The Team at George Weeks Real Estate understands the home buying process more than most. But what we also understand is your home may need a subtle update or even a little bit of renovating from time-to-time.
We’re in the business of helping you find your dream home, which means sometimes we have to get creative to make your dreams truly come true. We’ve done the hard work for you and have asked Thea Greiss – founder of one of our favorite local interior design companies, Thea Marie Interiors, to share her secrets on turning a house into your dream home.
We’re going to guide you from simple, easy updates that you’ll enjoy doing and some that belong on a honey-do list — to more impactful, investment projects that fall on the ‘honey, please hire someone, you’re going to hurt yourself’ list.
Tip #1
Hide The Utensils and Start Staging Like a Pro
Simple edits make the biggest difference. If you’re like any of us, you’ve probably binged on your fair share of Marie Kondo’s Netflix Series or our most recent favorite, Get Organized with The Home Edit on Netflix. If you still have personal belongings after binging these shows – congratulations! One of our biggest takeaways is that not everything has to be out in the open. Most Pinterest-worthy homes don’t have every spatula they own out on display. We suggest simplifying your stash of ‘things’, whether it be spatulas or whatever consistently sits on top of open spaces. Get drawer organizers like these for your every day items and replace those items with thoughtful pieces. Whether it be stacked wooden cutting boards in your kitchen, to a pretty vase with flowers and a candle in your bathroom – a small, simple change can make the biggest difference. Best part of all? It doesn’t break the bank.
Tip #2
Smarter-Styled Shelving
Shelving and built-ins have become an increasingly popular trend and a must-have for some home buyers. But after moving in, some home owners can’t seem to get the right look. We asked interior designer, Thea Greiss, her advice on styling shelving. Her favorite, simple trick is to thrift statement pieces.
“Most of the time, my staging pieces are thrifted. Thrifted items give a space a warm, lived-in look. I stick to similar tones within the space and stack thrifted books to add height within a space.”
Don’t be afraid to incorporate family pictures into your shelving. After all, it is your dream home! To keep it cohesive, you can stick to similar style photographs, such as all black and white images, or frames that are similar. Thea’s favorite place to thrift? Nashville Flea Market.
Tip #3
Invest In Beautiful, Hard-to-Kill Plants
Now we are tip-toeing into the honey-do lists. This one is pretty self explanatory, but finding plants that fit your space, fit your budget, and that aren’t difficult to care for can be a tall task. Our favorite garden center to dream and drool in is Hewitt Garden and Design Center in Franklin, TN. Plants can fill spaces in your home that need a little umph without being too much. Our advice? Take a picture of the spaces you want to fill, and keep those spaces in mind while you’re day dreaming of the jungle in the middle of Hewitt’s.
Tip #4
No More Cookie Cutter Cabinetry
Thea Greiss’s favorite way to really transform a space is by designing custom cabinetry for her homes. “Budget always comes into play when it comes to investing in custom cabinetry. My clients trust me to take their needs and really turn their kitchen into a functioning, appealing, and comforting space for their family. Custom cabinetry is my secret weapon to really elevate a space – it truly helps turn a house into a dream home.”
“Custom cabinetry is my secret weapon to really elevate a space – it truly helps turn a house into a dream home.”
Tip #5
Details. Details. Details.
This is a final step for the homeowner who really wants to ‘go there’ and turn their dream home into reality. Investments in additional lighting are small, but impactful details that create a truly custom home experience. “Most of my clients save whatever is left over in their budget for extra-fine details, such as fun trim lighting (pictured above) or techy add-ins like surround sound.”