Linen Secrets That Sell
March 17, 2010
Home Staging Tip
Just imagine walking into a hotel room and the linens looked soiled, torn and worn out.
Would you want to stay there? No.
The same rules apply to selling your house.
I always tell homeowners to replace their bed linens if necessary. It’s a small investment towards the sale of their house. It’s also something that they can take to their new home so it’s not a waste of money. Choosing something simple also gives homeowners lots of decorating options down the road.
Through my several years of Staging, I have noticed one very important secret. Bed linens that are a solid colour look better on the MLS pictures than linens that have a busy pattern. For some reason narrow stripes just look like a blurry zigzag in the pictures. Floral converters can look like a big garden and don’t always appeal to the masculine taste. Solid linens always look fresh and clean. Buyers will notice the room instead of the bedding. Solid linens also appeal to the masses.
This small room appears larger than it is because the new linens blend with the walls. Adding a few throw pillows and artwork kept the room from being boring.
These new Zen linens give this Master Bedroom a quiet, calm and serene feel. The subtle pattern really enhances the existing different shades of paint.
Fresh white linens make this room appear large and airy. The soft accent colours create a ‘spa’ atmosphere. The white wouldn’t have nearly the same impact if it was up against a white wall. There needs to be some sort of contrast. Notice how the canvas artwork also serves as a headboard.
New crisp white linens break up the large bold blue wall. Since there is white trim, white lamp shades and some artwork with a bit of white, it all works together. It wouldn’t look right if the white linens were the only white in the room.
Here is an example of what you DON’T want to do:
Before: These linens looked worn out and faded. This master bedroom had no pizzazz. The clutter on the night tables and the different lamps just create chaos.
How we fixed it: We bought new linens since there wasn’t enough time to paint the room. Since the wall colour was so boring we chose a bold Sienna Red comforter to give the room some ‘style’ and interest. It was also the homeowner`s favourite colour and she wanted it for her next home. Bright complementary artwork, accessories and lamps were rented from Styled & Staged. Suddenly their bedroom set even looked new. We often have to stage a whole house in a very short period of time so we don`t have the luxury of making it perfect but this certainly sets the stage for buyers to see the potential.
5 Top Tips On How To Use Artwork
March 1, 2010
Home Staging Tip
Buyers/Realtors look at the MLS pictures to decide if they even want to bother going to see a house or not. The quickest and easiest way to transform a room is by adding bold colourful artwork. MLS pictures look better if the house has a nice flow of colour and style. Follow my 5 Top Tips of Using Artwork in the Staging process.
5 Top Tips of Using Artwork to Stage a House
- Never hang artwork too high. The center of the picture should be 57“ from the floor. Artwork should be spaced no further than 8” apart and no closer than 3”. Pictures hung over couches should be about 6-10” above the top of the couch.
- Make sure the artwork compliments the furniture. It has to be the same scale. There is nothing worse than a tiny little picture over a huge couch or a huge picture over a small table.
- I always try to use canvas art since they look better since there is no glare from camera flashes.
- Use artwork that is universal. Anything that says too much about someone’s culture, age religion or interests can deter buyers. I personally don’t like being greeted into a room with a cougar jumping out at me even if it is an original expensive collector’s item! It just doesn’t say ‘welcome, come in and visit’. I’ve had to tell a lot of home owners to remove stuffed sword fishes, moose heads and even a bear skin carpet. These items are fine for your own personal space since they all have ‘stories and memories’ attached to them but they just aren’t suitable for staging. Sorry guys! Pack them up and enjoy them in your next home
. - For Staging purposes it is better to use fewer larger pictures since they have more impact. Remove the family photo galleries. They are way too personal. You want buyers to be looking at the house, not the homeowner’s personal life story.
Styled & Staged has a huge inventory of rental artwork in all colours, styles and sizes. Nothing changes a room quicker and easier than artwork! Call 613-302-4020 today for your Staging needs.
Examples of How Artwork Can Help
Artwork is a great way to tie all the colours in the room together. This picture also adds depth to the room which makes it appear even larger.
Using artwork as a headboard is a quick fix. Do not use pictures with glass in case if falls.
Artwork can add a lot drama and atmosphere into an intimate setting. Make sure proportions are correct.
In small houses every inch counts so make interesting focal points with artwork. Follow through with the colours from the artwork for a cohesive look.
This room was completely beige until we added some ‘Style’ by bringing in artwork with some colour. Notice that the artwork is canvas so we don’t get the glare from the camera.