Rosie O'Door is a Mismatch

The owner's replaced their original plain ole six-panel door for this elegant leaded glass door with side panels.  Replacing dated entry doors is always a good investment.

The front facade of your house should be expressive and speak to your guests and/or potential buyers. 

But wait a minute....

Linda Beam

What is wrong with this picture?  The beautiful front door has Rosie undertones.  The Rosie red paint color does not work with the orange-y brick. (The door really glows Rosie in full sun.)


Is this a deal breaker?
No, but this is an example of when it is particularly important for the front door paint color to be
correct.


The house is located on a hill,

                                                 in the middle of a cul-da-sac,

                                                                                                 at the end of a street.

Meaning that on the approach, the potential buyer is forming an opinion of the house for a longer-than-normal period of time. It is more critical on a long approach for the front facade of the house to look great.

Triangle MLS

You never get a second chance at that first impression.

It might only register subliminally with a potential buyer, your visitors, and your neighbors but this Rosie O'door paint color is a mismatch and is a missed opportunity. 

(BTW, the seller's disagreed with my advice to repaint.)

Happy Friday, y'all!

Linda
 

Expert Advice on Updates for Selling May Differ

I just did a consultation on this Traditional home that is going on the market.


 This house has a traditional staircase.

Look at this gorgeous fireplace surround the owners had custom made.

The style of the staircase, the trim work, the custom fireplace all complement each other.  They work in tandum for this Traditional home.

"....But what about the balusters?"

Wrought Iron balusters are currently on trend. Three realtors and four stagers told the sellers that the balusters needed to be replaced with black wrought iron before the house is put on the market. New balusters (or 'spindals' as we call them in the South) is a very expensive undertaking.  The sellers were amazed that I disagreed about replacing the balisters. The staircase matches the style of this house!

  

Kitchens Sell Homes

This is the seller's kitchen.  Kitchens sell homes and this one is pretty lackluster and outdated.

 

The seller's money would be better spent on kitchen upgrades. I suggested the cabinets be painted,  stone countertops installed (they had intended to redo the countertops) and put in a new tile backsplash.  The husband is very handy and has a large shop.  I suggested, that if budget and time permit, he add a built-in window seat.  A window seat will add so much emotional appeal to this kitchen!  Don't you think?

I'm a bang-for-the-buck girl. Updating the kitchen is going to have a much better return on investment than the staircase project. These home owners were smart to interview many agents and stagers before putting their house on the market. Professional opinions vary!

Popular design elements do not necessarily equal sinking money into them.  For selling, you have to weigh return on investment. 

This a great house!  Kitchen updates and staging (I'm excited to work some magic in this beautiful home) should equal a speedy sale!

Linda

When to Break A Staging Principle

I found out that the owner of this chest did not paint it. Meredith told me her mother had the chest and commissioned to have it painted. Meredith has had this piece since she was a small girl. She  speculated that the 3-D flowers and leaves were made of clay (as some of you suggested).  Isn't it amazing that they have held up through the years?

Professionally Hand Painted Chest

Meredith's Dining Room, Living Room, Kitchen

Meredith likes color.  I took this picture the day of my consultation.  Typically, I would tell these clients to paint over the dark coral-colored wall.  However, the target audience for this 3-floor town house is a young professional/family.  The color perfectly compliments the decor in this open floor plan home.  This home reads young and fresh.  I explained to the realtor that one bright wall, painted above the chair rail, is not a deal breaker.  It would only take the new owner a few minutes to paint over if they don't like it.

There are guidelines for staging a house for sale.  However, there are no hard and fast rules--or shouldn't be.  Each house needs to be evaluated on an individual basis.  Location, style of the home, target buyer, etc. must be taken into consideration.

Just as Gestalt is used in all the arts, advertising and marketing so to it applies to home staging.

Have a great week!

Linda
PS--I only accomplished a couple of the intentions I set last Monday.  Here's hoping this week is more productive.

Missing the DIY Gene

Remember this mirror that I was excited about painting?  In my vivid imagination, I would spray paint it a trendy aqua and it would be a-m-a-z-i-n-g!!

Wrong-y Dong-y.  How do other you DIY folks get such fabulous results?  I think I am missing the DIY gene.  Here's my oh-so-not-fabulous mirror after a couple of coats of spray paint.  Ewwww...it be fuggly.

Can this be fixed?  Isn't there some rub-a-dub-dub stuff I can apply that will give it dimension?

I bow to all you successful DIY-ers!  (I shall be packing the blue-boo-boo away for another day.)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Linda

Little Miss Trouble Maker

Thanks for your comments on yesterday's post.
 
I was telling my husband about about the post and HGTV's misrepresentation on the fireplace makeover.  Cowboy gave me 'the look' and said, "You better be careful what you put on your blog."

Bing- Roger Hargreaves

(Maybe the HGTV police are on the case?)

I made my screwy-face and told him, "It's my blog.  I don't have sponsors.  I don't have any alliances.  I'm going to post whatever I want."

Am I being naive my dear fellow bloggers?  Am I committing post-suicide?

Happy Friday, y'all!

Linda 

Same HGTV Fireplace Makeover?

I've been busy, busy packing my house for the hardwoods to be installed next week.  I only have a wee bit of time to spend on the Internet  This morning, I read yesterday's HGTV Inspiration post "60 Hot Fireplace Design Ideas".  There is lots of old-school brick and wood trim alive and well in the houses I consult on.  I was particularly interested in this makeover.

HGTV - BEFORE

However, to my old eyes, this did not look like the same room. The proportions in the makeover picture below looked 'off ' to me.  Is the ceiling significantly raised? Were the French Doors and window replaced?  It's a head-scratcher....

HGTV - AFTER

Remodelando la Casa - Before

Are you confused yet?  StagerLinda aka  Investigator Linda went digging. Actually, the second picture is the REAL before picture of the fireplace on the Remodelando la Casa website.  Nice remodel but certainly nothing spectacular in comparison to the HGTV Before and After makeover shots.
  
Check out the full view "After" from the designer's website.

Remodelando la Casa-AFTER

Say what?


Perhaps it was an oversight on a HGTV staffer's part.  I shot an episode of HGTV's "Buy Me" a few years ago.  All I can say is there was a lot of poetic license taken in the editing room.

Is it fair to misrepresent remodels for home owner's so anxious for a solution to their design dilemmas? Have any of you ever noticed a room being fabricated (ooooh, is that too strong a word?) for affect?

What say you deliberate? Or oversight?

Linda

A New Look at Julie and Julia

The movie, Julie and Julia, was on tonight on E!  I was hooked.  Again, I watched it.  The crazy thing is I own the movie.  Do you ever flip channels, stumble on an old favorite and watch it yet again--complete with advertisements--even though it is in your DVD library???


Bing

I watched it with 'different eyes' this time.  I had not seen the movie in years.  Long before I started my, "An Affection for Staging" blog.


Bing

Julie Powell was a pioneer blogger.  Her blog began as her daily journal of cooking the recipes in Julia Child's, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Boy-Howdy, I could relate to Julie talking to the computer screen, wondering if anyone would ever read her posts, and her utter joy when she started receiving comments on her blog.  Here's her first post.


Bing

There are plethora of talented, entertaining, exceptional, inspiring bloggers among us. It's fun to make friends with the person behind their blog-voice.  

I can't wait to read your book or see the movie develop from your posts.  Any working titles yet?
Do Tell!

Linda