Home Staging Blog

As I was browsing LA Times Real Estate, I came across an article by Ann Brenoff on photo tips for online real estate use.  I was pleased yet somewhat surprised that the majority of the tips involved staging the property rather than actual photography tips.

In fact, the number one tip in their article was from Nick Springett, a Santa Monica based real estate photographer with more than 20 years experience.  Springett’s first tip listed in her article is…

“Make the room look inviting.  Set the dining room table with fresh flowers, complete with place settings and ironed linens.”

Hmmm…  Sounds like some of my staged homes…  I like his style :-).  He goes on to describe how furniture can be moved from room to room, the importance of removing clutter and using accessories to make a room look homey.  He has some lighting tips and even some tips for getting great shots of a pool, but really emphasizes the importance of a well staged home. 

Everett Fenton Gidley, also of Santa Monica, also stresses the importance of staging, both in de-cluttering and de-personalizing occupied homes and bringing in furniture and accessories into vacant homes.  As Gidley puts it, “Empty houses lack soul”.

Check out the entire article here.  And don’t miss their websites either; they have some incredible samples there.  Beautiful real estate photography, to be sure!

A fundamental part of preparing a home for staging starts, of course, with the paint.  You want your home to look fresh and clean so it is the perfect backdrop for everything else you do.  Whether you are preparing your home for sale or redesigning your home to enhance your lifestyle, choosing the right colors will make a dramatic difference in how both you and others will react to the home.

When choosing paint color, take samples of your carpet, fabrics and tile to the store with you to help guide you in choosing the color chips.  Be sure to take several color chips home and try them in various areas of your room, at different times of day and in different lighting.  The way the swatch looks in the store can be quite different than how it looks in your home. 

Once you have decided on the colors you will be using, test the paint first by painting a 12″ x 48″ board or the same size area on your wall.  Live with it a few days and again, check it in various lights, at different times of day to be sure you are happy with your color choice.

If you are staging your home for sale, don’t be afraid of color.  Just as color makes a dramatic impact in how you feel about your home, it also makes an impact in how buyers will react to your home. 

                      

On its own, this red feels too strong.

But after adding artwork and a few accessories, it feels “Wow!”

It is wise however to stay away from colors and themes that will only appeal to very specific tastes.  Painting a room midnight blue and applying glow in the dark stars might be fun for your child, but the thought of removing all those stars, repairing the walls and then covering the dark paint may turn away some buyers.  If you are in a situation where you have a room like this, do the work of bringing it back to a more neutral color before putting the home on the market.

For the purpose of home staging, put the power of color to your advantage.  Choose colors that will be the perfect backdrop for the setting that is your home.  Once you have the base right, you will be ready to bring back in your furniture, plants and accessories that will add the elements that pull it all together and make it work.

Privacy, views, two outdoor patios and a graceful home with a romantic master suite.  This is the home in the Hollywood Hills where our staging crew had the opportunity to work yesterday.  Quite a serene setting just above the bustle of activity just a few blocks away.

This home with its large master suite was a fun project.  Two large closets, french doors opening to a small viewing deck with giant view and a deep soaking tub with another view window make this master suite pretty special!

Of course I like the two outdoor patio areas, too.  The one off the dining room really expands the entertaining area and the one off the back of the house provides a great space for the kids or pets or maybe just a quiet afternoon nap…

I’ve put together a little real estate show if you’d like to take a look.  I know there will be an Open House this weekend, so be sure to look for it on my list.

We recently staged a house in Valley Village that has been remodeled and is ready for someone to move right in!  The floors are gorgeous, it has a new kitchen and baths, great curb appeal and a large backyard.  It even has a fireplace!

We took a few pictures (you can see how bright this home is), so you can have a sneak preview.  You really need to go see it for yourself.  The third bedroom can be used as a den or office.  We staged it as a guest room with a desk and it really shows how large a space this is.

If they are having Open House this weekend, I will be sure to include it in our staging client weekend Open House list.

Buyers love to walk into a home that has been staged.  They get excited to see how well the space can be used and get a nice warm, fuzzy feeling when the room is filled with artwork, plants, and other touches that appeal to their senses.

We were so happy when we got a call a couple weeks ago from a buyer of one of the properties we recently staged.  She let us know how much she loved this house and the staging. 

In fact, she loved the staging so much, she wanted to meet with us to discuss purchasing the furniture and accessories along with the home.  We even have the opportunity to come back and help them complete the final furnishing and decorating.  We love our business!

Coincidentally, I just read an article in the NY Times discussing this trend.  It makes perfect sense to me.  With the furniture and accessories already laid out to best showcase the home, why not keep them?

Congratulations to the buyers of this great home!  Best wishes to you both!

PS~ Did I mention that this home sold within weeks of its initial listing with multiple offers?  Congratulations go to all those involved!  A great decision on the part of the homeowner to have it staged and priced to sell and congratulations to the lucky buyer of such a beautiful home in a great location!

And it looks like their customers are pleased…

The guys over at the Spitfire Grill (Eric Faber, Paul Spooner and John Clarizio) in Santa Monica have been working hard this past year to give this great local restaurant a bit of an update.  They have expanded the patio and now they have a new chef and menu to boot.

I’ve loved hanging out at the Spitfire just the way it was, but as you all know, I’m open to change.  So it has been fun watching them paint, add new lighting, new artwork and now the new patio.  My friends are digging it too, including the new menu, especially the B-52 Bomber for lunch, as pictured above :-).

You hear it over and over in the real estate world, “move in ready”.  This home in Beverlywood is just that.  The owner’s have just remodeled it yet have respected the home and neighborhood’s charm.  If you are looking for a warm, relaxed and sophisticated lifestyle to come home to at the end of the day, this home is for you.

This home has a dramatic entry and totally new and up to date kitchen and baths.  The dining room has a great bay window and the master has a large seating area.  But I think my favorite area is the reading niche off the main living room.

You check out the real estate show and let me know what you think.  Does this home look move in ready to you?

Dramatic ceilings, stone floors and elegant stairways…  Just a few of the details this Studio City home offers.  It is located in the flats of Studio City in a great neighborhood, close to Ventura Blvd.

Talk about a lifestyle!  We had a great time staging this dramatic home.  Check out some photos here.  This home also features an ultra private back yard with some great landscaping. 

We had fun staging this home in the Palisades.  Talk about a view!  Virtually every room has ocean views!

We put together a little real estate show with a few photos if you’d like to take a look.  It won’t be open this weekend, but you can contact the agent for a showing.  The contact information is on the detail page of the show.

Aside from the view, this home is loaded with charm, the landscaping is gorgeous and there is a huge deck off the master suite.  How is that for a peaceful lifestyle?

This home in Westchester seems to be built for entertaining.  It features a dramatic entry, gorgeous floors and a great open family room.  And the master suite is truly special.

We have a real estate show, if you’d like to take a peek.  Not sure yet if there will be an open house this weekend, but if there is, we’ll be sure to keep you updated.

Visit the show for all the details.