update or allowance?

I recently had the privilege of doing a Home-Staging consultation for a family in Fairview, TN.  Their home was on the market for a year without any luck so they pulled it off and are now re-listing it.  They agreed to have a home-stager come out for a consultation (provided by the Realtor, so who would refuse??) but were a little surprised at a couple of my suggestions.  Here is the kitchen as it currently stands-

What would you think when you walked into a house with this kitchen?  Is it appealing to you?  What do you like/dislike about this kitchen?  A friend of theirs suggested giving a "kitchen allowance" so home buyers can do updates.  What do you think?  Allowance or updates?

Here is more what I'm picturing for the kitchen.  I wouldn't change layout but I think the cabinets need to be painted, walls need to be painted and countertop needs to be replaced.

As we all know, kitchens and master bathrooms are really important so besides the recommendations I offered for the kitchen, I also want them to focus some attention on the master bathroom. Here it is now-

The tub and the shower line the wall and since the shower has no door, it is basically a wall of fabric.  My first suggestion for this bathroom is to get a new shower stall that has a door.  The bathroom will seem bigger and a shower with a door is much more practical anyway.  I'm thinking that once the shower is redone then the shower curtain in the tub can come down because it doesn't need to function as a tub AND a shower.  Thoughts?

My second suggestion is to paint the vanity.  Right now it looks old and dinged up.  Aaaand, the wall color should be addressed, too, because this orangey brown isn't a color that will appeal to a broad audience of people.  I'm not saying it has to be beige, but it needs to be current.  Benjamin Moore Yarmouth Blue or Palladian Blue would be a lovely colors.

Here's an idea of what the vanity will look like once it's painted.

This bathroom vanity looked JUST like the one in my client's house.  Here is a link to their  pictures.

Sometimes rearranging furniture is enough to stage a home but sometimes there are some bigger projects that should be tackled so a home feels updated and welcoming.  As a home-buyer, what do you prefer?  Updated home or a redecorating allowance?

Like flies to honey

2 1/2 years ago a fun, fabulous couple asked me to pick colors for their new home that was ALL off-white.  They were drawn to earthy colors but not afraid be bold.  I chose a color palette with calming greens, grey blues, a beige as our neutral, deep browns and a fabulous burnt orange.  The house looked amazing and once they moved in their furniture and accessories, the house was stylish and inviting!
Recently they decided to downsize and our initial planning and hard work paid off!  There was a bidding war and the house sold in under 3 weeks.  Making the right decisions early on makes a huge difference when you want to sell your house later!

I suggested that they paint gallery squares on the wall to bring the height of the room lower and make it cozy and inviting.  They did just that and it turned out great!

  Everyone who went through the house raved and raved about the colors.  Like flies to honey!  Can't wait to help them with their new house!

A house with a view

The first time I visited this home I paused for several seconds by my car just to take in the view.  Gorgeous!  Once I got inside, though, it was a different story.  I could tell the home-owners had beautiful furniture and accessories but they needed help putting it all in the right places.


Before: When you enter the home the dining room is immediately on your right separated from the entry by columns.  It was dark and over furnished.  I gave the home-owners quite a To Do list but they were receptive and got it all done!

What should be the formal sitting room greeted you when you turned to your left.  The clutter is a big No No when putting your house on the market.  Buyers need more help visualizing actually living in your home.

After:  A little bit of wallpaper removal and some paint can go a  long way!  The dining room feels inviting and about twice as big (we took out several small tables and a very large grandfather clock).  It is now a proper first impression.

The formal sitting room is now a sitting room!  We used furniture from other rooms in the house to pull this together.  Sweet and simple.  We also took down the large formal drapes since they were way too overpowering.

Before: The family room seemed worn out and the custom drapes blocked way too much of the view.

After:  I simplified the decor, had all the drapes taken down and re-worked the furniture arrangement.

Before: The kitchen was well on its way too being market ready but once again... too many curtains.

After: A new bask-splash and some accessories finished it off

Before:  The hallway bathroom had a busy and shiny wallpaper

After:  We had the wallpaper taken down and now buyers won't see "project" when they see the bathroom

Before:  The master bedroom looked really good but had too many pictures and heavy drapes that darkened the room and made the colors of the wallpaper too defined.

After:  We took down the drapes and simplified accessories

Before: Master bathroom

After: I wasn't able to get the wallpaper down but by streamlining accessories I was able to give the bathroom the feel of a spa.   

Before:  The office was cram packed with furniture.  Can you tell there is a large window in here?

After:  I moved the chair and ottoman to the family room, put the large filing cabinet in a niche, moved the desk and voila!  The room is bright, airy and spacious!

Before:  The bonus room was a hodge-podge of stuff

After:  We took out the air mattress and the table and chairs.  The room still has a purpose but buyers won't be distracted by too many functions.

Before: The guest room.  Over furnished and outdated.

After:  I took out the un-needed furniture, brought in accessories that were the right scale and I updated the bedding but kept it neutral.  Subtle changes that make a great difference! ( didn't know until after I uploaded the pictures that my camera lens needed to be cleaned!)

The homeowners were so pleased with the finished product and I can't wait for their home to go on the market!

Ok, here's a picture of the view I've been raving about!

downsizing and moving on

Staging this house was so fun!  There wasn't a lot of furniture because the homeowner has slowly been donating her belongings so it would be easier to downsize but we still had plenty to work with.  Thanks Kristie for helping me out on this staging project!  Kristie has a staging business and she is absolutely fabulous!

Before: The furniture in the living room was too spread out and the accessories on the mantle were too small.

After:  We found a much larger piece of artwork for the mantle and kept the accessories simple.  We took out the large recliner, moved the couch up about 4 feet and brought in 2 wing back chairs that help create a cozy sitting area.

Before:  The dining room was dark and oppressive.

After:  We took out the red drapes but left the valance.  That move alone brightened the room considerably!  We also took down the iron artwork and put up pictures that brought in more contrast.  We took the leaf out of the table so the dining room would seem bigger and used the captains chairs in other rooms in the house.

Before: The kitchen was pretty but it lacked that Something Special to catch the eye of buyers.

After:  We brought in a table and chairs for the eating area, cleared clutter off counters and brought in stylish but simple accessories for the glass cabinet.

Before:  Once again, heavy curtains overpowered the room.

After:  We didn't want to leave the homeowner without privacy so we tucked the drapes back as far as they would go instead of taking them down.  Brought in one of the chairs from the dining room and now the room is balanced and welcoming.

I am so impressed with the small personal touches Kristie remembers to add.  She is the bed staging pro!

Before: The guest suite in the walk-out basement didn't say Come stay awhile!  

After:  We rearranged the furniture and took off the dated bedding.  Simple changes that made a BIG difference.

Before: The guest bathroom had one small flower on the wall.  That needed to go!

After:  Just switching out the artwork made a big difference here.

Most of the remaining rooms in the house were empty but now the ones with furniture look good!