AnnickaJ's Profile

A friend said she went to a babyshower that was also a gender party! The parents were having twins and for fun asked the doctor not to tell them, but to write down the sexes of the babies. They sealed the paper in an envelope and gave it to the bakery with the instructions to make a plain vanilla sheet cake with each half dyed to represent the sex of the babies (pink cake or blue cake) and cover it with thick white frosting. At the end of the party everyone (including mom and dad) found out the sexes of the babies when the cake was cut! I thought that was a great idea and made the event lots of fun for everyone!

I agree that the rooms are kinda boring, but they were just trying to illustrate how versatile your decorating options can be by making a few simple changes. Anyone can shop elsewhere for great accessories and make those boring rooms amazing.
As for IKEA quality, I hardly believe anyone is buying a $49 bookcase intending it to be passed down to their children. With that said, they do have better quality items on the higher end of their price scale, and you can't beat their quality if you're looking for durable, simple and affordable modular storage. For their furniture, it really does come down to picking the right pieces and finishing them correctly. I've had the 3 drawer version of that dresser pictured for about 4 years now and it still looks brand new-- and that's with 2 kids wailing on it. I got it because I knew the glossy laminate finish would repel crayon and marker and BOY does it! We used wood glue when assembling it (I had no intentions of ever taking it apart again), and I also went a step further and put a coat of gloss paint on all the raw wood in the drawers. My friend on the other hand (no children) bought the dark wood version a year and a half ago, just used standard assembly and is already looking to replace it because its falling apart.

Speaking as someone who has lived with a hoarder I feel I should speak on behalf of those who AREN'T enablers who happen to live with a hoarder. For a loved one, "correcting" serious hoarding behavior is pretty impossible for a few reasons:
1. They compile so much stuff it can take WEEKS of constant work for 1 person to clean and clear it all. @LBhirise, A trip to the grocery store is maybe enough time to dispose of the immediate garbage in one small area.
2. You can't just throw everything away. They are still people with lives and there are things mixed in there that are actually needed and useable (like anything people use in day to day life- clothes, dishes, home goods), but everything is usually so bunched up with junk you'd need time to sort through it to find all the stuff to keep. Plus, I'm not a millionaire and can’t just re-buy a whole house worth of items for my hoarder family member. (and if they have to re-buy it themselves there will be blood)
3. Imagine if your loved one threw away all your furniture, photographs and anything else you value that is irreplaceable. The reaction you would have to that is the same reaction a hoarder usually has to you trashing a stack of old magazines or a pile of new clothes that are destined to never be worn. It’s irrational yes, but it's what I’ve experienced and had all out brawls over for years. Often sentimentality and need are bestowed upon things that don’t deserve this treatment, and in a hoarder’s mind keeping bins of old mail is just as justifiable as keeping a wedding album.
4. Most often times as soon as you do dispose of something, other things will soon fill its place. This is life. More stuff will come in and you are basically the only soldier fighting a never ending war.
The hardest part of living with someone like this is realizing you can't change them, and nothing you do externally to them will treat their behavior. They have to want to change themselves.
In the case of the show, think most people are nicer to strangers so the "experts" on this show do have the upper hand in a sense. The show is only an hour long so they don't show you all the anger, and crew members talking these people into changing their lives for money or new things. I'm sure almost everyone on this show has had to be talked out of backing out of the process numerous times. I'm fairly sure the families have tried to intervene in most of these cases and this was the last resort. Also, I would bet money that almost all of these people will be right back to their old ways after filming wraps if they don't see their behavior as a problem and aren't provided with some kind of post show counseling

I think this is one of the most sought after prizes!

I just realized the neighbor's window is right next to my balcony... Imagine an L shape, my balcony is the long side of the L and the neighbors window is the short side. I dont like the idea that someone can watch and listen to me do my morning coffee or a hang out with company on the balcony. Its kinda of unnerving. Im considering balcony decorating options that could help.

This seemed like a cool idea till I saw the creepy ass video.
O_O
They will need to revamp their marketing of this product. More comforting, less frightening.

I ADORE THIS CONCEPT! This is art that happens to be furniture. I don't know how functional they would be in a home but they are awesome conversation pieces!

@ Sophia
Theres a link in the photo credits if you want to see the rest of the home from picture 10...

The garden stool, banquette and train rack ideas are the only items on your list that feel like they could be timeless and useable for any decor (all three could come in many different styles and shapes) otherwise this list feels dated and useless. Maybe nextime use less product plugging.

Hi Cristina! I know you must have put alot of time and money into this major DIY remodel and I admire and commend your efforts and your keeping it sustainable!

The best way to stage your space without spending alot of money is to make the space cohesive with color and style, rearrange furniture so it opens up the flow of the rooms, edit the crap out of the stuff you have in the rooms and get any extra stuff you may need for cheap from 2nd hand and thrift stores. You have to make your home warm and inviting but TOTALLY impersonal so that the viewer can imagine themselves living there. First off, I like the little office nook. You didn't mention whether or not you have a separate dining area. If you do, leave the office nook but move the desk to face the window. You have a contemporary modern vibe to your furniture so leave the carpet (is that carpet?) if its in good condition, leave the shelf cause it looks great, hang crisp white roman blinds at the window, get a serving tray and place on it a small potted flowering plant, a pen cup with pens/pencils, a clock and a small statue or interesting artifact. Think chrome/silver, wood, white, blue or yellow when choosing items so it wont clash with your stuff. This is a nice space filler and can be easily moved for desk use. If you don't have a dining area re-purpose the desk as a dining table and get 4 chairs (hooray salvation army!) to place around. Put a nice vase with flowers or a platter with fruit as a centerpiece and hang sheer floor length curtains. Use the blue chair somewhere else in the house and consider removing the shelving unit and hang art on the wall (collage of Goodwill china perhaps???). The room will look bigger without the shelves, but if you can't move them at least change the things on the shelves to make it look like a modern take on a china hutch; as is they don't really scream "Dining Room".
As for the kitchen if you are truly on a budget paint the walls bright white to coordinate with the modern feel of the cabinetry and lighten up the space. These "stainless" cabinets only work in the right context. Get rid of that tiny picture and put up a pot rack to fill the space (metal wire grid kind would be best). In the opening under the cabinets nix the dog bowl and "stuff" and get wood from homedepot and make it into an "open shelving concept". Arrange stacked dishes or matching baskets/bins down there to keep visual clutter to a minimum. If you can splurge a little bit financially buy fun tile and install a backsplash above the stove yourself. Motar and grout are pretty inexpensive for a small project like that and you seem really handy. Or if thats not possible just lean a large piece of glass and make a great "temp" backsplash like I've seen others do on this site. Add color with a fun rug in front of the sink and a colorful earthenware vase filled with kitchen utensils on the counter BUT THATS IT. KEEP COUNTERTOPS FAIRLY BARE. Stow away the hanging dish rack and maybe put in a little shelf above the sink that you can put some herb pots on (accessorize with plants whenever you can, even if the lighting sucks it will give the illusion that the lighting isn't so bad and trick the mind into feeling comfortable... replace the plants if they die).
My last bit of advice would be to look through magazines for staging inspiration. Those designers are trying to sell those rooms for a living and even just seeing how sparse and neat the rooms look and how even the littlest things are arranged and grouped will give you a compass for how well you are editing your own space.
Good luck with the sell!