Author Archives: Kelly Zabel

About Kelly Zabel

Kelly Zabel is an award-winning stager, recognized nationally by the Real Estate Staging Association in 2021 as the Best Rising Star Home Stager of the Year and in 2020 as a Top 10 Rising Star Home Stager of the Year for Vacant Properties in USA and Canada. Whether new construction, remodeled, or in its original beauty, Kelly knows how difficult it is for potential buyers to imagine a home when viewing a vacant property. She loves taking an empty room, filling it with personality and comfort, and showcasing how homeowners could actually live in that space. Her natural eye for layout and design helps highlight the potential of any space.

To match, or not to match, that is the question!

Maybe you’re ready for a living room refresh, or you’re moving into a new home and wanting to redesign your spaces; in either scenario, you’ll have to make a lot of decisions around matching and clashing items. Will you have one color stain throughout the room, or can you mix and match woods? Will all finishes be the same, or will you include a variety of metals? Can you mix in rattan, wicker, or other vintage pieces, or will that look funny with modern lighting? Here are just a few tips and tricks around when to match (or not!) while designing.

FURNITURE SETS

Ten years ago, the average person owned a matching furniture set: a three person couch, two person loveseat, and a single chair or two. Each piece had the same fabric and pattern, and sometimes even came with similarly style end tables and coffee table. These days, matching furniture sets are still available, but we are fans of mixing and matching furniture. Choose a comfy sofa in a neutral color and add two colorful or patterned accent chairs to add some flare to a room. Another big trend right now is pairing a colorful sofa, often velvet fabric, with matching vintage accent chairs. What joy and life color can bring to a room! Here are a few examples of mismatched furniture sets.

sofa and mismatched chairs

Ballard Designs

Mismatched Sofas - Good Idea, Or A Colossal Mistake? - Laurel Home

Studio McGee

Living room curtains in a blue floral pattern in comfortable living room

Ballard Designs

METAL FINISHES

Clients often ask, or even question, this next piece of advice: it’s okay to mix metals and finishes! We don’t want you to go too wild with variety, but it is okay to have two or three different finishes in a room. Try to mix warm finishes with cool finishes and avoid putting two similar tones together such as chrome and brushed nickel. The great news is you can pair black with any finish! Here are a few examples of mixed metals in kitchens and bathrooms.

Love this beautiful timeless kitchen design with white cabinets, a coffered ceiling treatment, and a mix of brass and polished nickel metal finishes - kitchen ideas - kitchen island ideas - kitchen lighting ideas - gorgeous kitchens - kitchen trends - mixed metals - brandon architects

Jane at Home

Bria Hammel Interiors

Leclair Decor powder bath

Maison de Pax

WOOD TONES

You’re probably starting to notice a theme to this post – it’s okay to mix and match when designing your home! The same goes for wood tones, it’s okay to have a little variety in your design! With wood, it can be helpful to have one main wood tone, perhaps the hardwood flooring or color of trim, and add an additional accent or two with a different tone. When matching wood tones, try to have grain patterns look similar, or match the finishes – glossy with glossy, rustic with rustic, matte with matte, etc. With wood, you also want to match warm and cool tones if the colors are very similar, or go for a large contrast in tone, almost opposites in color. Here are a few examples to bring these ideas to life:

how to mix wood tones - california cool living room with sofa and wood accent chairs

My Domaine

Chris Loves Julia

Curated image with Ansel Rug, Royce Side Table, Arlo Chair, Gulf Shores, Lebon Floor Lamp, Eileen...

Studio McGee

Mixing and matching in design provides interest and warmth when done well. If the process of choosing feels overwhelming, we’re always here to help with our interior and re-design services!

 

Guest Blogger: Katya Larsen, Stager, A Home Revival

Need a Break? Take a Picnic!

The Ultimate Picnic Guide - Sanctuary Home Decor

Photo Credit: sanctuaryhomedecor.com

Summer is a season of hustle and bustle, especially if you are buying or selling a home! Maybe it would do you good to take a moment to rest – take a break from all the efforts you’ve been putting towards your move – and take an afternoon or evening to stop, breath and reflect. What better way to rest and reset than with a picnic! Grab your partner, loved ones, and/or friends, and share a meal with the great outdoors! Take time to honor the home your leaving and show gratitude for your next adventure. Celebrate, remember, and most importantly, enjoy!

PICNIC BASKETS

It wouldn’t be a picnic without a cute basket, would it? Here are two of our faves!

The Summer Breeze Wine and Cheese Picnic Basket at Target is perfect for a sunset with wine and charcuterie.

Summerbreeze Wine and Cheese Picnic Basket - Picnic Time, image 2 of 11 slides

Photo Credit: Target.com

Summerbreeze Wine and Cheese Picnic Basket - Picnic Time, image 4 of 11 slides

Photo Credit: Target.com

Looking to fill your own, classic basket? We love the Granada Picnic Basket from Williams Sonoma, and it’s traditional checkered fabric, available in three colors!

Alt image 1 for Granada Picnic Basket

Photo Credit: williams-sonoma.com

Alt image 16 for Granada Picnic Basket

Photo Credit: williams-sonoma.com

PICNIC SERVICES

If you’re not up to the effort of packing your own picnic, but love the idea of a relaxing meal outside, search for a local picnic service to take on the setup for you! In the Greater Twin Cities area, you can find luxury picnic companies like Pillows and Prosecco or Pepper Sprout Picnics who will prepare a deluxe experience, catered to your liking, and all you have to do is show up – what a treat!

IMG_4479.JPG

Photo Credit: peppersproutpicnics.com

PICNIC IDEAS

Head to a lakeside beach, into a forest, or even to music and movies in the park! Or even better, if you can’t get away, make a memory in your own backyard. The hope is to be with people you care about, making memories and taking a moment to be grateful and calm. Happy picnic-ing!

Donate Now | Minneapolis Pops Orchestra Association

Photo Credit: Minneapolis Pops Orchestra Association

 

Guest Blogger: Katya Larsen, Stager, A Home Revival

A Quick Summer Refresh

Summer is a great time for a home cleanout and refresh. More often than not, I miss the opportunity for spring cleaning, and find myself in my dusty basement and dirty garage in July, preparing for a garage sale I wish I had done in June with the rest of my neighbors. With two toddlers, this year in particular I noticed my days of cleaning up our walls with microfiber cloths and Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are over, and it’s time for a fresh coat of paint. Here are a few of A Home Revival’s designers’ current favorite paint picks:

Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams

This warm, gray color is perfect for Minnesota winters and low light areas of the home. We love how it looks in this modern, home office!

@ivoryoakdesign

Photo Credit: #SWColorLove on Instagram

Pure White by Sherwin Williams is our go to paint color for trim, and pairs beautifully with Repose Gray in any room. With trim, we recommend using a semi-gloss paint for easy cleaning, especially in high traffic areas of the home! The color also works well for walls thanks to it’s yellow undertones keeping it from being too sharp.

@homecrushdesignsllc's pure white bedroom project

Photo Credit: #SWColorLove on Instagram

If you’re looking for a little more color in your home, but hoping to still stay in the neutral zone, try out Sherwin William’s Sea Salt. This green/blue hued color is still in the gray family and creates a warm, calming space. We especially like the idea of this in a primary suite, paired with coastal bedding and décor!

bedroom painted with Sherwin Williams Sea Salt

Photo Credit: The House of Hood Blog

Have you done a summer paint refresh this year? We’d love to see your color choice! Tag us on Instagram with @ahomerevival and show us your space!

 

Guest Blogger: Katya Larsen, Stager, A Home Revival