From Plain to Posh in One Afternoon

As home stagers and designers, our job is to quickly transform a home from plain and boring to posh and stunning. We tell clients all the time how simple it is to make such a change, but they rarely believe us. It is true though -- with some decluttering, careful editing, smart accessorizing, and plenty of motivation, just about anyone can give their home a fresh face that buyers won't be able to resist.

 Take a look at how we took this home from plain to posh in a single afternoon . . .

Family Room BEFORE -- Haphazard furniture arrangement & lack of pizazz

 

Family Room BEFORE -- Lots of toys & clutter, but very little "WOW"

This family room is the first thing buyers will see when they enter the home. It had to impress. Unfortunately it didn't. When we started, it was packed with"stuff," but lacked personality. There was no art on the walls, no interesting view points, and the furniture was haphazardly arranged.

 

To fix it, we first had the clients declutter and make the room a Kids Free Zone. Then we swapped the sofa and loveseat to improve the furniture layout. Next, we anchored the loveseat with a console table -- giving buyers something other than the side or back of a sofa to see when they enter. Best of all we added some "WOW" by creating a focal point above the mantle using art. Doing this stirs interest in the minds of buyers and makes them want to keep exploring the home. Finally we added art, accessories, and lots of lamp light to give the room a warm, welcoming feel. Take a look at the "After" photos of this family room . . .

 

Family Room AFTER -- New layout, new focal point, and lots of interest piquing accessories

Family Room AFTER -- Another view of the room.

The next room we tackled was the breakfast room. When we arrived the space seemed cramped and dysfunctional. The large table & chairs left little room for maneuvering around the table. If a buyer had seen this, they probably would've had a negative impression about the true amount of space in the room.

 

Breakfast Room BEFORE -- Table & chairs too big for the space; making the room seem cramped and dysfunctional

To rectify the crowded breakfast room problem, we moved the large bulky table to the empty dining room. Then we added a dining set with a glass top that was more appropriately proportioned for the room. We also hung a large piece of art to accentuate the length of the room. It turned out really great, don't you think?

 

Breakfast Room AFTER --  Appropriately proportioned glass top table & large art shows the real size of the room
 

The master bedroom was fine when we first consulted on this project. The trouble with "fine" though is that it is not great. It does not leave a lasting, positive impression on potential buyers -- which is a BIG problem. Take a look . . .

Master Bedroom BEFORE -- Bland décor & in need of a more upscale, coordinated bedding set

 

Master Bedroom BEFORE -- Sloppy bedding and make shift electronics storage on a TV tray

 

Underwhelming isn't it? We remedied the problem of the bland master suite by updating the bedding set with coordinated shams and making it in a tailored & tidy fashion. We further pumped up the wow factor by adding art, a few key accessories, and improved lighting. The lasting effect is a fresh, neat, and memorable room!

 

Master Bedroom AFTER -- Very tailored bedding, art, & new lamps pump up the appeal of this owners' retreat

 

Master Bedroom AFTER -- Key accessories add interest and cleverly hide cords & electronics

In the master bathroom we found a very common issue that we refer to as "Toiletry Takeover". Toiletries, cleaners, personal products, medicines, etc. sitting out on surfaces in a bath is a very common sight. It is also a common buyer turn-off.

 

Master Bath -- Cluttered surfaces, visible toiletries give wrong impression to buyers

Cluttered, messy surfaces can leave buyers with the impression that the home as a whole is cluttered and messy. Even rugs on the floor can make a bath feel small, choppy, and messy. So when you are selling, bathroom surfaces should be clean and clear. Period. Fortunately for these clients, we were able to help them avoid the pitfalls of listing a home with a messy bath. See how much better a clutter-free bath looks . . .

 

Master Bath AFTER -- Clean, spacious appearance.

 

Master Bath AFTER

So roll up those sleeves and start working on transforming your home today. It's super easy. It just takes a plan and a little elbow grease. 

 

 

What Is This Room?

Let's play a game. I'll show you some photos. Then you guess what room of the house it is. You know, like bedroom, bathroom, living room, etc. Sound easy? I bet that I can stump you. Are you ready? Let's get started.

1.) What room is this?

 

 

2.) What room is this?

 

 

3.) What room is this?

 

 

4.) What room is this?

 

 

5.) What room is this?

 

 

6.) What room is this?

 

Think you know the answers? Well, if you guessed things like office, play room, or game room, then you're wrong. Here are the correct answers. . .

 

1.)  Dining Room

2.)  Dining Room

3.)  Dining Room

4.)  Dining Room

5.)  Dining Room

6.)  Dining Room

 

That's right. Each one is a dining room. Are you confused? Well, so were we. Now imagine how a buyer must feel when they walk in to what should be a dining room only to find Kids' Kingdom. It's a bit of a turn-off, huh?

 

The thing is, designing a home for living is a lot different than designing one for selling. When we work with clients to design environments for them to live and work in, we focus on functionality, personal tastes, and needs. When it's time to sell though, those considerations are secondary at best.

 

A home on the market needs to be spectacularly simple. It needs to stand out to buyers, not scare them. When a dining room is set up for anything other than dining, it sends a message to buyers that the home lacks space, organization, and functionality.

 

One of my dearest friends recently turned her dining room into a family hangout and media room. Although I cringed when she asked, I consented to helping with the transformation -- with one condition. I made her promise that when she got ready to sell her home, the room had to return to dining room status. Take a look at what she did . . .

 

 

I have to admit, I LOVE what she did in her former dining room. In fact, it is a great example of how and why to change a dining room's function. Before the change, it was unused space. Now it is a functional room gathering place for her house full of boys. But when it comes time to sell, she better wave her magic wand and change it back to something like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put Your Home on a Diet

Having trouble attracting buyers? Maybe it's time to go on a diet.

Homes that languish on the real estate market rarely do so because of a lack of buyers. Generally there is an underlying reason certain homes are consistently dismissed by buyers. Sometimes it is an issue of poor maintenance, other times its bad location. Our experience though has shown that most properties stagnate on the market because they are too heavy.

A home can be too heavy in lots of ways. When every room is painted in a different and very saturated paint color, the home is too heavy with paint. The same is true for wallpaper. Tons of different papers throughout a home can cause it to be too heavy in pattern. Big, overstuffed, and excessive furniture results in a room that seems too heavy with stuff. And when books, papers, cleaners, toiletries, collections, and personal items cover surfaces throughout a home, the space is made heavy with clutter.

Take a look at these heavy rooms:


Room is heavy with super saturated paint & upholstery colors, big, oversized furniture, and tons of knick knacks.
 

This room is heavy with a large furniture item that doesn't fit the shape of the room
 

This small room is heavy with excessive patterns, and clutter.
 

Room is heavy with saturated paint and large elements (the plant) that chop up the space.

Putting your home on a diet could be the key to sparking buyer interest in a sluggish listing. With really very little effort, a slow listing can become a sleek show stopper. Reducing excessive large furniture items, removing abundant patterns, getting rid of clutter, and improving lighting are all easy-to-do things that can transform your listing from blah to SOLD in no time. Take a look at these "after" photos of rooms that went on a diet.

Room was lightened by removing excessive items (coffee table, patterned throws, & clutter) and adding better lighting. The look was further improved by altering the furniture arrangement. Pieces now fit the scale of the room.

Room was improved by removing the oddly shaped desk and excessive clutter. A more spacious and airy feel was created thanks to the white curtains and open blinds.

Although some pattern remains, the room was improved by significantly reducing visual clutter & excessive patterns.
The room also benefited from improved furniture placement.  

Room has lighter and open feel because the dark saturated paint was replaced with a neutral color. Items blocking the space were also eliminated. Light elements were improved by opening the blinds and adding a light-reflecting mirror.

If you need help putting your home on a diet, contact Bradford House Consulting today! We can help you lighten up interior spaces and turn your home in to a sleek, sophisticated space guaranteed to wow potential buyers.