A Realtor I work with left a message on my voicemail with an unusual request. He wanted me to do my "magic" on his new listing. He said it was a log cabin, it was a ninety minute drive, and he would pick me up, help with the staging, and drive me home. Oh yeah, and one other thing--there's no indoor plumbing.
Hmm...I was intrigued. I went on his website to see photos, and was very discouraged with what I saw. It was being sold furnished, and let's just say the decor was shabby chic without the chic. There was no budget to buy anything, so I would have to make do with what was there. Well, I treasure the relationship I have with this agent, and I knew my answer would be yes, no matter what.
He picked me up, and off we went. He told me there was a cooler with drinks and a bag of snacks in the back seat and to help myself. Now, I figured I was going to a home with no bathroom, so I decided to watch my fluid intake, no matter how thirsty I got. After a few wrong turns and driving for miles on dirt, we finally arrived. My first reaction was "It's adorable!"
Now, this was like opening a beautifully wrapped present and finding a can of lard. Here, you need to see for yourself:
So, here are my before and after photos. No, they'll never make the cover of Elle Decor, but perhaps Field & Stream might snap them up!
Since there were no walls, I had to figure out how to define the spaces. You might notice that the brown plaid sofa you see is a DIFFERENT brown plaid sofa from the one in the first set of photos. NOTE: After seeing the photos on the website, I decided to "donate" some bedding:
The kitchen was SO confusing, especially since the island was against the wall in the bedroom area. Don't be fooled by that kitchen sink--there was NO water to this house!
I have no idea what this space was supposed to be, but that chair HAD TO GO! This made a great dining area, close to the windows so you could enjoy the view while you ate something that did not have to be cooked or cleaned. NOTE: Some of you may know how I detest roosters, and I never thought they'd be in a log cabin...but, there they are!
The Realtor was great about helping me remove things, which is why the place looks so much bigger. But, where did we put all the stuff, since there was no closet or storage? DON'T LOOK!
Now, to answer the question "How DOES one stage an OUTHOUSE?" We don't. In fact, I didn't go within fifteen feet of the outhouse.
The real miracle of the day was not the transformation of the cabin, but the fact that I went seven hours without needing a bathroom. Though I was prepared:
Thank you for letting me share my "roughing it" experience! More proof that stagers CAN DO ANYTHING!
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