Amazing Walmart Decor for Under $100!

Have you been longing for some gorgeous decor pieces from stores like Z Gallerie, West Elm, Potterybarn, Williams-Sonoma home or Restoration Hardware? I know, I know, we love to daydream while perusing their catalogs and online pages but much of their good can really put a dent in your wallet!

Well I have good news! I've done the shopping for you and have selected 30 amazing pieces all under $100 and they are all available at the ever-accessible Walmart!

Click this link to my other blog for all the goodies, complete with pricing and links to the actual items!

The photo at the top of the post will give you an idea of what kind of finds I came across. Can you believe that ottoman/bench was less than $80?!

Happy Browsing!

Decorating Faux Pas for Rental Homes

For many people who own a vacation home that they rent out, they attempt to decorate it themselves and make it feel as tropical as possible. Sometimes this backfires and the home looks like a circus, not a cozy retreat.

This is How NOT to Decorate a Disney Rental Vacation Property:

1. Don't Paint Your Own Home-Florida is hot most of the year and let's face it-painting is no fun! This may cause you to rush through the painting just to get it over with. Call up at least five companies and get some price quotes. Decide who will provide the best overall value for your money then try to opt for low VOC paints which have less odor and environmental issues. This way, your home is ready to receive guests in no time!

2. Don't Go Too Bold- In my professional opinon, when it comes to selecting paint colors for your home, choose neutral ones vs. bright ones, especially in the main living areas. The kids bedrooms are a great place for some expression of color but lime green and bright orange will get old quick. If you decide to sell this investment home later or you'll be repainting it for sure! I assure you this will get you LESS not more guests. Use splashes of color in the artwork, bedding, rugs, and other accessories, just not on the walls!

3. Avoid Grandma Florals- In Florida there tends to be a whole lots of ugly grandma-like floral patterns. Avoid this temptation. This is not modern, current or exciting, if people wanted that type of decor they'd go to grandma's house or stay in their own home. Make your rental cozy like it should be but add some elegance and sophistications so the renters will feel like they truly had a retreat and got their money's worth! Other patterns to avoid are plaids and paisley. Stay away from anyting that is quilted or crocheted as well. After all this is a beach destination, not a cabin in the woods!

4. Antiques- A rental is not the place to dump all your old, ugly furniture that you no longer have a place for or want. This will make the renter feel like they're amongst a sea of bad thrift store finds. Use newer furniture that has no tears, stains, rips or needs to be covered up and it MUST be CLEAN! While you can find some great furniture like beautiful dining table and chair sets that simply require a new lease on life with some paint, the upholstered pieces that have seen better days or tv's with rabbit ears are off limits. However, do incorporate interesting finds from flea markets, or antique stores that are nautical or of a beachy or travelling nature.

5. Personalization- While the rental home that allows you to generate income may also be your personal vacation home, it's important not to make it overly personal. When you stay at a hotel, it's all about you, and that is how it should be. Avoid framed family photos, sports team memorabilia or decor items of a religious nature. These hold true for staging your home to sell and they are true when marketing your home as a destination for potential vacationers to feel comfortable in too. Other things to consider are personalized mugs, director's chairs with the family members name or your home country's flag posted outside the home.

While some of these tips may be surprising to you, if you're looking to get the highest amount of vacationers to your home, they are highly recommended. For a personal consultation contact us at (407) 864-7535 or visit us at http://www.floridahomestager.com/

Get Rave Reviews on Your Rental!

For many of you that have recently purchased an investment home to be used as a rental property. For those that are still looking for one, (who wouldn't want to in today's buyer's market?) here are a few things to consider before you attempt to decorate it on your own...

1. Marketing Impact- Now that you have purchased your rental property, you'll want to have it staged in a way that goes beyond decorating. Thought staging was only for sellers? Think again! Decorating caters more to personal taste where home staging appeals to a mass audience. A professional Home Stager knows exactly what to put where and why, to elicit the feelings of home, coziness and an "I have to rent this!" kind of attitude. That is why it is best left to the professionals who make it their career to prepare a home for such a process, eliminating the guesswork. This will help you significantly in the overall appeal of your home as potential renters scope out the web to find their perfect rental. You will have wonderful photos at the end for your website, blog, or for printed marketing materials, and in the end if you plan to sell, MLS too!

2. Long Distance Relationship-If you do not live in the same State or Country as the home you are looking to rent out, it is best to leave the shopping, and decorating to a local who will save you time and money. While most people loathe personal long distance relationships, a relationship with a good Home Stager/Designer will save you a lot of time looking for the goods, money in travel, rental cars and lodging expenses and frustration trying to hunt down all of the accessories and furniture for your home. You won't be left wondering if you could have got it cheaper elsewhere. That is all we do at Florida Home Staging & Redesign, Inc. So, rest assured that while you're living your life and managing your career, we are here transforming and beautifying your rental home.

3. Renting Quicker Saves Money- By hiring a Home Stager to get your rental property move-in ready, you dramatically speed up the time of having your home sit empty, thus allowing you to capitalize on the most amount of rental income. The same principles are true of selling a home, Home Owners want to sell fast and for top dollar, you can do the same with your rental home too!

Feel free to visit our website or contact us directly to discuss your Rental Property and how we can quickly transform it for you at http://www.floridahomestager.com/

Disney Vacation Rental Home Staging is a Must!

With recent economic trends, there have been a record amount of foreclosure and price-reduced homes on the market. The hottest ticket at the moment, are homes in the Disney and surrounding Orlando area. What a great time to invest in rental vacation properties!

The Disney area is still flooding with tourists weekly and they have a lot of choice when it comes to accommodations. There are the traditional hotels/motels and resorts but the preference is for privacy and larger, more cozy housing that offer the comforts of home. These homes offer great amenities like private screened-in pools, barbeques, game rooms and flat screen TV’s in many if not all of the rooms! They also offer full kitchens so money can be saved by eating-in instead of pricey restaurants. Who wouldn’t want to stay?!

There are many homes to choose from in various areas such as Davenport, Kissimmee, Clermont and of course Orlando. These homes are minutes away from Disney theme parks and all the major attractions. The homes, while in high demand, also pose a lot of competition for you the vacation home owner. The best way to set your home apart is to stage it! Most people think of homes that are for sale when they think of staging. The truth is, in order to get the highest amount of interested renters in your home; your photos had better be top notch!

Many homes offer large bedrooms and screened-in pool areas, but they are not staged/decorated to entice the renter to choose their home vs. another, resulting in the potential renter to keep looking for what they deem to be the best value for their money. In order to get the highest amount of renters and referrals and positive comments, you’ll need to stage your home.

Who better to work with than a staging company! Specializing in creating mass design appeal and creating a warm, cozy feeling for all, you are guaranteed to get a home that stands out in a crowd. Valuable photos and 360 degree view shots from your beautifully decorated home will have renters booking much quicker and providing you with a home rented out week after week!


Some Disney rental owners believe that decorating their own home will save them money to make their investment worthwhile. This is generally not the case. Here’s why: If you live out of the area, out of state, or out of the country for that matter, finding all the necessary contents for the home will prove challenging. You’ll also have to factor in the money you’ll lose out on NOT having access to designer discounts, knowing the local area inside-and-out in terms of furniture and décor, not to mention the time spent on gas, toll roads and money lost on poorly selected paint color choices and the hired painting company as well. Hiring a stager ensures that your home will have a professional look, not mis-matched decor, dated drapery treatments, poor overall furniture arrangement/placement and lack of flow in the home.

Staging is all about creating a lifestyle, an ambience, one that your vacation renters cannot wait to get to! After all, they may have been planning for months if not years for this type of family vacation, they want to do it in style!

At Florida Home Staging & Redesign, Inc., this is all we do! We specialize in staging and making your home the most marketable based on the size, layout of rooms, overall style of the home and of course your budget. We work to provide you with a gorgeous home filled with suitable furniture, perfect accent pieces, chic accessories, but we don’t stop there. We fill your home up with all the necessities that one would need while in a vacation home. All of the dishware, flatware and kitchen items as well as cleaning supplies, towels, pool toys and much more! We think of the amenities that most often get forgotten about. We’ve serviced local, out of state, as well as rental home owners living outside of North America, proving to be trustworthy, professional, creative, punctual and customer-satisfaction oriented.

Wouldn’t you love to have a home that not only pays for itself but is a relaxing retreat for you as well? If comfortable bedding, divine master suites, spa bathrooms, playful game rooms, delicious eat-in kitchens and resort-style pool areas are your idea of a spectacular place to stay, then we’d be happy to work with you to decorate your dream vacation rental home.