San Carlos Design: The Magic of Staging

Before and after photos
If you have a home on the market today, it is more important than ever that your home is well-staged and visually appealing, both outside and inside. The same things that you find appealing and inviting about a home are the same things that buyers will notice when they enter your home.

The owners of this condo at La Posada, a beautifully located condominium complex on San Francisco Beach, did not have time to furnish their condo before listing the property for sale. I had the pleasure of staging this home and creating an inviting and comfortable environment for the future homeowners.

This studio condo has an open plan layout which can make it more difficult for people to imagine the placement of furniture. Through the process of staging, we were able to define the living spaces and create an atmosphere of calm and comfort.

A neutral camel paint color was applied to the stark white walls and this immediately made the space appear twice the size. The larger upholstery pieces were selected with the same neutral camel tones of the walls and interest was created through the use of texture. I opened up the Murphy bed and added a simple fabric in the same camel color tones to retain the same calm and roomy atmosphere. Maintaining this monochromatic color scheme not only opened the space, it also allowed the eye to travel to the main attraction, which is the Sea of Cortez just outside the patio door. Ocean colors of turquoise and blue were introduced with accent fabrics and accessories.

If you are selling your home in today’s market, then staging your home in order to show it to its full advantage is a must. Agents are also more likely to show your home if it is clean, uncluttered, and well-designed. If your home is already furnished, then often it just takes a few hours of my time to assist you with de-cluttering and re-mixing your existing furniture to create a more marketable atmosphere. No matter what your situation however, good design makes a big difference and it’s a fun process to see your home transformed from mediocre to magical!

by Janey McLean
Realtor (Buyers’ Agent) and Interior Designer