Great question. I’m glad you asked Usually, they are very different things. The key difference is who you are decorating or designing for.Home staging is decorating for the buyer. The goal is to make an emotional connection with them, so they can envision themselves living there and want to make an offer. You are appealing to their vision of their ideal lifestyle. To learn more about home staging, see my article, Home Staging- How it Works and What it Costs.Interior design is decorating for the Read more […]
Author: Mary Ann Benoit
President- Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Owner- Arctic Paradise Bed and Breakfast
Artist- Stained Glass, Jewelry and Alcohol Ink Art
Wildlife Biologist
Director- Kaleido World Percussion and Dance Company
Director- Tavus Dance Company of Alaska
Lover of music, art, dance and animals.
How to Make Moving Your New Favorite Thing!
I hear you laughing through your computer. Yes, I know. You are thinking yeah, right! I can hardly wait to have my life interrupted with endless showings, lay awake at night wondering if I will be able to sell for a good price or will lose money, find a new house that I actually like and can afford, pack a million boxes, move a million boxes, unpack and not know where the heck anything is for months! Yes!! I can hardly wait!OK, well, let’s think about this in a new way. How about this? I can Read more […]
2019- A Colorful and Exciting Year
Now that 2019 is in the rear-view mirror, I decided to look back and see what I did with all my time, what I accomplished and consider what’s ahead. Have you done the same? I hope the last year was all you hoped for! What the Heck I did with my time For me, 2019 this was especially meaningful as I retired last December 31st from a 33-year career as a wildlife biologist. Although I started Northern Lights Home Staging and Design five years ago, I had more time to work on my design business Read more […]
Re-Invent Yourself and Your Home in 2020
As the new year approaches, you will probably hear a lot about trends in design, color and the latest, greatest ideas in furniture and accessories. My mind is focused inward on a different way of transforming your home. I think about 2019, what I accomplished and what my life and home felt like. I’m compelled to plan for 2020 to re-invent my life, health, business and home to be the ideal expression of myself. How about you? I have been inspired lately listening to Jim Fortin’s podcast, Read more […]
Vote for my Master Bedroom Design in the Edesign Contest
I recently entered an Edesign for this global style master bedroom in a contest! We were given room dimensions and a photo, and could develop any design we wanted. I had recently seen Benjamin Moore’s new 2020 color of the year, First Light, and was not really a fan, as I am not fond of “pink or blush” for wall colors. I decided to challenge myself to come up with a design I loved using “First Light” as the wall color for this contest. The contest is for Edesigners of the Edesign Tribe of Read more […]
Home Staging- How it Works, What it Costs
Home staging is the art of decorating a home to sell fast and for top dollar. It works by highlighting the home’s best features and creating an atmosphere that buyers make an emotional connection with, so they can visualize themselves living there. Each year statistics come out that talk about things like staged homes sell 78% faster and for up to 20% more. Of course, this all depends on how well you or the realtor markets the home and if it is priced competitively to start with.Just about every Read more […]
Prepping for Sale: Home Projects That Won’t Cost You a Pretty Penny
Now that your home is ready to sell, you’ll soon be receiving money as opposed to spending it, right? Well, to get your home in tip-top shape and really grab those buyers’ attention, you’ll need to spend a little to impress a lot. Before you start to panic, rest assured that there are many budget-friendly ways to get your home ready to sell that won’t cost you a pretty penny. Consider Small Renovations There are definitely several simple ways to get your home ready to sell, but there are Read more […]
Edesign- How it Works
By now, you have probably heard of Edesign, which is sometimes called online Interior Design or Virtual Design. Edesign is a collaboration between the designer and client, where the client takes on some of the design process since the designer is not there in person to implement the design. All you DIYers out there, I am speaking your language!. As the client, you will share some of the responsibility for the design by taking room measurements, ordering the products that your designer recommends Read more […]
Ways to Use Benjamin Moore’s 2020 Color of the Year- First Light
How to Make Magic Happen with a Color You Don’t Like As a certified color strategist, I get excited when the major paint brands announce their colors of the year, and dream about how I can use the colors in a design, various global styles, or create color palettes for you to use the new colors. When I first saw Benjamin Moore’s color of the year for 2020, “First Light”, I thought “meh”. I am not a pink/blush person, and generally love working with rich saturated colors over Read more […]
Black Friday Deals to Get a Global Style Look
My inbox is overwhelmed with Black Friday specials. Some are really worth checking out! I even have a few of my own! It is a great time to get some new things to spruce up your home design. Here are a few of my top picks! But first, I just want to say Thank You!!! Thanks for being here and reading this and wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt-NPgAYC_s Gift Card- Interior Design Consultation- 50% Off From now through Cyber Monday I am offering a special service Read more […]