HOME | YOUR ACCOUNT | eNEWSLETTERS | CONTACT | MERCHANDISE
RETURN HOME




A STAGING STORY
<< back

Hiring a professional to redecorate your home for re-sale is a trend that more and more homeowners are turning to before putting their homes up for sale. Not surprisingly, staging is proving to be one of the keys to successfully selling your home quickly and for more than the asking price.

The owner of this condo had a great layout to work with and stylish furnishings, but felt his home required a little refining before being put on the market. Enter Toronto designer William MacDonald, who maximized the condo’s potential with a few simple updates which took a week to complete and cost under $600. The result: this re-fashioned condo attracted multiple bidders and sold for 15 per cent above the original asking price. These before and after photos reveal the condo’s transformation.

 

The Problem:

An empty corner in the kitchen was essentially useless space.

The Fix:

Designer William MacDonald made this area functional and decorative by installing floating shelves in the niche for storage and display. For a seamless look, the shelves are painted the same colour as the walls.

MDF shelves, Home Depot; wall and shelf colour, Pointing (2003), Farrow & Ball

 

The Problem:

The condo's principal bathroom doubles as a laundry room, a practical feature but not an overly pretty one.

The Fix:

MacDonald specified linen drapes installed on a ceiling track to match the shower curtain made from the same fabric. The tall drapes create height while closing off the appliances from view.

Drapery, We Do Draperies.

 

The Problem:

Positioning the sofa in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows cut into the light and view they offered.

The Fix:

Placing the sofa against the wall opens up traffic flow and draws visitors in. MacDonald colour-blocked the wall to lend importance to a single piece of art and visually balance the kitchen on the other side of the room.

Paint, for colour block, Buff (20), Farrow&Ball; artwork, Christopher Scott.

 

HOW TO HIRE A STAGER

REVIEW THEIR WORK:
Request to see the stager’s portfolio to get a good sense of their experience; beware of anyone claiming to be an accredited stager as this is an unregulated field.

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING:
A staging consultation should cost between $200 and $800 whereas hiring a stager to complete painting, repairs and bring in furnishings will cost a few thousand.

KEEP AN OPEN MIND:
Don’t take the stager’s suggestions to heart: Remember that your home is being re-decorated to sell, not for you to live in.

TO FIND A STAGER ask your real estate agent or friends for referrals, or visit the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers at stagingdiva.com