GET YOUR AIRBNB BOOKED IN MINUTES THIS HALLOW'S EVE

It is that time of the year again where most of us just could not wait for Christmas! But before that, we still have Halloween to deal with. For those whose apartments are up on Airbnb, decorating your place according to the current season is a good strategy as well. And because we are just as festive as you are, we have a few tips for your easy décor transitions!

Go colorful.

Follow the color palette of the corresponding season or holiday to invoke that warm feeling. It will definitely add a wonderful surprise for your guests. For one, when it’s Halloween and fall season, try warm tone-colored throws and curtains in fiery oranges, neutral browns, and golden yellows.

Go fun.

Add more fun Halloween accessories to your place such as mini jack-o-lanterns and a few bat cut-outs. Want to level this up? Pull out a carving knife and go decorate your pumpkin! This is something easy to do and yet adds that drama you can't get from fake plastic ones.

Afraid you might mess that up? Simplest way to do it is by using markers! Go get drawing! You can even use the pumpkin for some cream of squash after! 

But if you’re not into the festivity and would rather be more subtle, a scented candle helps your guests get a feel of autumn. 

Give some candy!

Yes, it's almost Halloween and who can resist these? The wonderful thing is it won't even cost you an arm and a leg, and your guests will embrace that thoughtful gesture you made.  Place your colorful sweets in a white bowl so your colors can stand out. Impressing your guests is certainly one thing that should be foremost in your mind! 

Bonus.

People rent out your place when they have a vacation or perhaps for business, add a local souvenir from your town or city--something for them to remember. For an extra oomph during Halloween season, print a local horror story on paper you can leave near the bedside for your more adventurous clients. Warning! Not everyone likes Halloween so this may not go well with some guests. 

More Secrets!

Thinking about it, you can even go all out and change your photo ads for the Halloween season. Take photos of your added seasonal decor and see your place booked in minutes!! After all, I haven't seen any place in Airbnb decorated for the season... That might change when you guys post! Won't that be a really good come-on?!

Then after the fall and Halloween, we meet winter and Yuletide! 

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A WHOLE NEW WORLD

For long-time homeowners with a relatively big family, it is a no-brainer that your kids must have their own bedrooms. But time will come when they will have to go to college or start their own families. And when that time comes, the house might feel a little bit lonely.

However, there will always be ways to have more fun even without your grown-up babies, starting with fixing your home!

For one, you can start decluttering your kids’ rooms. Remember though that you would still want them to have a place when they come home for the holidays. Switch the twin-sized beds into queen-sized ones that will also be perfect for when guests come over to your house.

Moreover, if you’ve always wanted a home office that’s not in your living room or dining area, use one of the now-empty rooms! If you and your partner will be retiring soon, it will be a perfect chance for you to have your own separate office or creative space at home. Time to invest in a desk and a comfortable chair that will not hurt your back.

Or maybe you've always wanted to have a man cave. Now is the best time to do it. How do you envision your ideal man cave? Are you a reader, a gamer, an art collector or maybe all of the above? A reader would need a comfortable lounge chair and a floor lamp. A gamer would dream of a bespoke entertainment center complete with surround system and acoustic walls (to soundproof your gaming from your neighbors or your wife unless she's a gamer too). An art collector needs some shelves, perhaps a few pedestals for that Cacnio sculpture and ideally, spotlights on the art pieces to give the right attention that they deserve.

Now you will have the chance to get started with that renovation you have been thinking of for a while now. Such construction is best supervised by professionals who can envision your space for you.

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REFRESH YOUR HOME FOR LESS

You may have reached a point in your life where you need to be in a new environment. And not just a new workplace, but a new home. Or you may have been offered your dream job and may require to relocate with your family. With this, you might need to have your current home available for rent or even for sale. But where do you start with leasing your home? Keep reading…

• Bathroom
  • One of the easiest parts to clean up is the bathroom since this only requires some scrubbing and bleaching. Also make sure that there are no chipped tiles, the plumbing works just fine, no leaks, and no moss or molds are forming inside. 

• Kitchen
  • Aside from plumbing, the kitchen requires more effort. Check all cabinet doors and drawer glides to see if they still work smoothly. An easy and cheap upgrade is to change cabinet knobs or pulls. To renew the overall look, have the cabinets painted. 

• Walls
  • Look out for cracks, chipping and fading on your walls, especially when you have utilized both paint and wallpapers. Again, the cheapest way to do it is to have it repainted. Stick to neutrals.

• Décor
  • To attract a wider pool of buyers/renters, choose neutrals for the walls and use patterns and textures on your decor. What does this entail? Have a color palette in mind, then, use patterns that follow your color scheme. This way, you can add some pizzazz to your home without making it look chaotic. Patterns can be introduced by adding throw pillows, throws, and a few key decor pieces. Moreover, indoor plants also work well as home decor and as cliché as it may sound, bring the outdoors in.

A final word: a styled home makes a deep and lasting impression on your potential buyer/renter. Keep all things organized. Remove clutter. Refreshing your home need not be expensive. It's simply a matter of taste and a few upgrades.

These are just a few of the things to keep in mind when you want to overhaul your home so you can put them on sale. Most importantly, don’t forget to consult with a professional so that your home will be at its best.

Check out my basic room design below for an upgrade to your interiors!

BUSINESS RELOADED: USING INTERIORS TO LEVEL UP

Are you feeling a little uneasy about your restaurant/café? Do you feel the need to change things a little bit but don’t know where to begin? The norm is to renovate every 3 to 5 years. Let us help you get started with vamping up your food and drink business in the simplest of ways!

The first thing that people notice is always the facade. The entrance says so much about what’s inside. Add a few plants to make your entrance more inviting.

Another tip is to liven up your walls by repainting them. This is the cheapest and easiest way to go. You can also add framed art or an art mural for a little accent as well.

Additionally, your floor also adds up to the overall appearance of your store. If you have the budget, do an overall renovation and use bold patterns or colors of tiles. If not, check the existing floor and ensure that there are no loose tiles that your customers may trip on. If you don't want to do a full renovation, simply adding a border makes quite a change to the look. 

If you operate a restaurant that serve good liquor, creatively boasting a few of your best drinks on your walls may be good advertising and branding; because servers offering the wine of the day to customers is sometimes not enough.

Consider refinishing your furniture. Maintenance is key so that they don’t wobble. Stable furniture adds to the perfect customer experience.

And lastly, something that might be neglected – make sure that your restrooms are always clean and pleasant. Personally, aside from the food and the service, it’s the restroom that I draw my attention to. After all, maintenance of the restroom tells me a lot about how customer-focused a restaurant is. Unfortunately, this isn't common knowledge and there are some that need to improve in that department.

Are you ready to renovate your resto? Check out our design services and sign up for our newsletter!

MY PENULTIMATE GUIDE TO FINDING YOUR DESIGN STYLE

What are design styles and why are they important? Styles in interior design are based on the history of art and architecture. One of the most difficult things when renovating or refreshing your interiors is finding out your style. Believe me, this is one I've struggled with myself. After all, there are plenty of beautiful images and styles that abound. Over the years, I've realized that our styles change and mature as we get older. What might have been appealing to us when we were younger does not look as good to us now. This is particularly important so that our interiors do not look like a Pinterest photo gone awry. Part of our training as interior designers is to know this so that we may apply the rules and make your interiors look cohesive.

So how do you know which one speaks to you? Which style can you actually stick to and love over the years?

These are some guidelines that can narrow down and help you:

What do you usually wear?

Check your wardrobe and look at what colors, patterns and style you have the most of. Fashion has a large influence on your life. Whether you like casual jeans and shirt for everyday or floral maxi dresses, this can reveal your taste in interiors as well.

What is your favorite outfit?

In line with your #OTD, this delves deeper into your sense of style. Why do you like this particular outfit? Is it the print, the cut? Is it your go-to-outfit for a date?

Look at interior design magazines, whether it's online or offline.

Check a number of magazines and either Pin the images or go arts and crafts and cut them out. My favorites are Elle Decor, House Beautiful. Locally, I love My Home, Condo Living or Real Living.

Focus on the feelings you want to evoke.

Why feelings? Because for a design to work effectively, you need to go deeper and find out what ambience you want to feel. Is it casual? Happy and bright? Elegant and sophisticated? Each feeling can lead to what design style you want.

Look at colors as well.

There are many color palettes available online. Check which ones appeal to you. Colors give you a feel of the style you're aiming for. If you're not sure about the colors, check your makeup (yes, I know, makeup!). What type of makeup do you usually do? Are you a bronze goddess or do you like doing smokey eyes more? What colors do you use? More on neutrals, brights, pale colors?

Create a moodboard.

Finally, take all these together and do it like we professional interior designers do. Make a moodboard. You can make one online or if you're feeling artsy, do it the old fashioned way and make a collage. Remember this means your moodboard will be composed of different images - fashion, favorite outfit, interiors, feelings, colors. Yes, I know you can't moodboard your feelings. Instead, either write it down or if you see a particular photograph that encapsulates that feeling, then that's what you place on your moodboard. 

Now, look at all your images together and get the keywords or key images that you think summarizes your look. Or another way is looking at everything and seeing what is common among your images. 

Finally, to find out what design style you fit into, subscribe to my newsletter for that FREE E-BOOK to finally turn out the noise and get to know the design that truly talks to you! Scroll down to the bottom to subscribe!

MONEY NEVER SLEEPS

Working at home, i.e. doing your bills, taxes, grocery list, among others, can sometimes be done in the dining area, living room, and even in your bedroom. But are you one of those people who have always wanted to have a separate working space at your own home?

These home office ideas are perfect for all types of workers!

The Creative

An extra bedroom may be used as your home office. Include everything that you know will give you inspiration for your creative juices to start flowing! If you're a photographer, you may also use the extra space for your own mini studio. If you don't have the space, a simple nook can work. Add a corkboard to pin your work! 

The Reader

In order to get ideas and relax your mind, invest in a comfortable chair and a reading lamp at a corner of your house for your reading/working nook. A few of your favorite quotes may be framed for more motivation to work. Perhaps a hanging shelf in which you can put your books. Make sure to also choose the quieter part of your house for more concentration.

The Free-Spirit

Incorporate indoor plants into your home office (or just around the house, really) so the room would still feel brighter and improve the air quality. These will be more perfect if your chosen working space has a window in which natural light could enter. Avoid glaring sunlight as it can distract you. Choose a place with soft natural light. Consult with a professional for a better working environment at home.

The Cozy One

You may still prefer to do your work in bed (not really advisable!) or near your bed, so setting up a desk in your bedroom is also recommended, as well as a working chair. Just make sure to not fall asleep while working!

DESIGNER TIPS

A few final words of advice. Have an area where you can place and charge you gadgets. Think about nearby outlets for this. You can even have a customized desk for your charging station. Use an ergonomic chair. Try the ones with an adjustable seat height. Seating for hours in a chair means comfort should be of utmost importance

Last, but most important of all, consider your storage requirements. You can have a desk with drawers or even those mobile drawers. If you have space, add a bookshelf. If not, look to your walls and add hanging shelves.

In order to achieve your desired working station at home, ask a professional as well on how you should do it. Not only do you get an accurate work-from-home setup, but also guaranteed productivity for you as everything can be customized and space can be maximized as well.

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