There has always been a push and pull between the both . . .
Minimalist design is about prioritizing the essentials. A minimalist building, object, or interior design is stripped of its core functionality.
It is realized using limited materials, neutral colors, simple forms, and avoiding excess ornamentation to achieve a pure form of elegance.
While the final expression of a minimalist design might appear effortlessly simple, as spare as a poem, and as clear as a bell, achieving this kind of powerful simplicity is anything but easy.
It takes purposeful decision-making to bring it all together.
Maximalism design is popular among younger generations, particularly millennials, who were eager to incorporate plants, mixed colors, and other accessories into their spaces.
Maximalism became a way to define an eclectic home with a chaotic array of colors, prints, objects, and textures in a single space.
Maximalism is the art of more-is-more; layered patterning, highly saturated colors, ample accessories and artwork hung “salon-style”, and a real sense of playfulness and bold gestures.
Maximalism is all about going big, or going home!
Here is a list of articles, and information about both minimalist & maximalist design:
To the basics . . . I am returning to where I started thirty-three years ago, providing my clients with Organizing & Coaching services.
People are overwhelmed with their clutter, but most American families live within chaotic family and work schedules, which keeps them in the clutter because they’re telling themselves “I don’t have time” so clutter has the time to accumulate. We can help break that cycle.
We can help you find the time, when you’re surrounded by clutter, your mindset is in total chaos – that’s where we can first help. We can partner to find a starting point along with an action plan while moving you forward to your goal.
We provide a safe place for you to start letting go of your clutter.
Here’s how a Home Stager can get the premium price from a sale
Stagers are professionals who work with real estate agents to help them sell homes by enhancing interiors for the best possible presentation. Realtors know that selling is more effective, and perceived values increase when prospective customers walk through rooms that are beautifully designed and decorated. This is where the stager can be an essential partner to the agent and the seller.
We partner with real estate agents and Property Managers like yourself in order to market your listings to their best capacity. Partnering with a professional home stager & Redesigner adds credibility to your business, tremendous value to your listing package, and ultimately results in faster, more profitable home sales. Certified Home Stagers are specially trained to work with agents to quickly transform the inside of the home so that the traffic that the agent drives to the home will result in multiple offers.
How do they do this? We use an 8-step “FEEL HOME EMOTIONS” mission in each room of the home that serves to engage your clients (the home seller) in the process while ensuring that every detail is dealt with in the transformation of the home.
Here are the three easy steps to ensure a SOLD home:
1. Before listing the home, have a Home Stager come to the home and develop a plan for staging the home that focuses on quick transformations, return on investment and works within the client’s budget. Even if you’re a DIYer, we can create a WALK & TALK action plan for you to reference.
2. Working with the home seller, the Home Stager makes only those changes that will reap a large return on dollars spent AND will speak to home buyers’ emotions.
3. Once staged, the home is photo ready! Since 95% of home buyers are using the Internet to determine whether to visit the home, photos of professionally staged rooms will set the listing apart from the rest.
Staging of Owner-Occupied Homes for Sale –We offer a variety of services for occupied homes including in-home consultation, a DIY Walk & Talk action plan, art and accessory packages, and staging only a particular room to showcase its function. Occupied staging focuses on decluttering and furniture placement over purchase to make your home market & photo ready.
Staging of Vacant Homes for Sale –We walk every property before providing a bid so we can create a customized design plan that positions the home to sell fast, with the most abundant amount. Our bid is a fixed, flat fee – no monthly fees, no ongoing fees, no design fees, no delivery fees … NO Surprises! The rental fees are based on the number of rooms or square footage of the home.
Interior Redesign –Lifestyle by Design can provide options and ideas for “refreshing” your home’s decor as well as providing assistance with shopping (which is primary in-home shopping) and setup. Services and products can be customized to fit the homeowner’s budget. This service works well if you have an upcoming personal or business event that you’ll have within your home, great way to showcase your sanctuary.
Holiday and Event Staging – Whether you’re planning an event at your home or office and need assistance decorating for the holidays, Lifestyle by Design can provide options and ideas to give your space that perfect look to enhance that special occasion. Services and products can be customized to fit the homeowner/client’s budget.
It’s human nature to be attracted to pretty things and staged homes are much prettier than unstaged or badly staged homes. Staging relieves your client of stress and pressure and worries if their home looks good enough for buyers to pay the highest price.
Professional staging will encourage the buyer to form an ‘emotional link’ with the house and it’s that connection that leads them to buy the home. When our home was on the market I put out pamphlets of information about the local schools, local farmer markets, local wineries & Music – this way it makes them a part of home & community. It’s an idea I took from going up military, for each new deployment we would have a welcome kit waiting for us with all the information we needed to engage with our new community.
Remember staging is an investment, not an expense. You are investing in a proven method for appealing to the greatest number of potential buyers willing to pay the highest price. Remember earlier when I said we had our home on the market – it was on the market for 1 day, our home was a 30-year-old home with some aging, and it was bought within 4 hours. I asked our realtor what was her response to your survey question, and he said as she walked around she felt she had found “Home”.
If you’re looking for guidance beyond this post today, my Coach/Organize/Stage Programs can be customized just for you and/or your clients. Book a Complimentary Session to discuss how I can help your clients get the best and quickest price for their homes. I look forward to guiding you on your journey to achieve a ‘Showcase’ of your homes or business.
Ways to contact us!
Call/Text 860.961.6824 or you can email envisionsdesigns@gmail.com for your free 1/2 hour consultation.
You spend a large part of your life and hard-earned money on the concept of the American dream, buying and living in your forever home. Your home is a special place, filled with lots of memories, love, and tons of laughter. As you age, you might start asking yourself whether your home works with your changing daily routines and needs.
To ease challenges and simplify living, you may want to consider downsizing. Downsizing can offer many financial and lifestyle benefits for seniors.
Why Downsize? Downsizing is the idea that your current space is more than you need and moving to a smaller space may fit your future needs better. Minimizing your living space and the amount of stuff you have can lead to less stress, lower living expenses, and a simpler overall life.
What to Look For. Before you downsize, create a list of your needs and wants in a new home. First and foremost, make sure you are moving to a space where you feel safe and comfortable. If you are going from a single-family home to a condo, consider that you will now have neighbors and the style of living will be different, but sometimes different is good and can expose you to new things you would never enjoy if you didn’t downsize.
Also, consider your future health needs. You may no longer want or be able to go up and down the stairs easily, so consider a ranch-style home or a first-floor unit. Ensure you have optimal mobility in your new living space to help prevent accidents and falls.
YOUR FIRST STEP:
Declutter. As we get older we seem to accumulate a lot of treasures over the years. Moving into a smaller space forces decisions on how to sort through treasures. There are some basic ways to streamline possessions when downsizing:
Determine what is going on with you
Give items to the adult children
Donate
Sell
Create 4 piles when decluttering each space – K-T-D-S = KEEP TOSS DONATE SELL
Packing. If the senior and family members are packing up instead of using professional movers, there are a few tips to consider:
Pack one room completely before moving on. This means making the more difficult decisions up front without leaving items to decide on late in the process.
Pack dishes and glassware with care. Use extra packing paper and wrap each individual piece. Stack dishes vertically, not horizontally. Pad the container’s top and bottom with cloth or towels and mark the box “fragile.”
Pack essentials separately. Consider what will be needed in the first week in the new home—examples: medications, toilet paper, shower curtains, towels, and hand soap. Make sure you Label the boxes so that each container does not have to be opened to discover what is inside. Label each box with – WHAT ROOM DOES IT GO, CONTENT believe me as many times as I have moved your friends will appreciate these two bits of information.
Consider a portable storage unit or a moving pod, which will provide a less stressful experience because it can be loaded over time. Make sure when you’re setting a new budget for your new home – you budget this item.
Consider hiring professionals. There are Professional Organizers (like Lifestyle by Design) who specialize in assisting older adults and their families with the emotional and physical aspects of relocation or a transition in your lifestyle.
If you’re looking for guidance beyond this article today, my Coaching Programs can be customized just for you. Book a Complimentary Session to discuss what’s holding you back. I look forward to guiding you on your journey to achieve organized spaces in your home or business.
𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓕𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓵𝔂 𝓞𝓻𝓰𝓪𝓷𝓲𝔃𝓮𝓻, 𝓒𝓱𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓵
𝑾𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒖𝒔!
Call/Text 860.961.6824 or email envisionsdesigns@gmail.com for your free 1/2 hour complimentary consultation.
Let me coach you to transformation by getting rid of Clutter and bringing Clarity to your life.
TIME . . . To spend it purposely and passionately on what’s most important to you.
We can give you that gift of time.
When you’re confronted by a cluttered home or business and you don’t know where to start . . . we are there in your corner, no judgment just coaching & cheering you along toward your goals.
Peace & Harmony
My Coaching Programs can be personalized just for you. Book a Complimentary Session to discuss what’s holding you back. I look forward to guiding you on your journey to achieve organized spaces in your home or business.
Take a look at our Fall ~STYLE OF LIVING~ newsletter. I included a few tips to get your home ready for the market if you’re thinking of selling or getting ready for the upcoming Holidays. If there are special interests you would like to see in the newsletter – please contact me.
When you’re confronted by a disorganized home or business and you don’t know where to start . . . we are there in your corner, no judgment just hands-on coaching & cheering you along toward your goals.
In 1995, I found myself recleaning the same clutter in clients’ homes. I decided to ask a few clients that I was close to if I could apply my C – O – R + method in their homes.
I had “absolutely” from everyone. I sat with them explaining that while cleaning their homes, I had noticed that I can no longer fit one more bottle of cleaning products under the kitchen sink or fit one more pair of shoes into the hallway closet.
I explained my C – O- R + method: the acronyms stand for CLEAN – ORGANIZE – REDESIGN + so much more. I told them that I was noticing clutter in spaces where I kept recleaning and tidying up each week. I explained together we could come up with systems that can make the home functional, and efficient with purposeful spaces. I discussed how from then on when I clean their homes, I would organize drawers, cabinets, and closets along my path of cleaning.
When I finished my first home with my new method – it was celebrated by the family giving notes and cards when I arrived at their home the following week.
The notes mentioned items like Time Saving, Saving money at the grocery store because of no more overbuying, and finding paperwork for school or work easier, getting out of the door on time in the mornings.
After leaving that home with cards and notes in hand, I decided to make an intentional decision for my business that the Clean – Organize – Redesign method will become the foundation of my cleaning company.
I found a niche in the then-saturated cleaning business. It has served clients well over the last 27 years, In 1999 I brought the method into commercial cleaning, which lead to helping out small doctors’, and lawyers’ offices get organized and be more efficient businesses.
This new business foundation solved a problem for my clients, it fit the 3 priorities I found to make the final decision to interweave this method into my business.
I would leave my clients homework when they were having a hard time making those decisions, here is the homework I would leave them:
1-minute blueprint for making difficult decisions
What is the problem that needs to be solved? (declutter clients’ homes)
Identify your top priorities for having the problem solved (keep it to 3) (save client time, save labor, extra$)
List them in the order of importance (save client time, save labor, extra$)
Write the 3 priorities in their order, and post them where they’re visible
The next time they had to make a difficult decision, they could evaluate their options through what they learned is most important to them.
Below is a 10/10 sheet, ten spaces, ten minutes – these are spaces where you’re going to see quick visuals of organizing, it helps to keep you motivated for your next challenge.
What would it say? Help me, please with my struggles.
Well, you ended up at the right place for solutions.
𝓛𝒾𝒻𝑒𝓈𝓉𝓎𝓁𝑒 𝒷𝓎 𝒟𝑒𝓈𝒾𝑔𝓃 can save you real chunks of time, money, space, and energy, de-cluttering and organizing will organically show you why being organized matters. If you must break it down, here are only “a few” of the hundreds of ways that becoming organized can and will transform your life.
𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓗𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝒪𝓇𝒹𝑒𝓇
Being organized will reduce the tension and stress in my life. I will feel calmer, clearer, more focused, and more motivated.
Being organized will simplify my busy life by allowing me to get things done faster and become more effective at problem-solving.
Being organized will start aligning my world towards my goals and dreams, freeing up my mind and space to focus more on the real priorities in all aspects of my life.
Being organized will save me money. I will know exactly where everything is and how much I already have. My valuable earnings can finally be allocated for things that I really need.
Being organized and de-cluttering will give me more freedom, time, and energy. I don’t have to get frustrated looking for stuff anymore and I can become more efficient and productive.
Being organized will bring me closer to achieving my full potential by increasing my focus and motivation.
Being organized and excess-free will eliminate my excuses for not paying enough attention to more important things in life.
Being organized and purging will help me move forward, leaving past negative experiences in the past where they belong.
Being organized will eliminate my excuses of “not being ready” for that unexpected visit, for pursuing my passions and new opportunities, and for being quick and sharp on my feet. Instead of procrastinating, staying stuck, feeling guilty, wishing, or hoping…
Being organized will allow me to regain control of my life with a sense of accomplishment and pride.
Lifestyle “Other Stuff” In OrdeFrom vehicle interiors to holiday decorations, from shopping to donations!
Holiday decorations removal and repacking
Organizing vehicle interiors
Organizing products and supplies shopping assistance (purchases and returns)
Consignment, donation, and recycling activities for tax benefits and convenient disposal
Partnerships with charities, animal hospitals, and orphanages for donations.
and more…
𝒫𝑒𝒶𝒸𝑒 & 𝓗𝒶𝓇𝓂𝑜𝓃𝓎
If you’re looking for direction beyond this article, my Coaching Pathways Programs could be tailored for you. Book a Complimentary Session today to discuss your circumstances. I look forward to guiding you down the pathways to achieve your clarity of Passion ~ Power ~ Purpose in your Lifestyle!
Email me: at envisionsdesigns@gmail.com or Call/Text (860)961-6824
I created a NEW Coaching Program for Kids, to help them organize their schoolwork: Homework, Note Taking, and Study Skills to start them on a pathway to being focused and purposeful with their school career while bringing them self-esteem and general wellbeing. (8/2022)
Lifestyle-by-designs 