~ Hi there! On HGTV's Hit Reality TV Show DESIGN STAR, I sewed, painted & sawed my way through some pretty tough challenges, but design doesn't have to be hard! I believe in combining simple, timeless design ingredients to create what I call "Design Recipes". I hope you find this to be a truly awesome resource. www.design-recipes.com contains design tips, articles, podcasts, how-to videos and of course design recipes galore! I invented Design Recipes simply because I love sharing my ideas! For years I collected design magazines, tagged and clipped pages with inspirational images & did nothing! That's because I didn't have the resource information so I could purchase the beautiful furniture I was seeing on the pages of the magazines! With Design Recipes, I SHARE how the room was executed, giving you the basic design tools needed for you to recreate the same look on your own and best of all I give you all of the resource information! Enjoy!
In case you missed it, my article for how to use oriental rugs appeared in Epoch Times yesterday! Find the article here.
The main draw for oriental rugs is their bold patterns. They are intricate and beautiful, but need to be styled accordingly to present a room properly without overcrowding it.
My Tips: This rug has living room written all over it. Use a sofa to anchor the rug and then add two end tables on either side, a coffee table in the center, with two side chairs opposite the sofa.
Choose a taupe sofa to highlight the rug’s ivory main field, and then bring out the other colors with accessories and artwork with accents of orange, indigo, and even a touch of turquoise. To liven up the room, incorporate a turquoise accent wall.
My Tips: So often, area rugs used in foyers, hallways, or kitchens are high on function but low on visual interest. Try placing a kilim prominently in these areas with nothing on it or around it, and let it be the star of the show.
What paint goes best?
When it comes to paint color, have fun! Go bold with a rich orange or rich pepper.
My Tips: Runners can either be used functionally, to remove dirt from muddy feet, or they can have aesthetic purposes such as working as a visual “connector” from room to room. This runner has so many wonderful colors that it would pair nicely with an elegant piece of wood furniture, such as a sideboard flanking its longer end in a foyer or hallway.
What paint goes best? If you are interested in reading more, find the rest of my list and tips at Epoch Times!
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Interior Designer Cathy Hobbs (Photo by: Max Flatow)
2012 was a good year. All those who I love and who love me have their health and I still have mine. As someone who lost one of my closest friends to cancer 2 years ago, I appreciate life more than ever. Ever since I was 18 years old, I have written down my year “goals” in a diary. When I was 18, the goals were more basic, goals like “graduate from high school” or “get into the college of my choice” those types of things. As I entered into my 20’s and the competitive field of journalism they changed toward career and less personal. In my 30’s a shift back to personal, less career. With my loving husband and beautiful child by my side, my highest hopes and dreams have been fulfilled. Three years ago, I took a leap of faith — ending a celebrated 20 year career run as a television news reporter and anchor to transition full time into a new career as an Interior Designer…a career that is still evolving. First and foremost, I need to thank my mother and loving husband who have ALWAYS believed in me. My brother, who is proud of me no matter what and my daughter who always helps me keep life in perspective. I am so thankful I could be there for your special moments, like the first day of school and pumpkin picking! Mama’s first. Here is a highlight of a year in review..sorry folks I made a decision long ago, to not place personal photos on my blog, hope you understand.
The professional success of this year would truly not be possible without the tireless efforts of a woman who I think is one of the best publicists in the business, Teona Ostrov. She literally spends a portion of every day trying to open doors and secure opportunities, even in her sleep! LOL Thank you for a fabulous 2012!
The year started off with a BANG — with a major national placement in the January issue of REDBOOK. The topic: How to bring the color blue into the bedroom.
A long time fan of LXTV Open House, it was indeed a highlight when I was asked to appear on the show in February of 2012, sharing my tips on how to stage a home for the most amount of money in the shortest amount of time.
Cathy Hobbs on LXTV Open House I was honored to be invited to create a Super Bowl segment on WPIX –– a station where I spent 12 years as a reporter and anchor, the longest stint of my 20 year career. PIX will always hold a special place in my heart and although I no longer work there. Thanks guys for helping to still keep me on the air!
Cathy Hobbs appearing on the PIX Morning Show
I was humbled and honored to have been selected as the keynote speaker at the RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) annual convention THE premiere organization for home stagers and re-designers. My sincere thanks to President Shell Brodnax.
I also enjoyed an incredible year as a national trainer for CSP, Certified Staging Professionals THE industry standard in Home Staging Training and education. From San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas to Columbia, Maryland, Arlington, Virginia, Greenville, NC and Atlanta, GA, I trained home stagers coast to coast. Be sure to check out http://www.stagingtraining.com for my 2013 teaching schedule. Thank you CSP President Christine Rae for your continued support and charmed vision!
The absolute media highlight of the year was being selected by IKEA and O, The Oprah Magazine for a year long campaign known as “The Life Improvement Project”. I was selected as the Green Expert for “The Life Improvement Squad” along with three other experts from across the country. I am so thrilled to be a part of this incredible project. You can learn more at http://www.thelifeimprovementproject.com
Cathy Hobbs with Erin Gates, Amy Atlas, and Susan Hyatt fellow members of the Life Improvement Squad headed by Lisa Ling.
IKEA and O, The Oprah Magazine officially launched “The Life Improvement Project” at O You! in October in Los Angeles. What an honor to meet Oprah! The lives she has touched and the people she continues to motivate is awe inspiring! Be sure to look for me in both O, The Oprah Magazine and on OWN in Spring 2013.
Behind the scenes of my spread in the November issue of O, The Oprah Magazine.
Highlights from some of the other placements this year included the always fabulous Bella NYC, USA TODAY, The Huffington Post, The Costco Connection, All You (Walmart’s in store magazine), Sheknows.com, SELF and The NY Daily News.
We continue to expand into new markets like Long Island and New Jersey reaching potential new clients monthly! This photo shoot was for a feature in Long Island Pulse magazine. Thank you photographer Max Flatow for the beautiful photos!! I would also like to thank Barbara Bilkerdijk, my long time makeup artist along with fellow makeup artist Karen E. Duncan for always helping to make me look my best!!
Cathy Hobbs with power broker Scott Harris of Brown Harris Stevens and Emily Smith of WCBS-TV.
One of my professional highlights of the year was staging and helping to sell a $6 million dollar penthouse located at 45 East 30th Street. The listing and staging, covered by WCBS-TV.
Cathy Hobbs Staged $6 Million Penthouse As Featured on WCBS-TV
Appearing with BETTER TV Show Host Audra Lowe on her nationally syndicated show.
After appearing on HGTV Design Star Season 6, in 2011. I continue to meet and keep in touch with show alum. Hilari Younger of Season 7 and I have become mutual cheerleaders. Jordan Cappella also of Season 7, thank you for the continued shout outs! Sorry we missed each other for drinks in LA. Next time! Karl Sponholtz THANK YOU! for your continued support. Tyler Wisler you are my “go to guy” always a supportive friend. Doug Hines is a wonderful person who continues to “keep it real”. And to Antonio Ballatore –a chance meeting in Las Vegas turned into quite an insightful chat. Continued success everyone! Keep on keeping on!
Cathy Hobbs and Tyler Wisler of HGTV Design Star
Cathy Hobbs and Doug Hines of HGTV Design Star
Cathy Hobbs and Antonio Ballatore of HGTV Design Star
I would like to thank The Epoch Times and the ever patient and encouraging real estate editor Christine Lin for keeping my bi-weekly international home staging column in print and on newsstands. A year and a half in the running!
Ehow where I am a regular contributor asked me this year to host my own web series. I had a blast!!! The 13-episode web series is now part of the popular how-to site!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW CATHY HOBBS WEB SERIES ON EHOW.COM
ABOUT EHOW.COM: Since launching in 1999, eHow has become the “go-to authority” in online expert content. Ehow is an online how-to guide with more than 1 million articles and 170,000 videos offering step-by-step instructions. Ehow.com receives more than 46 million visitors to its site each month.
As the year comes to a close, we are thrilled to be selected by USA Today HOME Magazine for a two page feature. The magazine will be on newsstands through early 2013.
One of the highlights of the Holiday Season this year was being selected by the Sofitel New York as a judge along with Jill Zarin from Bravo’s Real Housewives of New York to select the winning holiday design for their lobby this year. Congratulations to all of the students from The Art Institute of New York City who participated!!
Last but not least…
This year, I fulfilled a lofty and lifelong goal of having my own line of branded products. The Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes Paint Collection for Mythic Paint is a 12-color paint collection of eco-friendly sustainable paints. Mythic Paint has also named me as its’ Exclusive Brand Ambassador. The goal is for the paint line to be one of many product lines developed under the Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes brand, fingers crossed!
The launch party for my paint line was held at Bobby Berk Home in SOHO. More than 100 press and industry professionals were on hand for the official launch party.
ABOUT CATHY HOBBS:
HGTV Design Star Season 6 Finalist, 5-time Emmy award winning television personality and National Interior Design Expert Cathy Hobbs (ASID/LEED AP) is the founder of the interior design firm Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes based in New York City. An ASID, NCIDQ Certified Interior Designer and LEED AP, Cathy’s firm specializes in full interior design services, sustainable design, new development construction and home staging/styling. With design studios in Brooklyn, New York and The Hudson Valley. Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes is currently working in the NYC Tri-State Area, including, Long Island and New Jersey, The Hudson Valley and The Berkshires. Cathy is known for her clean, modern, timeless interiors that infuse pattern, color and texture as well as her “Hollywood Glamour” approach to design. From small studio apartments to gracious homes, Cathy’s approach is to blend her professional expertise flawlessly with a homeowner’s wish list and aesthetic to create an impeccable design.
Cathy has recently introduced two new interior design services: approachable, step by step interior design resource guides in the form of “recipes”, hundreds of Design Recipes™ are available through Cathy’s site http://www.design-recipes.com. Additionally, Cathy offers the affordable, consultation interior design service Design On Delivery™ (www.designondelivery.com), offering unparalleled design services to DIY design enthusiasts at a reasonable cost. Cathy’s design philosophy is based on “approachable” design, working with various budgets in order to achieve the best design possible for her clients. A regular contributor and expert for local and national media outlets, Cathy has been featured on programs like “The Nate Berkus Show”, “HGTV’s Top Ten”, “LXTV’s Open House”, “The PIX Morning News”, “Living Large” on WCBS-TV”, “Martha Stewart Living-Radio” and is currently a regular contributor to the prominent shelter sites Sheknows.com, Ehow, Shoptopia and Cotton Candy Magazine. To learn more about Cathy and her work, go to www.cathyhobbs.com.
Interior Designer Cathy Hobbs (photo by: Max Flatow)
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! HERE’S TO A HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS 2013!
When it comes to selling a home, the sale still often hinges on kitchens and bathrooms. These spaces still remain at the top of a potential buyers list as far as level of importance. As for home sellers, when it comes time to sell your home, you may or may not want to spend the money to renovate. Bathrooms especially lend themselves to an opportunity for a home seller if he or she chooses, to perhaps take on a DIY project and in turn increase the value of their home without spending much money. There are several key areas that a homeowner can focus on to give a bathroom a quick uplift without spending a bundle.
Replace the toilet
Replacing a toilet is not an expensive upgrade, and in fact is a upgrade that is typically under $300.00. I new toilet can instantly add a fresh look.
Replace the bathroom countertop
There are lots of options that a home owner can take on – here are some of my top tips!
From laminates to single-slab surfaces that include marble, granite and quartz, or other materials like concrete or wood, replacing a countertop is a great bathroom DIY project. While some of these surfaces are more expensive than others, each of them requires something called templating in which a slab is cut to a precise size with cutouts made to accommodate the sink and faucet. While I would not suggest a home owner create a template themselves, they could install one on their own.
Looking for a super affordable option? Especially when it comes to laminated surfaces, countertops can also be transformed with a couple of coats of paint!
Replace bathroom tile
Believe it or not tiling does not require a high level of skill—these days most tiles come on a mesh background which makes the installation easy and all you have to do is create an easy mix grout and apply! Tile can be used on both the walls, shower enclosures and countertops.
Add Bead board or wainscoting
When it comes to traditional or country style residences, bead board is extremely popular. While this is typically done using individual planks of wood, one can also create from ready made bead board sheets typically sold in big box stores, all you need is a staple gun and you are ready to go!
Replace Cabinet doors or paint them
No ready to splurge on new cabinets? Well if your cabinets are made out of wood, refinishing them may be a great project for you to take on! All you have to do is sand down the doors, paint the doors with a primer and add a fresh coat of paint! A great alternative is to also replace the cabinet doors, which is an affordable option as well.
Replace fixtures or towel bars
You would be surprised how shiny and fresh a bathroom can look with a shiny new faucet or spruced up towel bars. Not only are these items not expensive, replacing them are the perfect DIY for any homeowner who has a wrench and some muscle!
Replace Doors and door handles
Replacing doors and door handles are not only one of my affordable DIY tips for bathrooms but the entire home!
In this economy it is more important than ever for home sellers to be able to sell their homes without spending a “bundle”. “Shopping your home” can be a feasible alternative for those looking to stage on a budget.
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.
Stage! Shoot! Sell! When it comes to selling real estate, photography can seal or sink a deal. The reality is that the vast majority of potential buyers first discover a property through the internet. It is also true that photography is what prompts potential buyers to want to see a property in person.
But perhaps one of the biggest parts of this powerful equation is the staging and styling that should precede those all-important photographs. I recently partnered with Manhattan’s most prominent photography company Gotham Photo. They asked me to stage and style for some of their residential shoots, so I arrived with a goodie bag of my “must-haves.”
Staged and styled by Cathy Hobbs. (Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes)
My goodie bag consists of some of the “tricks of the trade” that I use when staging for photography. At the top of my list is always incorporating a beautiful floral arrangement to use as a centerpiece on a table, dining room console, bedside table, or bathroom countertop.
My arrangements of choice—and I am truly giving away one of my best-kept secrets here—are luxurious artificial floral arrangements from Diane James (www.dianejameshome.com). What makes these arrangements a must-have, whether it’s for staging or decorating in general, is how incredibly real they look and the vibrancy of color and texture they add to a space.
Other must-have items in my grab bag include decorative toss pillows in several different colors, a neutral-colored throw, a white sheet, neutral-colored shower curtain, a simple vase, and tray.
While my bag is brimming, these are some of my essential tools that any homeowner can keep in their “bag of tricks” when it comes time to sell their own home. A white sheet will come in handy as a potential quick slipcover over an armchair or loveseat. Toss pillows in rich, deep colors will add an instant sense of freshness and warmth. Solid jewel or warm tones are best.
A home seller will always be able to find a home for a neutral-colored throw, whether it is on a sofa, settee, chair, or ottoman. And nothing neutralizes and adds luxury to a bathroom quite like thick, plush towels, paired with a neutral and inviting shower curtain. “Lifestyle” elements and accessories such as a modern vase and tray will help complete the look.
Professional photographers charge $500–$3,000 a day, and while the cost is usually assumed by the real estate brokerage, it is still possible with a good quality SLR camera for a savvy home seller to photograph a property themselves.
Here are some of my top photography tips:
Use natural light and photograph your property only during the day
Take photographs from all four corners of a space
Edit and de-clutter your space prior to the shoot
Bring in simple accessories
Change light bulbs to ensure great lighting
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 and home staging. A nationally known design expert, Cathy was a finalist on eason 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 3-day certification course. www.cathyhobbs.com.
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