Best of 2012 – #1

Stagetecture’s 111 Simple Home Tips Decor Ebook

What a year this has been Stagetecture readers! I was so elated to bring you my first ebook in 2012 – ‘111 Simple Tips for your Everyday Home’ ebook and I was excited that this post was THE MOST trafficked post of the year! Thank you readers for loving the book that inspires every room of your home!

Take the guess work out of organizing, decorating, and maximizing space in your home with this Ebook.

111 Simple Tips for your Everyday Home Ebook

Order your copy for $11

Click on the shopping cart button to safely pay for your copy with Paypal, or major credit card. You will be able to download your copy of the ebook directly to your computer, and will receive an email with the immediate directions.

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Sneak Peek – First 3 chapters free to you!

Since the launch of ‘111 Simple Tips for your Everyday Home‘ ebook I have had wonderful comments, and kind words from all that have downloaded the ebook. I was so excited to see my ebook was featured in Better Home’s & Garden’s – Kitchen + Bath November/December 2012 issue!

111 Tips for $11

Click on the shopping cart button to safely pay for your copy with Paypal, or major credit card. You will be able to download your copy of the ebook directly to your computer, and will receive an email with the immediate directions.

Interested in the Affiliate Program?

• Promote the ebook on your blog, website, email, or social media sites and earn a percentage of the book sales! For more information click here –> Join my Affiliate Program!

Commonly Asked Question/Answers:

• When paying you will go through a ‘Paypal’ interface. If you wish to use a credit card instead of a Paypal account, click on “Don’t have Paypal account” once on the Paypal website.

• Do you want to refer this book to a friend? Have them visit HomeTipsEbook.com to come directly to this page for easy ordering, or click ‘Ronique’s Home Decor Ebook’ button in the right hand side bar of Stagetecture.com.

• Questions or Download Problems? Feel free to visit the Contact Us Form on Stagetecture. (Many questions will be answered on the email you receive after paying. Please refer to your email directions first.)

Thank you Stagetecture readers! Here’s to a beautiful home!

-Ronique

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.

Best of 2012 – #2

Brizo’s NYC Fashion Week Event: I Experienced the ‘Magic’ Behind the Brand

February 8-11th 2012 marks an experience that I will never forget. Me and 18 other bloggers, designers and architects, also known as the ‘Blogger 19’ joined the few that have experienced Brizo’s commitment to quality, design and hospitality at New York City’s Fashion Week.

Image – Jayme Thornton

From the moment I arrived in New York and was greeted by the driver to leaving and arriving back in Jacksonville, Florida it was top notch all the way.

Vuelo Kitchen Faucet – Image courtesy of Brizo

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It is hard to compile a snapshot of what occurred because it was multi-dimensional in the experience. From the 18 other great design folks I met, to the wonderful hospitality by the Eventi Hotel staff, to the learning the Brizo brand and where they seek design inspiration, it’s impossible for me to bottle it into words that will even scratch the surface.

Instead, I will do a re-cap of the events we enjoyed, and try to sprinkle in my fondest memories of each part throughout!

Day 1: Brizo Welcome Reception

The first night in New York City we all got to meet each other. Which I have to say is a treat in itself! Since I have turned from Associate Architect sitting in an office all day to Professional Blogger, it is no nice to meet your ‘virtual co-workers’! I am on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media with the other 18 and meeting each of them face to face was wonderful. It was also our first time to meet the Brizo team and the wonderful folks who make this event possible.

Image – Courtesy of Eventi Hotel

Image – Courtesy of Jennifer Duchene

Day 2: – Brizo Product Session

The second day was a whirlwind of Brizo products, and it was interesting to see where much of the inspiration of the gorgeous designed faucets originated from. Judd Lord, showed each of the bath and kitchen suites and walked us through how he and his team come up with concepts that later make their way to your home.

Charlotte Shower Head – Image courtesy of Brizo

One of the most interesting parts of the day was an interactive session with the Brizo team. We were asked to give honest feedback on products that are in the design concept stage. We even had a sneek peek into prototype concepts that may come out in the next 18 months or into the future. It was a pleasure to see a brand take an interest into the designer’s opinions, and ask for honest feedback as to whether our clients, and geographic locale would appreciate their products.

I think I speak for all of the other attendees that the information we learned from Brizo was invaluable. Learning about their testing methods, quality assurance methods, and attention to detail in every product was definitely a pleasure to witness.

Interactive Cooking Session at Sur La Table

In the evening we were driven by limousines to Sur La Table. A delightful kitchen ware store that featured culinary finds, and a great cooking class area! We were taught how to cook 3 different pastas, and it was so much fun to get a little dirty, and cook with our fellow design bloggers and Brizo team.

Erika Ward from – Blu Label Bungalow

After that it was time to head back to the hotel and rest up for Friday… the biggest day of all!

Day 3: Brizo Champagne Brunch | Jason Wu Fashion Show & After Party

Day 3 had finally arrived and the anticipation of the day unfolding was like a child on Christmas morning before you get to open your gifts! The morning started off with a round table champagne brunch in the morning. This was an opportunity for the Brizo team to pick our brains about working with bloggers, similar brand events we had attended, and how they’d like to keep the relationship going with us and ultimately you, our readers.

I find that many brands don’t do this enough. It was also nice to hear other bloggers and designers speak to their specific readers, and clients and hear what others in this industry are doing to pair up with home brands.

After the brunch we all received our invitations to the Jason Wu Fashion show. What was a huge surprise is each of us got a signed lithograph from Jason, and a keychain with Jason’s iconic owl and Brizo Baroque flower from the inspiration of his powder room collection. I had to rush to my room and take a picture!

Jason Wu Fashion Show

Next it was time for us to get dressed an meet in the lobby for photos. Here’s a few of my favorites

The fashion show was indescribable! It was set in this warehouse building that had a very industrial feel, and after the show started, it fit the military, Chinese-inspired, theme of Jason Wu’s designs perfectly. There were these huge red doors that opened up and out spilled light and mist, and powerful music was like a hip military regiment! It was awesome!

Here are a few images – all courtesy of Jayme Thornton

After Party for Jason Wu

As if that wasn’t enough, later on in the evening we headed to a penthouse overlooking New York City for an intimate chat with Jason Wu and we were able to hear him speak about his design inspirations, his gratitude for partnering with Brizo, and his commitment to quality and good design.

More pictures – courtesy of Jayme Thornton

If I had 200 more pages, I could include every event, every picture, and every wonderful moment that I took away from this experience. Meeting the other designers and bloggers, learning about Brizo and attending the Jason Wu event was a girl’s dream come true.

I’m honored to be included in the ‘Blogger 19’. I thank all of my Stagetecture readers, Facebook fans, Twitter followers, friends and family for sharing in this experience with me. For it was exciting by myself, but what is an amazing experience until you can share it? Absolutely nothing.

Thank you again, and I look forward to building more relationships and learning about Brizo and Delta Faucets as I head into the future!

Disclaimer: As a guest of Brizo, my airfare and travel expenses have been comped.

Best of 2012 – #3

How to Create the Ideal Garage Man Cave

If you can’t find a space that is your own, and every space in your home is dedicated to someone else in your home, a garage man cave may be the answer. Where can you go to sit and sip on a beer and watch the big game? Luckily, some very ingenious designers have come up with ways of turning that grubby, tool-filled garage space into a modern man cave! How do you do it? Do you know the materials you need? If you need flooring inspiration, then these tips can help.

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Here are a few ways for you to create your own garage man cave:

Clean it up:

First, you will need to do some dirty work. Cleaning up and organizing the garage is key to making the space comfortable and feel like a real room. Install some shiny steel shelves to organize all your tools and belongings. You may also consider hiding your tools behind closed doors; lockers or cupboards can be used to hide all the utilitarian garage tools, making it visually appealing. Install wall hooks for rakes, shovels and bicycles. By making the most of wall storage, you can create an open, uncluttered floor space.

Flooring:

Now that the garage is cleaned up, you will need to do something with the floor in order to make it feel like any other room in your home. There are so many options! One of the least expensive options is outdoor carpeting such as outdoor area rugs that are available at most home hardware stores. Most hardware stores also carry a garage floor concrete paint that can really gloss-up and seal the floor. On the more expensive side, there are “garage guys” in most cities whose sole occupation is revamping garages into the ideal man cave; these companies usually have different flooring systems that they install.

Image via

Man cave garage ideas

At this point in the garage renovation, the sky is the limit. How would you like to “pimp your garage”? Of course, you will need the largest TV possible. Ensure that your tv has the perfect place to sit . Along with the television, you will need comfortable seating for yourself and a few drinking buddies, and NO the seating cannot be lawn chairs! Think leather recliners.

When it comes to televisions, surround sound stereos, and lighting, you may need to hire an electrician to ensure you have enough sockets ̶ electricians can also install some really neat track lighting to brighten the space.

Overall, use your imagination. Before revamping the garage, make a list of the all the things you would like to use it for – watching TV, playing pool with the guys, or just a quiet place to read the paper. Whatever your needs, the garage can be turned into another functional room in your home.

For more man caves ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Best of 2012 – #5

How to Create Useful Storage in your Home’s Hallways

Image via: Shelterness

If you are remodeling or building a new home, it would be of great help to you to know how to create useful storage for hallways so that you can make the most of the space & how you get organized in a large or small area. If you have a small home, you are sure to agree with me that space will always be an issue but only if you allow it to because there are lots of ways you can create storage space even from the crannies of connecting spaces, especially if your home has a hallway. Listed below are some tips to help you out.

Image via: Shelterness

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Creating Tall Bookcases:

All you need in this instance are shallow but very tall bookcases and getting them lined up close to each other in the space under the hallway. If the contents of the bookcases have visual appeal in the case of photos and books, you can leave the bookcase open or install sliding glass doors. If the contents are not attractive in any way, you can suspend curtains or fabric from the ceiling to cover the bookcases. These fabrics serve as coverings and at the same time, add a unique type of colour splash within your hallway.

Using Storage Benches:

There are various designs and sizes of storage benches that are available out there. You can go for the ones with movable tops or built-in shelves. They should not be too long or large so that movement around the hallway is not inhibited. With this bench, you have where to sit and remove or wear your shoes as you enter or go out of the house and at the same time, store some of your items.

Image via: Pinterest

Corner Shelves:

Finally on how to create useful storage for hallways, if your hallway happens to be very narrow, you can install corner shelves and hooks all through the full length of the wall. This is one sure way of creating storage in your hallway without inhibiting movement. You can even pad the top of the lowest shelve so that you and other members of the family can sit on it to wear or remove shoes.

Remember to have it at the back of your mind that in your bid to add extra storage, you should not unknowingly take up most of the space in your living room. Also, ensure that the storage plans you have for the hallway are not such that would negatively alter the décor or style of your home.

For more home decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Check back throughout the week to countdown the Best of 2012 posts on Stagetecture!