Getting Your Home Ready for the Holidays

In today's economy there are less and less people that can afford assistance in home design, redesign and staging or just picking out a color of paint.
Harmonizing Homes is introducing " design on line" as an added feature.   The purpose of this added service is to assist people that need to sell their homes but do not know the process, nor have the time to put a plan together for implementation.  Along those same lines....some people know they need to do something but do not know where to start.  Harmonizing Homes will help these client through a series of photographs that are taken by the home owner accompanied with the dimensions of all four walls and ceiling heights.  Harmonizing Homes will be able to to determine by the photographs and some interaction via email.... what should be done immediately to market their homes.  Harmonizing Homes will also assist those homeowners that may want a bit of a change for the holidays....but they do not know where to start...Thinking about painting....but not sure of what colors to choose....Harmonizing Homes will be able to suggest some colors to complement the adjoining rooms....
   Harmonzing Homes will be running a special through the end of December as an introduction to the new concept of designing on line... Here are the services that will be provided.

• Redesign
• Design
• Downsizing
• Staging ( Home marketing)
• Getting ready for the holidays!!

So send us a email....we can discuss your situation...prior to commitment!    So if you are willing to do this...........


We can help!!!!!
Wishing you all the very best!
Happy Holidays...

Thanksgiving Deorations on a Budget

Everyone is on a budget these days....So for your Thanksgiving Table  this year...instead of purchasing the same old boring yellow and orange mums with a few cats tails...why not bring in foliage....use branches and berries...

 For example take a string of sweet gumtree pots together with garland.....you can find them in the parks now....



 Or berry branches in a vase...Take a walk around the wooded areas and see what you can find..

Have fun and relax....its only family and friends

Marie-Hélène’s Apple Cake

I love to entertain and I'm always looking for something easy for desert.....This is a winner and I thought I'd share.... A great simple apple cake for the fall.....

Marie-Hélène’s Apple Cake
Serves 8.
From “Around My French Table,” by Dorie Greenspan.
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large apples (if you can, choose 4 different kinds)
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled.
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the springform on it.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl.
Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1- to 2-inch chunks.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they’re foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk for a minute or so to blend. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour and, when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and poke it around a little with the spatula so that it’s evenish.
Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean; the cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.
Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. (Open the springform slowly, and before it’s fully opened, make sure there aren’t any apples stuck to it.) Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the springform pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled, then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving dish.
Serving
The cake can be served warm or at room temperature, with or without a little softly whipped, barely sweetened heavy cream or a spoonful of ice cream. Marie-Hélène served her cake with cinnamon ice cream, and it was a terrific combination.
Storing
The cake will keep for about two days at room temperature and, according to my husband, gets more comforting with each passing day. However long you keep the cake, it’s best not to cover it — it’s too moist. Leave the cake on its plate and just press a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper against the cut surfaces.

Natural Colors

I took a long walk up in the country side of Warren County New Jersey over this past weekend....I came across a field of rag weed and tall grasses and thought how beautiful .  I took a photo for the sole purpose of discussing color.  Many people struggle with picking colors when decorating their homes.   This is just a little reminder to think of nature when you are looking for contrasting or complementary colors...Mother Nature is never wrong...

A little secret from Harmonizing Homes  the color "Chartreuse" which is the color of the rag  weed.. a mix of yellow with a small amount of green is a perfect accent color for any color scheme.  Enjoy Nature..

Garden Ornaments

If you are living in a small space with a small garden it is fun to add some dimension and fun in your garden.  I have inquired several pieces that add support, color and height to my little cottage garden.  Have fun with your gardens through out the year....The fall is a great time to plant various shades, textures and variations of the garden Kale that will last long into the winter months that is in the North East Areas of the US..... Happy Gardening....Harmony!  

Visit my at my website ......if you are interested in redesign inside or out...

www.nychomestager.com

The Bees mark the end of summer

The cottage flowers are covered with the last bees of the summer this weekend; as it marks the end of the sailing season with "Sail Feast" in Island Heights NJ.....the flower boxes still look great...but its only a matter of time....when the cooler nights start to arrive and the flowers will soon be gone...

If you live on the East Coast it will only be a matter of a few weeks and things can start to change very quickly.....So be prepared with a stock of mums, asters, and kale for a beautiful display of fall colors.

During the end of the summer you should .....plant some brightly blue asters to perk up a dull garden....In a few weeks you will be able to introduce the yellow and oranges...Don't be afraid to clip, dig, and rearrange to keep your garden fresh....have fun....you and others will so enjoy the changes...  Harmony.

Preparing For Fall

As I walked around the summer cottage this weekend I was sadden by the lack of color in the gardens which is a  result of the long hot summer days... The blue Hydrangea's are a mauve and brown...the black eye Susan's are crisp and black, long gone are the peony's....Flax's are at the end of their purple glory. 

It is time to revitalize your gardents' with some hardy mums, asters, colorful Kale's.... So cut back the Lilly's be careful with hydrangea's they are not fond of cuttings - pull out the annuals....rake up the mulch...add some fall color...
Harmonizing Homes is all about staging, design and presentation.  So have some fun, with the plantings...think about the spring by planting some flowering bulbs now. Have fun before the leaves start to drop!  Harmony!

Labor Day

Labor Day Photos

Well, it’s the end of the summer (unofficially).....I have never really been able to deal with summer end....As you sit on the beach in September, the water color is diverse, the sun cast a unusual glow.....as I dig my feet into the sand it is cool and moist. September brings rip tides, and hurricanes....this weekend was Earl....next will be Gus...


The end of summer marks the beginning of a new school year, yearend for governmental organizations, organization, time schedules, deadlines, and holidays....it’s a exciting hectic time of year.......putting the lazy days of summer as memories.... As we come to a close of the summer, and think of the upcoming fall and winter seasons….Harmonizing Homes will be able to assist you in any of your holiday festivities, parties and home sale preparations…Happy Labor Day, Rosh Hashanah

Shades of Red

I love the color red in designing interiors and exteriors. The extra pop of color is needed to make the room, garden or the exterior of your home stand out. At Harmonizing Homes, it is one of our signature colors, we love to incorporate the color red whenever the situation allows.

Red is hot. It's a strong color that conjures up a range of seemingly conflicting emotions from passionate love to violence and warfare.

Red is power, hence the red power tie for business people and the red carpet for celebrities and VIPs (very important people).

Use the color red to grab attention and to get people to take action.

 Use red when you don't want to sink into the background. Use red to suggest speed combined with confidence and perhaps even a dash of danger. A little bit of red goes a long way.

 Small doses can often be more effective than large amounts of this strong color. Multiple shades of red and even pink or orange can combine for a cheerful palette.

Feng shui colors, when used properly, will bring the desired feng shui energy into your home. Red color carries the energy of the fire feng shui element.

 Fire has always been a symbol of divine energy and can be both destructive and creative. Fire represents the energy of sun and life.


A balanced feng shui fire element in your home will bring joy, excitement and strong sexual desire

The feng shui energy of color red is the energy of arousal. It is hot, passionate, rich and celebratory. Red is the Chinese color of luck and happiness, the marriage color in India, and the symbolic color of love and romance courage and passion in the West.


Red is the hottest of the warm colors…. it is nature .....and Mother Nature is never wrong.... So remember when you are redesigning, staging...bring in a pop of color...you can't go wrong...

Please follow Corinne Kaas and visit my other photos in red

You can have a garden any where

In 2005 we left the suburbs of New Jersey were we had restored a 1850 Farm House in the Silverton Section of Toms River. It was a bitter/sweet time in our live...we had given so much of ourselves to restore the many beautiful perennial gardens...not to mention the rooms of wall paper and lead paint indoors...but it was all about presentation and accomplishment.......until it got the best of the both of us....We decided to sell, as empty Nester's do and move into New York City.....I work in the city for the International Rescue Committee, my husband was also doing the commute to North Jersey on a daily bases....

We have both found that you can live with so much less....and its not a bad thing...We went from a 5 bedroom home with a huge piece of property to a 800 square foot one bedroom apartment with two closets.... Talk about a change...but I wouldn't change it for the world...I have learned that bigger isn't always better, and less is more...

Take for an example my window sill garden...well its a bit more than a window sill....but I have plenty of texture and color wish is what pulls a garden together. You need to know how much sun, wind exposure etc....So as you can see I have plenty of complementing shade loving plants...which brings a bit of the inside into the home...

We have filled my life with so many more culture events......and I have established a new business - Harmonizing Homes which is a home staging and redesign company serving New York City and New Jersey.... Oh, did I forget to mention that we still have a small cottage at the Jersey Shore.....I couldn't give it up totally... the next few blogs will cover some random shots of New York's, gardens, life and humor....oh, there is plenty of humor ....

Corinne..........or harmonizing homes...www.nychomestager.com