Rugs, Wreaths, and Quilts

I've posted plenty about paintings, but often a home stager's best friend isn't what you see framed on the walls of a traditional museum or gallery.

It's the quirky "finds" that get pressed into service as wall art.

Need examples?

How about an area rug like the one on the right?

Can you believe that all it took to fasten it to the wall were three dressmakers pins along the top edge, pins that are all but invisible. And they leave almost invisible pin holes in the wall.

The floppy fringe on the top of this rug doesn't bother me, but you could tuck it behind a rug as an alternative. 

Another common textile used for wall decor is the quilt.

I've written in my home staging eBook that the wrong kind of quilts, and you know the grandma kind I mean -- as beautiful as they might be -- can age a home.

But today's artsy quilts are a different story. They can make your home stand out in buyers' minds. Confused about how to hang them? Don't be. Just don't hang them from rings or tabs, but from a rod that distributes the weight of all that fabric. This is the way to go with rugs, tapestries, weavings and other textiles.

You can easily hand stitch (or glue if the piece is not precious) a casing, a simple strip of strong fabric, to the top back of your hanging, and insert a rod that fastens to the wall.

Another method is to attach a strip of hook and loop tape to the top edge, and the other strip to a wood strip firmly mounted on the wall.

Or Command strips from 3-M might be your choice for getting textiles on your walls. They come in all shapes and strengths, so I know you'll find one kind that's right for what you're hanging. 

For more delicate textiles like scarves, lace and antique fabrics, you can attach these to a base fabric like linen or upholstery weight fabric to stabilize them. Mount this backer fabric on a stretched canvas, foamcore board, or even under framed glass.

Third Dimension

Wall hangings that have more body to them than flat art will add an interesting layer to your staged spaces.

The most common of these is The Wreath. Pinterest overflows with ideas for wreaths!

My favorites are the seasonal ones.

Just make sure that your Halloween wreath gets replaced before Christmas. There's no reason your potential  home buyers need to know how long your unoccupied home has been on the market and an updated seasonal wreath tells people that you still love your home.

Check that your wreath is an asset to the room, something that adds texture and quality, and that it ties into the colors you've chosen for staging.

Most of the wreaths on my Pinterest board for Wreaths are more suitable for exterior decor, but not all. My square wreath of pine cones looks super indoors.

If you need ideas for current fabric wall hangings, use search terms like "Quilts as Wall Art" on Pinterest, and get ready for some treats.

More Options

Here are other possibilities for filling up blank walls with art other than traditional paintings, whether your home is for sale or forever.

• Clothing, like saris and silk robes
• Hand dyed masterpieces of your own like tie-dyed work
• Batiks and ikat patterns from fabric samples
• Machine-stitched free-form embroidery
• Flags (as long as they do not announce a preference for a certain sports teams or impassioned nationalism for a foreign nation)
• New upholstery or drapery fabric  

Have fun with all the possibilities to fill your walls with subtle pattern, color and texture. With the right wall decor, buyers are bound to be impressed with the specialness of your home. Yours be the one house on the tour they remember.