Unique Home Offices

I love working from home and I love interior design. It’s a scientific fact that you are more inspired, motivated and productive when you are working in a space that you enjoy spending time in. Unfortunately at times our home offices can be the last thought we put into our careers or business. They can be dark and stuffy and disorganized. They can be a crazy disaster that cause us to roll our eyes or sigh every time we step foot in them. In an effort to inspire some creative home office design for the new year I thought it would be fun to research unique home office designs. This is what I came up with!

Don’t have enough space in your home for your home office? Take your home office outside. These home offices are made out of garden sheds and other unique outdoor structures.

Archipod – an eco-friendly home office that takes up minimal space and is semi-portable.

Source

Sheryl’s She Shed makes a great option, too!

Source

This is a very unique, portable option as well.

Source

Aren’t able to have an outdoor structure and still no room in your home? These are closet offices!

Source

Source

Need more space saving ideas? Put a library in your ceiling.

Source

You can use literally anything to create a unique office space.

Source

Some people have a treadmill in their office, others have a hammock for napping!

Source

If these home offices don’t inspire how about more traditional home offices? Below are a few I designed on my computer. You can be creative in a traditional office space without being too over the top. Either way have fun with your office space. It’s most likely the one space you have in your home that offers you the creative freedom to do whatever you want.

Need help deciding how to redesign your space? Shoot me an email – I'd love to help you create the office of your dreams. When you feel good about the space you’re in – you work harder and have more fun!

Home Office Décor

I absolutely love helping clients design home offices! It’s the one space in a home that a person can truly have the creative freedom to make it exactly what they want. A home office should be a space that inspires, motivates and energizes. You should be excited to work in your home office. Today, it’s very common for most people to either work part-time or full-time from home and the trend is growing fast.

Working remotely is highly desired and so is a home office.

Decorating a home office should reflect your goals, ambitions and personality. There are endless possibilities and depending on your style there are various price ranges. You can outfit your entire office in a budget that suites you. Below are just a few examples of price ranges for just a couple of pieces.

*Some of the links below are affiliate links.

Modern Black Desk at Target for $429.99

Executive Desk at Wayfair for $1,479.99

File Cabinet at Target $123.99

File Cabinet at Wayfair $677.38

The beauty about the home office is you can decorate it however you want! A modern black desk with a zebra rug, a large starburst pendant light and a teal blue file cabinet. Or you could have a farmhouse desk with a large candelabra, a fluffy neutral rug and a navy blue file cabinet. The possibilities are endless. Stay tuned next week when I share some of the most unique home office designs out there.

If you are interested in working with an e-designer on your home office design, please feel free to contact me at bvstaging@gmail.com. There are a lot of fun things coming, my website and social media will be updating soon! www.danaebransondesign.com.

Rugs, Gorgeous Rugs!

I love rugs! You can have a neutral palette in a room and instantly had color and pattern with a rug. Or you can have pattern and color in a room and add a solid neutral or color with a rug. Rugs are versatile and can be used in dining rooms, living rooms, hallways, entry ways,  bedrooms, offices and more! You can layer rugs, hang them on the wall for decor or switch them out for a simple refresh in your design. If you are looking for a new rug or even just some inspiration for your home decor, I've included some of my favorite rugs below. These are affiliate links, so if you click the link and make a purchase I do make a small commission. I appreciate your support!

I love blue, so naturally I LOVE this rug. It's gorgeous and affordable!

Chelsea Rug

When you want to add color to a room this Harput rug is my absolute favorite! It comes in many shapes and sizes to fit any space in your home.

Harput Rug

Everyone needs a neutral option and here is an elegant rug that can be dressed up or dressed down depending on your style.

Jute Bleached Rug

Black & white works with a variety of styles as well. This beautiful rug is classic and fun.

Elaziz Rug

This rug reminds me of a rug you'd see in a mansion. It's colorful, ornate and absolutely gorgeous.

Alchemy Rug

If you are still on the hunt for an amazing rug at an affordable price try Boutique Rugs. They've got an amazing selection and everyone I know that has purchased from them has been thrilled with their new rugs.

If you need some simple help with your interior design, check out my website at www.danaebransondesign.com.

Unique Lighting-Chandeliers

I absolutely love lighting! There are so many cool and unique lighting sources out there and I truly feel that lighting can make or break a design.

When designing a space many designers like to start with lighting first and draw inspiration from there. Lighting fixtures catch the eye and if all you do is update your lighting you’ll be amazed at how much of a difference it will make in your home.

Since there are so many lighting options out there today I'm sharing some of my favorite chandeliers based on design styles.

Scandinavian - This starburst is gorgeous and will draw instant attraction from all that see it. It instantly classes up your design.

Coastal - This beauty would look amazing in any classic coastal home.

Rustic - Need a chandelier for a cabin or mountain home? This one is amazing!

Glam - This chandelier will make heads turn. Crystals, crystals and more crystals!

French Country - If this chandelier doesn't speak to the marriage of elegance and rustic that is French Country I don't know what does!

Mid-Century Modern - This fun chandelier is unique and would be an excellent fixture above a table in a mid-century mod home.

Danae Branson is an interior designer working with clients online helping them design the spaces of their dreams. For more information please checkout www.danaebransondesign.com.

Working With An Interior Designer Just Got A Whole Lot Easier!

Have you ever dreamed of working with an interior designer to refresh your home? It seems that there’s a misconception that interior designers only do new construction or home remodels, but what about smaller projects? There are some amazing interior designers out there that do take smaller projects. In fact, with technology, there is a new way to work online with a designer without them even having to come to your home. They are often called e-designers because they work entirely online.

What does an e-designer do?

Whether you need an entire home refresh or just a corner of a room, e-designers are able to assist.  They typically communicate via email, skype or phone and work with you online to create a space that you love. Depending on the e-designer who chose to work with they do offer different services. Some offer consulting services where they’ll help you choose design elements such as lighting, furniture, paint colors or décor. Others may offer mood boards and rendering services where they can show you what your finished project will look like after you’ve implemented their design ideas. Depending on the level of service you need, determines the cost of the services.

Kitchen Before - Actual Photo

Kitchen After - 3D Render

How do I find an e-designer?

Check your local listings for interior designers. Some interior designers have added e-design to their list of services. Ask friends or family if they know of anyone. Or search the web for an e-designer that you think would be great to work with.

How do I know if working with an e-designer versus an in-person designer is for me?

If you prefer to implement your own design and just need ideas and advice, e-design is for you.

If you need someone to manage the project and hire contractors to implement the design for you, then you should work with a local in-person interior designer.

Anything else I should know about e-design?

E-designers often have quicker turn around time because they do everything online. They also may be able to work with an in-home designer if you need both services and your in-home designer doesn’t offer e-design. Check with your e-designer regarding the types of products and services they offer. Some e-designers off a lot of services and other, such as myself, only offer online consultations and virtual staging.

Before Living & Dining - Actual Photo of a Vacant Listing

Before Living & Dining - Virtually Staged Listing

For more information on Danae Branson Virtual Staging & Design, please feel free to shoot me an email at bvstaging@gmail.com.

 For more information on Danae Branson Virtual Staging & Design, please feel free to shoot me an email at bvstaging@gmail.com.

The Future of Virtual Staging & Design

Right now, real estate is hot! Flipping houses is hot! Interior design is hot! As HGTV is talking over homes across the United States the real estate, construction and interior design markets are profiting from the huge success of shows like Flip or Flop, Fixer Upper and Property Brothers.

Real estate agents are working harder than ever to sell properties and part of that is having access to tools that allow prospective buyers to visualize a space as it could be. Home staging is an effective tool to make a home appear more welcoming and stylish. Today there is an alternative to home staging known as virtual staging where furniture and décor are digitally imported into the photos. Not only is this a cost-effective alternative at sometimes 90% less than physical staging, the turn around time on virtual staging is typically less than 24 hours depending on the firm you use.

Virtual home staging's success is not only due to the cost and turn around time but due to the capabilities it has to offer. With virtual staging and design you can now show your clients what a home could look like with a wall removed, a different paint color on the wall, different cabinets in the kitchen, etc.

Actual kitchen photo

[caption id="attachment_96" align="alignnone" width="1248"] 3D virtual rendering of what the kitchen could look like[/caption]

Think of how easy it would be sell a home when a prospective buyer can actually see the potential in the property. The future will be in this technology and working with professionals who can show buyers what could be.

We all know technology is a powerful tool, so use it! Consider partnering with a virtual staging and design professional as a value add to your real estate business and watch your sales grow!

Designer On Demand

There are a lot of people today who absolutely love doing their own home design. They want to create a space that's beautiful, meaningful, practical and happy. However, often times when you dive into the design of your own home you find yourself with a lot of questions. For instance, what paint color should I choose for the living room? What wall decor would look great above the sofa? What sort of lighting should I choose for the open living, kitchen and dining area? Where can I source my furniture and decor so it's fits my budget?

Those are all popular questions DIYers ask themselves and what they ask me. Are you curious about the proper way to hang curtains? Or how big the chandelier above your dining table should be? Most people don't realize it until they get started and that's why I'm here to help!

I specialize in helping people from all over the country with their design needs. You can hire me as your Designer on Demand and email me up to 5 questions per week for only $99 per week. Hire me for one week or as many weeks as you like and I will help you choose the design elements that are right for you!

While working with me you may also discover things you like that you didn't even realize. The other day while working with a client on her lighting plan she thought she liked a more industrial lighting option but after working together for a little bit I realized that she always leaned more towards lighting that was either glam or farmhouse. She didn't realize that she loved Farmhouse Glam! Knowing her design style helped her make more decisions moving forward.

If you are interested in learning more about my services, please check out my website at www.danaebransondesign.com or email me at bvstaging@gmail.com.

Design Ideas For Realtors

Selling a home isn’t always as easy as you’d like it to be especially when that home has some questionable design elements working against it.

There are tons of articles out there on staging and preparing a home for showing but the trends are changing and as more and more people are online so are the real estate and design industries.

Virtual design and staging are becoming growing trends in the industry. So what exactly are the two and how can they be used to help sell a home?

Virtual staging is where furniture is digitally imported into a photograph of the home. A virtual stager can work with a furnished or unfurnished home to give the prospective buyers a visual of what a home could look like furnished or furnished differently.

Below you will find an example of a before and after of a vacant room that has been virtually staged and a before and after of a furnished room that has been virtually staged

Virtual design is where the existing home is virtually redesigned to give prospective buyers an idea of what that home could look like if they changed paint color, cabinets, counter tops, flooring and lighting. Many buyers can’t visualize the potential a property has and having someone virtually design that potential could be a game changer in the industry of selling a home.

Below is an example of a before and after of a kitchen that has been virtually designed.

Virtual design and staging are very cost-effective ways to sell a home. Working with a reputable virtual designer and stager is always a great value-added service to your real estate business. Many people purchase a home and want to make it their own. If you offer them the opportunity to work with a virtual designer who can make their house into the home of their dreams they would be thrilled.

For more information on our virtual staging and design services please visit www.bransonvirtualstaging.com.

What is E-Design?

Creating a beautiful home has become a great obsession with HGTV and all of their fun home shows, it seems that everyone is desiring a well designed home. Most people think that you have to have thousands and thousands of dollars to work with an interior designer but what if I told you there was a much more cost-effective way? A way that you could have your DIY, your interior design and money left over for that cake so you can eat it, too.

Have you ever wondered what an e-designer is or if maybe it’s someone you’d like to work with? I created this post to help people who are curious about e-design learn a little bit more about it.

What is e-design? E-design is a simple, virtual design option offered to clients who don’t need a full service in-house interior designer.

Who most commonly works with an e-designer? It could be clients who only need minimal design help, clients who have a smaller design budget, clients who want to do the DIY route and clients who want to see what their space will look like before they pull the trigger and design it. Wouldn't it be awesome if you could see the kitchen you envisioned in your head on the computer first? Does that back splash really work with your counter tops? Does that light fixture really look great above your island? You can see everything from painted walls, to furniture, to lighting, decor and more.

If you want to participate in the design process and aren’t afraid of measuring your space, ordering items and doing the installation, while the designer puts together the look and provides you the tools to achieve it, then working with an e-designer is for you!

How to work with an e-designer? It’s simple. You can use social media or a referral from a friend to find an e-designer that would work best for you. Most clients look for an e-designer with a similar style as them or they find a designer they resonate with either on social media or someone their friend or family member has used.

Once you contact the e-designer typically they’ll have you fill out a style quiz … mine is coming soon … and then the results are emailed to you. Possible styles might be farmhouse, eclectic, modern, mid-century or coastal.

You’ll also fill out a questionnaire regarding the type of design you are looking for and your budget. Most e-designers have a few different packages you can choose from to fit your budget.

Then you’ll receive information on what the e-designer needs from you and as soon as the e-designer receives that they get started. Depending on the availability of the e-designer you choose, you may get your design back in a few days or it could be a few weeks.

Every e-designer is different in regards to communication as well. Some will do everything over email, some prefer phone and Skype. Whatever means of communication you are comfortable with, most of them accommodate.

Popular ways to use an e-designer:

1. The on-call designer - the designer is available to you when you have questions regarding your design.

2. Redesign or refresh - you get a mood board and shopping list for the room you are designing.

3. Full-service package – you may be provided mood boards, renders, floor plans and shopping lists for the area you are designing.

4. Tailored package – some e-designers let you decide what you need and create a package tailored to your needs. Any room in the house even home offices - some e-designers focus on home office spaces for work-from-home clients.

At the end of the day, working with an e-designer is a cost-effective way for a DIY lover to create the home they always dreamed of.

To learn more about my e-design services please stay tuned for news and announcements in the coming weeks! I am redesigning my website, blog and social media with e-design packages rolling out this fall.

How Does Virtual Staging Work?

Many realtors, home sellers and builders are becoming interested in how virtual staging works. Our world is online now and so it makes sense that even the interior design and home staging industries are finding their presence online.

Before I tell you exactly how virtual staging works, lets identify when virtual staging is a great option to assist in selling a home.

*The home is vacant. Virtual staging adds life to cold and empty rooms.

*The home is vacant and there isn't a budget for physical staging. Virtual staging is a cost-effective alternative to physical staging.

*The home is vacant and is too nice for your regular staging company to stage based on their furniture inventory. For example, a realtor recently hired me to virtually stage a home listed at $800,000. His regular home staging company suggested he reach out to me because they didn't feel that their furniture would suit an $800,000 home.

*The home's existing furniture or decor takes away from the home itself. I've had realtors hire me to digitally remove furniture from homes and then virtually stage the home.

How does virtual staging work?

It's really quite simple. You email me the photos of the rooms you'd like staged. We discuss the pricing and time frame when you need the photos returned. You pay for the photos and I stage them and email them back to you along with your paid invoice. Super simple, right?

Below you will find a series of before and after pictures of a recently staged home. You'll notice two of them included furniture removal.

If you haven't seen virtually staged photos already, I'm sure you will in the near future. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have at bvstaging@gmail.com or check out my website at www.bransonvirtualstaging.com.

Have a beautiful day!

Danae