Are you putting off starting your home staging business because you worry you won’t know exactly what to recommend once you get to your first home staging consultation?
If that’s the case, you’re not alone.
This is one of the most common reasons new and aspiring home stagers never get their businesses off the ground and I want to prove to you that this is nothing more than an irrational fear.
Anyone with an innate flair for interior decorating will instinctively know how to improve any room they walk into so it shows at its very best.
What’s Your Home Staging Advice?
To demonstrate that you do have what it takes to start a home staging business, I’d like you to study this picture of a cluttered kitchen.
Make note of all of the things that immediately come to mind. How you would change this space if you walked into it at your first home staging consultation?
Add a comment to this post with your staging ideas and you’ll see that I’m right – you will have no problem making staging recommendations to your clients.
In a separate post I will share my own staging advice for this kitchen but in the meantime please share your thoughts by leaving a comment!
Just go for it! Make it your own and do what you love to do – home staging!
My home staging advice for this kitchen? Clear off EVERY horizontal surface. Clean it exceptionally well, then put back only a few very select items and keep it that way! Clean and clutter-free is the key!
Debbie Fiskum, PerfectHomeStagingDenver.com
First of all, I’d remove the border to help update the room and paint the walls and/or add a nice backsplash to provide some contrast to this very vanillia space. Looks like it might be time to replace appliances; stainless would add a big splash. Also once the counters and table are decluttered, I would add a beautiful centerpiece and a few well placed decorative/functional items to the counters. There’s probably a better place for the microwave but since we can’t see the whole kitchen…
I agree, clear everything out including all the stuff on the fridge. Remove boarder paper and if possible update hardware and appliances. Paint the walls a calm color and stage with accessories with a punch of color, let’s say red. Oh and don’t forget to set the table.
Ditto the three previous posts! I would place the microwave in the space near the window. Where the microwave was is now a great place to put a large, glass vase with flowers, or other artwork. The spaces below the three cupboards could use contrasting paint, or economical peel and stick subway tiles for color and texture. A toaster oven appears to be next to the refrigerator. An open cookbook on a small stand would look nice there. Added bead board around the center space would coordinate with the cabinets. A glass table would feel more open. Black and white vertical striped slipcovered chairs would coordinate with the floor tiles. Remove what looks like a ‘serving tray?’ on the right. Install appropriate lighting on the kitchen ceiling, and over the table.
I pretty much agree with everyone’s comments, except I break out in hives when I see a ‘set table’ after staging. It’s unrealistic and I feel totally tells buyers the house has been staged. How many of us set our tables except for when it’s dinner time? It’s equivalent to adding tassels or ribbon to the bath towels. Ugh! A nice centerpiece of some kind would be plenty. I like the idea of adding bead board to the ‘island’ if the budget allows. Would pull it together with the rest of the kitchen cabinetry.
Staging To Sell
Home Staging & Interior reDesign
231.690.0398
Jill R. Monczunski
President/Designer
Depending on the home owner’s budget, I would have to agree with all of the previous comments but especially the comment by Lisa S. about adding a punch of colour in the space. Lisa mentioned red and that would be my choice too. A window topper and a fresh bouquet of flowers to compliment it and pull it all together.
First I would declutter the counter tops. Change Garnet counter tops to a Sorrel color, if on a budget you could go with tiles not a slab. On the cabinet you could do one or two things, one- on budget paint the cabinets to a white wash and change the hardware. Two- replace all up-dated cabinets to a light color I would still go with a white wash look. Put down 18×18 tiles on the floor on the darker side Beige. Back splash put in tumbled marble with pewter accents. A rope border separates the contrasting orientations. On the walls, take out the boarder and paint to a wheat straw color. And I would move the Island in the middle of the kitchen for better flow and extend the counter top for extra eating space. And Paint or change the cabinets to a mahogany color and better contras. Along with tall back leather bar stools. Change appliances to black or stainless stile which ever you prefer. Add more lighting to two pendants over island and one over the sink stainless. Move lighting by the sink out more and add lights.
I agree with everything that has been posted especially Jill. The whole setting tables, putting rose petals in bathtubs, serving trays with china on the edge of the bed, seriously, what says I’ve been staged more than those little tidbits.
Agree with everyone’s suggestions so far. My biggest problem with this kichen after decluttering, cleaning and the wallpaper border is the FLOOR. As a buyer, I walk into this kitchen and think, “ugh, I have to spend xxx to replace this hideous linoleum.” An inexpensive bamboo floor (cheap and renewable), woven blinds, and some sleek updated hanging pendants over the counter that houses the stove. I’d also recommend a recessed light over the sink or a coordinating fixture to offset the pendants. Plus new fixtures and hardware all the way around would dramatically transform this kitchen. Setting the table with a stack of plates on a tray with some napkins, a pie server and a few mugs can set a casual mood without looking too staged… just look at the Pottery Barn catalogs.
Yes, declutter/clean; bamboo floor can be a good option and black coutertops (paint them?); green walls (the decorative strips should go); a rug that has some black in it; fresh lemons in a basket for decoration.
The kitchen appliances seem to be old: ideally they should be changed.
Naturally, declutter to the point of “clearing the canvas.” Then update by:
1. Paint everything in white, ESPECIALLY the border. That leaves the colour scheme in black and white (floor), and I’ll just add an accent colour (I love yellow).
2. Update the hardware.
3.Create a 2-tier breakfast bar (see my article at eHow.com linked from my website http://www.changesbystages.ca–but if you’re a home stager, modified breakfast bars should be easy to do for you).
4. Add pendant lights over the sink and new breakfast bar.
5. Put in a smaller round dining table set (rental?) or a smaller table pushed against the opposite wall (can’t see from the photo).
5. Love your lemons in a basket idea, Nadja. Appeals to 2 senses.
6.Do a simple sheer window treatment with a little herb plant pot. 7. Take out all the outdated appliances on countertops and try to persuade client to buy/borrow/steal one new toaster/microwave as the token appliance for countertop. I’ll just accessorize a bit more so the countertop neither looks plain nor cluttered.
8. Recessed lights–even just the stick-on kind–for all counters. 9. Stick-on subway tiles for backsplash.
10. What is the countertop’s material? Would like to turn it to black to pull together the black-white-yellow color scheme, and will adjust material to be used based on budget.
11.Lastly, take out all that fridge door “decor” before every open house.
Thanks everyone for all your great staging ideas for this cluttered kitchen. Read what I recommended to my client at this link:
https://stagingdiva.com/homestagingbusiness/staging-tips-for-cluttered-kitchen/
Then let me know what you think!
Kitchen suggestions:
First, and most important, in order to clearly assess what we’re working with, clear off all horizontal surfaces. Next, remove all paraphernalia from refrigerator front and wallpaper border from wall.
Phew! Now lets see what we’ve got.
Walls appear to be same color as cabinets .. How about picking up on the tea kettle color and painting walls a soft version of it.
Would be good to switch out frig to match other appliances.
Keep decorations to organic and food focus … fruit in bowls, bottles of wine, houseplant, & potted herbs on windowsill… but all modest in size and quantity as don’t want to make kitchen look smaller.
Hard to tell if cabinets on dining side of kitchen match others, or are actually a piece of furniture. If latter, would move it 12”-18” away from cook top counter, and add extension to bar length and around end toward frig to make raised eating space. This would also give impression of more counter space, and have added benefit of blocking view of cooking clutter. Also, painting cabinet/furniture a very soft buttery yellow might more clearly separate dining from cooking area.
Update all cabinet pulls/knobs.
All small appliances must disappear with exception of microwave and coffee maker. There is a great space saver coffee maker that could be mounted under wall cabinet between oven and frig … set area up as beverage center.
Since vent/microwave can’t practically be mounted over stove, would suggest 2 shelves (paint same color as wall) installed to left of kitchen window: lower one for microwave, upper one for display of attractive dishware, glasses, etc. The more clear counter space, the better!!
Not sure of amount of space in dining area, but would probably want to switch out table (or put down leaves if an option) to rectangle shape table, and paint chairs a softer color (version of green on walls?) or switch out with medium wood tone chairs.
So, this is my version of a starting point … am sure to have more ideas later, but this would be my basic response. Thanks!
Great ideas Cynthia, thanks for sharing them.
I would clear ALL clutter and remove the wallpaper boarder. Give the floor a good cleaning. Paint the walls a lite gray color. Add a natural fiber window shade. In the little nook next to the fridge I would place a coffee pot and a few cup/saucers. Add a few kitchen towels to the oven door handle. Add a small green plant next to the sink. I would remove the cupboard/cabinet near the table if it is movable. If not I would stage it as a small command center. Add flowers and possibly placemats to table.
Lots of great ideas Stephanie, thanks so much for sharing them. I can tell you must have done this before 🙂
I would paint the background wall area in another color for contrast, light gray. I would replace hardware in a tone that worked with the walls. Additionally I’d camouflage the breakfast table with a table cloth that picked up the new colors of kitchen. I’d also find complementing dish towels and rug. And the obvious remove the clutter. I’d remove the two things way up high and if possible put those fun battery operated lights up above to brighten up (these to be turned on for showing)
Great ideas Diana, thanks so much for sharing. You definitely have the eye of a home stager!
My suggestions are:
* De-clutter counter tops, fridge top and door, pots from cabinet top, table top (basically all clutter – gone).
*Remove the wallpaper boarder and paint.
*Remove the microwave from the counter; counter top as clear as possible. I may even make counter-top appliance covers.
*Remove the tea cart on the right.
*Remove the picture and utensils from the sides of the window and replace with a piece on each side that work together making the window a vocal point of the kitchen area (maybe two hanging plants to add greenery and balance, possibly matching vintage plates (3 on each side).
*I would add something to the backboard of the lower cabinet facing the dining area (looks unfinished and cheap). I would be creative (i.e. add woodwork design using trim pieces to make a 3 dimensional design of some sort and paint to match the cabinets or possibly bead board, or look for wallpaper for that area and tie in with all other splashes of color (i.e. center piece on the table, decorative pieces in the kitchen, towels, etc., or you could add shelving for display and paint the shelving black.
* Add a centerpiece to the table and put some greenery in the kitchen. * Paint all the walls to give the room a clean fresh feeling.
* Add a tinge of a kitchen aroma (just a hint but not visibly noticeable).
* Make sure the windows are sparkling clean and appliances shine.
Fantastic observations and recommendations Gloria! I love your attention to detail, exactly what makes you a great home stager. I hope you’re already out there making money from this talent of yours 🙂