Top 5 Favorite Things: Kitchen Edition

We are often asked what our  favorite go-to staging and decor pieces are.  Well, here are just a few kitchen favorites from our Lead Designer that she says you can’t go without!  Whether you have a birthday wish list, some extra summer spending money, or it’s just time to hit the refresh button, add these beauties to your list.  

1.  Wooden Message Board Sign

Add some fun and personality to your home by changing up the messages on the board.  Customize the wording for each holiday, what’s for dinner, a quote, or reminders.  The possibilities are endless!

2.  Wood Tray

A wood tray is a great, decorative way to gather a few staple items.  Create a vignette by throwing on salt and pepper grinders, candles, a bowl of lemons, or a kitchen plant. Use the decorated tray as a great centerpiece or in the corner of your countertop.

3.  Cookbook Stand

This go-to, like many others, is stylish and functional, which is a win-win! Display your favorite cook book opened to a comforting family favorite or add a frame with an inspirational quote.

4.  Sink caddy

Who knew soap and scrubbers could look beautiful? It’s enough to make you excited about doing the dishes (maybe). Just remember, keep it neutral and fresh such as light wood bamboo scrubbers and glass decorative soap dispensers. Also, be sure to remove those sponges and kitchen towels for staging. To see more differences between staging and redesign click here

5.  Cake plate

A bright and inviting piece that's both decorative and functional.  Stack with different  fruit for a bold, colorful pop or better yet, load it up with fresh baked, warm chocolate chip cookies.  

Want to freshen up your space and get designer-worthy recommendations? Check this out:

Top 4 Tips For Creating a Vignette

One of our go-to tricks in staging is creating beautiful vignettes, or groupings of items on a flat surface. Vignettes instantly add a designer-worthy style to your home and enhance functionality of your space. All you need are a few loose items, a tray or flat surface, and these 4 tips to get started:

1. Use functional items to the space

LD Design Co. vacant stage

In the kitchen, display various kitchen items like bowls, tea cups, or a cute pitcher together on the counter or on a cutting board. On the laundry room counter, add a jar of clothespins with a candle and plant. By adding a functional item, you are suggesting enjoyable and practical use of your space.

2. Vary height of items

LD Design Co. vacant stage

Be sure to follow the high-medium-low principal when grouping items together. Use books to elevate smaller items.

3. Add an organic touch

LD Design Co. vacant stage

Add a touch of greenery to give an airy and organic feel to the space. If you don’t have a free standing plant, add stems to a coffee cup, jar, or a functional item to the space.

3. Layer items to create dimension

LD Design Co. vacant stage

To create depth, place your objects from the back of the flat surface to the front rather than lined up in a straight line. This will add dimension to your vignette.

4. Use odd numbers

LD Design Co. vacant stage

Group items together in odd numbers. Groups of three or five have a stronger visual impact than a group of two or four.

Happy Staging!

Danielle, Lynley, and Rainie

3 Key Differences Between Staging and Design

Here at LD Design Co. our tagline is:  Staged to Sell, Designed to Dwell, and our team is happy to offer services that cover both ends of the spectrum: staging and design.  So how are they different?  While creativity and an eye for design are essential for both, there are 3 key differences.  

1. To personalize or not, that is the question

In staging we are always trying to de-personalize the space so that it appeals to the largest pool of potential buyers.  That means, removing sports memorabilia, religious symbols, collections, degrees and certificates and family photos. 

In design we want your homes to be personalized to you and your family’s story.   Hang your degrees proudly, showcase that rare porcelain cat collection, add your favorite scripture verse, and let your son decorate his room in his favorite sports teams colors.  

2. Conservative vs Liberal (please, no political jokes)

In staging we keep things conservative, on trend and neutral.  We try to keep all buyers interested, open minded and not overly emotional one way or the other.  

In design you can go bold, use crazy colors, have unique creative furnishings and add complex heavy patterns.  You might be the only person who loves neon paint, but it’s your home and you’re the only person that needs to love it.  

3.  Rule Follower or Breaker

In staging we follow rules, lots and lots and lots of rules.   

In design there’s great news for you - there are no rules! If you want a rug on a carpet, put a rug on a carpet. If you want painted ceilings, paint your ceilings. If you block off a walkway so your toddler can’t escape, great!  If you want your formal dining room to be a kids play-room, snap your fingers and make it a playroom. 

Remember- The way you live in your home and the way you stage your home are two different things!  

The 4 Cs of Staging: Communication

We have been unpacking the 4 Cs of Staging over the past month. If you are new here, thanks for joining us, and be sure to check out what you’ve missed here! If you’ve been following along, then you know we are down to the last C….

COMMUNICATION

Congrats! You now have all of the important tools and tricks to stage and now just have to put it together effectively to present your property in the best way. Remember, you have the power to determine what your house will communicate to potential buyers. Before the finishing touches, here are 3 important questions to ask when determining what you want to communicate through staging.

1. What do I want my house to say?

You control the narrative of your home. Be sure to complete simple repairs in order to communicate your house is well taken care of. A broken front door knob verses a fixed one can make a difference in communicating your house is attended to. Neutral paint and freshly patched walls communicates your house is worth more versus dropping the price to cover outdated paint and cosmetic repairs.

2. What do I want this room to say?

Communicate functional use of each space by adding pops of functionality through trays or decorative items. For example, if you want your dining room to feel like an entertainment space, be sure to set the table with beautiful place settings. If you want to show off your laundry room, add a tray with a jar of powdered detergent, a candle, and clothes pins. Check out more staging ideas and examples here.

3. What do I want my design atheistic to say?

By choosing the right paint colors, textiles, fixtures, and accessories your home can communicate a number of things from a relaxing retreat to a updated family home. You don’t have to break the bank to make this happen. Keep anchor pieces and swap out smaller accessories like throw pillows, rugs, and cabinet hardware to accomplish the vibe you want your home to communicate.

Happy Staging,

Danielle, Lynley, and Rainie

The 4 Cs of Staging: Creativity

We continue on our journey through The 4 Cs of Staging this week by unpacking the most fun of all the Cs— creativity! If you have missed the first part of our series, check out the foundational steps of the Cs here.

CREATIVITY

Now that you are successfully clutter-free and clear, it is time to add some purposeful decor back in with creativity. Staging is not just about decorating, but it is a very important aspect of staging effectively. Through decorating, your home comes to life and has personality, but it can be hard to know where to start, so remember the basics:

1. Utilize High/Medium/Low

When entering a room, the buyer’s eye should bounce between high, medium, and low levels. This allows the room to feel larger and gives the space movement. Ideally, art can be high (not too high, all art should hang relatively at eye level), furniture can be medium, and rugs or floor plant can be low.

2. Create a Neutral Palate with Pops of Color

Start with a neutral paint color for walls (beiges, cozy whites, subtle grays) and add a consistent pop of color in your textiles, art, and accessories. Pops of color should be calming colors and not too bright or loud.

3. Bring the Outside Indoors

Every home should have an airy, organic feel, which can be accomplished by adding greenery. Either utilize real plants or choose faux greenery that looks real in order to liven up your space. Some of our best go to faux stems include eucalyptus, lamb’s ear, and boxwood.

4. Vary Textures

Add texture in your furnishings and accents. Many times, we think about adding interest with color, but varying texture in throw pillows, rugs, and even furniture will also add depth and interest to your space.

Top 3 Benefits of Staging in a Virtual World

Things are changing so much, moving towards a virtual world, and real estate is right there in the midst of it all. Many are asking, “Is it important to Stage with most showings being conducted virtually?” And the answer is, absolutely! So, why is it important and what are the top benefits of Staging in a virtual world?

1. Sell More Quickly

Staged home sell faster than un-staged competition. Empty homes sit on the market much longer simply because people have trouble envisioning what the space could potentially be. Studies show ASP Staged home sell on a national average of 65 days faster than unstaged homes.

ld design co. vacant stage

2. Add Value

By Staging the home, you are providing instant value to your customer by showing the home's fullest potential. Only 1 in 10 is visual. This means 9 out of 10 may not be able to see what the property could potentially look like. Most buyers are going to need more than an empty room to make a decision. They need to see those rooms looking like a home.

ld design co. vacant stage

3. Highlight Best Features

Staging allows you to highlight the home’s best features through using colors, accessories, and textures purposefully. You can draw off of the lush backyard views by adding organic shapes to the living room, drawing the outside in. Play off of the crisp white walls by adding pops of bold colors. Or even more importantly, downplay areas that may not be the most atheistically pleasing like adding certain accessories to brighten up a space. With Staging, you control to narrative in what you want your home to say and what you want buyers to notice.

ld design co. occupied stage

Staging has never been more important to engage virtual buyers in our virtual world. With Staging, you can instantly add value, highlight your home’s best features, allowing you to sell more quickly!

Our Top 5 Living Room Inspirations

---

When we show up to a design client's home, we have to get a feel for their style and what looks they are drawn to.  Sometimes, though, we get this blank stare and a comment that follows that goes something like this, "If I knew what my style was, I wouldn't need to hire someone to help me, right?". Or, we've heard this one, "I know what I don't like!".  Don't worry!  We can help you figure out what styles you are drawn to!  It's simple really....inspiration photos.  We use inspiration photos to narrow down our client's preferred style.  Usually, people end up picking out a few of their favorite inspiration photos, and they all have something in common.  That gives us a starting place for the design and feel for the space.  

---

Here are some of our favorite living room inspiration photos that offer a range of styles, colors, and textures.

---

Source

A dark accent wall paired with surrounding white walls and a traditional rug makes a statement.

---

Source

The simple lines in this design create a clean look (and the baby adds to the cuteness).  We like the brown leather couch accompanied by the light upholstered chairs.  Adding a tray with three items that are high, medium, and low in height can complete a coffee table just like that! Oh, and everyone needs some sort of gallery wall!

---

source

The chandelier.  The stacked firewood.  The driftwood.  The neutral color scheme.  We're in love.  

---

source

Always bring the outdoors in by adding plants (real or faux).  The ledge shelf above the couch is a clean and simple way to display art that can easily be swapped out over time without having to repair holes in walls and rehang frames.  The basket of throw blankets instantly makes this space feel cozy and inviting.

---

Source

Well, let's state the obvious....the amazing beams, windows, and natural light make this living room a dream.  The oversized, rustic coffee table add warmth and character to the sitting area.  Also note the use of throw pillows to bring in a pop of color.

---

We gathered and collected photos from different sources on the internet. We have included the sources of our findings in order to give credit where credit is due.  If one of these designs or photos are yours, please don't be shy to contact us immediately, we are happy to give you credit!

Staging Myths Revealed

Here are the 3 top Staging Myths we have run across for you to stay in the know! 

MYTH 1: STAGING IS DECORATING

FACT: Staging is not decorating or design. Decorating (which we also love) is personalizing. Staging is de-personalizing and preparing a house for the unknown buyer. That is why it's key that you hire someone with training (wink wink) specifically on how to prepare a home to sell. 

MYTH 2: THIS IS A HOT MARKET AND I DON'T NEED TO STAGE

FACT: In a hot market, Staged houses can sell for even more! Have you ever had a house sell for too much money? We all want as much as we can possibly get for our homes, especially when when we are buying in the same hot market. Am I right? Don't leave money on the table. Staged houses sell for more than the unstaged competition. According to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR®), houses that are staged sell for an average of 6% of more, and up to 17% more than houses that are not staged.  

MYTH 3: STAGING COSTS TOO MUCH

FACT: Like many good things in life, staging is an investment! The investment you make in getting your house ready to sell (staging) is far less than a price reduction you will run into without proper staging. An ASP® stager (hello there) has been trained to work with a seller's budget and timeframe to properly stage a house. Staging impacts the final offers made on your house-- really, can you afford NOT to stage? In most markets, a staging detailed home report recommending what needs to be done to get your house for sale is less than the appraisal or home inspection and gives you more dollars in the end. Investment. 

Top 10 Staging Tips

As most of you know, we just wrapped up a 3 day sink-or-swim staging training. It was so motivating to be there learning and growing with other staging entrepreneurs, but it was also a little like drinking from a firehose with a wealth of information and knowledge being thrown at you. Lucky for you, we are here to give you the highlights! So, for anyone out there with a house, apartment, condo, hut, or cardboard box, here are our top staging tips for getting your house ready to sell or even tweaking your house to dwell. 

Top 10 Staging Tips + Tricks

1. Declutter!

Friends, hear me out- If all you do is declutter your home, you are 70% staged already. 

2. Wall Decor

 Hang your artwork or wall decor 63-65 inches from the floor to the middle of the piece. Shouldn't be too high or too low. This will give you that comfortable middle ground that is appropriate for all heights. 

3. Three is the Magic Number

Group things in threes. If you have a tray with a plant and a candle, add a book or small accessory to round it out and make it pleasing to the eye. When items are paired in twos, it feels like something is missing.

4. Dining Fixtures

Hang dining light fixtures 34-36 inches from the top of the table to the bottom of the fixture. This will ensure everyone sees your fabulous fixture but can still see each other at your 6 course meal that I am sure you have every evening like me. 

5. Space Saver

If you remove the "captain chairs" or chairs at the head of the table from your dining table, it will save you space and make your room to appear larger. Try it, trust me. 

6. Area Rugs

This is important. Very important. Area rugs in the living room should be large enough for the front legs of all of the furniture in the group to touch. Meaning, if you have a couch, a coffee table, and a chair in your living room all grouped together, the front legs of all of those pieces need to be on the rug. If that is not possible, you may need a bigger rug. 

7. High-Medium-Low

When decorating, you want to give a variety of heights in order to encourage the eye to move around the space. Make sure you have something high and low to draw your buyer's eye upward and downward. 

8. Gimme the Greenery

Every room should have some sort of greenery. Brining nature in instantly breathes life into your space. Faux plants are ok too! Just make sure they look real and when in doubt, stick to faux greenery like a small succulent or leafy potted plant. Go ahead and pass on the fake trees. 

9. Less is Mas

This is true. When wondering if you have too much in a space or too many decor items on the wall, the answer is probably yes. {See tip #1.} 

10. Respect the Pathways

Remember to leave pathways open walking from room to room. Stand in the doorway and look for accessible pathways. If you have to walk around furniture or squeeze by a chair, you should consider rearranging. Space and accessibility is value when buyers come to view your house. 

Happy staging! 

LD