Best of Houzz for Design and Service 2022

This is the 10 year anniversary of the Best of Houzz awards program. Living Spaces has won the Best of Houzz Service Award for the last 7 years. Badges are awarded annually, in these categories: Design & Customer Service. Design awards honor professionals whose work was the most popular among the Houzz community. Customer Service honors are based on several factors, including a pro's overall rating on Houzz and client reviews submitted in 2021. Living Spaces won them BOTH! “Best of Houzz 2022” badges appear on winners’ profiles as a sign of their commitment to excellence. These badges help the more than 65 million homeowners and home design enthusiasts on Houzz to identify popular and top-rated home professionals for their projects. You can see more of our work on Houzz at https://www.houzz.com/pro/lynmabry/living-spaces-by-lyn

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Reno on Millionaire’s Row

Renovation on Millionaire's Row Living Spaces by Lyn had the pleasure of working with a homeowner to gut, renovate, and restore a glorious home built in 1900 and located on Millionaire's Row in historic Old Louisville. Millionaire's Row is a section of stately homes on Third Street, once called Third Avenue, and previously before that, Plank Road. Third Street in the 1900's had some of the finest and most expensive mansions in the nation line it’s street.   In its peak in the late 19th century, Old Louisville and 3rd Street was the center of Louisville's social life and wealth. These homes were built by racetrack owners, bourbon barons, and prominent business owners, and they spared no expense in showing off their wealth.  According to Wikipedia: “Old Louisville is the third largest historical district in the United States, and the largest preservation district featuring almost entirely Victorian architecture. It is also unique in that a majority of its structures are made of brick, and the neighborhood contains the highest concentration of residential homes with stained glass windows in the U.S.  Many of the buildings are in the Victorian-era styles of Romanesque, Queen Anne, Italianate, among others; and many blocks have had few or no buildings razed.” Unfortunately, by the mid-twentieth century, Old Louisville and Millionaire's Row underwent a period of decline mostly due to costly wars, suburban expansion, and the extremely expensive upkeep of the large homes. Many...

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Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life

Artwork is what helps define the personality and style of the homeowner and their home. It's useful in tying colors, special accessories, or furniture together and creating character in a home. Choosing the right piece will provoke conversations and set the vibe of the space. Art adds warmth and intrigue to your home. When staging a home, we rely on art to set the mood and define the space. Art is what brings the room alive. Art will connect you to the home. It adds depth and character, and a sense of authenticity to any room. Examples of how we used art in previous homes we staged or designed:   Living Spaces tips for picking art: Whether it's original or mass-produced, expensive or not, make sure to buy only what you love! Color: Color is the number one thing people get caught up in when trying to choose art, often because they're trying to find something that perfectly matches exactly with the colors in the room. Sometimes the colors in the art you choose can be the total opposite of what you already have, or you might want something that's only black and white, or completely neutral. What matters the most is that you find something that compliments the space. Look for a piece that you are attracted to, and don't worry too much about perfectly matching colors. Size: In general, art should take up 57% - 75% of any wall that isn't covered by furniture or moldings. If your artwork will be hung over a sofa or credenza, it should be 2/3 to 3/4 the width of your...

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Home Staging in a Seller’s Market

Why is Home Staging necessary even in a sellers market... Staging is visual merchandising for your home, and 85% of buyers say photos are the most important factor in picking the homes they tour. Staged homes sell 73% faster than empty homes. Professional Staging is recommended over Virtual Staging because buyers may feel "tricked" when the home doesn't look the same as in the online photos. Staging highlights the most impressive features of your home and hides any flaws and helps the buyer to feel an instant connection to the home. Staging results in higher sales prices, stiffer competition, and increased bidding wars. because Home Staging works! The value of Home Staging is to help the seller achieve the highest sales price in the quickest amount of time. How will staging improve my home's marketing? See for yourself in our before and after photos of homes we staged to sell! Decluttered Added furniture Rearranged furniture Inexpensive updates such as color changes The average buyer is not a professional designer, so having your home fully staged allows them to envision how each space could function for them, and picture their family in each space.

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Commercial Design

DID YOU KNOW THAT LIVING SPACES BY LYN IS OFFERING A NEW SERVICE?   COMMERCIAL DESIGN WELCOME CHERYL RUETTEN Cheryl Ruetten has over 20 years of Commercial Design experience and is ready to take on your project.  She can handle all aspects from the conceptual stage to the construction stage and finally the design stage. Cheryl got her start in design while in Baltimore where she earned her National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ.)   While still attending college for her degree, Cheryl started working for Nancy Foreman Design now known as NFD Inc. At NFD Inc., Cheryl worked on commercial design, specializing in space planning and construction documents for offices. Through hard work and a strong reputation with her clients, Cheryl was promoted to Vice President of NFD Inc. However, while living and working in Baltimore Cheryl met her husband, Greg, who was on active duty in the Coast Guard. After moving to Virginia Beach with her husband and infant son, Cheryl started working for Rodriguez, Ripley, Maddux, and Motley Architects as a Senior Interior Designer. The main project Cheryl worked on during her time as RRMM, was a renovation of the Noncommissioned Officers Club, which had previously been destroyed by a hurricane at Langley Air Force Base. Cheryl, Greg and their sons moved to Southern Indiana in the spring of 2012. Since living in the Greater Louisville area, Cheryl has had several jobs in the area of design including a visual merchandiser at...

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Downsizing Tips- Our Move Manager’s have a plan

Relocating a Loved One and Getting Organized We all know moving is stressful, but throw in the need to downsize because of aging and it can become overwhelming. It’s so hard to leave the home we’ve made so many memories in. Our compassionate Senior Move Specialist can offer a clear, workable plan that helps you achieve your goals. We can assist with packing and unpacking, shopping, and arranging for removal of discards. We’ll even help you transport donations or consignment to the appropriate site. Let our caring, experienced professional help you or a loved one during this season of life.

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Problem with Staging…..Virtually

Problem with Staging...Virtually Want to sell your home quickly and attract more potential buyers? Staging your home is the answer. There is real Home Staging and there is Virtual Staging. Virtual staging is a type of home staging in which you can add or remove furniture digitally for the benefit of online marketing so that home buyers will be interested in visiting the home in person. The images of furniture and decor are not real, the property is not truly staged, rather the images of furniture are “photo shopped” in. Virtual staging has its perks. Many homeowners choose it when their home is already empty because it often costs less than actual physical staging. You don’t need a stager to rent or buy furniture or accessories, and virtual staging has come a long way and looks great on listings.   You can hardly tell it is a virtually staged image.   You may even get an increase in showings after virtually staged photos are posted, which is great… right?   Here is the problem: Virtual staging can get people in the door, but once inside, they are always disappointed as they look at the empty rooms, and not the gorgeous- staged ones they saw online.   Here is an example of this problem we recently encountered.   This super cool renovated home in NuLu was virtually staged. Looks pretty great. But in reality, it was empty. Even though buyers showed interest in it from its online presence and toured the home… it sat… and sat… and sat for months… empty,...

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Safe Staging During Covid-19 Video

Safe Staging During Covid-19 Please view our PowerPoint video presented to The Greater Louisville Association of Realtors. We discuss how Covid-19 has changed how we stage and staging/ home buying trends. https://youtu.be/AcgzRsDxwVw

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