By Niki VanEch
Staging a home involves numerous techniques including at the most basic level, de-cluttering, and cleaning, to rearranging furniture, creating effective lighting and much more. But not every home seller has the budget to bring in a professional designer let alone the budget to bring in new furnishings. Here are a few cost-free tips for adding style to your home before you list it.
1. Clear off Counters. Your bathroom should look like it’s in a hotel. Other than a few pretty packaged toiletries, your counter should be clear of products. Make your kitchen and bathrooms look as clean and spacious as possible.
2. Color Block Your Books. Add instant style to your home by color-coding your bookshelves. Group books together by their spine color to create a dramatic effect on your shelves. Color blocked books could be almost as striking as a great piece of modern art.
3. Skip the Flowers. A few blooming branches in a glass vase with water can be just as striking as an expensive bouquet from the florist. I often use magnolia, forsythia and dogwood branches when they are in bloom.
4. Style Your Coffee Table. Start with something large and wonderful in the middle, like an arrangement in an interesting pot or a huge bowl filled with something interesting. Then build out from that, such as a stack of books, candles, sculpture and pottery.
5. Set the Table. Give potential buyers a sneak peek of life as a host in your home. Simply lay out cloth napkins,
wineglasses and solid plates in the dining room. As for a kitchen island or breakfast table, opt for matching mugs and bowls to inspire the feel of the family meal.
6. Mirrors, Mirrors, Mirrors. Strategically placed mirrors, like at the end of a dim hallway, in a room with little natural daylight, or a space challenged room, will not only reflect more light but will make rooms appear more spacious. Place a mirror across from a window and you will instantly double the amount of daylight you are getting in the room. Check out your local thrift stores for mirrors on the cheap.
Niki VanEch is an interior designer who has been helping clients in the metropolitan D.C. area for more than 20 years. Her home furnishings store, VanEch Studio, is located in Occoquan, Va., and at VanEchStudio.com.
