all my home's a stage

3
4 e Journal FallHomeImprovement October6,2009 By Katherine Luck All my home’s a stage Once limited to homes for sale, home staging is becoming a popular decorating option D ay1.OutofideasanddesperateinthemonthlyJournal editorialmeeting,Ibegintobabble. “Interior decorating? I don’t know any- thing about decorating. But ... you know how houses look when they’re for sale? Withallthegenericbutnicefurnitureand vases and stuff? I like that.” From some- where in the dark recesses of my brain, I dragoutaword.“Staged.Stagedhomes— Ilikehowtheylook.Iwishmyhousewas decoratedlikethat.” My rambling has inspired my editor. I willusehomestagingasadecoratingtech- nique,rearrangeafewroomsinmyhouse andwriteallaboutit. IfeelrathersmugasIreturntomydesk. Whataclever,nay,brilliantideaI’vepulled outofthinair!Isit.IrealizeIhavenoidea whathomestagingactuallyis. Day 2 Home staging is the act of preparing a pri- vate residence for sale in the real estate mar- ketplace. e goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money. ank you, Wikipedia. But this doesn’t helpme. I am subpar when it comes to interior design. My house is a conglomeration of myultra-cheapcollegeappliances,myhus- band’s battered apartment furniture and mydaughter’sday-glotoys,highlightedby randomknickknacks(usually,inexplicably, made of brass) and about 5,000 books of varying quality (from ye olde wizard fic- tiontoShakespeare). Clearly I need help. I need an expert. e computer informs me that the word “Stage” is a Federally Registered Trade- markofStagedHomes.com. I discover the holder of the Federally RegisteredTrademark:oneBarbSchwarz, a professional home stager for 38 years. She’s been on “20/20” twice, as well as ABC, CNN, PBS and many other three- letterTVnetworks. IalsodiscoverthatI’mnotasclever,nay brilliant, as I thought. Barb has already comeupwiththeideaofstagingahomeas a decorating technique; StagingTo Live® littersStagedHomes.com. Day 4 IcallBarb. “Stagingisnotdecorating.ere’sahuge difference,”sheexplains.“It’ssettingascene. We don’t personalize the space. Staging is merchandizingandmarketingaspace;dep- ersonalizingaspace.…Youwanttosetthe CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >

Upload: katherine-luck

Post on 14-Mar-2016

219 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

DESCRIPTION

Article on home staging for real estate.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: All my home's a stage

4 The Journal� Fall�Home�Improvement� •� October�6,�2009

By Katherine Luck

All my home’s a stage

Once limited to homes for sale, home staging is becoming a popular decorating optionDay�1.�Out�of�ideas�and�desperate�in�the�monthly�Journal

editorial�meeting,�I�begin�to�babble.“Interior� decorating?� I� don’t� know� any-

thing� about� decorating.� But� ...� you� know�how� houses� look� when� they’re� for� sale?�With�all�the�generic�but�nice�furniture�and�vases� and� stuff?� I� like� that.”� From� some-where� in� the�dark� recesses� of�my�brain,� I�drag�out�a�word.�“Staged.�Staged�homes�—�I�like�how�they�look.�I�wish�my�house�was�decorated�like�that.”My� rambling� has� inspired� my� editor.� I�

will�use�home�staging�as�a�decorating�tech-nique,�rearrange�a�few�rooms�in�my�house�and�write�all�about�it.I�feel�rather�smug�as�I�return�to�my�desk.�

What�a�clever,�nay,�brilliant�idea�I’ve�pulled�out�of�thin�air!�I�sit.�I�realize�I�have�no�idea�what�home�staging�actually�is.

Day 2Home staging is the act of preparing a pri-

vate residence for sale in the real estate mar-ketplace. The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money.Thank� you,�Wikipedia.� But� this� doesn’t�

help�me.�I� am� subpar� when� it� comes� to� interior�

design.�My� house� is� a� conglomeration� of�my�ultra-cheap�college�appliances,�my�hus-

band’s� battered� apartment� furniture� and�my�daughter’s�day-glo�toys,�highlighted�by�random�knickknacks�(usually,�inexplicably,�made�of� brass)� and� about� 5,000�books�of�varying� quality� (from� ye� olde� wizard� fic-tion�to�Shakespeare).Clearly� I� need� help.� I� need� an� expert.�

The� computer� informs�me� that� the� word�“Stage”� is� a� Federally� Registered� Trade-mark�of�StagedHomes.com.�I� discover� the� holder� of� the� Federally�

Registered�Trademark:�one�Barb�Schwarz,�a� professional� home� stager� for� 38� years.�She’s� been� on� “20/20”� twice,� as� well� as�ABC,�CNN,�PBS�and�many�other� three-letter�TV�networks.I�also�discover�that�I’m�not�as�clever,�nay�

brilliant,� as� I� thought.� Barb� has� already�come�up�with�the�idea�of�staging�a�home�as�a�decorating� technique;�Staging�To�Live®�litters�StagedHomes.com.

Day 4I�call�Barb.�“Staging�is�not�decorating.�There’s�a�huge�

difference,”�she�explains.�“It’s�setting�a�scene.�We�don’t� personalize� the� space.� Staging� is�merchandizing�and�marketing�a�space;�dep-ersonalizing�a�space.�…�You�want�to�set�the�

COntinueD On next page >

Page 2: All my home's a stage

The Journal� •� Fall�Home�Improvement� October�6,�2009� � 5

stage�to�appeal�to�the�most�buyers.”�That�means�stripping�away�all�family�pho-

tos,� idiosyncratic� pillows� and� inexplicable�brass�knickknacks;�then�investing�the�space�with�soothing�generality�via�universally�ap-pealing�fabric�accents�and�objets�d’art.Barb� recounts�how�she� invented� staging�

in�1972�in�the�Lake�Hills�neighborhood�of�Bellevue,�when�she�used�a�theatrical�anal-ogy�to�convince�a�home�seller�to�spruce�up�their� vacant� property�with� a� few� furnish-ings�and�decorative�touches.In�2001,�Barb�launched�and�trademarked�

her�“Staging�To�Live”�concept�right�here�in�Seattle.“Through�the�years,�one�of�the�paradigm�

shifts� that’s� been� happening� is,�we’ve� be-come� very� nest-like,”� she� tells� me.� In� a�tough�economy,�a�lot�of�people�don’t�want�to�alter�the�“safe�space”�they’ve�constructed�out�of�familiar�furnishings�and�bric-a-brac.“When� they� see� that� we� use� their� own�

stuff� and� we’re� not� expensive,� they� think�about� having� us� stage� their� home� to� live�in,”�she�says.�“Instead�of�30�family�photos,�put� out� three� and� rotate� them.�You’ll� ap-preciate� your� things�more.� It� won’t� be� so�much�of�a�backdrop.”She�herself�lives�in�a�staged�home,�she�in-

forms�me.�I�am�becoming�convinced�that�I�can�do�this.

Day 6I�can’t�do�this.Barb�has�sent�me�three�books,�including�

one� she�wrote�with�Mary�Seehafer�Sears:�Home Staging: The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money. I�leaf�to�page�111�and�read,�“When�you’re�

Staging� to�Live,� here� are� a� few�questions�to� ask� yourself� weekly,� or� even� daily:� Is�there�anything�in�this�room�that�can�be�re-moved�now�or�moved�to�another�place� in�the�house?�…�Moving� just�one� thing� can�change�everything,�and�everything�is�inter-dependent.”The�words�make�about�as�much�sense�to�

me� as� those�my� would-be�CPA� husband�reads� aloud� from� his� weighty� accounting�textbooks,� which� constitute� a� subclass� of�knickknack�in�our�poorly�decorated�home.�I� am� no� designer,�which� is� exactly�why� I�proposed�this�article,�which�is�exactly�why�I�can’t�pull�this�article�off�by�myself.I�need�professional�help.

Day 7Through�Barb’s�Web� site,� I� discover� the�

International�Association�of�Home�Staging�Professionals�(IAHSP),�which�has�chapters�around�the�country.�I�e-mail�the�president�of� the� Seattle� chapter,� Patty� Bonnell� of�Set�The�Stage,�then�examine�photos�of�her�work�on�www.SetTheStageWA.com.

< COntinueD frOm previOus page

The newly staged family room futon, coffee table and heirloom chest given new, pristine life.

Ah,� the� blandly� appealing�rooms�filled�with�the�neutral�couches,� bright� pillows� and�inoffensive� art� that� I� covet!�I� call� her� up� and� she� ea-gerly�offers�to�stage�a�couple�rooms� in�my�house.� I�didn’t�even�have�to�hint.

Day 9At� Patty’s� request,� I� bring�

photos�of�the�decorating�di-saster�I�call�home�to�a�lunch�meeting�at�the�murky,�not�at�all�blandly�appealing�Maca-roni�Grill�in�Northgate.“If�you’re�going�to�stage�to�

live,�you�can�rotate�your�pos-sessions� without� sacrificing�them,”�she�assures�me.�“Most�people� have� furniture� that’s�too�big�for�their�rooms,�a�TV�that’s� too� big� for� the� room.�But� most� people� have� hid-den� treasures� that� just� take�the�proper�eye�to�bring�them�to�light.”She�explains�what�will�happen:�First,�she�

will� do� a� walk-through� of�my� house� and�offer� professional� advice.� Then� she� will�stage�two�rooms,�putting�me�to�work�as�her�assistant.� Usually� the� homeowners� aren’t�allowed�to�be�present�during�a�staging,�she�explains.

“No�one�likes�to�have�a�stranger�come�in�and�criticize�their�home,”�she�warns�me.I�assure�her�that�I’ll�be�fine.�I�embrace�my�

inferiority�when�it�comes�to�decorating.She�adds�that�it’s�important�for�the�hom-

eowners�to�feel�she�is�on�their�side.�Sure,� I� nod.� I� trust� her:� She� has� staged�

Page 3: All my home's a stage

6 The Journal� Fall�Home�Improvement� •� October�6,�2009

properties�worth�$54�million,�after�all.It’s�best�if�both�spouses�are�present�for�to-

tal�buy-in,�she�clarifies.��I� think� of� the� would-be� CPA� and� his�

mountains� of� textbooks.� His� piles� of� pa-perbacks� sporting� snarling� dragons� under�attack� by� grim-visaged� guys�wielding� en-chanted� swords.�His� enormous� faux�Chi-nese�fan�on�the�family�room�wall.�He�will�be�at�work�during�the�staging,�I�

inform�her.

Day 17Staging�day.�I�am�filled�with� journalistic�

integrity.� I�will� leave� the�house� exactly� as�my� family� and� I� live� in� it:� cluttered,� ran-domly� arranged,� poorly� appointed.� I� feel�very�ethical.I� become� nervous� about� letting� all� of�

King�and�Snohomish�counties�see�the�dis-order�—�okay,�the�out-and-out�mess�—�in�which�I�dwell.I�vacuum.�That’s�all� I�will�do.�I�have� in-

tegrity.I� wipe� the� counters.� I� sweep,� I� mop,� I�

dust.�I�am�reaching�for�my�husband’s�text-books�—�but,�no.�I�am�filled�with�journal-istic�integrity.I�leave�the�books,�the�unfolded�laundry,�the�

scattered�toys�in�their�usual�haphazard�piles.Patty�shows�up�and,�maneuvering�around�

my� 3-year-old,� we� stage� two� rooms:� the�master�bedroom�and�the�family�room.�First� the�bedroom:�We� remove� the� loud�

quilt�and�replace�it�with�a�plain�bedspread.�We�add�pillows�from�the�family�room.�Out�goes�the�blood-red�throw�rug,�the�stacks�of�laundry,� the� piles� of� books� on� the� night-stands.�To� fill� in� the� newly� bare� patches,�Patty� discovers� a� tray� forgotten� under� an�inch� of� dust� atop� the� fridge,� as�well� as� a�few�teapots�and�espresso�cups�I�keep�think-ing� I’ll� use� someday.�A� trip� to� the�garage�yields�candlesticks�and�an�old�painting�that�matches�the�new�bedspread.“Some�people� have� a� good� sense� of� de-

sign,�but�it’s�hard�to�see�it�with�a�fresh�pair�of�eyes�if�you’ve�been�living�in�it�for�a�long�

time,”�Patty�says.On�to� the� family� room:�The�cat’s�gigantic�

scratching� post-cum-condo� and� my� hus-band’s� faux� Chinese� fan� get� the� heave-ho.�Patty� sweeps� up� cratefuls� of� trinkets� and�“conversation�pieces”�I’ve�accumulated,�strewn�about,�then�forgotten�over�the�years.�She�col-lects�bits�of�art�from�around�the�house.A�“secretary”�desk,�formerly�used�as�a�make-

shift�door�to�the�water�heater’s�alcove,�replac-es�the�cat�condo.�My�old�single-gal�table�goes�in�the�center�of�room.�Beneath�it,�we�spread�a� rug�discovered� in� the�office,�which� in�my�house�is�where�furniture�goes�to�die.As�we�work,�Patty� tells�me�about�where�

she’ll�be�staging�tomorrow:�Jubilee�Wom-en’s�Center,�a�transitional�housing�program�for� homeless� women� in� Seattle.� She� and�other�local�stagers�are�donating�their�time�and�talents�for�charity.�“If�you’re�doing�the�hardest� work� of� your� life,� you� deserve� a�decent� space�…�I� think� the�notion� that� a�total�stranger�would�help�you�when�you’ve�been� abandoned� is� very� powerful.� I� hope�that�positive�feeling�lingers�every�time�they�walk�in�the�room,”�she�says.And,�with�that,�we’re�done.�It�took�a�mere�

three�and�a�half�hours.�Except�for�a�3-inch�piece�of�ribbon�and�two�sprigs�of�silk�flowers,�everything�we�used�came�from�my�home.“Your� personal� style� is� still� there.� The�

room� is� not� submerged� in� your� personal�style,� it’s� not� saturated� with� you,� it’s� just�suggested,”�Patty�remarks.My�rooms,�formerly�so�cluttered�and�un-

welcoming,�now�feel�so�open,�so�calming.�I,�in�turn,�feel�calm.

Day 17, laterMy� husband� seems� calm,� too,� when� he�

inspects�the�rooms�that�are�now�devoid�of�the�huge�fan�and�so�many�wizard�tomes.“I�didn’t�miss�them.�I�didn’t�feel�like�any-

thing�was�missing�from�this�room,”�he�says.�“It�looks�clean.�Looks�like�everything�is�in�its� right� place,� without� knowing� why� —�it� looks� like� everything� belongs� there.� ...�It�makes�me�wonder� how� the� rest� of� the�house�could�look.”

Me too.

< COntinueD frOm previOus page

The master bedroom before: unstaged and unpresentable.

The staged master bedroom, coordinated with a half-forgotten bedspread, pillows from the soon-to-be-staged family room and a paint-ing that once languished in the garage.