YOU CAN DO THIS

home STAGING MADE SIMPLE

Staging your own home to sell can be a bit overwhelming. Please do not start spinning the thinking wheels about costs of purchasing additional furniture or staging items. Not only do you most likely have many things already that could be used to transform the look of spaces in your property to sell, I do too. I'm here and happy to help with my pre-session consult and soft staging services, and this guide with visuals below can be helpful as well.

You want buyers to be able to picture their lives in the home, see themselves cooking meals for family and friends in the kitchen, hosting happy gatherings in the living spaces, and more. Rooms should be functional for their purpose, pathways should be clear, beds should look fluffy, bathrooms should feel spa-like, and overall rooms should appear spacious and the home should appear to have adequate storage to meet life's needs.

The keywords to keep in mind are clean, neutral, bright, minimalist, spacious & inviting.

NEUTRALIZING

To further define neutralizing, this doesn't mean making the whole house gray and/or white. It does mean neutralizing personal touches overall, which include personal art choices, photos, and your preferred color schemes/patterns/style, and replacing them with those that will allow the features of the house to stand out.

Striking colors such as red, bold blues, bright yellows, oranges/purples/any other saturated colors, busy patterns of paisley or florals, bold abstract patterns, etc., these distract from a space, and should be removed. Right now you want what will showcase the features of the property and appeal to the masses for selling purposes.

"Organic modern" is a great color palette term to reference that doesn't get fixed to any specific design style, as it overflows across contemporary, traditional, coastal and more. Being style flexible is the goal. These colors include white/cream to black, with muted colors between of taupe and gray, plus those found in nature that include tans/browns, greens, and even muted soothing blues.

contrast & balance

These before and after photos are a good example and I loved working on this project. It's a lovely home with nice updates and furnishings and just needed a little zhuzh.

At the consult, I recommended removing one of the side chairs to create a more open pathway for the back door, and re-positioning the pieces to create a more conversationally conducive arrangement.

At the session, I added lighter neutral textile accessories such as pillows and blankets, which lifted the heavy feel of the darker furniture and floors. The contrast of natural warm wood pieces that complemented the flooring, against the cool grays and blacks within the room, plus some organic plants in the mix, brought balance and made the space feel brighter and more inviting. ... And it sold in 5 days.

KITCHEN

For kitchen countertops styling, I recommend 3-5 "groupings"/vignettes maximum, and keep it functional, not fussy. For reference, the example photo is what I mean when I say a "grouping" during a consult.

For bulkier appliances, the only one I suggest leaving out on a countertop for photos and/or showings, is a coffee maker. And if so, style it with a mug or 2 and other coffee accessories, aesthetically pleasing and neutral of course. Leave the red Folgers can in the pantry please.

There should be no need to purchase anything for styling a kitchen. I have a sneaking suspicion if you allowed me to ransack your cupboards I'd find lovely items that not only make sense as kitchen decor, but you may enjoy using during this process.

Kitchen Styling Examples - Just remember "neutral"! - (Fabrics/Glass/Wood/Metal/Paper/Pottery/Marble): Hand towels & cloth napkins, Cookbooks, Pie plates/Cake stands, Salt/Pepper Shakers/Grinders, Oil Dispensers, Canisters, Wooden Cutting Boards & Utensils, Rolling pins, Pitchers for a vase, or re-purposing bowls, basket, or colander for fruit/veggies & more!

HOW TO MAKE A BED

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BATHROOM

ENTRY

One of the most overlooked, and under-utilized areas within a house is the entryway. Both the front porch, and just inside the foyer, are where the first real face to face "up close & in-person" impressions are made of a property.

Think of the functionality of the entryway itself. As the resident, this is where guests are welcomed, deliveries are accepted, solicitors screened, neighbors greeted, where the home is exited, and more. Is it welcoming for others and practical for its purpose?

Is there a surface to set down a package to sign for it? A lamp for gentle lighting upon entry? Or are all the harsh overhead lights turned on at once as guests enter from from darkness at night? Is there a mirror to check and correct folks from being out in the wind as they come in, or before they leave? Is there somewhere for a visitor to set down or hang their bag, a bowl for keys, or are all these things being carried across the house and being set down on kitchen countertop or dining table, where food is eaten/prepared?

Is there seating for a guest to sit down and wait, or should they need to (or be asked to), for removing their shoes and a basket to place them in, or a stand for their wet umbrella? Or are they forced to stand and wait uncomfortably, or hop around on one foot to remove their soiled shoes, or worse, sit on the floor, then leave these things outside in the elements? Is there a coaster on a nearby surface for the drink that should be offered to them?

Is the entryway styled for its function, or even styled, or functional, at all?

STAGING TIPS

YOU CAN DO THIS

home STAGING MADE SIMPLE

NEUTRALIZING

contrast & balance

KITCHEN

HOW TO MAKE A BED

BATHROOM

ENTRY

DINING

HOME OFFICE

shelves

storage spaces