Thrift Store Finds - BTSH Around The House Tip of the Week

Ok, so it’s not exactly a secret that I spend my spring hunting around at garage sales, and the rest of the year I can be found often at various thrift stores throughout town. I am also a bit of a kijiji junkie. I like to find good quality items with potential, and transform them into something great. Here are a few reasons why I’m addicted to thrift, as well as my latest finds.

One of a Kind

I suppose technically the item itself, in it’s original condition, may be one of many. Chances are however that this item can no longer be purchased in stores. The more vintage the item is, the better your chances are that you will not walk into your friends house and see that she has the same vase, picture, plate, whatever! I love IKEA, and Pier 1, and of course Crate and Barrel (welcome to Canada CB). They have new innovations all the time, and have a team of extremely talented designers working hard every day to create the next big thing in home fashions. Nonetheless, there is nothing more frustrating then walking into a home, and immediately recognizing their living room as page 32 of the latest IKEA catalogue, or worse yet, seeing a mirror of your own home! My best advice, when shopping at any of these stores, is moderation. Pick a few select items from each store, but be sure to add variety, and a little of your own personality into each one.

Repurposing is a GREEN idea

This is a fairly common theme to my articles, but I cannot stress enough that you do not need to be a hardcore environmentalist to think green. I myself am not, however I am always looking at ways that I can make a difference. Whether it’s as simple as applying some paint to give an item a facelift, or finding a whole new use, such as making a planter for your garden out of an old barrel, by repurposing second-hand items, we are giving them new life, and reducing the waste that would be sent to landfills.

Saving Money

While some may look at thrift stores with the idea of saving money as their top priority, you can shop for unique finds no matter what your budget. As well, being thrifty isn’t just about buying thrift items. You can do your part simply by donating to your local thrift stores. For large items that you don’t want to just give away, I definitely recommend using www.kijiji.ca. It’s a free classified site, and you can buy or sell pretty much anything. Why not make some money from those unwanted items you have around your house. One person’s trash really is another’s treasure. And speaking of treasures, check out some of my latest thrift store finds (pictured on the left)! Stay tuned to upcoming articles as I show you how I find purpose for these one of a kind pieces.

Written By: Shauna Lynn, Beyond The Stage Homes
www.beyondthestagehomes.com

Blog, Blog, Blog... - BTSH Around The House Tip of the Week

Getting your blog on these days is easier than ever. You can find someone out there talking about pretty much any topic under the sun! This week I thought that I would draw some attention to some fellow bloggers that I like to check in on frequently.

Style At Home.com

Not just a great magazine, Style At Home is also online, with lots of great tips for every area of your home. They also feature some great blogs, one of my favourites being “Favourite Things” by Natalie Bahadur. Natalie is the editor for styleathome.com, and loves everything pretty for house and home.

Eco Logic by Jessica Ross

This is a fairly new one that I’ve stumbled across. The web address for it is www.homemakers.com/ecologic/. The name pretty much says it all. Jessica Ross works for Homemakers magazine, and writes about ways to simply reduce the overall effect that you have on the environment. She seems to have a similar philosophy to me. As I mentioned in my article on July 13 (Healthy Living Starts With Your Home—Cleaning Naturally), you don’t have to be a tree hugging hippie to appreciate what makes good common sense these days. I admit that perhaps not all my habits are putting the environment first, but every little effort that we each put into it truly does make a difference. I’m not an environmentalist in the traditional sense of the term, and neither is Jessica. She simply writes about her experiences as she tries to reduce her carbon footprint. Whether you’re taking your liquor bottles back to the beer store for your refund, or bringing your environmentally friendly re-usable bag to the store so you don’t have to pay for bags, or if you go as far as Jessica did, and try out a Hybrid, it all adds up.

The Consumerist

I was actually surprised to find myself so intrigued by this site. Consumerist.com talks about consumer related information, everything “from non-existent customer service to onerous cell-phone contracts to ever-shrinking (and ever-more-expensive) grocery products”. It is not-for-profit, does not take any advertising or sponsorship, and speaks nothing but the truth. I found myself relating to my own personal experience (most recently Sat. Aug 8/09 post stated that Dell’s tech support was the worst of those surveyed—I use a Dell, and after calling for help with my CD drive which the computer suddenly decided didn’t exist any more, I was told in an indistinguishable foreign accent that since my computer was over a year old, they would need to charge me $49.95 to help me over the phone to fix my computer myself). If only I had seen this blog first! Before you buy, check out what this site has to say about the product, or the company.

Written by Shauna Lynn, Beyond The Stage Homes
www.beyondthestagehomes.com

The GREEN Movement - BTSH Around The House Tip of the Week

Choosing paint that’s right for you, and for the environment

2009 Colour Trends

If there is one colour we simply can’t get enough of in 2009, it’s gotta be GREEN!! That’s right, not just an eco-friendly idea, but top paint companies like ICI Dulux, and Benjamin Moore, agree that green is the new beige. Green is a very serene and calming colour, and reminds us of natural elements and what our environment has to offer us.

One thing I cannot stress enough in decorating is that neutral does not have to mean builders beige. I am often caught reciting this to my clients. Don’t get me wrong, there are some wonderful neutrals in the taupe/beige family, but neutral does not have mean dull, lack-lustre, and boring. Feel free to add a touch of colour to your neutral.

In Home Staging especially, you will hear various ideas about the best way to show your home in order to maximize your profits. Decluttering and depersonalising are two that are undoubtedly and consistently true in every home. Depersonalising refers to taking down the family photos and knick-knack souvenirs from family vacations in an effort to allow potential buyers to envision themselves in your home. You’re essentially selling a product. Often this also can mean covering up the brightly painted walls as well. While you may want to live in a rainbow of colours, as I mentioned you are selling a product, and therefore it’s often a good idea to tone down the colours in your home to something more neutral. That being said, it’s unlikely that potential buyers will want to live in builder’s beige. Feel free to explore colours outside the beige family, provided it is a nice soft hue, such as a lemon yellow, or a light olive green.


What makes a paint an environmentally friendly “green” paint?

Paint has been given a bad rap for years, due to the fumes and chemicals that are put into the air from it, otherwise referred to as VOCs (Volatile Organic Chemicals). So how do you know if you’re choosing a green product? While many paint manufacturers claim to be green, very few actually are. Part of the inaccuracy of their claims stems from the vast number of certification organizations with a variety of standards. According to TerraChoice, an environmental marketing company that manages the EcoLogo program, organizations that can be trusted include EcoLogo, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Green-e and Greenguard. If you’re unsure about a paint, look for the certification from one of these companies. Look for natural paints, or at the very least, zero to low VOC paints. The standards are continually evolving, and new methods are continually introduced for creating an environmentally friendly paint that will adhere easily, and is durable enough to stand the test of time. If you’re still unsure, ask your local paint professionals.

Written by Shauna Lynn, Beyond The Stage Homes
www.beyondthestagehomes.com