We're Baaaaaaccckkkk!!!

After a hiatus ... We're Baaaccckkk!!

Single motherhood + entrepreneurship = tough road (Especially the way the economy was headed!) However, I TRULY believe this journey is SO worth it and I am happy to say that my kids and I are on the right track!!

I truly was missing the world of Redesign, Decorating, Staging, Color Consults SO VERY MUCH! Recently, just as I was trying to find a new teaching position, a past Redesign EXPRESS client asked me if I was interested in a staging job... that has turned into a redesign consult! Then, one past client called and another emailed me on Facebook. IS THAT A SIGN OR WHAT??

Redesign EXPRESS is ready to begin again! This time bigger and better! Can I get a "Whooo Hooo" ????

Here's how you can help...
~ Check out the new and improved website
~ If I have worked with you, I'd love a review from you. Email it to me and I'll attach it to your before/after picture(s) on my website!!
~ Also, a review on THUMBTACK, would be great!
~ Share us on FACEBOOK! Search and friend the Redesign EXPRESS page!
~ Pin pictures from BLOGGER (see link below) or pictures from my website on your PINTEREST account (especially if there's a before/after picture of a room I've done for you)!
 ~ Follow my BLOG
~ Tell your friends and family!

Thanks so much for helping!! So many of you have been integral in promoting Redesign EXPRESS!

Check out my event this Tuesday!!!!

Redesigning Your Rooms

Many times, my clients think that their rooms are missing something or do not feel "right".   Unfortunately, most people think that buying new things will finish off these rooms.  But, rather than spending money on home décor items, save it and, instead, try redesigning your rooms.

Shows, like HGTV's "Decorating Cents", feature the “art” of Interior Redesign, which is changing the way people think about decorating.  This trend is exploding in popularity because this "use-what-you-have" decorating method honors homeowner's furnishings, accessories and artwork and is budget-friendly.

The first step in redesign is to figure out the purpose or function of your room.  Is it a conversation area?  Is it a TV room?  Is it a reading area?  What do you and your family members want to do in that room?  You will need to take into consideration the opinions of everyone that lives in your home.  Make sure you are on the same page or try to be flexible and have your room satisfy more than one purpose (a reading chair in the family room when the TV is not being used).

Once you have discussed the function of the room, you will be ready to go further.  You can use this first step as a "call to action" and, then, after you have worked it out with your family, we'll go on to the next step.

        The picture, above, shows a 

      Family Room where the function 

           of the room to watch TV.

Sue Motto Burky is a Professional Interior Redesigner and the owner of Redesign EXPRESS. If you would like more information about redesign, you can go to www.RedesignExpress.com.

Feeling industrious!!!!

There are so many budget-friendly ways to make your home beautiful and I decided that I need to figure out some budget-friendly ways to continue doing what I love!!! My wheels are turning.....

...I feel a resurgence of Redesign EXPRESS! Off to redesign my biz!!! Whoo hooo!!

Staging Tips for the Spring Selling Season

Spring has sprung and if you are planning on putting your house on the market, now is the time to get it ready to sell. Houses that are priced right and in good condition are what people are looking for, and with the large inventory of homes for sale, buyers have their choice and are looking for the best.

Below are steps a homeowner should follow to make their homes look their best and ensure that they get the best price. The staging process requires objective assessment and a willingness to repair, paint, edit, clean and re-arrange from the front curb to the back fence of the house.

The first impression starts outside and speaks volumes about what is on the inside, making the buyer want to come in. You will want to make outside repairs, have the lawn freshly mowed, and prune bushes and trees. Bring your front door to life with a fresh coat of paint and a spring wreath. Set planters near the door and plant some colorful annuals in the front yard.

Next, go through your home as a potential buyer. Look for things that you never got around to fixing. Many small nuisances give the impression that a house needs a decent amount of work.

Nothing lifts the energy of a home as instantly as a fresh coat of paint. Paint your home in light warm colors that appeal to a majority of buyers.

Remember, you are selling space; your home is not a furniture showroom. If you plan on giving away furniture before you move, do it now. If pieces are important to you, consider moving them to a storage unit. When a potential buyer looks at your home, there should be enough open space for them to visualize their things in the room.

You will want to pack away all but a few personal items and reduce the number of accessories and knick-knacks, especially personal photos. You will also want to clear clutter from the garage, closets, and bedrooms. Worn bedspreads, shams, mats, towels and shower curtains should be replaced.

Thoroughly clean the entire home including carpets, draperies, blinds, and windows. Bathrooms should have a spa feeling and kitchens should be immaculate. Mustiness, smoke, dampness, strong food or pet odors are instant turn-offs.

Now, you are ready to showcase your home. A home looks warm and welcoming with great light. You may need to purchase up-lights or lamps. Position furniture to enhance your home’s features, add a few inexpensive accessories and re-hang a few pictures. Add color to your rooms with throw pillows and blankets, bowls of fruit, fresh or good quality silk flowers, green plants or trees.

The keys to selling your home are preparation and presentation. Start your preparation now and present your home in the best possible light and your home will ultimately garner top dollar when you put it on the market.

Sue Motto Burky is a Professional Home Stager and the owner of Redesign EXPRESS. If you would like more information staging, you can call 847-463-6115 or go to www.RedesignExpress.com.

Redesign for Hearth and Home...

As Fall and Winter approach, many homeowners are looking to give their homes a “hearth and home” feel. During these times when cabin fever tends to set in, rooms seem to be missing something or do not feel right. Unfortunately, most people think that buying new things will finish off these rooms. Shows, like HGTV's "Decorating Cents", feature the Art of Interior Redesign which is changing the way people think about decorating. This trend is exploding in popularity because the "use-what-you-have” decorating method honors homeowner’s furnishings, accessories and artwork and is budget-friendly. So, rather than spending money on home décor items, save it for upcoming gift-giving occasions and, instead, give these tips a try and redesign your own rooms.

1. Do one room at a time and focus on the function of each individual room. How do you use it? Is the TV the main focus? Do you want a conversation area? Do you love your view? Once you know your goals and your main focal points for the room, you can start the actual redesign process.

2. Clear the room of artwork, accessories, lamps, plants and small furnishings and put them in a “resource area”. Try to keep “like” items together (all the wrought-iron pieces, or pottery, or old books, or glass items). Arrange artwork along the floor against the wall for easy viewing, keeping similar colors and same “themed” pictures together.

3. In the empty room, you can start organizing the upholstered furniture. Concentrate on the focus and the purpose of the room as you re-arrange. Windows and fireplaces are natural focal points, but the TV may need to be in viewing range. Set it up so that the furniture fits with the shape of the room, the focus, and the purpose. Don’t be afraid to angle furniture especially in a square-shaped room. Make sure you have enough space between furniture and do not obstruct entryways or walkways and avoid making a walkway through a conversation area.

4. Arrange wooden furniture, plants and lamps around sofas and chairs, trying to vary the heights of different objects. There should be at least three lamps for ample light and to add warmth (floor lamps can also add height) and you’ll want to try to position them in a triangle configuration to spread out the light. Incorporate greenery and plants when you can to add life (trees also add height).

5. Hang pictures at eye-level from a sitting position on sofas or chairs in a conversation areas and from a standing position in hallways. When accessorizing or grouping pictures, bring in odd numbers of “like” items and keep them close to each other. Try to add splashes of color and softness with throw pillows or a blanket. You can always “shop” around your house for finishing touches.

Once you are finished “redesigning”, cozy up for those chilly nights in your “new” rooms where you can unwind, converse, relax and dream with all of your amazing things.

Remember: You can always check out www.redesignexpress.com if you'd like me to help you out with your decorating dilemmas.

Don't know where to start? Try this...

What is your decorating “style”?

Many people, when they find out that I am a decorator and redesigner, ask me how I come up with the ideas for my clients’ homes and tell me that they wish they had someone like me to come in and tell them what to do with their rooms.

But, believe it or not, it isn’t up to me to decide how to decorate your room; it has to come from you! A good decorator isn’t going to take an empty room and put all of his/her ideas and tastes into that space. It isn’t about what ‘we’ like; it’s about what ‘you’ like!!

So, how do you get started and determine which decorating style is yours? Start, the way decorators do, develop a “style file”. Before I work with my decorating clients, I have them do some “homework”. Then, when I go into their home, we can take a look at what they have in their rooms and develop a plan to take them where they want to go!

Do some research:
1. Take a trip to the drug store, bookstore, library, and/or online decorating sites.
2. Find magazines that appeal to you and collect pictures of things that catch your eye...like a particular piece of furniture, a really cool lamp, a wall color, window treatments, a fabric, accessories or a picture of a whole room because of the feeling that it gives you.
3. Tear out the pages and make notes on post-its right on the pages so you remember why you saved them.
4. Also, go to decorating websites and print pages
5. Go to paint stores or the paint section of your hardware store and pull paint swatches. Many of the bigger cards show examples of colors on walls in rooms. And, two of the top names in paint have websites that you can upload a picture of your room and try different colors out.
6. You will also want to find examples of what you DON’T like, especially if you’re going to be working with a decorator. This will help you clarify what you want to stay away from!

Take inventory of your room:
1. Start collecting samples of existing fabrics or colors that are going to stay in the room
2. If you’re not changing the carpeting, clip a small square of the carpeting from the left-over remnants or out of a closet
3. If you want to keep your grandmother’s side chair, use paint chips from your local paint store to match it as closely as possible and have those with you
4. Take photos of the room and any of the pieces you will be keeping
5. You will also want to take measurements of the rooms and the furniture
6. Collect all of your pictures and samples and organize them in a way that makes sense to you. You can do it by room or by idea (such as furniture ideas, lighting, colors, fabrics, or window treatments).
7. Keep all of your samples in an accordion file to help you stay organized.
8. Keep it in your car so when you are out shopping, you won’t have to make another trip back home to see if it's the right color, size, or if it will "go".

As you start to collect a fair amount of items you will start to see a pattern and similarities. The style that you didn’t think you had, will suddenly emerge. Have fun!

I will be doing articles like this in the future and if you have questions that you’d like answered or topic ideas…comment below and I will be happy to address your concerns!

Decorate away!

Love,
Sue