In Oregon we have had a long and very hot summer this year. While personally the heat has made me feel a bit wilted, the natural light has been stunning for are staging jobs. As we transition into a rainy fall I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about the use of lighting in Staging, particularly during the fall and winter months.

TIP #1: Lights, Lights and More Lights

Ideally when staging you will have a minimum of three sources of light. When possible use multiple types of lights: these can be floor lamps, overhead lights, or  things like small accent lamps. When there is less reliable natural lighting, having multiple angles and sources of light will help create an inviting ambiance.

TIP #2: Lights are Part of the Staging

While functional, the light sources you use are also a part of the staging. A new light fixture, or lamp shade can draw together a room. Make choices that fit with the demographic of the buying market and the architecture of the home.

TIP #3: Choose the Right Lights for Each Room

Take into account the room when choosing your light sources. Bathrooms might not have a window and will often have only one light fixture installed, how you use this lighting is important. In a basement where there might be no natural lighting it might be wise to use full spectrum lights.

TIP #4: Natural Lighting

Even in a state like Oregon, where much of the year is overcast and rainy, it is important to let in as much natural light as possible. Pull back the curtains, stage your furniture keeping in mind where the windows are in each room.

TIP #5: Lighting Plays with Our Emotions

A study published last year in the Journal of Consumer Psychology confirms what many home stagers have been saying for years: lights affect how buyers feel about a product. Xu, who helped conduct the study said, ““If you are selling emotional expressive products such as flowers or engagement rings it would make sense to make the store as bright as possible.”

But it’s worth noting that the specific finding were that both positive and negative emotions were felt more intensely in bright light. Good lighting won’t hide flaws in the home. Make sure to invest in the maintenance and staging needed to show off your house in it’s best light.

Come see Staged To Sell’s first flip!

Wine and appetizers this evening (Aug. 5th): 4:30pm-6:30pm

9426 N. Hodge Portland Oregon

Click to see pics: http://pdxpics.com/9426/

I’m so excited to be finally blogging about this. Recently, we bought a home which we have been remodeling. I have been wanting to get into the housing market for a long time, and this first home has been a dream.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

This 724 sq. ft condo sits at the edge of old town Portland. It has a beautiful mix of classic wood-flooring, with industrial style ceilings. A wonderful modern loft with lots of natural lighting, and a gorgeous view, it’s no wonder it’s currently pending. I used simple, sleek furniture. In order to emphasize the modern-industrial feel of the apartment I used recurring geometric patterns throughout the staging. Circles, squares and triangles appear in everything from the lines of the furniture, the fabric on the pillows and comforter, and in the artwork.

Click here for the listing, or scroll down to see the staging.

Quick update about a recent staging. Currently pending, it’s no wonder this beautiful two story, green-energy officiant home sold so quickly. Scroll down to see pictures.

John Hasenberg is a local Portland architect who, though a native of Chicago has lived in Oregon for decades. His stunning designs are a wonderful balance of functionality and playful personality. This home on Cornelius was lush with wood detailing. The intricate design of the ceiling played with negative space while opening up the communal areas. Did I mention how excited I was to stage this home?

Normally when staging there is an emphasis on creating a neutral space. You will often hear home stagers talk about the importance of neutral colors, and  de-emphasizing things in the home that represent the seller’s personality. A more neutral space will be appealing to a wider range of potential buyers. In the case of a designed home the entire home can be a representation of the seller’s personality.

Homes like this are staged for a specific type of buyer: one who wants the unique personality and features of an architecturally poetic home. I worked to emphasize the features that a more traditional design would not have. I used warm neutral tones on the larger furniture to reflect back the warmth of the abundant wood. I then used bright color accents to help highlight the beautiful interior detailing of the architecture.

I’ve been a bit backlogged on my blogging, so I’m hoping to do a bunch of updates on some of my recent jobs. On the plus side, there has been so many wonderful homes we’ve staged, and I’m excited to share.

This recent staging was of a gorgeous home, with a bedroom suite on both levels. One of the things I loved about this home was the industrial feel: particularly with the heating in the bedroom. Scroll down to see some pictures.

Staging is an investment, one that can pay off in a quicker sale for above asking price. I recently staged a gorgeous home in Lake Oswego. It is already pending, 15k over asking with multiple offers.

When staging a living room or a media room, I’ve had the question come up before about staging with electronics. Televisions and media centers have become the heart of living room in the way fireplaces used to be. Potential buyers want to envision how their lives would fit into a new home. I have worked with flat-screens before in staging, and I know people who like to use mock electronics.

But keep in mind if you stage with something like a flat-screen, it is never actually about the television. The important thing is to visually reference how the space could be used. You can afford beautiful painting services from https://www.myhousepainter.com/painters/florida/ and you can also decorate the hall with mirrors, artwork, and other visual cues as stand in for electronics work just as well, and sometimes better. Because it keeps the room neutral, but still allows a potential buyer to subconsciously insert their own visions of what their media center or a functional living room would look like.

I’ve written before about my love of ranch homes, but one of the layout features you will often run into is a very open floor-plan. While these are wonderful for living in, sometimes an empty house can be even less inviting to a potential buyer when they have an open floor-plan. One reason is because it is difficult for people to gauge the size of an empty room. Another reason is that it is difficult in envisioning the functionality of the space.

A recent job from the end of the year is a great example of how staging helps with these issues. When empty, is was hard to tell how a living room and dining room space would fit. While there has definitely been a shift from buyers emphasizing separate formal dining rooms, buyers still want a warm dining space. In this case I used the back of the couch as a visual divide between living room and dining room.

It’s hard to believe how quickly 2014 has come and gone.

One of the things I love about the start of the New Year, is it gives time to reflect on all of the wonderful things that have happened, and to make goals for the months to come.

This last year was a time of growth, we worked with so many wonderful clients, and reorganized and expanded our inventor. I was also able to take time to be with family. I’m so excited to see what 2015 brings.

Happy New Year!

Scroll down to see some pictures from a gorgeous year end staging, or click HERE to view the listing.