Vancouver City Stagers - Together for a Great Cause!
A little while ago I wrote a post about a project we were working on in the downtown east side of Vancouver. Basically, we decided as a group of home stagers, my company included, to transform a women's shelter, Sereena House, from a cold, stark building, to a place these women can feel comfortable in and call home. Of course, this project took months of planning, and was spear-headed by Heather Kleim of Epic Empire Designs. We rallied round behind Heather, to see how we could help.
First, the original floor was in terrible condition. New flooring was donated and installed by Mira Floors. Next, we were not happy with the cold, white walls. Benjamin Moore came through by donating cans of paint, and Pierce O'Sullivan, a North Shore painter, donated his time and expertise in painting these high ceilings. I donated a large harvest table and 5 chairs, which Sean at Go Truck Go kindly delivered, at no charge.
BEFORE - LIVING AREA
LIVING-AFTER
Today was the culmination of a lot of hard work. 13 home stagers, including myself, arrived at 10am, sleeves rolled up, ready for some hard work. There were a few rules. We couldn't paint the walls in the dining area, as a brightly coloured mural had recently been painted. We also were asked not to use any lamps or accessories, as often these items disappear very quickly. However, not to be deterred, we knew there was still a lot that could be done to transform these spaces.
BEFORE - LIVING AREA
AFTER - LIVING AREA
We focused on the two main rooms: the living area and the dining area. The new paint colour in the living area, a warm gold/yellow just glowed and brightened up the room to no end. We hung donated colourful artwork, and slowly the room began to transform from an institution to a home. We decorated the Christmas tree, and we each brought 5 wrapped Christmas presents, to place under the tree, for the close to 60 women living in this shelter.
BEFORE - DINING ROOM AREA
AFTER - DINING ROOM AREA
I was chatting with one of the professional photographers donating their services, Orange Memories Photography. She said that when she arrived, she had no idea how we could possibly make the space look good, and was really surprised and delighted with what we had achieved by the end of the day. Of course, home stagers have vision, and can imagine great possibilities, so it wasn't a surprise to any of us, just a delight that we were able, in some small way, to help other women in need.
I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY A FEW MORE AFTER PHOTOS...
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