Practice Stage

This Master Bedroom is nicely done in its present state; pretty color, nice furniture, and is tastefully decorated.  However to help sell your home, each space NEEDS to be depersonalized, and this is what I do as a stager.

This bedroom offers some good examples.  Here are the before pictures -

The entry to the bedroom has its own hallway (of sorts) and suddenly everything is to your right.  The entry follows the angled ceiling (yes, same house as the last post).  As you enter, eyes are watching.  Can you say creepy?

Here is a frontal shot of the eyes, which are of Michaelangleo's David.  Here is a great example of a piece that personalizes a space.  To me (stager or not) they are creepy.  Sorry Mom!

But you do have to take into consideration what the potential buyer will want to see.  Just because you love it and think its tasteful doesn't mean everyone else will.

"Buyers cannot see the way its GOING to be" Barbara Schwarz, ASPM

In other words, change it!

(ps. I insisted my parents leave the room as is and not clean up at all.  The before/after pictures are more dramatic that way.)

Another great example of how this space is personalized; family photos.

Even if you were to leave just a couple, a potential buyer will still feel like they are walking into someone else's home ... which technically they are.

However, the goal of staging is for the buyer to walk into a house and mentally move in themselves, imagining THEIR furniture, THEIR family photos, THEIR strange eye sculpture.  (Sorry Mom, had to!)  If you walk into a staged home and you feel like you're in someone else's home, you will also feel like its not really available to sell.  FEELING IS VITAL!  ASP Home Stagers create the environment to feel right.

Here is the opposing wall and you can see, its very lived in.

Clutter on the dresser, the open armoir, exercise machine on the floor ... get rid of it!

Taking pictures at night time is tricky.  I have yet to get any of them to turn out just right.

(Tips on that?  Other than not to take them at night!)

Beautiful plantation shutters leads to a back patio area.

After pictures -

TAAAA-DAAAA!

MUCH better than those eyes.  MUCH.

This print of San Francisco was "borrowed" from another room in the house.  If I were to do this whole house, it turns into a Staging AND a Redesign project.  Choosing what stays and what goes is crucial.

Yay for natural lighting!  Always open them and let in the light.

Cleaned up both nightstands to just the lamps.

Made the bed and added colorful pillows, a throw, and a tray with tea for 2.

Although this picture does not show the room entirely, this is the best one that shows of the amount of space this room offers.  This is a king sized bed, with decent sized nightstands.  Also remember, the opposing wall has a large armoire and large dresser.  Its BIG.

If I were really staging this home, I'd have to strongly encourage the vinyl wall lettering be removed.  Its so darn cute and I love it, but again, everyone might not think as much of it as I do.

WHAT IF a single person was looking at this?

WHAT IF that person was recently widowed?

WHAT IF its not their style?

WHAT IF its not their native language?

All these what if's need to be considered.  If any one of these were true, this minor detail could stir up some real negative feelings and in turn, the home could experience less offers.  It is important to make sure you appeal to the majority.

Another thing I would do if I were really staging this home, is take down the shelving and replace it with wall decor of some kind.  Deep shelving is nice to have, giving a decorator a lot of options, however, without them would let your eye see more space available.  Yes the room is a good size already, but it is something to emphasize as a feature of this home.

I have stripped the shelving down to almost nothing.  If they have to stay, then all the family photos have to go, that way the amount of space they offer is highlighted.

Often times people will load it up to show off what it can hold, rather than, clearing it off to show the empty space.  Again, buyers will mentally move in with THEIR belongings.

The opposing wall is cleaned up; TV hidden, exercise machine put away, dresser is cleaned up with minimal accessories.

Another possibility if I were really staging this, is to take that armoir out altogether.  Yes the room can hold it, but try to imagine the dresser and mirror centered on that wall.  It would show off more floorspace ... and buyers love lots of space (but not all of it) to get THEIR creative juices flowing!

Another potential issue to consider is the paint color.  To me, this sage-green color is neutral enough.  Green seems to automatically bring nature indoors, which is always a good thing.  And because its a bedroom where you normally want to create a calm and a peaceful environment, I'd probably just leave it.

TECHNICALLY, all those beige/off white/tan colors are best.  It leaves such a generic, neutral palette which in turns helps with that mental move in buyers do.

What do you think?
Better?  Worse?
Tips?  Questions?