Jodi King of Artistic Interior Redesign!
The Sacramento RESA Chapter will continue to lend their support to the Sacramento Self Help Housing. If you or anyone you know would like to donate time, furniture, or supplies they are greatly appreciated. Please email michelle@essentialstaging.com with your information.
To find out more information on this event or to be part of any future events please contact Michelle Kaspari at (916) 402-6098. To find more information about the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) visit www.Realestatestagingassociation.com
Are you showcasing the full potential of the property? This time of year is wonderful to stage outdoor vignettes at your listings. Summer is approaching and potential buyers will be checking out the front porch and back yards of all the properties they tour to see if it will live up to their entertaining lifestyle.
Curb appeal starts right at the front entry. Consider setting up a small bistro set, with a pitcher of lemonade and small bowl of lemons during your open house. We all know the Sacramento Valley can reach extremely high temperatures during the Summer. The thought of sitting on the front porch with a nice cool glass of lemonade sets the tone of a relaxing environment and defines the front porch as useable space, not just a place for potted plants.
By staging the back yard with patio sets and bright colored pillows, will often extend the buyers perception of square footage if done properly. The photo below is a clear example of extending your vision past the window into a space that would go unrecognized without the ‘pop' of red outside. This great room now extends past the sliding glass door and onto the patio. The same comforts of inside the home should be felt outside as well!
Essential Home Staging is Sacramento's premier Real Estate Staging Company. We provide top-notch products and quality service to Real Estate Professionals.
Please visit www.essentialstaging.com to view more of our work and a list of services. Proudly serving the Greater Sacramento Area and beyond! Call us today for your FREE Staging Evaluation (916) 402-6098.
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Whether we're ‘staging' or remodeling for our own home or for clients, we've pretty much done it all! Let's start from the beginning...Joe and I were both raised in Sacramento and graduated from El Camino High School. High school sweethearts that are beating the odds these days with our marriage of 16 years. We have two beautiful children, McKenzie age 12 and Jake age 8 ½. The kids dream of becoming rock stars and just started BASS and guitar lessons. When they're not rocking out, both are Tae Kwon Do students, McKenzie will test for her black belt this October 2009. Jake's an avid baseball player and can tell you all the rules, especially when he thinks they've been broken. The list goes on and on. Sometimes I wonder: are we parents or chauffeurs? We are both extremely involved with our children's school. We've been at Golden Valley Charter School now for 2 years and absolutely love it. The school has a non-traditional approach to teaching. Their curriculum includes all the basics, plus handwork (knitting and sewing), gardening, and much more. Jake loves his handwork and has attempted to teach me, but I just haven't seemed to get it just yet. McKenzie loves all the field trips. Recently her class went for a few days to Yosemite, we saw some amazing sites including a bear within 20 feet of our tent cabin! 15 years ago, we purchased what we thought was a ‘simple' fixer upper in the heart of Carmichael. After 2 years of our ‘simple' remodel, we moved in and it's been a never ending project since then! Although we've lived in the same home for 14 years, we understand the stress of getting a home ready for sale. Similar to remodeling, you generally have a list of ‘to-do's" that need to get completed in a timely manor before moving onto the next step. Almost ALL of the work has been done by Joe and family, everything from sheetrock, new roofing, electrical, flooring, and much more. We can help our clients by prioritizing what they need to do in order to get their home ready. We've been through the process of making the to-do list in an approachable un-stressful manor that's easy to complete. We took our passion from personal projects and created the foundation for our business. Essential Home Staging is successful because of our combined business and personal experiences. Joe's extensive business background in multi unit retail management and remodeling of our own home, and my creative design talent both on a professional and personal level. We bring together professionalism, amazing customer service and a partnership with our clients that's always a successful transaction. Life is good!
Vacant Home Staging
It's so much easier to notice that crack in the wall, or the chip in the tile when there is nothing else to look at. Don't let a simple thing like no furniture and empty spaces ruin your opportunity for a quick sale. Give your home that ";model home"; look that will WOW buyers as they walk in the door. We can stage an entire house or focus on key areas. We own a variety of inventory that suits all types of homes and architectural styles.
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Occupied Staging
Preparing your home for sale can be an overwhelming task for most homeowners. It is extremely important if you are occupying your home while it's on the market, that it be ‘de-personalized' so potential buyers can focus on the homes' features versus the family that lives there. Essential Home Staging can use the furnishings and accessories you own to recreate spaces in a new way drawing attention to key areas of your home. We can also bring in items to enhance what you currently own to create a great first and lasting impression potential buyers are sure to fall in love with.
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Essential Home Toolkit
This option is for the do it yourselfer. Essential Home Staging will thoroughly evaluate the properties staging needs. The Essential Home Toolkit will note in each room, specific details, that will highlight the positive changes, necessary to showcase the home in its fullest potential. Essential Home Staging will take photographs and notes during our first meeting. We then take this information back to our office and compile the Essential Home Toolkit for the home owner to complete on their own time and budget. If you are good with ‘to do lists' this is your most affordable way to get your home showcase ready.
Room Re-imaging
Essential Home Staging offers a variety of both re-design and design services. We can work with what your currently own or design a totally new space, your options are unlimited! Here are some of the services we can offer you:
Builders and Investors
Essential Home Staging is proud to offer affordable design consulting services for builders and investors. Don't make costly mistakes on color and finish selections. We can prepare your color palette and select items from tile, flooring, lighting, and much more.
Whether you are planning to sell or live in the home you love we can help you.. Don't miss your opportunity to have your home looking its best. Call Essential Home Staging today for your FREE Staging Evaluation!
Certifications and Affiliations:
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"The term ‘staging' or ‘redesign' does not only apply to those putting their home on the market; it also applies to those that are looking for a ‘fresh and new look' for their current home. I found Michelle at Essential Staging by searching the internet! After a couple of emails and one meeting with Michelle, I knew I didn't need to search any further. Her style, recommendations and flexibility allowed us to work together to transform my living space into a very warm and inviting environment for our family and friends. If your preference is upscale design or simple elegance, Michelle can offer fabulous ideas and within any budget. We love our new space!"
The Bennett Family,Granite Bay, CA
"My house sold in one day! And, that was in a market where less than 10% of the listed houses were selling, on average!
Michelle really, truly knows the staging business. She told me exactly what to expect, so I was at ease with the experience. Whenever I asked her a question, she not only answered it, but gave explanations to help me better understand the emotional aspects of staging. She was a pleasure to work with, considerate of my budget restraints when making suggestions and was exceptional at selecting paint colors.
Contacting Michelle was the best investment I ever made on both my old and new homes!"
T. Morrison, Home Owner Roseville
"I have been a Real Estate Broker for 14 years and have worked with at least 10 different stagers and Michelle is by far the most classy & creative stager/designer I've ever used. I love her style and approach to putting a home together (that's why I want her to come to my house). All of that coupled with her interior designer education/skills make any home look more desirable for a Buyer."
Tina Stewart, Performance Lending and Investments
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