In previous posts, I wrote about the new IRIS National Capital Area Chapter's homeless shelter apartment makeover project. Two of the three apartments are finished. On June 9, 2009, at the Shelter House.org Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, the Chapter received the Community Partner Award for work on the Patrick Henry Family Shelter. As President of the chapter, I can tell you that the results and the response from the staff and the family who moved in were rewards enough for the hours of work spent on the redesign and staging of the apartments . To be the recipients of this award is such an honor. We are so thankful to be able to give back to the community in this way.
As if that weren't exciting enough, we were also presented with an official copy of the United StatesCongressional Record for June 9, 2009 in which Congressman Gerald R. Connolly of Virginia recognized "Shelter House.org and in particular the contributions its volunteers make in service to our community", and names the Interior Redesign Industry Specialists as the Community Partner Award winners for the Patrick Henry Shelter.
This project, which begain with a desire to redesign and stage one apartment for the Shelter grew into a committment to fulfill an immediate need for three. Deserving redesign has created ripples that we would never have expected.
To see brief videos of the first two apartments please click on these links:
Dumpster-What? Yes, I must admit that we are not too proud to pass up great potential furniture that has been left by the side of the dumpster.
IRIS National Capitol Area members (and soon to be new chapter) have finished their second apartment makeover for the Patrick Henry Shelter House in Falls Church, VA. Key to this project was stretching the bare bones budget by using donated materials and furnishings and finding freebies through craigslist (yes, it is supposed to be lower case) and Freecycle. That also included keeping sharp eyes out for 'potentials" which brings us to the dumpster diving part. One particularly nice "potential"piece was found next to a dumpster by one of our members. It was an old Ballard Design low cabinet with two drawers and only one of its two doors. The narrow piece was perfect for the small apartment and creative eyes saw its reincarnation into a small bookcase.
So what does this have to do with staging a home to sell?
Most sellers are on a tight budget, particularly in this economy. That budget must cover repairs and cosmetic fixes like painting. Once it comes to actual staging, the budget may be next to nothing. I'm not suggesting that everyone should start hanging out at their local dumpsters looking for treasure like this, but to take a look at what the homeowner may be ready to throw out in their quest to pare down for their move. Often furniture with potential ends up in the trash because no one has recognized its value. As redesigners and stagers we can offer our clients this additional service-using our creativity to save them from wasting resources but also showing them how to use reclaimed furnishings in decoratively functional ways. It's another way to be green in our businesses and to show homeowners how to be green in their decor.
To see the video of the family room/dining area redesign, please click here or cut and past the link below:
A friend forwarded this to me and I found it to be more than a little disturbing. Thinking you can go into the staging business by just reading a book? Staging is the same as redesign? Uh, NO. Maybe to someone who has just read a book about it and knows little else about the subject it is.
If a person has talent and a natural ability to assess a home and knows what it would take to showcase it, then reading a book could help them on the way to a career. It might help the home seller understand what is needed to sell a home and allow them to do some of their own staging. Would it tell them all they needed to know about the process? Would it allow them to see their home as buyer might? Would they believe it?
Hands on training in real life situations is the minimum one should expect in a home stager. It's like learning to fly a plane by reading a book. You may learn the fundamentals but what has been left out-hands on experience. Bad staging reflects on the rest of us. Many people have gone into the business as a hobby with little or no training or a true grasp of the scope of a staging project. I have restaged homes for clients who have had bad experiences with "stagers" who talked a good game but weren't able to deliver. Did they learn their craft by watching TV or reading a book?
I am not a trainer, but I feel strongly about training or lack of it, and how it can affect the perception of our profession. The article was meant to be helpful, but it sends out a misleading impression of what it takes to be a successful in real estate staging, both for stagers and their clients
In the spirit of HGTV's Deserving Design and the popular Extreme Makeover shows, IRIS National Capital Area interior redesigners have completed one and are working on the second of three apartment makeovers for the Patrick Henry Shelter House in Falls Church, Virginia. Shelter House provides temporary emergency housing and support services to homeless families.
See 60 second before and after video of the transformation here:
Jewell Mikula, Executive Director or Shelter House remarks: "I am completely speechless; the IRIS generosity towards our homeless families is amazing." Shelter House's mission is to break the cycle of homelessness by providing crisis intervention, temporary housing, training, counseling, and programs to promote self-sufficiency. The facility is owned by Fairfax County and Shelter House partners with the Department of Family Services to operate it on a daily basis.
Interior redesigners and stagers are known for creative room makeovers using existing furnishings. When these weren't sufficient, they adopted a Green approach and refurbished, repaired and recovered gently used items from those they had gathered that might otherwise contribute to local landfills.
The use of a storage container donated by 1-800- Pack Rats made it possible to accumulate items in advance of the makeovers. Paint, materials and funding were donated by Springfield businesses Jerry's Paints and Fischer's Hardware, American Foam Center in Merrifield and Coverage, Inc-The Insurance Specialists in Chantilly.
If you are a homeowner who is moving and have unwanted, gently used furnishings, consider donating them to a shelter. If you are a stager and are offered these furnishings, consider donating them and your time to make a difference in your community.
For more information on Shelter House, please go to www.shelterhouse.org. Please post here if you would like more information on our project.
Talk about thinking outside the box! A recent New York Yimes article in the Home and Garden section described the open house that was held in the home of the late William F Buckley, Jr. and his wife Pat.
The event was held in two sessions for two different groups for several different purposes. The timed showings were structured to give the event focus-to showcase the property and its contents which are for sale, provide a memorial gathering of sorts for the deceased owners and to provide a venue for a preview party for the International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show.
I know that many Realtors feel that holding open houses are a waste of time or at least, a less than effective way to market a property. Is this multipurpose open house the key to more productive marketing, particularly for higher end listings?
To read more about this event and see photos click here
Love it or hate it, yard art is definitely a case of beauty being in the eye of the beholder. Many homeowner associations have regulations about the use of decorative accessories in the front yard including the type of mailbox that is acceptable. Few regulate the backyard and that gives the homeowner the freedom of expression that may or may not delight their neighbors.
What separates classy from pretentious? What is corny and what is cute? What is classic and what is dated? Sometimes the lines are blurred by the objects and the materials they are made of, where they are placed, how they are used, the type of home, the neighborhood, and the occupants of the home.
Years ago, I would occasionally drive by a house that had a concrete goose on the front stoop. During the rainy season it had a yellow slicker, hat and umbrella. Then I noticed it had a costume for nearly any holiday. (The cupid costume was particularly inventive.)
I never saw the homeowners or knew if they had children or grandchildren or if they just had a sense of humor. I don't know if their neighbors enjoyed the show or if they thought it was an eyesore. (The costumes seemed well made and were always placed just so.) The people moved and the goose went with them. I miss it and the humor and effort that went in to the display.
I mention this because it could have been an eyesore if the costumes had become ragged or tacky looking. If they had added a lot of accessories or "friends" it would have changed the entire display. The homeowner's association, if there was one, apparently allowed it and it was the only decorative element in the front yard. The restraint, timing and subtle humor made it work, in my opinion.
That's the key to using yard art successfully. You may be restricted to having something only in your back yard but even there, use restraint. Just as too much jewelry will ruin an outfit, using too many decorative accessories outdoors will overwhelm the landscape and your home. You want to limit and coordinate your accessories, though everything needn't match. Continuity in a theme or look will result in a more seamless landscape. Placement is important. Does the piece complete the plantings or compete with them? Does it look like an after thought or stick out awkwardly? Does it make sense where it is or in relationship to the architecture of the home? If it doesn't add anything of value to the landscape then it's clutter.
As with most things in decorating, less is more in using yard art. You may be attracted to decorative dragonfly collectibles or maybe elves but you don't want to create the effect of a swarm of insects or Keeblerville in your backyard-or do you?
I guess it all depends on your sense of humor!
When trying to sell a home, there are no hard and fast rules. When staging a home, many hold to the saying that when in doubt, leave it out. If the yard art is controversial, cutsey, dated or worn it is not likely to help with the sale of the home.
Whether you are redesigning a room or staging it for the summertime market, create the feel of summer indoors with these quick tips for a seasonal room makeover:
Clear out heavy, dark or other season specific accessories. Pack up woolen throws, accent pillows in dark colors, heavy candlesticks, containers of pinecones and wood stacked in the fireplace or firebox
Clear clutter. Fewer things and less "STUFF" will make the room feel more open and fresh-and will require less maintenance.
Let there be light!. Remove heavy curtains and replace with lightweight panels or sheers. For light or privacy control, consider installing inexpensive "quick shades" which will filter light.
Remove area rugs where possible. Polished wood floors reflect light and seem cooler, as do tile floors. If a rug is needed, try a lightweight woven rug or one of the indoor/outdoor designs that look like wool or sisal.
Brighten up your color scheme. Whites and pastel versions of your color palette can be introduced through strategic placement of accessories.
Go natural. Shells and elements from the sea are classic summertime accessories. Ferns, tropical leaves and flowers in simple arrangements or in a cluster of glass bottles bring the casual feel of outdoors inside. A few glass containers in odd numbers with pale stones and wisps of sea oats or ornamental green grass, for example, are architecturally interesting accents.
Add color. If a sofa or chair needs a lift, add color without weight by using a woven sarong, shawl, or tablecloth as you would a throw.
Mix it up. Replace a wooden table with a glass or tile and metal outdoor piece. Birdbaths and planters can make interesting table bases.
In a previous post, Don't Move the Dog Crate!, I shared some solutions for the problem of what to do about pet crates when staging- attractive end table/kennel combination furniture. The pieces weren't inexpensive and may not be within a home seller's budget.
In searching for other alternatives I ran across this web site and its solution to dressing up regular metal kennels. The options for fabric and trim are limited and the effect may not be for every decor or taste but it does present another possibility for disguising the kennel. Slip covers that allow air circulation may be a possibility that has not been considered. Slip covers, who knew?
In my previous post, Part 1, I mentioned some outdated furnishings and decorating trends that distract or detract from a home's features. Those things will leave the home when it sells. In the meantime, buyers may be able to look around, past or through these to see the home for what it is and the potential it has for their needs and lifestyle.
So now we are talking about the structure itself. Take away the furnishings and what things in the home will make it seem dated and turn off buyers? Remember that the most appealing home is one that is move-in ready.
Wall colors can impact the way buyers perceive the space so the generally accepted practice is to have the walls a more neutral color to make the room move-in ready. Even though color is more prominent in homes these days and people are becoming more confident in living with it, not ALL buyers will appreciate the effect that bold or saturated colors have on a room. Stark white walls with one bold accent wall color not only take a room back in time but can make the room feel uncomfortable because of the sharp contrast. Buyers may think it would take too much time and too many coats of paint to cover that decorative accent and move on to the next house.
Vinyl flooring with a lot of detail can date a kitchen and make the room appear smaller.
These floor patterns from the 60's were considered very "in" at the time.
Any flooring that is worn can make a room look tired and dated, even hardwood. Worn carpet, no matter what color, looks dated. Some styles and textures of carpet can look old, but if they are in good condition the attention can be focused on more pleasing elements in the room.
Some paneling can make a room look dark and dated. Mirrored walls can look dated depending on the application. Solid colored red brick walls and fireplace surrounds, often seen in 50's and 60's homes, are dated looking and are commonly updated by coat of warm white paint.
Spindled room dividers that don't protect from changes in room levels are dated decorative features.
Now let's go outside and take a look at dated landscaping and other home features.
Things that make a house look dated and destroy curb appeal:
Old, overgrown shrubs, especially those about to obscure the windows
Plantings so close to the walkway that you have to push your way through to the front door
Discolored sidewalks and driveways
Painted concrete patios or breezeway floors or those with old green indoor/outdoor carpeting
Worn railroad tie retaining walls
Edging made of bricks set on an angle
Overgrown azaleas cut in a severe hedge form
Trees with heavy limbs in need of pruning (NOT topping!)
Steppng stones that are disappearing into the yard
Painted tire planters
Old roof solar panels
Faded front door
Old outdoor light fixtures that are too small in scale for the home
Light fixtures that contrast with the style of the home
Leaning fences
Some things that date a home can be easily remedied, while some may require an investment in time and money to bring a home's appearance up-to-date. Which things are worth it and which things aren't will depend on a seller's time, budget, the price point of the property and the buyer's interest or lack of of interest in the home. The more motivated the seller, the more likely that updates will be done.
I'll admit that I am addicted to hardware and gadgets. Anything that promises to make the work of staging faster and easier will get my attention. Keeping it is another matter. In my quest to find the perfect picture hanging hardware and accessories I have tried quite a few, each with it's own pluses and minuses. I've also come across a few interesting web sites in the search.
The following are some of my favorites and some you may or may not have heard of in your own search:
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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