6 Ways to Minimize Waste This Holiday Season

The holidays are upon us! If you ask us, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year. That said, the holiday season can also be a particularly wasteful time of year. With Canadians producing an average of 25% more waste over the holidays, 'tis the season to consider how we can reduce our environmental impact over the holidays.

The holiday season doesn't have to be as wasteful as years passed! Here are a few simple swaps to make your gift-giving more sustainable this year:

1. Give an experience.

Give your loved ones an experience they’ll never forget, rather than a thing they’ll forget they have.

2. Give a gift to pay it forward.

Make a donation on their behalf to a charity that means a lot to them. Is there an initiative they really believe in? Helping others is a great way to feel the holiday spirit.

3. Make a gift.

A homemade gift like a hand-knit scarf, a photo album or a piece of art makes for an unforgettable present. Even a tray of home-baked goods is guaranteed to leave your loved ones smiling.

4. Invest in their future.

Helping loved ones with future investments is a thoughtful approach to gifts that shows you care. Open a savings account, make an investment or buy some bonds and they can watch their gifts grow.

5. Buy a pre-loved gift.

Sometimes, second-hand gifts are the best gifts. When used is as good as new, the choice is clear: opt for the second-hand version of the perfect gift when possible. This doesn't mean omitting the gift you want to give because you can't find it second-hand, but consider searching Marketplace and other online sellers before buying brand new.

6. Support local.

If you do decide to purchase a new item, consider buying local. It helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping and locally produced items typically have less packaging.

At Urban Presentations, we are here to help you prepare your property for sale!

Our team of talented property stylists provides gorgeous designs, on-trend staging furnishings and exceptional client care.

Whether you need full-service staging or a professional consultation give us a call at 604-875-0566 or email us at info@urbanpresentations.com to see how we can help you UPStage your space!

5 Ways to Brighten a Dark Room

Figuring out how you can brighten a dark and gloomy room is always a challenge when moving into a new space. This is especially true if your new place doesn't have large windows to allow natural sunlight in. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to decorate your home or office to transform it into a brighter abode.

1. Embrace white walls. Every decor guide you read probably mentions this, but it’s true – white really is the best solution to brighten a dark room. The helpful hue sends light bouncing around your space, reflecting onto other surfaces to make the space look much bigger than it is.

2. Place mirrors near light sources. It’s always great to use mirrors to expand visual space and brighten a dark room. To make the most of your mirrors, strategically place them near a light source. For example, a giant wall or floor mirror near a window can really amplify natural lighting. Placing table lamps or a floor lamp next to a mirror can also have a similar effect. For the best result, make sure that the lamp emits ambient lighting so it’s not too bright when reflected off the mirror.

3. Cover floors with a large, bright area rug. Brighten your room by treating your bare floors to a light-coloured rug. Not only will this add some softness and texture to your floors, but it will also make your floor glow. This is especially applicable if your dim space features dark floorboards.

4. Opt for lightly-coloured or transparent furniture. We tend to choose our sofas, chairs and tables based on personal style and what we think goes best together. That said, it's important to consider how your furniture decisions impact the lighting level of your home. In a small or dim room, for instance, a large, dark sofa is not ideal. Opting for a stylish, compact sofa in a lighter colour like white, beige, or ivory will make your room look and feel far lighter and more spacious.

5. Take advantage of fairy lights, candles, and other ambient light sources. If you’re looking to add just a bit more light without overdoing the luminosity of your room, consider including long fairy light strings, a group of large candles, orb lights, or other ambient lights. Not only will they offer just the right touch of luminosity, but they also create a relaxing feel.

At Urban Presentations, we are here to help you prepare your property for sale!

Our team of talented property stylists provides gorgeous designs, on-trend staging furnishings and exceptional client care.

Whether you need full-service staging or a professional consultation give us a call at 604-875-0566 or email us at info@urbanpresentations.com to see how we can help you UPStage your space!

How to Arrange Your Odd-Shaped Living Room in 6 Simple Steps

Urban Presentations’ Senior Property Stylist Christina Stafford’s latest project.

Odd-shaped rooms can create a challenge when decorating your living room space. Fortunately, it's the quirky floorplan that adds character and visual interest to your space. When arranging your room, consider the furnishings you would like to place and the function you want for the room. This will help you establish a sense of balance and aesthetic appeal in your living space. Here are some tips:

1. Find the focal point in your room. For most living rooms, the television or entertainment center is the main focal point. In other rooms, perhaps it is a fireplace or a picture window. Based on the focal point, consider where the furniture in your room should orient. For example, you wouldn't want to block your fireplace with a bulky sofa.

2. Consider the proportion of your room. Some walls are longer than others, some feature access doors that can't be blocked. As a general rule, your longest piece of furniture can be against the longest wall, or in the most spacious area in your room. Always place your largest piece of furniture first and follow with your pieces in decreasing size.

3. Find the right placement for your television or entertainment center. If this is the focal point of your room, this should be placed first. Otherwise, you will need to consider accessible outlets and cable hookups, if applicable. Place your television close to these features to minimize using any extension cords, which are unsightly and a potential safety hazard.

4. Assess the architectural qualities of your living room that you would like to highlight.Perhaps you have a decorative niche or built-in storage. Position your furniture in such a way as to spotlight these features. If these architectural features cause the room to feel unbalanced, anchor the space with similarly shaped furniture to create a sense of symmetry.

5. Use mirrors to enhance a small, odd-shaped area of the room. If you want your living room to seem more spacious, reflective glass and mirrors placed in strategic areas will seemingly double the space. These can also be used to create a sense of symmetry in a room with awkward walls or architectural features.

6. Let go of traditional furniture placement strategies. You have an odd-shaped room, so let that character shine through. For instance, there is no set rule indicating you need one large coffee table in the center of your room. Instead, you can rely on several strategically place end and console tables if they better balance the living room.

At Urban Presentations, we are here to help you prepare your property for sale!

Our team of talented property stylists provides gorgeous designs, on-trend staging furnishings and exceptional client care.

Whether you need full-service staging or a professional consultation give us a call at 604-875-0566 or email us at info@urbanpresentations.com to see how we can help you UPStage your space!

5 Tips to Tackle Those Winter Blues

Urban Presentations’ Senior Property Stylist Christina Stafford’s latest project.

'Tis the season — and we aren't just talking about the holidays! As of this Sunday, November 7th, we will officially have more hours of darkness than light, which means tackling those pesky winter blues is about to be top of mind for those of us affected by the darker days.

There are some of our favourite ways to help keep a sunny disposition throughout the winter months.

Get outside. Even with the pills, alarm and lamp, you need to get outside and get some fresh air. This has multiple benefits, moving your body, stimulating your senses, and helping you feel like you’ve done something with the day. Even a twenty-minute stroll can have immensely positive mental and physical effects! So on those rainy West Coast days, try to remember: there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.

Invest in a sunrise alarm clock. Say goodbye to rude awakenings! Getting up in the dark has got to be one of the worst things about winter, and these clever lamp clocks mimic sunrise so your body wakens naturally. Simply set the alarm and up to forty minutes before your set wake time, the lamp will start glowing a deep red, gradually illuminating your room until the alarm goes off. Your body will have shifted out of deep sleep to a lighter state, leaving you feeling refreshed and ready for the day.

Make sure you're moving your body. As tempting as it may be to stay snuggled on the sofa with Netflix and a box of chocolates, you’ll feel much better if you move your body. Yoga and fitness classes are great activities to take up when it’s too cold and miserable to be outdoors for long. With Youtube fitness classes and other online workouts, it's easier than ever to get a good workout that you truly enjoy in without leaving the comfort of your home! By improving your metabolism, focusing your mind and releasing endorphins, you’ll be in a great mood after a session, we promise.

Make sure you're getting enough vitamin D. This magic, happiness-inducing, nervous system restoring vitamin is something many of us don't get enough of during darker seasons. This is the vitamin we get from sunlight, and a lack of it is known to make people feel sluggish, apathetic and downright sad. So, stock up on foods rich in vitamin D such as salmon, eggs and mushrooms. Not a fan of these foods? Stock up on a vitamin D supplement to ensure you're covered. Keep in mind that zinc and magnesium help with the absorption of vitamin D, so take these minerals as supplements too to reap the full benefit.

Seasonal blues got you down? Consider investing in a UV lamp. Although scientists question whether UV lamps or SAD lamps can effectively meet vitamin D needs in people who are deficient, their efficacy in treating seasonal blues is tried and true. These lamps produce a natural light that emits the rays needed for the body to produce vitamin D. A worthy investment for those suffering from seasonal depression, sitting under it in the evenings or those days when it feels like the light never even came to trick your body into thinking the sun has come out. With a few settings – warm, natural and cool – you’ll be sure to find the right light for you.

At Urban Presentations, we are here to help you prepare your property for sale!

Our team of talented property stylists provides gorgeous designs, on-trend staging furnishings and exceptional client care.

Whether you need full-service staging or a professional consultation give us a call at 604-875-0566 or email us at info@urbanpresentations.com to see how we can help you UPStage your space!

What You Need to Know About Heritage Buildings

Urban Presentations’ Senior Property Stylist Roya Akbari’s latest project.

In the Greater Vancouver area alone, there are approximately 2,200 registered heritage buildings, 138 heritage parks, and a number of additional monuments and archaeological sites. Chances are, you've come across more than a few heritage sites in Greater Vancouver — you may even stumble upon a heritage home on the market!

There are a number of pros and cons to investing in a heritage home. We've rounded up the basic info you need to know when considering whether a heritage home is for you.

A heritage property receives special designation from municipal, federal or provincial governments. Heritage designation is reserved for properties considered valuable or of interest to the local community. The designation is given to homes that add aesthetic interest, history and charm or some sort of cultural value to a neighbourhood.

The designation of a heritage building places limitations on property owners regarding the changes that they can make to the home. Changes and renovations to a heritage property must be approved by a committee to ensure that the intrinsic value of the home is maintained.

Buying a heritage home allows owners to preserve an important aspect of a neighbourhood's history and culture. These homes often become the focal point of neighbourhoods and cultivate a rich sense of culture in a community.

Are there any drawbacks to investing in a heritage home? Owning a heritage home places limits on the changes you can make to your home. You may be limited to certain colour options for the exterior of the home and other changes might require approval.

At Urban Presentations, we are here to help you prepare your property for sale!

Our team of talented property stylists provides gorgeous designs, on-trend staging furnishings and exceptional client care.

Whether you need full-service staging or a professional consultation give us a call at 604-875-0566 or email us at info@urbanpresentations.com to see how we can help you UPStage your space!