Last week in a post on this home staging blog I asked you to share your ideas about how to stage the basement family room in the photo you see here.
If you have an eye for décor, you can easily tell that this space is much too distracting and crowded for a potential buyer to imagine their family relaxing in there.
There are a lot of changes to be made here so in a case like this, I suggest the clients start packing things now for the move.
It will help clear the clutter and it will save them a lot of work later on.
The following are my recommendations for this space. You’ll notice I mostly work with what is already there since that’s the least costly approach for the client and one that they’re most likely to implement.
Color recommendations
The wall color is a bit too dark for a basement and while it probably wasn’t the best choice on the owners’ part I would try to make it work for showings.
Just make sure the agent is instructed to leave the lights on in the basement when the house is shown and do your best to lighten up the space by using light colored slip covers.
If you want to read more about why I didn’t have them repaint, check out this article, Home Staging Recommendations Often Require Trade Offs.
Clear the clutter
Remove those printed blankets that clash with everything else in the room and add to the clutter.
By the way, having so many blankets around suggests the basement is too cold which will be a negative in a potential buyer’s mind. Another reason to stash them!
Take out all of the plastic children’s items and to depersonalize the space, take down all family photos.
Ask the client to keep the door to the laundry room closed and make sure the throw pillows are arranged properly.
Change and rearrange furniture
Take out the love seat that currently blocks the entrance to the room as you come down the stairs.
Remove the small chair with the teddy bear on it and the table next to it (top left in photo), replacing them both with the brown chair from the right corner.
Slip cover that brown chair so it fits in better with the style of the couch or add a decorative pillow that picks up one of the colors from the couch.
Add a floor lamp behind it and turn this into a cozy reading corner.
If there’s any plan to upgrade to a flat screen TV for the clients’ new home, consider doing that now, replacing the existing bulky television.
If this were a living room I’d get rid of the TV all together but a family room would feel strange without one!
Take out the stand to the left of the TV and use it in the corner where the brown chair is now, but get rid of the clutter on top of it first.
Accessories
One of the comments on my original post was from Lisa who recommended hanging some interesting visual art in the form of some vintage movie posters. Really playing up the home theater aspect of this room – an idea I love for this basement given the wall color!
Take the white shaded lamp from the corner where the brown chair is and use it to replace the “rooster lamp” beside the couch.
Most of the comments on my original post offered the same advice as I would for this family room.
That’s because when you have a talent for staging this stuff comes naturally to you. You don’t need some expensive made up certification to start a home staging business.
You just need information and training around how to make money at it – exactly what’s taught in my Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program.
For further home staging advice for basements, family rooms and every other space in a home, turn to my best-selling Staging Diva Ultimate Design Guide: Home Staging Tips, Tricks and Floor Plans.
This downloadable guide is for anyone looking for help with design principals and ideas. When you place your order, you’ll receive the book right away via email.
The Design Guide covers every room in a home and outside too— with before and after photos and sample floor plans.
Home Stagers, Share Your Recommendations
Stagers, what additional recommendations would you have for the basement family room in the photo at the top of this article?
Are you surprised I didn’t recommend changing the paint color?
Hi Debra,
Yes I am very surprised you didn’t suggest changing the paint color in this room (the basement photo). Can you tell me what your thought process was behind that?
Thank you,
Tisa
Great question Tisa! I started to reply here and realized it was turning into an entire new blog post! So I’m going to write one, inspired by your question to go out first week of January.
Thanks for asking and for your contributions to this blog!
I would also recommend some uplighting and a couple of tall plants to lighten up and add a relaxing effect to the space.
Depending on the staging needs of the rest of the house, I’d recommend painting the walls a lighter color. Even painting one major wall would have a significant effect.
Kathi, great idea about the plants and uplighting.
In the ideal world I would have painted too, but didn’t given what else was going on for this family. Check out my follow up post, I think you’ll enjoy it at: https://stagingdiva.com/homestagingbusiness/home-staging-recommendations-often-require-trade-offs/
I would leave the dark brown wall and paint the tv wall white or a light neutral color- that will make a huge difference.
I would pack up and store the toys and clutter and agree “mount” an inexpensive flat screen if possible or just remove tv and stand and put a floor mirror there. I would suggest getting a few rental furniture pieces and store sofas (or slip cover one – too much furniture in this space). Add some shelving or cab to store some necessary things
Thanks for sharing these great staging tips Karen!
Again with clutter to be removed. Lighten up Ellis make room appear larger, remove some furniture and arrange furniture, some greenery, some artwork, table lamp remove rooster lamp.
Thanks for your staging ideas Barbara.
For the dingy basement family room I would have:
1. changed paint color to lighter paint to make the room feel more open and fresh( I know you said you couldn’t, but if I could I would)
2. take the blinds off the window to allow more natural light into this already dark space.
3. declutter entire room including bathroom/ remove rug from bathroom as well. (maybe add more modern rug )
4. remove(place into storage) all client’s current furniture including ironing board from closet and replace with one adequate L-shaped sectional, topped with one nice blanket, accent pillows, keep tv( if a newer model cannot be purchased, and change out the stand the tv sits on for something more modern( if not we can paint current stand and add new hardware.
5. keep plant in the corner for pop of greenage, add small ottoman or coffee table (more than likely the ottoman to keep the comfort of the family room)
p.s also close closet door so you have straight sight line to the bathroom
All great home staging ideas Kandace, thanks for sharing what you would have done for this client!~
Very interested. I was a realtor sold many homes and I have sold my homes because of staging and gardens…I currently have a psychology degree so I know the attachment people have to their home. I need to know the business side of doing this
Maureen, what a great background to get into home staging! You’ve come to the right place. What sets Staging Diva apart from any other program out there is that I teach you a complete, and simple, business model that will leverage the creative talent you have and show you how to make money from it. There are many articles on this blog to help you, however, I save my best and most detailed strategies for Staging Diva students. If you’re curious what they have to say about the program, please visit StagingDivaReviews.com.
Very crowded and cluttered, but the color would definitely work for home theater room.
Great suggestion Monica, thanks for posting!
I am okay with the color of the walls, but a complimenting accent color would enhance! Use that accent color in wall hangings and throw pillows or area rug.
Great ideas Carole!
Declutter remove all blankets. Brighten the walls to make the space look larger . Slip cover the furniture and add throw pillows and a throw cover to add cozy feel. warm the floor with a nice rug. I would change the TV stand and close the open area next to bathroom
Great ideas Monique!
#5 I agree with your suggestions. I would ask to to change the paint and bring in a flat screen to be mounted on the wall to provide additional space. Also some related film accessories etc. The decorative reels and photos of vintage movie stars. I would bring in the chairs that look like movie director chairs for additional space. Minimal decor to make room appear larger and open. Great lightening would be a standing lamp with good wattage.
I can totally picture that Melinda, would be an awesome improvement.
The challenge will always be what can be accomplished given budget and time constraints for a house already on (or about to go on) the real estate market. You might find this article interesting as well “Home Staging Recommendations Often Require Trade Offs“.
I would start with a clean slate. Everything in this room is out dated. I would repaint with a warm color. place a leather couch and center in the room with nice piece of art and make focal point. Add end tables with lamps and a leather recliner. add a flat screen TV. It could be mounted and make a media room or add a nice updated TV stand. Add a nice bookshelf in the corner and add a few books with some bookends and maybe DVD’s with some small art.
All good ideas Tina, assuming there was time and budget available. I wouldn’t hire a truck to deliver all new basement furniture unless you were already having them come with other stuff. Remember this is a house for sale.
If it were a redesign client, then I totally agree, start over from scratch 🙂
Change color on wall, update furniture, add art to wall
these people have a small room to work with. Sectional has to go. Too much. I would see whats on the other side of that wall to open it up. If not then maybe a glider in corner and smaller couch. See about mounting tv on wall to get as much off the floor as possible. And soft light color walls to make it appear bigger. Add a mirror to give the illusion of another room.
Great ideas but keep in mind that for home staging, you’re very unlikely to get into taking down walls.
Our ideas r kind of same but off course u r giving more professional suggestions
I would like to change the paint,rearrange the furniture,remove the unnecessary furniture change the tv remove the stand beside the tv and use the corner by making a reading corner and the iron stand needs to go in laundry room and during showing keep the door close but keep that tidy too put some cushions on couch and remove those blankets and get rid of that roasted lamp and a small tv unit or or hang a lcd on wall
You’ve really got it covered Nuziha!
If there was some time, I would have them paint the walls with a light sandy color with an accent wall. Cover all the furniture or remove love seat and remove the magazine rack/stand altogether. remove the toys, and the chair in the corner. If you move the brown chair over their you couldn’t see the tv from there. I would put a tall plant their to brighten up the room a little bit and remove the hanging plant. I think the end table that’s there now matches the one by the love seat so I’d switch those table around so they match on either side of the couch with matching lamps, get rid of the rooster. The table between the couch and brown chair could go in the corner with a plant of it. Get the clutter of the bathroom, close the door if you can or slightly ajar if it needs to air out.
Great observations Katherine. By the way, you’ll be AMAZED at how many people have matching tables (or even night tables) and put them in different rooms without realizing. I’m convinced most people live with their homes exactly as the movers have “furnished” them! No kidding, it really surprised me when I got out there and discovered how most people live. That’s why when you have an eye for staging and design, there is so much advice you can give clients (who will happily pay for it).
I think the scale of the couch is much too large for this room so if possible, I would move the love seat to the wall where the couch is, slipcover the love seat and brown chair, move the brown chair either to a reading corner with a lamp or angled in “conversation” with the loveseat; add inexpensive table lamp to the end table; definitely change the wall color (paint is cheap) and a lighter color will make the room feel bigger and more inviting…otherwise I had the same comments as Debra did 🙂
Those are all excellent recommendations Jamie! Thanks for commenting!
So much to be done. I like everyone’s comments. I definitely think painting would make the largest impact for the least amount of money. Those poor sad couches.
I would have definitely recommended lightening up the wall color with something neutral like white or light beige or Greige. Then slipcover that awful couch, chair and loveseat.
A more substantial lamp that is taller would fit better and I wouldnt have worried about the tv. I think buyers would understand.
Joni, You’ve definitely got the eye of a home stager! Perfect suggestions. Are you staging client homes yet?
Again, it’s deceiving without being in the room and knowing where you walk into it, exactly what you’re dealing with. I would declutter and remove everything except the sofa and the wingback chair. Get a new flat screen TV and thin TV cabinet (lighter wood or painted). Purchase a coordinating small area rug, coffee table, accent table and lamp. Place the area rug in front of the sofa. Place the coffee table in the center with a bowl of something with interest in it. Put the accent table and lamp at the far end of the sofa. Place the wingback chair next to the accent table facing the grouping. Get some decorative pillows for the sofa and chair. Place a coordinating throw on the back of the chair. Get some art work. Maybe another accent table and lamp where the white chair was. Perhaps a bookshelf past the sofa grouping depending on the size of the room.
That photo is taken from the bottom of the stairs looking into the room (it’s open to the stairs heading from main floor). Basically your first view of it as a home buyer would see it. Love your ideas Linda!
Paint the walls a lighter color (like white to make the room bigger), get a small entertainment center for the TV and get a small flat screen TV, organize the shelf by the TV, change the furniture to something in a different color, get rid of the toys.
All great ideas Carol, thanks for sharing!