Staging and Redesign Tip of the Week

Choose a focal point

Try to give each room a focal point, whether it's a fireplace, a window with a great view, the television, a bed, etc.  Determine what your focal point is and then rearrange furniture to bring attention to it.  A focal point will make the room look more unified.

Smart Move Design, a home staging and redesign company serving central and northern NY

By me? No...bayou

The view of the Bayou Bonne Idee from my aunt's pier. Mer Rouge, Louisiana

Bring the outdoors in

Now is the perfect time to bring some nature into your home and add a little "wow" 

Cattails make a dramatic display -  Cut them down to place in a vase on your mantle or table. 

Leave them long and put them in a large vase in a corner of the room.  

Add some of those feathery reeds you see along the side of the road. 

You can also turn your bed at an angle in a corner of the bedroom and place your display in the corner behind it.  Don't forget to coat the cattails with hairspray so they don't explode! 

 

For another look - pick up some dead tree branches and spray paint them. Put them in a vase,  alone or in an arrangement. Black is dramatic, but don't stop with black - experiment with different colors and coordinate with a set of dishes, a decorative pillow, a throw, etc.  

Pinecones are plentiful now and look great in a bowl as a centerpiece. Add some acorns and nuts. Use individual pine cones as place card holders at your next holiday dinner.

Smart Move Design, a home staging and redesign company serving central and northern NY

Home Staging Tip of the Week

When getting your home ready to sell, giving your rooms a fresh coat of paint has a big payoff. HomeGain surveyed 2000 Realtors and statistics show the return on investment for painting interior walls is 150%.

Pick a neutral color palette - this does not have to mean white or beige! Try Benjamin Moore's Adam Gold, Celery Salt and Richmond Gray. Or Sherwin Williams' Divine White, Softened Green and Humble Gold.

Flat and eggshell paint tends to work best when selling -it hides imperfections and dries to a smooth finish.