For the post this month I thought I'd try a little behind the scenes action and take everyone through one of our staging projects. This way you can see how our thought process works and how rooms come together. Depending on the response I am hoping to turn this into a series piece so make sure to share your thoughts and comment below.
The first home I chose to highlight was what we dubbed the "New Old Home". I really like that this flip turned this dated home into basically a new build because the interior was taken down to the studs. This 4 level split took over a year and a half for this husband and wife team to rebuild. When it was time to list the home for sale they knew that staging would help show off all of their hard work and make this house come to life.
We always start each project with a Staging Consultation where we walk the home with the owners to get a feel for all of the spaces, give them an idea of what we would do in each area furniture wise, and address any areas that might be awkward or need updating. In this instance, there were a few awkward spaces that a potential buyer might have a hard time visualizing how to utilize without furnishings.
Reference photos are taken during the consultation and notes are taken for each space to help us with planning. A quote for staging the home based on either staging the whole home or just certain areas is given to the owner at the end of the consultation and a formal bid is emailed over with a contract within 24 hours. Once the contract is accepted and signed we arrange to come back to the home to take measurements and all of our "before" photos and take more detailed notes of what pieces we will need in each room. With all of the reference pictures and notes we are then able to go back to our warehouse to pull all of the items needed for the stage.
The Great Room
With the renovation of the great room you basically walk right into this space where the kitchen and the massive island are the main focus. The goal for this room was to create 4 separate spaces that cohesively flow together: entry, dining, kitchen, and a sitting area.
As you can see from the before photo the layout of this space could be challenging for a potential buyer to visualize how it would work and what pieces they would use for the area around the fireplace as it is not quite big enough to hold a living room. This is where staging makes the space shine. Instead of potential confusion and a negative response to the room we give them an idea of how the space can be utilized. When we stage rooms we take into consideration not only how to highlight the space, but how people will be able to move through them an allow for ample space not only to walk through but around all of the furniture pieces making the negative space just as important. We also like to take the same color palette through the whole home to give a nice consistent flow from one room to another. Here we used blues, teals, grays, whites, iron and walnut woods throughout the home.
Kitchen
To create 4 separate spaces we need to give the eye a focal point to land on in each area. The kitchen's focal point was the island so we wanted to make sure the decor did not take away from it but drew attention to it and then beyond it to the rest of the kitchen. The owners left enough countertop for bar stools to be placed around the front and to the right of the island however since those are functioning cabinets in the front we didn't want to block them so people could open them and see the extra cabinet space available. We also chose to do a backless bar stool to put on the end so it could be tucked underneath to give more walkway next to the dining table and into the family room. The backless stool also doesn't interrupt the nice horizontal line created from the island or create additional business in the dining area with added chair backs.
Dining
The dining area had these great windows we wanted to highlight so we kept the centerpiece pretty simple to not detract from them. When you are working in a great room the easiest way to define individual areas is by anchoring your furniture with a rug. Not only does it designate the space but if you are working with a hard surface floor it will add softness to the space. The placement of the artwork helps to move you into the family room by redirecting your eye to that space and create a natural flow to the next room.
Sitting Area
This space really wasn't large enough to put a lot of furniture in it without it feeling crowded so we decided that it would do well as a sitting area as there was a separate family room for everyone to gather in. We bounced back and forth between bringing in 2 accent chairs or a loveseat/accent chair. The focus in this space is obviously the fireplace and we didn't want to hide it with a piece of furniture so we used the two accent chairs. To keep the focus on the fireplace we added a striking piece of art and incorporated the black iron accents and the walnut colored wood. To add softness and definition that it was its own space we brought in a rug.
Front Entry
To create a welcoming front entry we brought in a cute low cabinet to use for a drop zone but not shift the focus of the room when you first walk in. We utilized the nook by the coat closet by adding in some cubes that could be used to sit and take off or put on shoes and hung a multipurpose cubbie shelf. Art and greenery give the whole area some life.
Family Room
The family room is a step down from the great room and has a sliding door that goes out to the back patio. This room is basically a large rectangle so the challenge here was to fill the space while being able to keep the walkway clear for the sliding door. We brought in the sofa and loveseat set to create a cozy TV area and tucked a bar in the extra space behind it to create an entertaining space. An accent chair in the opposite corner provides a quiet nook and additional seating if needed.
Guest Room
This bedroom sits at the opposite end of the home on the main level next to the back entry, full bathroom and laundry room. Due to the location it makes for a perfect guest room and potential buyers with children could then have all bedrooms together on the second floor. In our experience bedrooms are one of the hardest for buyers to visualize as having enough space for furniture which is why we always suggest staging all of the bedrooms in a home to eliminate the possibility of someone saying the rooms are too small. This guest bedroom is able to accomodate a queen bed as well as sizable nightstands and dresser and still have plenty of space. The lux bedding with a print draws your eye into the room and keeping furniture away from the large window allows buyers to walk over to look out at the view.
Baseball Bedroom
This is the smallest bedroom in the house, however it still has ample space for furniture. We love staging children's rooms as most potential buyers that have kids will eventually bring them through the home and we want to make sure they are able to connect with the space as well and get excited about the idea of this being their new home too.
Because this is a smaller room we did a twin bed with storage underneath, one nightstand, and a chest to show off just how much space is in the room. What is great with going with a smaller bedroom set is that buyers can see they could add an additional nightstand, upgrade the bed to a full size, and switch out the chest for a dresser without the room feeling snug.
Pretty in Coral Bedroom
This is a large bedroom so a twin bed would have drown in the space so we upgraded to a full size bed set to help balance the space and staged it for an older child. The dresser fits nicely between the two windows and potential buyers can see that the space could hold a queen bed easily or two twin beds if needed without the room feeling overcrowded.
Master Suite
The master suite addition is massive so not having enough space would not be an issue here for potential buyers. We placed the bed on the wall adjacent from the window to draw the eye into the room so you aren't walking into the side of the bed when you enter and stopping there. A sitting area was then added in front of the window. The chairs are turned into the room for better visuals instead of outward towards the view. We wanted to keep the space very peaceful and retreat like so the colors are very simple and we played up pattern and textures.
Office Nook
This narrow nook next to the bathroom looks tiny when vacant, but staging it as an office space proves there is ample room to even add some shelving if needed. Creating this mini office space in the master suite allows all of the rooms to be utilized for bedrooms instead of taking one for a home office.
Master Bath
The master bath was painted a spa green so we played up that spa feel by adding a black ladder shelf to coordinate with the dark hardware and for extra storage next to the soaking tub. We really wanted the fixtures to be the star of the show here so we went pretty minimal on the staging. Lux linens add some softness to the space and with just a few items on the vanity it shows potential buyers how much counter space there is even with the vessel sinks.
So there you have it a look into how we staged this home. If you enjoyed this post comment below we always love feedback. If you are interesting in having your home staged or would like interior design services head over to the website and contact us today we'd love to work with you.
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