1920's Portland Bungalow Before and After

I am constantly amazed at how effective home staging is.  We now have statistics to prove it, but it never ceases to amaze me how quickly homes sell when staged right.  I was recently hired to stage a home in NE Portland and wanted to share some before and after pictures. 

Before: As you can see here, there were far too many things on the floors and against the walls to get a sense of the space.  It feels dark and cramped and you can't get a good sense of the space and how it can be used effectively.

After: Here, the room is lightened with a cream colored area rug, glass top coffee table and lighter furnishings.  The large coat rack was removed and replaced with my favorite decorating wall accessory, a mirror.  Adding additional lighting and changing out dark area rugs with lighter colored ones helps lighten the entire feel of the room. 

Before: Here in this dining room, it is hard to tell what space it is.  There are way too many pieces of large furniture and the doors, being very dark, make the space feel tight.  

After: After removing the doors and large cabinets, the room feels instantly lighter, brighter and is now understandably a dining room.  We chose to leave the window treatment hardware for the buyers, but normally I would have them removed to leave clean crisp windows.

Before: In the kitchen nook area, the sellers have a large dresser and miscellaneous boxes and other items.  It has become a sort of "catch-all" area.  It makes the space feel cramped and dark.

After removing the dresser and other items, simplifying the space with a glass top table- which is the best choice for small spaces- and adding small scale wicker chairs continues the light feel that is necessary for a tight space such as this.  Now potential buyers can envision a space where they can have breakfast or other meals in addition to eliminating the question of "is there enough storage space if they need a larger dresser in the kitchen?"