Designing Diva Interiors

Ten Tips for Clutter-Free Shopping
(Even at Flea Markets and Yard Sales)
by Aby Garvey

I’m willing to bet, since you’re reading this newsletter, that creating and maintaining an organized home is tops on your priority list. Perhaps you’ve been participating in some of my online workshops and you’re well on your way to creating – and maintaining – a clutter-free and organized home, or maybe you’re just starting out on your organizing journey. Either way, if your goal is to live in an organized and clutter-free home, it’s important to recognize that one of the best ways to control clutter is to keep it out of your home in the first place. And one of the best ways to do that is by becoming a clutter-free shopper – or doing what I call shopping with intention.

Now, shopping with intention is all well and good, and easy, when you’re shopping for groceries or other commonplace items. But when you’re shopping at flea markets and other venues that sell one-of-a-kind things, remaining objective and making smart purchase decisions can be quite a bit trickier. For this type of shopping, you need a simple plan of attack that will help you distinguish the shopping treasures from tomorrow’s would-be trash. Here are ten tips to get you started.

Get Prepared!
Before heading out on your first shopping expedition, use these first few tips to get yourself ready.

Tip 1:  Make a List
The first step to avoiding regrettable purchases (and the clutter that follows) is to make a list of things you want and need for your home. Keep your creative options open by making a list that’s based on an item’s intended purpose, instead of searching for an exact item. This gives you the opportunity to use things you find in an unexpected ways. As one workshop participant shared, “I went looking for ‘something’ that could be used to collect papers before I can act on them and ended up with a leaf-shaped copper tray. That was something I never would have thought of, but the use was something I had already planned.”

Tip 2:  Take Measurements
There’s a saying in carpentry that goes “measure twice, cut once.” For your treasure hunting expeditions, use the phrase “measure twice, buy once.” In other words, make sure the items you purchase will fit in your home, by taking accurate measurements of your spaces ahead of time.

Tip 3:  Set a Budget
First, set an overall budget and then, spread it among the items on your list. Consider allocating a portion of your budget for impulse purchases or unexpected must-have finds. By setting a budget, you’ll be sure to have cash in your pocket when you find the perfect piece to accommodate an item on your “need” list, plus you create a bit of wiggle room for unexpected treasures, which means you’ll still retain the fun of treasure hunting. Also, your budget will help you keep impulse purchases to a minimum, which may help you pass by items that would ultimately have become clutter.

Tip 4:  Create a Shopping Kit
Put together a little shopping kit filled with the following items, to take with you while you shop:
Small tape measure (to measure items before buying)
Paint and fabric swatches (to make sure an item you find will work well with items you already own)
Your shopping list (to help you stay focused)

Go Shop!
With your plan in place, you’re halfway there. Now it’s time to shop and put your plan to the test. While you’re out shopping, ask yourself the following questions to help you bring home the true treasures, while leaving behind tomorrow’s would-be trash.

Questions to Ask While Shopping

Tip 5:  Ask, Do I LOVE It?
Think about an item in your home that you absolutely love. Got it?  Okay, now think back to where you were when you spotted this item while shopping. How did you feel? What did you do? When I find something truly special I gasp a little bit and my heart beats a bit faster. I smile and pick up the item as if to claim it as my own. And if I’m shopping with someone else, I immediately show the item to her so she can share in my joy.

Now, this may sound a bit like I’m describing what happens when you find an item on sale…but the response I’m describing here is one I have before I even know what an item costs. It is the item itself that has captured my affection, not the price tag wrapped around its neck. The important thing while shopping is to tune into your true feelings about the items by remembering what you do when you truly love an item. For me, when I rationalize a purchase is when I get in trouble and create tomorrow’s clutter. But when I truly love an item at first sight—this feeling lasts for years.

Tip 6:  Ask, Is This in My Budget?
Now it’s time to get rational and check your handy-dandy shopping list. Ask yourself if the item is in your budget and if not (and you truly love it), see if there’s a way to apportion your budget differently to make this item yours. If it’s just too far out of your budget, let it go.

Tip 7:  Make Sure It’s a Good Fit.
When you come across an item you want to seriously consider, picture where and how you would use it. Then, make sure you have space for it in your home. If the item is on your list (or will fulfill a purpose on your list), check your measurements to make sure the item will work in the space you have in mind. Also, pull out your swatches to make sure it will fit in, or look good, with the other items in your room.

Tip 8:  Ask, Am I Willing to Make Space for It?
If you determine a must-have item won’t fit in the space you intended, consider other uses for the item. Could you let go of an item you already own to make room for the treasure in your hand?  Using a “one item in, one item out” strategy is a simple way to create space for new items, and keep the flow of new things into your home in sync with the outflow – which keeps clutter away.

Tip 9:  Ask, Can I Use It As Is?
If you love shopping at flea markets or yard sales, you may recognize this next scenario. You come across the almost perfect piece that just needs a “quick” coat of paint, or perhaps new fabric for the seat cushion. Even if you love a renovation project, avoid buying too many “projects.” Unfinished projects can easily become clutter, so be aware of how many projects are already on your to-do list before bringing home another project. Ask yourself “Can I use this as it is?” or, “Do I realistically have the time to make it usable?” If the answer is no…pass it by.

Tip 10:  Ask, Would it Be easy to Get Rid of This Later if I Find it Doesn’t Work?
I have a friend who buys a lot of furniture and home decor items on craigslist. Before making a purchase, she considers whether or not she could resell the item on craigslist for at least as much as her purchase price. If she thinks it would be easy to sell, then she buys; if not, she passes it by. She often uses items for a period of time, and then when she wants a change she posts some things on craigslist and uses that cash for new items. It’s a fun little hobby and a great way to keep things flowing into and out of your home, without letting clutter build up. If you’re out shopping and you’re on the fence about an item, ask yourself if it would be easy for you to get rid of later, if you find it doesn’t work for you.

With these ten tips in hand, all that’s left to do is head out there and find some treasures. Happy hunting!

Day 1 of demo work on the Designing Diva Interiors’ room is underway. Today’s task list: find 6 narrow mirrors that can be placed in the linen closet.  In addition to tracking down these mirrors that don’t seem to exist I’ll also be removing knobs and cabinet doors to prepare for the amazingly talented Lezley Lynch of Edmond, Oklahoma (www.lezleylynchdesigns.com) . She will be providing a custom hand-painted design on the ceiling and wall of our room and I can’t wait to see what she’s come up with!  So I’ve got my hands full for today. As designers from across the metro and beyond get to work making their visions come to life one thing is certain: just as every year before, the 2010 Symphony Orchestra  Show House will not disappoint! For dates and ticket information visit http://www.symphonyshowhouse.com/. We’ll see you there!

Photos of the completed work will NOT be posted on this blog. You will  have to attend one of the tour dates to see the complete transformation of this spectacular home!

I love Pottery Barn, I do. I love the layered look of each season’s collection, the way the colors of their products envelope you as you enter the room, the appearance of a calm atmosphere. But there is an epidemic that has seen its share of face time and I’m calling its victims out. We shall call it P.B.E., or the Pottery Barn Epidemic. Its definition: in short, it is the widespread necessity to pick up a catalog, order everything off of the page and call it “home”.  It should be made clear that I am not singling out Pottery Barn exclusively. Again, huge fan. But your home’s environment should reflect you, not a group of designers in California. The layered look is good, but it should feel as though the look was created over time, through years of collecting, rather than in one swift shopping spree on a Saturday afternoon. Buy the lamp from page 31 but shop antique stores or vintage flea markets for that reading chair. Go ahead and splurge on the Italian vase collection-I’ve used them in many homes myself- but don’t get the matching plates/servers/bowls/candlesticks. I’m begging you- when I ask you “How would you describe your style?” please, please, don’t reply, “Pottery Barn”. This isn’t a style, people, its a store that has successfully marketed its products as “take ‘n go”; which for some is a necessity. But for you, my savvy, well-rounded readers, its just plain boring. Step outside the box and save yourself from PBE! I’m not telling you not to shop there, I would be a hypocrite for certain- I am simply asking that you slowly walk away from the catalogs. Think about the things that truly make your home unique; the Suzani you brought back from your favorite vacation, your husband’s photo collection of old buildings, a trunk that has been passed down for five generations. These are the things that make your home yours. And you won’t find that on page 31.

*Originally posted on July 20, 2009 by Jennifer Hicks, C.I.D.

Now through January 31, 2010

First-time clients receive $5 off  the initial consultation! Now is the perfect time to begin planning for those spring projects. Designing Diva Interiors, LLC can assist in selecting paint colors, hardware, flooring, and everything in between to give your home the designer feel you crave!

Take the overwhelming confusion out of selecting every little detail for your room and allow DDI to save you time, money and headaches.

Call 405.816.9716 to schedule your consultation before 1.31.10!

*Originally posted by Clint Miller of Real Estate Clinet Referrals, LLC.

Many of you know that I recently bought a home.

And, for those of you that don’t know that I recently bought a home…I recently bought a home.

Although we are very happy with our home we did purchase, during this process, I happened to notice that as we viewed house after house, I kept seeing the same things happen over and over. And….not good things. Bad things. Bad things that were blatantly obvious to me. Bad things that literally turned me off. Bad things that were keeping this otherwise fine house I was standing in from selling faster.

So, as we went through the homes, I started keeping track of things that I saw that made the average buyer – ME – want to run away screaming. Here is my “Top 10 Seller Sins”:

1. Addition Addiction – Ok…exactly what were these people thinking when they added this addtion to their home?? It isnt level. The door frame isnt square. And, that simulated wood-grain indoor/outdoor burber carpeting is HIDEOUS!! Wasn’t this were the garage should be anyway?? I guess that explains the severely sun-faded paint job on the Sport Family Truckster in the driveway and the Christmas decorations piled floor-to-ceiling in the closet in the spare bedroom. I don’t care what anyone says…Bigger is NOT always better.

2. The “Pet-Owner Moaner” – The over-all assumption that since the seller loves their pets more than chocolate, so does everyone else. Here are a couple of quotes I heard directly from the sellers mouths: “Awwww, my cat must really like you to nestle into your neck like that.”; “I know he looks big, but he is really just a teddy bear.”; “We were able to clean up everything in the house except the cat room.”; “I cant remember if my son put away the ferrets or not, but feel free to look around downstairs.”
a. Ok…first and foremost, Im allergic to cats. I don’t mean that cats make me sneeze. I mean that I quit breathing and require adrenallin shots to keep from dieing. That thing is lucky I didn’t toss it out the open window that was next to me.
b. The “teddy bear” they were referring to…Yeah, that was a 158lb Rotweiller with a googlie eye and a broken tooth on the right side. His chain was tied to a cinder block that he happily drug around and tossed into the air during “playtime”.
c. The “cat room”??? Oh Lord in heaven!!!
d. If you cant figure out if your son left out a pack of rodents in the dark rooms down the creaky stairs without a safety rail and a working light switch, you can be damn sure Im not going to find out for you.

3. Auditory Unawareness – If you cant hear that your refridgerator is making a clicking noise that can be heard from the front yard, Im fairly sure you cant hear the floorboards creaking, the doors squeaking, or the apparent family of raccoons living in the attic. You also only hear what you want to hear. Instead of “Your house is priced too high”, you hear “Your house is of a high value”. Its not the same. Pay attention!

4. Color Blind – Holy Lord!! Who decorated this place?? Its like Andy Worhol threw his color pallet into a Cuisinart and hit ‘liquify’. The fuscia flower print wallpaper needs to go. And, I don’t carew what you say, it doesn’t do any justice to that wall with the fake woodgrain panelling it joins up to by the sunshine yellow couch. Worse yet…the white cabinets, white-washed walls, white countertops, and white tile is just a bit much.

5. “Take it or leave it” – Yup. Heard that come right out of a seller’s own mouth. We were discussing the possiblity of him making a necessary repair to a sliding glass door that lead out to a deck. Between the glass panes was about half an inch of standing water. Obviously, the seals on the window were compromised. When asked if he would spend the money to get the glass replaced and the seales re-done…or just replace the entire door…that was the response I got. Guess what…I left it.

6. Price-itis – The fear that your home wont sell for the price you are asking for it. I put in an offer on a home that was only $5,000 under what was being asked. The counter came back with a reduction of $1,000, but a clause to pay $4,000 in closing costs. Now, I may be bad at math…but, isnt that the same damn thing????

7. Fried Food Funk – You know what Im talking about here. If you can smell it, you won’t sell it. Bottom line here is that fried food smells, kitty litter, a back yard filled with dog crap, a nursery reaking of dirty diapers, etc…all add up to one thing – a very short showing. (Well, it also leads to gagging, shortness of breath, tears streaming down your face, and everyone skrunching up their nose and making that internationally known face that says, “Do you SMELL that???”)

8. Photog Fog – Everyone should take pride in their family photographs. I do. But, Im not trying to sell my house! I went into one home where, I kid you not, the entire living walls…every square inch…was covered in frame pics of family. There must have been 100 pictures in that room. Frames mounted together like a patchwork quilt of memories and bad matting jobs. Love the sentiment…love the family pride. But, I was COMPLETELY distracted from seeing the actual house.

9. “I collect them” – No kidding, really??? Nothing would have made me realize you collect dolls were it not for the fact that Im now suddenly very aware of the fact that 226 eyes are now following me through your house like Chucky with an ax to grind. Yeah, I couldn’t tell that you collect Vegas casino ash trays since they are on every flat surface in your entire house including 4 separate 6-ft tall bookshelves, your coffee table, the top of your TV, the end-tables, and the extra two shelves that you put up encircling the entire living room. But, worse than that, you have them on your toilet tank, your dresser…and in an amazing twist, you have drilled holes in them and replaced half of the doorknobs in your house with them. In case your agent hasn’t told you this….PACK THIS CRAP UP!

10. Livin in the past – I don’t care what you think, the pea soup green shag carpeting is not coming back in style. And, regardless of how many memories are associated with it, the nine-foot long, hunter orange, faux-leather couch on the wooden legs with the sleigh-style arms on the each end is FREAKING UGLY!! Regardless of whether or not they still work, the matching avocado green stove, fridge, and counter tops are ugly…and they are ugly 24/7/365. If you want to move this house…replace this ferocious eyesore. Better yet…HIRE A HOME STAGER!

Yeah, selling a house is hard. Selling a house in the market is harder. Selling one of THESE houses with a seller that sins like this…nearly impossible. Sellers, if you are reading this…listen to your agents. Agents, if you are reading this…make sure your sellers understand that buyers – like me – will look at these like neither of you know what you are doing and act accordingly. Probably by running away quick.

If you have a question, Designing Diva Interiors has the answer! In the comment box below, leave your home improvement/design question and get it answered by your favorite interior decorator or one of her expert panelists in fields such as carpentry, faux finish painting, landscaping, and others!

This authentic white coral on acrylic stand sits at approximately 24″ x 24″ and is absolutely a conversation piece. Because it is genuine coral a few tips have broken off during its lifetime but it has been well cared for and would look stunning on a night stand, foyer table, or cocktail table. Origin unknown.

REDUCED PRICE: $58.00

Will not ship due to vulnerability of coral. Local buyers (OKC Metro) only, please.

Ever wonder what a realtor really wants to tell you about buying or selling a home? Would you like to get into a buyer’s head? Learn more about homestaging and how it can make the difference in your selling experience? All of these topics and others are covered daily in Ryan Hukill’s blog, okREblog – It’s All REALative at http://blog.edmondoklahomesforsale.com/.

Follow this Edmond-based real estate pro and others as we dive into the hard-core truths that make the difference between “listed” and “SOLD!” You can also see guest postings from yours truly from time to time, so check it out regularly and tell your friends!