An Easy Alternative to Empty Rooms - Virtual Staging

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/10/31/realestate/31post2/31post2-popup.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Halstead Property via The New York Times</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/10/31/realestate/31post2/31post2-popup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>An article in today's New York Times describes an alternative to actual staging -- using virtual furnishings to enhance photos for real estate listings.  There are plenty of interesting statistics in here to support the use of any kind of staging, but virtual staging is worth investigating, because it's so reasonably priced and simple.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/realestate/31posting.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/realestate/31posting.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y</a><br /><br />Here are the virtual staging companies that do the most convincing work.<br /><br /><a href="http://virtuallystagingproperties.com/index.html">http://virtuallystagingproperties.com/index.html</a>  <br /><br /><a href="http://virtualstagingsolutions.com/?gclid=CNbcqP-H_aQCFUmA5QodUGlGig">http://virtualstagingsolutions.com/?gclid=CNbcqP-H_aQCFUmA5QodUGlGig</a><br /><br />I write about the advantages and disadvantages of virtual staging in my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebook_02.html">eBook</a>, DIY Home Staging Tips.  

An Easy Alternative to Empty Rooms - Virtual Staging

Photo: Halstead Property via The New York Times An article in today's New York Times describes an alternative to actual staging -- using...

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What Home Stagers Can Learn from Shabby Chic Decor

<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.makingarrangementsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Rachel-Ashwells-dining-room-300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.shabbychic.com/images/gallery/one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-countrylivingbedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-countrylivingbedroom.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>It's casual and charming. It's glamorous and welcoming. <br /><br />It's economical and DIY-friendly. <br /><br />So why don't I recommend shabby chic decorating for staging your home?<br /><br />Because it's also distracting, quirky, uber feminine, and loaded with opportunities for home staging mistakes.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Shabby chic style</span></strong> is characterized by its love affair with almost anything old. <br /><br />It favors layers of obviously faded natural textiles like cottons and linens, distressed furniture finishes, pastel colors, and a combination of elegance and rusticity. <br /><br />Its signature pieces are slipcovered, overstuffed pieces, furniture painted white, and vintage chandeliers.  <br /><br />If you think that doesn't sound like the stuff that staging mistakes are made of, let's look at where the fascination with vintage can lead.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.makingarrangementsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Rachel-Ashwells-dining-room-300x300.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.makingarrangementsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Rachel-Ashwells-dining-room-300x300.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="532" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/05/ss_100089120.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo:BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Someone touring these homes with an eye to buying won't know where to look in these rooms. Pretty, yes, but for staging purposes, not so good. <br /><br />There are too many details, too many colors, weak focal point, stuff on the floor, and too much in-your-face rattiness.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>For the record,</b></span> and so you won't think I'm a stuffed shirt, I love the shabby chic style. I love its girliness, romanticism, muted colors, thriftiness, its emphasis on furniture with good bones, and its comfort level.<br /><br />All I'm saying is that if you stage your home in this style, you're walking into land-mined territory. So, let's carefully pick and choose what works and what doesn't, so your pretty staging doesn't blow up in your pretty face.<br />    <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://img4.coastalliving.com/i/2008/04/shabbychic-kitchen-l.jpg?400:400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo: CoastalLiving.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table>This setting is lovely...but crowded, cluttered, and even downright dangerous to be eating food off that old, peeling table. Anyone heard of the dangers of ingesting lead paint? Buyers can't maneuver around this alcove, and they are left with the impression of cramped quarters.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2010-08/55360693.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Photo: OrlandoSentinal.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Here we've got pillows</b></span> that are too small, no variety in the scale of textile prints, a scatter rug breaking up the floor's expanse, faces of someone's relatives staring back at you, a day bed that doesn't look all that comfy, and way too many ruffles. All very "grandma." Next!<br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/05/ss_100089140.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo: BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Okay,</b></span> I'm a housepainter, so that old chipped paint is always going to bother me. It's one of the reasons I couldn't decorate my own home like this. That, and the fact that I wouldn't feel right surrounding Mr. Lucky with so much feminine stuff. <br /><br />Staging-wise, this bedroom looks like a garage sale. There's a reason why shabby chic is known as "salvage chic." I'm all for re-purposing, but a mantel headboard, a window for wainscoting, a door for a bed, and dresser drawers to elevate it, is too much of a good thing. <br /><br />Old needs new next to it to do it justice. Buyers like new. And, do the gilded letters stand for "do-it-yourself," I wonder?<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/06/ss_100674458.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo: BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Love the abundance</b></span> of textures. I'm not in love with the message of poor maintenance that distressed surfaces give.  A little distressing is fine in furnishings for home staging, but too much says the home's been neglected, and that's the <i>last</i> impression you want to give buyers.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/07/ss_100089144.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo:BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Unless you are marketing </b></span>your home exclusively to women (which would be foolish, impossible, and illegal), this sort of tabletop tableau is a staging misstep. <br /><br />There is so much detail here that a buyer's going to be distracted.  It's clutter, no matter how artsy the arrangement. Besides, these lovely vintage bottles could easily pocketed by someone on a house tour, someone who sells on eBay, or someone who just had to have one!<br />  <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/07/ss_100142809.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo: BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Here </b></span>we're looking at pretty. There are lessons to be learned. Old paneling has a fresh coat of white paint. The hutch, in a different shade of white, shows just enough distressing to be interesting. The wall arrangement demonstrates a sweet and cheap way to bring the eye up. There are no harsh colors, no clutter, no confusion. What could be fresher than a big ole jug of daisies? And you know how I feel about blue and white! Love it.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/07/ss_SIP948130.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo:BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>In this room, </b></span>the gorgeous, hardwood floor -- which buyers <i>love</i> --  is the focal point and everything else revolves around it, literally. Leggy furniture shows if off, and even the tablecloth points to it. Both the corner cupboard and the chandelier politely round out the room but don't call attention to themselves. Buyers are bound to notice and appreciate all the beautiful trimwork -- windows, doors, baseboard, crown molding. This staging is a perfect example of making an older home look refreshingly youthful. Nicely done.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/06/ss_100674445.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo:BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Re-purposing</b></span> done right. An old basket and an old chair bring some life to an otherwise too-white window area. Staging should shun skimpiness. No one's skimping here, because both the amount of flowers and the size of the wire basket are generous. The curtain is lacy without being old fashioned, and the chair is only lightly distressed. Five stars!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="532" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/05/ss_100085314.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo:BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The colors </b></span>are muted and lovable. The pillows are big and in pairs. Nothing obstructs the view of outdoors. The color scheme is benign. The slipcovered furniture is informal and comfortable. I would lose the throw blanket for a home showing but I <i>want</i> that white leather ottoman! Staging grade: A-plus!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.countryliving.com/cm/countryliving/images/bedroom10-de.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="499" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo: CountryLiving.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.countryliving.com/cm/countryliving/images/bedroom10-de.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I chose</b></span> this photo because there's one more element of shabby chic that works for staging, the choice of paintings that please. The typical artwork adorning walls in shabby chic homes is old oil paintings of roses in gilded or painted frames.  I liked the casualness of these two unframed, well-sized, floral pictures. Stagers do well with florals.<br />      <br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>To review,</b></span> say yes to soft colors, slightly distressed furniture, comfortable upholstered or slipcovered pieces, natural textures, re-purposing with a purpose, and refined elegance in moderation. <br /><br />Say no to too many florals, tiny details, clutter, wallpaper, excess ruffles, pink everywhere, and funky furniture that looks too budget-conscious and hand-me-down. <br /><br />The shabby chic decorating style that took off this country in the late 1980s after Rachael Ashwell popularized it in California, has plenty of fans. <br /><br />Despite the fact that it originated in England among the well-heeled as a way of saying, "I have so much money and good taste that I can do as I please, thank you, and leave my faded damasks, paint-chipped armoirs, ratty upholstery, torn wallpaper, beat-up tables, and sentimental paintings as they are," the effect doesn't necessarily look all that wealthy and tasteful on this side of the Atlantic.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>For more ways to dress</b></span> your home for the real estate market, and facts about which decor styles work and which don't, check out my $5 <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar.</i><br /><i><br /></i>

What Home Stagers Can Learn from Shabby Chic Decor

 It's casual and charming. It's glamorous and welcoming. It's economical and DIY-friendly. So why don't I recommend shabby ...

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Tips for Cleaning and Organizing a Closet

<div style="text-align: left;">Oh, the irony of it! Pink Overalls writing about decluttering when her own utility closet looks like this.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="goog_673102454"></span><span id="goog_673102455"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/withdoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/withdoor.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>     <br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>BUT </b></span>what better way to get some clarity on an issue than by digging in and doing? My closet may not look all that nasty, but locating and retrieving necessities was getting difficult, and I knew there was junk in there that I didn't want or need anymore. So, here's what I did:</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Hauled everything out of the closet.  </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Okay</b></span>, that was the easy part. Organization comes easy to me, but throwing things out doesn't.  I look at a collection of lamp parts and think, "Lamps are expensive. I could make or fix a lamp from these."<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/lampparts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/lampparts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="goog_503452093"></span><span id="goog_503452094"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">But really, I should be thinking, "What chain of events would make me need these?" Then, it becomes apparent that unless I really need another lamp (unlikely), or a valuable lamp needs a part (unlikely), or I have no money to go buy even a second hand lamp (unlikely), I have no need for the lamp parts.  </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>AND THAT </b></span>is how I spent the next two hours.   </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />The result looks like this.  </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="goog_1518930363"></span><span id="goog_1518930364"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/closetmakeoverhallcloset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/closetmakeoverhallcloset.jpg" width="337" /></a></div>I now have room for my vacuum cleaner in the cleaning closet. Order has replaced chaos, and I was so pleased that I had to stop myself from going on to do another closet. Sort of.    <br /><br />If someone like me who doesn't enjoy purging (I even hate the word) can toss things, you can too. Here are some pointers for making it a little easier to get a closet cleaned and organized: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">PROBE.</span></b> Ask these questions of everything you take out of the closet. Do I like it? Do I need it? Would it be difficult to replace? The answer to at least one of these questions should be, "Yes." Ideally, the answer to all three would be, "Yes!"  </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>MOTIVATE.</b></span> Tackle this project when you are feeling clear-headed and energetic, but not necessarily happy.  Being a little annoyed at your clutter makes getting rid of it easier. Don't get sentimental or nostalgic, as these emotions will slow you down and cloud your rationality. Just keep envisioning how righteous your closet will look and how well it will function for you. And how impressed house hunters will be. Yes, impressed, because most people have messes in hidden places, and <i>you</i> won't.  <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>STRATEGIZE. </b></span>Give yourself room. You may have to clear a space outside the closet as a landing platform. A big bed nearby is a boon. I had to spread my closet contents out along the adjacent hallway, but it worked fine.  Keeping a wastebasket or garbage bag handy saves steps.   <br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">REWARD.</span></b> Promise yourself something you like once you're done. I told myself I could have a blueberry yogurt smoothie. Staying hungry helped move the project along. What's your perk?  <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CATEGORIZE.</b></span>  I found it efficient to sort as I emptied. I clustered cleaning supplies, vacuum cleaner accessories, batteries, candles, picture hanging supplies, tools, and so forth, as I took them off the shelves.  <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/closetshelves-hallcloset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/closetshelves-hallcloset.jpg" width="356" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">CONSOLIDATE.</span></b> I discovered I had three separate spray bottles of window cleaner, and that all the liquid fit into just one bottle. Cleaning cloths were in three different places, leftover hinges and cabinet knobs were hither and thither, and lamp parts were everywhere. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>RELOCATE. </b></span>Whenever I came upon an item that belonged in another place, I took it there, including a pile in the living room for Goodwill. I knew I risked distraction by "leaving the work site," but dealing with strays kept the area around me from getting too congested. "Focus. focus," I told myself.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CONFIDE. </b></span>You can create your own accountability factor, even a contrived one like I did. I knew I'd be blogging about my closet re-set. I had someone to impress: you, my reader. I didn't want to look like a slob blogger. Maybe you have an open house coming up that could serve as your accountability push.        <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>DISCOVER. </b></span>You're bound to unearth some treasures. My favorite tiny screwdriver that I thought I'd lost showed up. A box of Magic Erasers I didn't know I had was hidden under a bag of sponges. A generous  stash of grocery bags that we need for when we, ahem, walk our beagle, occupied a back corner. Enough old hinges, cabinet knobs, and lamp parts (pat on back!) manifested to net me enough cash from the scrap metal place to take a friend and myself to lunch.        <br /><br />When house hunters tour homes on the market, they usually look in closets. Closets are important to buyers, and a tidy closet speaks well of you and your staged home. So, dig in! The hardest part is getting started. Honest.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>GET HELP.</b></span> For more encouraging tips and techniques that make house staging easy, download my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar. </i></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.handymancraftywoman.com/"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/lars72/733blog%20design%20images/WAW_BUTTON.png" /></a></center>

Tips for Cleaning and Organizing a Closet

Oh, the irony of it! Pink Overalls writing about decluttering when her own utility closet looks like this.      BUT what better way to get s...

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Q. When Does Staging End? A. It Ain't Over till It's Over.

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/Barbarawvan.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We loaded our van five times to reclaim the staging furniture </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>and props we used  </i></span><i style="font-size: medium;">to stage the condo we just sold.</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Even though we've had a signed offer and binding contract on the condo we staged five months ago, we didn't remove any of our precious fluffing until we were almost ready to close. Why wait so long?  Two reasons.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">First Reason</span></b><br /><br />Until you leave the closing table, the deal isn't done.  Sometimes snags and glitches appear at the last minute. Someone gets sick. Or dies. The bank's papers don't arrive. There's a last minute question about an easement, a will, a lien, a signature.<br /><br /> Whenever real estate changes hands, there are plenty of t's to cross and i's to dot.<br /><br />If the deal does fall through for some crazy reason, and you have to relist the property, the staging is in place, ready to show. This event is rare, but why take a chance?<br /><br />Mr. Lucky and I spent a few hours the day before our closing on Tuesday, carrying couches, tables, chairs, lamps and <i>everything else </i>out of the condo.  Everything. You don't want to do that in reverse the next day.<br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Secondly...</span></b><br /><br />The other reason staging should stay is you want your staging working its magic when inspections are done.  The buyer of our condo hired a home inspector, and the bank hired an appraiser.<br /><br />Both these people, on different days, went over the unit looking for problems. It's nice to think that they are objective professionals, filling in blanks, checking off boxes on forms, and multiplying numbers to determine things like square footage, cost per square foot, and bottom line worth.<br /><br />But, you know what?<br /><br />These people can't help but be influenced by how clean a property looks, feels, and smells. Ms. Speedy told us this was true, and other realtors have told us the same thing.  Leave the staging up until all inspectors have come, poked around, and gone.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Staging Works!</span></b><br /><br />Knowing that nuts and bolts people like appraisers and home inspectors are influenced by staging affirms my belief in the value of staging a home on the market.<br /><br />Even the numbers people can't ignore the value of freshly painted walls, shampooed carpeting, handsome furniture, uncluttered surroundings, and beautiful props.<br /><br />That's why it surprises me that more homes aren't staged.<br /><br />Even the big boys miss the point some times.  A realtor friend arranged a tour for me of some luxury condos in our town. These units have been for sale for over a year, and they are all very nice. Yet, the builder has had to reduce the prices gradually until now they are about 40% less than they initially were.<br /><br />Sure the economy is the problem, but isn't that one more reason to stage?  I expected to see at least one model unit furnished, but no. Hello?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/SkySailkitchen-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>They couldn't have found a vase of silk flowers, some faux lemons, </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>or a colorful teapot to liven up this high end kitchen?</i></span>  </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/SkySailkitchen-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>I'm convinced that our simple staging helped sell our condo.  Comparable units in the same complex are still waiting for a buyer.<br /><br />In fact, for the past month, Ms. Speedy has marched clients past our Sale Pending sign and through our unit after they have walked away from the other units, so they could see "what can be done."<br /><br />Most people want to move right in to their new home. They don't <i>want</i> no stinkin' repairs! <br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">A Modest Celeebration</span></b><br /><br />To celebrate the closing of our property, Mr. Lucky and I went out to dinner.  We both ordered the same thing -- Low Country Steamed Seafood.  Clams, crab, shrimp, corn, potatoes, and sausage.  What's not to love?  For dessert, we stopped at the dollar store for a treat -- Good Humor Oreo Ice Cream Bars.  Now, that's a celebration. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/Harborwalk/GoodHumorwrapper.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Can you tell that the wrapper on mine was torn off in a hurry?  </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Was I afraid it would melt, or could I just not be patient? </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>If you are on the fence about staging the home you are selling, I hope I've helped you see the value staging has. My <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook,</a> <i>DIY Home Staging Tips</i> <i>to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar</i>, tells you how to do it yourself so you don't have to hire a home stager.      <br /><br /><span id="goog_21283543"></span><span id="goog_21283544"></span>

Q. When Does Staging End? A. It Ain't Over till It's Over.

We loaded our van five times to reclaim the staging furniture  and props we used   to stage the condo we just sold. Even though we've ha...

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Getting Buyers to View Your Home

<div class="deleteBody"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/househunting415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/realestateMLSlistingpage-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/realestateMLSlistingpage-3.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>With so many houses on the market, how can you guarantee your buyer will find you?<br /><br />Buyers do searches of listings and then narrow down the list of homes they want to see.<br /><br />Don't count on luck to get you on the list. Instead, <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-arrange-furniture-most-common.html">stage your home</a>, and then advertise it right.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Once your home is listed</b></span> check your listing. Check it for mistakes and omissions. It's very common for a garage, basement, attic, bonus room or outbuilding to be listed incorrectly or not at all. Are the specifications right regarding important features like square footage, heating and cooling, septic, school district, size of rooms, taxes, roof, and flooring? Check even the obvious data like numbers of baths and bedrooms.<br /><br />No one is perfect, and all these details are just entered into a computer, maybe by someone who hasn't had her second cup of coffee yet.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://therealestatebakery.com/files/2010/07/cars-in-driveway.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://therealestatebakery.com/files/2010/07/cars-in-driveway.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Are they selling the cars or the house?  </i></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Check your photos</b></span> too. They should do justice to your staging. Otherwise, replace them.<br /><br />If you can't afford a professional photographer (which is a worthy investment imho) and you don't like the pictures your realtor used, you may  have to shoot some of your own pictures and send them to your realtor. Make sure any published pictures were taken after all the staging is in place.<br /><br />And once your home is staged and photographed, don't disappoint buyers when they come calling by re-arranging furniture and adding in clutter. Changes like this will breed distrust. <br /><br />Choose the best angle or two for each room, then shoot multiple pictures, tweaking the angle of the camera and other minor variables, so you can later eliminate all but the very best.  <br /><br />Bad photos are often taken from a poor vantage point, or were not cropped and edited for brightness and contrast, resulting in drab and uninteresting images that tell buyers nothing. If I can edit photographs on Picasa, anyone can.<br /><br />If neither your realtor nor you have a photographic eye, ask a friend with good photo skills to help you, or hire a professional photographer who has real estate experience..  <br /><br />For some how-not-to-photograph-your-home tips, visit <a href="http://badmlsphotos.com/">http://badmlsphotos.com/</a> . And be prepared to be aghast.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://therealestatebakery.com/files/2010/07/cars-in-driveway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Especially crucial </b></span>is the feature photo that headlines your listing. House hunters make quick decisions based on that one image.<br /><br />Is the angle flattering?<br /><br />Is the time of day right, so the home's details are evident and not lost in shadows?<br /><br />Take lots of pictures from close, far and in between, and then choose the best one.<br /><br />And, please, let's get the cars and garbage cans out of the driveway when we're taking that all-important shot.<br /><br />Review the write-up and any handouts your realtor or you have prepared. Make sure there are no mistakes or typos there. When your literature looks sloppy, your home looses credibility and desirability. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRkW6X2dk3hYX-emRR5Ikm5k5zEggsUlHSMDVK6CF-7JAhiN78&t=1&usg=__L98OQ87DSKnBPXYr5FKdU-l0hq0=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRkW6X2dk3hYX-emRR5Ikm5k5zEggsUlHSMDVK6CF-7JAhiN78&t=1&usg=__L98OQ87DSKnBPXYr5FKdU-l0hq0=" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRkW6X2dk3hYX-emRR5Ikm5k5zEggsUlHSMDVK6CF-7JAhiN78&t=1&usg=__L98OQ87DSKnBPXYr5FKdU-l0hq0=" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It's empty. You've lost a prospect. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Do you have </b></span>a weatherproof holder of print-outs available for drive-by house hunters?<br /><br />Keep it full. It's a simple thing, but important.<br /><br />If you change your price, make sure the literature tells people that.<br /><br />Don't be shy about attaching a second sheet that lists all the amenities an MLS sheet may not mention -- how close the golf course is, the way the local schools are rated, town demographics, number of restaurants within walking distance, nearby hiking trails, public transportation, climate data, whatever makes your property look more valuable.   <br /><br />Always remember that some buyers will be people relocating from elsewhere. Do they know the local abbreviations and lingo? Don't assume everyone knows all about your area's best features.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.taosvacationhomes.com/pics/1844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span id="goog_1464419030"></span><span id="goog_1464419031"></span>When I moved </b></span>to Santa Fe, New Mexico, many of the real estate ads I read mentioned "v and k."<br /><br />A realtor had to explain to me, someone moving there from Boston, that the "v" stood for vigas, the overhead beams. And "k" stood for kiva, the traditional adobe fireplace. Who knew?<br /><br />You may have to explain the local real estate jargon and abbreviations.  </div><div class="deleteBody"></div><div class="deleteBody"></div><div class="deleteBody"><br /><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/05/five-reasons-to-stage-your-own-home.html">Home staging your own home</a> is a great beginning, but part two is making sure people get to see the beautiful job you've done to showcase your home.<br /><br />The best beginning for staging your home is my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null">,</a> <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar. </i>And you can download it right now<i>. </i><br /><div class="postBody" style="color: #777777;"></div></div><input name="security_token" type="hidden" value="AOuZoY6tDsOGWCCDdMjOwhk8RVIR3jiKqQ:1286496590746" /><input name="postID" type="hidden" value="4466560063453667714" /> <input name="blogID" type="hidden" value="8919423189147062938" /> <br /><div class="errorbox-good"><input name="securityToken" type="hidden" value="7QcIRKMNVF3ltMmhWaAGLoKsZG4:1286496590776" /> </div>

Getting Buyers to View Your Home

With so many houses on the market, how can you guarantee your buyer will find you? Buyers do searches of listings and then narrow down the l...

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Ins and Outs of Staging a Fireplace Mantel

<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2009/10/ss_100008282.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Here's perfect staging style -- an interesting </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>variety </i></span><i style="font-size: medium;">of big, bold shapes on this </i><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>classic stone fireplace mantel</i></span>.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>When the home you are staging</b></span> has a fireplace, its mantel gives you a perfect opportunity to call attention to this feature.  Whether it's wood burning, gas logs, non functioning, electric, or just decorative, a fireplace is usually a room's main focal point.<br /><br />Having such an inviting focal point makes your staging work easier.  Put some stuff on the mantel and you're done.<br /><br />Not so fast.  What stuff?  Choose the wrong accessorizing props and you've missed an opportunity to enhance the room's selling point. Arrange them poorly and you've ruined the relaxing effect a fireplace has on a room.<br /><br />In my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebook_02.html">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar</i>, I offer five different formulas and plenty of do's and don'ts that will make easy work of decorating even a problem mantel. <br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="532" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2009/10/ss_100008286.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This fireplace is slightly off-center, so its mantel was decorated asymmetrically, </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>and with an odd number of items. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2009/10/ss_100008286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Decorate the mantel </b></span>in the same style you've staged the rest of your house.<br /><br />If your home has an open floor plan, wall to wall carpet, recessed ceiling lights, and casual furnishings, choose objects for the mantel that are modern, fun, and informal.<br /><br />If your home has high ceilings, crown molding, hardwood floors, chandeliers, and a formal dining room, choose objects that are traditional, historically interesting, and sophisticated. Be selective, because you need only a few things.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Decorators use </b></span>what they call the Rule of One and Three.  Their advice is to choose one large or tall item and balance it with three small but somehow related items.  Maybe you have a centerpiece between them, or the four things may be the whole show.<br /><br />That rule works fine for informal mantel groupings, but not so much for that formally balanced mantel.  There, you'll want one side to look just like the other. If you have pairs of identical vases, candlesticks, picture frames or obelisks, set one of a pair on each end of the mantel.<br /><br />For less formality, keep the pairs together and balance the mantel asymmetrically.  Stand back and squint, and you should be able to tell if the mantel balances. <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pick mantel props </b></span>that have varying colors, textures, shapes and sizes. Just as you've done with the rest of your staged house, stay away from small stuff and go for big, clean shapes.  That doesn't mean you can't use found objects from nature. Branches, pinecones, shells, rocks, feathers, and driftwood can be wonderful mantel props.<br /><br />Stagger the props to create a fluid motion as your eye moves from left to right, the way a buyer would glance over a mantel.  Vary the heights just enough to make it interesting, but not so much that your eye jumps around.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I'm a believer </b></span>in the fooling-around approach to accessorizing.  Experiment with what you have on hand, and you're bound to discover the perfect arrangement.  Every staged house for sale with a fireplace deserves some thoughtful attention to its mantel.  I hope you'll be inspired by these photos to create your own mantel masterpiece.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="331" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2009/10/ss_101149357.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>J</i><span style="font-size: small;"><i>ust a couple of dramatic items are all it took to accent the beauty of </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>this contemporary style fireplace. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2009/10/ss_101149357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2009/10/ss_100952705.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>A cozy home with cottage-style furnishings deserves </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>a mantel dressed in nature-themed objects. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2009/10/ss_101133838.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>All the things on this mantle repeat the colors and </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>shapes seen elsewhere in the room.</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Above photos: BHG.com</span></i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.veranda.com/cm/veranda/images/yy/estates-greystone-great-house-17-0309_LG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.veranda.com/cm/veranda/images/yy/estates-greystone-great-house-17-0309_LG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.veranda.com/cm/veranda/images/yy/estates-greystone-great-house-17-0309_LG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.veranda.com/cm/veranda/images/yy/estates-greystone-great-house-17-0309_LG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.veranda.com/cm/veranda/images/yy/estates-greystone-great-house-17-0309_LG.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Although the art on either side of this fireplace is informal, </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>the mantel is dressed formally. Photo: Veranda.com</i></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.veranda.com/cm/veranda/images/yr/marsden-willis-north-carolina-0908-6_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://www.veranda.com/cm/veranda/images/yr/marsden-willis-north-carolina-0908-6_lg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Six prints and two vases that repeat this room's blue f</i></span><i><span style="font-size: small;">loral </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">motif, create a formal, refined mantel. Photo: Veranda.com</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.veranda.com/cm/veranda/images/7A/ver-barry-fireplace-1109-4-lgn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.veranda.com/cm/veranda/images/7A/ver-barry-fireplace-1109-4-lgn.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Less is more.  Barbara Barry designed this living room </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>around an elegantly simple fireplace. Photo:Verdanda.com.</i></span><i style="font-size: small;">  </i></div><br /></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table>

Ins and Outs of Staging a Fireplace Mantel

Here's perfect staging style -- an interesting  variety  of big, bold shapes on this  classic stone fireplace mantel . When the home you...

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Painted Furniture -- Home Staging's Friend

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thenester.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/DSC_0226.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Home stagers on a budget -- celebrate with me, because painted furniture is the new look.<br /><br />The design world has given us permission to paint those pine armoirs, those oak tables and even those (gasp!) mahogany china cabinets.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What We Get. </b><span style="font-size: small;">Let's look at </span></span>what we gain when we put some paint on the furniture we're using for home staging.<br /><br />Paint gives us unlimited color choices.<br /><br />Paint disguises damaged, flawed furniture, saving us money.<br /><br />Paint adds a clean, fresh look to our rooms.<br /><br />Today's trend-conscious singles and young families relate to the informal, laid back look painted furniture creates.<br /><br />Other buyers in all demographics respond well to the pretty-factor of painted furniture. They know they aren't buying furniture, but you and I know they are influenced by furniture.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What to Paint.</b></span> Don't worry, antique hunters and lovers of stained wood, we won't destroy anything valuable.<br /><br />We're staging with garage sale finds, not precious heirlooms. If what you're thinking of painting is 150 years old, belonged to your grandmother, or cost you more than a day's wages, don't.<br /><br />Otherwise, get on your painting clothes.<br /><br />You do have painting clothes. don't you?<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.centsationalgirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/marthasvineyardchest_thumb.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="484" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Another favorite blogger who's an accomplished furniture painter is Centsational girl.  Great tutorials at <a href="http://www.centsationalgirl.com/tag/painted/">http://www.centsationalgirl.com/tag/painted/</a></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.centsationalgirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/marthasvineyardchest_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4583504381_72f1bc767d.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Kristi at Pink and Polka Dot, the slipcover queen, painted a Goodwill table white to match her chairs.  Look how much more important the hardwood floor looks. <a href="http://pinkandpolkadot.blogspot.com/">http://pinkandpolkadot.blogspot.com/</a></span></i> </td></tr></tbody></table>If you're still nervous about covering up natural-looking wood, remember that paint can be taken off furniture.  If you change your mind and need some stained wood furniture in a few years -- like for a man cave -- you can hand him the can of Strip-eeze. <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What Colors. </b><span style="font-size: small;">Choose colors</span><b> </b></span>that are going to work with you in your staged home as well as your next home, neutrals like white, black or cream. For a little more personality, pale or mid range grey, blue, or green are good choices.<br /><br />Of course you'll tie your color to other colors in the room. If there are naturally finished wood pieces in the room, choose colors that are noticeably different. You do not want to look like you are imitating wood.  With a few painted pieces of furniture in the room, the wood pieces will look all the more glamorous. Trust me.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/screendoorandwickerchair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/screendoorandwickerchair.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Wicker furniture is always charming. Here, these two wicker pieces make a good first impression because they are freshly painted. Painting wicker is usually a spray paint project. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What Finish. </b><span style="font-size: small;">The finish</span></span> you choose will depend on the style of the piece and the mood of your home. A high gloss sheen looks super on contemporary pieces, and in some formal settings, but furniture surfaces better be in good condition and well-prepped, because every pimple will show. You're safer with a semi-gloss or egg-shell finish.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What's first? </b></span>Give yourself plenty of room for working on your piece, and good ventilation. Sand the piece well, using fine sandpaper. If it's a dresser, remove hardware and drawers. Go over the entire thing with a tack cloth to pick up dust. Prime with a stain-blocking primer like Zinsser Bullseye or Kilz. Water base primer and water base paints are the way to go.<br /><br />Use a small roller or a good quality brush and keep checking your work for drips and runs. If you are painting a table or chair, start with it upside down first, and when the legs are done, flip it over to do the top.<br /><br />If your project piece is small, it's probably easier to spray paint it. You won't have quite as many colors to choose from, and you need even better ventilation.      <br /><br />When the primer is dry, sand it lightly, and apply your first coat of color. Plan on three thin coats for a smooth finish that hides brush marks.  Sand lightly and tack off between coats.  Allow to dry for a full day before moving or adding hardware.<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_2945-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_2945-2.jpg" width="419" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">A coat of pale blue paint covered up the dings and </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">scratches in old these bamboo dining chairs. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What style.</b></span> It's common to buy painted furniture with slight distressing or other antiquing techniques.<br /><br />Although aging furniture this way does add some warmth and character, I generally don't recommend furniture that smacks of <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-home-stagers-can-learn-from-shabby.html">shabby chic </a>for staging. I love the look, but not everyone does, especially men buyers and people unfamiliar with the style.<br /><br />For <a href="http://su-casa.casasugar.com/Before-After-Boring-China-Cabinet-Fabulous-Bookcase-6126099">before and after</a> story that's impressive, visit another great blogger, Su Casa, for the photos that show how one reader painted an old china cabinet, creating an office space for herself.<br /><br />So, give your staged home a new feeling. Paint some furniture, and you'll see what a welcoming air it creates.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What's next.</b></span> You can find solutions to other budget, decorating, and furniture problems in my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook,</a> <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar. </i>You can download it NOW and start creating the home that everyone wants.<i></i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Top photo: TheNester.com</i>

Painted Furniture -- Home Staging's Friend

Home stagers on a budget -- celebrate with me, because painted furniture is the new look. The design world has given us permission to pain...

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Never-Fail Color Scheme: Blue and White

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/kitplates5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="425" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Does your home staging project start with empty rooms? Then, simply go with blues and whites and you can't go wrong.<br /><br />Do your staged rooms need a little more life? Just inject some blue and white accessories, and you'll provide all the energy they need. <br /><br />These are the plates on my kitchen wall. I bought the two fish plates when I visited my sons in Seattle, so I always think of them when I look at this wall -- everyday!<br /><br />The souvenir plate is a tacky, thrift store find that I like because it features scenes along the New England coast, where I grew up.<br /><br />And, of course, every home needs some Blue Willow.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><br />There's something fascinating about blue and white.  Unlike other colors, all blues go together, which means decorating mistakes are difficult to make.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Magic of the Classic Combo</span></b><br /><br />The color consultants might jump all over me, but I adore a mix of blues -- royal, cobalt, indigo, azure, iris, cornflower, baby blue, navy...they're all good. Any blue and white color scheme is  perfect  for decorating any room, and that means it could be your go-to color combo to help stage your home.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I never tire of blue and white combinations in homes, and neither do most people. It's classic, but always on trend, and it's clean, but never sterile.<br /><br />Add some blue and white transferware plates to a wall, and you've got yourself some instant classiness. Add white towels with bold blue stripes and your bathroom will sing. Add a pale blue and white dhurrie rug to a hallway, and you've upped the charm factor. Add a blue and white toile duvet and curtains in a bedroom, and well, you're home free.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Books/Pix/pictures/2009/10/8/1255022585146/Blue-and-white-bowl-Iznik-001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;">You can find pretty bowls likes this at most import stores. </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">Photo:static,guim.com  </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://www.veranda.com/cm/veranda/images/mA/ver-capecod-0510-11-lgn.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;">Light blue walls bring the ocean and sky into this bedroom.</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;"> Graphic royal blue pillows add punch. Photo: Veranda.com</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmg_hcIHMOY-TKvNxH86vo-wddOJANVkyMQ_MiSM2I2NZ7r6sJqO1oLNJljhyj0xIZ3W1EjVmFyhPiQjygg5e7gnyOKxb_R_rlCAY-_vPPFE3hqpQztPw2d9_G03SdsyuWTQGm1lKUuY1/s640/blue+living+room+blue+weinrib+rug+white+sofa+chh.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;">Without this blue rug, the room's furniture would be adrift. Photo:canadian house and home </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">via thirteen and south.blogspot.  </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://common1.csnimages.com/lf/1/hash/307/980103/1/1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;">I love the curvy shape and the two shades of blue on this table lamp. </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">Photo:csn stores</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://common1.csnimages.com/lf/1/hash/307/980103/1/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></i></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://img4.coastalliving.com/i/2010/10/idea-house/master-bath-details-l.jpg?400:400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;">What could be more natural in a bath than a blue and white seascape?  </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">Coastal Living 2010 Idea House</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Getting Art and Getting Inspired</span></b><br /><br />Did you know that you can visit <a href="http://www.art.com/">www.art.com</a> and order artwork by color? Choose the size, style, content (landscape, abstract, whatever), and up pops all the choices!     <br /><br />If you want to get inspired in the blue and white vein, be sure to look at Carolyne Roehm's book, <i>A Passion For Blue and White, </i>at bookstores and available from Amazon for about $40.  If you're not a believer in the beauty of this color marriage-made-in-heaven, you will be when you've spent time with this gorgeous coffee table volume.  Even though it was published two years ago, the prices for used editions are the same as new, further proof that this beautiful book is worth owning.  <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Blue-White-Carolyne-Roehm/dp/0767921135/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1286242791&sr=8-3">http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Blue-White-Carolyne-Roehm/dp/0767921135/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1286242791&sr=8-3</a> .<br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Wrap</span></b><br /><br />So, you've no excuse for being unable to choose a foolproof color scheme for staging your home.When in doubt, go with blue and white.<br /><br />And for more advice about how to stage a mantel, tabletops, bathrooms, closets, bedrooms, kitchens, and even the front porch, download my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebook_02.html">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar.</i>

Never-Fail Color Scheme: Blue and White

Does your home staging project start with empty rooms? Then, simply go with blues and whites and you can't go wrong. Do your staged room...

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Where to Stash Un-Sexy Stuff in a Staged Home

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YkM8003I6PHjAYvf3en9-kx6TnXQqhCXwKuY3giQfUSae6xG1-4ffMBxmHF1AFonFRSrtDGebWBE01LTE2hbITSTe9mMxbqwrd1Jfgu7ao6DfYrxnt9h3EYD8_mndBqzHXIJdlzhp69E/s400/closet_SFD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YkM8003I6PHjAYvf3en9-kx6TnXQqhCXwKuY3giQfUSae6xG1-4ffMBxmHF1AFonFRSrtDGebWBE01LTE2hbITSTe9mMxbqwrd1Jfgu7ao6DfYrxnt9h3EYD8_mndBqzHXIJdlzhp69E/s400/closet_SFD.jpg" width="377" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Do I have to hide my toothbrush?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"What can I do about wet towels when I leave in the morning?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I can't ask the kids to not play with their toys."</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Who hid the remote?"  </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Nobody lives like this!"  </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">These are the kinds </span></b>of things people living in staged homes utter. Are you one of them? Are you taking it in stride, enjoying an uncluttered, clean, and prettied home? Or do you hate having to keep your closets and counters picture perfect?      </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I want you to love your staged home and enjoy living there. Maybe these tips from people who have lived in staged homes, waiting for the days when they can leave their bed unmade once in a while, will help.</span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Under a bed is one of the few places people touring a home don't look. Slide some plastic storage boxes under there to hold magazines, hobbies, and other ordinary things.</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Box up the little stuff.  Rather than have stacks of clothing or purses on closet shelves, line up some matching baskets and fill them up. So much better! And still easy for you to find and replace things.</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">There's always the car trunk. That's where all the last minute clutter goes when your realtor calls and asks if she can bring some buyers over. It's big enough to accommodate baskets of unfolded laundry.</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rearrange your dresser drawers so that one of them is empty. You can throw the non-glamorous things into it every day before you leave the house. </span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Get some routines going. Polish the faucet when you brush your teeth. Dry down the shower stall with a microfiber cloth when you're done showering. Store your magazines under the couch cushions. Get in the habit of putting the toilet seat and lid down. </span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Use hampers, wastebaskets and recycle bins with lids.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can do this! Remind yourself that staged homes sell faster for more money. Repeat.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read more about the problems that home sellers face, such as old furniture, no budget, no time, mismatched furniture, and an uncooperative spouse! I offer helpful advice for all these situations and others, in my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar.</i></span>

Where to Stash Un-Sexy Stuff in a Staged Home

"Do I have to hide my toothbrush?" "What can I do about wet towels when I leave in the morning?" "I can't ask t...

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