thanks shell! I may just take you up on that offer. the crazy thing is that this is one of my favorite stagings of all times and it may be one of the most "affordable". My client paid $2,000 for 90 days including our time, labor and all rentals! A lot of home sellers think that staging and rental furniture is costly- the truth is a professional home stager with a great inventory can make almost any rental sofa look chic and "on trend" I have to say the blue sofa is growing on me and make a visit to another home soon. KH

Thanks Michelle- This home is only 5 minutes from my house and the joke is that I want to move there secretly and have it be my little nest. The truth is that it is actually quite large- 3 full floors- but since it is a twin it has long and narrow spaces.

I use tricks like the mirror over the desk to accomplish a few things- 1. make the space feel larger and brighter and 2. add some architectural balance to the space- the window is off center and the mirror mimics the window.

FYI- I actually hung it on the wall but made it look like it was leaning- safety first! kh

Michelle- I also used a similar trick in the downingtown staging I just did- if you look at the master bedroom the window is off center. I hung some metal architectural items on the wall to create more balance in that space. kh

So much for my little hide away- I just spoke with the agent and they already have an offer! We staged it Thursday and they got an offer yesterday! I will keep you posted on the details. KH

Hey all,

thanks for all your comments, I was so surprised and honored to be part of the Active Rain "staged" newsletter. I was staging yesterday so I did not have a chance to answer your comments but I will try.

Diane- yes it has been almost 5 years! I started when I second son was born. I was one of the first in my region and although the concept is more well known here it is still something we need to work to educate consumers on.

Linda- I think it is important for consumers to know what we charge- this client now does not have to carry 2 homes, 2 mortgages, 2 school tax bills, utilities etc. The staging worked and he can now move on.

Virginia- I was nervous about using the sofa- it was a cheap alternative to the one I wanted to use but I have to tell you the blue monster has grown on me! I think a pop of color is great for staging- you can use less artwork and accent items and create a warm and memorable look.

Dane, Shannon and Janet- I loved the colors too! The vase is the FIRST prop I ever bought. I like how it can be modern and country at the same time depending on the props. I decided not to fight the yellow and go for Country meets Crate and Barrel- well that was the attempt!

Janet- it is rental furniture- I bring in all the props.

Beth- Prices are less expensive here than Cali but we make it up in volume of stagings. I rent all the furniture- that way I do not have to warehouse, repair, transport, deliver or deal with workman's comp etc. I then charge a flat fee to provide the staging and the accessories. It took me 1.5 hours to plan it and 2 hours to install it. It will take another hour to pick it up and transport it back to the warehouse. Not bad for less than 5 hours of work!  This of course does not include the business side-the bid, the contracts, the shopping for inventory. At this point however I have a pretty substantial supply of props so I just have to go and select the items I want to use.

Georgina- Thanks! At first I was nervous that it would make the home look smaller but in person it does the opposite- it shows purpose for a space and how furniture can look in a space. I was not in the market for a home but after I saw this home staged I really loved it- I think it was the blue sofa! kh