Thanksgiving is a time of reflection and gratitude.  So, as the table is set for family and friends, here are a few things we are thankful for at Sanctuary:

1. An amazing crew – our team does it all, from furniture moving, to painting, to full renovations!  I couldn’t ask for a better team.  Thanks, Rob and Steve, for all that you do!
2. Great realtors – we’ve had the privilege of working with some fantastic realtors in Columbus.  Brad Sealock, Betsy Neidenthal, Rachel Casto, Sheleby Queen and many others.  Thank you for being great partners!
3. Great home owners – it’s not always easy to ask for help, especially in your own home.  Thank you to those of you who trusted Sanctuary with your most valuable asset.  I’m so proud of our track record – in both 2014 and 2015, not a single home has been on the market for more than a month after staging!  Staging really works!
4. Being able to do something that I love – staging and home decor isn’t a job – it is a passion!
5. A supportive family – from a husband that’s become an expert at hanging drapes (thanks sweetie!), to parents that still root for me, to our loving fur babies, I’m truly grateful.

So, as we head into the holiday season, take the time to think about the things in life you are grateful for.

There were so many things to see at this year’s Parade of Homes, I’m still blogging about it!  This time, let’s look at the use of plants and flowers in many of the rooms on the parade.

Pink flowers on a nightstand, mirroring the draperies.

Greenery topiary style in the kitchen.  As an aside, love the backsplash!

Another topiary in a hallway area.

Rich colors on a dining room table.  Another aside, this looks really similar to my wedding flowers – maybe that’s why I like it so much!

Interesting combo of orchids and driftwood.

Pretty, tall arrangement in a seating area.

Who says that greenery should be restricted to a living room?  Here are a couple of examples in bathrooms.

So, lots of fun uses of botanicals through these homes.  Greenery and flowers can bring a lot of life to a space.  Stay tuned for other photos from the parade.

Sometimes it is fun to reminisce.    In honor of Throwback Thursdays, let’s take a look at some properties that Sanctuary has staged in a little more detail.   About 18 months ago, Sanctuary had the pleasure of not only providing design selection assistance on this home (everything from tile to granite to paint colors) but also staging it.  This home sold for full ask a few hours after its first and only open house.  Ah, success!!  Although the photos of this home are featured throughout my site, I thought it would be fun to look at some of the details a little more closely.

Thanks for taking the time to reminisce!

Thought I’d share another design element I spotted in several parade homes this year – ceiling treatments.  For those of you blessed with non-textured ceilings, there are so many things you can do with them to take a room to a whole other level.  For the rest of us with textured ceilings (myself included), options are more limited.  If I ever have the opportunity to have a home built,  you can bet that I’ll upgrade for flat ceilings.  Here are a few of the ceilings I spotted at this year’s parade.

Isn’t this one pretty?  Silvery metallic is a great calming, and modern contrast to the more bold wallpaper.

A completely different direction – aged tin tile.  Without this ceiling, this dining room might have been a little, well, ordinary.  With the ceiling, the room is really well done.

Wood isn’t just for floors, and this ceiling proves it.  Inlayed into a tray ceiling, the wood adds a lot of visual interest.

I love more complex trim work, so this ceiling really resonated with me.

One last one, and for those of you with textured ceilings, this one is for you.  Here’s a multi-layered tray ceiling that incorporates the ceiling textures by adding a variety of faux finishes.

There are so many things to share about this year’s parade, I might be blogging about it until next year!!!  More to come…

Love the idea of a beautifully decorated tree, but are dreading the work?  Let Sanctuary help.  We can deck the halls, saving you the hassle.  If you aren’t happy with your ornaments or decorations or haven’t had the time to get them, give us a budget to work within and we would be happy to shop and decorate, allowing you to just sit back and enjoy. Want to see what we can do? Here’s one of the trees that Sanctuary has staged.

Want some help?  Call us today!

Recently, we had the pleasure of transforming a property for one of our favorite realtors, Rachel Casto.  This 1,100 square foot condo located at 548 Brickstone Rd, Delaware, Ohio was vacant and had a few dated features.  The Sanctuary crew transformed a few key spaces in this home in one day!  We are looking forward to the open house today.

Let’s start with the living room space – terrific space to work with!  Furnishings, art and accessories help this space feel like home.  Colors were kept to gray, beige and pops of bright green.

Here’s the side by side before and after:

The most dramatic transformation was in the kitchen.  For less than $200 in materials, we got rid of the dated border, added a warm paint color (one of my favorites Behr Mushroom Bisque) and covered over the hunter green tile with faux tin tile.  What a transformation!

Moving into the dining area, we pulled in the gray and tan accents, with hints of green.

Let’s take a look at one of the bathrooms.  With hunter green (again) and worn floors, this bathroom was well, tired.  A new floor and accessories make this bathroom current again.

Here’s the bathroom off of the master bedroom.  A few accessories warmed up the space.

Finally, the master bedroom retreat.  We loved how this one turned out!

Did you know that Sanctuary Staging offers more than just staging?  With experience in design and materials selection, Sanctuary also provides design assistance in home remodels and renovations.  Here are the results a few of our design consultations below – before and after.

Before, this kitchen was dark and dated.  With old cabinetry, track lighting and appliances that had seen better days, Sanctuary recommended quite a few changes.  To keep costs down, we kept the existing cabinet boxes, but replaced all of the doors with new ones.  We also used glass doors and in cabinet lighting to make the kitchen shine.  A highly skilled painter painted the boxes and new doors to turn the old into new.  The existing island was also made over – with paint and an oil treatment on top of the existing butcher block.  Granite counters (a spurge) picked up grays, creams and some of the cherry tones in the existing floor.  They were paired with a marble mosaic backsplash, inlaid with metallic tiles.  New stainless appliances completed the look.   What a transformation!The next example is a full gut renovation.  Kitchen, what kitchen?  When this home was purchased, there was no kitchen, just a wall with some plumbing.  Once again, classic white brightened the space.  We went a with a backsplash with a little more movement in it paired with a granite look formica counter.  Mushroom Bisque walls made the space nice and cozy.  Now for a few bathrooms we’ve designed.  This tiny bath was blinged out for pizzazz!  Although you can’t see in in the pictures, a black metallic tile was selected for the floor, which complimented the metallic mirror, shelf and light fixture.  A tip – the use of bright metallics and reflective surfaces in a small room makes it appear biggerThe 1970s called, and they want their bathroom back!  This bathroom was gladly sent to its final resting place amongst Harvest Gold appliances and shag carpet.  Before, a tired vanity, tub/shower and old carpet reigned.  After, fresh surfaces everywhere!  White vanity, tropical brown granite, new fixtures and shower/tub combo make this bath sparkle.Another small bath, this time circa 1980.  After, with new brushed nickel fixtures, tile and vanity, this bathroom was brought into the 21st century.And one last one, a BIG transformation in a master bathroom.  Another decade – the 1990s – the era of huge corner bathtubs, tiny showers and southwest style tile??   The bathtub was so big, that there wasn’t enough hot water to fill it and use it – what a waste of space.  So, the bathroom was gutted down to the studs.  Bathtub and shower gone, replaced with a big dual sized shower, covered in travertine, with an old world look.  This one was a more costly design due to the materials used, but the results are well worth it.   

Just a few of the kitchens and baths we’ve had the pleasure of working on.  Struggling to trying to figure out the right selections?  Overwhelmed by all of the choices?  Sanctuary Staging can help.  Call us to find out more.

This week, we staged another model unit in a beautiful senior living facility in Dublin, Ohio.  This unit was done in shades of gray, yellow, burnt orange, green and white.  Vibrant, yet restful.  Check out some of the pictures below!

Loved the bedding here.  Here’s a closer look.

We completed the room with a dresser, TV and seating area – a great place to enjoy a good book!

Finally, the bathroom.

We’ve had so much fun staging these units for the senior community!

Let’s take a look at another home on the BIA Parade of Homes route.  This home (by Fischer Homes) was by far my favorite.  Interesting textures and surfaces everywhere, starting with the entry.  I LOVE this entry!  With both brick and stone veneers, a barrel ceiling and hand-scraped hardwood floors, it was amazing.

Next the eat in kitchen, notice the wood ceiling, beams (you can just see one in this photo) and brick wall.  Beautiful.

Family room featured a stone fireplace and wooden walls.

Master bedroom had really neat driftwood sculpture, yet another play on texture.

Barn door leading from the master bedroom into the bathroom, an old weathered texture.

Another bath used a siding like material for visual interest on the walls.  How fun!

And the most amazing room of all, the home theatre.  What a great use of texture – the birch wall was breathtaking!

Stay tuned for other trends spotted at the 2015 Parade of Homes, including some really beautiful and unique ceiling treatments.

This senior community staging had me a little closer to home in Westerville. Another studio apartment, this one turned out great in soothing shades of turquoise, cream and brown. Here are a few photos to enjoy!