Small Tweaks Make a Huge Difference

Sometimes showing off the very best parts of a house and preparing it for the real estate market can take weeks...and sometimes, like a recent staging project, it takes a couple of hours and some very small tweaks to make the features of a house shine.  In the case of this house located overlooking Cranberry Pond, staging was all about making a few key changes in each room.

  

With the support of kind homeowners, a willing agent, and some muscles, this house went from already pretty amazing to jaw-dropping spectacular.  Take a look.

LIVING ROOM - BEFORE

LIVING ROOM - AFTER

We rearranged the living room furniture to show off more of the floor and give buyers a true sense of the room's size.

BUILT-INS - BEFORE

BUILT-INS - AFTER

We paired back just a few accessories to help showcase the build-ins.

FOYER - BEFORE

 FOYER - AFTER

Just removing the rocking chair helped to make the curving staircase a star.

MASTER BEDROOM - BEFORE

MASTER BEDROOM - AFTER

Moving the benches at the end of the bed makes the room look bigger.  Plus, they're perfect in the room right off of the master bedroom.

FINISHED BASEMENT - BEFORE

 FINISHED BASEMENT - AFTER

Moving the couches to the perimeter of the room helps show off the size of the finished basement.

KITCHEN - BEFORE

KITCHEN - AFTER

Removing the bar stools and clearing some surface items helps the kitchen appear larger and more custom.

Before long, the house was ready. 

If you'd like to see more of this amazing house, check out Harlan Furbush's video of the home here.

A+ for Staging!

I'm giving my newest staging clients an A+ for getting their house ready to sell.  They followed all my staging advice and turned their already-beautiful house into an absolute stunner.  Do you want to know the craziest part?  I haven't even met the homeowners.  That's right, I toured the house when they weren't home and gave them a detailed list of staging tasks.  Then, two days later I showed back up to take the photos while they were at work.  Every room I entered was more beautiful and transformed than the last.  

Take a look...

BEFORE

AFTER

 BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Totally A+ worthy!

Transforming Furniture for Staging

 

I love estate sales.  They're a perfect place to find awesome deals on great pieces of furniture that can be used when staging vacant homes.  

Recently, I found this diamond in the rough...

 

 

When I found it, I couldn't wait to hand over my $5 and start the chair's makeover.

I cleaned the frame with a TSP substitute first.

 

The first step of recovering the seat cushion was taking out all the old staples securing the existing fabric down.

 

 

Then, I stapled new fabric onto the cushion.

 

Then, I spray painted like crazy.

 

Once the paint was dry, I plopped the cushion back down and the chair was done.

 

The chair just needed the right room to show off its makeover. 

Cue this vacant bedroom...

 

Can you spot the chair at the desk?

 

 

Isn't it fun what $5 and some makeovering (not a word) can do? 

Art on the Walls

I love the houses that each staging and design adventure brings me into.  The walkways, the windows, the rooms, the floors, the outdoor spaces, I love them all.  However, there's something I love even more than the houses.  

It's the people inside.  

I meet the coolest people while helping them prepare their houses to sell or guiding them through design projects.  Recently, I met Steve Levinson, a photographer and partner at Image City Photography Gallery. 

As you can imagine the art in his home is amazing.  I was gushing over several of the pieces when he suggested I take a trip to the gallery to learn about their process for setting up a show.  

I leaped at the opportunity and soon found myself getting a one-on-one tour with Betsy Philips, a photographer and partner at the studio.  Her personal show was exhibited when I stopped by.  

It was amazing.  She taught me all about how they set up a show.  Every piece is curated and its placement is carefully sequenced.  I even think that some of her process can be applied in our own homes as well.  

First Impressions

At Image City Photography Gallery, the artist's show begins outside of the gallery.  Pretty clever, right?  The same goes for our own houses. People's first impressions of our houses begin well before they ever enter our homes.  Curb appeal is where it's at!

Group by Content

When Betsy sequences a show, there's nothing random about it. A spot for each photograph is carefully considered.  One of those considerations is subject matter.  Photographs with a common theme or taken in the same place are often grouped together in the show.  The same idea applies to hanging art in our own spaces.  Consider the content.  Group art that has a common subject thread together for an appealing display.

Consider Color

Some photographs work well together because they have common or complimentary colors.  That same idea works in our homes as well.  This is particularly true when assembling accessories in a room.  Having a unifying color ties in pillows, art, and knickknacks.  The end result is a comfortable and pulled together space.

When my evening with Betsy came to an end I had learned so much.  I learned about the gallery, her personal process as a photographer, some behind the scenes tidbits about her photos, and the care that she takes in assembling a show for herself and others.  However, I think the best thing I took away from our time together was how wonderful it felt to be surrounded by the work of so many talented photographers.  Their work was proof that there is nothing better in life than doing what you're passionate about.  

Thanks to all of you for supporting me in doing what I'm most passionate about.

Oh, and you've got to make it a point to stop into 
Image City Photography Gallery.  
It's located at 722 University Ave.  

You can check out their website here.


Of course, all the artwork featured in this post is for sale (along with a ton of other work displayed in the gallery.)  
I'm a proud owner of one of Betsy's prints.  It's a stunner!