Stage To Sell

Los Angeles Home Stager Takes a Palisades Home from Drab to Fab!

Posted on 18 March 2010

We were recently called on to Stage a new listing – a beautiful 4-bedroom home in Pacific Palisades. The family had moved out, but left behind some of their furniture and a few accessories for us to use. We were asked to “fill in the blanks” with the necessary furniture, art and accessories to give this property some Wow Factor!

Here was the living room in its original state. The piano took up so much of the space that there was no room for a proper seating area. The furniture was not in scale with the size of the room and did not draw your eye to the beautiful fireplace or the high ceilings.

By removing the piano and adding two large sofas flanking the fireplace, we focused the buyer’s eye on the features of this room that we wanted them to notice. A rug and throw pillows warmed up the space and added some much-needed color. We used the homeowner’s coffee and end table that were originally in a different room.

This room had a perfectly good sofa set, but the coffee table and end table blended into the rug and didn’t pop at all. There was also no cohesiveness between the colors in the rug, throw pillows, and art.

By adding new occasional tables in a dark espresso finish, the light sofas didn’t feel as washed out. We tied in the black and gold in the rug with the art and throw pillows to create a finished elegant look. New lighting and accessories finished the transformation.

This is how most occupied homes look when I first come to see them – they are chock full of family photos and personal items. Remember sellers… we are not selling your stuff, we are selling your house. And with all that stuff everywhere, buyers won’t be able to see the features that DO come with the home.

By removing the clutter we were able to see the added functionality of this wet bar. We also tied this space into the adjoining family room by using the same colors in the art.

This master bedroom felt anything but restful. The bedding did not fit the bed properly and the extra lamp and chair felt out of place.

We added a chest dresser to show buyers there was plenty of room for storing their clothes. Then we moved the seating area to the opposite wall (you can see a chair and end table peeking out in the foreground of the above photo). We updated the bedding, art and pillows and used a plant to create this luxurious and restful space.

This headboard and matching bedding felt like they belonged at grandma’s house, not in this elegant and updated home.

We switched out the headboard and bedding for more neutral ones, added updated lighting, a reading chair (the same one you saw in living room “before” shot) and a plant. That’s all it took to transform this room.

But the proof is in the pudding.

According to the Realtor,

“I got an offer on my sister’s home at the first Broker’s Open…The wife came on Friday, she brought her husband on Monday. They fell in love with everything in this home.”

Now that’s what we like to hear!