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Can a room be too neutral?

By
Home Stager

Rockland Home Staging recently staged a colonial in Rockland County NY where the kitchen was just not working. It was very neutral but it looked washed out.  The cabinets are that bleached wood that is almost pink and the walls were painted a pail peach.  It really wasn't such a bad color but it did nothing for the room.

I decided to break one of the most sacred home staging rules and paint the kitchen RED.

We chose a really warm rusty red.  We only painted two of the walls, near the cabinets red.  We painted the others a really nice putty color then accented that wall with some artwork that had the red in it.  We also tidied the place up and installed new stainless steal cabinet hardware.  The old hardware was brass with a white center.  It really gave this tired kitchen a fresh new look. 

   

The home has been on the market for over 6 months.  Once the staging was completed they got an offer within 2 weeks.  Sometimes you just have to break the rules to do the right thing.  

 

Janet Guilbault
Platinum Home Mortgage Company - Walnut Creek, CA
San Francisco Bay Area Direct Mortgage Lender

My daughter, very hip, jaws drop when people see a picture of her house..she is an architect

Okay..she ALWAYS tells me, "Mom, don't BEIGE OUT". This is for houses and cars.

Jun 10, 2007 08:24 PM
Janet Guilbault
Platinum Home Mortgage Company - Walnut Creek, CA
San Francisco Bay Area Direct Mortgage Lender

My daughter, very hip, jaws drop when people see a picture of her house..she is an architect

Okay..she ALWAYS tells me, "Mom, don't BEIGE OUT". This is for houses and cars.

Jun 10, 2007 08:24 PM
Lois Geller
Lois Geller Marketing Group - Aventura, FL
Marketing Trainer/Speaker/Author

I have an apartment with "beige out" syndrome. This red really perked me up, and I'm going to buy some pain this weekend. The contrast makes it stand out so much more. A few accessories with the red will be nice...and good for you!

 

Jun 11, 2007 12:27 AM
No Longer Available
White Rock, BC

Fab, Fab, FAb. !

 

 Maureen you are the bomb with colour!  Well done.  Absolutely, needed colour.  I will remember this when I come across a similar situation. 

Jun 11, 2007 12:59 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager
Maureen, you made these sellers quite happy with your expertise. Cheryl's tutorial very helpful too, thanks for linking that in here.
Jun 11, 2007 01:53 AM
Karen Hubert
Center Stage Design-real estate staging, Ancaster/Hamilton - Ancaster, ON
Home Stager
So much better Maureen.  I guess you proved your point.  Good to know.  Karen Hubert
Jun 11, 2007 10:59 AM
Leslie Olson
Leslie Olson Interiors - Austin, TX
Interior Design and Redesign - Moved to Austin!

Great job, Maureen!  Though I love serene, neutral spaces (with a punch of fun accessories), I absolutely think rooms can be too drab and neutral.  Congratulations on your nice work, and quick-sale turnaround!

Leslie Olson    Leslie Olson Interiors -- Austin, Texas    leslie@leslieolsoninteriors.com

Jun 11, 2007 11:39 AM
Yvonne Root
rooms b.y. root - Prescott, AZ
Home Stager - Northern Arizona
Maureen, I think I'm comment number 55. Congratulations on another wonderful post. This kitchen in perfect and that is part of what makes this blog so wonderful. The other part is how well you presented the whole thing. Hope you have had time to drink your milk and eat your partially eaten cookie. You deserve it!
Jun 11, 2007 12:59 PM
Maureen Maureen
Orangeburg, NY
Yvonne - It will never cease to amaze me which blogs become popular and which ones turn out to be duds.  Some of the blogs I've spent the most time making have generated very few comments, then something in a tiny little blog will strike a cord with people. Either way I'm happy.  I blog for the sheer Blog of it.  ;)
Jun 11, 2007 01:55 PM
Lanita, Interior Concept Designs, Home Staging
Interior Concept Designs - Silver Spring, MD
Great job.  I get so many great ideas on ActiveRain!
Jun 11, 2007 02:08 PM
Doreen Harris
Peak Home Designs & Staging - Grand Junction, CO
CID, ASP, IAHSP
Nice to see color!  Just right! 
Jun 11, 2007 03:35 PM
Melissa Olson
HOPE Lending LLC - Bellevue, WA
HOPE Lending LLC

Hello Maureen ,

I am new to AR and ran across your blog's.  I like them so much I'm going to subscribe.  I haven't had the opportunity to see much in staging, but love your photo's.  Here in particular, the color IS nice......BUT, did I notice new cabinet hardware?  Way to go!  It is such an inexpensive way to really improve any cabinet and give that new clean feeling.  It is a basic step for me to do in all my rental properties and any client I'm working with.

Thanks for the post!

Jun 11, 2007 04:37 PM
Kaushik Sirkar
Call Realty, Inc. - Chandler, AZ
Too neutral = boring.  Nobody is saying put in a disco ball, but people do sometimes want just a little bit of spice....
Jun 11, 2007 04:48 PM
Maureen Maureen
Orangeburg, NY

Melissa - I think everyone should follow your lead.  ;)

 

Jun 11, 2007 11:54 PM
Lori Hakeem Oxley
Charles Rutenberg Realty, Inc. - Tampa, FL
Looks great!!  I have to say that red is my favorite color and my kitchen is red...I wanted to make my cabinets "pop" and it was so dramatic once it was done.  Sometimes it pays to take a chance!!!  Nice job!!
Jun 15, 2007 11:28 AM
Phyllis Pafumi
ReStyled to Sell Home Staging New Jersey - Old Bridge, NJ
ReStyled to Sell Staging Homes NJ

Hey Maureen I broke the same cardinal rule in a home I staged last year. I too painted the walls in kitchen red because the space was small but had these huge vaulted ceilings. I wanted to draw buyers into the room. It did work.

When I went back to destage the property I even said WOW seeing the kitchen again. I JUST LOVE THE TERRACOTTA REDS.

Great job

Phyllis Pafumi

Jun 30, 2007 10:03 AM
Maureen Maureen
Orangeburg, NY
Hey Phyllis - Every now and the you just gotta break the rules. 
Jun 30, 2007 11:53 AM
Cindy Lin
Staged4more School of Home Staging - South San Francisco, CA
Host, The Home Staging Show podcast

WOW What a difference. I want to find out from you, where did you learn all these stuff about colors?

Cheers,

Cindy 

Jul 07, 2007 04:27 PM
Maureen Maureen
Orangeburg, NY
Cindy - most of what I know has come from reading books and blogs!
Jul 08, 2007 02:27 AM
Maureen Maureen
Orangeburg, NY

Yes, it is in Orangeburg NY but I serve all of Rockland County NY and Bergen County NJ. 

Jan 12, 2009 07:00 AM