Blog -Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Market Research- The Key to Successful Home Staging

Market research is the first thing you should do before developing a plan for staging your house if you want to make top dollar on your home sale. I know, market research sounds boring. Why should you care? Market research can tell you the price range that similar houses are selling for, to give you an idea of the low and high end you could list your house for. You want to be on the high end of course! It is all based on what kind of shape the house is in, how much maintenance needs to be done, Read more [...]

The Colors of Summer- Bring the Outside In

Summer is one of my favorite times of year. It’s warm and the outdoors beckons, the colors explode with flowers, fruit, an explosion of green growth and the showiness of all the male birds. There is a feeling of abundance and adventure. Completion of all the things you have sown. It is bold and beautiful.Would you like to have that same look and feeling inside in your home year round? Take some color and other cues from nature and bring the outside in. Here is an example of what I mean.This picture Read more [...]

Build your home selling team- Part 2- Find a Great Realtor

If you are getting ready to sell your home, its time to gather the key members of your home selling team to help you prepare for a successful home sale. That team includes a professional home stager, a great real estate photographer and a Realtor with your best interests as their number one priority! How do you find the best people for your home selling team?  In Part 1, I discussed how to find a great home stager. Now, lets discuss how to find a great Realtor. Here is some advice from two Read more [...]

Ready to Sell: How to Get and Keep Your Home Clean

Selling your home is no easy feat. But before you can juggle offers, nail negotiations, and work on closing, you have to get your home ready for the market. Staging your house is one of the most important parts of the sales process. By making sure your property is at its best for a photoshoot, you increase your chances of finding a buyer willing to pay a great price.Here are some tips for getting your home clean and tidy for listing: Photo by Sidekix Media on Unsplash Decluttering Read more [...]

Lose Weight, Quit Smoking, Get Healthy and Peaceful Without Pain

How are you feeling about yourself? How are you feeling about yourself? Photo by Taylor Smith on Unsplash Do you like the way you look?Are you healthy and happy?Do you feel peaceful, abundant and grateful for all you have?Do you love the way you start each day?Why do so many of us go on for years without changing our lives for the better? I know for me it has always been the struggle between the short-term pain versus the long-term gain.Imagine Read more [...]

What Does Your Art Mean?

When you pick art for your space, what does your art mean? Why do you pick it? What does it mean to you and to the space? Is it just about the colors, shapes and patterns or does it have special meaning to you such as the remembrance of a feeling, an adventure, a loved one or an event?As an artist who creates the art for your space, the meaning behind what I create is important to me. I usually create abstract art that is not about a specific person, place or event but is more about the colors, shapes Read more [...]

Are you Living Your Dharma?

In the last 3 weeks, I have been thinking of my dharma quite a bit. Interestingly, I did not know what this term meant before that. But it keeps coming up and jumping out in front of me.  “Hey, you, I’m your dharma…are you paying attention”?  Well OK, now I am. Who are you and what do you want?“I am your purpose in life. Your true calling – what you were put here to do”. OK, well, you are a little fuzzy and nebulous. Could you make yourself a little clearer?  “Yeah, but you Read more [...]

Tips for Converting Your Home into a Rental Property

When most people move into a new home, they sell their old property. But this isn’t your only option! If you want to skip the stress of marketing your home and negotiating with buyers—especially during the age of social distancing—consider turning it into a rental property. Converting your residence into a rental is a great way to get into the world of real estate investing and earn some passive income. Here are some tips and tricks to help you get set up and find your first tenants! Make Read more [...]

I Bet You Made These Three Color Mistakes

I Bet you. Why? Because most people do. Why? Because this bad advice is all over the internet. Why? Because people continue to repeat this bad information on blogs and in forums, so most people think it is true. Mistake #1-Testing paint colors against a white background People often think white is a perfect neutral background to see the true characteristics of the color they are testing.  Looking at your color against the old paint color can affect your perception of the new color. White Read more [...]

Make Magic Happen When You Start with the Art

Do you wonder how to make the magic happen in a room, where all the colors, textures and pieces fit together just right? Maybe you've tried it several times and somehow the end result was off, but you couldn’t figure out why? Did you spend a lot of money buying pieces you loved but were not happy with the way everything looked together? Is there some magic formula to make it happen? Why yes, there is!  Start with the art!I may be a little biased, because I am both a designer and an artist, but Read more [...]