House Get’s Transformed in a Few Days

Now that it’s getting dark so early in the day, I often see homes for the first time in the dark. It’s important to make the rooms look and feel good in both daylight and evening since many buyers will visit for their first time after work.  Make sure you have enough lighting in each room.

First Impression:

Since this room was visible from the street I wanted to make it look more ‘polished’. The easiest way to do that is by adding drapes.  Since the room isn’t overly large, we went with drapes that are similar to the wall colour.  They just add softness, elegance and privacy. They also accentuate the high ceilings and 95″ high windows. This bay window is a big selling feature to the room.  I also  brought in more formal artwork, lamp and greenery to create an ‘executive’ office.  Since this is the first room you see as you enter the house, it needs to give a good first impression.

Add Drama:

The first thing we did was hang these drapes that were previously in the kitchen.  I loved how they added drama and formality.  Removeing all the different chairs and only keeping the 4 matching chairs streamlined the room.  Remember, decorating (where you are putting your personality into a room) and Staging are very different. 

Since the room was pretty dark I wanted to enhance the ivory buffet to lighten it up.  The beautiful hand crafted rustic dining table made out of reclaimed wood is probably one of the largest tables I’ve ever seen.  I was so impressed by the homeowner when she used a window shade panel from IKEA as a table runner.  Any runner from the stores would have been way too small.  I had to keep all the accessories in the same large scale for balance. Adding the starburst mirror added additional light and some sparkle.

Adding large artwork not only added needed colour, but it made the room look larger since your eye went from the artwork all the way over to the mirror.  All the colours on the main floor flowed from room to room for a cohesive look.

Artwork Adds Colour:

As soon as I added some artwork, the room instantly had personality.  This is such an important room in the house and it needed to be remembered.  The colours for the accessories were pulled from the artwork.  The room felt warmer and very inviting.

The homeowner bought a little stand to hold all the TV components.  Little things like that make a big difference.  I hate seeing cords all over rooms.  Clearing all the little items off the mantle and adding some greenery make the fireplace the focal point.

Buyers Need to See What They are Buying:

The damask drapes were taken to the dining room and the blue drapes were brought into the kitchen.  This carried the colours from the adjoining living room.  The solid drapes also made the room feel calmer.

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Removing the bulletin board and storage bins made a huge difference.  Buyers want to see the counters.  Not only is it important that they see that there is no damage but it also shows how much workable counter space there is.  You can now see the bar stools as well.

Gallery Walls:

The homeowner had an amazing photo gallery wall with all their loves ones.  However, when buyers walk through the house the first thing they would think is “oh no, I have to repair all those nail holes”.  I felt bad asking the owner to paint the wall but we want to take away as many ‘red flags’ or ‘excuses’ from the buyers.   It’s also a good idea to remove all your personal photos for confidentiality as well.  Hanging this oversized lightweight canvas with a little nail was all that was needed.

Appeal to the Masses:

This loft area is a real bonus room.  The homeowner had young kids so they were using it as a play area.  By borrowing a loveseat from a friend we were able to create another family room.  Having furniture in a room helps buyers see the scale of a room.  We still kept it feeling youthful with the artwork

This is a great space for any age.  Buyers can turn it into whatever they want.

Basic Tidy Up:

I always ask the homeowners if they have other linens tucked away somewhere since they often do.  I thought these pulled the colours together better. Most kid’s room just need a basic tidy up. 

I brought in a few accessories and artwork to replace the personal photos. 

Living in Ottawa, it’s pretty safe to have an Ottawa Senators room.  The biggest change we did in this room was remove the extra bed on the lower level.  it was only used for sleep overs but it ate up the entire room.  By removing it, we were able to create a little play area under the bunk bed.  The room doubled in size.

Create a Master Retreat:

Again, removing personal photos with canvas artwork is a fast way to change the room.  It’s so important to remove all your personal belongs in the bedrooms.  Just imagine walking into a hotel suite, and seeing all the ‘stuff’ for the previous guest.  You want buyers to see themselves in their retreat.

Replacing the TV with a mirror, white runner, candle and greenery not only made it feel brighter, it made if feel more restful.

I can’t help buy emphasis how important it is to make the bed nicely for photos.  It’s amazing how distracting it is when linens are straight and the pillows aren’t puffed up properly.  it isn’t as noticeable for showings, but every detail is noticed in photos.

Simple Fix:

Similar to the master bedroom, buyers don’t want to see your personal hygiene products.  They also want to see the floors and the shower tiles.  Nothing looks fresher than new white towels.  This colour palette just screams “spa” to me.