Questions for Kimo:

Vignettes: Form Follows Function.  

In the staging world vignettes can save you time and money while informing the buyer how a particular space might function.

Instead of completely furnishing  a spare bedroom, for instance, with all the typical trappings such as a bed, night stand, dresser, armoire, lighting and accessories you might instead use just a bed, night stand and lamp. The observer will easily deduct that the room is a bedroom with these three items sparing the expense of the additional furniture and accessories.

The same minimalism will work for auxiliary rooms such as home offices, craft, media and game rooms. It is considered unadvisable to use vignettes in primary rooms like master bedrooms living and family rooms for these rooms are what motivate a buyer and should be staged accordingly.

Vignettes can and should be utilized in spaces that are not easily defined or in areas that might serve a function that is not readily understood to the casual observer. The foyer is a prime example of how vignettes can create function in an area that is often left empty.  

In this example we created a space where one can sit to remove shoes, place keys and check oneself in the mirror before leaving or entering the house.  We Used an antique brass moroccan side table with an ultra suede ottoman with matching suede lampshade. 

 

A hallway is another opportunity to give use to often overlooked space. Mirrors can visually enlarge the space and create a focal point. Decorative moldings can refine and add an air of sophistication, a console table creates a space for accessories and floral arrangements, providing color and visual interest.

In the example on the right we used pink eucalyptus to add contrasting color and soothing fragrance, white molding to suggest  a classic Wedgwood look and Chinese figurines on an antique Asian consol table.

The vignette, when used correctly can leave a powerful impression on the potential buyer at minimal cost and is one of many tools staging professionals use in their craft.

 

 

JDS Consulting- Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog: Questions for Kimo: Decor Design & all things Hawaiian- www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com  tel.+1.808.344.1264  Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2008

Questions for Kimo: I hear the Volcanic smog in Hawaii is pretty bad, should I change my travel plans?

At the present time the air condition here on Oahu is the worst I've ever seen it.

It has been reported that sulfur dioxide gas and other pollutants emitted from Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island, commonly known as vog (volcanic smog), can cause problems with those who suffer from respiratory ailments such as asthma.  

If your planning to visit the islands any time soon I would keep yourself updated on the weather conditions particularly if you have respiratory issues. Trade winds usually keep the vog at bay for Mau'i, Lana'i  Moloka'i, Oahu & Kaua'i.

As for the Big Island I would be leary of visiting Hilo anytime soon if you have any repiratory issues.

Here is a link to give you some better information on the nature and hazards of vog.

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs169-97/

 

Impatiens are a virtue... when it comes to curb appeal!  

 

 

A little flower can go along way in sprucing up your curb appeal. In this case the little flower is the impatien.

 

This hardy part sun, part shade annual comes in many colors, and grows quickly. I like them because they take minimal care and produce vibrant and beautiful blossoms.

 

Whether you plant them in beds or pots these little flowers create a big impact on your curb appeal at little cost and little effort.

 

 

photos by Kimo

Here is example of one of our colorful curb appeal projects and how a vibrant contrasting color like this bright magenta can have on a green house.

By adding several pots, lining the stairs and porch the color leads the eye right to the front door.

These hardy plants don't do well in the direct sun so make sure they have some shade. But they grow well just about everywhere from low elevation to high from Maine to Southern California & Hawaii of course.

 

JDS Consulting- Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog: Questions for Kimo: Decor Design & all things Hawaiian- www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com  tel.+1.808.344.1264  Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2008

Exciting Architecture: Santiago Calatrava and The Chicago Spire!

 

I'm a huge architecture fan and one of my favorite architects is Santiago Calatrava. His work brings me to tears as he speaks the language of nature through symmetry and movement.

There is something sublime to his work that is hard to put to words, perhaps it is the kinetic energy or the balance and harmony that is conveyed. Regardless, In my humble opinion I believe Santiago Calatrava is the greatest living architect and could quite possibly beat out ancient Egypt's Imhotep as the most innovative and provocative architect of all time.

Soon to be the tallest building in the western world is Chi-towns and Calatravas immeuble massif, The Chicago Spire.

I've been anxious to see this building take shape. No doubt the babelesq size will bring nay sayers but being the largest residential tower in the world will make things interesting for Realtors in Illinois. Taipei's, Taipei 101 is currently the tallest building in the world.

Calatrava Interview

                                                                                                            click on the photo for more

Staging a Luau: We recently had mainland friends visit and decided to throw an impromptu luau to celebrate their 6 month-old child and grand-child. Normally, it is custom to throw a luau for a baby when they reach 1 year of age but since they will be on the mainland we decided to have it early.

Luau's are held out of doors as are most parties and social gathering in Hawaii, so we moved the picnic table under the big Mango tree for ample shade.

 

For center pieces I used a potted pineapple plant, a bamboo trencher filled with ripe guava and Ka'u oranges from the yard and a small bunch of apple-bananas, a couple of wooden calabashes, and a uku'lele. I used some yellow mango leaves as a doilie for the 'uke' which imitated the look and color of the bananas, and to top it off I added a dried orange ilima lei.

A secondary table was topped with a vintage Hawaiian table cloth with a hula and palm tree motif and stacked white guava and dried huli huli gourds. We added some aloha shirt salt & pepper shakers and a pot of pink gerber daisy's.

The simple beauty of the yard makes a suburb backdrop for any gathering. With our intertwined Ilima trees of both yellow and orange, our ripening mangos and colorful flora.

Aloha & fruitful blessings to all,

 

Questions for Kimo: How do you hang art on a cinder block or concrete wall?

At some point most stagers will find themselves working with brick, cinder block, or concrete walls. For those of you who have, you can relate to the challenge of hanging anything on them. If you have ever tried to nail anything into these materials you probably found it virtually impossible and their porous nature makes most adhesives useless.  

 

In my experience I have found two products to work very well in adhering art to concrete or brick.   Hardwall hangers are amazing and are easy to install and remove, the only downside is they only hold so much weight. Using several of them can disperse the total weight of the object on the hangers and one hanger can hold about 15 lbs or 6.8kg. You basically use a hammer to nail them in but make sure the hanger is as flat against the wall as possible otherwise they can bend out of shape and become useless.When hammering use clean forcefull strokes don't hesitate or use soft blows because the hanger nails will bend and become unusable. You can find hardwall hangers at any hardware store. 

 

 

 

If you have a heavy object like wall sculpture or a super large mirror I would suggest using concrete screws. It does leave a noticeable hole when removed but it securely attaches the object without worry. You will of course need a drill. You can find concrete screws at any hardware store and they are easily recognized by their blue color.

  

 

 

 

If you have a painted concrete or brick and If the artwork weighs 5 pounds or 2.5 kilograms or lighter in weight I suggest using Velcro strips. The only down side is when you remove the Velcro from the wall it can take the paint off but if it's unpainted don't bother, the adhesive on the Velcro strip probably wont stick.  

Good luck and happy hanging.

 

 

JDS Consulting- Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog: Questions for Kimo: Decor Design & all things Hawaiian- www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com  tel.+1.808.344.1264  Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2008

 

Aloha AR,

Here's my latest staging project in Waialua, on Oahu's famous North Shore. This two bedroom, one bath condo goes on the market this week and will be priced around 220-230K. Which is low for the North Shore area.

A mere block from the beach with beautiful views of Mt. Ka'ala, this cozy condo should sell quickly. I love Waialua, it's hip, laid back, and has lots of character and characters.

Lost is filmed down the road and surfer celebrities abound. The surfing is spectacular and the sunsets are stunning.  

 

I used a very bold pumpkin brown wall color in this staging against my staging sensibilities. I really liked how it turned out, however, we'll see how the public responds at this weekend's open house.  

 

How's your curb appeal, is it Ho hum or Oh my? Do people really judge a book by it's cover, you bet.

Curb Appeal is the proverbial book cover to your home. We know that real estate is an emotional sell and staging speaks to buyers on an emotional level. Why, because it takes them by the hand and says, look you could be living here, imagine yourself living here. It is important to understand that design creates relationships, relationships in turn produce drama which then begets emotions and after all the laughter and tears, hopefully you find yourself a signed contract for the full asking price.

Sure you should'nt judge a book by it's cover but potential buyers do-it all the time. When merchandising a property it's important to take advantage of every marketing moment even if it's just to catch the attention of a passerby. You really never know who might be passing by your home at any given moment and giving good face is extremely important in establishing a great first impression.

 

 

As a design consultant I often find myself being an interpreter of sorts for my clients. I try to translate their intent into something tangiblefor potential buyers to take hold of.  Not everyone has the ability to spend hours understanding the many principles that encompass design theory and how design encompasses everything we see. Stagers utilize curb appeal to catch the eye, to make a statement, to say hey, I'm here, why not take a look inside. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My clients needed something to catch potential buyers attention in an otherwise ho hum subdivision, where all the properties look alike. At a listing price of 1 million it's important to establish a rapport of the imagination with potential buyers, to take them somewhere unique; a place they can retreat to. A place to call home. At that price point, buyers want quality fixtures and upgrades, They want something unique and in Hawaii they want the out of doors life style.

When creating a proposal we first address what the general design theme of the property is or will be. In this particular case the mid century ranch style design has an Territorial Style roof line witch combines Mission with Asian design aesthetics.

In our design proposal we suggested creating a gated ped-a-terre off the front  bedroom. We wanted to reclaim the front lawn into usable square footage and enlarge the feeling and function of the rather small front bedroom. It also creates a private entrance for potential house guests and creates a rather dynamic interplay between in-door and out-door spaces. We suggested adding mahogany stained french doors with matching Kitchen window to the right. Lava rock or flagstone foot path and brown river rock.

     

Adding a Japanese style gate matching the roof line of the house, creates an intimate space while providing a focal point for the front of the house. 

 

The garden itself would provide an additional 400 hundred plus square feet of useable outdoor living space and dramatically improve the size and feel of the front bedroom, as well as, the overall curb appeal of the property.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We suggested using this copper and stone light fixture to give the front entry that Territorial ambience.

 

 

 

 

This bronze Southeast Asian rain drum(water drops from the eves on to the drum) has a Foo dog motif and intimates the shape of the ceramic vessel water feature. It also adds an interesting conversation piece and sound element when it's raining.

Fung Shui is very popular in Hawaiian design as ancient Hawaiians practiced a very similar spiritual approach to design and the arrangement of interior and exterior spaces.

 

 

 

 

We offered custom designed vintage address numbers with Art Deco font and faux copper patina to capture the Mission & Territorial styles popular in the first half of the 20th century in hawaii. By focusing on the quality of the fixtures and the design theme we were able to offer a quick and economical solution to transform their ho hum into Oh My!

We estimated this curb appeal make over to be roughly .06% of the listing price of the house.