Staging The District

No Vacancy

Vacant = Vague

What do I mean by that???

Well, often times homeowners mistakenly think that showing their home vacant will make the house appear larger.  This is actually a total myth!  Not only does furniture (when used to scale) make a space appear bigger, but it also gives buyers a better idea of how each room can be used!

So instead of clearing out your home and confusing potential buyers, use furniture and accessories to clarify just what makes each room in your home so very special! For example, even when it's clear which bedroom is the master, buyers want to see how their furniture can fit in your specific space.  Can they fit their king size bed?  If so, is there room for bedside tables, dressers, or a small seating area?  The same logic can be applied to living rooms, family rooms, and even basements.  Is there room for a large sectional and a television, or is the space better suited for smaller, more intimate gatherings?

So, keeping these ideas in mind, here are a couple examples of vacant spaces that were spruced up with some basic furniture and a few carefully-planned accessories! 

LIVING ROOM BEFORE

 

LIVING ROOM AFTER

 

DINING AREA BEFORE

DINING AREA AFTER
 
  
 

Showing Your Assets When Selling

No...not those assets...but that's important too...

Successful staging involves using your home's assets to your advantage.  Whether it's an open floor plan, outdoor entertaining space, or a gorgeous kitchen, buyers should always be able to see what makes your particular house special...and by special, I of course mean worth your full asking price!

This particular home had a master bedroom that, while somewhat low on square footage, had a vaulted ceiling that made the space feel a lot more spacious than it was in actuality.  However, the non-descript bed, distracting artwork, and generally disheveled appearance made that important selling point easy to miss.  The expansive windows also lacked interest and were also easily missed.

As is often the case, the solution was both simple and inexpensive!  I made the bed a focal point by adding a headboard ($40 from Goodwill and spray painted black), coordinating side tables (Target), contemporary table lamps (a Craigslist find), and narrow, vertical mirrors (Wal-Mart).  A chic black Starbust-inspired mirror and a few coordinating throw pillows finish the space to create a neutral, but very chic motif.  The windows were brought back to life by opening the blinds to let in natural light and by adding tailoired gray window panels (Ikea of course!).

All in, this bedroom makeover cost less than $350 and transformed an otherwise uninspired bedroom into a buyer-worthy retreat!

BEDROOM BEFORE

BEDROOM AFTER:

Splurge or Save: Arm Chairs

I like nice things…unfortunately, as a grad student and self-employed design freak, I can’t actually afford most of those nice things…

I have my ways though…as a single lady for example, men are a particularly useful tool for scoring nice meals and expensive entertainment.  Spa treatments?  A lot of those can be made at home.  And fashionable attire…well thank god for Target (and my mom, who still takes me shopping).  I’ve even been known to bring my own flask to certain overpriced bars…But this isn’t a food, fashion, or man blog (for discussions on those, particularly the latter, take me for margaritas and I’ll keep you entertained for hours).  

When it comes to design, there are a ton of ways to save!  Yes, we all can drool over the amazing selections of Restoration Hardware, Jonathan Adler, and the like.  But for a lot of us, those pieces are a tad pricey.  The good news is that there are equally stylish alternatives to a lot of today’s chicest, most gorgeous pieces at prices almost anyone can afford. 

So, to start yet another new series (for my still non-existent readers), here’s ten ways to save on some of today’s hottest furniture splurges!  The focus today?  Armchairs…so sit back and enjoy!

1) SPLURGE: $1,199

Rand Wing Chair (Ethan Allen)

SAVE: $359.99

Roma White Quilted Leather Arm Chair (Overstock.com)

2) SPLURGE: $999

Archer Leather Chair –Jet (Room and Board)

SAVE: $180.99

Avenue Six Wall Street Armless Chair (WalMart)

3) SPLURGE: $1,620

Jordon Lounge Chair (InStyleDecor.com)

SAVE: $159.99

Swoop Armchair Velvet – Pewter Gray (Target.com)

 

4) SPLURGE: $1,299

Martin Chair – Khaki (Room and Board)

SAVE: $299

Kaitlin Beige Chair (Value City Furniture)

5) SPLURGE: $977

Hank Chair-Natural Canvas (Williams Sonoma Home)

SAVE: $305.99

Manchester Club Chair (Overstock.com)

6) SPLURGE: $760

Abigail Chair - White Brushed Canvas (Williams Sonoma Home)

SAVE: $136.99

Linon Home Trento Slipper Chair (Kmart)

 

7) SPLURGE: $1,190

Shane Chair (Mitchell Gold Bob Williams)

SAVE: $149

Sleeper Lounge Chair – Gray (Amazon.com)

8) SPLURGE: $1,799

Manhattan Leather Recliner (Pottery Barn)

SAVE: $679.99

Thomas Recliner (Target.com)

9) SPLURGE: $1,090-$1,345

1950’s Upholstered Copenhagen Chair (Restoration Hardware)

SAVE: $349-$399

Tirup Swivel Chair (Ikea)

 

10) SPLURGE: $1,300

Belgian Track Arm Slipcovered Chair – White Duck (Restoration Hardware)

SAVE: $299

Cooper Slipcovered Armchair –Stone White (West Elm)

Vacant Staging-Super Small Bedroom Solution

Not all of us have the problem of too much space...I definitely don't, as is evidenced by the pile of curtain rods, fabric samples, gold sequined stilettos, and various other daily necessities which fall onto me when I open my entry closet each day (a great mood-booster pre-morning coffee).  I suspect that most of my fellow DC residents are in the same boat...

However, while staging a vacant three bedroom condo recently, I came across the rare issue of having too much space.  Realistically, most buyers looking at a three bedroom condo are either young couples, retired couples, or singles looking for a roommate situation.  In short, likely buyers are a group of people who probably wouldn't use three dedicated bedrooms.  In this particular condo, there were two generously sized bedrooms and a very small third one (approximately 9'x10'). 

My solution? Create the perfect chic home office.  Inspired by one of my favorite new Ikea products, the Gislev area rug (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10177885), this gray, green, and white office is the perfect respite after a long day in the district.  Now, if only I could get my own office this organized...

Check out the before and afters below:

Office BEFORE:

Office AFTER:

The Magic Of Slipcovers

Let's face it-there is some 'questionable' furniture out there.  And often times, the difference between questionable and simply spectacular has to do with upholstery...hence, the invention of slipcovers.

A lot of the time, slipcovers can make ugly furniture well..less ugly...but rarely does it have transformative powers.  But this week, I got lucky (lucky in staging, that's it unfortunately).  I was working on a house that is positively adorable, but unfortunately, had a couple of less-than-adorable eggplant-colored sofas (technically, a sofa and loveseat). The amazing luck?  The sofas,though not originally from Ikea, were of near identical dimensions to the Ikea Ektorp series (which for the record, is one of the best deals in sofas). 

Check out the incredible transformations when a couple of Ektorp slipcovers ($11 for the loveseat in Blekinge white and $49 for the sofa in the same color) were paired with some new table lamps and artwork...seriously, if ever there was magic in staging, I think this is it!

Scroll down for before and after pics...

Living Room BEFORE:

 

Living Room AFTER:

Family Room BEFORE:

Living Room AFTER:

 

 

Love it? Visit your local Ikea store or check out the following link for more info: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/series/07488/

10 Best: Beds Under $500

Staging is all about finding deals, so not surprisingly, I spend a LOT of time looking for deals for my staging jobs.  Although, to be honest, I actually do this sort of stuff in my free time too (this should give you a good idea of just how crazy my apartment gets on a Saturday night).  Until now, I've been hoarding what I assumed were copious amounts of useless information about the absolute best furniture deals out there...but now, my (currently nonexistent) readers can benefit from the hours I spend scouring stores and the internet for deals! 

So, here is the first post in what will hopefully become a popular series that I'm calling "10 Best" (creative, right?).  I'm starting with beds because, let's face it, that's where the magic happens! Plus, if you can only have ONE great piece of furniture, I vote that it should be a show-stopping bed...

Enjoy!

1) Halo Platform Bed

Overstock.com ($239.99 for full size)

2)FLORO Bed Frame

Ikea ($379-$449)

3) West Elm Nailhead Upholstered Headboard

West Elm ($346-$499)

4) Clarion Bed

Value City Furniture ($399 for Queen)

5) Orleans Tufted Headboard

Target ($329-$419)

 

6) City Bed by Fashion Bed Group (Black)

WalMart.com ($279-$299)

  7) Sandstone Bed

Kmart.com ($299-$429)

8) Everett Headboard

Pottery Barn ($399 for full size)

9)  Sea Grass Block Headboard and Footboard

Pier One ($299-$399)

10) Classic Black Queen Bed 

Value City Furniture ($199)