Successfully dressing your house to sell is not at all difficult and if you want to sell your home quickly and get top dollar for it, it’s a task that has to get done. The process of staging is a necessary function that will present your home it in the most appealing light by showcasing it to any prospective buyers that drop in to see the house with their sales agent . . . It helps create ‘WOW’ factor as they walk through the front door.
In theory, staging isn’t hard, and unless the house is in serious disrepair, should not be too costly, However, reality being what it is, many homeowners find it difficult only because it’s not easy seeing their home ‘objectively,’ when they ‘love the way it is.’
The easiest way to get an idea of what needs to get done, is to visit some effectively staged homes in new sub-division models that have been decorated. But unlike decorating a model, which is expensive for the builder, they are willing to invest the in the cost because they know and understand just how well a staged home will sell their homes. Look around and you also can profit from their knowledge, and you won’t have the expense of buying any new furniture. It’s not what you have, but how you display it! And just because a piece of furniture looks good to you in the room you bought it for, it may look better somewhere else in the house when staging your home to make it more appealing and less cluttered.
Ever walk into an open house or a model home and notice how… well, inhumanly perfect it looks? If so, it’s because the property is properly “staged” to sell.
In real estate parlance, ‘staging’ simply means the rooms in your house have been dressed up with a fresh coat of paint, properly arranged furniture, and with tasteful art and accessories throughout the house that have been carefully selected to highlight your home’s strengths, while downplaying any of its weaknesses (like small spaces), and in such a way that it appeals to the greatest number of prospective buyers.
Whether you’re designing to sell or designing to dwell, here are some tips the home-staging pros use that get that “Wow, I must have this house!”look.
Here are 25 tips and tricks to make your own humble home look like a showcase model home without a whole lot of effort…or expense.
It’s Not About What You Have — It’s How Well You Display It!
Create a Beautiful Entrance
You’ve heard it said, “You never have a second chance to make a first impression.”“The outside of your home is the first thing guests see,” points out Christopher Breining, owner of HomeStagers, Inc. in San Francisco. “and like it or not, it speaks volumes about what’s inside —and about its owner.”
A quart of glossy paint in a bold, cheerful color for the front door, new hardware (or give the existing lock a good cleaning by polishing it; and don’t forget the door knocker, the lock-set, the porch light, the house numbers, and the mailbox. A nice fresh Coir or Sea-Grass mat and a trio of lovely seasonal potted plants on the landing or top and bottom of stairs leading to the door, will dramatically improve your home’s entry and make visitors feel welcome.
Bonus Point: This small investment pays personal dividends, too, giving you an emotional boost and a dose of house-pride each time you come home.
Admit it. . You have too much stuff. “The most important thing most people can do to improve their home is to clear out, clean up, and get rid of clutter,” says Lisa LaPorta, cast designer on HGTV’s hit show “Designed to Sell” and owner of Lisa LaPorta Design in Los Angeles.The most important thing you can do to prepare your home for sale is to get rid of clutter. Make a house rule that for every new item that comes in, an old one has to leave. One of the major contributors to a cluttered look is having too much furniture. When professional stager’s descend on a home being prepped for market, they often whisk away as much as half the owner’s furnishings, and the house looks much bigger for it. You don’t have to whittle that drastically, but take a hard look at what you have and ask yourself what you can live without.
Be ruthless as you go about purging your belongings. If you haven’t used it in three months, stagers say, box it up and store it away; if you haven’t used it in a year, get rid of it. And make a house rule that for every new item that comes in, an old one has to leave. Any mixed feelings you have about tossing life’s accumulated detritus will quickly be replaced with a sense of relief and appreciation of your Zen-like new surroundings.
Sound daunting? Take it one room at a time. If your bookshelves are bursting at the seams, for instance, “clear them off and start over,” suggests Michelle Yackel, owner of Divine Redesigns in Atlanta. “It’s okay to have empty space around your books and knickknacks.” Inexpensive baskets make great hiding places for unsightly paperbacks, and add texture and visual interest. Books stacked vertically serve as pedestals to show off prized pottery or other objects d’art. You can even remove the dust covers from hardbacks and group them by color, turning a busy jumble into a decorative addition to the room.
If you simply can’t part with your collection of Architectural Digests or your kids won’t let you near the 300 carefully assembled Lego creations stacked on their dresser, it’s time to get creative about storage and organization. Retailers like the Container Store and Target sell handy rolling bins designed to slip under a bed and hide everything from household supplies to kids’ toys. And if you can’t get rid of it and can’t hide it, flaunt it with style: “Places like IKEA sell colorful and inexpensive fabric, cardboard, or melamine magazine holders. Lined up on a shelf, they look a lot cleaner than stacks of magazines everywhere and add a unified visual element to the room,” says Michael Friedes, owner of Nest Home Design in California.
Don’t forget that a cluttered look can also come from too much furniture. “People tend to line their walls with furniture, one piece after another,” says San Francisco home staging expert Christopher Breining. When professional fluffers descend on a home being prepped for market, they often whisk away as much as half of the owner’s furnishings — and the house looks miles better (not to mention bigger) for it.
You don’t have to whittle that drastically, but take a hard look at what you have and ask yourself what you can live without. “You really only need two pieces of furniture per wall: A bed and a nightstand, say, or a dresser and a chair,” Breining said, adding, “Another rule of thumb: If you don’t use it regularly, lose it.” While you’re doing this sometimes-painful pruning, remind yourself that every square foot you free up is prime real estate in as a new commodity on the market.”
Give yourself permission to move furniture, artwork and accessories among rooms on a whim. Just because you bought that armchair for the living room doesn’t mean it won’t look great anchoring a sitting area in your bedroom. And try perching a little-used dining-room table in front of a pretty window, top it with buffet lamps and other accessories, and press it into service as a beautiful writing desk or library table.
If your couches are clinging to your walls, you’re not alone. It’s a typical decorating mistake, stagers say. “There’s a common belief that rooms will feel larger and be easier to use if all the furniture is pushed up against the walls, but it’s simply not true,” says Designed to Sell’s Lisa LaPorta.
Instead, furnish your space: Float furniture away from walls, re-position it into cozy conversational groups, and place pieces so that the traffic flow in the room is obvious. In most cases, this means keeping the perimeters clear. “When you place furniture in a room, envision a figure-eight or the letter H in the middle, with clear pathways around it,” LaPorta suggests. Not only will this make the space more user-friendly, it will open up the room and make it seem larger.
If you’re nervous about doing something that can seem a bit radical, “Try an area rug on an angle first, then move the couch and see how it looks. But just try it,” San Francisco home staging expert Christopher Breining says. “If the new arrangement doesn’t strike your fancy, you can always put things back the way they were. But chances are, you won’t want to.”
You’d never consider wearing the same clothes for days on end, would you? So why force your home to endure the same tired decor year after year?“We get used to our surroundings, but they can become stale and stagnant. If a chair has been in the same spot for five years, move it!” says Barb Schwarz, owner of Staged Homes in Seattle, Washington, and Concord, California, and coauthor of Home Staging: The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money (John Wiley & Sons).Give yourself permission to move furniture, artwork and accessories between rooms on a whim.
Even venture into your attic, basement, or storage facility to pull out something you haven’t used in a long, long time. I may just be the piece you’re looking for to give you home some character you didn’t know it had.
Just because you bought that armchair for the living room, for instance, doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t look great anchoring a sitting area in your bedroom. Or try perching that little-used dining room table in front of a window, top it with buffet lamps and other accessories and press it into service as a writing desk or library table. And as for that now-empty dining room? Flank an ottoman or cocktail table with a love-seat and comfy chairs for an instant conversation nook.
“When you move things to new spots, you appreciate them again and give your house a whole new look for nothing,” Schwarz says.
There’s a common belief that rooms will feel larger and be easier to use if all the furniture is pushed against the walls, but that isn’t the case. Instead, furnish your space by floating furniture away from walls. Re-position sofas and chairs into cozy conversational groups, and place pieces so that the traffic flow in a room is obvious. Not only will this make the space more user-friendly, but it will open up the room and make it seem larger. The placement of furniture is one of the most important factors in optimizing the feel of a room. Poorly arranged spaces can be the main reason a house hunter feels disconnected from a prospective home, but they won’t be sure why.Even decorators with years of experience fuss and shift pieces around until they reach the “ah-hah” moment. So toss out the pencil and paper, get some sliders, and start experimenting. This should always be one of most fun steps in getting a home ready for sale. Every room has an ideal arrangement — you just have to ask yourself a few questions.
Do I Need To Edit?
Let your higher–quality, large pieces command a slimmed-down room rather than fill up the space with smaller, less appealing ones. Also eliminate pieces that are out of style. No one expects to be walking into an Elle Décor spread, but keep in mind that house hunters are being exposed to similar homes in your price range and good furniture gives them a positive emotional response.
Do I Need To Add?
This is usually necessary when a room is unused by the owner. A finished look in basements and attics will add visible, livable square footage to the house. An empty room creates red flags for the buyer: What’s so wrong with this room that the sellers aren’t using it? Am I paying for square footage I can’t use?
How Should Traffic Flow?
Buyers should be able to easily navigate from room to room on an obvious path. A common misconception with furniture arrangement is that rooms feel larger if everything is pushed against the walls. Instead, float furniture away from walls into conversational groups. This positioning is what actually makes a room functional and feel larger, because it directs traffic around the edges of a space rather than through the center.
What Is This Room’s Purpose?
It’s a game room! It’s an office! It’s…a hot mess. House hunters should be able to walk into a room and immediately know what it is, without their realtor having to explain. Each piece of furniture in a particular room should share a common and obvious theme. Necessity may have your treadmill next to the dining room table, but buyers don’t want to see rooms with multiple personality disorder.
Good luck with your arranging. Invite some friends over on a Saturday, open a bottle of wine, and audition multiple versions of each room’s furniture placements until you find your own “ah-hah” moment. A successful rearrangement should leave you wondering how you ever enjoyed your home any other way.
The common belief that rooms feel larger and are easier to use if all the furniture is pushed against the walls, is a fallacy. Instead, furnish your space by floating furniture away from walls. Re-position sofas and chairs into cozy conversational groups, and place pieces so that the traffic flow in a room is obvious. Not only will this make the space more user-friendly, but it will open up the room and make it seem larger.The placement of furniture is one of the most important factors in optimizing the feel of a room. Poorly arranged spaces can be the main reason a house hunter feels disconnected from a prospective home, but they won’t be sure why.
Even decorators with years of experience fuss and shift pieces around until they reach the “ah-hah” moment. So toss out the pencil and paper, get some sliders, and start experimenting. This should always be one of most fun steps in getting a home ready for sale. Every room has an ideal arrangement — you just have to ask yourself a few questions.In a small space, everything counts. This is the main idea behind this article, which will teach you how to make a small room look bigger, by simply applying a few clever tricks. Small rooms can feel confining and uncomfortable.
Luckily we can use certain design concepts to fool the eye by making interiors seem much larger and much more spacious than they really are. Color techniques, furniture arranging and smart lighting ideas are just some of the topics we will cover in this post. These ideas will hopefully bring inspiration and help with your future projects, such as decorating or even property selling.
To make a room appear to be bigger than it is, paint it the same color as the adjacent room. If you have a small kitchen and dining room, a seamless look will make both rooms feel like one big space. And make a sun porch look bigger and more inviting by painting it green to reflect the color of nature. Another design trick: If you want to create the illusion of more space, paint the walls the same color as your drapery. It will give you a seamless and sophisticated look.
1. Use Light Colors and Clever Contrasts
A while back we covered a post on Freshome entitled “Room Colors and Their Influence on Our Moods.“Today you will learn how to use colors to make a room look bigger. Cream colors and icy blues are just a few of the best color combinations that can convert a tiny interior into a seemingly bigger living area. It is all about optical illusion. It is a generally known fact that light colors make a room look bigger and brighter. Light and brightly colored walls are more reflective making a space feel open and airy, which helps maximize the effect created by natural light. Dark colors on the other hand absorb light, making a room look smaller. For an optimum effect, select soft tones of blues and greens, and always remember that brighter rooms look bigger and more inviting. A good way to go is painting your wall trim and moldings in a lighter color than your walls. When you paint your moldings light, the wall appears further back, making your living room appear bigger.
2. Lighting is a Key Element to Open Up Spaces
Buy allowing natural light to flow freely inside the room, you will be surprised at how this will open up the interior and make it look larger. If you do not have a lot of natural light, you can add some creative lighting effects. You will be amazed at how this small addition can make a big difference. If you do have access to natural light, make full use of it and bring it into your home with the help of large windows. This will instantly connect the room with the outdoors, no longer limiting your space. Make sure window coverings are sheer, or are pulled back, to bring more light in. If the view is bad, use hanging plants and potted flowers near the windows. Lamps will bring in special color and focus attention.
3. Cut the Clutter
Keep your room tidy and organized. There’s nothing that makes a small space feel cramped more than having too much stuff. With things neatly arranged and out of sight, the space that is in view will feel orderly and open. A cluttered room equals a smaller room. Don’t cove your walls with a lot of pictures. One large painting works better than a group of small paintings. If there’s too much going on, all clamoring for attention, it can make the room feel busy and crowded. When decorating a small room, create a focal point, one area or feature that will draw the eye. In the dining room, the focal point will probably be the table. In the bedroom, it will most likely be the bed. Make that focal point the star of the room. Arrange the furniture so that focus is drawn to that area, and keep the décor in the rest of the room to a minimum ( limit the number of accessories ). Keep the floor as clear as possible. This is one of the most important ways to maintain a sense of spaciousness. And one more tip : take out large rugs to create the illusion of more floor space.
4. Well Placed Mirrors Can Do Wonders
Mirrors can make your room look larger. Use a focal point and angle your mirrors towards it, which will give the illusion of depth. The mirrors also reflect both natural and artificial light to make a room brighter during the day and night. They bounce light deep into the room, making it appear larger. Placing a mirror near a window to reflect the outdoors is especially effective. Mirrors on the walls and glass tabletops will make it seem like there’s a more open flow. You can also use mirrored cabinet doors to make spaces feel large and uncluttered.
5. Inspired Furniture arrangements
Sometimes furniture can take a lot of space. To avoid that issue here are some useful tips that will help:
• Use multi–functional furniture like a chest that can be used as a coffee table, sofa beds, chest of drawers, and beds with drawers for storage. Use an expendable dining table, folding tables and nest of tables, which can be tucked away when you don’t need them.
• Place the large pieces of furniture against the walls so the open space in the middle is not broken up.
• Scale the furniture to fit the size of the room and don’t block walking pathways. With furniture and accessories blocking the view into a room and to open spaces, a room will look cramped. By moving furniture out and away from walkways, you’ll open up the space and make it feel larger. If you can see the floor, the room will look larger. Having over-sized sofas or too much furniture will make the living room look smaller.
• Consider having at least some of the furniture pieces the same color as the walls. Even the bigger items like an armoires and chest will begin to blend in to the room and widen out the room.
• Setting your furniture at an angle works because the longest straight line in any given room is it’s diagonal. When you place your furniture at an angle, it leads the eye along the longer distance, rather than the shorter wall. As an added bonus, you often get some additional storage space behind the piece in the corner, too!
• If the furniture in your room is tall, that might be making it seem as though the ceiling is lower than it actually is. Make sure there is plenty of space between your furniture, too.
• Choose a sofa and chairs with open arms and exposed legs. A glass table, will create an appearance of being an open and inviting space. This allows light to filter under the furniture, making the room appear airy.
“A big part of what stagers do is create fantasy spaces: An exercise room, a meditation space, an art studio, a family game room,” says Linda Russell, owner of the home staging firm House Dressing in Montclair, N.J. “We take that unused space on the third floor or in the basement and turn it into something you’ve always dreamed about having.”
So if you have a room that currently serves only to gather junk, re-purpose it into something that will add to the value–and your enjoyment–of your home. Move those boxes to a rented storage space (or better yet, have a yard sale or donate their contents to charity) and get to work creating the space you yearn for. The simple addition of a comfortable armchair, a small table, and a lamp in a stairwell nook will transform it into a cozy reading spot, Russell says. Or drape fabric on the walls of your basement, lay inexpensive rubber padding or a carpet remnant on the floor, and toss in a few cushy pillows. Voila! Your new meditation room or yoga studio.
“We almost always take off old, heavy drapery and put something light, airy, and gauzy in its place,” says expert home staging adviser Linda Russell. This allows natural light to shine into a room and makes a closed-in space seem larger. Simple sheers on a tension rod are great for screening an unattractive view and providing a bit of privacy while still letting in lots of light and making a room look larger.
If you have lovely vistas from a window, try doing away with treatments altogether. If privacy is paramount, Roman shades will block the neighbors’ view of your bathtub but still let you gaze at the sky while you soak. Designed to Sell’s Lisa LaPorta favors bamboo or parchment shades and simple curtain panels made from fine cotton twill or translucent linen, because all let light stream in during the day, provide privacy at night and add touchable texture to a room. You may even want to consider investing in a decorator that specializes in staging homes, like Christopher Breining, who’s favorite window treatments are sheer fabric shades with built-in blinds. “They look great and offer so much versatility,” he says.
Other window-treatment tips: If windows are narrow, extend curtain rods a foot or so on each side to suggest width. If your ceilings are low, hang rods at the ceiling line and consider window treatments with vertical stripes to create the illusion of height.
One of thethings that make staged homes look so warm and welcoming is great lighting design. As it turns out, many of our own homes are improperly lit. We either have too few fixtures, or our lighting is too dim, or it’s as harsh as a spotlight. To remedy bad lighting and make your home more inviting, increase the wattage in your lamps and fixtures. Aim for a total of 100 watts for every 50 square feet. Then install dimmers so you can vary light levels according to your mood and the time of day. This is a relatively simple project for a do-it-your-selfer, or you can hire an electrician for a couple of hours to do several at once. And while you’re at it, be sure to replace those dingy, almond-colored light-switch covers with crisp white ones. New covers cost less than a buck apiece and are a quick, easy update.
“Don’t depend on just one or two fixtures per room, either. It’s just as important to layer lighting as it is to have sufficient wattage,” Breining points says. So go for ambient (general or overhead), task (pendant, under–cabinet, or reading), and accent (table and wall) lighting. “A combination of overhead, floor, table, and accent lighting creates great ambiance,” the San Francisco stager says. “Having lights on different planes provides good illumination and makes the room interesting.”
One thing that’s always in Breining’s bag of tricks: up–lights. “You can buy one for as little as $5 at home–improvement stores and hide it behind a potted plant — it creates incredible drama.” Another hint: Place mirrors, silver or glass bowls, or other reflective objects near lamps to bounce light around the room and make it glow even more.
Neutral colors can be a decorator’s (and a home owner’s trying to sell their home) best friend. Nothing can calm and balance a space as well as neutrals. However, many homeowners, afraid of a color disaster, overuse a neutral color scheme to the point of being bland. Painting a living room a fresh neutral color helps tone down any dated finishes in the space. Even if you were weaned on off-white walls, take a chance and test a quart of paint in a warm, neutral hue. These days, the definition of neutral extends way beyond beige, from warm tans and honeys to soft blue–greens. As for bold wall colors, they have a way of reducing offers, so go with neutrals in large spaces.Decorating with neutrals was never meant to be boring. Neutral colors are supposed to enhance a space and allow the natural beauty of a room show through — not take over it. Learn to showcase the beauty of your home and your space with these tips for decorating with neutral colors.
Tips for Decorating with Neutral Colors
• Think in Textures — Neutral tones in different textures appear as different tones and colors. This keeps neutral colors exciting to the eye, and exciting in your space.
• Think in Contrasts — like warm verses cool or textured verses polished. For example, pair a nubby neutral burlap chair with a polished steel table. Gleaming, dark woods, glass and other shiny surfaces often pair well with a neutral’s natural color palette.
• Think in Layers — For example, if neutrals comprise the main color scheme of your space, layer colors, textures and tones on top of your foundation. Use contrasting shades as accent colors, or darker tones of the same color to add depth.
• Think in Patterns — Neutrals look lovely when paired with patterns or when used in a pattern. Patterns add movement to a space, something that may be lacking in a room dominated by neutrals.
• Think Seasonal — Since neutrals go with almost anything, the foundation with a neutral color scheme is perfect for changing out your decor on a seasonal basis. Changing out throw pillows or other small, soft furnishings is a great way to add a fresh, seasonal color palette to your space.
• Think Dark — When decorating with neutrals, it helps to ground neutral’s light tones with a black, a dark chocolate or a rich red or deep blue.
• Think in Undertones — Not all neutrals work together, especially if you are bold enough to go with a chic, monochromatic neutral color scheme. A neutral color can have warm or cool undertones. When decorating with neutrals, choose a balance of warm and cool undertones to make your neutrals work together.
• Think Contemporary — In case you haven’t noticed, the color tan is so yesteryear. When decorating with neutrals, choose colors that are rich and earthy, or colors comprised of mineral tones like warm gray-greens or cool stone grays. Milky warm whites and creams are also popular.
• Think Brilliant Accents — If your neutral-colored space is feeling a bit boring, adding pops of color is a great way to jazz up a space. Add color via small decor and throw pillows, but also find ways to introduce color into your room in surprising places, like painting a door–frame or adding an accent wall.
Don’t be afraid to use a dark paint in the powder room, dining room or bedroom. A deep tone on the walls can make the space more intimate, dramatic and cozy. And you don’t have to go whole hog—you can paint just an accent wall to draw attention to a dramatic fireplace or a lovely set of windows. If you have built–in bookcases or niches, experiment with painting the insides a color that will make them pop—say, a soft sage green to set off the white pottery displayed within.
“Painting is the cheapest, easiest way to give your home a new look,” says Designed to Sell’s Lisa LaPorta. Even if you’ve always had off-white walls, take a chance and try–out a quart of paint in a warm, neutral hue. You can always paint over it if you don’t like the color. These days, neutral goes beyond beige to include a range of colors from warm tans and honeys to soft blue-greens.
Even deeper colors, long a no–no for interiors, are enjoying a renaissance. “Don’t shy away from dark colors in a powder room, dining room, or bedroom,” says California staging designer Michael Friedes. “A deep tone on the walls can make the space more intimate, dramatic, and cozy. And surprisingly, it can even make a small room seem bigger because there’s no delineation of the corners.”
How to start choosing a color? With a pillow, textile, or piece of art that has a color in it you love, LaPorta says. “The background color is often great for walls, and you can pull out the other colors (in the piece) for accents around the room.”
You could also try painting an accent wall to draw attention to a dramatic fireplace or a lovely set of windows. Either paint the wall a contrasting color, such as a rich red flanked by taupe walls, or a more intense version of the paint used in the rest of the room, like a deep butterscotch that will play off soft camel walls. If you have built-in bookcases or niches, experiment with painting the insides a color that will make them pop — a soft sage green to set off the white pottery displayed within, perhaps.
If you’re too timid to whip out the paintbrushes, add punch with richly colored accessories, pillows, and throws, LaPorta says. When seasons change or you’re ready for something new, these couldn’t be simpler to switch out.
Create a relaxing bedroom setting with luxurious linens and soft colors that will make a potential home buyer want to hang out. Bedroom staging trick: If you don’t have the money to buy a new bed, just get the frame, buy an inexpensive air mattress and dress it up with neutral-patterned bedding. And remember to declutter. By cleaning out your closets, you’re showing off your storage space, which sells houses – it always ranks high on buyers’ priority list.
Using white–painted furniture is a tried–and–true tactic for freshening a room, but don’t forget its opposite: A coat of satiny black paint can revive tired furnishings and lend a chic, dramatic flair to just about any space. “Painting an old piece black immediately updates it,” says stager Michael Friedes. “We use black in staging all the time. It’s a great punctuation. It has a graphic quality, provides contrast, and makes a real impact.”
And not only does black work with every other hue, but it also makes surrounding colors pop and melds with any decor from vintage to modern. The key, as always, is moderation: Use black as an accent in picture frames, lampshades, accessories, and small pieces of furniture. “The big black leather couch of the ’80s is black gone awry,” Friedes says.
If your home’s like most, the art is hung in a high line circling each room. That’s a big mistake. Placing pictures, paintings and prints in such stereotypical spots can make them invisible. “Art displayed creatively makes the art stand out more and shows off your space.” Friedes says.
So break up that line of art. Vary the patterning and grouping by:
• hanging a row of art diagonally, with each piece staggered a bit higher or lower than the next. This is great for directing the eye toward an architectural feature like a window or arched doorway. • triangularly — with one picture above, one below, and one beside — a nice accent for a table–and–chair vignette. • in a vertical line (perfect for accentuating a high ceiling).
“Hang pictures on different planes so that your eye goes up and down as it travels around the room — it creates interest on your walls,” says Friedes. “by hanging things a bit lower than you’re used to, as well, so that wall art relates to furniture groupings rather than floating (and getting lost) in its own space.”
If your home is like most, the art is hung in a high line encircling each room—Big mistake. Placing your pictures, paintings and prints in such stereotypical spots can render them almost invisible. Art displayed creatively makes it stand out and shows off your space. So break up that line, vary the pattern and add interest to groupings.
• As long as you have an idea of where you’d like the artwork to be placed, it is just a matter of finding the height you would like it placed above something else (chest, bench, credenza, piano, etc.). • Equally important is finding a center for your placement. • Often there are many factors of how to “center” your art. You may have your couch situated against a wall with a side table to its side and the couch may not be centered. You will need to decide if you must have the art centered on the wall regardless of the couch, or use the couch as a centering tool. It may be tricky because you may have beams in your ceiling that throw the placement off, but that is once again a judgment call. • Make sure you do not hang your art too high. You and your guests will be craning your necks to see it and it will not be as enjoyable as closer to eye level is. • When you hang on wallpaper, be sure you take all the necessary steps to avoid making holes that cannot be removed once hammered. • When in doubt, create a template of the size of your artwork and place it where you think you might like to hang your picture. This will give you sense of space, centering, distance and height that will allow you to avoid holding up large heavy artwork. To hold up your template, you can use artist’s masking tape, which is less sticky than standard masking tape and most likely will not remove wallpaper or paint.
Mixing the right accessories can make a room more inviting. When it comes to eye-pleasing accessorizing, odd numbers are preferable, especially three. Rather than lining up a trio of accessories in a row, imagine a triangle and place one object at each point. Scale is important, too, so in your group of three be sure to vary height and width, with the largest item at the back and the smallest in front. For maximum effect, group accessories by color, shape, texture or some other unifying element, stagers suggest. One of the easiest ways to add designer zing to your home is to arrange objects into vignettes, or groupings, atop tables and shelves. Think of it as creating a beautiful still life. You can make a vignette on top of any flat surface: a dresser, table, bookshelf, counter–top or window ledge. You can use accessories like vases, mirrors, plants, greenery, photos or other personal belongings to create a mood, just like a movie set designer does for a film. A vignette makes a room look more polished and pulled together.
Here are eight tips for creating striking vignettes in your home:
1. Build your vignette around a light source — If your arrangement of objects is in a dark corner, it won’t be seen and the effect will be lost. Try building your vignette around a lamp.
2. Choose objects to support the style and theme of your room — If your room is formal, a symmetrical design works best. If the room is casual, asymmetrical groupings are better.
3. Use color in your vignette to coordinate a room — Use items in shades that complement the dominant color in a room. Silk flowers or artificial fruit are good ways to introduce color into a grouping of items.
4. Display objects in odd numbers — Place several objects of similar shape, size and color together in odd numbers for maximum impact. Groups of three or five work particularly well and are stronger visually than a group of two or four.
5. Vary the height of the objects — Use small pedestals to elevate items. Try stacking books to create a platform for smaller objects.
6. Stick to a theme — Group candles, for example, or family vacation photos. If the vacation photos are from the beach, add a seashell.
7. Create depth — Place objects from the back of the flat surface to the front instead of in a straight line the length of the surface. Placing objects atop a mirror, or leaning them against a mirror that’s on the wall, is an easy way to create a sense of dimension.
8. Vary the textures of objects — Mix hard and shiny accessories with rough and natural. Use weathered wood or iron architectural elements to introduce an unexpected texture. Photo frames, which come in finishes from shiny enamel to beaded, offer an array of texture options.
Now that you have your furniture placed, your rooms dappled with color, your art hung, and vignette’s created, it’s time to layer in accessories for a professional finishing touch. When it comes to ‘eye-pleasing accessories,’ the magic number to remember is three — though one and five work well too, anything more than 7 however, is way too much. And rather than setting your trio of accessories out in a row, imagine a triangle and place one object at each point.
Scale is important, too, so in your group of three be sure to vary items by height and width, with the largest at the back and the smallest in front. “On a side table, for instance, you might have a lamp, a plant or flower arrangement, and a book or a small box,” stager Barb Schwarz says. “For impact, group accessories by color, shape, texture, or some other unifying element.” Another hint, courtesy of Monclair stager Linda Russell: The eye naturally ‘reads’ the room from left to right, so putting a striking object in the far right corner will automatically draw your gaze there and make the room seem bigger.
This is not the kind of rule that is punishable by law if broken; decorating is supposed to be fun, not scary after all. Accessories can look beautiful in pairs — like matching lamps for example. Or your favorite candle sticks. Or 2 chairs side by side — always a classic look.
But when you have a ton of gorgeous things you want to display together all at once, the Magic Rule of 3 can help you every time!
Kitchen renovations are among the most expensive home-improvement projects, but it’s possible to give a tired kitchen new life without breaking the bank. At the most basic, walls can be painted and cabinet hardware changed to freshen the look. At the high-end, you can upgrade cabinets and appliances within the same footprint, which saves the expense and hassle of moving plumbing and electrical lines. Even investing in one great feature — a granite countertop, a pro-grade range, or a vintage appliance — can have a big impact. “A good cosmetic upgrade will more than pay for itself at resale time,” says Manhattan kitchen designer Clare Donohue. So if changing tastes or wear and tear has left you with a kitchen in need of a lift, follow this guide to simple and affordable upgrades.
Should you decide to replace the flooring in a home that’s being staged for sale, you should ask yourself a few questions. Hopefully, they will help to point you in the right direction so you choose the best option for that room — one that looks good, is durable, but won’t cost a lot of money.
Is there any wood, ceramic or carpeted flooring that is damaged and need to be repaired or re-surfaced? If so, would it cost less to salvage what’s not damaged, if it is it even possible? What is your budget? What is the norm in your neighborhood or area? What is your home’s price point limit?
If tile is in all the bathrooms and kitchens of all the comparable homes on the market in your area, then you should try to install tile. If you really can’t afford it, at least find a laminate that truly looks like tile. If not, just be prepared for that to have an effect on your home’s price.
If you want to price your home competitively, you need to have similar materials to be able to list at a comparable price as the other homes. Of course, this is just one factor. Other materials, such as counters, and other features, such as a large back deck, will also affect price. But floor material is one major feature buyers look at when deciding whether they like the home. It’s difficult to change flooring once you move in.
By the same token, if certain materials aren’t seen in any of the comparable homes, there’s no need to spend the extra money to use them. Yes, to some extent it may give you a reason to increase the price of your home just slightly and give you an edge over the other homes. But remember, it is possible to over-improve. You won’t get back what you put into the home because the home values just don’t support that much of a price increase.
However, if you are selling an expensive home, buyers are going to be offended if they see laminate or vinyl tiles anywhere in the home.
Wood floors can be sanded and stained if the damage is not too extensive. If there are deep stains or lots of them, it may not be possible. Also, if there are pieces missing or severely damaged, you need to see if it’s possible to get replacement boards or pieces that will look seamless.
Individual tiles, like ceramic, can be replaced if you have extras or can get them. Or, if you can’t get the exact replacement, see if you can remove other tiles and then add new tiles so it looks like an intentional pattern. What’s great about this is you can splurge on an expensive tile because you’ll only need a few.
Laminate floors usually can’t be sanded, so unless the damage is only in one spot and you have, or can get, replacements, you’re better off just replacing the floor.
Carpets can be steam cleaned, which can really do an amazing job, even if you have stains. It might be worth a try. But if the carpet is just extremely dirty, smelly, grimy, has tons of stains or large stains, looks worn, is ripped in places, is starting to ripple from improper installation or old age, or is an unattractive color (say hot magenta or pale pink), then it’s time to replace.
One more tip: if you have carpet, (wall to wall) in the kitchen or bath, get rid of it immediately. That is a huge turn-off to buyers and even visitors.
Important Note: Unfinished projects can scare off potential buyers, so finish them. Missing floorboards and large cracks in the sidewalk on the way to your door tend to be a red flag, for example, and they cost you less to fix than buyers might deduct from the asking price.
Knowing what area rug to use that fits a living space can be challenging. The goal is to use a rug that contains colors in a room you want to empasize, makes a space warm and inviting and most importantly defines a room. There are no strict rules but simple guidelines to follow.
7 Tips to Home Staging or Decorating a Room with Area Rugs
1. Measure out a living space and keep in mind that the larger an area rug, the more spacious the room will seem so we say the bigger the better! To show off more flooring then go down to a smaller size rug. But be sure to avoid going too tiny as you will create a chopped up looking space and the room will instantly appear smaller.
2. Arrange your furnishings in a living area first and then use an area rug to anchor the room. In other words, make sure the long side of the rug follows the length of a couch or love seat. Should all furniture legs be on the rug or some on or some off? It’s okay to have the front legs of a couch on a rug and the back ones off and the same with chairs.
3. Situate rugs under groupings of furniture to coordinate and bring a room into its own and add some contrast. A tiny rug floating in the middle of a fully furnished living space is not wise, especially when staging a home for sale. A runner in a long hallway is acceptable though.
4. Match your rug to the style and finish of a room. It would not be ideal to see a contemporary print rug in a living area that has traditional style furnishings and heavy crown moldings.
5. Warm up spaces in a home that may have tile, slate, light wood or even dark colored wood flooring. When staging or decorating a room it is important to add some contrast and just enough pop to grab a buyer’s attention. Light color rugs look the best on darker floors and will make a room feel more spacious. Don’t be afraid to use rugs with texture like sisal, needlepoint or a plush, fur style rug.
6. Avoid using thick rugs in high traffic areas as it screams falls and spills. It is not wise and there may be a better room in the home to place it. We suggest using indoor/outdoor rugs for those areas that do get a lot of foot traffic as they are easy to clean!
7. Visually divide a large living space by using rugs to identify what each space is especially when staging a home. Buyers need to get a vision of how to layout such an open space. Typically condos and town–homes have a living and dining room combination floor plan. Be sure to designate the living area with a rug and maybe going without a rug in the dining area is suggested. If you don’t use any rugs then the room will look like one big maze of furniture.
Most area rugs are used to group furniture arrangements. For instance, in a living room the area rug would most likely be placed in front of the sofa and under the coffee table. The chairs and tables would be grouped around it. You may be able to create an interesting effect by placing it under your furniture at an angle.
The key to remember is that area rugs are a decorative piece that defines a room and adds instant warmth. The most popular rug size is 5′ x 8′ but the larger the better is our suggestion. An 8′ x 10′ rug is perfect for large rooms and will look much richer with furnishings on it.
Many home buyers feel slightly uncomfortable looking at bathrooms while touring homes. Buyers will spend more time in the kitchen, living room and bedrooms than they will in a bathroom. I suspect they don’t want to think about what usually goes on in the bathroom. Bathrooms are not generally a place where strangers share communal experiences.So, they poke their heads in the door — often without stepping foot in the room, like if they don’t actually step into the bathroom, they’re not really in the bathroom — glance left to right, and leave. That takes all of three seconds. So, that’s what you’ve got to impress a buyer — three seconds. Sellers can spend hours staging a bathroom for that three-second reaction.
Getting the Bathroom Ready for Staging
Get out the bleach and start scrubbing. If you prefer not to use bleach, find an organic substitute, but bleach works best. Your goal is to clean the bathroom from top to bottom. It should sparkle and radiate cleanliness.
• Get rid of mold. Almost every bathroom contains some form of mold, especially in corners. • Remove the covers from light fixtures and exhaust fan, wash, dry and replace. • If your light fixtures are rated for 100-watt, replace the bulbs with 100-watt. • Remove prescriptions from the medicine cabinet, and any other personal items you don’t want a buyer to find, and store this stuff in a safe place. • Throw out worn, frayed, or outdated rugs and towels. • If wallpaper is peeling, steam it off the walls and paint the walls with a light-colored semi-gloss. • Use Lime-A-Way or a similar product to remove soap grime and calcium residue from shower doors. • Fix leaky or dripping faucets. • If cabinet hardware is weathered, replace knobs and pulls. • Shop for Bathroom Staging Supplies
The effect you’re going for is to create a spa-like experience. Spa accessories are related to water and nature. Think Asian influence and choose items in tranquil, soft colors. Don’t be afraid to incorporate contrasting textures by combining smooth surfaces with rough material such as polished pebbles nestled at the base of an aloe vera plant.
You don’t have to spend a fortune to create the illusion of a spa. Check out discount stores such as Target, WalMart, Costco or Tuesday Morning for inexpensive supplies. Here are types of spa accessories for you to pick and choose among:
• Towels, rugs, wash cloths • Bamboo or wooden trays • Candles in various sizes • Green plants • Small water fountains • Scented soaps • Glass containers filled with cotton balls or Q-tips • Ribbon and rough twine • Twigs and berries • Sea shells • Fluffy white robe • Padded satin hanger • Creams, lotions, shampoos or bath salts with unusual or antique packaging • Sea sponges and bath brushes.
Staging the Bathroom
Now that you’ve bought all this stuff, what do you do with it? You don’t want to clutter the vanity or make the room feel overcrowded. Less is better. Think simplicity.
• Start by layering a few towels on the rack by artfully folding in thirds a larger towel for the bottom and place a smaller towel on top. Tie the center loosely with ribbon or twine. You can also glue twigs and berries to the ribbon. • Create displays by grouping items together in odd numbers such as 1, 3 or 5. Vary the height of candles and jars. • Slip a white robe on a padded hanger and hang it on the door or from the shower door. • Put a stack of folded towels on a bamboo tray and arrange a few unwrapped bars of scented soap next to the towels. • Consider a placing a new rug next to the bathtub or shower. • Use greenery sparingly to add life and color. • Arrange bath products, drop a few flower petals around them. Be creative. • If you have the space and so desire, fire up the water fountain.
Having tile professionally painted can make a bathroom look brand new. And accessorizing can make buyers feel like they’re in a spa. Put out items like rolled–up towels, decorative baskets and candles. It’s a great way to create a polished look, and it doesn’t cost much to do.
Number One Rule: Keep it simple, keep it clean, and keep it well lit.
Staged homes arealmost always graced with bountiful fresh flowers and pricey orchid arrangements, but you can get a similar effect simply by raiding your yard. “Take clippings of branches or twigs and put them in a large vase in the corner of a room to add height — it’s a great structural piece that doesn’t cost anything,” says Michelle Yackel, an Atlanta staging expert. “It’s also an easy way to incorporate seasonal greenery.”
Budding magnolia clippings or unfurling fern fronds herald the arrival of spring, summer blooms add splashes of cheerful color, blazing fall leaves warm up your decor on chilly autumn days, holly branches heavy with berries look smashing in winter, and airy feather-grass plumes add elegance and texture any time of year.
“Get creative! Don’t be scared to try something different,” Yackel says. “Just about every stager has tales of home sellers who, upon seeing their once-tired abodes transformed, decided to stay put.” Who knows? You, too, may just find that you love your “new” home so much you’ll never want to give it up.
Some staging focuses on making your home more attractive and appealing in order to show its very best to the largest number of potential buyers. One of the smartest decisions a seller can make, staging one’s home can turn a boring, unattractive property into a warm and inviting residence. Staged homes sell faster, get higher offers, look better in MLS and advertising photos, have an edge over competing properties and often sway a final purchase decision.
Another Great Idea is Silk Flowers, Plants, Trees & Wreaths
Silk flower arrangements, plants, trees and wreaths are a beautiful, inexpensive and low maintenance way of adding realism, warmth and color to your home’s interior or make an outside area look more inviting.
Staging with Silks
Silk plants don’t have to look fake, and can come in a wide variety of premium quality, designer silk flowers and arrangements, silk plants, artificial trees and silk wreaths to meet all your staging needs, home enhancement or interior design themes. They can complement your interior spaces and outdoor environment like the organics, especially since many silk flowers, plants and trees have become so realistic, many people can’t tell the difference until they bend to smell the flowers.
1. Add plants and potted flowers to patios and decks. 2. Add a flowering vine to a garden trellis. 3. Mix bulb-type flowers in planter boxes with real flowers. 4. Flank a front door with silk trees and/or topiary. 5. Add flowers and potted plants to the front porch or steps. 6. A wreath on the front door says “welcome!” 7. Add beautiful silk flower arrangements to kitchen counters, dining tables, bedside, occasional or living room tables. And grouping plants on the floor to make a dynamic room display. Use plants with different heights, put some on stands or small tables or group three large plants together in a triangle. (The same rule of 3-5-7 also applies here as well.) 9. Add smaller plants or floral arrangements to shelves or on tables next to lamps. 10. Add hanging ferns or flowers to entertainment centers or bookcases. 11. Place tropical plants and flowers on bathroom counters, near the bathtub or on the rims of a Jacuzzi.Add flower arrangements in colors that complement the existing room colors.
Whether your property boasts a deck, balcony or patio, staging it for outdoor entertaining will be a boost to your potential buyers. After all, even though many people rarely entertain, almost everyone likes the idea of entertaining and is looking for space to do so in their new home. Here are some tips to highlight these important outdoor areas.
1. Remove clutterby simply removing everything. By taking it all out to begin with a clean slate; it will make the next two steps that much easier, and you may get a better vision for using what space you have when you put it all back together; also ensuring you won’t include any unnecessary items.
2. Make repairs. Replace any broken or rotting boards. Patch holes in the concrete. Steps and railings must be appropriately placed and in excellent repair. Use fresh exterior paint to give a new feeling to the space (be sure to prime any new wood). Here are specific directions on painting a deck.
3. Clean, clean, clean! Pressure washing is best to remove all dirt & cobwebs. Jo Max outdoor house cleaner works well for removing mildew. Clean everything going back into the space as well – BBQ, furniture, flower pots, etc.
4. Create an outdoor eating area with table & chairs (whatever size will fit nicely). Bring some to the table with some a centerpiece of potted flowers or candles, place mats & dishes if you desire.
5. Enhance. Bring color around the space using cushions, dishes and flowering plants in pots (keep them watered!) If you have an outdoor grill, stage with it BBQ utensils and a bottle of A–1 sauce — anything to help the buyer imagine themselves using it surrounded by friends and family.
If your buyers are on the fence, staging the outdoor areas could very well tip the scales — in your favor. You’d be surprised how many homes are sold by beautiful decks and patios!
Remember, your house is about to become a commodity for sale (if it hasn’t already), and part of the staging process is removing what personal items makes your home “cozy,” but might either turn a prospective buyer off or make them feel like they are violating a stranger’s personal space, or so uncomfortable they can’t see past your family, friends and memorabilia that they won’t pay attention to the house itself.Therefore, it is necessary for you to remove any personal items such as paintings, bowling trophies, show ribbons (cat or dog), family photographs, nude statuary (okay it may be art, but many people still find nude statuary offensive or it makes them extremely uncomfortable), vacation photographs, pictures of friends and outings, family heirlooms and other trinkets that all reflect not only your own personal style, buy your entire life. Potential buyers are strangers, and although they may have the same taste as you, odds are they won’t.
By remove your family’s personal items the potential buyer will be able to picture your house as their new home, and part of that does not focus their attention on you, your family and your life.
Also be sure to clean up pet areas like litter boxes and bedding before a showing, as it’s much more difficult to take your cats out of the home, but dogs should be with you — besides, dogs like short trips a heck of a lot more than cats do.
You want your home to appeal to as many people as possible and the more appealing it is, the more likely it will sell quickly.
Once you have completed the challenge of turning your home into a “model home” to sell at top dollar in record time, you’ve won half the battle, and you will be well rewarded for your efforts!However, you still have to live in your house for the most part, and there are still a few things to do must do every time you are asked to show your home to a potential buyer:Before each showing, will need to complete a few final basic preparations each time you are called to set up an appointment (not to mention it’s not a good idea to show the house unless these have been completed, it is in your best interest).
1. Clean your house. Before you do anything else, clean your house. Vacuum, dust, clean the bathrooms, and wash and put away dishes, or do whatever you have to do to get it sparkling clean. This will be the biggest factor in making a home look nice.
2. Remove personal clutter. People buying a house want to maximize the amount of clutter they create while living in the home before it’s sold. It won’t matter how big your home is it can get cluttered quickly and make any prospective buyer uneasy knowing someone still lives in the house. So to make it easier for potential buyers to envision the space as theirs, remove what clutter you can before the buyer’s arrive for the viewing.
• Generally, a good rule of thumb is – if you’re still in the house, there’s clutter somewhere. The objective, is to clear it all away entirely. Have quick storage boxes you can put everything in and move it to the garage or basement to be out of sight, and easily retrieved when you and your family return. You want the buyer to see any functional space as it should be. This allows them to envision how their things would look in the space you still occupy. This includes items such as: piles of paper, newspapers, boxes and packing material, clothing you’re using, personal hygiene items, food, and garbage…all good examples of clutter.
3. Let in the sun by opening draperies or blinds.Buyers want a house that is bright, airy and open. It’s a good idea to replace curtains with sheers if at all possible.
• Additionally, make it point to only show the house during times of day when it is brightest in your home, if at all possible.
4. Remove any personal items that you haven’t put away in boxes like toiletries, clothes, grocery bags, etc. that you don’t want a potential buyer to see the house as theirs, not yours. Remove personal items like family photographs, personal trophies, and other items which are specific to you and your family.
5. Turn on all ambient lighting like table lamps and recessed overhead lights, put ceiling fans on low, and light a scented glass-jar candle on a kitchen counter before you leave the house.
6. Be sure to leave at least 15 minutes before the appointment, and not return until 15 minutes after the buyer is scheduled to have left. IF they are still viewing the property on your return, take it as a good sign, and remain far enough away as to not be seen, before entering your home. Generally the realtor showing the property, will leave their business card on a table by the front door or in the kitchen, to let you know they had shown your property.
7. Follow-up with your sellers agent and provide them the information left by the buyers agent.
BREAK SOME RULES: Nowhere in the design “rule book” does it say you have to paint all four walls in a room. By painting just one wall, you actually add depth to the room. Try painting the wall where the television stands or the wall the couch faces.
USE DESIGN CENTS: Painting is the cheapest way to redesign a room. A new color can change the tone of a room and you can easily do it yourself. Also, accessorizing with plants, hanging new artwork or including an area rug can refresh a room in under five minutes.
ACCENT WITH COLOR: When choosing paint color, select the least dominant color in a single piece of artwork, a duvet cover or a rug to use as your wall color. It allows the artwork or other items to be the focal point of the room.
USING A TOUCH OF COLOR: When painting over a dark wall, be sure to tint your primer with a color a few shades lighter than your new topcoat color. This will help ensure a perfect finish and ultimately help you save money because you’ll need less topcoat to take your walls from one color to the next. Lee recommends a general purpose, water-based primer, such as a premium paint, for best results.
DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK: Darker colors actually make your room look larger. A dark, flat paint brings depth to an otherwise smaller room and light colors make a room feel more airy — not larger.
PAINTING TRICKS:Turn a small space into a larger one by using different shades of the same color. For example, paint opposite walls a shade lighter or darker than the adjacent walls to give the room a sense of depth.
FURNITURE PLACEMENT:Placing furniture away from the walls actually makes the room feel larger. Consider angling chairs and moving couches away from the walls to create a cozy conversation area for family or guests.
GROUP IT: 3, 5 and 7’s: When accessorizing a room, remember to follow the 3, 5 and 7’s rule — create groups of three, five or seven items. Display objects of varying heights (picture frames, candles, etc.) in a pyramid shape. It helps highlight the objects in a room.
THE EDIBLE WALLS: Paint kitchens the color of food to entice your guests to get in the mood to eat. Consider reds and Tuscan tones, eggplant, or caramel.
Points to Remember Check-List
• Remove those knickknacks! • Remove those family pictures. • Remove enough items from your closet so you can hang a garment without touching the garment next to it — this could be difficult. (Extra and out–of–season clothes go to your newly rented storage unit.) • Remove old area rugs and replace them with accentuating ones. • Remove throw blankets unless they add character to a room, and your favorite old blanket is not the character you want to show. • Remove throw old, word, or dirty pillows and/or replace with “designer” pillows. • If your houseplants are anemic, remove them. Replace with high-quality silk plants or healthy houseplants in attractive containers (no plastic!). • Take a hard look at your carpets. Are they stained or worn? Replacing carpets is often an excellent investment because it gives your home that “new” look that everyone wants. (Buyers have notoriously poor imaginations, so replacing existing carpet with neutral carpet is usually a much better idea than offering a “carpet allowance.”). • Leave all the lights on (No burned-out light bulbs!). • Keep wastebaskets empty. • If possible, send pets to stay with family or friends. As much as we love our pets, they can be a major negative distraction to potential buyers. • Leave your home before any potential buyers arrive for their walk–through.
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