Message from Mishelle:

My goal is to always have a good time with my clients and to teach them about the design process as we go.  It is important me that my client is included in every step of the room make-over; especially in a redesign. The space is personal and should reflect your style, taste and personal touches. 

Re-design

Re-designing a space means changing the look of a room, mainly using what you already have.  It's a very cost effective way to create a new look for any space.

It is very important that you, my client are involved in the re-design process. It is your room.  It needs to be a reflection of you.  By having you involved we not only have a great time…but there is pride in your accomplishment. 

We will re-use pieces you already have; if necessary re-purpose them or paint them.  That not only keeps the costs down, but it's efficient and effective. We will plan, shop, paint, sand and put the room together as a team…it's a great learning experience for you and lots of fun for us both.

The best feeling in the world is seeing my client's face when the room is completed.  That sense of accomplishment and awe makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Staging your home for sale

Staging is a process of de-personalizing a 'home', making it a 'house'; a commodity that can be sold easily in a competitive real estate market. 

Staging can make your house stand out from others in the same price bracket as yours.  Staged homes sell faster and for more money than homes that are not staged.  According to the National Association of Realtors staged homes sell 6.9 % faster than homes that aren't staged. 

Staging also costs less than your first price reduction.  Therefore, it is very beneficial to get your house staged correctly before putting it on the market.

10 tips for staging your home for sale

• De-clutter,  you must organize the mail, newspapers, school papers, pictures and all that mess that gathers in the corners, on the counters, bureaus, and stairs of the everyday home.  Cabinets and closets should be organized.  A messy closet gives the appearance the house does not have enough storage space.

• Clean, ... your house must be clean.  Windows, faucets, mirrors should sparkle.  Walls should have fresh paint if needed.  Carpets cleaned. The yard and porches should be kept up and tidy.  If necessary have the exterior power-washed. 

• De-personalize, I know you have heard this a million times.  You must make your house appealing to as many buyers as possible.  Remember your 'home' is now a 'house'...it's a commodity.  You may LOVE the purple accent wall in your bedroom, but believe or not there are a few buyers out there who don't.  You need to keep everything as neutral as possible so buyers can see their taste and style in your house.  You should remove family pictures (buyers get distracted, they like to see who is in the pictures instead of looking at your house).  You should also remove religious items.

• Get rid of odors, litter box or cigarette odors can make a buyer walk right back out the door and not even tour your home.

• First Impression, the front porch is very important.  The buyer will usually wait here for their realtor to open the door.  Make sure the front door and light fixtures are clean and in good condition.  Use pots with colorful flowers in them to brighten up the area.

• Brighten your home, again make sure windows are clean.  Put the shades all the way up, allowing the maximum amount of sunlight to enter the room.  Make sure all the shades are even with the other windows so they look uniform from the exterior.  Window treatments should not be fussy, look in magazines to see what is current.  The best look is usually a single decorative rod, placed slightly above your window and extending onto the walls by about 4"-6".  This creates the illusion of bigger windows.  The panels should be simple, and go from the rod to the floor.

• Accents, pick neutral colors, for the walls and the main furniture pieces.  Then add splashes of a stylish color.  This color should be picked up in the throw pillows, bedding, curtains and only a few accent pieces.  Try to keep a complimentary color flow throughout the house.  Most furniture pieces should be clear on the top to keep everything neat.  There should be fresh flowers in key places and only real plants where needed.

• Space, buyers are looking for homes that offer them space to grow.  Keep furniture to a minimum; put extra pieces in storage if necessary.  Make sure each room has a distinct purpose; a guest room is a guest room, an office is an office.  Move gym equipment into the basement; if you need to keep it set up make the area look like a work out space.

• Create quaint areas, arrange the furniture in a way that creates reading nooks, or conversation areas.  Corners are often wasted space.  Loose the newspaper pile and put two chairs in the corner with a small table between them, add a tray for tea and some flowers and you have created a quaint conversation area. 

• Lighting,   is a very important part of staging.  Make sure all your light fixtures have bulbs that work.  Also, get bulbs that are a lower wattage to create a comforting glow in the house.  If there aren't any over-head lights in a room make sure there is a lamp on in the room.  Bedrooms and conversation areas should have smaller lamps in them.  The shades need to be in good shape and clean (PLEASE remove all the plastic wrap from the lampshade, I know my grandmother was famous for that, too).

Bio

Mishelle is the owner operator of Misha Interiors.  A decorating company located in Southeastern Massachusetts specializing in staging homes for sale and redesigning residential and commercial spaces.  Mishelle has over 12 years experience as a decorator. 
She has decorated furniture stores locally and in other parts of the country.  Many furniture stores contracted Mishelle to set up their new stores and decorate each individual furniture vignette on the sales floor.

She has worked in NYC; decorating and designing trade show booths for luxury bed linen lines at the International Gift and Home Shows.  She was awarded best booth design and was written up in trade publications such as; HOME TEXTILES TODAY and HOME ACCENTS TODAY.

Mishelle loves working with her residential clients. She has worked in California, Maine and NYC re-designing homes. However, concentrates most of her work in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Some of the services offered through Misha Interiors include faux finishes, furniture placement, color selection, re-purposing furniture, window treatments, accessorizing, and shopping.  

If we are not able to come to you…we offer an online consultation; through photos and measurements;  e-mails and phone calls we will work with you and come up with a plan for your space.

My personal story

I am a single mom.  I have a beautiful 11 year old daughter.  I was married for 13 years when my husband was called to duty for the 2^nd time.  He's a soldier in the Massachusetts National Guard, our daughter was 5 then.  My husband returned home after serving 13 months in Afghanistan.  He had trouble returning to his normal life and did not want to be married any longer.  It was a difficult time, first awaiting his return from war and then going through the divorce.  It has been 4 years since we separated and we have all adjusted and moved on with the help of family and friends.

My foundation; Room for You

I recently started a foundation, Room for You and have partnered with The Fresh Start After Divorce Mentoring Program and the Happy Wednesday Foundation.  Together we hope to give families hope, peace and a fresh start, by re-designing a deserving person's bedroom.  We want to create a room for them that is a retreat.  A place they can relax and regroup to help them get through a difficult time and to know they are not alone.   We are here for them.

The Room for You foundation also hopes to extend this gift to the families of our troops serving over-seas.

It is our wish to bring a smile to the face of a young child whose parent has been deployed by giving them a 'cool' new room, that reflects their personality;   or to a spouse who's awaiting a loved ones safe return and can't wait for the homecoming. 

This is a small way we can give back and make a huge difference in the life of those in our community who need us to help them stay positive during difficult times.

Please visit my website www.affordableroomdesign.com to view my

10 tips to stage your home for sale.

I will be periodically holding telecasts for the members of 'The Fresh Start After Divorce' community.  I look forward to speaking with you.

Contact Information

Website: www.mishainteriors.com

E-mail: Mishelle@mishainteriors.com

Phone: 508-272-3194