Hello hello! Although I haven’t taken a break from real estate, I’ve taken quite a break from this blog.  After a year plus vacation from writing, I’m excited to share again.  Today, rather than focusing on something directly related to real estate, I wanted to write about something more personal – our bathroom remodel in our Glen Carbon home.  As a broker, I get so many ideas going into all my clients’ beautiful homes.  I pretty much always have a project going on.  In 2021 we decided to take our main floor guest bathroom and kids’ bathroom from builder grade – think neutral tile floor and a one-piece plastic shower surround – to a space with more natural light and LOTS of personality.

The inspiration for my gallery wall was this large painting of Neyo and Nala that I had done by a local St. Louis artist – Cbabi. When I first brought this painting home, I hung it by itself on a huge wall in our great room.  It just didn’t work.  After watching a few online tutorials and reading up on gallery wall tips, I decided to put a gallery wall together featuring this painting. While it was intimidating at first, the project turned out to be fun, and I love the results.  Here is my process and what I learned.   

​The first thing I did was gather up art that was meaningful to me.  In addition to the painting of Neyo and Nala, I knew I wanted to use a painting we had done of my Mom’s house in DC. I also was drawn to the idea of having a number as part of the wall, so I bought an inexpensive “27” off Etsy.com for $6 or so.  Omba and I were married on the 27th of August ? I liked the style of the font and the vintage look.  I also included some original art by Neyo and Nala and some family photos.  Once I had my collection of meaningful items, I added to things I already had, keeping in mind that I wanted an array of shapes, colors and sizes.  One tip is that it’s helpful to have at least one oversized piece to anchor the group.

Staging is so SO important! In this interview I talk to Carolyn Pilla, professional photographer and owner of CP Creations, about her thoughts on staging.  We talk about paint colors, accent walls, items to include and items not to include (ie things with eyes) and more!  Check out this video to see what she has to say!

Sometimes it's hard to picture how much a few updates can transform a space! I had these before and after pictures taken of a duplex we bought this year on Kingshighway in St Louis. 

For around $2,000 we were able to make the entire space much more appealing - we had a contractor paint all the rooms in a warm greige, update the light fixtures, and hang curtains up in one bedroom and the living room. This transformation cost approximately $2000 including labor and materials - money well spent if you are selling or renting your home. :) 

If you are considering selling, I can help you give your home the "wow" factor it needs for an effortless sale - a consultation is always FREE! ​