2016 Home Goals: How to Stage a House for Selling

Declutter 

Polka Dots and Rosebuds Interiors

One of the most important steps of staging your home to sell is to declutter as much as you can. When you reduce the amount of clutter in your home, it automatically makes the space feel cleaner and larger. It also gives the potential buyers the opportunity to see beyond your things and picture what they would bring in themselves.  

Polka Dots and Rosebuds.com

Increase the Amount of Lighting 

Polka Dots and Rosebuds Interiors

We really cannot say enough about the importance of lighting in your home. The more lighting you can add, the more warm and inviting your home will feel. Overhead lighting is always great to have, but when you add accent lighting, in the form of lamps or sconces for example, that is where you can create the warm feel. Another easy fix is to increase the wattage in your lamps and fixtures to the max amount each will allow. 

Polka Dots and Rosebuds Interiors

Paint Rooms the Same Color as Adjacent Rooms

fineartamerica.com

Another good staging tip is to paint any adjacent rooms in the same color. In other words, if you are standing in one room, and can see another room, it should be painted in the same color. This will create the illusion of being one large space instead of a bunch of chopped up rooms. This is a good rule to follow in general, not just for staging purposes.

domainehome.com

Minimize Personal Items

Polka Dots and Rosebuds Interiors

One of the most widely known staging tips is to reduce the amount of visible personal items in your home. Family photos, fridge calendars, jackets hanging in view, shoes by the front door, and bills laying around are all examples of personal items that should be put away for staging. It is difficult for a potential buyer to envision themselves living in the home if it is covered in these types of items.

Polka Dots and Rosebuds Interiors

2016 Home Goals: How to Use Heirlooms and Antiques with Newer Pieces

Minor Tweaks 

lilikoijoy.com

Sometimes all your antique needs is some minor changes in order to work with your home’s decor. Something as simple as painting and distressing an antique dresser can give it just the look you want. You can also repurpose old pieces and turn them into something more useful for your home. This is also nice because it can be done again and again as your other decor changes.

foxhollowvintage.om

Reupholster / Refinish  

remodelaholic.com

Another way to incorporate your heirlooms and antiques into your space is to reupholster or refinish the pieces. It is amazing how big of a difference these changes can make. If you have a great piece, and you like its shape and size, it is definitely worth holding onto until you can decide your plan for it. Whether it be refinishing a dining table, or reupholstering an old chair, you will be glad to get new life out of it, especially if it holds sentimental value.

hgtv.com

Group Old with New

houzz.com

These photos show some great examples of how you can mix your heirlooms and antiques in with your newer decor in a way that makes sense. The mixing of old and new will create an interesting statement and people will be drawn to it more than a group of similar items. Variety is definitely your friend when it comes to accessorizing. 

designsponge.com

2016 Home Goals: How to Brighten Up Your Space

Add Lamps  

Polka Dots and Rosebuds Interiors

One of the simplest ways to brighten up your space is to add table and/or floor lamps. While over head lighting is always nice, there is just something about lamp lighting that gives the room a bright and cozy feel. These photos show great examples of how to incorporate lamps into your space.

Polka Dots and Rosebuds Interiors

Make use of the natural light 

Polka Dots and Rosebuds Interiors

Natural light is one of those things that you simply cannot re-create. So when you are lucky enough to have it, you want to play it up as much as you can. You can accomplish this by f raming out your windows with floor length curtain panels. You can also use sheers over the windows if you are wanting privacy but also want to let in that beautiful natural light. 

Polka Dots and Rosebuds Interiors

Add Mirrors 

Polka Dots and Rosebuds Interiors

Mirrors are another fantastic way to brighten up your space. Mirrors not only reflect the light in a room, but also make it feel larger which will in turn create a brighter feel. There are many different ways to incorporate mirrors into your space and these photos show two examples of how you can do just that!

Polka Dots and Rosebuds Interiors

2016 Home Goals: How to Reduce Clutter

Storage Storage Storage! 

stylecaster.com

One important key to reducing clutter is to try and create a place for everything. An easy way to accomplish this is to create as much functional storage as you can. This can be in the form of open or closed shelving, baskets, bins, hooks, you name it. When items have a designated home, they are less likely to end up in places they don't belong, like on the floor or covering the counters.

stylemepretty.com

Labeled Bins / Baskets  

turnstylevogue.com

Another simple way to declutter is to label your bins or baskets with what should go in there. This can be very helpful in remembering what goes where. Areas where this is helpful include mail areas, linen closets, pantries, and any other area where there are a lot of different items that are constantly being shuffled around. This will also help all of the members of your household be on the same page about where things belong.

hometalk.com

One Thing in, One Thing Out

hative.com

A great phrase to go by is “one thing in, one thing out.” Some think decorating is all about filling up as much empty space as you can when in fact that is far from the truth. While you do want your space to feel full, you also want it to feel open and clean. This can be a tough balance when you are always bringing new pieces home to add to what you already have. So, the next time you bring a new piece home, try and get rid of / donate something that has seen better days. 

mydomaine.com