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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-08-01
August 1, 2010
- A Home Staging Trend To Watch For… – http://eepurl.com/Lah5 #
A Home Staging Trend To Watch …
July 26, 2010
A Home Staging Trend To Watch For… – http://eepurl.com/Lah5
Country Homes Get Staged Too
July 26, 2010
I’ve noticed a change in Ottawa Home Staging market. I used to stage houses only in the suburbs and down town Ottawa but lately I’ve been staging rural homes and even farm houses.
The process is the same but the end result are a bit different. Staging is always about appealing to the buyers. What appeals to a city slicker is quite different from the country lifestyle. It tends to be more relaxed, organic and rustic but still has the modern comforts.
I always bring in some accessories to put the ‘style’ into the listings. Suddenly I had to update my inventory to include staging accessories that are more appropriate to life outside the city limits. You don’t want to put artwork of a New York city scape in a living room that is on the water front or a big field. You want artwork that has a more natural feel. You want to bring the outdoors in.
Just because a house is in the country doesn’t mean that you fill it with the lace and knickknacks!!! In fact, I still say ‘get rid of it’. The trend is for young buyers to move out to invest in a property with some land since they know that the developments will eventually make their way out there too.
5 Quick Tips for Home Staging a Country Home:
1. Choose appropriate artwork and accessories – think comfort
2. Drapes aren’t necessary for privacy, just texture – show case the view by exposing the glass
3. Choose appropriate flooring for the lifestyle – wet feet or muddy boots
4. Choose warm earthy colours for furniture/ accessories that blend with nature – no pastels
5. Spend more attention to the exterior since buyers are buying the land and the lifestyle as much as they are buying the house
Ottawa Home Staging News
July 10, 2010
Ottawa Home Staging News
A Can of Spray Paint Saves a Fireplace
April 6, 2010
Home Staging Tip
How One $12.00 Can of Spray Paint Saved the Day!
As soon as I walked into this lovely town house I noticed that all the door handles and the cupboard hardware were brushed nickel. All the chandeliers and light fixtures were contemporary, sleek and also in a brushed nickel finish. Then, glaring right in front of me was this shiny brass fireplace surround! It just didn’t go with the rest of the house. It screamed “HELP”.
Since I was staging the house there were so many other priorities to be done and we were trying to keep the costs down and time at a minimum. We discovered it was very simple to unscrew the brass surround to remove it. After following the manufactures instructions the brass was given a couple coats of this heat resistant spray paint (outside) that is meant for BBQ’s and stoves. I can always count on the advice from my friends at Benjamin Moore.
Before:
You can see how the dining room light clashes with the fireplace surround.
This brass surround dated the fireplace compared to all the other sleek hardware fixtures
After:
Now the modern brushed nickel chandelier works with the black surround instead of competing with it. The black is more neutral for more buyers. Removing the area rug under the table really opens it up and we also had the carpet stretched. It looks brand new. The walls were warmed up with Benjamin Moore `Shaker Beige` and the accent wall in the dining room was painted ‘Wild Mushroom’. Although it’s another neutral colour, it adds some drama in the dining room and it’s a nice backdrop for the light wood furniture.
Adding contemporary artwork and accessories complete the look. The black lamps compliment the fireplace. Less clutter on the mantle make it a stronger focal point.