Beyond The Stage Homes Recognized for 3 Industry Awards, Including Top 10 Home Staging Team of the Year 2015

The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) has recognized Shauna Lynn and Beyond The Stage Homes (BTSH) for their outstanding achievements in both home staging and redesign by honouring BTSH with RESA Top 10 Home Staging Team of the Year™ 2015, and Shauna Lynn with RESA Top 10 Home Stager of the Year Vacant Category Canada™ 2015 and RESA Top 10 Redesigner of the Year™ 2015. This is the second year in a row that Shauna Lynn has been nominated in the redesign category. RESA is the trade association for professional real estate stagers and redesigners, and these annual awards recognize outstanding work in our industry.

With the largest home staging inventory locally, we specialize in staging vacant properties, so this is truly an honour. 2014 has been an exciting year, and we have our incredible clients to thank for allowing us the opportunity to work with them (and for trusting our expert advice)!

These awards are voted on by RESA members across North America. The winners of all three awards will be announced January 15, 2015 in Las Vegas at the annual RESA® Home Staging Convention www.RESAConvention.com.

Beyond the Stage Homes (BTSH) provides home staging, decorating, and interior design services to Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and surrounding areas in Southwestern Ontario. Offering a variety of creative services and a talented team of professionals, BTSH has become a leader in their industry. Through their unique ability to combine top quality style with the comfort of every day living, BTSH provides million dollar service to every home, for sale or for renovation and redesign.

For more information about the work and services of Beyond The Stage Homes, and to see the full team of professional, visit www.beyondthestagehomes.com

Read the full story here!

Contact Beyond The Stage Homes today to find out how to get your property sold!

Phone: +1 (226) 240-0766
Email: info@btshomes.com
www.beyondthestagehomes.com 

Kitchen Tips - BTSH Around The House Tip - September 2010

From storage, to cleaning, to keeping food fresh, here are some tips that I have tried and tested, and am now ready to share with you.

Cleaning Odors from Your Cutting Board (and hands)
Fresh lemon, nothing works better! Cut a slice of lemon, and rub on your cutting board after using your board for strong odour foods such as garlic or onions.


Coffee Ice Cubes
Do you enjoy iced coffee drinks? Take unused coffee and pour into an ice cube tray and freeze to use as ice cubes in your drinks. Also great for black coffee drinkers that want to cool down their coffee quickly without watering it down.


What To Do With Bad Bananas
When you notice your bananas starting to turn brown, the best thing to do is throw them into the freezer while you decide what you would like to do with them. I enjoy smoothies and shakes all year round, so I’ll use the frozen bananas in these. If you peel and slice before freezing they’re even easier to use, but it’s not necessary. Another great use is banana bread. Most banana bread recipes suggest using over-rip bananas, and they’re easier to use once they’ve been frozen and thawed as no mashing is required. You can also use the banana peels in your garden. Bury in the dirt near your tomato plants or roses to add potassium to the soil.

How to Control Pepper Grinds
This tip actually came from my mother. She found a small, round glass dish, actually meant as a candle holder, and she placed this under her pepper mill. This is great for keeping pepper grinds from getting on your counter and table.

How to Clean Your Microwave—Naturally
Cut a lemon in half and place skins down in a bowl. Cover half the lemon with water, and place in the microwave. Microwave on high for about 5 minutes. After the microwave is done, leave the bowl with the lemon in there for another 5 minutes. Remove the bowl and wipe the microwave clean.

Keeping Onions Fresh
Once again, Mom to the rescue. She found me a great onion keeper, though unfortunately I’m not sure where she got it. I found a similar one online, and discovered that they also sell these keepers for tomatoes, and peppers. The keeper has a slightly raised, grooved bottom that keeps the onion fresher longer, while keeping the odour out of my fridge.

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

Controlling Pests - ATH Tip from BTSH

Warm weather and humidity can bring many unexpected guests. No, I’m not talking about family and friends “popping in” this summer, I’m talking about the unwelcome little critters that can be found in and around your home. Here are some natural methods for ridding your home of these pests:

Fruit Flies
I have heard a lot of remedies for getting rid of fruit flies, but the one that I find works best is the “trap”. Place a piece of fruit in a jar (something sweet like strawberries or peaches I find works best). Pour vinegar in the bottom of the jar, about 1/2 cm. Place the lid on the jar, and poke holes in the lid. The fruit flies will be attracted to the fruit, and get trapped in the jar, then drown in the vinegar.

Ants
If you have found the ants entry point to your home, the best solution is to patch the hole, but if it’s not that simple, then sprinkle coffee grinds or mint leaves around it to deter future entry. Sprinkle chilli powder or cinnamon in their path. Make a natural repellent of citrus peelings and water in a blender and pour it over the anthill. To create a bait, mix Borax with confections’ sugar.

Spiders
Only cool around Halloween, and then it’s only the fake ones that I like!

First off, keep all other bugs out of your home in order to prevent spiders from setting up shop. Spiders eat other bugs, so if they don’t have an easy meal to catch, they’ll look elsewhere. Of course, if you have a real bug problem, leave spiders as the last pest to rid your home of, as they’ll help you get rid of the others!

I like to vacuum any nests that I find, but you can use a broom as well if your vacuum doesn’t have an attachment that will reach. Essential oils are great to killing spiders. To keep spiders from returning, mix soap, water, and citrus oil and spray areas that spiders like to hang out.

Prevent Return Visits!
In order to prevent the return of these pests, be sure to keep your home clean!
- Wipe counters and tables with a mix of vinegar and water
- Be sure that all holes are patched and vents are screened
- Don’t let food sit out
- Be sure your garbage has a tight fitting lid, and empty regularly.
- Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink
- Don’t allow water to sit out for a long time

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

How To Make a Simple Spring Door Hanger - BTSH Around The House Tip of the Week

I often see some fun door hangers for spring, but always find that they’re just not quite the right size, or colour. This year, getting inspiration from my budding tulips and daffodils, I decided to try my hand at making my own. This was a lot of fun to make, incredibly inexpensive, and really quite easy. This is a project that could even be done with older kids (age 8 and up).


Tools You’ll Need
This is really up to you, depending on how you would like to decorate your wreathe, but I have listed what I used (all of which were simply purchased at the dollar store), and you can feel free to modify to your style:

Kraft Wire String
Ribbon (2 different complimentary colours)
Artificial flowers
Craft Butterfly
Glue Gun

Making The Wreath
Now that you’ve selected your tools, start by making the wreath. To do this, I first made a circle to the size I wanted out of the kraft wire. Then I looped it again to double it, and then I wrapped the wire around the length of the circle, to give it stability. Then, I detached my flowers from their “stems”. The pink flowers were actually a part of a wreath already, but cut them off at their ends still. Next, I attached two of the larger flowers to what would become my outer two edges of the wreath. To attach, simply wrap a piece of kraft wire around the stem, and around the wire wreath (see picture at right). Next, wrap the whole wreath in one of the ribbons that you’ve chosen. I chose the green lace, and decided it would make the most sense to do this before attaching the remaining flowers. Use the glue gun to secure the lace to the wreath in it’s last loop around. Wrapping the lace in this way provided the wreath with even more stability, and gave it a great background colour to work with. Continue to attach flowers and/or butterflies or other accessories with kraft wire around the wreath until it is as full as you desire.

The Finishing Touches
As a final touch, I loosely wrapped the sheer pink ribbon around the entire wreath, careful not to fully cover any of the flowers. I used the same lace to tie a loop at the top for hanging. This is now proudly displayed on my front door to welcome guests!

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

Creating The Outdoor Experience - BTSH Around The House Tip of the Week

Yesterday afternoon, while I should have been writing my Around The House Tip of the Week, I was instead drawn to the outdoors. It really is hard to resist enjoying the sunshine, and soaking up a little vitamin D. Though it is a typical spring day, with the sun mixed with a cool breeze, it’s not quite summer yet. In fact, it is just the beginning of spring, and while I was working on preparing my yard and gardens, I thought of how I could further improve my yard and make it an inviting “room” for entertaining. Manufacturers and retailers have really focused on outdoor entertaining, and provide solutions to all your entertaining needs. Regardless of your budget, you can create an outdoor retreat to enjoy for all as long as the season allows.

The Backyard Bartender
Every time I visit a sunny southern destination, I consider picking up and moving, and becoming a beach bartender. While that may be a far-off dream, I can certainly enjoy creating some tropical cocktails in my own backyard. Having been a bartender for over a decade, the bartender in me has dreams of a custom built and well-designed outdoor bar. If you decide to go with custom built, be sure to hire the right professionals to take care of the plumbing and electrical. Consider combining your grill and your bar, for the full entertaining experience. While custom-designed is always a great idea, it may not be the most practical, especially if you spend very few months of the year entertaining outdoors, as you’ll need to ensure that any outdoor permanent fixtures are protected from the elements in the winter months. There are however many great portable outdoor bars available with great functionality, but also give you the option of moving into a shed or garage in inclement weather.

Create The Mood
Want the warmth of a fire, without the hassle of collecting wood, starting the fire, and then maintaining it? Not to mention the smell of campfire that sticks to your hair and clothes for days (mmm...campfire). While not a new concept in outdoor entertaining, there is a greater selection than ever now of outdoor fire bowls, such as the Venetian Fire Bowl from Canadian Tire (pictured at right). There are lots to choose from these days, ranging from tabletop size, to full size. You can even get a gas fire pit (pictured left). These are operated on propane, and are portable enough to be place almost anywhere in your yard. They help to provide heat on a cool night, as well as create a warm ambience.

The Outdoor Living...Room
Decorating your outdoor room can be done with the same concepts in mind as decorating indoors. Look for inviting furniture with colours that compliment the surroundings, and create an enjoyable atmosphere for the activities that you enjoy outdoors. Look for durability and functionality, as well as comfort, for a room that you can enjoy all season long.

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