Once a year I do a special drawing for a free redesign to a homeschooling family.  These families typically sacrifice a second income for one parent to invest their time and energy on nurturing and educating their children.  Sometimes in the midst of all the activities, the home itself gets cluttered and scattered with school books, science projects, sports equipment and musical instruments.  A special space for the parents to entertain other adults or just visit with one another often gets lost in the process.

This year's winner, Elizabeth, was unable to take advantage of our half-day redesign due to a temporary living situation, so she "gifted" the prize to her sister, Judy, in Palos Verdes Peninsula.

In less than half a day, my wonderful assistant (my 17-year-old daughter) and I were able to take a room that was rarely used and make it a warm, welcoming space for the family to gather or to entertain (after carefully listening to the homeowner's needs and desires).   Here's the process and some photos:

Beautiful furniture to work with, but the arrangement was too scattered and had extraneous pieces.

Borrowing a rug from the dining room pulled the grouping together.

Bringing a round table from another room and hauling a beautiful buffet down the stairs helped to complete the room.  When a tree is added back by the fireplace and the pictures are hung, this room will truly feel comfortably and beautifully like "home." 

The den also had extra pieces that didn't fit the space and interfered with some of the potiential activities in the room.  By removing those extra pieces and turning the furniture to face each other, the room immediately become more functional in just a few minutes.  They have the option of adding an area rug and coffee table, or leaving it open for Wii activities. 

In a short amount of time, a home can become more functional and lovely for very little cost.  We'd be happy to help you anytime - just call for your consultation or redesign (paint color consultations are included!). 

For more photos, check out our website at www.hsdca.com .

BethLester

Home Staging Designs of California specializes in making homes beautiful, whether selling or staying, in LA's South Bay area.