Make Your Home a Gnome-Free Zone

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-Gnomes_zpsd2740150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-Gnomes_zpsd2740150.jpg" width="352" /></a></div>Is your yard home to families of little gnomes made of resin, colorful crops of concrete mushrooms, or flocks of plastic flamingos?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Worse yet, have you decorated your flower bed with a two-foot tall, plywood cut-out of a woman bending over to reveal her polka dot bloomers? </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If you answered yes, you are guilty of displaying slob art. Slob Art is art designed to impress, but ironically has the opposite effect. <br /><br />Slob Art can also be chosen to flaunt one's person artistic preferences in the face of what is generally considered good taste.  <br /><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It was Jean Shepard who coined the phrase Slob Art. Jean Shepherd is the man who wrote the story that became the classic movie, A Christmas Story. He has always been one of my favorite humorists. I can’t imagine anyone not being delighted with his tales of small town, American 1940’s life, peopled with the likes of Flick, Schwartz, Scut Farcus, and his own semi-autobiographical self, Shep.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-page-main/ehow/images/a04/9q/4v/make-drink-holders-from-flamingo-800x800.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="391" src="http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-page-main/ehow/images/a04/9q/4v/make-drink-holders-from-flamingo-800x800.jpg" width="400" /></a>Shepherd loved to poke fun of middle class tastes. Think of that lamp "my old man" wins in the movie – the leg covered in fish net stockings topped with a fringed lamp shade.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Tacky lawn art is fun and campy in a tongue-in-cheek way. But everyone's taste is different, so it's probably time to pack up your cute garden signs, concrete jockeys, and other personal decorations, once your home is for sale. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Don't get me started on toilets recycled as planters.   </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If your home is on the market, look closely at what distractions are part of your curb appeal. One birdbath is probably all you'll need for lawn art. The focus should be on the front door, and the message should be, “Come in. Normal people live here.”<br /><br />If you need more clarification (and entertainment) about Slob Art, here is Jean Shepherd's narrative: </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oQLg3rcV-Is?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div>

Make Your Home a Gnome-Free Zone

Is your yard home to families of little gnomes made of resin, colorful crops of concrete mushrooms, or flocks of plastic flamingos? Worse ye...

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Flipping a House? Here's the Good News and the Bad News

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_92p7G3ndL9g/S37YqeJ06uI/AAAAAAAAA14/_UmSMacgtC8/s400/white+couch+apt+therapy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_92p7G3ndL9g/S37YqeJ06uI/AAAAAAAAA14/_UmSMacgtC8/s400/white+couch+apt+therapy.jpg" width="380" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>An empty home is easier to keep clean. </i><i>Aptartment Therapy</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>If you are staging a home to flip it, chances are that the <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/02/stategies-for-staging-vacant-house.html">property is vacant</a>. When no one lives in a house for sale, the situation can work for and against you.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Advantages of Unoccupied Property</b></span><br /><ul><li>No one is messing up the place on a daily basis. There's no cooking, sleeping, showering, coming and going, or hanging out. The house stays clean, except for whatever dirt a house tour creates, and some dust, fingerprints, or cobwebs. </li></ul><ul><li>Scheduling a showing is easy. There's no <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/01/do-you-have-pre-showing-checklist.html">last minute checklist</a> to go over, no <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-to-do-with-your-pet.html">pets</a> to ferry around the neighborhood in the family car, no fluffing pillows, polishing faucets, and stashing the toiletries.</li></ul><ul><li>Staging can be done with an eye towards maximizing aesthetics. Since the model home look isn't the way most people actually live, you're free to concentrate on pretty first and practical second. Within reason.  </li></ul><br /> <b><span style="font-size: large;">The Disadvantages of Unoccupied Property</span></b><br /><ul><li>You'll need to find ways to furnish the home and still stay within budget. Renting furniture can get expensive, and buying furniture is impractical as well.   </li><li>can be problems.</li><li>Break-ins and vandalism can be a problem. </li><li>The home can have a sterile and empty feeling, an extra challenge to your staging skills.</li><li>You're never sure if the property is show-ready. The last home tour may have left pillows scrunched, toilet seats up, dirty footprints through the living room, rugs wrinkled, glass doors smeared with hand prints, bulbs burned out, and cabinet doors open wide. You can't expect a realtor to be your tidy-up person. </li><li>Landscaping can get messy if you don't have a routine system -- either yourself or a lawn service -- to take care of the home's exterior.</li><li>Utilities need to be kept up, which adds to the ongoing costs of maintaining the property until it sells. Electricity is a must for showing a home. Running water and some degree of heating and cooling are usually a necessity as well.    </li></ul><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/coraldoor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/coraldoor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Does your front door look inviting? Does it look like someone lives there, even if no one does? </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>When I began this blog, Mr. Lucky and I had just decided to purchase another home for the purpose of fixing and selling it for a profit. We worked on the property for six weeks, staged it to look lived-in, turned it over to a realtor, and sold it in 145 days.<br /><br />Flipping a home isn't always profitable. When we first <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8919423189147062938#editor/target=post;postID=6032851303183343277">considered buying the property</a>, we had to determine what we could do and what we would pay others to do. Then, we <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/02/wearing-down-our-pencils.html">did our homework</a> to calculate if our time and efforts would be well spent. Like any business, there are risks, and your job is to minimize them. <br /><br />I hope these links to previous posts can help you when you are flipping a house. For more advice on putting a home on the market, download my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar.</i> You'll be able to minimize those risks.<i><br /></i><br /> 

Flipping a House? Here's the Good News and the Bad News

An empty home is easier to keep clean. Aptartment Therapy If you are staging a home to flip it, chances are that the property is vacant . Wh...

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How I Would Run My Own Television Show

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.earlymoments.com/upload/EarlyMoments/drseuss/if-i-ran-the-zoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.earlymoments.com/upload/EarlyMoments/drseuss/if-i-ran-the-zoo.jpg" width="341" /></a></div>Today the new season of Design Star begins on HGTV. I haven't decided if I will follow it. I've almost stopped watching the home rehab and staging shows on television.<br /><br />It's all about my sanity. I need to preserve what's left of it, and I have too many opinions that get in the way of my just sitting back and enjoying the mayhem.<br /><br />Mayhem it is. As I mentioned two weeks ago, my daughter and her husband were one of the couples who had a <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/06/ceiling-fans-good-or-bad-for-bedroom.html">room makeover on TLC's Trading Spaces</a>. So, I got to see the absurdity behind the scenes. The guests are encouraged to get a little zany and emotional. Worker bees do the details that designers get credit for. Workmanship is shoddy.  <br /><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">To be honest, I am posting this to rant. But at the same time, I hope I can point out some solutions to common remodeling misconceptions and mistakes. Mr. Lucky and I have worked over 20 years in the building trade, and rehabbed enough houses to have learned a few tricks. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I always joke, "I want a show of my own!" Here's what I would do if I won on Design Star. Which won't happen. I'm not weird enough, young enough, or good-looking enough.   </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">  </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hyped Schedule.</b></span> I wouldn't pretend that good work could be done in a rush. I know producers need to inject the drama that the work needs to be finished for the open house that's just a day away. But, seriously? I would tell my viewers to make a realistic schedule and to be flexible. But that doesn't make an exciting format. This is only one reason I don't have a show!</div><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/blueoverallsladder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/blueoverallsladder.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>My reality tv calls for gloves and a hat. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Wacky Outfits.</span></b> I would wear clothes that are appropriate to the tasks. Why are hosts wearing high heels when they replace light fixtures and hang draperies? Why are they painting walls in halter tops and flip flops? The answer is, of course, that it looks sexy. Well, there goes my contract, because I'd be wearing my paint-stained overalls, cotton work gloves, and clunky work shoes that protect my toes. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dramatic Demolition.</b></span> We've all seen it. The host hands the homeowner a sledgehammer and the "fun" starts. Wood cabinets that could be taken to <a href="http://www.habitat.org/restores/default.aspx?tgs=Ny8xMS8yMDExIDEwOjA0OjE1IEFN">ReStore</a> or elsewhere, get smashed to splinters and hauled to the dumpster. It's just too boring to remove things with a pry bar.  On my show, we'd recycle as much as practical.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Carpet Craziness. </b></span>It's also very dramatic to show hunky carpenters rolling up an entire room of carpeting in one piece. On my show, the hunky carpenter (my co-host) would use a utility knife to slice the carpet and padding into 3- or 4-foot wide strips. It's a whole lot easier to roll these and carry them out. One person can do it alone, and the woodwork doesn't get scratched from that stiff carpet backing. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Goofy Painting.</b></span> Since I paint for a living, I'm especially opinionated about painting techniques. On my show, my hunky assistants and I would always cut in before we roll walls. We'd use a 5-gallon bucket and a grid instead of a dippy little roller pan. We'd use a handle on the roller so our wrists wouldn't take the abuse, and we so we could paint comfortably all day. We'd use a two-step ladder to minimize stretching and over-reaching.   <br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Phony Budgets.</b></span> On my show, I'd be realistic about what the materials honestly, actually cost. Retail. And I'd elaborate on what labor would cost if you had to pay for all the electricians, plumbers, drywall guys, landscapers, tile layers, painters, and carpenters.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Shoddy Materials. </b><span style="font-size: small;">Okay, I've been known to make furniture out of paper mache, <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/05/make-your-own-decorative-vases-for-free.html">cover oatmeal boxes with wallpaper</a>, glue ribbon onto beach mats for <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/12/diy-no-sew-cafe-curtains.html">no-sew curtains</a>, and <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/06/99-centtray-makeover.html">cover a plastic serving tray with an old map</a>, but on my show, I'd never throw a yard of muslin over a curtain rod and call it a valance. I wouldn't bring in a bunch of Walmart metal-leg furniture and call it luxurious. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Your Turn.</b></span> Do you have some pet peeves that make you want to scream when you're watching the home makeover shows? What will your show be like when <i>you</i> win on Design Star?</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Are you staging a home for sale? Download my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebook_02.html">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar.</i> I won't send you down a primrose path. I know the realities of selling a home.  </span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://hgtv.sndimg.com/HGTV/2011/06/01/HSTAR6_Designer-Group-Shot_s4x3_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://hgtv.sndimg.com/HGTV/2011/06/01/HSTAR6_Designer-Group-Shot_s4x3_lg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">  <i>I need some high heeled sneakers and cosmetic surgery to join the group! How about you? </i></div>

How I Would Run My Own Television Show

Today the new season of Design Star begins on HGTV. I haven't decided if I will follow it. I've almost stopped watching the home reh...

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Make Your Closets Memorable to Buyers with These Custom Hangers

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8486.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>Closets are so important to home buyers that you can't ignore them if you're serious about selling your home. You've heard all the basics -- <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/10/tips-for-cleaning-and-organizing-closet.html">declutter them, clean them, organize them.</a><br /><br />How about making them look so stinkin' pretty, that buyers want to just move in? <br /><br />I know padded hangers conjure up images of pink crocheted covers for sale at the annual church bazaar. But hear me out!<br /><br />I'm talking about some padded hangers you make from remnants and scraps of funky fabrics. These fabrics could be designer samples you've purchased from the fabric store's discount bin. Or leftovers from sewing projects you finished. Or didn't finish. They could even be a skirt or shirt or pillowcase you want to recycle.<br /><br />These hangers will surely jazz up that tidy closet of yours, making your home the one buyers remember when they go home to compare notes after a day of home tours.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Find a Fun Fabric.</b></span> Here's a chance to inject something trendy, or something extra girly or masculine. Or just colorful. You need less than 1/4 yard for each hanger. A remnant as small as 24 inches by 7 inches will usually do.<br /><br />As for the hangers, I often find these wooden hangers at second hand stores. Or you may already have some. It seems like fancier hangers have replaced this simple style, but 10-inch long ones can be purchased as <a href="http://www.onlyhangers.com/Prod-31-1-33-25/Natural_10_Top_Hanger.htm">children's hangers</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/bluegeo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/bluegeo2.jpg" width="358" /></a></div><br />The hanger I used for my tutorial was about 17 inches long. But I have made smaller ones that look pretty in a closet or even hung in a bedroom, bathroom, guest room, coat closet, or laundry room.<br /><br />You may leave these hangers empty, or actually use them. You can hang mundane things like tank tops, or lovely little things like lingerie.<br /><br />They are ideal for staging an empty closet, where you might want to accompany them with other props like staged shopping bags from status stores on a high shelf, or pretty hat boxes that hold mysterious treasure (or nothing!). <br /><br />You can also use these hangers as a discrete way to add fragrance to a closet. Add fragrant herbs like lavender or rose petals to the filling or tied to the hook as a sachet.<br /><br />They also make fabulous gifts for the person who has everything. And the best part is that they are made practically from cast-offs. <br /><br />Quilters can use a "fat quarter" to make these  padded coat hangers. I've made covers from dish towels, silk scarves, and even a silk necktie.  <br /><br />I use plastic grocery-store bags for stuffing, but most crafters like to use cotton batting or polyester filling, the kind used for stuffing pillows or for quilting. Your choice. I always take the frugal, up-cycle route.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Here Are the Directions. </b></span>Lay your fabric out on a flat surface, and place your hanger on it to judge the lengths of fabric you need to cut. You'll be cutting one piece to cover the top of the hanger, and one for the bottom. The top piece gathers, so it needs to be longer.<br /><br />I like to allow at least 4 inches on either side of the hanger's end, but 3 1/2 inches will do. The bottom piece of fabric needs to be an inch longer on each end, to allow for seam allowances. <br /><br />Both top and bottom pieces should measure 3 1/2 inches wide. The photo says it all. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="324" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8446.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I chose scraps from a bed sheet that I had already cut up to make a round tablecloth.    </i></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="364" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8454.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>After cutting the strips, cut each one in half so you'll be able to slide them over the padding.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8456.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Run a row of basting stitches along both edges of the longer strips. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8462.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Gather the stitches so the longer strips are the same length as the shorter ones.  </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8466-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8466-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Pin and then stitch the top and bottom pieces together, leaving one end open on each set, </i><br /><i>and the other end rounded.  </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8468.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>This is how the rounded end looks. You can remove the basting stitches now.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>  </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8474.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Wrap the wooden hanger with three plastic grocery bags. Make sure the end </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>of the hanger is well-padded and smooth.  And, yes, I know this looks obscene. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8476.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Turn the stitched covers inside out, and slide one over the padding. Is this any less pornographic? </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8478.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Slide the second half of the cover onto the hanger, and stitch the two together.  </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8480.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Add a bow to cover the hand-stitched seam and to decorate your padded hanger. </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8424.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A set of padded hangers like this made from a sheer fabric over cotton batting would make an ideal wedding shower or baby shower gift. </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8419.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Tulle makes an easy decoration for padded hangers. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/silk4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/silk4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>  </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Here is the hanger I made from a men's silk tie. I can visualize this in Don Draper's closet! </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8440.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Remember to leave some space in your closets. Space for the imagination of buyers. </i></div><br />If you want to learn more decorating and staging tips, you can find them in my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar</i>. I give advice on closet cleaning, closet organizing, and closet staging as well as advice on staging every room of your home. <br /><br />You can receive a tip of the day about home staging when you join my Facebook Group. Just click on the Facebook button in the sidebar. This week I'll be giving tips all about staging closets.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special" border="0" src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/signmakergirl/satnitenew150w-1.jpg" /></a></center>

Make Your Closets Memorable to Buyers with These Custom Hangers

Closets are so important to home buyers that you can't ignore them if you're serious about selling your home. You've heard all t...

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Eight Thrifty Ideas to Help You Stage Your Closets

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_8443.jpg" width="356" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Hangers are cheap at discount stores.  </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>If you ask a realtor whether people open closet doors when they inspect homes on the market, she's likely to say something like, "Well, duh!" At least my realtor would, because she's that direct.  <br /><br />Here are my favorite ways to make closets inviting.<br /><br />And when I say closets, I am lumping together cabinets and vanities as well.<br /><br />Only furniture is off-limits when buyers snoop!<br /><br />And remember that usually refrigerators and dishwashers get looked into.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>White Rules.</b></span> There's no substitute for a can of white paint. I like to use semi gloss in closets and cabinets.<br /><br />True, it shows off bumps and dents, but it also reflects light and is easier to keep clean. I know you don't want to empty closets to paint them, but it's not as big deal as it sounds. Look on it as a chance to deep clean and get rid of the junk you really don't need anymore.<br /><br />Don't skip painting the ceiling a pure white. It will brighten the entire closet. Painting inside vanities makes a big difference.  <br /><br />If you don't paint, put down white shelf liner where you can, like under the sinks and on wooden closet shelves.  <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Get Up High.</b></span> It's time to invest some cash (not a big bundle) on some closet hangers. Cull the ones that don't match and replace them with some spiffy ones from the discount store. Today's styles are actually more economical than you think. Hang or place in drawers, baskets or boxes whatever is on the floor. Think hanging shoe organizer. <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Condense Air.</b></span> I recommend <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/3/space-bags" target="_blank">Space Bags</a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null">.</a> You can compress down to a few inches all those quilts, extra sheets, pillows, and sleeping bags that you need a few times a year when your sister and her brood show up. My experience is that sometimes even the best ones begin to leak air after months on the shelf, but that doesn't mean they are useless. Simply attach the vacuum, suck the air out again, and put them back on the shelf.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-P1080947-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-P1080947-21.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Every closet looks better when it's not crowded and it's prettied up.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Gussy Up.</b></span> People like clean and people like pretty. Even men. You don't need to go down the girly road to make a bathroom vanity cabinet look inviting.<br /><br />Put the little things in matching baskets, especially toiletries like feminine hygiene produces, laxatives, dandruff remedies, hair removal products, odor eater foot pads, denture adhesives, pet shampoos, wart removers, and disinfectants. You get the idea. You'll make giant steps towards impressing buyers with what a problem-free home you live in.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Go Opaque.</b></span> My vote goes towards boxes that are not see-through. I realize that clear plastic shoe boxes are handy because the contents are visible, but that's my point. The less visual clutter, the better when it's time to sell your home. You can easily cover cardboard boxes to make them uniform, even if they are different sizes. Use fabric, <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/05/make-your-own-decorative-vases-for-free.html">wallpaper</a>, or contact paper.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reflections.</b></span> Most closets have little or no wall space remaining, because most of us like to keep accessories within sight to make getting dressed easier. Those ties and belts and necklaces and scarves can eat up wall space. But if you can find a place to add a mirror to your bedroom, closet, do it. Even a small mirror will reflect light and confuse the eye about the boundaries of the closet. Ideally, you'd be able to add a full length mirror.  <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Aromatherapy.</b></span> Smells matter to buyers. Keep your closet dry and freshly scented. If air circulation is a problem, reducing the amount of stored items will help. Keep anything that would mold or give off musty scents out of cabinets and closets. Sachets or <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2013/12/how-scents-are-messing-with-your-health.html#.VBXqdNgtCM8" target="_blank">scent diffusers</a> can add a layer of fragrance, but they are no substitute for fresh air.<br />  <br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Little Lights. </b><span style="font-size: small;">A small battery-operated, motion-sensitive light makes a statement in a closet or cabinet. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">For about $12, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WEPJF0/ref=asc_df_B000WEPJF01587449?smid=A281ICWJBRZ31L&tag=nextagusmp0425748-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B000WEPJF0">this one</a> will stay on for 40 seconds, enough to impress house hunters. Well-lighted </span>spaces build confidence because they look cleaner, bigger, and aren't hiding surprises.<br /><br />If you are just beginning to declutter closets, follow my 9-step approach I describe <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/10/tips-for-cleaning-and-organizing-closet.html">here</a>. <br /><br />Are you <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-help-your-realtor-sell-your-home.html">working closely with your realtor</a> to get your home sold? She'll not only tell you to spruce up those closets, she'll give other advice. I give the same kind of advice in a handy, downladable form when you buy my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null">, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar</i>.</a>

Eight Thrifty Ideas to Help You Stage Your Closets

Hangers are cheap at discount stores.  If you ask a realtor whether people open closet doors when they inspect homes on the market, she'...

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Stage Your Home with Books. Here's How.

<div style="text-align: right;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.decorpad.com/photos/2010/11/18/67b6dbf4ae56.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.decorpad.com/photos/2010/11/18/67b6dbf4ae56.png" width="396" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Some books, some art. That's one way. Ashley Goforth.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>In my<a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html#.UzRkSqI3Ndg" target="_blank"> eBook</a>, I give a step-by-step formula for staging bookcase and bookshelves. It's something most people staging their own homes struggle with.<br /><br />How many books? Just books? What kind of books? Will it look crowded? Skimpy? Will house hunters read the titles?     <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Books are indicators </b></span>of The Good Life. They represent education, money, intelligence, good company, entertainment, success, and taste<br /><br />When someone makes an offer on your home, he wants to step into your shoes. You've sold him on your lifestyle.<br /><br />Buyers know in their heads they're not buying your possessions, but in their hearts they hope your success, good taste and other enviable qualities will transfer with the deed.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I know it's crazy</b></span>. But that doesn't make it less true.<br /><br />Therefore, having some well-chosen and arranged books in every room is not a stretch.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2009/12/29/48efa613b652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2009/12/29/48efa613b652.jpg" width="536" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A home office is a natural place for showcasing books. The cubby design of these shelves is a style that anyone could imitate on a shoestring in a vacant or spare room or bonus room </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>to create the illusion of an accommodating workspace. BHG.  </i><br /><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2009/07/20/d3b520974395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2009/07/20/d3b520974395.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Although built-in bookcases add value to a home, free-standing units can imitate their appeal. And you can take them with you to your next home. Notice how sparsely staged these shelves are. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Notice also that they don't steal the show from the fireplace, the focal point. Style at Home. </i><br /><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2009/09/01/93a8bb489ab2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2009/09/01/93a8bb489ab2.jpg" width="545" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">One way to arrange books is by color. I like that this collection of cookbooks is actually part of </div><div style="text-align: center;">the kitchen staging, and that it looks more like a serious and useful library </div><div style="text-align: center;">than just a few shelves gussied up with cute stuff. DecorPad.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2011/06/01/b3efdef511ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2011/06/01/b3efdef511ed.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Sometimes it makes more sense to stage bookshelves as something other than shelves for books. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>This arrangement of plants and barware on Ikea shelves is an inviting scene. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>It's simple,and it gives a function to small space. DecorPad.</i><br /><i>   </i></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2008/11/21/b0841bd8b87e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2008/11/21/b0841bd8b87e.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Floating shelves can convert a slice of unused space or the corner of a room into a home office. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The staggered arrangement minimizes the ho-hum factor. Notice that even the desk </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>isn't really a desk, but a shelf supported by custom brackets. Sarah Richardson.</i><br /><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.decorpad.com/photos/2010/06/24/f8eb4de40fea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.decorpad.com/photos/2010/06/24/f8eb4de40fea.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A traditional room in a traditional house begs for a more formal arrangement </i><br /><i>of bookcase items. </i><i>It's okay to place seating in front of bookshelves </i><br /><i>as long </i><i>as the books are accessible. Circaonline.net.</i></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><i></i>Download my $5 <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar</i> to learn all the ins and outs of staging a bookcase and bookshelves, as well as other tips that tug at the heartstrings of home buyers.  </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div>

Stage Your Home with Books. Here's How.

Some books, some art. That's one way. Ashley Goforth. In my eBook , I give a step-by-step formula for staging bookcase and bookshelves....

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Why I love an Etagere, and You Should Too

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://common2.csnimages.com/lf/1/hash/2240/1677487/1/Regency+Black+&+White+Etagere+-+6+Shelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://common2.csnimages.com/lf/1/hash/2240/1677487/1/Regency+Black+&+White+Etagere+-+6+Shelf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Behold the classic and classy etagere. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="ssens"><b></b> Quick. What's tall and thin, stands alone against a wall or in a corner,</span><span class="ssens"> and displays valuables?</span><br /><br /><span class="ssens">Not a fashion model who lacks conversation skills.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Answer: </b></span><span class="ssens">It's an etagere, an open</span> shelving unit typically used to display art objects, plants, books or curios. It's also a friend to anyone staging a home for sale.<br /><br />Here are the reasons I say this piece of furniture should be part of any home stager's furniture collection: <br /><ul><li>The shelves are open, which gives any room a more open feeling.</li><li>There's an etagere to mix or match with any design style.</li><li>The price range is wide and accommodating.</li><li>They are often lightweight and easy to move. Some disassemble for packing.</li><li>Placed in a corner, one will round out a sparsely furnished room.</li><li>Used in pairs, they add formality and function to a room that's lacking these aspects.  </li></ul>You can call an etagere a bookcase or a display case or a storage unit, but it's more than those things. It's a statement piece, the way a fashionable purse is. An etagere can supply that important finishing touch every room needs.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I've been in love</b></span> with the etagere since I owned a set of plastic knockdown, Parsons style units about 30 years ago. Talk about versatile! These units held books in some of my homes, displayed a collection of framed photos and tchotchkes at another time, contained all the audio equipment at other times, provided space to start seedlings one year, stood in for closet shelving near the end of their lives, and were finally relegated to the garage as a humble shelving unit until someone named <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/02/50-reasons-i-love-my-husband.html">Mr. Lucky</a> melted one of the plastic legs with a heater.<br /><br />A moment of silence, please, for a trusted and loyal friend.<br /><br />The plastic etagere, not Mr. Lucky.   <br /><br />I'm here to sing the praises of all etagere today. And let's not confuse an etagere with a bakers rack, or enclosed bookcases, or media storage cabinets. The traditional etagere is backless and has corner posts. It can have a square, rectangular or triangular footprint. It can be curvy or angular, and made of chrome, wood, glass, mirrors, wicker, stainless steel, sheet metal, bamboo, particle board, or plastic. Here are some examples of what this classic and useful piece of furniture can look like.           <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://gimagesr.gabriels.net/ImageReader.aspx?IDClient=166&IDListings=2596-KSD1125&H=231&W=315&ImageURL=http%3a%2f%2fcommon1.csnimages.com%2flf%2f1%2fhash%2f6777%2f2627634%2f1%2f1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://gimagesr.gabriels.net/ImageReader.aspx?IDClient=166&IDListings=2596-KSD1125&H=231&W=315&ImageURL=http%3a%2f%2fcommon1.csnimages.com%2flf%2f1%2fhash%2f6777%2f2627634%2f1%2f1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>An etagere needn't be large. This telephone table is an example. Accent Furniture Direct.  </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.hayneedle.com/mgen/master:YSC116.jpg?is=310,310,0xffffff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://images.hayneedle.com/mgen/master:YSC116.jpg?is=310,310,0xffffff" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This Mission style etagere would be at home in a bath, office, or family room. BakersRacks.com</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://common2.csnimages.com/lf/47/hash/6973/2583279/1/kathy-ireland-by-LH-Licensed-Products-5-Tier-Ladder-Shelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://common2.csnimages.com/lf/47/hash/6973/2583279/1/kathy-ireland-by-LH-Licensed-Products-5-Tier-Ladder-Shelf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Called a ladder etagere, this design by Kathy Ireland has a tiny footprint.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://images.homeportfolio.com/4282/312438/400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://images.homeportfolio.com/4282/312438/400.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">An etagere can have enclosed storage space below, but it always has open shelves. Walters Wicker.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://g-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com/1263689/resto_rect540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://g-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com/1263689/resto_rect540.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>What could be more sleek than glass and chrome? Newberry Grand via Apartment Therapy.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2011/04/06/1bc3a1d78045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2011/04/06/1bc3a1d78045.jpg" width="499" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>And this is another treatment of etagere as bookcase. House Beautiful.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2008/09/10/abc0b3a89019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2008/09/10/abc0b3a89019.jpg" width="366" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I love the punch that cross braces add to this one. Habitually Chic. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.decorpad.com/photos/2010/12/17/835eeac35ea6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.decorpad.com/photos/2010/12/17/835eeac35ea6.png" width="452" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>See how the etagere adds just the right amount of weight to this room? Greg Scheidmann.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2011/05/10/87f651e3b85d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2011/05/10/87f651e3b85d.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>A pair of etagere used as end tables. Graciela Rutkowski Interiors. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2008/08/10/9e904a25ce18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2008/08/10/9e904a25ce18.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Nate Berkus let this one dominate the room, where i</i><i>ts lines repeat the rug motif. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Since home staging</b></span> is about making your home look clean and spacious, most etagere designs fill that bill, and they do it with panache. Whether you're staging your bathroom, home office, kitchen, bedroom, living room or even a garage or closet, there's usually a place for one of these functional shelving sets.<br /><br />This week on Facebook I am giving a daily Tip of the Day about staging bookshelves. It's a topic I get lots of questions about. I'll give some simple formulas and other suggestions to take the mystery out of arranging both freestanding bookcases and built-in bookshelves.    <br /><br />Looking for ideas to help you stage your property? Then, buy my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebook_02.html">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home and For Top Dollar. </i>You'll be inspired and informed, I guarantee it. Get advice from an expert so you can stage your home like an expert.    <br /><br /><span class="ssens"><i>Top Photo: Accent-furniture-direct.com </i></span><br /><span class="ssens"><br /></span>

Why I love an Etagere, and You Should Too

Behold the classic and classy etagere. Quick. What's tall and thin, stands alone against a wall or in a corner, and displays valuables...

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