Set Your Stage

How to Create Big Impact in Small Apartment Staging

April 03, 2014 (posted by Jennifer Campbell, Home Staging Calgary)

In small apartment staging, working with what you have may not be the best place to start if creating a big impact is your goal. That’s because every inch in a small space must create a positive reaction for the potential buyer if you want to sell fast. Hiring a professional stager and renting staging furniture may be your best investment.

You can go ahead and buy your own furniture if you prefer to spend the time and money (and know that you can make selections to market your space most effectively). In the photos, you can see that we staged this small apartment in Sunnyside, Calgary to appeal to a younger demographic who was probably a first time buyer.

After: This open concept living & dining room is the perfect space for entertaining or relaxing.

See the difference professional home staging makes.

After: We added healthy and trendy accessories on the new granite countertops to tie the living room into the kitchen.

After: This simple, yet stylish bedroom is the perfect retreat for any homeowner.

After: This cute bistro set showcases the relaxing, private space on the patio.

These are some of the suppliers we used for this one bedroom, one bathroom small apartment staging project:

Bouclair:

Lamps (living room)
Slipper chair
Patio Set
Cushions on Patio

The Brick:

Living room sofa

Broyhill:

Headboard

Home Outfitters:

Dining room chairs
Bedding
Artwork & Accessories

HomeSense:

Night stands (bedroom)
Artwork & Accessories

Ikea:

Bedroom lamps

Pier 1:

Dining room table
Artwork & Accessories

Urban Barn:

Coffee & end tables (living room)

As you can see, appropriate items can be purchased at popular retail stores to achieve successful small apartment staging. It’s just a matter of whether you want to spend the time and money to buy and stage the furniture and accessories yourself, or get help from a professional home stager to rent and strategically place them.

Not sure what a professional home stager can do for you? Contact Jen at Set Your Stage in Calgary to arrange your personalized Home Staging Consultation, and learn more concrete ways to stage your home, condo or apartment.

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Bedroom Staging Ideas Inspired by Pinterest

March 28, 2014 (posted by Jennifer Campbell, Home Staging Calgary)

There’s no end to where you can come up with bedroom staging ideas. As you know, I love Pinterest and make a habit of storing my inspirational images or quotes there for future reference. This time, it was art that sparked the colours and theme I used to stage two different bedrooms in Calgary.

When I saw this Melissa Chan watercolour, I immediately felt calmed by the smoky and muted colours. The link to nature is always a draw for me. And I loved the word Freedom because it added to the dreamy quality of the image. I knew that it would feel wonderful to spend time in a space that made me feel the way the art did. A bedroom seemed like a perfect fit.

Here’s how I linked the art that inspired my bedroom staging ideas:

Freedom – This is created by being selective about the number of furniture items in the rooms. Lots of empty space leaves room for dreaming and a freedom from distraction or thoughts of responsibility.

After: This private loft area could function as a bedroom or nanny space.

Colour – The silvers, grays and plum are represented in the bedding, lamps, and small upholstered chair. The lighter airy colours are represented on the floors and walls. It’s a balance of light and dark which feels calm.

After: This sophisticated, yet stylish bedroom is the perfect space for a little princess.

Nature – No, you don’t see butterflies in my “grown up” rooms. But you do see nature in the art work, on a small pattern on the bedding, and on the cushions. Inspiration doesn’t have to be represented literally in your space. It can inspire the feel.

Bedroom staging ideas can be inspired from anywhere. Want to see more? Check out Set Your Stage on Pinterest and have fun getting started on creating your own boards.

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Room by Room Staging Checklist: Living Room

March 22, 2014 (posted by Jennifer Campbell, Home Staging Calgary)

As a Calgary home stager, I provide lots of tips for staging properties. For most people, it’s helpful to have information quick and easy to keep track of. Room by room staging checklists are a perfect resource. In this post, I’ll address general tips for staging the living room.

The Calgary Real Estate Board provides a helpful Staging Checklist that addresses the key areas of a property – inside and out. These are good basic guidelines about clearing out and cleaning up that all home owners should consider when preparing their property for sale.

In terms of staging furniture and accessories in a living room, it’s always important to consider the potential buyer and what their lifestyle needs are. That said, the following items can be added to your room by room staging checklist:
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Reduce the amount of furniture to leave plenty of space while still feeling livable (empty spaces do not show as well as thoughtfully furnished rooms).

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To update the feeling of an older home, consider renting transitional furniture for the listing period.

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Arrange furniture to highlight a focal point (view, fireplace, architectural feature) and allow easy traffic flow.

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Pull furniture away from walls where possible.

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Choose neutral colours for large furniture pieces and accent with a pop of colour in cushions and art work.

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Provide multiple sources of lighting (and consider mirrors to reflect light or a view).

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Select the furniture and accessories to create a balanced feel of masculine and feminine.

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Remove most personal items so the potential buyer can imagine herself in the space.

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Address any odours in carpeting; update with a new area rug if possible.

Before: Living room before home staging.

After: This cozy open concept living & dining room is the perfect space for entertaining or relaxing.

Depending on the needs of your potential buyer and the options available in the home, the living room might also be staged to include a small office space, a family/media area or kid’s play area. It’s all about anticipating how the buyer will use the space.

Keep your room by room staging checklist handy and these living room staging tips in mind when preparing your home for sale. For more professional home staging resources and tips, follow Set Your Stage on Twitter.

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How to Stage with Two Living Room Features

March 16, 2014 (posted by Jennifer Campbell, Home Staging Calgary)

Before: living room & kitchen before home staging.

It’s pretty common to have a feature wall that gets all the attention in a room. But what if you have two living room features that deserve consideration? After all, when you are selling your property, you want to highlight all the key features that appeal to potential buyers. It’s a challenge, and here’s my approach.

Feature both. Don’t block either.

After: This cozy open concept living & dining room is the perfect space for entertaining or relaxing.

When I staged this attractive infill duplex in Calgary, there were two living room features that I wanted to highlight: the gas fireplace and the view to the beautiful yard through the large glass doors. Notice that they are not on the same wall. Therein lies the challenge. In your room, it could be two other equally desirable features. The same approach will apply.

Small furniture: This allows you to have more flexibility with furniture placement. In this example, a person can imagine sitting in front of the fireplace watching television or snuggling up with a book just as easily as sitting with a cup of coffee relaxing while watching birds visit a backyard feeder.

Glass: Tables with glass tops allow the eye to flow toward the area being featured. The blue bowl on the table visually connects with the blue throw on the slipper chair which leads the eye toward the glass doors and beyond. From a different angle, the same blue bowl connects with the tones in the picture above the fireplace to feature that area of the room.

After: This cozy open concept living & dining room is the perfect space for entertaining or relaxing.

Subtle yet strategic choices when staging can help to highlight two living room features equally. Why settle? Enjoy both!

Contact Jen at Set Your Stage in Calgary to arrange your personalized Home Staging Consultation, and get more ideas for staging challenging spaces.

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How to Create Big Impact in Small Apartment Staging

Bedroom Staging Ideas Inspired by Pinterest

Room by Room Staging Checklist: Living Room

How to Stage with Two Living Room Features

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