PEARL: Home Staging+Design

Before & After: spacious but dated lake-front home

2011-11-10T15:20:00.000-08:00

A friend of a friend flew me out to North Carolina to help update her lake-front home:

Bedroom (office) #3 BEFORE: Full of clutter, dark and uninviting, many buyers asked "where is the 3rd bedroom in this house?" because they couldn't "see" it.

Bedroom #3 AFTER: A soft accent color on the headboard wall, an actual BED, soothing colors. Now it's REALLY a bedroom... with room for a home office (at right).

Great Room BEFORE: That futon is NOT helping! Neither is the dated light fixture and lack of overall lighting.

Great Room AFTER: Now, new sofa & chair, art and proper lighting, plus a new paint color to makes the fireplace pop! Now this great room works!

Above, another view of the Great Room: While not the height of fashion, the classic 1980's oak tables do work well with the new sofa and chair, but they were wasted in the Living Room. That's staging.... mixing old and new so your costs don't overrun, but you still have a pleasant home that will sell!

Minor remodeling makes big changes!

2011-10-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

In this example, we have a room that was completely transformed... the oversized fireplace was reduced in size, french doors added behind it, the floor was replaced, and everything was painted white.

But it's completely possible to do this on a budget as well. Keep the fireplace as is, but paint it white like everything else. Put down a large neutral area rug to cover the orange tile. Slip-cover the sofas, add in a few new "accent" furniture pieces (like a new coffe table), and you'd have a VERY similar look!

Contact me today if you'd like to do a major transformation on a budget. I work with homeowners as well as property investors ("flips").

I'm currently lusting over... the CB2 Scan Chair!

2011-10-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love Scandanavian design! But CB2.com isn't listening, because right now their beautiful Scan chair is out of stock. That's what happens when you wait too long to order! Reminds me of my grandmother's Palm Springs home back in the day... please bring back this beautiful chair!

Let a room serve it's original purpose...

2011-10-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

Before: All work and no play!

After: A fine place to relax and enjoy the view!

In this master bedroom, the sitting area was taken up by a large blue cabinet that included a home office! Now, do YOU want to do office work while trying to relax in your master bedroom? A quick switch of furniture got this room back on track! There was already a home office elsewhere in the house, so taking this back to a sitting room made perfect sense.

Stage your exterior? Absolutely!

2011-09-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

BEFORE: Yes, people really DO live this way! Even this newer home looks old and dingy with clutter around.

AFTER: Clean and pleasant! You would think this is obvious, but I can't tell you how many times I've had to help clients de-clutter and stage their home's exterior. If you'll give me a call, I can help you too.

A half-day of "Re-Design" ... a different kind of interior design

2011-09-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hello all! This is a photo of my new friend Judy, standing in her newly arranged home. Judy had just moved in, and while she loves her new home, her old furniture was of a style she was no longer fond of. Yet, she wasn't ready to purchase new furniture... maybe just some new accessories and pillows. She saw my blog and asked me to come over. When I arrived, all of the furniture was pushed into a corner and the dining table was this huge monstrosity that dominated the dining room. Since I can design a home in ANY style, from modern to traditional, I knew I could help her!

(Click on the images to enlarge.)

I began by pulling all the large seating furniture OFF the wall, and creating a "floating" seating area in the center that faces towards the view of her terrific back garden and patio. (It's OK to "ignore" the fireplace if you have a better view elsewhere.)

Then, I arranged her traditional furniture in a modern way, which means no clutter, good furniture and picture spacing, and few accessories. I showed her on the internet a beautiful new area rug to purchase for the seating area (all of hers were too traditional or the wrong size). Some new throw pillows make the sofas look terrific. And we created a reading area for her husband, who loves to read!

Finally, in her dining room, simplicity was key. I removed the two leaves in the table so that it didn't overwhelm the space (she also has a more informal dining area). Pictures were kept spare as well as accessories. Two of the chairs were placed along the wall, further making the table less ominious.

The result? I beautiful home that's traditional yet modern in it's arrangement. This was ALL accomplished over the course of an afternoon! Judy and her husband love it, and about a month later, they called me to re-do their office reception area as well!

You can call me too if you'd like to do the same thing to your home. Re-design can involve using just your existing things, but we can also do a shopping trip together for updated accessories as well as search online. If your budget doesn't include the cost of a traditonal interior designer, then Re-design may be right for you!

A mid-20th Century Modern classic...

2011-08-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

As most of my fans know, I love modern design! And I have a special place in my heart for mid-century modern design. This home is a great example! Set in Sierra Madre, CA, it sits next door to original and psuedo-Craftsman homes, but it dares to be different! LOVE it...

(Click on the image to enlarge.)

Modern yet romantic...

2011-08-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

Proof that modern doesn't have to mean antiseptic and cold. This is a very romantic bedroom, and it has masculine and feminine appeal. I love the modern mirrors and how they interact with the window. The blue on the bed is very luxurious and the modern chandelier is elegant yet fun. Sweet dreams!

Transform with paint and simple updates...

2011-07-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a great example of what paint can do for a kitchen! I do this kind of transformation all the time, but this fine example comes from "Stage a Star" in Cincinatti, OH.

A dark dreary and dated kitchen is completely redone thanks to some clean white paint on the cabinets and a soft green on the walls. No more dark wood cabinets and gingham wallpaper! In this case, they also replaced the stove and microwave. However, for a tighter budget one could keep the stove because the black and white would go with the new white on the cabinets, and just replace the microwave with a white one. Also, high-quality press-and-stick veneers in white and stainless steel are available over the internet for updating your dishwasher inexpensively.

The only mis-step here, for me, is the plants and baskets on top of the upper cabinets. It's a bit 1990's, too "country style", and probably wouldn't work well here in California. I prefer to keep that space free and clear as it makes the whole room look less cluttered, larger and more contemporary. Otherwise, great job!

Even in this market, staging works...

2011-06-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Real Estate Staging Association® (RESA®) the member run trade association for professional stagers, has released statistics on the effectiveness of Real Estate Staging and the results are pretty darn cool. The study included 126 vacant and occupied homes previously on the market, on average 263 days unsold. Those same homes were staged and... they sold in 60 days on average. This is 78% less time on the market after staging.

Not only that, 284 vacant and occupied homes that were staged BEFORE they went on the market, sold in 40.5 days on average after staging. The entire study can be downloaded for free at www.RealEstateStagingAssociation.com

Good design makes your home look more valuable

2011-05-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

I love the neighborhood of Atwater Village in Los Angeles. This neighborhood has scores of classic bungalows and cottages from the 1920's and 1930's. Often I'm asked how can you make small rooms, typical of this era, look great?

The answer is scale and color. Never fill a room with oversized furniture, and never use dark furniture against light walls as this gives contrast and condenses your room. Even though these rooms are often smaller-proportioned, the right kind of furniture can make your home look more "expensive" and more appealing to buyers.

Before and After - Craftsman Bungalow revealed!

2011-04-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, this one is just a really good paint job, furniture on the porch, and landscaping. Nothing structural was added. Look closely... all of those fantastic architectural details were there, they just needed contrast painting to show up and stand out!

Elegant, simple, modern... in the garden!

2011-03-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

This backyard building reminds me of Phillip Johnson's Glass House, or the iconic Farnsworth House outside Chicago. Ray and Charles Eames would be happy here too. Could be a guest cottage, a personal retreat, a home office, even a teen's room. Elegant simplicity!

KRILL GARDEN HOUSE at DWELL.COM

Another example of what color can do...

2011-03-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Now, would you have recognized this house after the re-do? You may think you're stuck with plain white, but most houses could use a dose of color. Scared of darker colors? Do as this family did, and leave part of it lighter (the stone facing). Brighten it up with a third accent color (in this case, red). Be adventurous!

Organization is key to selling your home

2011-02-19T15:39:00.000-08:00

BEFORE: Often, heavy outdated furniture can overwhelm a space, even when it's neatly organized. See how the large armoire makes the room seem small and cluttered? The 1980's called and they want their medium-tone oak back!

Photos Courtesy of Kristen Coppa, Altera Real Estate

AFTER: Clean, elegant simplicity is best, whether you're staging to sell your home or enhancing your haven. Most of the time you only need room for a laptop and some storage under the desk. Most reference items are now found online, so why keep the paper copies? Donate them to your local charity or library! Enjoy a nice uncluttered, stylish office space!

BEFORE & AFTER: Lake-front home

2011-01-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

This home is located in the famous golf community of Pinehurst, North Carolina. The owner, a friend of a friend, ask me to fly out there to stage her home for sale. While modern, the home had a very traditional architectural style. The home was 10 years old but had some major interior design issues:

Living/Dining Room BEFORE (above): Dated blue-green leather sofas scream "bad 80's" and heavy carpets hide the wood floors. No art, and no real focus other than the over-sized entertainment center.

Living/Dining Room AFTER: A dresser that was too big for a bedroom makes a great console/buffet behind the sofa. The new sofa is sophisticated and a round coffee table increases the room's flow AND makes it look bigger! The entertainment center is now balanced by the placement of the sofa and has a wing chair to accent it. New art and accessories complete the look for this "updated traditional" home.

The $2,500 spent on updating this luxury home made it possible to raise the asking price by $20,000!

Revisiting a classic... the Saarinen pedestal table

2011-01-17T19:19:00.000-08:00

From Design Within Reach: In a 1956 cover story in Time magazine, Eero Saarinen said he was designing a collection to "clear up the slum of legs in the U.S. home." Later that year, he completed his Pedestal Table and Tulip™ Chair Collection (1956) and obliterated the "slum" by creating a cast aluminum base inspired by a drop of high-viscosity liquid.

When I was in my mid-20's, I had a vintage Saarinen table, white base with a medium wood laminated top. Loved that piece. When I was moving I had to temporarily leave my furniture in the garage of a friend. When I returned, the table was gone! And my friend had no idea where it went to (altho I suspect an open garage door was too much temptation for a passer-by!)

FAQ: Can't I just stage my own home and save money?

2011-01-11T14:00:00.000-08:00

An example of the warm, modern interiors buyers today love...

I'm often asked, "Kai, why can't I just stage my own home and save some money?" Ah yes, I can certainly understand the motivation... economically this would seem to make sense. But here's the real deal: You can prepare your own home for sale, but you cannot objectively stage your home since you have far too much tied up in the property, on an emotional level.

That fun and funky artwork that your grandmother gave you, you couldn't possible put away... and yes, the adorable photos of the kids must stay up... and you just love the quilt your aunt passed down to you... oh and the deck looks sweet and "rustic" like that... and wasn't it fun when we painted the family room orange? ...and on and on.

I'm a very sentimental guy and I love memories. The thing is, buyers are simply not interested in these things. It distracts them from seeing the house and what it has to offer them, and they can't picture themselves living there. After all, it is going to be their property with any luck and they need to see them and their possessions fitting in the property.

Home sellers attempting to home stage simply don’t see the flaws because they have lived with them for some time and can’t see past them. A home Stager will see these things and correct them so the potential buyer only sees the features and walks away in love with the home.

It's beautiful, but...

2010-12-29T06:23:00.000-08:00

A friend sent me these photos of an amazing contemporary in Melbourne, Australia. A perfect example of a stunning house that will likely sit on the market because it doesn't feel warm and inviting.

A common staging question...

2010-12-22T14:39:00.000-08:00

A common question that my clients often ask me is, what is the best way to stage a second bedroom in a two or three bedroom home? Should it be staged as an office or a bedroom? My answer is definitely, stage it as a bedroom.

There are some exceptions, based on the market, the neighborhood and the kind of home it is. However, most of the time, home buyers always want more space, especially those with children. That second or third bedroom is the space they're looking for. Looking at a smaller home that has office furniture in the second or third bedroom leaves questions in a buyer’s head: Is this an office or a bedroom? And will my family have enough room?

If there is an appropriate nook or corner elsewhere in the home, then yes, stage it as a home office. This can be especially appropriate in a large family room--it allows the space to read as multi-purpose.

A professional stager will think about the buyers that are going to be looking at your home, and stage your house accordingly. Your stager should answer buyers' questions by showing them the solutions before they ask.

(Photo from Pottery Barn)

I'm currently lusting over... the Allumette Armchair

2010-12-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

The filigreed frame only looks delicate—like a geometric web or game of pick-up sticks—as the extra-hard wood of the Arura Vermelho tree (from the Amazon) makes the Allumette armchair by Atelier Oï a sturdy spot to sit.

Modern Traditional

2010-11-11T19:02:00.000-08:00

Source: LivingPod.com

Proof that traditional CAN be modern as well...

www.3112Floye.com ...my latest project....

2010-10-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Sold in two weeks! Don't have the photos yet, but check out the house at www.3112Floye.com ! For this project, I chose paint colors, furniture, and accessories. This house is a "Hollywood Regency lite" style... perfect for the Hollywood Hills!

No, this photo isn't MY house... it's high-end H.R. in dramatic black and white...

A recent staging project, 11817 Texas, Santa Monica, CA

2010-10-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

This is a recent home staging project of mine. As many of you know, home staging is different from the interior design work that I also do, in that staging has marketing reasons behind the design, in order to make it sell fast! This condo was completely empty and I brought it to life thru staging. Before even the FIRST open house, the seller received TWO full-price offers based on only the photos seen on the website!

Part 1, showing the main living areas and the loft above. Next post will show the bedrooms.

www.11817Texas.com - Part 2

2010-09-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here's the rest of the condo... from empty and all-white to lively and full of color!

BEFORE and AFTER: From 80's oak to fresh and modern

2010-08-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

Here's an example of what home staging (or a re-design) can do: Compare the before and after photos, and ask yourself, where would YOU rather live? Yep, your buyers will say the same thing! Another great staging job.

My thanks to Kristen Coppa of Modern Nest for the photos!

Currently lusting over... The Halina Chandelier

2010-07-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm re-discovering Hollywood Regency style, which is all about the Hollywood glamour that was so popular from the 1930's thru 1960's. I'm currently preparing a house for sale with some really fun clients, and this chandelier will be going in their foyer. Notice the lovely crystal droplets and the handsome shades with silver banding. This gives a lot of BLING but is still clean-lined. Love it!

And guess what... it's from Home Depot, of all places!

Hampton Bay Halina 6 Light Chandelier, Chrome Finish with White Linen Shades and Crystal Accents

Details Make a Difference!

2010-06-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

BEFORE: This master bedroom lacked focus and sophistication. The white bed cover, white nightstands, and white walls are "blah" and the lamps, while colorful, look more like they belong in a teenager's bedroom than a master bedroom.

AFTER: Modern art that matches the style of the house now anchors the room. Blue accents are appealing and sophisticated. Lamps have been replaced with more appropriate choices. Easy fixes, stunning result!

Sometimes it's all about the accessories!

2010-04-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's ALL about the accessories. Take a look at this traditional room. See how there's some really good pieces, yet the overall effect is "blah"? The after photo shows how the right accessories, such as art, plants and pillows, can really make the difference between boring and terrific!

Connecting the indoors with the outdoors...

2010-03-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

Especially in S. California, where a lot of living is done outside, it's important to connect your home to the outdoors as much as possible. This can include replacing windows with French-style doors or sliders. The investment in your home will yield results as your property becomes far more desirable. Imaging the home pictured without all the generous doors and sliders. And even in a traditional home, the replacement of windows with sliders and doors can have an amazing impact!

BEFORE & AFTER: Oahu, Hawaii condo with a view.

2010-02-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

These are the before and after shots of my friend Mark's condo on the island of Oahu. It's really one part staging (using what he had, including a cool Danish-modern teak dining table) and one part interior design. It's what's often called "re-design"... using elements you already have mixed with new items. (And yes, we replaced the ugly fan and cheap pendant light!) Like many people, Mark likes a mixture of modern and traditional.

BEFORE: Living Room #1. Inexpensive and over-used "college-age" furniture is too big for this compact condo. None of the woods in the room coordinate, neither does the rug.

AFTER: Living Room #1. New colors, new furniture and a fresh perspective. Exciting pops of blue contrast well with the neutrals. The wood "coffee table" in the previous photo was painted espresso and re-purposed as the corner table. Instead of a side chair, the espresso colored ottoman keeps the view open when the drapes are pulled.

BEFORE: Living Room #2. Clutter everywhere. No place to store DVD's, books, etc. And that halogen floor lamp? Ugh.

AFTER: Living Room, #2. It's important to remember that Staging and interior design really are different. In this case, Mark really needed storage and a workstation. Normally, I would not fill up a space like this, but we got the storage and work area Mark needed while keeping it stream-lined. The modern milk-glass front armoire hides his computer, and the buffet with the milk-glass top makes a great entertainment console.

BEFORE: Dining Room. A great Danish modern table but the space has nothing else going for it.

AFTER: Dining Room. More pops of blue in the new end chairs and the art, plus a soft green on the accent wall, really dress up the space. An alabaster pendant light completes the scene.

ARTWORK: Mark loves modern, abstract art. For the main wall we found some exciting, mid-range priced originals (above photo). The opposite wall reflects Mark's love of nature with photos of his native New Hampshire ordered off the internet (below).

By the way, here's Mark's view. Not bad, huh? Can you see the plane in the upper-left corner?

Staging is more important than ever...

2009-10-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

Folks, just like real estate agents have the Realtors Association, home Stagers have the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, or IAHSP. The IAHSP conducts surveys of markets conditions and how they apply to the home staging industry. And the most current info shows that staging is STILL an essential part of selling a home:

Fully 94.6% of all homes that are staged by a member of the IAHSP sell within 35 days. A non-staged home remains on the market, on average, for 175 days. Yes, my friends, you read that correctly. So the solution for those who either want or need to sell their home is, Home Staging!

BEFORE & AFTER: Lake-front home, 3

2009-09-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

Part 3: Sometimes, only a few simple changes are needed to make a room feel more spacious and elegant...

BEFORE: The carpet "ate up" the real estate and made the dining room look smaller than it is. A gaudy gold chandelier destracted the eye from the room, and a 1980's window "swag" wasn't helping either!

Not shown: The homeowner also had the armchairs placed at the ends of the table, a paisley fabric runner on the table under the faux flowers, and a set of candlesticks flanking the flowers (in this photo I had already moved all these to show her what a change it made).

AFTER: Now, the carpet is gone (revealing the beautiful wood floors) and the new chandelier is still elegant but not distracting (and hung higher to make the room feel larger). We now have a clean and contemporary candle arrangement on the table to freshen this traditional room. An accent wall of buttery cream warms the space, and new art (purchased at Ross of all places!) finishes the look.

BEFORE: "Grandma's" dated, busy tapestry fabric duvet cover on the bed, an oversized lamp shade, a personal photo on the nightstand (verboten when selling your home-- it distracts), and a cold white color on the walls isn't helping this room or the beautiful bedroom set that's in it. Also, no artwork (yawn).

AFTER: Now we've gone "Tommy Bahama" tropical with new prints, warmer paint color and a nuetral duvet cover with just a pop of color on the throw pillow. Soft, soothing, contemporary and inviting...

My latest design....

2009-08-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

You have a sink, toilet and bed... what more do you need? OK, I'm kidding, of course. This is a photo of a 1919 isolation cell. My designs are FAR more comfy and stylish!

A "Rescue Package" for Your Home!

2009-03-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

In the media, all we hear is gloom and doom. The real estate market is in a free-fall, they say. Too many homes compete provide far more choices for a smaller group of buyers. Home sellers are rightfully concerned that their home will sell only at a rock-bottom price or after a long time on the market—if it will sell at all. Where is your silver lining among all these gray skies? Now more than ever, it's Home Staging:

Staging is practical: Most people wouldn't put their car up for sale without thoroughly cleaning it, and perhaps even having it professionally detailed. So why don’t sellers invest in their home’s equity before putting it on the market? Most professional staging costs far less than the cost of a price reduction. Staging allows sellers to capitalize on buyers’ first impressions and save unnecessary time on the market.

Staging motivates: Having your home staged allows you to see your house as a product that needs to be marketed. It's also a great way to get the motivation to start packing your personal items!

Staging increases value: Smart realtors and buyers know that staging is a wise investment. Who wouldn’t want to have their home (or listing) appeal to a wide range of buyers, and sell faster and/for more money than its competition?

Staging is tops in technology: Staged homes not only look better when buyers visit, but also in MLS listing photos and online virtual tours. More than 80% of buyers now find their next home online before scheduling a tour. Staging is necessary in order to have the competitive edge in today’s technology-driven market.

Staging yields proven results: Even in this market, statistics consistently show that staged homes sell faster and/or for more money than non-staged homes. And professionalism makes a difference: the most recent statistics show that a home staged by an Accredited Staging Professional usually sells, on average, in 35 days, compared to 175 days for a non-staged home.

During these uncertain times, home staging can provide the ray of sunshine that allows sellers to gain the best price and the fastest sale!

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T18:56:00.001-08:00

May you ALL have a prosperous, joyful year to come!

.