I missed Sandra's blog about that - sometimes things move up and down so quickly... it's like Kansas in the Wizard of Oz!  I am not a big fan of decorator boards either (as you know).  I do feel that buyers need to see size and scale.  If they could understand the board they really wouldn't even need it most of the time. 

Hi Bevin,  Are these boards not to scale?  I have heard of them but if homeowners cannot see the real thing, how can they imagine on a board?  hmmm

Diane Concialdi DC Redesign 

I wondered the same thing about scale! I think boards are great for designers to show their clients their ideas. But I think using only the boards in a vacant home, instead of staging it, misses the point!

Ideally, the designer boards are supposed to be 'to scale'.  They are most often used when discussing colors, furniture placements etc....and not ideal for Home Staging.  That is a whole different genre of client.  The visualization thing for each owner's space is a tough thing to 'provide' beforehand--because most people can not 'see it'.  We can, but most can not (as you know!).  You can show your portfolio etc.....but it is never as good as the personalized and finished product for that client. 

Sometimes, I think all the client can visualize is the check being written out and not much beyond it at times....then they become a believer when they see the tangible results of our efforts!  Again...the boards are best used with a certain type of client and most people will simply nod their heads....as they wonder what the heck the decor board means.  : )

Kathleen - I agree! I just don't agree with using only boards or drawings in a room as an alternative to staging. Thanks for reading!

The client sometimes just does not want to pay for staging and I show them how furniture placement by using a program from La Z Boy and it can be found on their website.  It is accurate and looks great.

Bevin ~ Great point and I totally agree with you. Most people have no clue as to how and where to put the furniture! great blog! :)

Women touring a home touch - they have to touch. Isn't this couch comfortable, oh this throw is soooo soft - are those flowers real. Cardboard just doesn't feel good.

Did I talk about smell, yet??? 

Karel - I am glad you found a program that works for you. I wish your clients would realize the added value of actual staging though!

Fernando - Thanks for reading! Again, thank goodness they have no clue, or we would be in a different business!

Kathleen - I couldn't agree more! Women always touch everything - and it keeps them in the house longer! Thanks for stopping by!

Like Bevin I have also on several occasions have made a floor plan layout and had the furniture placed just so on paper but when I actually did it in person it didn't work, my floor plan needed tweaking.  I do not think anything can replace the way real furniture looks in a home for sell.  The only place I could see something like this working is a home that is partially built but is being shown - but then wall colors, tiles etc... would also need to be shown - a true design board, and once the property was completed it was staged.

I thought you would appreciate this (crazy that you posted this recently).  I had a consultation today in a home that is currently occupied, getting ready to list.  They had already decided to hire us for the staging. (This is in the same subdivision as my blog More numbers to share.... The Value Staging brings to the table - in written offers!) 

When we were walking to the family room, the homeowner started already apologizing for her furniture layout.  She said she ordered the furniture from a high end local retailer.  They brought in their room measurements.  The sales person looked up the dimensions on the furniture they liked and showed on the computer how it would all fit together.  Upon delivery it was clear there was a big problem!  The sectional and two side chairs didn't fit!  The sectional took up the entire living room.  There was no room left for the 2 remaining chairs.  (They were supposed to be placed as a cozy seating area in front of the fireplace.)

Just another example of why real furniture is better than decorator boards & computer generated layouts!

That is the perfect example Melissa!

I have another blog to post, about a home I just finished that had this problem. We see it over and over, and only staging fixes it when it is for sale!

Bevin - I totally agree!!  It's funny, because when I took my 'accredited' staging class for the second time (as a 'refresher')  this was actually mentioned as an alternative to actual staging and I thought it was ludicrous.  The point of staging in the first place is because people cannot visualize - and drawing it out on paper is not going to help them do that.  It gives them no spatial reference for their own things.

Kimberly - That is funny that they promoted that as a method of staging in your course. If people could see it from looking at the paper or board, than they wouldn't need it in the first place!