Continuing our virtual staging tour from last week when we stepped into the foyer…our next stop is typically the living room. For many homeowners, the living room has evolved into one of two things: it is either a museum, where the owners “nice” stuff is; or it is a play room because it has never been furnished. As a stager, I much prefer the museum, but we have to work with both, so here are some tips:
1. Lighting: Light needs to saturate this room. Heavy curtains should be pulled back as much as possible without revealing the wall. Open blinds or use light white shears for privacy, but sparingly. Pleats are “OK” in the shears, but keep them to a minimum to enlace the ability of light to pass through. Place floor lamps in distant corners from the entrance to increase the depth of the room and draw the eye across its expanse.
2. Color: Neutral, of course. Many homes today have red living rooms. It is a classic look that compliments many styles. For sales purposes, though, red should be toned down, maybe retained as a single accent wall. Energetic and welcoming colors such as orange or yellow based neutrals work well. Go for white on the ceiling here, especially if you are using a bold color on the wall.
3. Focal Point: Decide what your focal point will be…what should the the buyer’s eye be drawn to as they first enter the room? Usually the focal point is a fireplace or window. The focal point must standout explicitly in the room, so we need to eliminate anything that competes with it as you enter from the living room.
4. Furniture: Once you have determined the focal point, create a conversation area with the furniture. If you have two doors in the room, traffic should flow around the conversation area. If you have just one door, the traffic should flow easily to the seating area from the door. Where possible, pull the furniture away from the walls. Furniture against walls creates something of an arena feel, not the intimate feel we are looking for. Also, having the furniture away from the wall helps create the feel of a larger room.
5. Accessories: The living room is where you accessorize according to your target market. For example, if you are targeting a free and unencumbered psychographic, travel related accessorizing is the call. The living room is where you want to make a psychological link with your buyers – you want them to feel “this house works for people with similar interests; it will work for me.” Pack away all personal collectables. You want the focus on the room. Remember, it is not uncommon for children to accompany parents on tours – you should assume anything that looks interesting will be treated as a toy. The parent’s attention needs to be focused on your home, not making sure their children leave your collection of (insert any collectible here) intact. Remove all temptations.
6. The Living Room is a Play Room: OK, you are selling your house, so the play room has to go. No one wants to spend $XXX per square foot for a play room. Clean the toys out (we will talk about play rooms in another issue) and bring in some furniture. Furniture can be borrowed from other rooms or rented. Enough said.As always, all the best!
Monica, ASP
703-851-2690
the art of home preparation
