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Today.... I Became .... an 'Angler'

I have seen it done many times. I have very rarely thought it made sense. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it does, but I have seen it done so many times and so seldom needed to do it that I figured it was something I would never be.

You know, an 'Angler'. Stagers who put furniture and beds and area rugs on an angle. Seriously, in the 3 years I have been staging, I have only put a bed on an angle twice. Truth be told, the first time I was helping another stager with a job and she insisted on it. I didn't want to do it, but it was her job so I gritted my teeth and angled the bed. The second time it was because the room was weird and it was the only way the bed would fit. I hated it. It screamed 'staging class' to me. (Seriously, I have taken two staging classes - both times almost every room in the house was angled - I wanted to be the rebel that DIDN'T angle) I swore I would never do it again.

There was that time I did it in a living room, but that was because I was competing with a baby grand piano and otherwise you would not have been able to walk through the room. Okay, maybe I have angled more than I thought, but it is not something I choose to do often. What was I talking about again?

Oh, right!

Today, I staged a house that truly is beautiful all on its own. Great woodwork, really great wood floors, nice tilework, nice light fixtures, you name it. The problem was the living room. No matter how I aligned the sofa with the fireplace, it just wasn't right. Directly across, it looked bad from the entry. Perpendicularly, it blocked the pathway to the kitchen...on both sides. I thought about going with 4 chairs. My husband refused to take the sofa out of the house. I even considered asking the owner to relocate a column (just kidding). What's a girl to do?

Suck it up and try it on an angle, that's what. To my surprise, I loved it...

I may not do it again for a very long time, but yes, I will consider angling again. Of course, only if absolutely necessary. :)

Posted by Kimberly Wester on 06/18/2008 06:18 PM

Comments (31)

real estate staging, home staging, vacant homes, vacant listings

Post is included in group: Stage It Forward...
Post is included in group: VACANT HOUSE STAGING & NEW HOMES

31 Comments on Today.... I Became .... an 'Angler'

JUN

2008

Good for you! Angling does come in handy. Don't fight the process and it will come to you as it did this time. Your photos look great!

Kim - as I read the title- I knew what you were saying! I was saying --OH NOOOOOOO (say it like the Mr Bill Commercial to get the full effect! Then I saw the photos and I was thinking- YEAH BABY (got to say that like Austin Powers)--this looks greeeeeeaaaaat!! (say it like Tony the TIger)

Corina - This is the first time I have CHOSEN to angle a sofa and have been happy with the outcome. Probably because I have seen it done so many times when it was unnecessary. But, when a room calls for it, it just calls for it. :)

Marci - I know, right? You are so funny! (I read your answer in the requisite voices, btw.) When the thought of angling the sofa popped into my head, I fought it for a looooong time. Michael made me move on to other rooms while I got over myself. Finally, I told myself to stop being a design snob and at least try it. I didn't have many options....Anyway, I'm sooooo pleased with it. Who knew?

I often like sofas on the angle. Beds I don't usually like on the angle since it takes up so much room, although I saw one last weekend that made perfect sense.

Kimberly ~ No shame, Kim, no shame! : ) I think it looks great and even though you aren't one for angling, sometimes I guess that might be the only thing that will work. Open minds!

Tori Lynn - I've seen many sofas on angles that just made the room seem awkward. Rarely have I seen one that put a room right, but it does happen. I always wondered where you would put a bedside table if you lived with a bed on an angle - I think that is why I never see the point there. I'm too practical.

Kathy - Never say never, I guess! I will hold my head high! :)

Kimberly; I must say that on occasion I too have had the need to "angle". It's something that has to be done every now and again. It looks great.

Kimberly, I'm with you! I typically don't put furniture or rugs on an angle mainly because it screams, "I'm a stager, let me angle your furniture for you" and seems to be done so much when it really isn't necessary. However, I agree that the room you staged looks nice on an angle and sometimes we just have to suck it up and become an angler! (arghhhh!)

Wow, Kim. Looks sweet! I have been known to throw in an angle or two, but like you I have have resisted mightily. But there are some rooms that just won't work any other way so angle away. It only hurts the first 10 or 20 times...

Linda - Thanks! I guess angling from time to time is not so bad afterall. :)

Nancy - YES!!! That is exactly how I feel! It is done a lot more than it needs to be and it can be a dead giveaway to staging. I think a lot of new stagers feel the overwhelming need to show their creativity and angling sometimes becomes the default arrangement because of it. Sometimes you have reign that in and do what is best for the room, not your creativity. And sometimes you have to angle to do it right.

JUN

2008

Kimberly, too fun! I am not a huge fan o angling either. Just a touch is nice, but so many times its overdone and just plain odd. The living room looks great. I find when I don't have enough furniture to do my thing because the owner doesn't have much to work with I add an angle it works great! Thanks for sharing. Love your work. Kym

I, too, shudder at MLS photos of room after room that have been "angled" by a Stager - for no apparent purpose otherthan to make the room appear strangely tilted! But here, you've provided a solution - big difference! Happy Staging - Julie

I think there are times that angling furnishings are appropriate, and other times not so much. Depends on the room, the furniture, etc. But, like with anything, it needs to be pulled together correctly and look like someone could actually live comfortably as it is set up. Your examples define that perfectly...they look great! =) Angling furniture just for the sake of angling it doesn't work...and that goes for occupied and vacant homes.

Michele - I almost totally missed your comment! Glad I didn't. 10 or 20 times, huh? Sigh....

Kym - Thanks for the compliment - it really does mean a lot to have so many qualified stamps of approval!

Julia - Shudder - that exactly what I do! I'm often shaking my head and asking why? why? over and over again. Used in moderation - and the appropriate situation - it can work and not seem weird.

Abby - Well said! Knowing when it works and when it is just wrong is something all stagers should know. And I know you know it! :)

Beautiful home and beautiful staging, Kimberly! I'm with you and usually resist those angled arrangements unless the room really dictates it. I especially think it looks funny to angle a bed and have never done that, but there may come a time!

I'm with you on angling. I think it usually looks contrived and slightly jarring, and brings attention to the furniture instead of the actual roomelements that buyers should be noticing, such as the flooring and fireplace.

In this case, however, it looks great! You made an awkward room functional. Thumbs up. :)

You have actually made me reconsider angling in my own home! I have a very similar room that could benefit from an arrangement like that, and I've been resisting because I just. don't. like. angling. But you did such a nice job and made it work so well that I may copycat you. LOL

Staging wisdom tells us when to angle and when NOT to.This time you were wise- and so was your stubborn husband who refused to take the sofa out of the house.

(LOL! You two sound like Mark and me working together!)

~Leslie

Kimberly- On most jobs, I will try the angle, but most of the time it doesn't work. But I keep on trying because every once in awhile, it not only works, but looks fabulous! Yours looks fabulous, and you took what could have been a boring predictable arrangement, and gave it some WOW!!!

Diana - Thanks! That's right...now that you've said it, an ngled bed may be in your future... ;)

Okay, Elizabeth, my anti- angling sister, go ahead and give it a go! I want to see pictures! :)

Leslie - You should have seen the look on his face when I said 'This sofa may not work.' It was hysterical!! His response? 'Oh, you will make it work.' So I did.

Elaine - WOW? Really? Yeah!!!! Keep trying that angle, you may get lucky!

JUN

2008

Looks awesome! Welcome to the angler's club!

Seriously though, my husband once found me my "dream home" because it was on a corner lot and "angled" to face both streets! He thought it was hilarious and I just thought it looked fabulous.

Sigh. LOL!

Beautiful work Kimberly and the angles are perfect for this setting. That's the key, make the furniture work with the room and the architecture. I like angles and I like asymmetry but I guess that's to be expected with someone a bit off kilter like myself.

At first I thought you were "throwing us a line and had gone fishin'" but then I thought, NO moderator Kimberly would not post her vacation in SIF. (-:

Heather - Angled on a corner lot...LOL...Thanks for letting me in the club! :)

Ginger - That's right, I follow the rules!! LOL! Just fishing for the perfect furniture arrangement.... ;)

JUN

2008

Beautiful Home Kim and the 'angling' did look awesome here!

Sincerely,

Grace

I love the angle look when it FITS the home! Often it just looks contrived and as some have said "staged". I despise angled beds though. But, I just did a move in consultation and the only way the large bed could fit in the room without blocking the windows was. . . angled. I hated suggesting it, but it will look great in the corner~

As always, your rooms look great Kimberly! And I had to laugh that your hubby refused to take the sofa out. Mine has done the same thing!!

Sometimes it is fun to through in an "angle" to spice things up and throw off your assistants ;))... it is all about the flow. You did a great job. At first I thought you were talking about fishing... I thought "what is she dangling on her fishing/staging line?"

Ha... dangleberry is the graphic.. too funny!

Grace - Thank you!

Roberta - I know just how much you cringed when making that suggestion! LOL...sometimes, you just have to bite the bullit..

Lori Kim- Thanks! Fishing...never entered my mind when I wrote the title, so that tells you how much I'm into that! :P

JUN

2008

Kimberly, your angling staging job turned out beautifully. Very nicely done. Congrats.

JUN

2008

Looks great Kimberly! Don't worry-get back on the wagon tomorrow & forget this little transgression...

Actually staging my listing yesterday with Kym Hough and she said the exact same thing!!! I hate to angle the couch and what do you know, we angled the couch. Sometimes, it's just right, just right, just right. She'll be posting photos soon. You'll see. Good job, beautiful staging.

JUN

2008

Gary - Thanks so very much!

Kathy - I am going to an 'anglers anonymous' meeting this wek... ;)

Terylynn- I knew I liked Kym for some reason! LOL!!! Can't wait to see them!

Kimberly - beautiful job... I dub you Master Angler - at least for a day ;-) God bless,

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