Home Staging Blog by Jennie Norris

We Stage Sacramento was the first home staging company to serve Roseville and Rocklin and to date has successfully Staged more house for sale in these areas than any other company.  Link to www.WeStageRoseville.com or www.WeStageRocklin.com for additional information on our Staging services.

Check out some of our photos by linking here:  PHOTO GALLERY

We have Staged houses that range from homes in subdivisions to custom multi-million dollar houses, and everything in between.  With our quality work, tasteful inventory, and flexible pricing, We Stage Sacramento is your best choice for staging your house in Roseville or Rocklin.  We are licensed and fully insured for your protection.

In addition to our excellent Staging work, we also partner with you for marketing success and have many add-on benefits available to our clients to help them market their property or listing.  Ask us how we can help you successfully Stage your house and help market it to potential buyers.

Call We Stage Sacramento today!  888-WE-STAGE or 916-768-1662 and ask for Jennie Norris, Accredited Staging Professional Master and President of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) Sacramento regional chapter.

SHould houses that are in Short Sale be Staged?

Yes - the seller that are already upsidedown financially in the house might disagree when they just think of Staging as "another cost" related to a house they are losing money on, but without Staging the house, the only other bargaining chip they have to bring a buyer is PRICE.

Staging can actually help a Short Sale Seller KEEP MORE MONEY!  How?

When the average price reduction is 5-20% of the list price (according to National Association of Realtors), without Staging to present the house well, the Seller has to drop, drop, drop their price.  Staging will help a Seller keep that 5-20% of their price, because statistics prove that a Staged house does SELL faster than the un-staged competition.  When a Staged house sells, that competition continues to sit - and will drop in price - 5-20%.

They either invest in Staging up front, or reduce their price more than they have to on the back end to bring a buyer.  When, as Barb Schwarz first stated, "The Investment in Staging is always less than a Price Reduction," it is important that these sellers consider presentation as a key marketing tool that will help them owe less when the house does sell.

Presentation matters.  Even in a Short Sale.  Just because the seller is already in a negative position does not mean they should lose even more than needed.  Every house can and should be Staged for the Buyer.  Their properties are being compared to traditional sales, other short sales, and even foreclosures.  Their property needs to stand out on more than just price.

Because when the Buyer does make the offer, having an emotional connection to a well-presented house will help that offer come in sooner than later.  Our own company statistics that we track at We Stage Sacramento prove that our Staged properties are selling in 60 days or less, with 60% selling in 30 days or less.  Un-staged houses sit on the market longer, drop in price, and are unappealing to buyers.

Full Service Home Staging Companies like We Stage Sacramento can offer several cost affordable options to Sellers that are in a Short Sale situation.  From a detailed report with Staging recommendations a Seller can implement, to use of our extensive inventory to help add color, appeal, and even "WOW Factor," Staging helps to attract the buyer visually, and then locks them in emotionally.

Short Sale Sellers - and Short Sale Realtor Experts - Stage your houses to get a buyer sooner than later, and lessen the continued financial risk of the property.

We Stage Sacramento was the first home staging company to serve Granite Bay and Loomis and to date has successfully Staged more house for sale in these areas than any other company.  Link to www.HighEndHomeStager.com or www.WeStageGraniteBay.com or www.WeStageLoomis.com for additional information on the many areas and custom subdivisons where we have Staged houses for sale.

Check out some of our photos by linking here:  HIGH-END PHOTO GALLERY

We have Staged houses that range from homes in subdivisions to custom multi-million dollar houses, and everything in between.  With our quality work, tasteful inventory, and flexible pricing, We Stage Sacramento is your best choice for staging your house in Granite Bay.  We are licensed and fully insured for your protection.

In addition to our excellent and upscale Staging work, we also partner with you for marketing success and have many add-on benefits available to our clients to help them market their property or listing.  Ask us how we can help you successfully Stage your house and help market it to potential buyers.

Call We Stage Sacramento today!  888-WE-STAGE or 916-768-1662 and ask for Jennie Norris, Accredited Staging Professional Master and President of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) Sacramento regional chapter.

This house was sitting languishing on the market for over a year.  The Realtor had the listing the entire time - and was very frustrated at the lack of an offer.  The Seller was not open to Staging - and so just sat on the market, month after month adjusting the price of the house as the only means of competing in a down market.

Finally - the Realtor decided to Stage the house - investing her own money to make it happen.  God bless that Realtor.  I am not a believer that the agent should have to pay for a vacant install, but in this case, the Realtor just wanted to get the house Sold.  We worked with her tight budget and put key pieces in all major rooms to help the house look more updated and appealing.

We first advised painting out some areas that were distractions for buyers.   This entrance to the family was pretty much what buyers first saw when they walked through the door.  The Seller at first (who had moved out months prior) was reluctant to have the realtor's husband paint it - "I paid a lot of money for the gold gilded faux painting."  You have moved out - remember?  So the columns were painted.

We also removed the swags of burgundy fabric that shrouded all the windows. Some panels, some fringe, some sheer fabric - all burgundy, all old and dusty, all had to go.  We also had some of the plastic fake fan fronds removed.  What was underneath, although a little dated, was better than the plastic.

To minimize the pink and powder blue striped wall paper in the Master, the seller had put in pink and blue striped towels.  Huh? (and notice MORE burgundy panel swags!) Those all disappeared for Staging.

We did light to moderate Staging in the key rooms . . . got rid of the pink flowers . . . Added chocolate brown or gold fabric to frame windows as needed. . .

Living room BEFORE:

Living Room AFTER:

Family Room BEFORE

Family Room AFTER:

Master Bedroom BEFORE: (Yes - more burgundy swags!)

Master Bedroom AFTER:

So there you have it - Staging helped to SELL this house that for a YEAR was overlooked.  My only sad point to all this is that I wish the Seller and Realtor had decided to get it staged when it first came on the market.  I estimate that because of lack of Staging, this house dropped $40K in price. 

The investment in Staging was about $2,500 overall. 

$40,000 or $2,500?  Which is the better deal?  You tell me!

In the short term, a Seller might think that Staging is not a good use of their money - because they think that their house will Sell quickly.  Then over time, as PRICE becomes the only factor to bargain with in a declining market, the wisdom of Staging FIRST - comes back to haunt them. 

Staging is the only service done in preparation of the house that brings measurable value.  It helps a seller keep more of their equity and gets a house sold faster than the un-staged competition.

If only . . . well at least the house IS SOLD - it took 60 days to get a buyer even though immediately after the Staging, the neighbors were Raving about how good the house looked!  New photos were taken, and the house had new LIFE as a product on the market.  Our average DOM are at about 117.

Hopefully next time the seller will Stage first.  Hopefully next time the Realtor will call us sooner than later.  Gladly we have another Staging Success Story for We Stage Sacramento!

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We Stage Sacramento is your regional home staging expert resource for Vacant and Occupied Houses!  Call us when you want to successfully Stage and SELL your listing or house!  1-888-WE-STAGE.

I blogged back in July about Home Stagers having A.D.D. http://activerain.com/blogsview/585638/Do-Stagers-have-A

 - and although I know most of us do not actually have that condition - I did think that Stagers enjoy staging because of the short term gratification element.

Along those same lines - I also believe that those of that have found our life passion with Staging are ADDicted to Staging.

What is an addict?  Websters defines it as:  A person who cannot resist a habit, especially the use of drugs or alcohol, for physiological or psychological reasons.

OK - let's just remove the drugs and alcohol part - and put in "A person who cannot resist a habit, especially the use of Staging and creativity, for physiological and psychological reasons." - and there you have it!

We that love Home Staging are Staging Addicts!

Does this mean we need our own 12-Step program for support?  Having grown up in a 12-step household (so this is not in any way meant to demean the helpful groups that saved my family's life), I can just hear the statements now at the weekly support groups - "SA - Stagers Anonymous."

"Hello, my name is Jennie, and I am a Staging Addict."  Group:  "Hello, Jennie."

The 12 Steps would be launched with the statement:

1.  I am powerless over Staging - and help declutter other houses and my own so their lives and mine will not be unmanageable.

2.. Came to believe that a power greater than myself - Staging - could restore me and my clients' houses to sanity.

Etcetera.

The truth is, like an addict, I CAN feel myself going through withdrawals when I have not had my hands in someone else's house.  My husband and kids notice it too - as I begin to "re-Stage" our own house - rearranging things, straightening, and fussing in the house - in order to make something "old new again."  It bothers them - they want to be able to leave a blanket on the ground or not put the centerpiece back where it belongs after playing our Wii.  To me - I often don't feel complete until my own house is back "in order" and yet I do have clutter - the kind that most families with children would have. Books, papers, collections, displayed school projects, and laundry - lots of laundry.  And yet I recognize when I am crossing over to the addiction fix - I become sort of like a whirling dervish - spinning through my house cleaning, straightening, and re-doing displays.  Time for a Staging project - FAST!

I do believe we that love Staging are ADDICTED to it - as one of my mentors proudly shared, "It gets in our blood stream - it's addictive."  And yet I also know it is one of those "healthy" addictions.  We are not harming anyone in the process of Staging (unless we drop a box on our toe), and we do help others to achieve their goals. 

Now as I am writing this - I realize that as Home Stagers, we are addicted to Staging spaces and making houses more visually appealing, which is true.  But what about the other role we play in this 12-Step world? 

Think about it.  Are we also codependent as Stagers?  Do we do for others what they should do for themselves - but are not able?  Yes we do.  The decluttering, the proper presentation for the overwhelmed home seller - are all things the seller (or Realtor) are not able to do - and we come in and "save the day" with our plans, our creativity, our inventory, our knowledge.

Hmmm.  I had not thought of that before now - but there is a grain of truth.  We do help rescue the sale time and time again, offering up our solutions, telling our sellers not to be concerned - we'll take care of it - and allowing them to step aside and pass the responsibility for presentation of the house to us.

I guess we play both roles - we are the proverbial Addict and the Enabler.  But the good news is that we are not hurting anyone in the process - we are helping.    We are helping feed our own addiction and helping the Client achieve their goal of selling, even if it means we have to do the work ourselves.

Afterall - life should not be all boring - we have to have some FUN to feed our spirit - even if it is an addiction that can drive some of our family and friends crazy!  And that is a whole other 12-step program.

SA unite!

Check out our latest statistics for MARCH-SEPTEMBER 2008 from We Stage Sacramento - Sacramento Region's Premier Home Staging Resource.  Our Staged houses SELL - and we have the track record to prove it. 

I have been tracking my own company stats for years and find most stagers do not do this which to me is a big mistake.  It is so vital to be able to communicate the true success of Staging in statistical format for our clients.  We provide real time data based on real successes in the Staging market - and speak from experience for our own current and target clients.

In a market where we are still haunted by tens of thousands of foreclosures, our Staged properties are selling.  As an example, we have some that languished on the market for a year or more prior to Staging - and AFTER we Staged the house, they were in contract within 60 days or less!  Recently one of our Staged houses sold in 8 days - and one sold the first day it hit the market - priced higher than the competition - and presented the BEST!  From Vacant to Occupied - nearly all our Staged properties have attracted Buyers in record time . . .

We Stage Sacramento Staging works!  After successfully Staging over 2,500 properties for Sale, we know what we do works - and our clients trust us to provide them with expert advice, skilled Staging, and fair pricing.  As we ask our clients:  WHY TRUST YOUR HOUSE OR LISTING TO ANYONE ELSE?

Call us at 888-WE-STAGE for results you can trust!

www.WeStageSacramento.com

Bette Davis once famously said, "Old Age is no place for Sissies."

Well I think we can rephrase that statement to say,

"Home Staging is no place for Sissies."  

Sissy:  A person defined as timid, weak or cowardly.

Professional home stagers know that in order to be successful you have to really work hard, and work smart.   Being timid, weak or cowardly is a sure recipe for failure as a Home Stager.

We have to be bold, strong, and brave - especially in a market that is changing.

This does not mean we don't have fear about rejection or discomfort in approaching people about our business.  Fear is a natural part of any human - fear is normal, however we have to get past our fear and overcome it in order to have the success we want.  We cannot let our fear paralyze us to the point of inaction.

We have to bold to get our message out to our audience.  We have to, as the title of one of my favorite books says, "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway." 

We have to be bold in our Staging as well - and make sure that our Staging really is Staging, not decorating or design, and not something done to appease a pushy client.  We have to be bold and educate our clients about what home staging is - and what it is not, and begin to counter the things we see on television that are really harming us as Stagers.  I have yet to see one show that truly depicts what we do as Stagers, that has not crossed the line into decorating, design, remodeling, and criticism.

Being bold in Staging also means reinventing our look from time to time so that our Staging does not get stale or predictable.  It means having fun with what we do and use our creativity in situations where others would give up - and go shopping.  I love that part of being a home stager - that I was taught to use creativity first, and then the dollar, to help clients.  It is a challenge we rise to time and time again, to the delight of our clients and Realtors who never thought the house could look so great, and never thought of using items in the way we used them in the staging process.

We have to be strong - physically and mentally. 

Physical strength is needed.  I did not realize how much physical activity it would take to be successful in Staging.  I am a strong woman - I always have been.  I was a dancer in my younger years and played all sorts of sports and have an arm that would rival good quarterbacks.  With a team partner I have moved whole houses of furniture in to vacant staging projects, and have loaded and unloaded trucks, and warehouses.   It is a prerequisite of our job to be strong physically, and the good news is for those that do not have the physical strength, we can hire help!

I got smarter as I grew my business, and we do hire labor for moving things - heck, I only have one back, and I don't want to tweak it out because of Staging (and I have J).  I have suffered sore back, tennis elbow, broken toes, scrapes, bruises, and the near loss of an eye from a flying bungee (hit my lip instead and split it open).  Once those things happen, you tend to reassess the wisdom of "doing it all alone" to save money, and begin to stage smarter.

Hiring help actually helped us stage faster, smarter and kept us from getting overly tired and injured.  So we actually are able to accomplish more in one day than in the past.  I have always said, as long as have our minds and can envision the plan for Staging, we can stage.

Mental strength to me is more important than physical strength.  With so many people jumping in to the Staging market, it is now about mental sharpness, and being able to deliver a message of WHY a person needs to work with my company or me as a Stager, versus someone else.  Positioning. 

It requires staying on top of the real estate market and trends, and responding in kind to keep business flowing.  It also requires a constant positive attitude adjustment so that I don't end up locking myself up in fear, or analysis paralysis - both also the kiss of death for Stagers.  I don't bury my head in the sand and ignore what is obviously happening with our economy, I ask, "How will this affect our business, and what can I do to help stimulate production?"

It always boils down to marketing - and so I find ways to entice clients to use our services and remind them of the benefits of Staging versus sitting on the market.

And we have to be brave - of course, our Staging does not take the bravery of our armed forces, but we do have to have a sense or courage and bravery when we go out to promote our business.  We have to have courage in the face of economic times where financial disaster seems to be looming around every corner.  We have to be brave and delve in to new market niches - and be willing to reinvent ourselves to respond to the market and the needs of customers. We have to have the courage to keep a positive attitude when everything and everyone around us might be telling us doom and gloom information.

The natural tendency for most humans is to hunker down and wait it out - but waiting in our business, means not doing face time, and not getting out there to go after business, and this is too risky for us as Stagers.  In tough times, we have to be out there even MORE than in the past- because our business is built on relationships, and when we are out of sight, we are out of mind.  That then leaves potential opportunities for Staging up for grabs for the person that is out there, a presence in person, and actively asking for business.

So sissy stagers will fall away in these tough times, and the strong will survive.  This is the way it with all species - it's called, Survival of the Fittest.

The question is, how fit are you and will you overcome the fear and get out there anyway?  My hope is that you will - and when this economy turns around (and it will), we will find ourselves with even more ways to serve our clients, the ability to earn even more than we ever thought possible, and the strength to keep Staging day by day.

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We Stage Sacramento is a full-service Home Staging company serving the Greater Sacramento market.  For over six years we have been helping sellers, builders and Realtors prepare houses for sale, successfully staging over 2,500 properties.  Our Services also include services for redesign, holiday staging, and workplace staging.   We are members of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) and accredited as ASP Home Stagers.  Call us at  888-WE-STAGE or www.WeStageSacramento.com

We all love Staging - it feeds our creativity.  But the difference a business that is good and one that is great is all about Project Management.  You may disagree with me - but the Stagers that make the most profit have found out the secret to success is all about TIME - maximizing it and managing it  TIME waits for no one - and when we are not effective Project Managers on our staging projects, we end up wasting time. And this costs us money.

Project Management begins with knowing how long it will take to Stage a house - getting the team together and then making sure the job stays on track.  When the project starts it's up to us to make sure all team members stay on track according to the time allotted.  When I blog about being able to Stage a house in 5 hours from loading up to parking the truck back at the storage, that is not fantasy and it is not out of reach for you if you want to make that your goal.

What I decided early on was that I could either take all day Staging a house or do it in less time and be back home with my family.  Or I could Stage only one house or get 2-3 houses done in the same time as I was taking for only 1.  As much as I love Staging, I love my family time more, and I don't want to be working all day unless I really have to.  In the beginning things did take me longer.  It always came back to planning.  Where I lost time was in forgetting something and having to make a second trip to the storage unit or to a store to buy something.  My motto now is that I am "the one trip woman" and I am not going back!  I discovered along the way that when I give clear directions on what I expected to the movers or other Stagers that were with me - things went more smoothly.  People don't know what we don't tell them. So, communicate clear expectations of time and what the vision is for the project.

When we began to load up only what was needed on any project, and not take our entire storage facility, we became very efficient at the Staging.  Instead of having too much to choose from and have to sift through bins and boxes to find what we needed, we had just enough and came home with empty boxes.  The LIST that I have written about in other blog posts is the heart of the Project Manager. The LIST is what keeps us on traack, and lets us know what we need, how much, and how long things will take.

I know, for example, the average bathroom takes about 15 minutes to Stage.  When we stage a typical bathroom we dress a couple of towels, hang some art, dress the counters, and boom - we are done.  None of this 45 minutes in a bathroom with a colleague - I mean, what could 2 people possibly be doing in a bathroom for 45 minutes? Washing their hair?  When I hear those stories, I say to myself, "The PM role was lost." 

So WHO is the Project Manager or PM?  The person running the job or project that is ultimately responsible for the financial success of the project is the PM.  The PM may have the creative oversight as well - and they are the director for the project.  Finding ways to become more efficient on Staging projects is the goal and this begins with a vision of how each room is going to evolve, and being able to clearly communicate that to the team.  When the truck pulls up the thouse, I don't want to be wondering how I am going to place furniture - I already know.  There may be tweaking of the plan, but the overall placement has already been determined.

The PM has the vision, the PM has the time management and the PM manages the money on the project.  Being able to earn $200/hour on a project because we got it done in short time (and it looks great) is much more appealing than only earning $50/hour because we took 4 times as long as we needed to stage the project.

When we have a business to run, the fun of Staging is part of the package - but it is at the end of the day a business.  Keeping profit focused as part of our planning and management is essential for long term success.

- Jennie

Who says our market is tough?  I just had ANOTHER house sell in a matter of days - only 14 this time - after implementation of the Staging Plan I provided to the Sellers!  Staging works!  In our market we have now topped over 60,000 foreclosures region-wide!  In the midst of this - "normal" sellers are still in need of selling their houses and want a good price for their home.  Enter Staging.

Now more than ever Staging is needed to ensure that a property looks its best - both ONLINE and in PERSON.  The Buyer for the house I staged felt an emotional connection to the house - to the point that they would do anything to make sure they got the purchase!  There are other houses for sale on this same street, and plenty of other comps that would be of interest to a buyer - but this was the one that was STAGED!  I did not even have time to get all the marketing information out on this house before it had an offer! 

Here are some before/afters for you to enjoy!

- Jennie

BEFORE:  The living room/dining room was actually only being used as a living room/tv room.  The sellers decided not to bring in a dining room set and I was OK with that - and yet the use of the space was not really conducive to buyers as the extra space to the left was sort of wasted and from the front door, buyers sort of walked right into that chair and a half.

AFTER:  We made that space that could have been a formal DR (although no light fixture) into a nice additional area for the LR - making that space feel larger.  Now instead of everything crammed to the right, I opened up the flow, I made use of both areas of space - and helped a buyer to know what could fit where.

BEFORE:  Family Room - too much furniture and large chunky pieces that swallowed up ALL the space.  Purging unnecessary items and helping seller to put things away that were not mandatory for the selling time - allowed us to open up the space.

AFTER - Family Room is now much more open and spacious.  (I did remove the greenery on the mantel after this photo was taken).

BEFORE: Master Bedroom - too many things on the walls and floor.  Dog crate had to go - could not open the double doors to the Master.

AFTER - Master Bedroom - has more space and less clutter.  Much more inviting for buyers!

And no house would be complete without a SURPRISE lurking behind a door or two.  In this case, the Laundry Room held the Surprise Deer Head - I actually JUMPED when I opened the door as I was not expecting to see Bambi's father mounted on the wall.  Of course, he was not there for the sale.

 
Color and Decorating Trends for Fall 2008!
By Jennie Norris, ASPM®, IAHSP®, Owner, We Stage Sacramento

Color trends for fall are in one word:  BOLD!

The color palettes for paint companies will continue to be in the bold family lines of warm tones, with hints of homage to the past for those young enough to recall the pea-greens and mustard golds of the 50's and 60's.  With colors like periwinkle, navy, and chartreuse back on the color spectrum of acceptability, we should see some interesting combinations in homes.  Throw in some rusty reds, fuchsia, lime green, plum and navy, and you have the "new" color palette being touted by groups such as ColorMix 08 found at Sherwin Williams.  Not all palettes are bold, you can also enjoy a wonderful soothing palette of colors that have a peachy hint of a base color to warm them up.

The difference with today's houses and painted walls are the furniture pieces that sit in the rooms that we find are mostly in the dark tones with classic clean lines.  Framed art is also a way to create a new look and the wood frames have replaced the faux gilded frames from the past with a fresh and clean look that sits well on any wall color.

For guidance on what color to paint walls, take inspiration from your art.  If you have a fabulous key piece that you really like, select a color from the piece of art, and use that as the background color or inspiration accent color for your room.  If you are not confident putting bold colors on walls, you don't have to paint the wall that color, but how about placing some lovely accent pillows in the accent tone on your sofa or chair?  Or add an urn or other decorative object in that color. Add a thick faux mink throw draped over the arm of a sofa or chair, and your look says, "Come and sit - enjoy!"

You can also take inspiration from nature or a journey you have taken to another country where the culture of color inspires you!  Get inspired by the costumes, the food palette, and buildings. 

When looking at nature, notice how blues and greens blend together, and a pop of color such as yellow, red, purple, or pink give a special touch and draw the eye, much like a blossom of a flowering shrub captures your attention.

If you are looking to achieve a fresh look for your "tired" interior, consider the services of a Home Staging professional that can apply their "Staging to Live" techniques in your home.  Unlike designers or decorators that will try to sell you on expensive new furnishings (as they typically make their profit on the margin of wholesale to retail cost), an ASP Stager will use what you have, apply a fresh set of skilled eyes to your room, and refresh your interior with their creativity.

For more information on how to take your home from frumpy to fabulous while sticking to your budget, give us a call!  We'd be happy to provide an in-home Staging to Live Plan where you can do the work or we can help you transform you home, passing along our discounts and savings to you. 

Call We Stage Sacramento at 888-WE-STAGE or (916)768-1662  www.WeStageSacramento.com

Here are some tips from pros on the Color Trends for 2008-2009*:

• Purple - in fashion and home, purple is the front runner of color.
• Yellow - Yellow is the new orange! Orange will still remain with a presence, but not quite as hot as yellow.
• Blues - varying shades from soft spa blues to robin's egg blues to deep sea blues. Many nature inspired blues.
• Greens - with all of the buzz about the environment, natural greens are making their way into the home
• Browns -look great with other hot colors, especially the softer colors where black would be too harsh.

Home Accessory Trends - These trends allow you to maintain a conservative color base (neutral floors and walls) while playing with punches of color. These accessories can be replaced annually giving you a complete new look without a huge investment.

• Bright colors - yellows, deep spicy reds, deep sea blues
• Bold stripes - mainly thin multi stripes
• Large scale patterns - big bright oversized florals, animal prints are still hanging around
• Metallics - are still here contrary to previous forecasts. Perhaps the addition of pearl finishes and continued success of mirrored finishes are helping the metallic finishes stay around. Metal finishes are leaning more towards patina finishes rather than bright, shiny finishes.

Kitchen Trends

• Wall colors - either soft colors to compliment any cabinet color whether it be stained light finishes or dark finishes or painted color or bright bold colors to add life and punch to your kitchen walls.
• Backsplashes - adding a backsplash can give you an updated and stylish face lift to your kitchen
• Cabinets - New multilayered finishes are taking center stage with painted finishes, distressing, glazes and rub through finish techniques.

Tile Trends

• Metals - copper and stainless tiles compliment appliances, countertops in traditional and contemporary kitchens and baths.
• Glass - glass accents from mosaics, to single accents, to full walls and backsplashes in glass tiles
• Faux hardwood tiles - these tiles are great for rooms with a lot of water and moisture where hardwood might not be the most practical choice.
• Window frames - a new trend is to remove a pictures window casing and replace with tile.

*Source:  2008 Color Trends February 28, 2008 - Floor Talk Online