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Stage Left Improve the look and feel of your home with staging tips 
Staging your home isn't rocket science, but it is important. Just ask pro home stager Jill Vegas, who is able to up-sell homes through her styling alone. Take some advice from Vegas and interior designer Christy Knapp, though, and you can instantly and cheaply transform your home - and not just for someone else to enjoy. Clear the clutter Strip the room of "anything that's distracting from the architectural features in your home," says Vegas, author of "Speed Decorating: A Pro Stager's Tips and Trade Secrets for a Fabulous Home in a Week or Less"(The Taunton Press, 2009). In a kitchen, these distractions include extra appliances, cereal boxes and any out-of-place items like mail piles. "When it comes to staging a house, less is more," says Knapp, an ASID member and designer at Pacific, Mo.-based CJ Knapp Interiors. "A few well-placed pieces of furniture have more impact then lots of pieces." Vegas has a self-proclaimed "fierce" rule when it comes to getting rid of things: "Ask yourself, 'do I love it?' And listen to the first little voice that pops into your head." She says it takes diligence to be honest and follow this rule, but in the end, it's worth it. Clean, clean, clean "Make sure every inch of your floor sparkles," Vegas says. Everything has to gleam, and those dust balls in the corner of your closet have to go, too. Light your way Natural light shining through sparkling windows makes a big statement in a staged home, Vegas says, so remove heavy curtains that block out natural light. "Turn on lights so your house seems warmer and brighter," Knapp says. Vegas suggests removing dusty shades and switching out old light bulbs. Join the color guard "There are two extremes of color," Vegas says. Simply put, you can have too much or too little. You don't want to overpower a room with one color, or whitewash the place either. Vegas recommends adding "color accents." Choose a palette for your throw pillows, vases, flowers, artwork and rugs. Pull up a chair "Place furniture on an angle." Knapp says. "Use smaller-scale chairs to provide extra seating." Stay on target When staging a house to make the sell, "you've got to redo your house for the target audience," Vegas says. "Identify who you're marketing your house to." And if you're not selling, think family first - they'll appreciate it. |
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