In staging and interior decorating, one of the most important features of space is the lighting. The type of lighting can and will set the tone for the entire room.

This is why we like to incorporate ambient lighting into the design as a “layer of light.” This type of lighting is usually incandescent, low-wattage lighting in the form of a chandelier, sconce, lantern, or lamp.

You’ll be surprised at the difference upon entering a master bathroom suite, for example, when a small low-watt lamp on the bathroom counter lights the space rather than the more direct, fluorescent or vanity lights from above.

A dimmer feature on a light switch control is there for the purpose of creating ambient lighting.

The ambient layer, also called “fill light,” is non-focal, general illumination. The amount and type of ambient lighting helps establish the basic mood or “ambience” of a space. It does not usually create visual interest. The task layer is dedicated to the principal activities of a space. In rooms where tasks, such as reading or manufacturing predominate, this layer provides visual interest. The focal layer, also called “key light,” is dedicated to illuminating displays in a space. In rooms where displays dominate, this layer creates visual interest. The decorative layer’s primary role is to attract the eye in order to establish or reinforce the architectural design or theme. But decorative lighting may also provide ambient, task, or focal lighting in the process.¹

1. Benya, James, (October 11, 2005) The Jewelry of Architecture [Electronic Version]. Architectural Lighting, http://www.archlighting.com

What do you see when you’re about to enter a room, whether from the double-French doors, bedroom door, or from the hall leading to the living area?

Pause for a moment to check it out. Your focal point is visually eye-level, straight ahead in the depth of the room, or the opposite wall. The focal points should help to set the tone for the rest of the room and even beckons you to enter from the doorway.

Use wall space, built-in shelves, or tops of cabinets to place interesting wall hangings, mirrors, or artwork and accessories that complement or accent the basic furniture vignette.

Colorful objects such as plates and vases, and objects with texture or made with natural materials are good focal points for the eyes to rest and gaze upon.

These high-impact focal points help draw the eye to the depth of the room–giving depth, or outside the window–traveling beyond the parameters of the room. Often, the focal points are “show-stoppers” in their own light, such as a water feature or a simple, elegant orchid flower.

Experiment with your art and accessories and place them in different groupings in different areas–you will find the right space for these objects that help to break-up the plain white canvas with splashes of life, color, texture, and personality.

If you are a realtor or owner with a property on the market for sale, you’ve probably heard what used to be some sort of rule from Real Estate Sales 101: keep it neutral, keep it beige.

Staging and decorating our homes in the Hawaiian Islands is all but beige. We invite into our homes the tropical greens of Monsterra leaf and Lawae Fern; reds of Hibiscus, Torch Ginger and Haleconia; yellows of Plumeria and golden sunsets; and blues of the timeless ocean and sky.

Wander into a model home for sale—whether it’s a beachfront multi-million dollar home, or an eclectic condo close to downtown Honolulu—interior designers and decorators are evermore using colors that pop. We see colors of fuschia and neon lime, to the rich and luxurious tones of orange and gold, boldly splashed on the walls of our living space.

A balance of color, texture, lighting, furniture, art and accessories that highlight the highest potential of the home is what’s in vogue. There is no wrong or right if you’ve got the right balance.

The only element that may still remain beige or neutral in today’s dynamic real estate market, is the carpet underfoot. Goodbye real estate beige, hello colors that pop!

Aloha Staged Homes LLC is a firm believer in staging and decorating with live plants whenever possible. Why? Because live plants give off negative ions.

What are negative ions? “Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in certain environments. Think mountains, waterfalls, and beaches.¹

The air contains many of the vitamins and minerals our bodies need in trace amounts in the form of very minute, beneficially charged molecules known as negions, or negative ions. “The air we breathe in the woods or gardens contains vitamins given off by plants,” noted Russian biologist Nikolai Kholodkovsky in his observations.²

Two of the nutrients emitted from the tree bark and needles of a fragrant pine odoe, he discovered, were vitamin C and a form of bioflavonoid called proanthocyanidins. Because bioflavonoids and ascorbic acid often appear in combination with each other in plants, they form powerful antioxidant effects.³

In other words, breathing the air around plants is just plain good for us! This is why Aloha Staged Homes LLC firmly believes in using live [tropical] plants in staging and interior decorating projects, especially in the Hawaiian Islands where such plants are usually abundant.

Live tropical plants not only serve as eye candy, they help feed our bodies with important nutrients and combat air pollution.

For further reading on the benefits of negative ions from plants or other natural sources, please visit http://www.pages.prodigy.net/unohu/negative.htm

Footnotes for Sources
1 http://pages.prodigy.net/unohu/negative.htm
2 Soviet Life Magazine (April 1969, p43)
3 http://www.ionizers.org/negative-ions.html

A decorative mirror can be a great piece of art or accent piece if placed properly in your home. A mirror placed on a foyer or entry wall creates interest from the very start – as your visitor enters your home.

Place mirrors where they reflect light, sky, mountains, the ocean, plants and greenery, or an interesting object. Mirrors should add depth and reflect a redeeming quality into the living space. A mirror that does not bring in light nor serves the actual function of a mirror is not adding value to your home.

Take a look around your living space. Can an accent mirror help to open up a wall, add light to a dim area and reflect interesting objects back into your living space? You’ll be surprised at what placing an appropriate mirror in your home can do!