Table of Contents
- 😕4 Common Mistakes in Staging
- 🛋Mistake #1:Ā Having all the furniture pushed back to the walls
- 💡Mistake #2:Ā Not enough lamps
- ❌Mistake #3:Ā TheĀ absence of a coffee table.
- 🖼Mistake #4: Artwork Hung too High
- 📚Additional Reading for Home Sellers:
- 🏡Ā Find out what your home may be worth
- Ā 💪Need A Real Estate Agent in Your City? We Can Refer a Great Agent!
😕4 Common Mistakes in Staging
The Most Common Staging Mistakes I See in Peopleās Homes ā
As aĀ Designer and a Home StagerĀ I see a lot of things in peoples homes. I see homes in all price levels from a couple hundred thousand to a few million. There are a few design and home staging mistakes I see over and over and they are so easy to fix.
🛋Mistake #1:Ā Having all the furniture pushed back to the walls
Even in a small room this is not always the best option. Usually something can beĀ angled or pulled forward.
In a large room,Ā the room actually looks smaller when all pieces are back against the walls.Ā Plus, the room is not very cozy as the conversation area is too far apart.
My advice is toĀ move the furniture upĀ and create a cozierĀ conversation area. If the room is overly large you will need to split it into two sections.
It is okay to have furniture away from the walls.Ā You can have it floating out into the room as long as it is anchored with an area rug, side tables and/or coffee table.
A tree or a sofa table and lamp can be added behind the furniture to draw the eye back and add height.
Pull chairs away from the wallsĀ when they are flanking a fireplace, donāt have them stuck back in the corners and touching the wall. By doing this you will actually draw even more attention to the the fireplace.
Pulling furniture away from the wall is hard for many people to visualize or imagine. It is difficult to see alternatives to furniture placement, especially in your own home. You arenāt alone in this. That is why I am calling this a ācommonā mistake.
💡Mistake #2:Ā Not enough lamps
Ceiling lights do not replace the need for lamps. If you are selling your home lamps are needed to bring more light into a room, light up a dark corner and make a room cozier. Lighting from the lamps will also make a room look larger.
If you are not selling your home you need lamps toĀ warm up a room, disperse the lightingthroughout the room andĀ create more ambiance for entertaining.
As a general rule a living room or family room should haveĀ three lamps; placed in as close to a triangular position as possible.Ā What a difference this will make!
As a side note, make atĀ least two of the lamps ātableā lamps if possible.Ā Floor lamps are great and are necessary in tight spaces but three floor lamps in one room is not the best.
Table lamps on each side of a bedĀ is the best way to make an impact and frame out the bed.Ā Donāt have these lamps be too small.Ā A secondary mistake, letās call it #2B, is dinky little lamps by the bed. The more massive the bed the taller and beefier your lamps need to be.
❌Mistake #3:Ā TheĀ absence of a coffee table.
A coffee table grounds the room and pulls it together. It provides the central spot of the conversation area. Besides beingĀ visually appealingĀ it serves a purpose; it provides your guests a place to rest their beverage or for you to place snacks. It can even provide great storage within the table or hidden inside.
✔️A coffee table works even in a small area.Ā A bench that is only 12ā³ ā 18ā³ wide makes a great coffee table in a limited space or two cubes placed side by side also is a space saver.
If you have children and are worried about sharp corners, a large leather or upholstered ottomans is the way to go.
In my opinion a living area without a coffee table is an incomplete room. If feels as though something is missing and there is!
Ā
🖼Mistake #4: Artwork Hung too High
I see this all the time. Artwork most typically should be hung at eye levelā¦..eye level for someone at about 5ā²4ā. If you are 6ā² tall the center of the artwork will be approximately shoulder level.
Artwork hung too high is kind of āhanging out thereā.Ā Pun intendedĀ 😉Ā . It isnāt part of the room when it is up in the rafters. Youāll be surprised what a few inches will do. TheĀ eyes come down into the roomĀ as the artwork becomes part of the room.
There are many instances whereĀ artwork may be hung even lower.Ā An example of this would be if you have a chair with an accent table and a table lamp.
Artwork positioned in the nook of between the lamp and chair should be very lowĀ creating a vignetteĀ with the grouping.
Another example of of artwork hung lower than eye level would be on either side of a bed. You want the artwork to be part of the bedroom setting, not up high all by itself.
If you are uncertain where your artwork should be hung get someone to hold it for you and step back and take a look.
Donāt feel bad if you are making any of these mistakes. That is why they are ācommonā.
For more great ideas on how to finish off your space whether selling or staying,Ā Rooms With Style Home Staging and RedesignĀ can assist you.
Home Staging and Redesign Blog ā Minneapolis / St. Paul, MN
A Guest Post fromĀ Shar Sitter
Thanks Shar for a Great Post! Really helpful tips and pictures for Sellers.
📚Additional Reading for Home Sellers:
🏡Ā Find out what your home may be worth
Ā 💪Need A Real Estate Agent in Your City? We Can Refer a Great Agent!
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