Home for the Holidays: A Realtor's Guide to Captivating Christmas Decor

'Tis the season to transform homes into winter wonderlands, and as a realtor, what better way to capture the festive spirit than by showcasing properties adorned with enchanting Christmas decorations? Creating a warm and inviting atmosphere can significantly enhance the appeal of a home, making potential buyers feel a connection that goes beyond brick and mortar. In this guide, we'll explore innovative and tasteful ways to decorate homes during the holiday season, turning them into irresistible destinations for prospective buyers. Even if you are not selling, here are some great ways to reflect the holiday season within your home.

Curb Appeal that Sparkles

The first impression is crucial, and during the holidays, curb appeal takes on a whole new meaning. Start by adorning the entrance with a festive wreath that complements the home's color scheme. Consider adding subtle outdoor lighting, such as string lights along the pathway or a beautifully illuminated tree near the entrance. This touch not only enhances the home's exterior but also creates a warm and inviting ambiance.

A Cozy Fireplace Setting

Highlight the heart of the home – the fireplace. Arrange plush holiday-themed throws and cushions on the furniture surrounding the fireplace, creating a cozy and inviting space. A well-decorated mantel adorned with stockings, candles, and garlands adds a touch of festive elegance, making potential buyers envision themselves celebrating the holidays in their new home.

Deck the Halls – Stylishly

Opt for a cohesive color scheme that complements the home's interior. Consider classic combinations like gold and red, or go for a more modern touch with silver and blue. Ensure that decorations complement the existing decor rather than overpowering it. Simple touches, such as a beautifully adorned staircase railing or strategically placed ornaments, can bring the holiday spirit without overwhelming the space.

Showcase outdoor entertaining spaces

If the property has outdoor entertaining spaces, don't forget to extend the festive decor outside. String lights, outdoor wreaths, and a well-lit patio can showcase the home's potential for hosting memorable holiday gatherings.

Bedrooms that Gleam with Holiday Magic

Create a serene and festive atmosphere in the bedrooms by incorporating holiday-themed bedding, pillows, and throws. A beautifully adorned Christmas tree in the master bedroom can add a touch of magic. Keep it tasteful and cohesive, ensuring that the decor enhances the room's ambiance without overwhelming the potential buyer's imagination.

Bathrooms with Seasonal Splendor

Even the bathrooms can benefit from a festive touch. Consider adding holiday-themed towels, candles, or a simple bowl of decorative ornaments. It's all about creating a cohesive and inviting atmosphere throughout the entire home.

Kitchen Elegance

The kitchen is often the heart of the home, and during the holidays, it becomes a hub for festive gatherings. Consider adding subtle touches like holiday-themed dishware, a decorative centerpiece, or even a bowl of festive potpourri. If the home has an open layout, make sure the holiday decor seamlessly flows from the kitchen into the adjoining living spaces.

Create a Holiday Scent Experience

Engage the senses by incorporating subtle holiday scents throughout the home. Consider placing scented candles, potpourri, or even baking a batch of festive cookies before showings. The inviting aroma can evoke feelings of comfort and home.

In the competitive world of real estate, making a memorable impression is key, and during the holiday season, decorating with care and thoughtfulness can set your property apart. By creating a warm and festive atmosphere, you not only capture the spirit of the season but also help potential buyers envision themselves celebrating future holidays in their new home. So, deck the halls, light the candles, and let the magic of Christmas make your home irresistible for the holidays.

Home design trends for 2021

grandmillenial style by hadley court

Without a doubt, the pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives; from working from home, navigating online school, eating at home more due to restaurant closures and lockdowns restricting our movements; the pandemic has certainly changed how we live and interact within our homes. Combine that with the fact that we have been staring at the same four walls for over a year, and a lot of us are feeling the desire to either redecorate, reconfigure our current space or move to a different space altogether. If you are considering a renovation or a move, here are a few design trends that we are seeing, many as a result of living life during a pandemic.

the home office

Working from home full-time means it is no longer feasible to just set up your laptop at the kitchen island or dining room table. Online meetings require privacy, tech capabilities and a way to separate work from home. A comfortable desk chair, ample storage, a proper tech set-up, good lighting and a pleasing zoom background are all factors to consider when designing a dedicated home office. In smaller spaces such as condos, where square footage is a premium and a separate room is out of the question, designating and designing a space within a space strictly for work is equally as important.

A screen is a great way to create a decorative partition in a smaller space. Designed by Charu Ghandi of Elicyon. Credit: Courtesy of Elicyon

multi-functionality

Spending so much time at home has also made us realize that we need to maximize all the space in our house and some spaces, such as formal living and dining rooms, get very little use and are taking up prime real estate in our homes. As a result, we are seeing a trend towards multi-functional space and furniture, so that we can get the most out of the space that we have. It has also forced us to re-examine our need for walls and privacy as we trend away from the open concept floor plan that has been so popular, and towards separated multi-use space.

outdoor living

Since our movements have been so restricted, we are all craving the ability to get outdoors, so there is a big trend towards blending the outdoors with the indoors and creating luxurious spaces to enjoy all-season. Creating outdoor living & dining areas allows for pandemic socializing or even just a change of scenery. Fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, swimming pools and hot tubs are popular ways to add luxury to these outdoor spaces.

Credit: Neue Focus Photography

go natural

We all also want to be cozy and comfortable these days so there is a trend away from the sleek, sterile modern look towards a more warm and welcoming esthetic. This can be achieved through the use of natural fabrics, wood accents, earth tones & (real) greenery. Natural materials such as rattan and cane are also seeing a resurgence, and we are seeing a move away from the design equivalent of fast fashion, with homeowners choosing to invest in more sustainable furnishings.

colour

We are seeing a real trend towards pops of dark colour, whether it be in a statement couch, accent wall or kitchen cabinetry. Dark green is particularly in vogue at the moment.

italianbank.com

grandmillenial style

Goodbye midcentury modern and hello grandmillenial grandeur! This style, also referred to as ‘granny chic’, incorporates pattern and texture in order to infuse individuality and personality into a space. It is old school design trends (think toile, chintz, floral wallpaper, heavy woods, vintage prints) with a modern twist.

kitchens

Kitchens are seeing a boost of colour these days with kitchen style trending towards darker and two-tone cabinetry, wood grain accents and statement range hoods.

elledecor.com

mix it up

The old rules no longer apply, you now have permission to mix it up, whether it be metals, patterns, styles or vintages, anything goes. This does take some skill, but when done right, the effect can be stunning.

If you are considering a move or a renovation and don’t know where to begin, feel free to reach out to us, we are always available for your questions!

The Importance of Staging Your Home

The market is crazy at the moment so you may question whether it is worth staging your home before you list it for sale. Our answer is a resounding YES! Chances are, at this moment in time, your house is going to sell regardless (and most likely in competition), but wouldn’t you like to know that you received the most money that you possibly could by showcasing your home in its best possible light? There are many compelling reasons why staging is worth the investment, both in time & money.

people buy homes based on emotion

When someone walks into your home they want to be able to imagine themselves living there, they are drawn to homes that are not like the home they just left, but ones that are clean, stylish & serene. No one lives like that in real life, but staging provides buyers with a blank canvas where they can picture their future life, without the distraction of clutter and personal belongings, and by doing so it can represent a new beginning in their lives.

best use

You obviously adapt your house to suit your lifestyle, but that may not be the best way to present your home when it goes onto the market. We will likely recommend removing excess furniture so that the home feels more spacious, and we will also recommend ensuring that each room is set up to maximize functionality. Small bedroom that you use for extra storage? Let’s set that room up as a den, office or nursery (depending on the target demographic) to optimize the space and show prospective buyers how useful it can be. By staging rooms to showcase their best use, it highlights to buyers how much functional space the home has, while also answering any questions they may have about what to do with a particular space.

it is not as expensive as you think

We do all our own staging and include it in our commissions. We are big proponents of working with what you have and only doing what is necessary. We will always provide a list of suggested ‘to-dos’, which will often include de-cluttering, moving out some furniture (and perhaps renting a few missing pieces) and small repair jobs such as painting and patching, but we also want prospective buyers to get a feel for the house and the people who live there. We shy away from the ‘sanitized’ staging look and like to work with our seller’s belongings so that the home has character and is a reflection of the people who live there.

“They were very effective at preparing the house for sale, only what was necessary, no over the top expectations, and what a difference it made!!”

— Irene

the market will not always be like this

Just because the market is hot at the moment does not mean staging is not worth it. Staging will always maximize your sale price and, given that your home is probably your biggest investment, wouldn’t it be nice to know that your got the maximum sale price that you possibly could? Also, the real estate market ebbs and flows, so there are always going to be dips in the market, and when these dips occur, staging is going to make your house stand out above others that don’t show as well. Even in the hottest markets, for whatever reason, sometimes a house just doesn’t sell as expected, but staging will definitely lessen the chance of this happening and if there is a delay, it will be a short one.

let us take this off your plate

We have a keen eye for design and a stockpile of accessories to fit every style of home. Once your ‘to-do’ list has been completed, we come in and do a staging inventory to determine what we will need to showcase your home in its best possible light. We co-ordinate the rental and delivery of any furniture (if necessary), and arrive with carloads of items to accessorize and style your home. We will often spend days getting your house ready, so that it is picture perfect when our photographer arrives for the photo shoot. We are also not afraid to roll up our sleeves and we have been known to patch, hang, mow, weed, plant, scrub, clean, hang, move and any number of other things in order to ensure that your home stands out amongst the rest!

“They have warm personalities, an artistic flair for staging and we feel blessed to have had them as our agents. Highly recommend.”

— Trish

no cookie cutter solutions

No green apples and bottles of San Pellegrino here! Every homeowner and home is different so we approach every house that we stage differently. Again, we like the home to be a reflection of the style of the house and the people who live there, so we dedicate a lot of time to putting together a staging plan that achieves this. We particularly love combining our client’s belongings with our own, to create a unique and beautiful backdrop, which allows buyers to picture themselves living there while highlighting the distinctiveness of the home.

no regrets

We can’t tell you exactly what the outcome is going to be when you sell your home, but we can assure you that our staging is going to put you in the best possible position to maximize your sale price and allow you to move into the next chapter with the confidence that the outcome could not have been any better. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that you get the most out of your investment, in your home and in us!

If you are considering a move, we would love to talk to you about how we can help showcase your home and maximize your sale price. You can click here to see some of our staging before and afters and here to read testimonials from some of our many ecstatic clients!

Making the Most of your Outdoor Space!

gabenjenny.com

One of my favorite things about summer is dining outdoors, especially this summer! The glorious weather we have enjoyed this summer has allowed us to get out of our houses (finally!) and feel a sense of normalcy after all those months stuck inside.

Even though Labour Day is fast approaching, there is still time to take advantage of the warm weather and the chance to dine ‘al fresco’, so we pulled together some outdoor dining furniture that works well with the outdoor living themes from last month. Bring in similar pops of colour, be consistent with style, and you will have expanded your functional living space all season long.

Outdoor areas are also a great place to have some fun and experiment with your style. Boho not your thing but you've always wanted to give it a try? Decorating outside is an easy way to get out of your comfort zone! Here are some great outdoor looks inspired by some of our favorite west end Toronto neighborhoods. We hope they will inspire you to make the most of your outdoor space.

Dishes | LED Candles | Table | Chairs | Bar Cart

Dishes | LED Lanterns | Table | Chairs | Storage Cabinet

Dishes | Solar Lantern | Table | Chairs | Serving Table

Dishes | Solar Lantern | Table | Chairs | Bar Cart

We plan on taking advantage of outdoor dining as long as we can, and don’t forget you can always invest in a propane heater and extend your outdoor dining season well into the fall! Have fun with it and enjoy!