This post is the second in my 7 part series illustrating Home Staging in NJ with Before and After Staging photos. (The first post was on Living Rooms.) Today's topic is ~
Here, in New Jersey, most houses have a foyer. Some are large and impressive. Some are non-existent. When there isn't one you have to create the sense of one with a sofa table if the front door opens right into the living room or whatever.
I started the series with the Living Room, because that's the room that usually sets the tone for the rest of the house.
Once it's complete, we have the tone, the color temperatures, the overall style and feel of the home we can come back to the foyer and set up the first view.
The key elements of a foyer are -
- The Welcome
- The Sight-lines
- and how you deal with inclement weather. (i.e. places for boots, umbrellas or iced water depending upon your season and geographic locale.)
Let me show you some examples of successfully staged foyers in New Jersey. As before, I am sharing the 3 varieties of home staging services I believe in:- Owner Occupied where you use the homeowner's stuff, Owner Occupied where you bring in rental furniture, and Vacant Homes.
Owner Occupied Home ~ Using Their Own Furniture
BEFORE
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AFTER
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This house is called Tudor Rose. The conversation went like this:- (read w/ heavy English accent)
"Ah, you picked up on the "rose" in the home's name to paint the foyer. What a fun idea! Of course, you know that particular color is a tricky one; tends to oxidize over time. I'm sure this isn't the color you originally put up. Moving forward, we need to find a neutral shade that will last a little longer. We might just get the same warm welcome from a simple beige. A pinkish beige. Yes?"
Oh-kay, said the homeowner nervously, oblivious to the realtor's exuberant "happy dance" in the background!
Never even mentioned all the ~s.tuff!!
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Pinkish, if you want to see it that way. And so soothing.
Now ~
- What a beautiful mirror! Is it included in the sale (yes)
- How elegant!
- I can see our daughter's wedding here... when we have a daughter... and she's grown up...
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Owner Occupied Home ~ Using Rental Furniture
BEFORE
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AFTER
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A fascinating house that had a fully-functioning organ in the living room that Caruso sang with. President Woodrow Wilson slept here and Madam Xiang Hai Chek visited with her classmate who's father owned the place.
- Massive
- What are you supposed to do with it?
- Every single room leads of it... what would that fireplace heat exactly?
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We added more chairs, a lot more LIGHTING and a central table. For the Broker's Open House we created a custom Clue Game - Caruso in the Library with a hammer - so as to emphasize the history.
Now ~
- the unusual circular design is enjoyed
- the room as a point - it's a gathering place
- an ante-room for phone calls in the middle of dinner, for quiet disputes, for...whatever!
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Vacant House ~ Using Rental Furniture
BEFORE
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AFTER
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We had not included anything for the Foyer in the original proposal. then the Builder complained that it looked empy. Cold. Unwelcoming. And what was that horrible piece of amateurish art doing in a $1 1/2 million house with pool and NYC Skyline views?
"Er... well, I just threw something up because I thought it looked bare and you haven't authorized anything else."
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The clock cost the same as the painting, but was new from Target as opposed to the art which came from a Yard Sale. I don't think it's that bad. (Even my husband says it's only fit for a kid's bedroom or a basement playroom!!!)
(sigh) Buyers can now see
- An elegant entry
- The length of the space
- and now have a place to put keys that isn't the top of a radiator!
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Here are some other foyers that I'm real proud of but don't have "befores" of ~
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~ Juliet Johnson ~ has been home staging NJ in the luxury real estate niche (with the predominant home value of $1 - 3 million) for the last 7 years. Juliet is taking the month of August to brush up her internet marketing skills by participating in Ed Dale's 30 Day Challenge with a blog on Property Marketing.
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I'd like to invite you to connect with me on these other places:
Juliet Johnson serves Jacksonville, FL realtors, home sellers and small business with social media strategy, online visibility and product creation services, that include training if you want to do it yourself.
"If your social media activity isn't a revenue generator for you, you're doing it wrong."
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Very, very nice post and series, Juliet. Wonderful before and after pictures. Why wouldn't anyone call you after these results? Really impressed!