Don't be afraid to go bold with Chartreuse!

Looooooove Orange my signature color!

Turquoise is a really hot color this season! Looks great with gray, chocolate and black!

I have grown quite fond of this pepper green. It looks fabulous with pure white!

When faced with the design dilemma of decorating my bedroom when I was a teenager, my mother called in an interior designer for help. The designer suggested painting one of my bedroom walls an “accent color” and before I knew it, a deep tangerine color had been painted on one of the walls. I loved it! Decades later, and after painting more accent walls than I can count, I find myself often being asked by my interior design and home-staging clients if they should add an accent wall into their design mix. My answer is, it depends. As an ASID interior designer, I use “accent colors” for a specific purpose: to incorporate a bold color into a space without “overdoing it” by painting every wall. Accent colors not only add interest, but can also help to define a space architecturally. Accent colors can also highlight particular features of a space and serve as the foundation of a color palette. A tangerine color painted on one wall adds the right amount of personality to a room without overpowering the eye with color. (Courtesy of Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes) As part of the 3-day Certified Staging Professionals (CSP) certification course, of which I am one of their national instructors, we teach a color method for achieving the correct color balance in home staging involving the proper use of a primary, secondary, and accent colors. As home staging is about selling a property and having it appeal to the largest number of potential buyers as possible, it is essential when using color that the colors don’t come across as too “personalized.” Using an accent wall serves as a wonderful home-staging technique and painting solution because it is merely an accent. One wall painted a single color as opposed to a whole room painted a color that may offend. Stumped about which colors would make great accents? Think warm and inviting or bright and bold. Yellows, oranges, and greens all make great accent colors and can easily blend with lots of color palettes. Stay away from muted or pastel tones, as they do not make great colors for an accent wall and are best suited for all over color. Accent walls should make a bold statement so that they stand out as opposed to blend in. When using an accent color in home staging, my suggestion is to have a little fun with it, and don’t be afraid to go bold!

The Certified Staging Professionals logo is recognized internationally, including the USA, Canada (Canadian Certified Staging Professionals) and Australia (Australia Certified Staging Professionals) by real estate professionals and home sellers.  Home stagers from other countries travel to attend the CSP intensive home staging course and take the certification back to their country.The MOST comprehensive staging course in the industry:
Although home staging is an non-regulated industry, CSP has a registered certification mark for successful completions of the following standards:

• Successful completion of 2 day in-classroom instruction,
• 1 day hands-on field experience,
• 75%+ or higher grade on exams (including practical assessment).

In addition the CSP training continues after the certification portion of the program to include:

• 4 weeks of home study business start up–By downloading the workbooks found in the password protected CSP Business Resource Centre, and completing the assigned tasks in Module 1 and 2, home stagers are encouraged to complete the step-by-step tasks to have their business up and running in 4 weeks. (Note: some stagers may take longer to complete this portion of the program; working at their own pace, within the confinements of their own schedule)
• 6 weeks (12 -1hr sessions) Marketing Advantage Camp– Students receive marketing & business guidance from a LIVE Marketing Coach through this six consecutive week marketing camp. Students register for a live webinar (coaching is online, student only needs a computer with speakers to attend!) as they are taught marketing strategies to help them attract clients.

HERE IS JUST SOME OF THE PRESS COVERAGE WE RECEIVED FROM A RECENT CLASS HELD NEAR BALTIMORE, MARYLAND!!

A living room after staging and styling by Cathy Hobbs. (Photo courtesy of Cathy Hobbs)

As home staging always means highlighting the positives and downplaying the negatives, the overall visual presentation is key. Because many homes that are staged are owner occupied, a stager will either ask the home seller to remove a number of pieces in order to rent, or in some cases purchase, replacement furnishings.

Or, what happens more often in this economy is to use furniture a home seller already owns. I call the process “shopping the house” when I set out on a treasure hunt to see what items a homeowner may have hidden in a closet, attic, or in simply another room.

A living room before staging. (Photo courtesy of Cathy Hobbs)

It may be hard for home sellers to “re-imagine” their home using items they already own, which is where a Certified Staging Professional comes in.

Recently, while teaching the three-day Certified Staging Professionals course in Arlington, Va., my students and I executed a dramatic before-and-after transformation without spending a single penny! Before the staging, an attached home in Arlington (a suburb of Washington, D.C.) was lingering on the market. Upon entry, I quickly noticed a home that was full of “stuff” but void of life. There were rooms with no clear function, some used as storage areas and poorly laid out.

In “shopping the house” we first went in search for large attractive furniture items we could use to create a solid floor plan and flow, and then from there fill in the gaps with accessories and artwork.

A bedroom after staging and styling by Cathy Hobbs. (Photo courtesy of Cathy Hobbs)

We also wanted to make sure each room sent the message of being functional and spacious. As all of the walls in the main living areas were white, we wanted to create a neutral color palette in order to appeal to the largest amount of potential buyers while also adding a sense of vibrancy and color to the space, which we did using artwork and accessories.

“Shopping the house” is a technique I was asked to use when the producers of the nationally syndicated program The Nate Berkus Show asked me to stage a home for a Connecticut home seller. “Shopping

The same bedroom with some of the same furniture, before staging. (Photo courtesy of Cathy Hobbs)

the house” not only saves money but can truly be an opportunity to refresh and renew.

My approach to interior design and home staging is based on my overall design vision and philosophy behind my brand design recipes, determining how a potential user needs to live and function in the space, while also creating an environment that is aesthetically pleasing and appeals to the largest audience.

To execute this staging, here’s my design recipe:
• Pack away all unused items
• Determine a floor plan
• “Shop the house” for your largest items first
• Select pieces that coordinate, but do not necessarily “match”
• Fill in rooms with art and accessories
• Incorporate color through accessories and accents
• Step back, evaluate, edit if necessary

Cathy Hobbs, ASID, LEED AP, CSP

Five-time Emmy award-winning television personality Cathy Hobbs is the founder of Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes™, a New York City-based firm specializing in interior design, home staging, and home-staging training. A nationally known design expert, Cathy was a finalist on Season 6 of HGTV’s hit reality series Design Star. Cathy is currently traveling around the country as an instructor for Certified Staging Professionals, teaching their prestigious three-day certification course. www.cathyhobbs.com.

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HERE IS JUST SOME OF THE PRESS COVERAGE WE RECEIVED FROM A RECENT CLASS HELD NEAR BALTIMORE, MARYLAND!!

Cathy’s Top Home Staging Tips

1. Clear the clutter–this sounds simple enough, but if your home is not free of excess furniture and clutter it will simply take longer to sell.

2. Check the price — most buyers make decisions in large part based on price.  It is critical that your home is priced correctly.

3. Shop the competition– I suggest to a lot of my sellers that they go to open houses and really see what their competition has to offer.

4. Neutralize and de-personalize — you want potential home buyers to feel that it could be their home, not your home.

5. Make minor repairs- now is not the time to skimp. Paint those steps that haven’t been painted in years or replace that front door. Your will be glad you did!

6. Hire a cleaning crew-it is imperative that your home is spic and span, especially kitchens and bathrooms.

7. Rent furniture or purchase accessories if necessary--sometimes it isn’t about the fact that your home is furnished, but what kind of furniture it is furnished with. When marketing your property you want to make sure that the furniture and accessories to not come across as outdated or inappropriate.

8. Paint--I have never seen a property that did not benefit from fresh coat of paint when it came time to sell.

9. Don’t forget curb appeal-- remember many potential buyers will judge the inside of a home by what they see on the outside. Make sure the landscaping is well kept as well as exterior elements such as shutters, front doors and driveways.

10. Hire a Certified Staging Professional (CSP) to stage your home–you wouldn’t perform surgery on yourself so why would you not trust your biggest asset your home to a professional.

Ehow.com recently approached me looking for my tips on how apartment renters can decorate their homes without making permanent changes. The reality is, especially in urban cities like New York where I live that a large majority of people are apartment dwellers and many of them renters. There are a number of “portable” design changes that you can implement so that you can enjoy your home and then take it with you when the time comes!

HERE IS JUST SOME OF THE PRESS COVERAGE WE RECEIVED FROM A RECENT CLASS HELD NEAR BALTIMORE, MARYLAND!!

When it comes to interior design, blue remains one of the most popular and one of the most universal.  As an interior designer, what I love most about using blue is that like a great black dress, I can “dress it up or dress it down”.  Moreover, because blue comes in so many different shades, tones, tints and colors, I feel I can pair it with so many different colors ranging from red to chocolate.  When it comes to my clients, however I feel that clients are often afraid to take the plunge! Color can be scary and often when it comes to such a bold color as blue, people are afraid to incorporate such a strong color into their décor.  I believe blue can be used virtually anywhere, from bathrooms to bedrooms and even kitchens.  I also love using blue in different ways from paint colors, upholstered furniture pieces and accents.

HERE IS JUST SOME OF THE PRESS COVERAGE WE RECEIVED FROM A RECENT CLASS HELD NEAR BALTIMORE, MARYLAND!!