Delicious Decors

Turn Your Fireplace Nightmare into a Fireplace Masterpiece

Penny — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:18:39 +0000

Turn Your Fireplace Nightmare into a Fireplace Masterpiece! by Delicious Decors, Santa Barbara, California

This is what we did for this Delicious Decors fireplace remodel project …..

First off, we removed the stone "seat" on the right of the fireplace. Get yourself a small jack hammer and you can do it too!

The Fun Begins

Let's turn Your Disaster into a Master

Next, we framed the existing fireplace of stone with 2 x 6 and 2 x 4 lumber. We covered the lumber with drywall at the top and cement board on the bottom and around the opening.

A Little Fun with Drywall

After the drywall had been "muddied" and sanded, we painted it the same color as the walls. Then we began the construction of the mantel and wood surround. All custom built!

The Cement Board in Place

We custom designed and built the mantle and fireplace surround from scratch, using crown molding and a mix of pine and MDF.

The glas tile was the finishing touch and what a wow factor the, "Kiss My Big Fat Glass," tile made! Yep, that's the name. Glass tile, 16 x 4.

We very carefully worked with the designer glass tile, first placing it on the face of the fireplace and then on the hearth.

A Fireplace Masterpiece

That's It! You're all done! We think it turned out great!

Delicious Decors / Remodel / Interior Design 805.448.9226

If you need any help with your home improvement projects, please give me a call at:

805. 284.2628 Fredrik Bergstrom Delicious Decors

99% of Home Buyers are Looking Online for their Next Home!

Penny — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:15:56 +0000

Professional Real Estate Photography, Santa Barbara California

Now, more than ever, it is essential to use professional photos to sell your home!

Did you know that 99% of home buyers are looking online for their next home? And that 84% of these folks said what they valued most from their online research were the photos? The first impression of your home is no longer when the potential buyer walks through the front door; they are only a click away

Extensive industry research demonstrates that professional photos of your home will help increase interest, drive traffic and result in a significantly higher sale price. You need a professional photographer!

A professional photographer uses a high quality camera, a wide angle lenses and knows how to maximize space and shoot interesting angles. A pro knows how to showcase your homes' best features and most interesting details. A professional will make your house stand out from the crowd.

If you are not using a professional photographer for your listing, you are not truly marketing your home to its fullest potential. Homes with many professional photos receive more page views online, making them rank higher on Web sites, resulting in increased visibility.

After staging your home … cleaning, organizing, repainting, removing personal items and adding curb appeal … you need a series of professional marketing photos to ensure potential buyers can see how special your home really is.

Please resist the urge to capture snapshots with your own camera or smartphone and let the professionals do the job!

We offer FREE professional staging photos when you stage with Delicious Decors.
We look forward to working with you,
Penny & The DD Team

Home Staging and Interior Design Thousand Oaks

Penny — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:58:56 +0000

Home Staging and Interior Design Thousand Oaks

Delicious Decors specializes in Custom Home Staging. The realtor was having trouble getting clients to walk into this room! She asked us to make it a playful media room for the entire family and this is what we came up with.

We turned this contemporary bedroom from blan to WOW with new bedding, artwork and lamps. A little redesign goes a long way!

From cold and vacant to warm and inviting. Before and after staging photo.

Custom Staging works! Take a look at this family and dining room.

Contact Delicious Decors today for your FREE staging estimate! 805.448.9226 penny@deliciousdecors.com

We look forward to working with you!

Penny & The DD Team

Santa Barbara Staging by Delicious Decors

Penny — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:50:11 +0000

Santa Barbara Staging by Delicious Decors

I just Love Home Staging! We turned this house from a construction site into a Home Dressed to Sell, let's take a look at some before and after photos.

The remodel update throughout the home is somewhat contemporary. To appeal to the largest potential market, we used traditional furniture with a blend of contemporary accents. Just what the realtor was looking for!

The living room is rather deep and has unbelievable views! To show this off, we added a pop of color with traditional wing back red chairs creating an inviting sitting area with views, views, views!

We offer FREE professional staging photos when you stage with Delicious Decors!

Check out this kitchen/dining area … a dining delight along with counter barstools to join the chef of the house.

I absolutely love this master bedroom suite! Nice warm and luxurious bedding, along with beautiful artwork and a chaise to relax and enjoy the view. I think we nailed it! Custom Staging is what we're all about.

Views, views, views! I love detail photos, so here's one more!

Santa Barbara Staging by Delicious Decors! Contact us Today for your FREE staging estimate; 805.448.9226, penny@deliciousdecors.com. We stage along California's Central Coast; from LA to Arroyo Grande and everywhere in between!

We look forward to working with you,

Penny & The DD Team

The Best Home Staging in Santa Barbara California

Penny — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:42:35 +0000

The Best Home Staging in Santa Barbara California

Delicious Decors, 805.448.9226, penny@deliciousdecors.com

I am currently visiting my husband's family in Sweden. My brother in law recently bought a condo in Stockholm, which was staged. Staging is worldwide because it WORKS!

The staged condo was so appealing that he not only bought it, he bought all the stager's furniture and decor in the condo! He was thrilled! As a bachelor, he wasn't interested in shopping and had no idea how to set the condo up as nicely as it was staged. Such a win/win! The home was staged, he bought it, and he could buy everything in the home and move right in!

We, at Delicious Decors, own our own inventory. In fact, we have the largest selection of inventory along the Central California Coast! This allows our home buyers to purchase everything they like in the home and move right in! It's great for the realtor and great for the home buyer! We have already set everything up so nicely with a designer's touch for the home buyer.

These are the photos of the staged condo in Stockholm that my brother in law bought. Photos work! He bought the house unseen from the photos on the website! Staging, photos, designer touch … call Delicious Decors at 805.448.9226 for your FREE staging estimate and FREE professional staging photos! We do it all!

Stage it Forward,

Penny & the DD Team

Selling Homes – You only Have 90 Seconds to Make a Great First Impression

Penny — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:34:34 +0000

Via Kristine Ginsberg

Selling Homes – You only Have 90 Seconds to Make a Great First Impression

* According to NAR (National Association of Realtors), 90% of potential home buyers start their search on the Internet before ever stepping out with their Realtor. MLS photos are what draw buyers to your house so make sure they represent the best of your home inside and out.

* On average, buyers make a decision about your home within the first 90 seconds - that first impression is critical to selling your home or sitting on the market becoming stale.

* A professionally staged home shows at its optimum best, creating more foot traffic at open houses and showings which is why 85% of Realtors recommend staging to their clients.

* According to National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average staging investment is between1 and 3% of the home's asking price, which generates an 8-10% return. That small investment could be the defining difference between receiving offers, or your first price reduction, costing the seller tens of thousands of dollars.

* Vacant homes appear cold and sterile. Professional staging allows the buyer to assess theproportions of the rooms by creating warm and inviting spaces so they can see how they could arrange their furniture taking the guess work out.

* Professional home stagers combine decorating, marketing, & psychology to create emotional connections, enabling potential buyers to visualize themselves living in your home.

* Buyers view a clean and organized home as well maintained making it more desirable. Homes in good condition are more likely to get close to their asking price. This is priority one in home staging.

* Ideally, you want to stage your home before you put it on the market, instantly creating the most interest on MLS, which brings in more foot traffic and a successful open house. However, if your home has sat on the market with no respectable offers, it's time to stage andbring back buyers who previously past your home by, as well as create interest and excitement for new potential buyers.

* Don't neglect curb appeal and outdoor living space; it's key for today's market. Hire a landscaper, add fresh mulch and a few potted plants – your home will be much more welcoming and make buyers want to see more.

Thank you Kristine for such a wonderful post!

Stage it Forward,

Penny and the DD Team

A Swedish Summer Day

Penny — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:24:01 +0000

A Swedish Summer Day by Delcious Decors

We had a great visit with my husband's family and friends in Sweden this summer. Although I enjoy Stockholm's beauty and all it has to offer, my favorite days were with the family at the summerhouse enjoying the simple pleasures.

"Jungle golf" was popular with the whole family! Even into the wee hours of the morning. Through the house, over the house, around the house; anything goes.

My son and his girlfriend, Billy & Dani, we able to spend a few days with us also, making our Swedish vacation even more special. I believe Billy was declared the golf champ, but Dani's smile won us all over.

We took the boat out on the Baltic cruising along the coast to see all the summer houses, so picturesque. This day on the Baltic was perfect … (we'll leave out the story of the day on the Baltic, in the rain, with a broken motor … !).

Dani, Mona-Lisa and I and were the gathers, while the guys watched over the bbq. We hunted for mushrooms, ningon and blueberries in the forest. Mona-Lisa's tool for cleaning mushrooms was new to us American gals, making it all the more interesting.

Oh, and The Door! Whether at home or on vacation, Fredrik always has a home repair or remodel project going on.Fredrik's parents had been talking about changing out that front door for months before our arrival. So, after several (and I mean several) trips to the one hardware store on the island, the project began.

Brotherly love replacing their parents front door …

A meal at the end of the day with the people you love most is always the best!

What did you do this summer? We'd love to hear about your ventures and adventures. I think it's fun to get to share your vacation; look through photos again, tell some stories. It's almost like re-living your vacation all over again!

Happy Family Vacation,

Penny & Fredrik of Delicious Decors

Stephanie Young, The Santa Barbara Realtor That Makes Things Happen

Penny — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:15:39 +0000

Stephanie Young is the Santa Barbara realtor that Makes Things Happen!

We, at Delicious Decors, have worked with Stephanie on several occasions in the past few years and what strikes me most about Stephanie is her ability to Make Things Happen and all with a smile on her face!

A second generation Realtor, Stephanie was born and raised in Santa Barbara. After graduating from UCSB, Stephanie got her real estate license and joined her mom, Marie Sue Parsons, working at Coldwell Banker.

Selling your house? Stephanie takes the bull by the reins to get your home ready for sale!

Paint ✔ New Carpet ✔ Staging ✔ Ready to market! Stephanie is on the forefront of internet marketing using virtual videos and video tours, professional photos, blogging and posting about Your property on the most visible real estate sites!

Buying a house? Call Stephanie, she'll take care of you! Stephanie is on top of the real estate industry and will provide you with detailed listing information that is not available to the public. She puts You in the driver's seat, alerting you about properties before they even hit the market!

While attending UCSB, Stephanie worked as a Substance Abuse Counselor helping woman recover from alcoholism and substance abuse. Stephanie has always been passionate about helping others, and especially enjoys being able to assist people during one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives … the purchase or sale of a home!

We highly recommend Stephanie Young and her mom, Marie Sue Parsons for all of your real estate needs!

Staging it Forward,

Penny and the DD Team

Much-A-Do-About Nothing by Delicious Decors, Santa Barbara California

Penny — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 20:59:21 +0000

Much-A-Do-About Nothing? Custom Home Staging in Santa Barbara, California.
(Part 1 in a 4 part series about the importance of wall art in home staging.)

We, at Delicious Decors, believe that wall art in professional home staging has much to do about everything!

A Home Stager's job is to "set the stage," to get the home sold quickly at top dollar. A large part of setting the stage and creating a feeling for prospective home buyers is wall art.

We specialize in custom home staging; top to bottom. "Custom wall art, this is what we're talking about … "

When we were hired to stage a classic Santa Barbara home located across the street from the Santa Barbara Mission and Rose Gardens, our first thought was custom artwork. We knew setting the stage for this home meant including artwork of the Santa Barbara Mission and the Santa Barbara Fiesta, both stuped in Santa Barbara History.

One of the strongest selling points of this particular home is its Santa Barbara history and its location. So, we knew our job was not only to compliment this attribute, but to show it off!

Using his professional photography skills, Fredrik created custom artwork of the Santa Barbara Mission for the living room niches.

He shot the photos, had them enlarged and printed on canvas for added dimension.

We went a step further to set the stage by purchasing Santa Barbara Fiesta posters, framing and hanging them in just the right places throughout the home. In fact, these Fiesta posters touched the heart of one guest that viewed the home during caravan enough to give me a call.

Did our custom staging with art work do the following:
1. Create a feeling?
2. Showcase the property's #1 asset (it's location and history)?
3. Add interest?
4. Add a sense of welcome, warmth and home?

The answer to all of these important aspects of the home staging purpose is Yes. And that's just the artwork side of the job.

Does wall art matter?

We at Delicious Decors believe, "Wall art has much to do about everything!"

(Stay tuned for Part 2 of "Much-A-Do-About Nothing?" I'll be unveiling my choice for this blog tittle on my final blog of this series.)

For your FREE staging estimate call Penny Today at 805.448.9226 or email penny@deliciousdecors.com.

Stage it Forward,

Penny & The DD Team

Custom Home Staging by Delicious Decors, Santa Barbara California

Penny — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 23:27:22 +0000

Delicious Decors Custom Stages Every Home

Big or small, we custom stage them all! Every property, every home seller and every realtor deserve the same premiere staging. We turn drab into fab. We take into consideration the home's architectural style, size, colors, features and potential home buyer.

This is what we mean by Custom Staging: look for the following custom features in the photos presented in this blog:

We took paint samples of the wall to re-upholster the dining chairs to work with the wall color exactly.
We used the wall paint samples to make custom pillows and vanity seat cover for the Master Bedroom.
We purchased exactly the perfect living room furniture for the home.
We orded custom artwork for the walls and custom framed them for the Master Bedroom.
We hired an interiorscape expert to provide the best in plants throughout the house with a weekly service included.

Custom Home Staging, Santa Barbara California

Premiere Home Stager in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara Premiere Home Stager

A photo speaks a 1000 words! This home was custom staged top to bottom.

Please contact us today at 805.964.0866 or penny@deliciousdecors.com for your FREE estimate.

Thanks,
Penny & The DD Team