The past month has been quite a whirlwind here at Exquisitely Unremarkable. In addition to contributing to Parade Magazine, The Bowdabra Blog and writing posts for my own, I staged a spectacular house for sale.
Yup, you heard me, I staged a house!
Now to be clear, no, I am not a professional home stager. You did not miss it in my bio or in a previous post.
A long time friend who moved out of state called me with a dilemma and I was happy to help her out. Her home was for sale and at the eleventh hour the deal fell through. The house was basically empty, except for a few pieces that were going to be included in the sale.
My friend, a fabulous decorator in her own right, was several states away and needed the house looking fabulous in a very short period of time to get it back on the market.
She and her husband had called professional stagers and she was given quotes upwards of $12,000. She likes my decorating style, knows that I am a savvy shopper and thought I could do it for a fraction of the cost...and she was right. We rented furniture on our own and then I spent about a week hitting every discount home store in a ten mile radius.
I must tell you that the house is gorgeous on its own. It is located in a beach community, directly on the water. Stand in any room facing the water and you feel like you are on a ship. The views are amazing! It was not a bad place to work, that is for sure!
I have tons of pictures, so today I am sharing the main floor and basement of the home. Later this week, I will share the bedrooms.
Here are some before and afters...proof that you do not need to spend a lot or add a lot to completely transform a room!
We start our tour in the stunning, gourmet kitchen.
A game table from the basement was added to the empty kitchen dining area.
A neutral table setting fills the room with warmth, but keeps the buyer's eyes focused on the view!
Here are a few more shots of the kitchen before...
and then after.
The addition of a chair, area rug and lamp liven up the desk area.
A few inexpensive bowls and glasses highlight the stylish glass cabinetry without taking away from the view...oh that view! Plants and fruit add life to a house that is currently uninhabited. All in all, the kitchen needed very little to make it look lovely and show prospective buyers what it could be.
The living room was next on the list.
It was the most furnished room, it just needed a bit of sprucing up to return it to its original showplace status.
In staging the focus should be neutral, so that the buyers can picture themselves in the home. Neutral tones do not distract the buyer's eye from the water, as well.
I didn't get a great before shot of the basement. There were a few couches and one large cabinet, but this was basically it.
With the addition of a rented console and a few inexpensive beach themed accessories, who could resist hanging out down here now!
The adjacent bathroom just needed a mirror and a few towels.
Inexpensive finishing touches can make a huge difference and provide a buyer with a move in ready home.
The dining room is the last space on today's tour. The table looked empty in the room. It didn't show off what a great entertaining space it could be. A couple of plants, a rented accent table and a few pieces of wall art have this room ready for a dinner party!
Everything looked great for the open house and the subsequent showings. I am really flattered that my friend gave me this opportunity and we are both happy with the way it turned out. The realtor actually asked me if I would be interested in doing this again...looks like I may be added home stager to my bio, after all!
Of course, this is only the downstairs.
Want to see the fabulous master and bedrooms?
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Way to go!!! You did a super job on this one!
ReplyDeleteThanks Susie...I love decorating so this was right up my alley! Glad you like it...wanna buy it? ;)
DeleteHi Kim, wow you did a great job decorating your friends house. Did she live in Montauk? Maybe you will have a new job for the future! I hope you had a nice Easter! Enjoy your week.
ReplyDeleteJulie xo
Thanks Julie! Not in Montauk, but it would fit in perfectly that is for sure!
DeleteYou did a great job! What a beautiful home.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Su. It truly is fabulous. It is right on the water, decks to enjoy the view from every level...not a bad place to spend my days working!
DeleteWonderful! The dining room is my only negative - it looks too crowded with the upholstered chairs. I hope you get a new job! That would be really fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nancy! It would be fun to get another job like this one! :)
DeleteYou did a great job. Have they gotten any offer yet?
ReplyDeleteThanks Carol. It's been on the market for about a week now. I believe that they have several "interested parties", but at $1.7 it's probably going to take some time!! Not exactly an impulse purchase!
DeleteWow...and you say your not a professional stager. You should be! You did a wonderful job.
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine! It was fun!
DeleteOutstanding! This home is gorgeous, and you show it off -- and the view, too -- beautifully. So fun to see the gigs that are coming your way, my friend. What a kick this must have been for you. I just know more opportunities like this are going to come your way. :) ~ Hugs, Nancy
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nancy ~ a very eclectic group of gigs, for sure. I would do this one again, it was a lot of fun! :)
DeleteHey Kim. Nice job . . . you're certainly on the right track. Wow, $12,000 ??? Sounds like the stager's prices go up with the price tag on the homes there, or is it just that I need to move THERE to make more money? ! Ha, ha. They were probably including adding more props and accent pieces, possibly a few more elaborate window coverings, who knows. You've done wonderfully especially with what you had to work with! Hint for next time . . . try a few angles in your furniture arrangements. Group some of the like items (i.e. plants) rather than singles spread out. A group of varied height & textured pieces is always helpful, especially on a hugh counter surface. Sometimes one piece looks a little lonely. That's NOT TO SAY, fill every inch and shelf with stuff. Your rooms are very appealing and I'm sure will contribute to a quicker sale.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the other rooms! It's fun isn't it?
Everything is more expensive here Cheryl, that is for sure! You are correct, the staging included furniture rental, accessories and cleaning...all of which we were able to procure for MUCH less!
DeleteIf you didn't tell us, I would have thought you were a professional Stager Kim! I think You've found another career path!!!!
ReplyDeleteRight back at you Vel...I always think of you as the "designing doc"!
DeleteYou are right, it is a gorgeous house, and you did a great job of making it look more inviting!
ReplyDeleteThanks Carol! Great architecture, outstanding views...they made my work look great! :)
DeleteSuzanne of Simply Suzannes at Home
ReplyDeleteHi Kim! So happy that you came by and left a comment, so that I could find your lovely blog.
Your staging is perfect. Simple and clean designs. And that home . . . good grief, it's gorgeous!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Have a great week,
Suzanne
What a fun opportunity Kim!! I'm so excited for you and all your wonderful new professional growth. Don't be surprised if you get more offers for staging, now. ;)
ReplyDeleteIt looks great. And how wonderful that you could help your friend.
ReplyDeleteLorri
Thanks Lorri. It's always fun to decorate someone else's home! Especially if it's waterfront! ;)
DeleteA beautifully staged home, Kim! What a difference a 'good eye' makes to a space. The house, itself, is gorgeous; love all those windows and the layout and especially, the kitchen!! How lucky you are to have had this opportunity and how amazing that you may even do it professionally! Kudos!
ReplyDeletePoppy
Wow! What a difference, Kim! You did a lovely job! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful home, it really doesn't need much decor with views like that! You did a perfect job!
ReplyDeleteThanks Rhonda, I agree with you...just beautiful. They did a lovely job with the architecture! :)
DeleteIt is beautifully done! I would definitely want to buy that home and live there after seeing it! :) (I mean I do right now but I know I don't have the money! haha)
ReplyDeleteIt looks amazing! Thanx for sharing at THT.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pamela! It really is an outstanding home, with or without staging!
DeleteLovely! Why do I feel this house is near me on the East End of Long Island? I am in Southampton.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog!
Thanks! It does have a Hampton's feel doesn't it? :)
DeleteIt really doesn't take a lot to stage a beautiful home. Thanks for the tour...and the views are gorgeous, Sandi
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree, Sandi!! This house was truly spectacular. My photos do not do it justice, the views are just breathtaking! I didn't want to leave when the job was done!! ;)
DeleteYou did a great job, Kim! It is a very pretty home and you brought out the loveliness of it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Janet. It was a fun house to play in!! :)
Delete