This beautiful home underwent a full gut remodel. The new floor plan shows open spaces, modern interiors and a great flow. It is amazing how this house turned out. The interior design concept takes the modern architecture and gives it a fresh and updated look. The kitchen had been extended and the interior walls have been opened up to provide a open floor plan. A spacious master bedroom received a larger walk in closet and the bath had been fitted with a free standing tub, double vanities and a walk in shower. The fit and finishes of this house take homage to the modern era. Large scale original art helps to show off the nice wall spaces. Large plate glass windows to the front give the dining room and the front bedroom a lot of light. This house has a one of a kind floor plan in the region and most likely had been designed by the architect for a specific client. There will be a public open house on June 12th between 1 and 4 pm at the house. The location is 1000 Druid Drive, Maitland FL 32751
Author Archives: Malte Strauss
Great modern Mediterranean redesign
Great modern Mediterranean redesign. When the folks of Daze Design Studios saw this modern Spanish style estate home in Maitland, they knew right away it had something special. They took on a large scale remodel to give the house a new life. Neutral colors and an array of wood tones gave the home a sophisticated but warm touch. To finish it off the renovation professionals entrusted Helene Bonello-Strauss with the task to dress the house with a gorgeous staging. Helene took the color scheme and created a modern look that is sleek, while providing an atmosphere that asks the visitor to linger, to stick around. The comfortable furnishings showcase the space while offering the perfect backdrop for entertaining. The modern sectional in the huge living space upfront was accented with a custom art piece, commissioned for the space. The painting named “dark horse” is acrylic on 5 wood panels and measures 8 feet high and 7 feet wide. The designer said that the space was overwhelmingly large and it took a very large art piece to make sense of the vertical space in the room. She wanted to draw the eye up so visitors would not just gaze at eye level but rather perceive the room in its entirety. The large sweeping staircase was the dominating factor and a small painting “would just have looked ridiculous in this space” so the designer. The master bedroom with its vaulted ceiling created some architectural drama. The simple lines of the bed and some accenting seating leave the room open enough for the full visual effect. The gorgeous remodel and the sophisticated staging design proves that 80’s architecture can be as current as one can imagine. The owner is thrilled with the outcome of the highly successful collaboration. “Helene surpassed our expectations in every way. We are so happy we hired her for the staging.” Fact is, when great minds have a similar vision for a final product the outcome will be fantastic. We are glad that we were able to be part of this success and wish Amy and Steve the best of luck with marketing this estate home. The first comments from the previewing visitors were raving. We are sure that this home will have no difficulties finding an owner who will enjoy living comfortable in style. The house is available for private showings. See the walk through video below.

The master bedroom setup makes great use of the vaulted ceilings. The color of the wood floor finds reference in the fabrics and accent pieces

The space is simple and comfortable. A large custom painting (dark Horse, 8 by 7 feet) anchors the room and gives visual interest to the enormous wall space
Here a preview of things to come – great Maitland architecture re-envisioned

The family room plays off the color palette of neutrals used in the materials of this renovation. Updated traditional lines show a refreshing transitional version of the classic family room.
This great Maitland house has a fantastic architecture and underwent a full rehab. Helene Bonello-Strauss gave this house a fitting interior with a custom staging to polish it off. Check out the final results. The house is scheduled to go on the market shortly and will be represented by Realtor Amy Perez with Kuzza LLC. The living room is open over two stories with a beautiful staircase giving visual interest. The large wall received a custom artpiece “Dark Horse” which was commissioned for this space. The artwork measures 8 foot high and 7 foot wide, acryl on 5 wood panels. Are you ready to live in style?
A staging transformation in Casselberry
A staging transformation in Casselberry – Here is an example how staging can bring out the best in a property. This newly remodeled 4 bedroom home shows its fabulous side. The challenge was a smaller scaled family room that we visually enlarged with some apartment scale furnishings. This setup gives proof that the room is indeed a grown up version of a cozy family room and ready for entertainment and relaxation time. The black and white carpets were chosen to provide needed contrast and to give visual interest to the space. The overall theme is black and white with a lot of neutral tones in the mix to create a calming appearance of the interior. Agent Adrian Eslava with La Rosa Realty has this beautiful 4 bedroom 3 bath pool home listed for sale at $ 265.000 and currently is showing the property to qualified buyers. For quotes on Orlando staging and interior design consultation contact Helene Bonello-Strauss at https://www.idesigntosell.com/contact/
5 real estate deal killer the best decoration can not overcome
5 real estate deal killer the best decoration can not overcome
Number 5: Bad renovations. Spotty workmanship can be a quick deal killer. Even novice buyer often recognize unprofessional workmanship. Crooked tile, makeshift trim work, sloppy paint, shortcuts and oversights can give the impression of a renovation that was done more to hide more serious issues than to fix any problems the property may have had. Buyers are highly suspicious on work that does not look right in the first place. Even if a buyer is not so knowledgeable in construction matters, the home inspector most likely is. His inspection report will often put the nail in the coffin. You solid deal can very quickly turn sour if a buyer lost trust in the property. It is often cheaper to repair it right in the first place rather than to cover it up and deal with the aftermath later.
Number 4: Structural issues. When there is a leaky roof, the foundation is sliding or a sinkhole just opened up in the backyard, staging will have very little impact on the sale. Sometimes cosmetic issues that look severe but have no influence on the structural integrity of the house can have the same effect. If a buyer perceived the house to “fall apart” nice furnishings can do little to give a better impression. Good decoration does not eliminate bad engineering. Make sure your property is sound and save and looks that way too.
Number 3: Properties in need of Flood insurance. Some properties are required to carry flood insurance when financed due to a high flood risk. The flood elevations are getting re-assessed by FEMA on a regular base. Once a property is deemed to need flood insurance, a large portion of the eligible buyers shy away. One issue is the high cost of flood insurance and the other aspect is the risk itself. Who enjoys getting all their belongings ruined in a catastrophic event. Expect your property value to drop significantly.
Number 2: Title issues. No matter how much a buyer likes a property, once there are legal problems clouding the ownership, a property becomes nearly impossible to sell. No matter how much a buyer loves it, if they can not finance it or take proper ownership, they probably will not buy it. Talk to a real estate attorney or your title insurance early on in the process and make sure there are no unresolved issues down the road.
Number 1: Smell. Pictures can speak a thousand words is an old adage. What your nice picture does not take reference to is smell. Regardless how pretty the decoration, if your house smells of anything but roses you are in deep trouble. Nothing will send buyers running quicker than a funky smell. No matter how much you love your cats, dogs, ferrets and hamsters – make sure they have not left a lingering reminder of their presence. If your tenants were heavy smokers or your leaky roof left a moldy smell behind, brace yourself for a rough ride. Buyers scatter quickly and won’t be likely to return to the “crime scene”. Unless you take the drastic measure to renovate and get rid of the source of the odors, staging will not do any good. Matter of fact is most professional stagers will not furnish a place with offensive odors, unless you are prepared to buy the furniture outright. And by the way, if the smell is so bad that visitors get watery eyes and pale faces when viewing the house, a scented candle will not do the trick.