Holiday Sale at Flow Head Quarters!

Because we like to be involved in our community and promote other small businesses we are proud to partner with these fantastic people and their products.

We look forward to seeing you!

Holiday Decoration Special

Looking to create your DREAM HOLIDAY home decor?

This season, when time is of the essence and you don’t feel like you have enough of it, call in the professionals!!
Flow Home Staging & Design is teaming up with Houston Landscapes to bring you, our clients, a professional holiday decor experience.

THE OFFER?

A full or half day Holiday Decor Package
INCLUDES:

Decorating a tree
Installing inside lights
Installing inside garlands and wreaths
Installing any and all holiday decorations you may have

Decorative planters full of fresh greens for entrance ways
Fresh garlands and outdoor wreaths
All lighting on your home and yard

Preferred pricing applies to bookings before December 6th, so call us now to reserve your installation!

You are only limited by your own imagination
Call us TODAY!
778-835-0001

Flow Home Staging & Designs Isabelle Guay to Present at the 2014 International Home Staging Convention!

August 23, 2013

Vancouver, BC – As the official statement from RESA (The Real Estate Staging Association) has finally been released, it is with great pleasure that we announce that Isabelle Guay, owner and President of Flow Home Staging and Design, will be presenting at the 2014 International Home Staging Convention in Las Vegas.

As the largest Home Staging and Re-Design Convention in the world, “Home Stagers from the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom come to celebrate, network and learn new skills that will propel their business into the future” ( www.resaconvention.com ).

As a business professional who has taken her own company from 1 to 4 members with continued growth every year, Isabelle knows a thing or two about growing your business and achieving success.  At this years convention she will be presenting on “How to Grow Your Business,” a set of six steps that will help you establish business goals, build a strong team and expand with confidence!

Set for January 28 ^th -30 ^th , in Las Vegas, Nevada, this will be a great start to the new year!

http://resaconvention.com/isabelle-guay-resa-convention-2014/

Everything you need to know to get your house ready for the market or stage it (Part 3)

It’s all about Flow! (Part 3)

Layout and furniture placement is so important when living in or preparing a home for the market. Whether you are staging your home yourself or we are doing it for you, creating flow between rooms, ensuring spaciousness and making sure each area is well lit are keys to success.

As living rooms are a major focus in most homes it is important to make sure the layout is open and welcoming to visitors. Place furniture so that you can walk directly into the space, sofas should not have their back to an entry or a door as this makes a room feel smaller. Try putting your sofa underneath a window or backed up to a wall where it is open to the room. This option allows additional chairs to be added to a space and left open to dining spaces or entryways. It also creates flow amongst rooms in an open concept home.

Ensuring spaciousness is key when showing your home for sale (but equally as important when you are living in a space). Over-crowding a room with furniture makes it feel small and unwelcoming. The goal of staging is to bring attention to focal points and show off just how much space is available. Remove excess furniture, small tables, cabinets or bookshelves as well as excess items of décor as a more minimalist look allows others to visualize themselves in this new home.

Once you have removed all excess furniture and décor, pay close attention to your lighting. A well lit room, whether ambient, task or accent lighting, creates warmth and can also draw attention to focal areas. A trick of the trade is forming a triangle with your lighting. Corners should be lit casting light around an entire room. If overhead lighting is not available, flank a sofa with table lamps and place a floor lamp in a third spot to create your triangle. Dark corners, away from windows, should always be lit as these dark corners will be noticed.

With these three tips, creating the open space you always wanted, one that is comfortable, welcoming and inviting, will be simple. Choosing to stay or sell may be the hardest decision when you finally have the space you always dreamed of!

Everything you need to know to get your house ready for the market or stage it (Part 2)

- General Resources (Part 2)

Preparing your home to sell is not just about de-cluttering, purging and organizing your belongings, it is also about presenting your space with its “best foot forward!” In order to help you, our clients, we want to provide a quick list of resources/people of importance that homeowners should consider when getting ready to sell.

When you decide to sell it is important to find a good realtor. Seek out somebody who knows your area well and somebody that you can trust. If you do not know of somebody specifically, interview a few realtors to find one that works for you!

Once you have established your realtor, do a walk through of your home to determine what work needs to be done. Often your realtor can give you the inside scoop on what potential buyers are immediately looking for and what will freshen your space to make it more appealing. Because time is of the essence, bringing in some trades to do the work quickly and efficiently will speed up the process and take some pressure off of you.

If general repairs are needed, make a list of everything that needs to be taken care of in order to help prioritize. Make sure all light fixtures are working, walls are touched up and painted (if scratches or holes are prevalent) and kitchen and bath cabinets are aligned and functioning properly. If you live in an older home be sure that all knobs are on doors and cabinets. Also take a look at carpets and assess whether they should be cleaned or even replaced. If your list is long and time is short we suggest calling a handyman that is capable of doing various jobs around the house. If specific trades people are needed, such as painters, plumbers or electricians, bring them in after your general repairs have been completed. Once this is done we recommend bringing in a cleaner to do major clean that you will only need to maintain throughout the selling process.

Lastly, but not least important, pay attention to the exterior of your house and front yard! First impressions last forever and initially, potential buyers are met with your homes façade. Consider a fresh coat of paint or power washing as well as bringing in a gardener to weed out old and wilting plants and add fresh, colourful floral that instantly welcomes visitors!

Everything you need to know to get your house ready for the market or stage it – Generally speaking (Part 1)

Preparing to sell your home and/or stage it for re-sale is a daunting task.  De-cluttering and disposing of unnecessary items requires us to dedicate time we may not have to a task we typically loath.  However, removing items prior to sale lowers the amount you need to deal with on the other end when you are finally moving into and settling down in your new home.  At Flow Home Staging we want to make preparing to sell easier and your move smoother.

As a general rule for moving, we encourage homeowners to start by removing clutter from floors as this is the first thing potential buyers will notice.  This includes finding a home for stray shoes and toys, recycling old magazines and papers, putting bags and boxes away or into storage and putting pet paraphernalia into bins, much like we would with children’s toys.  It is also wise to remove any additional unnecessary furniture such as small tables, cabinets or chairs in order to keep pathways open and doors and windows accessible.  When selling your home, less is often more and making every room look as large as possible is key!

Pay close attention to the main areas of focus in your home such as the living or family room and master bedroom.  These areas are a huge draw for potential buyers so you want to showcase them as beautifully as possible; de-cluttered, clean and clear and comfortable!  Use clean linens in the bedrooms, make sure they are well lit and beds are all made.  Also keep bathrooms and kitchens clutter free.  Counters should be clear and cupboards tidy as buyers will look to see what they are getting.  Both spaces show best with minimal items visible, if any, fresh linens in bathrooms and fresh flowers on a kitchen island or table.

Finally, prior to giving your home a deep clean, or hiring a company to do that for you, we suggest that you depersonalize your space.  Personal photos or accolades cause buyers to question who you are rather than picture themselves in this new space.  Remember that you are showcasing your home as a product, as you scrutinize the properties you are looking to buy, the same is being done to your home!

Flow is giving back in the community!

Mom to Mom

“Mom2Mom’s mission is to provide compassionate, respectful mentors for mothers in need in order to improve the lives of their children.”

As a staging and design company, we often deal with furniture that no longer works for staging or for our clients, but is still in great shape and in need of a permanent home.  When Isabelle Guay came across Mom 2 Mom, a foundation started in 2011 to help “provide a hand up for struggling families so that they can have the strength and support to move forward with their lives instead of being mired in the relentless stress of poverty,” she knew she had found a perfect fit for furniture that was more than just usable

In early March, we were finally able to see just how great this foundation is as one of our clients generously donated all of their living and dining room furniture to a family in need while they received their new pieces.  With the help of Your Local Movers , who picked up and dropped off all of the furniture free of charge (while also covering the dumping fee for damaged furniture of the chosen family), we were able to give back to a family in need to improve their circumstances and help them to lead a more comfortable life.

Being able to facilitate the donation and delivery of furniture has been a team effort.  Giving back to the community that we live in and love starts by contributing to great causes and foundations like Mom2Mom.

http://www.m2mcharity.ca/

A Yaletown Renovation

When Andrea Bernicki and her husband moved in to their Yaletown condo, they knew they wanted to renovate the space to better suit their lifestyle and who they are as a couple.  At the end of January, I had the opportunity to sit down with Andrea to hear about the experience and to see her new space for myself.  With the beautiful backdrop of False Creek, this update speaks for itself with a decidedly west coast flair.

The design process started with Maison D’Etre, a Georgie award-winning boutique style renovation company located in Vancouver.  Having experience behind them and a talented team of designers and contractors, Maison D’Etre was able to manipulate the space to provide a contemporary open concept that no longer competed with the view but complemented it.  With a set budget of close to a quarter-million dollars, this couple was ready to re-create their dream space.

As design began, Andrea felt something was missing.  While her initial design team was able to create a beautiful space plan, she turned to a different designer to complete the finishing touches.  Having seen the work of Tina Presley (designer with Flow Home Staging & Design) in the home of a friend, Andrea was confident in bringing her on board.  Without having a clear direction, Tina was able define Andrea’s vision and guide her with regard to finishes that were both on trend and had lasting appeal.

Defining the style of this newly renovated space was the first task Tina and Andrea undertook and it was clear that they needed to simplify the details of the job to avoid straying off course.  Learning about her clients and their surroundings helped Tina settle on “organic glam;” a west coast abode lending itself to a soft, warm palette of whites, contrasting darker built-ins and a rich walnut floor with loads of texture and depth.  As views span 180 degrees and the condo boasts floor to ceiling windows throughout, neither client nor designer wanted to obstruct what the city was offering in terms of breathtaking scenery.

Having settled on finishes to exploit all things good about their new space plan, Andrea (who’s husband was happy to give her free rein throughout the process) had to furnish their new condo!  With an idea of what she wanted and stores she loved, Tina helped narrow down inevitable choices, mapping out what would fit, how it would be laid out and how the space should eventually feel.  Tina leaned towards softer lines and colours as the space already had such angled walls.  With a modern look, contemporary feel and comfortably sleek furnishings, the living and dining room melded together; a work of art on a drop dead gorgeous background.

The bedroom was a different story.  Although keeping with the consistency of softer lines, this room needed to be romantic and inviting.  A chaise lounge for two, overlooking False Creek and accentuated by an elegant gold lamp from Peridot, this space easily became a retreat within a retreat.

Interior Design Trends for 2013- part 2

Continuing with trends for 2013, interior designers will be looking to incorporate a less formal look for interior spaces.  As we mentioned previously, texture, pattern and repetition should all be trending in 2013.  Keeping things light and fun, the world of design will also see a more lively take on art, furniture and general aesthetic.

Watch out for the re-emergence of brass as a choice metal.  Using brass minimally, as in accessories or frames, will add a bit of spice to your space without taking you back in time.  Try contrasting it with deep blues and warm woods for a classically elegant look.

If brass is too risky, look to yellow to be the breakout colour of the year.  Expected to have “staying power,” interior designers will not be afraid to test this colour on walls, in statement pieces of furniture or as vibrant accessories.  Especially in Vancouver, yellow will be a bright spot in our grey days!

As we mentioned earlier, design should be fun and lively.  Incorporate pieces that make you smile; group them with simple shapes or have them stand alone.  “Take materials out of context and use them in a new way. Handmade and spontaneous will bring more fun and whimsy to interiors” ( http://www.laurabielecki.com/blog/interior-design/interior-design-trends-2013-2014/ ).

It is also expected that there will be a blending of old and new as we move forward into the new year.  A greater interest in classic furniture will see a contemporary twist added for a more modern look.  As 2013 gets under way, interior designers will be testing these new trends and changing the direction of design ever so slightly.  It looks as though this will be a fun year!

Kitchen renovation and much more!

When interior designer Nicole Varga met homeowners Jim and Cathy for the first time, she knew she had a big job on her hands.   Not only would this project allow her to flow creatively, she would also be able to provide them with all the necessary changes they wanted for a contemporary update!

After an oven fire damaged their kitchen, Jim and Cathy decided to pursue a full main floor renovation.  Knowing the kitchen was not the only room they wanted to give a fresh look to, they took advantage of their misfortune and sought a creative young professional to transform their home.

As form and function go, these homeowners wanted an open concept living and dining area that was more conducive to the lifestyle they were living.  After narrowing down the options and choosing the design that best suited their needs, demolition started and the transformation began.

Creating entry storage was the first obstacle Nicole chose to tackle.  Scaling back the entry wall and pushing it out allowed her to design a built in bench storage, as well as provide open hooks above for quick access to coats.  Helping elongate the entryway, she also knocked out a portion of the stairwell, allowing light to flow through the living room and kitchen while providing an airy transition space.

Although the kitchen was the main design update, the goal was really to provide Jim and Cathy with a functional, open floor plan.   In order to do this, Nicole had two walls (defining kitchen, dining and living) removed.  Contrasting a charcoal island with creamy cupboards and a marble backsplash in the kitchen, Nicole was able to give the space warmth while providing a unique freshness that was missing before.  The eat up island was a hit, not only as a functional work space, but also providing a beautiful cook top that was open to the rest of the home.

With all rooms open to one another, Jim and Cathy wanted to remove the need for excess furniture in order to give them the contemporary, uncluttered space they desired.  With her clients in mind, Nicole designed a buffet with wine fridge and storage recessed into the wall underneath the stairwell.  Adding visual interest in the dining room sparked the homeowners to move forward with a similar installation in the living room.  Together, they chose to build out the fireplace and add an open-faced bookshelf for storage and display.

Completing the look involved picking the right furniture and artwork to compliment their new contemporary space.  The finishing touches came in the form of original artwork by Deb Chaney.  Two pieces adorned the walls, one in the living and one in the dining room, picking up the colour of the accessories and bringing each space to life.  Sometimes it is art, created through passion and inspiration that speaks to the design of a space.

As with any design, the challenge is finding the right pieces to compliment any interior changes.  In this case, it was providing the right design and Nicole went beyond client requests and created the perfect space to cook, entertain and curl up in!