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.

Therefore, it was an easy decision for us to go with the moulding.  It will be installed next week.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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!

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.

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.

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.

 

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?

Milwaukee Art Museum

I spent a day off this week exploring various forms of art at the Milwaukee Art Museum.  The building itself is a work of art with wings atop the roof that open and close during the day.  We arrived early enough to enjoy the artistic interior angles before the halls were crowded with other visitors.

We took in the current exhibition of Impressionist drawings, but my husband is always drawn to the sculptures.  We marvel at the fact that this work of art began as a solid block of marble with little room for error.

I enjoy the oil paintings and appreciate how painters of an era influenced each other.   The amazing realism of the facial features and the texture of the wood defy the fact that this is a two-dimensional painting.  I want to reach out and touch it to make sure.

Which one is art?

At Premiere Home Stagers we express creativity by maximizing the appeal of a home.  We have a starting point, an existing space and often furnishings in that space.

The art I experienced this week began in the mind of each artist and emerged from the medium chosen to express the idea.

Rear View of Cottage

Last September I put an offer on this cottage near my house.  We were able to close on that property this morning. Isn’t she a beauty?

This is what I saw when I entered for the first time today:

Living room

Kitchen

Toilet & Sink (No bathtub or shower)

So why did I purchase this piece of property?

Porch with lake view

Two reasons: 1)  it abuts my backyard, thus I can subdivide it so that my current house has a larger backyard; and  2) it has lake rights.

Because this cottage sits on footings and doesn’t have a  basement, it would cost more to bring it up to code than to build new.  Therefore, this spring we will have it razed, clean up the surrounding land, regrade and plant some grass, perennials, and shrubbery.

Premiere Home Stagers has been involved in a total rehabilitation of a property a few years ago and relished the challenge:

Kitchen Before Renovation

However, that property was structurally sound whereas this cottage is not.  We understand the value of salvaging older properties, but safety comes first.

So, 2012 brings a new beginning to this property.  Hopefully in the future a new “green-built” abode will sit proudly on its crest.

Premiere Home Stagers wish you all a new beginning of growth, success, and health in 2012.