Staging a Small Bedroom

As seen on homestaging.about.com

by Ronique Gibson

Home Staging Expert

This article provides great ideas of how to make a small bedroom look bigger and brighter, which we all want to have, but it also explains why that is important when selling your home.  Enjoy!

Decluttering Tips to Enlarge your Small Bedroom Visually

 Make your small bedroom appealing for buyers Photo Credit: Getty Images

One essential area buyers focus on when shopping for homes is space. Most buyers want to move to upsize their home and will not pay attention to small homes. The good news is even the smallest of homes can be enlarged visually.  The recent trend of more home buyers seeking homes in overcrowded communities means sellers have to get creative with their staging. A few simple adjustments can transform tiny homes, especially small rooms like bedrooms.

Remove Excess Clutter throughout your Bedroom

Getting rid of unnecessary furniture, and other home decor to create a spacious room that is attractive to buyers. Set aside time to stage your bedroom correctly before potential buyers view your home. The bedroom should feel like a retreat for buyers to enjoy each evening, but should also be a place for rejuvenating the spirit for the next day.  Here’s some simple ways to increase the visual space in your bedrooms.

Keep the Room Clean and Tidy

Cleaning and decluttering go hand in hand. The first thing you should do is remove all unnecessary furniture from the room. As inviting as your bedroom may be, its numerous belongings may be off-putting to buyers. Make sure that nothing is on the floor or on furniture surfaces. Remove family photos, stuffed animals, the TV, and other personal items. Store small items in pullout storage drawers under your bed.  The smaller the room is, the more essential it is for effective organization. 

A Smaller Bed Could Make your Bedroom Look Larger

Use fresh linen and bright colors in your bedroom. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Consider a Smaller Bed

Most bedrooms have king size beds which take up a lot of space. Replace your large bed with a queen bed or a full size bed to make the room seem bigger. If you are staging a kid’s room, use a twin bed. Position the bed in the middle of the wall opposite the bedroom door. It should be the first thing buyers see when they walk into the room. Beautify it with fresh linen, a comforter, and colorful throw pillows.

A bed that is too big for a room will visually decrease the square feet. While your home is on the market, resist the temptation to buy more furniture pieces. If you have to, choose small, comfy pieces that are not bulky.

Remove Excess Furniture

Large furniture pieces such as vanities and large dressers could be inessential and should be moved into another room of your home or put into storage. If your bedroom is really small, don’t add anything other than night tables and a small chair. Keep in mind that the purpose of staging the room is to define its purpose and not to show buyers how many furniture pieces it can accommodate. Ensure there is enough space for people to walk around and don’t block the flow of traffic with furniture.

Use Mirrors and Natural Light to Make your Bedroom Larger

Bring natural light into your bedroom. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Bring in Natural and Artificial Lighting

The power of good lighting cannot be overestimated.  Light can trick the eye and make a room look bigger than it actually is. Use plenty of light throughout the day when showing your bedroom. Open windows at daytime and ensure the bedroom lighting in the evening is varied. Place lamps on your bedside tables to soften the space. However, make sure they match because dissimilar ones can be a distraction.

You can get shabby-chic white lamps, black lacquered lamps, or even Asian-inspired lamps.  To give your small bedroom plenty of style, use window treatments properly. Choose those that soften harsh sunlight but still let in light. Window sheers behind window treatments help your bedroom have diffused light on extra bright and sunny days.

Decorate with Mirrors when Possible

Mirrors enlarge spaces by reflecting light from windows and lighting. They do not consume visual space but double it. They are an inexpensive way of filling the blank spaces on your walls. Place mirrors across windows to augment the light in your bedroom. You can also place a mirror across a piece of art to call attention to it.

Small rooms, especially bedrooms, can be hard to stage. Modern buyers want a lot of space and they can disregard your home if you have a small bedroom. But do not despair. Simply use these home staging tricks to make your bedroom appeal to as many buyers as possible. You will not only increase its size visually, you’ll make it stylish and cozy.

 If you are in the market for selling your home or buying a new one in Southern Utah, let me recommend Christina Sanchez with Equity Real Estate 435-669-5235!

Thanks For Stopping By! 
Brooke XOXO

Decorating Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Article found on livingrooms.about.com by Lauren Flanagan, Pictures found online (not apart of the original article) with Google images.

Chances are that everyone out there has made at least one of these decorating mistakes. But it’s time to stop the cycle! Once you’re aware of these decorating faux pas you can make sure not to commit them again.

Too Many Pillows        

Pillows are meant to add comfort. When there are so many on a sofa that you can barely sit down it’s far too many. Try to limit accent pillows on a sofa to two or three.

Having More than One Focal Point  

Whenever possible limit your focal points to one per room. Sometimes the architecture of the room makes it impossible, but multiple focal points can make a room feel disjointed and leaves the eye without a place to rest.  Picture shows how to have only one focal point!

Not Testing Your Paint Color  

Always test a sample of your wall color before committing. Paint colors can vary drastically depending on the amount of light in the room and the way natural light travels over the course of the day. Paint a sample square on the wall and leave it at least 24 hours before making a final decision.

Not Considering Your Lifestyle  

It’s important to be honest with yourself when decorating. If you like cuddle with the pets, put your feet up, or eat dinner while sitting on the sofa it stands to reason that you should have one that’s durable, stain resistant and comfortable. This goes for everything in the room. Don’t try to live in a room that doesn’t suit your lifestyle.

Too Many Big Plants   

Plants are important, and every room should have a couple. However don’t overdo it and get plants that are going to grow so much they overtake the space. Find smaller versions that will compliment the room and accessorize with them accordingly.

Being Too Monochromatic    

Decorating in a single color can be boring. If you want to keep things neutral it’s completely fine, just make sure to use textures, layer and use different shapes. Picture shows the RIGHT way to do neutrals!

Too Many Wood Tones       

While it’s good to have some variety in wood tones in a given room, you’ll want to make sure not to use too many. Mixing woods with orange undertones and those with red can be jarring. Try to keep them all in the same color family but use different varieties.

Too Many Large Personal Photos  

If you like to have personal photos on display, by all means go for it. But extra large engagement, pregnancy, or family portraits can be overwhelming and make guests uncomfortable. Instead of a large portrait consider a photo wall of smaller pictures. You can still be surrounded by photos of loved ones, just in a more stylish and less intrusive way.

Too Many Patterns             

Patterns are great but too many can be distracting and look confusing to the eye. When you’re decorating with patterns try to follow some of these rules.

Treating Every Room as a Separate Unit  

A house or an apartment is a whole unit comprised of different rooms. Those rooms (while they don’t need to look alike) should relate to each other. Try to coordinate styles and colors to a certain extent so your home doesn’t feel choppy and disjointed.

Inadequate Lighting         

Lighting is arguably the most important element in any room. Make sure you have the appropriate mix of ambient, tasks and accent, and be sure to place lights at different levels throughout your room.

Thanks For Stopping By!  What are some other decorating mistakes?  One of my personal picks, hanging your pictures too high; you should always "frame" your furniture with your pictures/art/decor!  Don't do what this guy did!

Brooke XOXO

Wallpaper

Wallpaper! It's not just for Grandma, anymore!

Wallpaper made it's comeback in 2014, according to dailynews.com, and it has only grown in popularity since.  I'll have to admit, I didn't jump on the bandwagon right away.  I think for most of us, when we think of wallpaper, we think of grandma's house with the old floral pattern and peeling corners.  But now, "wallpaper is not only back in the biggest way imaginable, but it’s fun, modern and customized. I think everyone should use it,” said Christian May, a Southern California interior design blogger and owner of Maison21 Interior Design in Los Angeles".  All the examples you see in this are removable!  Because I am a renter, I decided to show what I would be interested in.  I love how much they add to the rooms!  there is literally thousands of patterns to choose from, Etsy has several sellers that allow you to design your own!!

Self adhesive vinyl wallpaper, removable nursery mb058, 20" x 48" inches $30.00 sold on Etsy by BestWallpapers.

Flowers - self adhesive wallpaper, removable nursery mb046, 20.9" x 48"inches $30.00, sold on Etsy by BestWallpapers.  I love this print for a cute baby girl's nursery.  A great way to add personality, and make a statement without having a cluttered wall.    

Self Adhesive, Spring Pastel Leaves pattern removable wallpaper A01, 20.8" x 48" inches, $34.00, sold by Livettes on Etsy. 

Delicate Herringbone Pattern - self adhesive temporary wallpaper M009, 20.8" x 48" inches $34.00, sold by Livettes on Etsy.

This short video will help you when it's time for you to put up some wallpaper! Enjoy!

Thanks for Stopping by!  As always, let me know what you think!!!

Brooke XOXO

Inexpensive Home Accessories

"whirly hanging tealight candle holder"

CB2.com has these for only $4.95!  You will see these everywhere right now, especially for small plants, including at Target for $9.99, which seems to be the average price.

Vases found on domino.com

Vases come in all shapes and sizes, colors and more, but what I love is they can add to any space, especially with fresh flowers in them.  Some items you want to "hold out for quality", others, why not pay $4.95 for a matte black vase?

Mirror found at worldmarket.com

Hanging mirrors are super trendy right now.  However, many are expensive, especially if you are on a tight budget like me.  So, take your time to find whats on trend, but also affordable!  Take for instance this mirror from worldmarket.com, only $11.89 for the 11x14 and $9.09 for the 8x10!!! Also, the mirrors from worldmarket.com are part of another trend; they come in all different metals, my favorite is the copper.   *side note* Round wooden mirrors with a leatherstrap or rope are seriously whats popular.

Thanks For Stopping By, and let us know where you shop for inexpensive home accessories!

Brooke XOXO

Bedroom Color Trends by Anna Kocharian

BEDROOM COLOR TRENDS  we're trying in	2016
by   ANNA KOCHARIAN

	Plummet Farrow & Ball
	A gloomy shade with a refined feel and an unadulterated finish that's effortlessly chic.

Lustre Ralph Laurent Paint
Much like the inside of an oyster shell, the sheer luster of this paint is simply perfection.

	Blue Benjamin Moore
	A saturated and unapologetic shade of blue for the one who doesn't shy away from color.

Folded Card Ralph Lauren Paint
An understated take on the classic sea foam blue, with a slightly more pigmented effect.

	Verona Pink Ralph Lauren Paint
	This classic hue is reinvented with deeper tones and a delicate finish.

Parma Gray Farrow & Ball
A serene shade with a cool blue undertone, perfect for the dreamy bedroom setting.

	Fresh Basin Valspar
	Consider this an exemplary take on Pantone's color duo of the year. Refined elegance never looked so good.

Railings Farrow & Ball
Black walls may be unconvential in the bedroom, but there's no denying the sheer chicness of this moody shade.

	Pottery Green Ralph Lauren Paint
	H&M’s latest jungle-inspired home collection has us vying for this saturated sage that's complemented with a subdued hint of brass.

Oleander Sherwin Williams
A dusty blush inspired by the earthy tones of the desert, is flawlessly paired with exclusively black flooring.

Thanks For Stopping By, and let me know what color you would choose!

Brooke XOXO