Find that perfect couch

Are you familiar with Maine Cottage furniture? Yes, it sounds like it is rough country style but it is not. It is colorful, hip and well-made.

Here is one of their sofas I really like:

Now the cool part...You can change the color or pattern of the fabric to many different ones. It is fun to play with and find that perfect piece of furniture!

How about making the sofa like this?

Or this:

Check them out at http://www.mainecottage.com.

It is a very fun website to play with but fair warning - time will fly when you're having fun playing!

Giving a room a purpose helps to sell

I recently worked with a couple who were busy professionals with no children except for the 4 legged kind.


They live in a three bedroom house. The master bedroom was nicely done. One spare bedroom was an office. The other spare bedroom was well...I guess...maybe it was.... can't really tell...storage area? It was the "catch-all" room. Sound familiar to anyone ?

As they put their house on the market, I counseled them to make sure to turn that "catch all" room into a clear purpose. Buyers like to know what exactly the room is. Also if buyers toured this house as it was they would only remember one bedroom.


Staging helps to show the full potential of a house by giving a clear purpose to all the rooms.
Here is are before and after photos. What room gives you that "BUY" urge?




(BEFORE)



(AFTER)

The cost for this transformation? The room was painted but all other items were already in the house.

Staging with a clear purpose doesn't need to cost a lot.

PS: The "after" room was professionally photographed by Stephen Smith of Iron Images.