Blog - DIY

How to Decorate a Small Living Room

At first glance, a small living room can present a true design challenge. If yours feels cramped and crowded, you’re less likely to kick back and relax in it, let alone use it to entertain your friends and family. The good news is, there are elegant design strategies to suit living rooms of any size. You’ll need to plan ahead, employ some clever styling, and be prepared to think outside the traditional oversized American box, but keep at it: the results will speak for themselves!

The following 12 tips are our recommendations on how to decorate a small living room without skimping on style!

1.) Skip the Sofa

While the image that springs to mind when we think of a living room usually features a sofa as a main feature, anything bulkier than a…

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Foolproof Paint Colors for Your Home

One of the most treasured aspects of home ownership (second only to the financial advantages over renting) is the ability one has to make their abode uniquely their own. Once you own a home, you can remodel the kitchen, replace the flooring, create your dream spa bathroom, update the landscaping, and of course, paint your home’s interior in absolutely any way you please. 

Even so, if this isn’t destined to be your forever home and it’s probable that you’ll eventually want to re-sell it, ideal exterior and interior design options are more limited. The brightly colored exterior trim, oxblood living room accent wall, vivid violet nursery with turquoise accents, or blocky Minecraft-themed child’s bedroom you’ve treasured during your time as this home’s…

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How to Create a Home Meditation Space

Spring is here – and with it, our human desire to join in the explosion of life around us and experience our own personal growth. New Year’s resolutions may be popular, but most of us have experienced firsthand how difficult it is to fight the winter blues and enact real change. If you have the feeling that mindfulness could help you soothe your worried mind, accomplish more throughout your day, and sleep better at night, read on to learn just how to create a home meditation space. 

According to the American Psychological Association, “mindfulness meditation changes our brain and biology in positive ways, improving mental and physical health.” Mindfulness is the practice of observing what’s happening in the present moment without judgment. This…

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Change of Address Checklist

Congratulations on the purchase of your home here in beautiful Middle Tennessee! You’re undoubtedly excited about all of the fun parts of moving to a new house. Decorating a new home and clearing out items that were contributing to clutter can be so refreshing. Moving to a new neighborhood can also open opportunities to meet new friends and explore a different area of our incredible state.

Despite the excitement of securing your new home and all of the positives that come with it, you most likely aren’t looking forward to the move itself. In fact, according to recent research, Americans say that moving is the single most stressful life event they’ve ever experienced. Moving outranked divorce, breakups, getting married, having a child, changing…

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Front Entryway Alternatives

Your home’s front entryway has a big job. As soon as visitors cross the threshold, they’ve already begun formulating their first impressions of your home’s interior. Additionally, your home’s main entry also greets you each time you return from a long day away.

Because there are already a multitude of fantastic design ideas for traditional foyers and mudrooms, today we’re focusing on homes without a delineated entryway. We’ve seen countless homeowners struggle to create front entryway alternatives for homes, condos, apartments, and tiny houses that either don’t have entryways at all or have spaces that are not clearly defined.

If you’re dealing with how to make an atypical space feel more like an entryway, keep reading. Today on the Parks Realty…

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Dos & Don'ts of Home Staging

Given the option, you would most likely choose not to stage your home while you’re still living in it. However, it’s not uncommon to have to prepare to show your home before you’ve closed on your new home. Don’t despair; while it is definitely more challenging to keep a home show-ready while it’s occupied, it’s certainly doable. 

First, let’s look at why staging a home is so important. According to recent research conducted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR),  31% of realtors reported that home staging greatly reduced the amount of time a home remained on the market. 23% of both sellers and agents reported netting up to 5% more than the asking price, while 18% of sellers’ agents said they closed for up to 10% over asking. 

None of the…

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Tips for Selecting the Right Agent for You

Buying a home is an exciting, yet complicated process. You will have many decisions to make along the way, including your ideal neighborhoods, budget, and timing for your move. Whether you are buying your first home or purchasing a home in a new location, you should know: one of the most important decisions you’ll make is choosing your real estate agent.

In today’s article, we’re sharing our tips for selecting the right agent for you. While there are hundreds of qualified, personable, hard-working agents in Middle Tennessee, the following tips will help you narrow the field.

1.) Invest Your Time

Some buyers spend more time choosing a hotel for their vacation than they do researching their real estate agent. Yet for most homeowners, their…

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Man Cave Must-Haves

All right, men, gather ‘round. Let’s talk about man caves! Creating your perfect man cave will require comfortable furniture, high-tech features, nostalgic touches, cozy lighting, drinks, and space to entertain. Whether you’re here for ideas for your first man cave or are preparing to refresh the one you’ve enjoyed for years, we’re here to help. We have listed our 12 man cave must-haves below. From hidden doors and space-saving bars to home theater setups, these products and ideas should definitely be on your wish list!

1.) Hidden Door Bookcase

Is there any home feature more intriguing than a hidden door? Make your man cave’s entrance a secret with one of these hidden door bookcases, while simultaneously adding a useful feature to the…

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Home Entertainment Must-Haves

New homeowners, and all of you who have “level up my entertainment game” on your list of resolutions for 2022, today we’re talking to you. Our list of home entertainment must-haves will have your guests saying, “Everything looks beautiful! This must have taken forever.”

Of course, we don’t want you to have to spend ages setting up for a dinner party, cocktail soiree, or birthday bash. So, read on for the party staples we recommend to make your life easier—and a touch more luxurious.

Coat Hooks

When guests enter your home, one of the first needs they’ll have is for a place to safely stash their coats. Coat racks take up space, and let’s face it—they're not even all that convenient to use. A series of coat hooks, though, will provide your…

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Benefits of Mirrors in the Home

While mirrors are functional necessities in every home, they need not merely languish above the bathroom sink. Instead, mirrors can—and perhaps should—be used in home decorating. Irrespective of your home’s style, there are certainly mirrors that will suit it perfectly.

Today, we’re sharing 7 benefits of mirrors in the home. First, though, we must cover one very important caveat.

Mirrors Must Be Placed Strategically

Before you install the robust hardware that is involved with hanging a large mirror, be sure that it reflects elements of your home that you wish to emphasize or duplicate. Beneficial placement may involve placing a mirror across from a window, piece of artwork, or particularly charming aspect of your home’s architecture.

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