Caption This Real Estate Listing: Home Staging on a Budget

by hookedonhouses on September 1, 2010

vases-entry

Hey, Realtors! Got an empty house you’re trying to sell but little or no money to put toward staging it?  Try this trick that an agent in Houston came up with. Simply fill two vases with fresh flowers and set them in the entry. Take the photo and then move them to the dining room…

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Flipping Out Cast-Season 4Are you watching Bravo’s popular reality series Flipping Out? The show is now in its 4th season, and I’ve been watching since the beginning. For me it brings back nightmares memories of working as an assistant to a brilliant but demanding designer myself. Jeff Lewis has definitely mellowed out on the show over the years, though. (Makes me wonder if my designer has, too? For the sake of whoever is working for her now, let’s hope!) Valley Oak Drive exterior

Jeff lives and works from a beautiful house he renovated in Los Angeles called “Valley Oak.” He’s been trying to sell it off and on since the reno was finished, and it’s back on the market for $2.495 million. Let’s take a look!

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Where I Blog: My Home Office Then & Now

by hookedonhouses on August 29, 2010

StudyVertBefore

When we moved here 7 years ago, I claimed this little spare bedroom as my home office. I work as a freelance writer and editor and spend a lot of time in this space. Despite the sad state of affairs in my study at the time, my daughter Lily looked pretty happy to be posing in it! I had a broken-down chair, an ancient computer, builder-white walls, and blah, blah, blah. Pretty pitiful.

It wasn’t that way for long, though. My husband Dave announced that for my birthday that year, he was going to help me redecorate it. And boy, did he. Every night for two weeks he came home from his office and went to work on mine. He painted. He put down hardwood floors. He added crown molding.

It was the best. Birthday. EVER. Here’s how it looks today.

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From Castles to Log Cabins: This Week in House News

by hookedonhouses on August 28, 2010

Carbisdale Castle

6 Cool Castles Turned Into Hotels: HuffPo.

Bibliophile Buys House Next Door to Build Personal Library: Star Tribune.

Homeowners Stuck in Half-Finished Subdivisions: CinciE.

Fashion Stylist Erica Domesek’s Cool NYC Loft: CasaSugar.

stone farmhouse-Marley & Me

A Top Search on My Blog This Week: “Stone Farmhouse from Marley & Me.

Ever Dreamed of Living in a Log Cabin? Log House Plans.

The Most Expensive Houses in the U.S.: Forbes.

Monopoly Game Updates Reflect Current Real Estate Market: College Humor.

Joni's gray kitchen-Cote de Texas

Is Gray the New Turquoise? Cote de Texas

Thanks to the New York Times for the mention this week. They quoted some of my readers, too! Were you one of them? Tyler Perry Buys Dean Gardens.

Thanks to all of my loyal readers who visit my blog every week. Seriously. Because I wouldn’t still be here if you weren’t! :-)

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A Dining Room Makeover, 1950’s Style

by hookedonhouses on August 26, 2010

BHG 1956-Redecorating

Vintage decorating books are one of my very favorite things. It’s so much fun to look back at styles that were once deemed chic and sensible. I have a Better Homes & Gardens Decorating Book from 1956 that has a “Redecorating” chapter I especially like. (That’s the cool chapter divider from the book above). Check out this dining room makeover it featured:

According to the copy, the dining room was “dark and dingy” before–downright gloomy with its hardwood floors, high ceilings, and “outmoded” chandelier.

But they fixed that! The so-called “high ceiling” was painted pink to “bring it down.” The depressing hardwood floors were covered with wall-to-wall carpeting. And the chandelier was replaced with “adjustable ceiling lights.” Wow.

I imagine that a makeover on this room today would include–at the very least–uncovering the hardwood floors again and bringing a real chandelier back in. It makes me wonder what we’re doing to our houses now that we’ll be undoing again in 50 years. Any guesses?

I posted this when I first started blogging. If you remember it, then you’ve stuck with me a long time! Go to Retro Rooms to see more.

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For Sale: Farrah Fawcett’s Former Home in Bel Air

August 25, 2010

Farrah Fawcett’s former Bel Air home is on the market for $6.4 million. It comes with 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths and a little piece of Hollywood history (how fun would it be to say, “Farrah lived here”?).
Thanks to her famous turn as Jill Munroe on “Charlie’s Angels” in the ’70s, a lot of us wanted [...]

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The Venice Canal Bungalow in “Because I Said So”

August 24, 2010

The 2006 comedy (using term loosely) Because I Said So, starring Diane Keaton as a meddling mother with three grown daughters, may have gotten lousy reviews, but I think the sets were fun to look at! Producers say they wanted to show the best of L.A., so they shot in places like Malibu and Venice [...]

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HGTV Design Star: Did the Right Person Win?

August 22, 2010

Did you watch the season finale of HGTV’s Design Star? It was down to these two: Emily and Michael. They each had to design an apartment for one of their former rivals. Emily chose dapper, “dangerous” Tom to be her pretend client, and Michael chose the mural-loving Nina, who earned the nickname “Meana” during her [...]

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Get Your Fix: This Week in House News

August 21, 2010

Megan Mullally’s Hollywood Haven: Elle Decor.
One of the Top Searches on My Blog This Week: “Edward’s Bedroom.”
Is it Time to Stop Obsessing About Resale? NYT.

A Screened Porch Gets a Makeover: CasaSugar.
Stephanie’s Amazing Kitchen Reno: Photos.
10 Mansions That Had Their Prices Slashed Last Month: HuffPo.
{Love} Kate’s Painted Trellis Wall: Centsational Girl.
Meg Ryan Renting Out Bel Air [...]

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