Happy Holiday Homemaking - Seasons Greetings from the Cramer Team

Whether celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, the holidays or long summer days, it is a great time to give your home a touch (or a grand flourish) of festive season accessorising in the lead up to the silly season. Christmas decorations come in all incarnations, from the ridiculous to the sublime, so with some spare change or a full wallet, you can dress up your home in style.



There is nothing like the pine smell of a real Christmas tree so for setting the scene, nothing will beat it. The tree doesn’t have to be Times Square size, you can even get miniature versions of the real thing, so no matter how much space you have to work with, you can have your home smelling like Christmas in an instant. In the age of reusing and recycling, a small tree can be popped in a larger pot and placed on the balcony for use next year in a slightly taller form.



You don’t have to feel guilty if you opt for a faux Christmas tree. The range is extensive nowadays, so you will find the perfect faux tree to complement your style and existing home décor. Many faux trees are incredibly realistic, but keep in mind you that need to store them during the non-Christmas months if you want to look after the planet by reusing them each Christmas.

For a hark back to the old school days, crepe paper makes nostalgic decorative chains. Mix it up by using your favourite colours to complement the rest of your home. Get creative with a little water-colour on some card and transform them into a gorgeous string of cut-out angels or stars.



Tree ornaments can be gorgeous or garish. A great tradition to start is buying a few beautifully crafted new ornaments every year. They accumulate fast and if you have children, they will look forward to this and appreciate them much more than if you buy a whole house-full at once - quality over quantity at work!

 

Wreaths can be home made and are easier than you’d think. Since we have a hot Christmas, collect bits of driftwood, shells and leaves and glue them onto a hallow round circle of wood or wire (Bunnings will have something.) If you are time poor, wreaths are easily available to buy at all major stores and the choice is extensive.

For Hanukkah, blue, silver and gold are the colours to go with and candles for the menorah can go either in the family heirloom candelabra or be lined up in individual holders. You can create your own star of David or Hamsa shapes with the age-old art of stencilling. You'll need a cutting mat,  scalpel or craft knife, stencil paper and flat ended stencil brush which can be purchased from a craft store. Get your gelt (gold) in the form of chocolate coins, Australian coins or if you are as rich as Rockefeller, the real thing.



And if you just want to celebrate summer, create decorative displays using shells, driftwood and flowers galore. A few sculptural pieces of driftwood wrapped delicately in ivy, jasmine or bougainvillea will look glorious. And with so many flowers in season at the moment - even the Queen of all flowers, the Peony, is affordable now - uplift your home with floral displays.

Then top it all off with gorgeously scented candles to evoke holiday season vibes and further set the scene – Try Glasshouse’s Night Before Christmas or White Christmas. Now sit back, crack open a decent bottle of wine or your favourite craft beer and enjoy!

Wishing you the happiest and healthiest holidays from the Team @ Cramer.

How to prepare your home for sale

Staging your property, the new term for styling your home or investment to attract buyers, has become, quite literally, an art form. Companies now exist who will come into your property and style it to showcase it to its best effect, but this comes at a cost. If you can’t afford it, don’t despair as most of us are perfectly capable of staging our own property if we follow some simple guidelines.

 

Properties that look good are more alluring to buyers as they can more easily envisage themselves in aesthetically pleasing homes. Clean, uncluttered spaces present as the most attractive to buyers so let’s start with the obvious. Remove excess furniture and minimise personal items such as photos and unattractive gifts from loved ones. Remember, less is almost always more. Now is the time to remove all things sentimental unless they are of design significance - you might enjoy seeing your treasures but to a potential buyer it just looks like clutter.

 

If your furniture looks cheap or tired, either ditch it completely or invest in an attractive alternative. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Try affordable homeware stores such as Matt Blatt.

Small touches can make a big difference. Fresh flowers, stylish accessorising and comforting scents are always a hit, creating a feel-good vibe in your home. On-trend botanical print cushions, lush throws, beautiful framed prints, gorgeous candles and that divine smell of freshly brewed coffee will all appeal to the senses of your buyers.

 

Check out the paint finish and clear any evidence of mould – this weather is creating mould in places it has never previously appeared! Where there are marks on the paint, a pot of gumption will be your new best friend. Try a bit of spot cleaning and you will be surprised how your walls will spruce up. Ideally paint is white or a pale grey to create the greatest sense of space and light. Where there is a feature wall or signature colour in a room, check whether it is on trend and if it is not, paint over it.

Create the illusion of separate zones. Where you have an open plan living and dining area, make sure your styling creates a sense of separate purpose. If the area is small, just have one couch and get a smaller round dining table as these will allow for a greater sense of spaciousness. Whether your outdoor area be a balcony, courtyard or backyard, make it an extension of the living area. Even the smallest balcony can have a tiny round table and chair to offer a separate space for a morning coffee, evening cocktail or to read a book. With this in mind, set up the areas with props, eg books on side tables, laptop in study nook, champagne glasses and candle on outdoor setting.

If your property is a little on the dark side, make sure you have ample lighting. Where overhead lighting is deficient, invest in some floor and desk lamps to brighten up the spaces. Stick to a very light colour scheme, preferably bright white on the walls and ceilings and light coloured furniture. Place lovely bunches of flowers around and the odd bright coloured cushion.

If there are any glaringly urgent repairs needed, get them sorted as things like leaking taps, broken windowpanes and chipped plaster walls are off-putting to buyers. If your property needs a full renovation and you are not going to be the one to do it, there is hope when selling - work with its existing attributes. Always check under carpet to see if there are floorboards underneath as ideally you would expose these. Stripping your property back to its bare bones will allow buyers to see the potential that lies below. Style it in a rustic, shabby chic way, being careful to minimise furniture.

For all properties, the final non-negotiable is to make certain it is spotlessly clean and smells lovely. If you are time poor, hire a professional cleaner or if you live in the property you are about to sell, as soon as you know you will put it on the market get into spring cleaning mode. Take down curtains and wash them where possible, clean out and tidy cupboards as more buyers will open them than you would think. For the best tips on getting your home in ship shape, take a look at our home edit inspired piece in the link below and best of luck with the sale!