home. a refuge. a haven of love.
In today's world, I know that homes must meet more of our needs than ever before. A place to live, play, work and feel secure. We spend more time than ever in our homes, and many times want to ensure we have room for guests to shelter with us.
When working with clients it's important that we work together to ensure I understand what a home means to you. How would you describe the place where you feel at peace and reflects who you are?
​
And if you don't know where to go to get the resources or professionals needed to transform your space, I can make those connections for you.
Whether you need help envisioning your future home, inspiration for transforming your space, or connections to the people and things that you need, I'm here to help you create your haven.
restoring and renovating
inspiring through home staging
Home design is about creating an environment that resonates with both functionality and character. Each element, from furniture arrangement to color schemes, plays a crucial role in enhancing a space's appeal and livability. When considering how to make the most of a home for sale, here are the key aspects I consider:
Flow and functionality
Arranging furniture and defining areas can give scale and dimension to the living space while helping buyers envision their own lives in the space. Creating activity areas such as places to play, relax, or work is essential. Equally important is ensuring ease of movement between spaces, drawing a buyer in and sparking their interest to explore further.
Lighting and color
While I work to maximize natural light available through windows and reflective surfaces, when needed, new lighting can be introduced or existing lighting replaced to highlight features. Selecting current, neutral paint colors that complement the home’s natural light creates a beautiful and clean canvas, supporting an inviting living space.
Art and accessories
Using on-trend primary furniture to set the stage, strategically placing interesting and unique accessories can draw attention to architectural highlights, such as fireplaces or built-ins. Adding soft textiles and plants creates a space that feels inviting and warm.
​
For occupied homes
Using the same approach as with vacant homes, working with homeowners who are still living in their homes requires creativity and sensitivity. Enhancing their living spaces in ways that appeal to a broader audience includes using as much as possible from what homeowners already have, removing excess items to create a more spacious and organized living space, and bringing in accent pieces to enhance the core design elements of the house and existing furniture.
Well-staged homes resonate better with buyers, fostering emotional connections that often lead to quicker sales.
references
"We have had the opportunity to work with Carolyn on several projects as her general contractor. She as a special gift for being able to bring a modern feel to a home while preserving the classic characteristics of the house. Her keen eye for ways to repurpose material gives a unique flair to her projects. This eye also enables her to assist clients in staying on budget while maximizing profits. We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Carolyn and are confident that you will as well."
- Clarence Baldwin, Eagle Country Construction, LLC
"Carolyn can look beyond the current condition of a house and quickly identify its unique character. She is able to select features that are special and can be utilized to transform a house into a home. Her ability to problem-solve has made her successful at solving even the toughest renovation hurdles. I have witnessed her redesign a house in ways that I would have never expected. I highly recommend her to my clients."
- Danielle Thuot, Realtor
"Carolyn is able to see the beauty in even the most neglected old houses, transforming them into a modern home while retaining their historical charm. She also has an uncanny ability to identify great finds that others may consider throw-away and transform them into unique items that make a home special.”
- Allen Blevins, retired bank executive and art collector
"We bought a duplex in foreclosure sight unseen because we loved the neighborhood. We knew it would need work but were overwhelmed with how much. Carolyn was able to navigate through the clutter, filth and previous structural challenges to provide us with a design that transformed our boxy, cramped space into an open concept 3 bed, 2.5 bath home with a beautiful functioning two-sided fireplace (hidden before demolition) as the living area centerpiece."
- Ashleigh McDonald, client
