Monday, July 9, 2012

Antique theft in Maine

They following items were stolen in Kennebunkport Sunday night, July 8th. We think they were stolen for their value with the intent to be resold. Many of the items were borrowed from history enthusiasts, some of the items are one of  a kind. It is a tragedy, and the product is probably far out of the state by now.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

  • If you see any of these items, quietly call your local police dept and report them as stolen.
  • Find out who the seller is-get names, phone numbers, addresses. TAKE PHOTOS ON YOUR PHONE. After you do that, find out where they got them.
  • Take that information to the police ASAP. Also call:

Kennebunkport Police Dept 207-967-2454
Kennebunkport Hist. Society 207. 967.2751
ME (Vanessa Helmick)  207.318.0795
















 URNS, sculptures, iron pieces



IRON AND STONE TABLES-ANTIQUE
HIGH END PATION FURNITURE
HEAVY METAL URNS (ANTIQUE)

SCULPTURE

IRON ACCESSORIES, ANTIQUES

 First Edition, SIGNED, Kenneth Roberts Books. These were stolen from the estate grounds.

The mirrors, art, tables, antique historic accessories...
THIS WAS A FUNDRAISER to benefit the historical society. Please help us catch these awful thieves.

PLEASE BE sharing this information with antiques/furniture dealers/auction houses, etc.

Thursday, July 5, 2012


Thank you to RoomSketcher for providing this guest blog. It is intended for my cross country clients, my realtor friends, my RESA stagers...Enjoy! Good resources are worth sharing!
-Vanessa 

10 Good Reasons To Use Floor Plans 

With Your Interior Designer & Home Stager 


1. Map Out Space 

Even starting out with a basic 2D floor plan allows you to map your space.  From there, you can decide on window placement, or see if your favorite furniture will fit before you even step in to the room.

2. Compare Floor Plan Options 

Especially when working with new properties, you can see how a floor plan will facilitate traffic flow and get a mental picture of how your family would do occupying a space.  For homes already lived in, you can experiment with using pillars instead of walls or window spaces to make a room appear larger.

3. Visualize Spaces In 2D And 3D


A 2D view gives you a basic map.  A 3D view offers the opportunity to visualize a space more realistically.  RoomSketcher allows a 360 Panorama feature so you can see the space as if you were already there. 

4. Compare Style Options  

Lets say the home seller uses a lot of browns, but you prefer brighter colors.  Or, maybe they used a lot of carpet, and you prefer tile or wood floors.  The right floor plan tool gives you an idea how different colors or textures would look in the rooms. 

5. Allow For Easy Changes 

A good floor plan tool will allow for high quality images for a realistic view.  But you should also be able to collaborate from different locations to view and discuss desired changes.  For example: The interior designer suggests a wall paper in gray hues.  The client goes in, takes a look, and inputs their preference with shades of green for both to consider.

Simple and efficient!

6. Plan Indoors And Outdoors 

It is terrific to plan the indoor spaces.  But what about outdoor spaces?  Like garages, patios, and pool areas?  A good 2D and 3D floor plan tool will allow you to plan your outdoor spaces as well as your indoor spaces.  So feel comfortable going from winter to summer, and from the back porch to the beach! J

7. Use Real Items 

We all have our favorite brands for furniture, accessories, and outdoor items.  Wouldn’t it be great to plan your space with your IKEA sofa, Pottery barn pillows, and Ethan Allen hutch?  As you wish!

8. Provide Floor Plans On Brochures And Print Literature

If you’re the home seller, and you can offer professional quality 2D and 3D views of your home with accurate measurements to a home buyer, this sets your listing apart from other properties. 

Add in realistic views of the indoor and outdoor spaces, you decrease time on the market by 50%. 81% of sellers think a floor plan will help sell their home faster.

9. Provide Floor Plans On Websites  

More than 90% of home buyers start their home search online.  Floor plans are opened 7.5 times more often than maps on well-known real estate websites.

So, it makes sense to provide images files of floor plans for prospective home buyers to reference. 

10. Floor Plans Sell Homes Faster


In some parts of the United States, realtors are selling properties largely from floor plans.  If you’re staging your home, also offering a floor plan  would also decrease time on the market. 

Allowing people to see more information and more options about a space gives them more reason to choose your home for purchase.

If you’re a home buyer or home seller, the floor plans offer new and inventive ways to learn more and get desired results quicker.

So, as an interior designer or home stager, providing these opportunities to your clients offers them more value and allows you to shine.


What questions do you have about floor plans?

Did we miss any advantages of using floor plans?

Tell us your thoughts in the comments box below… 

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Fiore Interiors on the Radio? Developing personal style...


I wanted to talk to people about how to identify and develop their personal style.
I am a huge believer in a home reflecting the home owner on their best day. While I enjoy designer's "signature styles", that isn't always what you get hired to do. At the end of the day, it is the client's home and happiness, and it is my job to make the home fabulous but also FEEL like them.
So the radio show answers these questions:
Where do I look/go to learn about my style?
How do I implement my style?
What do I need to know ahead of time before doing anything custom?

Enjoy. The link is HERE.

Fiore Interiors is a residential Interior Design firm located in Portland, Maine. We are currently working. on projects on both the east and west coast.