November / December 2014
Special Holiday Edition
Patti Stern, Principal, PJ & Company 
Staging and Interior Decorating

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is two weeks away. For many of us, we just got finished with our summer and fall projects, getting kids back-to-school, and celebrating Halloween. PJ & Co. decided to combine our November/December issues this year to provide our readers with a head start on the holiday season. This month's newsletter offers a variety of ideas for setting a beautiful Thanksgiving table, some holiday decorating ideas, and decor trends for 2015. Our feature article, 2014 Real Estate Insights and 2015 Predictions, identifies some hard statistics that today's young buyers (the Millenials) are looking for updated properties and are finding over 75% of New England homes built before 1990 in need of work. We thank our realtor friends for their insights and comments in helping us develop this story. 

Pam Bingman, our new marketing coordinator, is also featured in this issue. She has truly hit
the ground running, and thanks to Pam, you can now find us on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/pjandcsid. I also want to thank Rebecca Beyus for her hard work these past few years helping our company develop tremendous market awareness. We wish her the best of luck. 

In last month's issue of The Style Report, I mentioned that my husband and I were becoming empty nesters (along with a bunch of our friends). It has not been too hard a road to travel thanks to my wonderful kids (they are adjusting very well, thank you), husband, family and friends. I have been able to devote more of my time to my passion for interior decorating, working with the great team at PJ & Co., and enjoying all of our clients that we have been honored to work with this past year. For that, I am very thankful. 

We wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and the happiest of holidays. May the New Year sparkle with love and joy.

 

 

THANKSGIVING CENTERPIECE IDEAS FOR YOUR 

HOLIDAY TABLE

 

Setting the table for the Thanksgiving feast is one of the most important parts of the holiday and doesn't have to be difficult. We found some wonderful ideas from using pumpkins, gourds, radishes and flowers - to beautiful silver, mercury napkin rings, and linen table runners - 

that will help to make your Thanksgiving table sparkle. We have pictured these ideas on our Thanksgiving Tabletops Pinterest board at www.pinterest.com/pjandcsid. Enjoy!

 

 


CAPTURE THE BRILLIANCE OF THE HOLIDAYS BY MIXING AND MATCHING DIFFERENT DECOR

Vintage Christmas With An Old Lodge Style

 

'Tis the season to get inspired to transform your home into a warm, welcoming place to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. One holiday motif that continues to be a timeless favorite is a vintage inspired style which is featured below. Incorporating traditional elements such as plaids, needlepoint, mercury glass and metallics along with some unique organic accents evokes a touch of old lodge feel. Whether you mix just one or many different styles, 

you can create a custom look that's fresh, fun and fits your taste and style.

 

BLUE AND SILVER TONES ADD STYLE TO HANUKKAH

 

Celebrate the festival of lights with a modern flair by mixing some beautiful shades of metallics and blue. It's a great way to add some extra sparkle while eating latkes by the menorah!

 

 

 


2014 HOUSING INDUSTRY INSIGHTS AND 2015 PREDICTIONS

From Millenials to Seniors - Generational Dynamics Divide the Market  

 

Some might remember 2014 as the year that wasn't in terms of the housing market recovery.

 

Fannie Mae expects 2014 will finish lower in sales figures than 2013 and according to Doug Duncan, Fannie's Chief Economist 2015, while stronger than 2013 and 2014, will not be the breakout year some are expecting.

 

We've once again asked a group of realtors their thoughts and insights regarding 2014 and 2015.  The housing recovery particularly in New England has yet to take-off and that - coupled with pending home sales rising slightly in September to year-over-year levels for the first time in 11 months - gives many realtors hope for a more motivated market in 2015.   

 

"I think many buyers and sellers finally realize in 2014 that the housing market is waking up after a long sleep," shared  Lorraine Amaral of William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty, Danbury who also added that interest rates will be a huge market driver and are going to create our new market or break it.

 

The Generation Gap Divides

 

Our own prediction: 2015 will continue to be a buyer's market, particularly in Connecticut where homes are older. While low inventory has plagued the market for years, a broader disconnect exists between inventory and buyer preferences.

 

As more Millenials (the generation under the age of 33), enter the market and Baby Boomers downsize, the generation gap between buyers and sellers will further drive market conditions.

 

Younger home buyers make up the largest groups of today's consumers. According to a National Association of Realtors survey, Millennials and slightly older Generation X  represent over 60 percent of today's home buyers.

 

However, the bulk of the housing inventory over the next 15 years will come from retiring boomers who want to downsize and embrace a new lifestyle that doesn't include their large suburban home. It's expected 20.1 million senior households will attempt to sell their homes between 2015 and 2030, and according to University of Utah researcher Arthur C. Nelson an estimated 7.4 million won't be able to find people to buy them.

     

Younger buyers want an already updated home and with over 75 percent of the homes in New England built before 1990 that poses a challenge for the market. Older, outdated homes give buyers a lot of reasons to cross the property off their list.

 

The 'Senior Sell Off'

 

Sellers who adapt to the changing marketplace and understand that today's buyers don't have the same vision when it comes to updating a home will position their property in the market and stand out from the competition.  

 

Staging continues to be more important than ever before -- whether it is a $250,000 home or a $2 million dollar home - to preserve and in some cases boost a home's value and get it sold.  

 

 

 

Only 35.1 percent of home sellers nationwide think now is a good time to sell. But waiting may mean increased competition from similar style and aged homes. Staging and even low cost renovations can help sellers get top dollar in a shorter market time today so they don't become part of the 'senior sell-off'.

 

"It's important we offer sellers the resources to successfully sell their home now. Staging gets the properties looking their absolute best, boosting seller's confidence in listing their home today rather than waiting," say John and Joanne Hoye, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, West Hartford. "It also helps address inventory issues by bringing to market more move-in condition homes. Quality, well-priced inventory will ultimately drive a more balanced market that's a win-win for our buyer and seller clients and staging can help us get there." 


 

2015 DECOR TRENDS
A Snapshot of Colors and Styles for the New Year  

Taking A Shine To It 
It's not all silver and gold. Colorful metallics are making everything sparkle and shine from wallpaper and accessories to sophisticated fabrics. Even earthy, natural textures like grass cloth wallpaper are getting a subtle shine - in a variety of gorgeous colors!

 

Navy & White

This classic combination continues well into the new year and will take center stage especially when paired with bright, bold colors like golden yellow or bright pink. See more Navy and White inspiration in our blog article HERE.  

 

Eclectic Pairings

Modern takes on classic styles and unexpected pairings are creating more casual comfortable rooms that are dominating today's styling.  Combining industrial style elements - from pendant lighting to coffee tables - and adding a bit of luxury with velvet fabrics, woven textured wallpaper, and tufted leather chairs will continue to be a strong trend in 2015. 

 

Grey Is HOT! 

With more than 50 shades to choose from, Grey is still 'hot' as the new neutral. Bright colors pop off a grey, which offers just the right contrast. One of our favorites is Sherwin Williams Repose Gray. 


 


PAM BINGMAN JOINS OUR TEAM AS MARKETING ASSOCIATE

This month we introduce another new member of the 

 

PJ & Company team, Pam Bingman. Pam who has lived in Cheshire, CT for the last 13 years with her family, recently joined PJ & Company as our new Marketing Associate.
For over 10 years, Pam has worked as a freelance graphic designer helping many different businesses in the area redesign their identities, including ours! After having
enjoyed such an successful partnership together during
the design process we decided to work together on many other projects
from social media and the internet to print media and special events. Pam has already begun to use her creative and interpersonal skills along with her interest in home decorating in her new role and looks forward to working with the entire PJ & Company team!  

We welcome Pam and wish her lots of luck!

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We welcome your feedback. Please feel free to send your thoughts,
comments, or questions to marketing@pjstagingdecorating.com
or contact us at 203-640-3762.


The Style Report is PJ & Company Staging and Interior Decorating's
e-newsletter designed to inform, entertain, and engage our clients, colleagues, friends, and other style followers about topics in interior design, fashion, 
and special events.  

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