Kim Gaston, Colorado Springs Home Stager

Liberty High School, Colorado Springs, Valentine's Day Basketball - White Out. Tonight 5:30 Girls, 7:00 Boys rally Pine Creek High School at LHS Gymnasium.

So, what do you have planned for this Valentine’s Day? We hope you will join us at Liberty High School at 5:30 and 7:00pm for the Girls and Boys Basketball games versus district rival Pine Creek High School. This game has been designated as the 6th Man and WHITE OUT game. Everyone wear your best white shirts to support the teams! Help be part of the magic and strength of the LANCER NATION!

On THURSDAY, February 16th, take all your favorite Valentines' to a post V-Day dinner and support the Liberty High School Band! Starting at 5:00 you can dine at one of Colorado Springs' favorite pasta joints, Noodles & Company at the NE corner of Powers and Barnes Road. 25% of sales will benefit the expanding and growing Liberty High School Band program in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Now, don't forget that box of chocolates!

The Motto of Liberty High School "Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth." -Archimedes

The Mission of Liberty High School The mission of Liberty High School, a unique student-centered community, is to educate each student and support staff to meet the challenges of a dynamic world. Through high academic expectations, co-curricular participation, and nurturing environment, students develop an enduring commitment to their own education and to citizenship. Academy School District 20 Mission Statement To provide a rich, academically rigorous curriculum as the foundation upon which students are encouraged to build for future success.

Is it “Vintage” or is it just “Old”? Vintage isn’t a new term, its origins come from describing wine-making, the process of picking grapes and creating a finished product.

“a common, though incorrect, usage applies the term to any wine that is perceived to be particularly old or of a particularly high quality. The importance of vintage is both varied and disputed.” ~ From Wikipedia

I found that ironic as it applies to much more than just wine.

Vintage cars for instance, might be an exception. Who doesn’t celebrate a vintage auto?

The “look” has transitioned to kitchens and bathrooms. Vintage pedestal sinks, cut-glass knobs, polished nickel drawer pulls, subway tile, penny round tile, and insert your favorite.

Probably one of the most affordable ways to inject a little vintage in your home is through lighting. However, does vintage sell or does it just look old?

The follow-up question would be, who is the target buyer? Many first-time buyers are young, 20 yr. old professionals who frequent the above retailers and might appreciate these touches.

Recently, Broker David Gibson gave me a little insight that “a buyer could be 90 years old and have owned 50 houses in their lifetime, but as long as they haven’t owned one in the last 3 years they can use most “first time buyer” down payment assistance programs.” That opens up the buyer pool!

If you’re thinking about listing your home and are in doubt about whether you should update that chandelier or that bathroom. Consult your Realtor as well as a professional home stager. They can guide you on which improvements should be made before listing and a resourceful home stager may be able to turn this negative into a positive feature. Saving you money and optimizing your home’s appeal.

How to Stage a Home Office. Staging a Colorado Springs home officeis pretty much the same in Minneapolis, as it is in Phoenix, or Seattle.

When you’re flipping channels with the remote and land on the Travel Channel do you pause for just a second to see where they are? How about HGTV House Hunters International? Wait…. don’t turn it, lets see if it’s a country I’m interested in, how much can you get for your money, and what’s it like to live there?

Buyers love to imagine what life is like living in homes for sell. This emotion connects them positively (or not) to your home. And, when they’re emotionally connected, an offer soon follows. Consider how staging your home office can make a positive, emotional connection to your Buyers.

1. De-clutter/sort/pack. You knew that was coming. Then, donate/discard/store/repurpose. Can’t be stressed enough (especially in the home office), box it up and get it out of sight. What emotion are you feeling here?

2. Cords need to be corralled and any equipment (old printers, monitors) not absolutely necessary for daily work stored away. Don't add to their stress level looking at your mess.

3. Clean, clean and clean, again. For sure, the noisy metal blinds... and that goes for wood, vinyl, etc. Wiping your fingers on those can be a red flag to Buyers - better move along.

4. Desks and office chairs should not be pushed up against the wall. This does not create the illusion of space. More welcoming is a “meet and greet” placement. Shown here.

This home staged and sold by Front Porch Interiors in 63 days.

5. To create that emotional connection, use travel visual cues, such as: large-scale maps, globes, or a couple of framed, blown-up photos of truly interesting travel destinations. Haven't been anywhere special? Use a magazine or travel catalog page to mat/frame. Or, take a walk at a nearby park, lake, maybe the backyard. You'd be amazed at how exotic a close-up shot of a branch can be.

If you don’t have a dedicated room for a home office, carve out a corner of the bedroom or living room to show how the space can be multi-functional as well as efficient.

Its fun to be transformed to another place, take Buyers on a ride when touring your home. It’s what makes your place memorable, and hopefully, sold.

Young family in need of hip, fresh space...

A friend of a friend (we all know a few of those) asked if I’d help her sister out by redesigning her front living room. Her shiny new, starter home had turned into a playground for baby’s toys, a dumping ground for sheet music, and a catchall for misfit furniture. Just close your eyes as you walk on through...

Since it is the very first room you step into from the front door, this fun, young mom really wanted to transform it into the entertaining room it was meant to be - maybe relax with a glass of wine after baby was asleep and be serenaded by her husband. Knowing there was no budget to purchase anything new, we needed to wave our wand to give this young family a hip, fresh space.

The kid's coloring desk does double duty as a coffee table, add some task lighting, a little Fiesta ware, kitchen placemats for pops of color, grandma's mirror to check your lipstick and we're ready for a soiree!

The neighbors can saunter in and take a seat at the antique pub table - uncovered in a corner of the basement. No, the bar stools aren’t antique, but a little Howard's Restor-a-finish brought them up to snuff to pass as close cousins.

Aren't those prints terrific? With their wide, dark frames they added just the weight we needed for a pub-style atmosphere. Feeling just a little neglected upstairs in the hallway, they're now getting the attention they deserve.

The fabric-covered canvases just needed to play a game of twister on the wall. Now, they define the music area. Hidden baskets keep sheet music, plus baby's toys tidy and out of sight.

Finally, a cozy furniture placement now accomodates a few friends while sharing an evening of music, drinks and adult conversation. A little repurposing, rearranging and refinishing was all they needed to create a hip, fresh starter home they can enjoy with friends and family.

Cheers!

Kim Gaston

Home Stylist, Interior Redesigner, Color Consultant

Front Porch Interiors, LLC

style to sell * style to stay

~ delighted to style Colorado Springs and the Front Range communities.

Before the 2012 chaos starts, get your home office rockin’, Colorado Springs. All you need is a little inspiration to move your home office from bland to spicey.

My client was very aware she needed to clean up, declutter and organize her home office, but more than that - she yearned for some rich color in her wonderful attic space and wasn’t afraid to shake things up (since I’m also a color consultant, she’s my kind of gal). This bonus room wasn’t working for her, and she didn’t enjoy the time she spent up there.

I found this gorgeous rug rolled up in a closet of her basement. She always liked it, but had carpet upstairs and wasn’t sure where to put it. This little treasure was our jumping point for the room.

On a tight budget, my only purchases were a clock, pillows and a few frames (all 50% off) to honor her boys’ artwork. We really didn’t need anything else.

I carried the theme into her powder room as well. Her neighbor had painted a small picture, so we repurposed an old bandana and changed out the mat on a frame to give it more prominence.

What do you have lying around your house to give you inspiration? It’s always much more personal to use what you have instead of buying new. If you're unsure where to start, contact a professional home stager. They can make your home office a place that stirs your soul and inspires you to do your best work!

Cheers to a successful sale!

Kim Gaston

Home Stylist, Interior Redesigner, Color Consultant

Front Porch Interiors, LLC

style to sell * style to stay

~ delighted to style Colorado Springs and the Front Range communities.