SPEAK: Top Ten Tips for Room Staging Your Space!
I was contacted recently by a client struggling to sell their investment property. The property was an open plan dream, unfortunately the space had been overtaken by contrasting and not complementary colour combinations, and abundance of personalisation and lacked a flow in which a prospective buyer would find it hard to visualise living with the space.
The concept of room staging is relatively new with the UK, and is sometimes referred to as ‘flipping’ within the US, however room staging within the UK aims to eliminate large renovations and set out individual rooms with a personality and enhancing their features through the use of cleverly displayed interior furnishings and fittings.
Did you know using the room staging services of a designer can allow you to achieve multiple benefits in relation to your property? Room staging allows for increased rentals, traffic to your listing and as well as a 10-20% above valuation rate for your property. Room staging should considered a must for prospective sellers and property investors as a winning tool to increased revenue.
If we take a look at your living space this is the key area within your home where most potential buyers or renters will spend the most of their time.
1. Sofa: it really does pay to make sure your sofa is modern with a suitable material and colour which enhances the space and natural light within it. I know you might be thinking as a house seller-they are not purchasing the sofa, but the bricks and mortar! Whilst this is correct a potential buyer or renter will want to walk into a space and visualise how they will live and work in this space and it the rarest of these that can see past the fixtures and fittings with their own ideas of design and interior enhancement. Touches of bright colours can really add a feeling of warmth and are attractive to a potential buyer or renter.
Colour Pops and texture: a winning combination.
2. Flooring – how is your carpet looking? Is it heavily patterned, a dark and gloomy ‘closing in the room’ pattern?, or both? Would it benefit from a professional clean or refresh?, or is it time you admitted it really does need replacing? The last thing a potential buyer or renter will want to see is a dirty, worn and heavily dated carpet. Remember, you do not know thier financial circumstances they might not have the funds to replace a carpet, and for a renter they might be inclined to think if this is how you look after the space-will you look after me as your potential occupant? There are lots of available options for flooring these days and for the investment of a few hundred pounds it is well worth considering. Keep it neutral!
Wooden flooring can look rich and is easy to maintain.
3. Walls: The personalisation of an interior with for example a vivid purple or bright red can look spectacular, however every taste is different and is impossible to account for on this basis. Opting for neutral shades that balance the room or enhance the natural light can really embrace the features of the room as well as change the focus to the objects within the room. Neutral is best here, unless you are confident in your colour theory! A firm favourite is always Farrow and Ball
Dark walls can close in a space, unless you really know what you are doing!
4. Lighting: This is one of the most fundamental areas within an interior, how many times have you looked at a picture within a glossy magazine of a beautiful interior and failed to notice it is the lighting responsible for capturing the space and the lighting used within the space that has made the picture sublime! It really really really does pay to use the professional services of a designer with room staging expertise. Light is a designers best friend :) We particularly live Pooky or Graham and Greene
Natural light fused with ambient lighting can make or break a space!
5. Cushions: The humble cushion is a design staple and fused with pops of colour or providing a backdrop to blend the chosen colour palette together is the role of a cushion. It is amazing how many designs are held together by the introduction of suitable cushions which can add a multitude of benefits to an interior, they can provide a theme, express a sentiment and provide design statements that allow the the space to speak! Try online places such as: Made or Habitat to source quality items.
Cushions are the perfect home accessory!
7. Art and Pictures: Did you know Art and original art is one of the most sought after interior accessories? It is true! There are eye-watering amounts of cash being exchanged for original pieces within interiors and mass reproductions providing alternatives for collectors also. Art is your opportunity to brighten up the space or set the tone of the space: if you want to provide a calm oasis, lush green botanical prints could be your best option. Or perhaps invest in upcoming artists through various online channels such as Esty or Ebay.
8. Mirrors: Instead of a large TV dominating a room, why not opt for a mirror instead. Modern times have seen the TV hidden away vs it being on open display a trend that dominated the late 2000’s. Mirrors can be purchased in various shapes and sizes and can open up a space and complement a room in abundance! Go for it, if opting for hanging this above your fireplace rather than a wall-mounted TV, always consider your dimensions-you do not want the mirror to overpower the fireplace! We love Rockett St George for thier unusual quirky concept mirrors!
Always remember to keep consistent with your colour theme through the use of a mirror!
9. Accessories: Remember to not over clutter, a few textured vases, cushions and picture frames can look magnificent rather than a room full of too many things to draw the eye in!. The prospective buyer does not want to be overwhelmed with a room filled to the brim with too many items!
10. Ambience: It is an old cliché, but smell within a space really does have an olfactory impact on the potential buyer or renter. They are far more likely to remember viewing a space with freshly ironed linens that smell like a spring bouquet and a welcoming Reed diffuser omitting something familiar and memorable! Need we mention Jo Malone!
We hope you enjoyed this article!
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Hello From Speak,
We relish the opportunity to create design inspired by nature. We love to maximise space, leverage colour, and blend architectural features with modern design.
Contact us to SPEAK about our bespoke in person interior design services, or visit our online store to purchase an Atelier Crafted virtual eDesign service package. We would love to hear from you and explore the rich possibilities! What can we accomplish together?