Speed Decorating: A Pro Stagers Tips and Trade Secrets for a Fabulous Home in a Week or Less [Paperback]

Jill Vegas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2009

She does it all!  Decorate your house at top speed, using Jill’s practical, stylish tips that will transform any abode instantly.  For every room in the house, hot design ideas from the definitive insider.  How to make a home (large or small) absolutely  beautiful.  Fast and easy with a checklist of suggestions –from making the entryway welcoming, to the ultimate cook’s kitchen (without spending a bundle) and asking the all-important question, is it a bath or a spa? Even the excellent concept of speed cleaning.  And the best part, anybody (even the design-challenged)   can do SPEED DECORATING.  And turn your house from frumpy to fantastic, IN A WEEK OR LESS!

 

From the “magic wand makeover” to the boot-camp approach, JILL VEGAS guides the reader through easy solutions to create the house you’ve always wanted without taking forever. Whether you’re selling or staying put, SPEED DECORATING breaks it all down to basics, with whimsy, support and lots of resources to help make it all happen. With tons of gorgeous pictures to inspire!

 

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Vegas helps would-be decorators fast-forward their dreams in Speed Decorating. The book is in large part a typical decorating primer, but with a focus on getting things done fast. Vegas guides readers through such steps as assessing a room, setting a timeline and shopping smart, and gives suggestions for specific rooms. She offers lots of handy tips, such as ways to corral and disguise lamp cords and quick ideas for freshening a kitchen."— Mary Beth Breckenridge, Akron Beacon Journal

 "Jill Vegas knows how to make any home beautiful.... Her talent and work are priceless!"  --Barbara Corcoran, founder, The Corcoran Group

It's like speed dating but only better. Speed Decorating: A Pro Stager's Tips and Trade Secrets for a Fabulous Home in a Week or Less (The Taunton Press; $21.95) by Jill Vegas is everything that hiring an interior decorator is not. That means you have to actually do most of the work yourself. There are a few rules to follow — or break if you dare. First, learn the seven principles of decorating: calm; condition; style; arrangement; light; color and texture; and details. Then incorporate the three-step process: Evaluate the situation, explore solutions and take action. These must all be done fast; otherwise it's not speed decorating! Most tasks fall into one of three categories. A magic-wand makeover takes a few hours or a day. Mini boot camp can be done in three days. Slowpokes have a week to complete an ultimate boot camp. --Martha Phifer, Orlando Sentinel

If  you're like me, after a day parading through the Parade of Homes, you get home and wish your house looked like those on the tour. Speed Decorating by Jill Vegas (Taunton Press) might help. Vegas is a home stager whose work has been featured on HGTV, National Public Radio and other places. One idea: Stack books on a chair, put a lamp atop the books, and you have an instant nightstand. I wouldn't have thought of that. The book doesn't get into big, involved projects. But it gives tips for changes you can make in a few hours, over a weekend or in a week. It also gives quick cleaning tips, guides you through a closet makeover and offers shopping tips and lighting rules. --Debra Boyette, News & Observer

Review

"Jill Vegas knows how to make any home beautiful.... Her talent and work are priceless!"

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (September 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600850332
• ISBN-13: 978-1600850332
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 0.5 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #475,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

When Jill and her husband sold their New York City apartment, she wasn't thinking of starting a new career. But the property sold for way more than they thought possible-- all because of how she had styled it. The broker told her she should think about making over homes as a career.

The broker wanted Jill's help with another apartment. When it sold in a day for over asking price, the calls started coming in. That's how the whole business started in 2004.

Jill infuses the real estate industry with a glittery sense of style. Her sense of humor, practical ideas, and outstanding service is exactly what stressed-out home owners crave to give their property the edge. Her work has been featured on NBC on a show called Open House NY, New York Times, Talk of the Town in the New Yorker, HGTV, Fine Living, National Public Radio, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Real Deal and Forbes.com. She writes a monthly staging column in the Residential Mann Report. The Mann Foundation honored Jill with the NYC 2008 Residential Real Estate Award in Staging. Jill has an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College where she serves on the alumni board.

Prior to this Jill worked on award-winning advertising, marketing and brand campaigns for clients such as Target, Macy's, and Estée Lauder. Jill is an Accredited Staging Professional Master and a member of the Real Estate Staging Association.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Clever title for generic decorating advice January 8, 2010

By ComeOnEileen

Format:Paperback

I had high hopes for learning professional tricks that would add a final polish to my already furnished and clutter-free rental home. Unfortunately for me, the genuinely speedy advice in Vegas' book covers familiar ground like buying candles and flowers. Her advice strongly emphasizes decluttering and replacing furniture. Plus, she sees a complete kitchen rehab as a project that can be planned and accomplished in under a week, which will be news to anyone who's done one (and is of no help to us renters). Needless to say, her tips are not inexpensive, either! On the plus side, the photos show handsome clean-lined spaces; and the text layout does a good job of pulling out the quicker -- if predictable -- hints for easy use.

If you intend to spend a week per room reviving your home, I'd start with Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan's Apartment Therapy instead. If your hope is to add grace notes, any of Alexandra Stoddard's decorating books may be more inspiring.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Banal content and poor production disguised by a clever title December 11, 2009

By Third Time Lucky

Format:Paperback

Don't be taken in by the glowing 5-star reviews...click on their 'see all my reviews' to find out why.

As the other 1-star reviewer writes, this is a clever title disguising poor content and bad production - the interiors are dated, the text banal and badly written, the paper is really cheap so the colours look strange. There are no 'before' shots, there's nothing in the way of 'speedy' projects, and there's no home featured here that doesn't already have great architecture and designer furniture.

if you came looking for this book, as I did, after seeing it on the Apartment Therapy blog, save your money: they've already used the best pictures online.

I'm returning mine to Amazon for a refund - the first time ever I've done this.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great practical info you can apply right away December 12, 2009

By M. Zaslow

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

A rare decorating book - one that gives you practical advice that you can actually apply! So many design books just show pretty pictures that are totally unattainable for the reader. Speed Decorating has the inspiring photos, but also gives you step-by-step info on how to transform your home quickly and affordably, room by room. Jill Vegas has you pin-point what you want to change, and inspires you to do it, from decorating to critical repairs. My dining room table had been wobbly for months. Thanks to Speed Decorating I finally took the time to make a quick fix that makes a huge difference in my home. This book is like having a decorating pro by your side at a fraction of the cost. And if you're trying to sell your home in this market, it's a must-read.