Does this house make me look fat?

How often have you been out and noticed someone in an outfit that just looks BAD on them? It’s not that it’s ugly or out of fashion or even the wrong size - - it’s just not right. Perhaps it’s the wrong color for them, or just emphasizes parts of their body that should not necessarily be emphasized. I always wonder why there isn’t at least one person in their life that will tell them the truth – to say, “oh no – you shouldn’t wear that color”.

I recently worked with some clients who had spent a lot of time and money on the décor choices throughout their home. As they were showing me around their home it became apparent that, although they had shown a lot of courage in undertaking most of these projects, the finished product still had a DIY-quality to it. It’s not that anything was ugly, it wasn’t – but the results emphasized parts of the house that should not have been emphasized.

For example, rather than finishing the ceiling smoothly after a repair, they had chosen to paint a “wispy-cloud effect” in an effort to hide the patch. Although the “clouds” were very realistic, all it did was make you look up and notice the repair!

In a bedroom, they had painted a very wide horizontal stripe completely around the room. They had done an excellent job – it was completely even and there was absolutely no wavering in the edges. Unfortunately, the stripe only emphasized how much the house had settled over the years (honestly, it made you feel like you were leaning to one side!).

One of my main responsibilities as a Professional Home Stager is to be the person to explain to clients what will keep their house from selling quickly. Perhaps something they are very proud of may not be seen as a positive feature by potential home buyers.  I compliment them on their efforts, but at the same time gently let them know that it just isn’t working (to be the friend that tells them “that color makes you look like death”).

The homeowners were positive that everyone would love the design choices as well as appreciate the time and effort that they had invested in these projects. After tactfully explaining that my goal was to highlight the positives of the house and make the negatives less noticeable, the homeowners reluctantly agreed to paint the walls and ceilings in a fresh Navajo White. Now that everything is the same color, the flaws have receded and the architecture of the house and the size of the rooms became the noticeable features.

The homeowners needed some professional honest advice that what looked good to them did not look good to their potential home buyers and it is my job to give it to them.

Now, be honest, does this box of Girl Scout Cookies make me look fat?