Tile Does a Wall Good

Before Tile

Premiere Home Stagers is finishing up on this redesign project. The homeowners are moving in next week. Even though no structural changes occurred, the recommendations we made defnitely made a big impact.  Two places where we felt tile was needed was on the front of this island and on the backsplash.

Now if people sit on bar stools, they won’t leave their footprints on the wall.

Island Tile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Premiere Home Stagers chose the same tile for the fireplace surround since they are in the same room.

New Tile and Custom Mantel

The kitchen backsplash is a focal point in the room since it is an open concept layout. Therefore, it needed to be more dramatic. This is what we chose:

Backsplash detail

One of the things to be aware of when designing a tile layout is exactly where the electrical switches and outlets are.  You don’t want a trim piece to run through them.

Note black trim piece

Kitchen Backsplash

There are infinite choices of tile and layouts.  Premiere Home Stagers can help you wade through the choices and give you options.  Only 10% of the population can visualize what something will look like. The homeowners of this redesign said the many choices of paint colors, tile, countertops and flooring were too overwhelming for them, which is why they called Premiere Home Stagers.  They now love what they see.  We can also redesign your space to fit your needs.  608-345-9396.

 

Vacant or Occupied Home?

At Premiere Home Stagers we work with sellers of both occupied and vacant homes for sale.  Our goal is to maximize the appeal of the home to any buyer, thus increasing its marketability.

Once in a while we run across a home that is not vacant, but barely occupied either.  Such was the case this week.  We assumed we would be placing furniture from our inventory in the home but discovered someone is living there in minimal fashion.  Because the occupant is staying while the home is on the market, we needed to change gears and make recommendations using the homeowner’s belongings.

We selected three rooms to focus on — the living room, dining area and main floor family room.

Partially furnished living room

The living room is seen first when entering the home.  This room felt unbalanced because the remainder of the furniture had been moved to the family room.

Our recommendations:

•   Move loveseat back at right angle to the sofa
•   Remove small wall hangings, reposition others
•   Replace dated drapes with swags from family room
•   Purchase new throw pillows in a warm tone

Dining room with a view

This dining area is the other view from the front entry.  As a vacant space it calls attention to any defect.  Our suggestions included:

• Remove brown mini-blinds for an uncluttered window
• Continue the warm paint color throughout the room
• Remove gas grill from the sightline
• Add dining table, chairs, centerpiece and a colored area rug

We want this room to invite diners in to enjoy the view of the deep backyard.

 

Partially furnished family room

This family room flows off the kitchen and has the potential to give the home an open concept feel.  But the loveseat forms a visual barrier and the furniture again feels unbalanced.  Our sense is that this area shows best without furniture.

We suggested the following:

•  Remove all other furniture and accessories. (The loveseat has been repositioned into the living room)
•  Remove dark and dated window treatments and border
•  Paint the dark stained ceiling white to give height to the space

 

We love to start with a “blank canvas”.  But when that isn’t possible we brainstorm to make the best use of what is available in a home.  With several suggestions in other rooms this home will gain more appeal to potential buyers.

 

Decorating for Tall Ceilings

Before Trim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dilemma was whether to place crown moulding on these three entry ledges. The new fireplace has crown moulding, the upper kitchen cabinets have crown moulding.  The homeowner wasn’t sure, so he asked Premiere Home Stagers for advice.  The key is to look at other elments in the house to decide.  In this case, the curved staircase provided a more traditional feel to the room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therefore, it was an easy decision for us to go with the moulding.

Entry Trim installed

Another question that comes up fairly often in newer homes is how to decorate with tall ceilings?

from apartment therapy

You have two choices:  you can either emphasize the height of the room by decorating with large-scale pieces; or you can visually minimize the height.  How do you accomplish this?  By placing horizontal moulding at around 9 feet tall and then painting the wall above the moulding the same color as the ceiling (see photo above from Apartment Therapy).

My favorite way to decorate with tall ceilings is to use a combination of paint and mouldings.

from Design Decorating Results

By using two paint colors, each wall is not so overwhelmingly tall, making the room feel more cozy.  Plus, by painting the wall inside the moulding the “opposite” color, the ceiling height seems to be lowered visually.  Great idea from Design Decorating Results.

If you are lucky enough to have tall ceilings, take advantage of the extra space to position that cherished tapestry or a large-scale piece of artwork.

 

A Clear View

View from the front entry

A buyer’s initial view when entering a home is very important.  At Premiere Home Stagers we contemplate exactly what a potential buyer will see from the foyer.

Depending on the layout, the initial view may be all the way toward the backyard, as in this home.

This week we consulted in a home where a buyer’s view from the foyer would have been through the kitchen and into a beautiful sunporch.  However, a large kitchen table and chairs blocked the sightline.  The table was centered in the eating area and under a ceiling fan.  But we decided there was room to move the table over a couple feet in order to capture the sunporch view.

A view less obstructed

When the refrigerator is returned to its original position, this kitchen eating area is still spacious.  There is no longer a need to walk around the table to access the porch and the adjacent family room.

A bright and airy room

We suggested toning down the paint color in this sunporch to a neutral.  This is one of the best features of the home and now it is showcased as soon as a potential buyer enters.

 

Use Window Film for Privacy

Two-story window

We were asked to select window treatments for a client’s house that included this large two-story window.  Because the window faces east, we wanted the morning light to stream through.  However, since one row of windows is at eye-level of the neighbor’s deck, we needed some privacy.

There are many options to dress windows.  Today’s trends include the following:

• Wood blinds
• Woven shades
• Silk drapes
• Roman shades
• Translucent sheers
• Valances
• Panels

What Premiere Home Stagers recommended is to use window film to cover just the three smaller (horizontal) window panes with an impeded view. The film lets in light, comes in various patterns, and affords privacy.  Two samples:

These window films are not like the film one puts over windows to keep out the cold, or to cover a shower stall.  They are made to complement your decor. Check out other styles at http://www.designyourwall.com/store/Decorative-Self-Adhesive-Window-Film-Privacy-Coating-c-3.html.

Meanwhile, we are deciding how to dress their downstairs patio door—which also overlooks the neighbor’s yard. Perhaps another decorative window film with drapery panels on either side for color and texture.  Since there are numerous options, call Premiere Home Stagers to help you decide what window treatments are best for your home.  (608-345-9396).

 

Winter Wedding Decor

A January 7 wedding in Wisconsin is expected to have a snowy backdrop.  But not this year — the snow arrived 4 days later!  I attended a beautiful and intimate wedding last weekend at a resort in Wisconsin.  The colors were black and white and I was interested to see how the wedding decor would reflect the season.

Ninety guests gathered in a cozy room with a large stone fireplace.  The chairs were covered in white and tied with large black bows.  The aisle was strewn with white rose petals.  Large glass cylinders were staggered along the aisle.

Some cylinders were topped with large balls configured from silk roses and adorned with crystals.  The balls mimicked the look of snowballs, especially from a distance.

 

 

Other cylinders were filled with water and silver branches, topped with a floating candle and trimmed with crystals.

 

 

 

 

 

A crackling fire invited the wedding guests into the room.  The bride and groom exchanged vows in front of the fireplace.  With the glow of candlelight reflecting off the glass and silver, the atmosphere was warm and cozy even on a January day.

Mission accomplished:  the decor evoked the mood of the season whether the snow was falling or not!

 

Starting from Scratch

A renovation of three properties will be taking place this spring in Madison, WI.  These properties were purchased by a developer who was planning on converting them to condos.  However, due to the economic decline in 2008, the project was abandoned.  The City of Madison granted monies to a non-profit agency called Common Wealth Development, Inc. to pursue the project.

What is unique about these properties is that they are situated along the Yahara River, which connects Lake Monona with Lake Mendota.   It is 14 blocks from the State Capitol and easily accessible through the City by an adjoining bike path. What is also unique is that instead of high-priced condos, they are designated as affordable housing with income restrictions.

Starting from scratch meant the removal of all lead-based paint and siding, plus removal of any asbestos or vermiculite. The framing has been completed by a Youth-apprentice program. Now the trades will take over once the bidding process is completed.

The idea of transforming a dilapidated property into a dream home is somewhat similar to what we do at Premiere Home Stagers.  We love working with homeowners on how to position themselves to better accommodate their needs.  Whether you are selling or not, why not make your house the home you’ve always dreamed of. Call Premiere Home Stagers for a new beginning(608)345-9396.

 

 

New Year, New Listing

Like clockwork, when the calendar changes to 2012, the phone starts ringing.  Our first consultation of the year was with a client readying their home for sale.  Premiere Home Stagers had been there before, so we knew that only a few tweaks were needed.

Top on our list of recommendations was neutralizing some paint colors.  As buyers begin their search with MLS listing photos, a home with many different wall colors suggests work to the potential buyer. We targeted the living room accent wall and the master bedroom for toned-down color schemes.

Targeted change: Red wall and tree

Warm neutral paint color

The living room now has a more expansive feel with the lighter color reflecting the natural light from the windows on the opposite wall.

Another subtle change was bringing in the round dining table from the kitchen.  It lends a bit more formal feel and fits perfectly into the nook next to the staircase.

The rectangular table that was relocated into the kitchen fits that space better as well.

Bedroom before

While the robin’s egg blue paint color was a great complementary color to the pumpkin bed linens, it is a taste specific choice.  We suggested a warm neutral tan that contrasts the wood furniture nicely and gives the room a cozy feel.

Fresh look

We also suggested using a window treatment more proportional to the size of the window for a cleaner look.

With a few changes and a bit of organizing, this beauty is now on the market in “move-in ready” condition.

Contact Jeff Lange at First Weber for a showing:  langej@firstweber.com or 608-846-7888.

 

 

2011 in Review

Happy 2012

Happy New Year to all of you and thank you for visiting the Premiere Home Stagers blog over the years.  From the WordPress administration, we were thrilled to learn of our statistics:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people.  This blog was viewed about 10,000 times in 2011.  If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

In 2011, there were 95 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 276 posts. There were 438 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 499mb. That’s about a picture per day.

Some highlights for Premiere Home Stagers during 2011:

We staged a Parade Home for Princeton Homes

Parade Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We consulted on many homes that have either already sold or will be listed for sale this year:

Sold after Consult

We staged some homes that were occupied and have since sold:

Occupied Staging that Sold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We staged some vacant homes that sold within hours:

Sold within 48 hours after vacant staging

We also redesigned some rooms for homeowners wanting a new look:

Redesigned Living/Dining Room

The most significant statistic is that of all the homes we staged this year that were listed for sale, only two of them have not yet sold.  That’s a 92% success rate. Let us help get your home ready to sell  in 2012. Premiere Home Stagers is ready, are you?