// BLOG
Dramatic Before and After
January 27, 2012
It can be easy for homeowners to get overwhelmed with the thought of staging their home to sell but for me the bigger the challenge the more rewarding it is. I get so much satisfaction knowing that I can help make a total transformation on a low budget and in a short time line.
Before
After
Always show the rooms the way they were intended to function for the masses. Buyers want to see if their furniture is going to fit into the appropriate rooms. This combo living/dining area is the first impression when you walk into the house.The area rug helps define the space and also tones down the blue walls. Re-arranging the furniture helps buyers see if their furniture would fit.
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This dining room was too cluttered and didn’t have the sophisticated look that they house needed. Adding drapes add instant formality and expands the wall visually.
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The large bay window immediately gets the attention and the balance of the drapes. Creating a conversation area in the living room shows buyers how functional the room is.
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The cupboards look so much newer and cleaner with the walls painted a warm tan colour that compliments the floor. Removing the border also gave the room height and made it more current looking.
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Adding bold artwork makes the kitchen memorable and it helps tie the paint colours from adjoining rooms together for a cohesive flow.
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Painting the family the same warm tan colour as the kitchen instantly made the room feel more welcoming. The drapes frame the large window with the nice view of a private back yard.
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Remove extra furniture also lets buyers use their own imagination. Little hits of colour with artwork help make rooms interesting.
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Before: the ceiling in this master bedroom felt very low because of the wallpaper border and the ceiling fan andthe high over-powering furniture.
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Removing the border, painting the walls, replacing the ceiling fixture and moving furniture around was a huge immediate change. Bringing in Styled & Staged rental accessories took the room to the next level. Artwork, linens, lamps, drapes and accessories give the buyers an example of the room’s potential.
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Moving the bed around and adding, artwork, linens, area rug and drapes all made a huge difference. We didn’t have to paint these walls.
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Blinds are great on windows for privacy but they can leave a cold feeling (especially with gray walls) so adding the red side panels really warm up the space and showcase how large the window is.
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Showcase unique features in a house like this built in desk area. I wanted buyers to visualize themselves using it a home office since it’s the 4th bedroom or a guest room. Keeping the neutral colours give buyers a blank canvas to do their own thing. Bringing in a smaller bed also made the space feel larger.
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It’s unusual to have such large bedrooms but with all the ‘stuff’ buyers could not see the full potential. It was necessary to take out the ‘personal’ items in this room so buyers could imagine this for a boy or a girl of any age.
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Christmas Window Display at Soho Parkdale Condo
December 13, 2011
This upscale luxury condominium required a window design for the Holidays. Since the building is still being completed there were limitations to what Styled & Staged could do. The Christmas window display is only for a few weeks until the main lobby will be completely transformed with the permanent decor. The purpose of this display is to greet the new homeowners as they move into their brand new condo over the holidays. These condos range from $250,000 right up to 2 million.
Styled & Staged had one weekend to pull it all together from beginning to end. Mission accomplished!
Day 1 – Saturday
The building is still being completed. Over the blue plastic coverings will be stunning black marble. My inspiration for the window display came from the the black and white signage plus the red and white holiday banners. These trendy urban condos are geared to the busy executive who enjoys a minimalistic yet decadent lifestyle.
Day 1 was spent visiting the job site, creating a concept, shopping for a tree, decorations, furniture and accessories. Our only instruction was to put a tree in the window.
Day 2 – Sunday
The Styled and Staged team went to work revealing the beautiful gray/white marble floors that were still under drop sheets.
We put up the Christmas tree and started to fill in the remaining window front with a few accessories to create an atmosphere.
When creating window displays the key to success to keep it simple, bold and graphic. They’re fun to do since you don’t need much but every single detail has to be carefully planned and everything has to have a purpose and make a statement. The purpose is to grab the attention of on-lookers as they drive and/or walk by. The window should ‘tell a story’ within seconds.
Red, white, gray and silver were the colours for the tree since they complimented the outside signage. Adding all the white helped tie in the white walls. The bold red mesh ribbon and sequence red star are a dramatic contrast that can be seen from a distance. Every detail right down to the gray satin tree skirt with the crystals create a polished look.
Introducing a black chair helped create an atmosphere of a living room which we felt was important for a condominium building. We kept a circular theme that was inspired by the name of the building ‘SOHO’. Adding layers with luscious pillows adds softness and texture. Red sequins is another element that we kept repeating since it reflects the light.
Continuing with the circuluar theme, these two wreaths hung together with red ribbon adds another contemporary focul point in the space. The large red circles can be seen from a far distance and it continues with the same colour theme.
The easiest and most cost effective way to fill up the space is to wrap large boxes and decorate each one with the complimentary colour scheme.
Creating window displays and staging a home for resale are actually very similar. It’s all about clean, simple lines, and creating an atmosphere of a ‘desired lifestyle’ with the use of colour and dramatic accents.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
A Different Way to Enjoy a Christmas Tree!
November 28, 2011
I love having fresh evergreens during the holidays for my urns and garlands. I also love having it throughout the house but if you don’t have a supply of evergreens in your backyard to snip it can get very pricey! You can buy little bundles at the stores for about $10 and there’s hardly enough in the bundle to do anything with. You can also buy pre-arranged containers that are very nice but they are usually around $50 each.
This is my solution – Buy a tree now while they are still in abundance and cheaper than later on. It really doesn’t matter the shape or size of the tree. I bought this tree today for $20 at the Super C grocery store.
Buy the tree now before it's frozen or covered in snow so it's easier to work with.
With my hedge trimmer I removed every single branch right to the trunk. I have to admit I got a few strange looks from people walking their dogs as I was destroying this tree. I didn’t want to waste any of the branches. A little twig can go a long way when decorating 
Now This is a Real Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!
I Have a Whole Lot of Useful Branches to Work With - Let the Fun Begin
I always decorate a few urns at the front of the house for colour during the day and then all white lights for the evening. I think there is more impact when you do at least two urns. I hardly had to use any of the branches since I also fill the urns with topiaries, ornaments and berries. The final touch is wrapping the urns with some beautiful durable outdoor ribbon that I use year after year.
The best part is I now have three additional large boxes of branches that are cut and ready to use all season. Every time I want some fresh evergreens in the house I can just go to the garage and grab a handful. The key is to keep them in a cold place so they stay fresh.
Blending Country with Contemporary Styles with Accessories
November 23, 2011
When I first walked into this house I was confused with the conflicting styles. The kitchen cupboards were very country but the furniture was all contemporary and the fireplace was ultra modern with the smoked glass and the white metal. I had to instantly decide which direction to go. The simplest way to bring everything together is a quick shopping spree for accessories or renting Styled & Staged Inventory.
The homeowner had just painted the walls white at the suggestion of his painter. Tip #1 – Most painters are not interior designers! Painting all the walls white does not make it look bigger and brighter – it just makes it look cold and boring!
With a limited budget and tight timeline Styled & Staged had to quickly pull the room together for an exciting and cohesive look. Staging is all about prioritizing the budget to give the ‘wow’ factor for the photos in order to attract more potential buyers.
Before
Removing all the country spindal details above the cupboards instantly took the ‘country’ look out of them. Showcasing the eating counter also adds valuable space and function to the kitchen.
Before
Exchanging the ceiling fan to a chandelier and adding some attractive colourful table lines also defines the dining area and makes it more inviting.
Before
All the surfaces were hard – wood floors, leather couches, marble coffee table, bare glass windows, smoked mirror and metal on fireplace.
Adding an area rug gives instant warmth. Hanging artwork with the same brick/orange and wood tones as the cupboards really help blend the two styles. Adding textured soft pillows breaks up all the white walls and white furniture. Dark brown drapes in both the dining and the living room anchor the rooms and gives the two rooms the continuity. Lower table lamps also give warmer lighting and another pop of colour.
The fireplace is a feature that stays with the house so we had to make it look it’s best. Before the fireplace was out of proportion to the room. Hanging artwork above adds height and warmth to the smokey mirror. The homeowner also painted the white metal with a fire retardant tan textured paint. Adding trees and greenery also give life and warmth to the room. Adding wooden blinds on the front door as well as the door going out to the garage also adds texture, warmth and privacy.
‘After’ pictures were taken by: www.ontariovisualhomes.com
Quick Easy Centrepieces for Free
October 12, 2011
Never underestimate what you have right in your own back yard to create a quick and beautiful centrepiece that’s completely FREE!
For our Thanksgiving dinner I just cut a Hydrangea ball and a couple vines of Virginia creepers and literally threw them in a festive pedestal bowl. All the seasonal colours looked festive and fresh.
Have fun setting your table. Somehow the food always tastes better when the table looks pretty. All the rich sumptuous colours triggers the appetite. The evening becomes an ‘experience’, not just meal.
Styled & Staged always sets the dining room or kitchen table when staging a house to sell. Not only does it make the dining room more appealing with textures and colours, but it’s also a symbol of where people gather to share food and their stories of the day. Another good selling feature of a house. Remember, people are buying a ‘perceived’ lifestyle!