Speed Decorating: A Pro Stager's Tips and Trade Secrets for a Fabulous Home in a Week or Less - Softcover

"Vegas helps would-be decorators fast-forward their dreams in Speed Decorating. The book is in large part a typical decorating primer, but with a focus on getting things done fast. Vegas guides readers through such steps as assessing a room, setting a timeline and shopping smart, and gives suggestions for specific rooms. She offers lots of handy tips, such as ways to corral and disguise lamp cords and quick ideas for freshening a kitchen."-- Mary Beth Breckenridge, Akron Beacon Journal "Jill Vegas knows how to make any home beautiful.... Her talent and work are priceless!" --Barbara Corcoran, founder, The Corcoran Group It's like speed dating but only better. Speed Decorating: A Pro Stager's Tips and Trade Secrets for a Fabulous Home in a Week or Less (The Taunton Press; $21.95) by Jill Vegas is everything that hiring an interior decorator is not. That means you have to actually do most of the work yourself. There are a few rules to follow -- or break if you dare. First, learn the seven principles of decorating: calm; condition; style; arrangement; light; color and texture; and details. Then incorporate the three-step process: Evaluate the situation, explore solutions and take action. These must all be done fast; otherwise it's not speed decorating! Most tasks fall into one of three categories. A magic-wand makeover takes a few hours or a day. Mini boot camp can be done in three days. Slowpokes have a week to complete an ultimate boot camp. --Martha Phifer, Orlando Sentinel If you're like me, after a day parading through the Parade of Homes, you get home and wish your house looked like those on the tour. Speed Decorating by Jill Vegas (Taunton Press) might help. Vegas is a home stager whose work has been featured on HGTV, National Public Radio and other places. One idea: Stack books on a chair, put a lamp atop the books, and you have an instant nightstand. I wouldn't have thought of that. The book doesn't get into big, involved projects. But it gives tips for changes you can make in a few hours, over a weekend or in a week. It also gives quick cleaning tips, guides you through a closet makeover and offers shopping tips and lighting rules. --Debra Boyette, News & Observer

House sales are down, mortgages are harder to get: staging a house for sale is crucial, it is also an inexpensive way to upscale a home. Accomplished stager Jill Vegas reveals her seven staging essentials for making a home look beautiful. This title features advice for uplifting every room in the house in only a few days. "Speed Decorating" is the ultimate guide to making a house look great - fast! Professional stager Jill Vegas offers a wealth of decorating advice that can turn any room in the house from blah to beautiful in just a few days. Based on years of professional experience, Jill reveals her seven staging essentials - flow light colour, clutter, condition, cleanliness and lifestyle - and takes readers on a high-energy house tour bursting with her invaluable insider advice. In this current economic environment, selling a house is more difficult than ever. Plus, more people are entertaining at home to save money. "Speed Decorating" couldn't be timelier.