Category Archives: Company Updates

Duplex that sits on the park  . . .  and sits on the market without a sale.

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BR 1

This duplex unit facing Morningside Park is one of the last 2 units to sell in the new development on the corner of Central Park North and Morningside Park.

BR 2

Left empty, buyers were utterly lost as to how to position furniture in the bedrooms.  Square living displaces always cause confusion . . .  this one was no exception.  The broker successfully convinced the developer to stage this Unit so buyers could see the space’s possibilities and not the quirks.

home staging NYC

 

Playing off the green and blues from the park trees and sky, we transformed the main floor into the perfect place to lounge, dine and entertain.   On the upper level, we used properly scaled furniture to show how both bedrooms can accommodate the needs of a  single person, a couple or a family.  We anticipate a lot of traffic and interest for this duplex.

Home Staging Manhattan Valley

The building is also known as One Morningside Park. With views of  the park and the cathedral of John the Divine, it is a terrific, up and coming spot.

apartment staging nyc

 

It’s a low floor – #2A – asking $2.5 million. Yet it is beautifully renovated and a terrific space.

Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow’s UES Penthouse In Contract – My Staging BTW.

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Home Staging NYC

530 East 72nd Street – spectacular views of the east river from Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow apartment.

It is not every day that I get to do a celebrity home staging.  And this one sat for a while.  Luxury Listings NYC announced last week that Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow’s UES penthouse is finally under contract.  They were asking a lot of money for the home thanks to its provenance. It is a beautiful glass penthouse apartment with 18′ ceilings, a really fun spiral glass staircase and possibly the best views of the East River in town!

The apartment was built in 1961, with Frank allegedly “very active in the penthouse design.”  With 3,200 sq. ft, there are 4 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms.  There is an additional 2,000 sq. ft of terrace space. More folklore reports that Sammy Davis, Jr “enjoyed tossing champagne glasses down on FDR Drive from the apartment’s terraces.”  Andy Warhol was a frequent guest at splashy rat-pack parties and called the co-op “the glittering grotto.”

President John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe are also reported guests.

These photos — taken of my staging – originally appeared in Elle Decor, taken by SF Gate.

 

 

NYC Home Staging Firm Gives Thanks!

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Brooklyn home staging

Later this week, I will be gathering with my family, as will so many New Yorkers, and celebrating our many blessings. It has been a good year and I am grateful for much. Here are my top 3 —

1. My Brokers

I am grateful for my expanding core group of brokers who trust my judgment and decisions. They know that I always have their back.

2. My Clients

I am so thankful that I have great clients who continue to refer my services and introduce me to new sources and vendors. They are another primary reason ASNYC has had a banner year.

3. Brooklyn!

I am grateful for Brooklyn! The borough is booming and I am thrilled to be a part of its robust activity.

Brooklyn Collage

And I happy that my staging designs have been so inspirational to my competition. One of the greatest forms of flattery is imitation! It is nice to see the competition stepping up their game – even if it is by copying my designs 😉

NYC home staging

Accessorizing Small Living Rooms; My interview with the NY Times

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accessorizing small living roomsI was recently interviewed by the New York Times.

We discussed accessorizing accessorizing small living rooms, of which we have an abundance in NYC, and Brooklyn! My gist was to keep it simple, with low sight-lines.Odd numbers rather than pairs of things except pillows. While pillows which work well as a pair, I like to mix them up so they are not too matchy-matchy, but not in a small apartment. There we always keep things solid or with a tone-on-tone pattern.

Accessorizing Small Living Rooms

How do you decorate your small living room?

Home Staging A Greenwich Village 2 BR

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Beofre Amazing Space NYC has had time to work its magic.Before we started home staging a Greenwich Village 2 BR unit we went to see it and get the lay of the land, so to speak.  This 2 bedroom on the second floor of a quaint walk-up building left buyers scratching their heads. Immediately welcomed by a massive refrigerator ion the middle of their living room, the living space looked teeny and boring, not at all what a hipster who wants to live in the heart of the Village wants to see when they open the front door.

We got to work.  We transformed the place by adding color and furniture tailored to the space and the target demographic. By adding a small bar height table and stools we successfully created a dining area that takes some of the attention away from the refrigerator’s location.

You might think that we chose red as our accent punch because Fall is on its way and our instincts turn to seasonally warmer colors. In actuality, my inspiration was this fabulous chest which would be considered a Must Have by any generation, and the likely demographic for this unit.

The 2 bedrooom, 1 bath apartment, what used to be called a 4, is listed by Jeffrey Wachtenhiem, with Town Real Estate.

Amazing Space NYC adds pops of red to glamorized an expensive 4 room walk up

Both bedrooms lack a closet, a fundamental flaw in the room designs. By placing a dresser in each room, in the location where a closet or a large wardrobe unit could easily be placed, we allow potential buyers to see that this situation can easily be overcome. We staged the second bedroom to be a den/guest room using a futon bed and colorful art and pillows to jazz it up.

amazing Space NYC works wonders home staging the master bedroom

As you can see, we are not dealing with large rooms; yet it feels chic and fun.

Asking $965,000. Here is the broker’s description:

Incredibly charming and perfectly located, this two bedroom home is situated on Prime Leroy Street in the heart of Greenwich Village / West Village neighborhood. A RARE offering, this sponsor unit requires no board approval and is ready to be moved into. This home features a renovated windowed kitchen, windowed bath and the perfect Village location. Just one flight up in a charming, prewar walkup building with beautiful iron work, this is one not to be missed.   Just steps from at least 50 bars and restaurants, multiple train lines and incredible eateries such as- Murray;s cheese, Faiiaccos, Joe’s Pizza and so much more. 

  __________________________

For more information on staging your NYC home for sale,

please call 917-428-3965 and ask for Debbie.

 

 

 

2014 Trends – from this NYC Home Stager

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Yes, it’s back! Un-lacquered brass (some vendors are calling it “satin brass”, “antique brass” and somewhat obviously, non-lacquered brass) is  considered to be a solid contender for the people who are “been, done that” about nickel and chrome. The theory is that brass is warmer and more elegant than its silver metal counterparts. It advances the appeal of the industrial decor revolution because  there’s little to no shine. And based on usage, each piece will tarnish and “age” differently.

“Everybody wants it!” reports Lauren Henry of Davis and Warshow a wholesale plumbing supply supplier to designers, architects, homeowners in New York City since 1925. “It’s been crazy; everybody for the last couple of months, maybe a year even. And they’re using it everywhere for everything – faucets, full bathrooms, kitchens, everything!”

Why?

“They like the way it tarnishes. Well, they like the idea of how it will tarnish. Most don’t seem to like the way it really does,” Lauren chuckled.

In this contemporary bathroom above,  the style comes from clever sleek combinations.  The matte black is a silestone surface called Tao in suede finish.  The oval mosaic sink is wide enough for a couple to share and beautifully echoes the oval tub. A sumptuous brass rain head in the shower satisfies the most lascivious aesthete; the views? Well, if I had to guess I’d say this photo was taken in NYC looking out at onto the West 70s somewhere.

Where are you with brass?

Suppliers like Samuel Heath and Barber Wilson are all jumping on the trend.  Here is just the traditional suite from Watermark, the Brooklyn manufacturer that Manhattanites yearn for —

home staging NYC trends with interior design
Can you believe that swan, in your grandmother’s house in Florida, could possibly become the biggest trend… again!!

2014 trends in NYC home staging

For interior design and home staging, please call Amazing Space NYC lead designer, Debbie Oulvey at 917-428-3965.

Thanksgiving – Thank you For Our Best Year Yet!

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NYC Home Stager Celebrates ThanksgivingThanksgiving is, by far, my favorite holiday.  My Italian side of the family gathers together in our pre-war upper west side apartment for a full day of food, wine and togetherness.   Some years we have hosted dinner for upwards of 20 people – in a dining room that is 14′ wide by 16′ long!  Being a designer and a NYC home stager has its benefits when it comes to spatially planning a sit down dinner for 20!  Also, being good friends with your neighbors helps when you need 2 ovens for all of the sides and an extra refrigerator for the turkey to brine overnight.

This year’s menu includes a potato leek soup to start accompanied by a green bean and caramelized onion salad.   The main attraction – an apple spice brined turkey (so moist and delicious, I highly recommend it)  – is served with apple stuffing and roasted squash.  Mashed spiced yams are a family favorite and always find a place on the table.  To satisfy our sweet tooth we will have apple pie (a la mode, of course), pumpkin chocolate. chip cookies and a chocolate truffle cake from Ferrara’s (courtesy of my daughter’s school fundraiser.)

We have much to be thankful for at Amazing Space NYC.  This has been a record year.  We will finish up 34% (or more) over last year, both in terms of gross billings and net revenue.

Staging has finally become accepted and, in some cases, mandated by New York City  brokers.  Putting a property on the market that is empty or full of personal clutter is frowned upon by both buyers and brokers.  However, the spectrum is wide with respect to the quality and goals of New York City stagers.   ASNYC continues to be recognized as the market leader in aspirational and inspirational Staging installations.

Our belief that a staging design must allow buyers to connect to the property is one of the reasons our business has grown by 34 per cent this year, setting a company record for both gross and net revenue.  We bring Interior Design to the forefront of every project we accept. I say accept, because we turn down a project if the budget or parameters won’t allow us to present a final product we think works, one that is characteristic of our portfolio, likely to succeed the way our others do.  Loyal relationships with brokers and developers, dedication to detail and follow-through combined with only quality accessories. We are ruthlessly disciplined about investing only in quality rugs, lighting, accessories, linens, artwork and lifestyle accents that create a home reflective of the neighborhood, the price point and the potential buyer.

Buyers and brokers are very impressed when they walk into a property that was Staged by our design team. The greatest compliment we continue to receive is that our properties do not look “staged”, they do not look fake.  Buyers and brokers agree that ASNYC presents to the public elegantly appointed and meticulously maintained homes.  On average, a property that was Staged by ASNYC sells at 94% or more of the ask price. In the summer of 2013, 4 of our staged properties went into bidding wars after the first open house.  All sold at or above ask.
NYC Home Staging Gets Homes Sold FAST!!