Preparing the Canvas of a Staged Home

By Susan Goldstein
Susan Goldstein, East Bay Designer
510-658-9072

One of the mantras frequently used throughout the real estate/staging industry when it comes to preparing a house for sale is “Paint, paint, paint”. It is more than the need to refresh a tired interior, it also sets the stage for the introduction of furniture, art and accessories that will enhance the home’s attributes.

We like to think of paint, as it relates to staging, as preparing the canvas. Personally, I like to compare it to fashion. When you notice a beautifully turned out woman, you are drawn to the combination of items that she has chosen to work together and compliment her look. The same concept applies to a well-staged home. We start with a basic wall color and then layer in trim and accent colors to create the foundation upon which we add carefully coordinated furnishings.

Before we staged this home in Piedmont, Ca, we were confronted with a series of rooms that all opened into each other – large Entry Hall, Dining Room, Living Room, Family Room and Library. The public rooms were almost loft-like in their layout. So, I devised a plan that would include painting each individual room a different wall color and unite the rooms using a semi-gloss white on all the ceilings, doors, molding and columns.

The color palette included two sophisticated gray colors that carried through from the Entry Hall into the Living Room.




















The Dining Room and Library were painted in two related cool blue shades.

























Here, we painted the family room in a soft green.














As you can see after the addition of furniture, art and accessories, each room popped with color and shine that befitted the architectural elements of the existing structure. Also, for the bedrooms we chose colors that belonged in the same range so that the house presented as a totally unified space. So, our beautifully dressed woman was ready to meet the public. And? She received rave reviews!

In future postings, I will give other examples of how to use color to improve the interior and exterior of your home. And, I will talk about dramatic colors that can work in traditional homes and how important an accent wall color can be.

I will offer cost-saving alternatives to extensive renovations by sharing the process recently undertaken in Lafayette that transformed an uninspired 80’s home and produced multiple offers and a closing in less than a month.

In the meantime, should you have any questions regarding the home profiled above, please do not hesitate to contact me at susan@studiodhome.com
or directly at 510 658 9072. You may also view more projects in the East Bay by visiting http://www.studiodhome.com/home-staging/portfolio/california/oakland, San Francisco at http://www.studiodhome.com/home-staging/portfolio/california/san-francisco, or Marin at http://www.studiodhome.com/home-staging/portfolio/california/marin.