Hidden Charm? Reveal It!

We often get a house with hidden charm.  The problem with hidden charm is that tends to be hidden to the people who need to see it the most-the buyer.  If the only people able to recognize the better points of the house are the seller and the realtor, the house will probably be on the market a lot longer.  An experienced home stager will be able to recognize the benefits of the house and enhance them to make the more visible to the buyer.

As a recent example, here is a recent job we did on a small house on a stair street in Echo Park:

 Before:

Clearly this house lacks a visually striking entry that entices visitors into exploring further.  The front door just fades away, the steps don't reach the main walkway as you descend and they also are completely open at the front giving the whole entry an unfinished appearance.

After:

With a fresh coat of tangerine paint on the front door, additional steps added and new fascias across the front of the steps, people are welcomed to an attractive-looking house.

Before:

The paprika walls are overwhelming and the bare living room says nothing more than "small" leaving prospective home buyers no idea how effective this space can truly be.

 After:

Now, furnished and with a bright, fresh coat of paint on the walls, the living room is airy and inviting.  Prospective buyers can walk in and see the possibilities of the space.

Before:

The master bedroom, before staging, is just a small, square box with very little to recommend it, visually, to the buyer.

After:

With a bed covered in beautiful linens, vintage furniture and artwork on the walls, this nondescript box is transformed into a relaxing space where prospective buyers can imagine themselves living.

The lesson here is to not let the prospective buyer try to figure out what benefits the home has to offer on their own.  Home staging is an effective way to help reveal the hidden assets a home has to offer.

For a more complete viewing of this property, go to:
 Loma Vista Hillside Property

Elegant, simple, modern... in the garden!

This backyard building reminds me of Phillip Johnson's Glass House, or the iconic Farnsworth House outside Chicago. Ray and Charles Eames would be happy here too.  Could be a guest cottage, a personal retreat, a home office, even a teen's room. Elegant simplicity!

KRILL GARDEN HOUSE at DWELL.COM

A half-day of "Re-Design" ... a different kind of interior design

Hello all!  This is a photo of my new friend Judy, standing in her newly arranged home.  Judy had just moved in, and while she loves her new home, her old furniture was of a style she was no longer fond of.  Yet, she wasn't ready to purchase new furniture... maybe just some new accessories and pillows.  She saw my blog and asked me to come over.  When I arrived, all of the furniture was pushed into a corner and the dining table was this huge monstrosity that dominated the dining room.  Since I can design a home in ANY style, from modern to traditional, I knew I could help her!

(Click on the images to enlarge.)

I began by pulling all the large seating furniture OFF the wall, and creating a "floating" seating area in the center that faces towards the view of her terrific back garden and patio.  (It's OK to "ignore" the fireplace if you have a better view elsewhere.)

Then, I arranged her traditional furniture in a modern way, which means no clutter, good furniture and picture spacing, and few accessories.  I showed her on the internet a beautiful new area rug to purchase for the seating area (all of hers were too traditional or the wrong size).  Some new throw pillows make the sofas look terrific.  And we created a reading area for her husband, who loves to read!

Finally, in her dining room, simplicity was key.  I removed the two leaves in the table so that it didn't overwhelm the space (she also has a more informal dining area).  Pictures were kept spare as well as accessories.  Two of the chairs were placed along the wall, further making the table less ominious. 

The result?  I beautiful home that's traditional yet modern in it's arrangement.  This was ALL accomplished over the course of an afternoon!  Judy and her husband love it, and about a month later, they called me to re-do their office reception area as well!

You can call me too if you'd like to do the same thing to your home.  Re-design can involve using just your existing things, but we can also do a shopping trip together for updated accessories as well as search online.  If your budget doesn't include the cost of a traditonal interior designer, then Re-design may be right for you!