Staging – Love My DIY Home

4 Sided Decor Tin for Staging

A DIY 4 Sided Decorator Tin for Staging Furniture Combining Saltwash, Retique It Ultratique, & Southern Blenders I created a DIY decor series for my Blueprint members a while ago. This is one of the projects I included and I’m sharing it today with you to encourage you to do a bit of DIY to help your bottom line. Ya know…there are more ways to make money besides raising our prices, like finding ways to cut our expenses. Save some $$ by creating your own staging decor. This tin is just one example of a really inexpensive piece you can change with paint – or in this case, paint and Saltwash. Click the picture below and it will take you to the tutorial on my YouTube channel where you can find more tutorials and reviews. Do you DIY? If so, what have you done? Leave a comment and tell … Read more

[VIDEO] Product Review – Phone Camera Lens Kit by Isaac Jones

Isaac has been working with me creating videos for 5 years now. Believe it or not, his first set of videos were when he was 12. He helped me put together a course for kids, demonstrating how to redesign furniture – CREATIVE KIDS FURNITURE ART. He was pretty amazing back then – but now? WOW. He’s a pro at age 17. This video is his review of tiny little lenses you can add to your phone to enhance your photos. In my case, I use them when I stage my redesigned furniture. I’ve bought and or downloaded several products, apps and programs he’s recommended because he takes the time to learn them and finds the ones that are the best price for the quality. Take a look. If you love photography and would like to take some cool shots or need to extend the usability of your phone, this kit might … Read more

New Pop-Up ESCAPE ROOM on Facebook – DIY DECOR

COME LEARN SOME STUFF Since I mentor furniture flippers, accumulating staging props to use in photos for listings can be a big issue. So I like to help with every area of the flipping process to help members save money and increase profits. We can make our own decor and save $ – our bottom line isn’t only affected by the profit we make on a piece of furniture, but also on our expenses. So, the more staging decor we acquire easily and cheaply, the better. NEW POP-UP GROUP ON FACEBOOK THE ESCAPE ROOM – DIY Staging Decor is open and ready for you. You can click the name and it will take you there so you can sign up and reserve your spot. It’s going to be fun! I’m busily working on projects to share with you. It starts September 28, but you can join in on the … Read more

Outdated Cabinet Upcycled into a Cat Bed

It’s the same with babies and cats. They tend to take over your house. Cat bed, toys, littler box, tunnel…my kids think I’m nuts. They come over to my house and you have to step over all of Mia’s stuff. Let’s face it. Mia is my baby, so I enjoy seeing her lounge and play. So I had this idea that maybe others might like to have some furniture that has a duo-function. How about an end table that hides a cat bed when company comes over? Here is the before. I got it at a garage sale for just a few bucks. The picture looks kinda nice, doesn’t it? This is a case where the photo fools the eye. It’s was in pretty bad shape and needed help. I think it was supposed to look high end, but somehow it lost it’s way. In May of 2019, this was … Read more

Table Stays Rustic – But Way Prettier!

It’s kinda fun to post this BEFORE my daughter sees it. It’s for her birthday but she’s just a little busy right now thinking about having a baby some day soon. 🙂 So as we wait, this little gem is going up! I started out with a base of off white and then painted a light brown wash over that, to create a worn, Old-world look. You can see the before and base color in the video above. I chose not to fix the imperfections because I went for more of a rustic look, leaving in the dents and cracks. Nor did I repaint the hardware. It had been painted by the prior owner and is flaking off – perfect for the look I wanted! Once I got the background I wanted, I stenciled a clock and part of a compass, distressing the stencil just a bit to give a … Read more

Want to learn how to paint furniture?

DISCOVER YOUR INNER ARTIST If you’d like to be a part of an amazing community of furniture artisans and have a great resource to go to when you need information, join us on FFB. You will access accurate and timely information on all things furniture redesign on FFB (painting, staining, etc.) and as a bonus, all members receive 4 marketing lessons and will be invited to a small, intimate Facebook group – are looking for your tribe? Furniture Flipping Blueprint is open until midnight, Monday, Feb. 25. Come join us! TELL ME MORE >>>

Lighting for Staging Furniture {Love My DIY Home}

Furniture Staging – Lighting

Natural Light is Fickle I went a couple of years without proper lighting for my furniture staging. But, I checked out modern custom cabinetry Gamma Cabinetry, to decorate my house with my furniture. It proved to be very difficult to catch natural light and eliminate distracting shadows. I would often have to fix any lighting errors on Photoshop before I was able to post my projects. Frustrating didn’t cover it. It made me crazy to spend hours trying to create a quality representation of my piece. The worst moment was when I needed to get my post out and I hadn’t taken pictures yet and the sun was fading. Ugh. It wasn’t pretty. Choosing the Right Light Kit My DH finally decided to just go on ahead and buy me a light kit, the (aff link) Fancierstudio FL9060S4 3800 Watt Softbox Light Kit after I told him about one … Read more

Background Options for DIY Indoor Photography

Photography Backgrounds – Are They Really Necessary? Whether you are into still photography or portraiture, you have known the pain of trying to get it just right while shooting indoor. Lighting, backgrounds and flooring options can improve or limit your outcome. Some of my most frustrating moments has been trying to make due with what I have to get a good shot. But shooting outdoor isn’t the safest or easiest scenario. If it’s: too cold too hot windy too bright intermittent shade It can be challenging or even impossible to get a good shot. But then if you take it indoors you have other issues. Background, flooring, lighting, and available space all play a part in good staging. It is challenging to find a good day for outdoor photography. A good day was overcast, warm, and not windy. If it wasn’t overcast, you’d have to run around trying to find … Read more

The Journey to a Cozy Tiny House

The idea of living in a tiny house had always fascinated me. It was about simplifying life, reducing clutter, and embracing a more sustainable way of living. So, I embarked on the thrilling journey of building my tiny dream home. Here’s a glimpse into what it took to make it a reality. Planning and Research: The first step was extensive planning and research. I scoured books, blogs, and forums to understand the intricacies of tiny house construction, e.g., roofing (learn more here), HVAC, electrical, etc. I knew I had to carefully design every square inch to maximize space efficiency. Budgeting: Creating a realistic budget was essential. While building a tiny house is often more cost-effective than a traditional home, expenses can add up quickly. I factored in costs for materials, labor (if needed), permits, and unexpected surprises. Finding the Perfect Location: Location is paramount when building a tiny house. I … Read more