Summerland & Penticton Okanagan BC Real Estate, Homes For Sale and Revenue Properties - Raymond MAASKE: British Columbia: North Vancouver

Paris Haute Couture Meets Vancouver Home Staging

When I was in Paris recently... one of my favourite past times was keeping a keen eye out for the latest in clothing fashion.  Whether through observing well dressed Parisians rushing off to work in their 4" stilettos on cobbled streets, or getting a glimpse of the latest scarf or purse as it rushed by, it was evident that Paris Haute Couture is alive and well, and living in Paris!

This window display in a clothing store in Paris certainly caught my eye.  I love the combination of the colour red with the leopard print fabric.  There's something very eye-catching and vibrant about this combination.  Since returning to Vancouver, I've actually seen leopard print everywhere, so this mode has definitely made it across the pond. 

As a Vancouver Home Stager, I look for inspiration everywhere.  I decided to take the leopard/red combination I'd seen in Paris, and apply it to a living room we recently staged.  If this interesting combination caught my eye in Paris, certainly it would have the same results in a staged home, and would catch a potential home buyer's eye, creating a memorable impression.  Here are a few before & after photos:

Grab home buyers' attention with exciting, memorable designs.  Property styling works when selling your home!

Home Staging Vancouver Causes Reenactment of the 7 Years War

Like a scene out of the movie, Night at the Museum, I may have unintentionally caused a second chapter to the 7 Years War, the infamous war between the English and the French during the mid-18th century.  Let me back up and explain...

I was called in to add a bit of "wow" to an already gorgeous home for sale.  This home was built in 1998, but you'd swear it was built 100 years ago.  The builder really focused on recreating a period home, with beautiful wood moldings and paneling.  The hardwood floor is gorgeous, and looks like it should creak, just as in an old home.  There are nooks and crannies everywhere, and the home is oozing with charm and character.

However, there was still room for improvement. 

- The formal living/dining room lacked a dining room table.  In this $1.5 million home, buyers want to see a dining room area where they are able to entertain.  Solution:  We added a beautiful dining room table and chairs, appropriate to the style of the home.

- The rooms appeared very dark.  Due to dark paint colour choices, the home felt very dark and dreary.  Solution:  We advised the homeowner to paint the living room a lighter, neutral colour, but in the meantime, we lightened and brightened the room using light coloured cushions, furniture and rug.

- The great room area felt very stark and empty.  The sofa and t.v. off the kitchen seemed like an afterthought, and wasn't very inviting. Solution:  We relocated a side table from upstairs to the family room, and added a coffee table, artwork, rug and accessories.

We addressed the above points, but what on earth does this have to do with the battle between the French & English, you ask?  Well, above the fireplace sat a beautiful portrait of a distant relative of the home owner.  This ancestor stared at you, sporting full British regalia.  Clearly, the British were holding fort in this beautiful home.  As the homeowner said herself, it felt as if the portrait was following you around the room with his eyes!  We relocated the portrait to the study, where he would feel more comfortable.  Now everyone knows I'm a francophile, so of course I had to bring in dining room chairs with French script and added an Eiffel tower. 

What do you think will happen when the owners retire for bed and the lights are turned out?  Will it be just like a scene out of Night at the Museum?  Will the British ancestor leap from the confines of the picture frame and declare war against the French chairs?!!  I guess we'll never know...

Here are some "Before & After" Photos:

LIVING ROOM - BEFORE

LIVING ROOM - AFTER

LIVING ROOM - AFTER

DINING AREA - BEFORE

DINING AREA - AFTER

DEN - BEFORE

DEN - AFTER

FAMILY ROOM - BEFORE

FAMILY ROOM - AFTER

 What's Yellow and Black & White All Over? - Home Staging Vancouver - Before & After Photos

My company, Exit Stage Right, Vancouver Home Staging, had the pleasure of staging another condo in this new-build apartment tower.  This unit is pretty small, so making the space look spacious and yet have multi functions was paramount.  The demographic for the building is very mixed.  There are older buyers who are gravitating towards the more expensive units and penthouses, and then there are the younger crowd, just getting in the market, who are happy with a smaller, less expensive unit. 

For this condo, I went with attracting a young, hip, happening crowd.  Ironically, I used some mid-century modern pieces, such as the LC1 chairs by Courboisier, but hey, what's old is new again.  These are classic pieces of furniture that look sleek and don't take up a lot of room.  I brought in texture with the black and white cow-hide cushions, and added edgy artwork.  I'm happy to report that this condo sold within a couple of days, while other vacant condos are still unsold.  Staging makes a huge difference in speeding up the sale of a condo. 

Here are some before & after shots of this staged and sold condo.

North Vancouver Home Staging - Lower Lonsdale "Before & After" Photos

My Vancouver Home Staging Company, Exit Stage Right, was very happy to stage this vacant townhouse, located on Lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver.  The location for the townhouse is fantastic, situated only one block from the Lonsdale Quay Market, and a quick Sea Bus ride away from downtown Vancouver.  Everything is within walking distance.

The townhouse itself looked pretty stark, bare, and uninviting with no furniture, colour or life to the property.  The beige walls and empty, cavernous space was not very appealing to a young, urban professional or couple, who are looking for a certain lifestyle.  Enter Exit Stage Right!  Alright, I will admit that I will be traveling off to Paris this weekend, and was perhaps influenced by the excitement my future trip holds.  I couldn't help myself.  I went with a Euro-Parisian theme.  Can you spot the Eiffel Towers?!!  To me, there are many parallels between this townhouse and an apartment you might find in Paris.  Because Lonsdale Quay Market is so close, you could very easily shop for fresh produce every day of the week, just like the Parisians.  Also, around the corner are some wonderful bistros and restaurants, including Italian, Greek, French (!), Japanese, Irish and British/Canadian fare. 

By adding a little "ooh la la" to this townhouse, we are able to capture the sophisticated buyer who is looking for a little slice of Europe in the heart of Lower Lonsdale.  Of special note: the townhouse right next door is also for sale.  The owners of that townhouse have not staged their property property for sale.  It is slightly bigger, with a higher price tag than the $750,000 for this townhouse, but it will be interesting to see which property sells first.  I'll keep you posted on the developments. 

Here are some more before & after photos:

NORTH VANCOUVER HOME STAGING - LOWER LONSDALE "BEFORE & AFTER" PHOTOS

Exit Stage Right Home Staging Vancouver is excited to announce the real estate staging of this newly built condo complex at 1033 St. Georges Street in North Vancouver, B.C.  Our show suite is located in Penthouse 8 and offers buyers a glimpse at how beautiful these condos can look when furnished and accessorized.  The high end finishes make this condo a pleasure to show and the breath-taking views of the North Shore mountains and ocean, enjoyed from two separate balconies, are the icing on the cake.  For more information, please contact Mark Rasmussen with the Rasmussen Group at Sutton Westcoast Realty.

The is the view as you enter the condo. 

LIVING ROOM BEFORE:

LIVING ROOM AFTER:

DINING ROOM BEFORE:

DINING ROOM AFTER

Home Staging Vancouver, B.C. - AN EXPLOSION OF MELLOW, YELLOW SOFAS!

Is there a full yellow moon out lately?  I can't quite explain it, but recently we've been faced with staging several properties, all with yellow sofas.  Yellow!  The sofas have actually been in very good shape; it's just that they are very yellow, rather than a nice, neutral cream or beige.  Since our brief has been to work with the existing furnishings, rather than bringing in rental furniture, we decided to solve the problem of these dominant coloured sofas.  Our solution?  Bring in another colour to compliment and actually tone down the yellow.  

In this particular case, we brought in a nice, soft blue, in cushions, accessories and artwork.  The cushions are from Pottery Barn, and have wonderful texture and a lovely, soft, subtle colour to them.  We also hung artwork that was mostly blue and brown, but with a hint of yellow, to tie in with the sofas.  By working with the existing furniture, we were able to save the home owner money in staging costs, and still improve the look of the existing living room.  The living room is much more presentable now, and looks great on the MLS listing.

Give the Home's Architecture a Voice When Selling Your Home

Our particular area in North Vancouver has a fair number of west coast contemporary homes.  These homes were built with specific criteria in mind.  One element of west coast contemporaries is to blend in with nature.  Therefore, many of these homes are built with cedar paneling, and large windows that overlook gardens with huge, evergreen cedars.  There is a coziness about these houses.  You can smell the warm aroma of the cedar paneling, and feel enveloped in the atmosphere, as if you were wrapped up in a warm, cozy blanket.  Although this style of home is not everyone's cup of tea, there is certainly a fan base out there. 

The problem in this particular west coast contemporary living room, was that a huge, taste specific painting was hung over the fireplace, doing it's best to hide much of the cedar paneling.  It was important to give this paneling a voice, and let it speak for itself.  Also, the painting wasn't centred over the fireplace (that just drives me crazy!).  In my opinion, the target buyer is more inclined to buy this home because of the cedar paneling, not in spite of the paneling.  Therefore, it was imperative to remove the large painting, and replace it with a smaller, brighter painting that would compliment the paneling, not compete with it. 

There were other challenges with this room also.  The room was very dark, and needed lightening up.  Taking inspiration from the owner's existing cushions, which I thought worked great in the space, we added more light coloured cushions and a cream coloured throw to break up the dark brown of the sofa.  The Christmas lights had to go, but we added lighting with table and floor lamps.  A little editing of personal items, and this living room became a very inviting room.  It was also the first room you saw upon entering the house, so it was crucial to create a great first impression, to keep the potential home buyer wanting to see more.  

When selling your home, have a good look at the original architecture, no matter what year the home was built.  What are the features?  Don't hide them; play them up!

The Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling!

I felt like quoting our favourite fowl, Chicken Little, when I laid eyes on this Master Bedroom.  My company, Exit Stage Right, had been hired by the owners to stage this home for sale, and I was just getting a preliminary tour.  The style of the home was west coast contemporary, pretty normal for around this area.  Everything seemed pretty run-of-the mill.  Not too many surprises.  But then we entered the Master Bedroom...

Normally, when you enter a bedroom, the focal point should be the bed, but in this case, my eye skipped over the bed and headed straight for the ceiling.  Oh my.  The ceiling had been painted blue.  Not fluffy cloud white with a hint of blue, not robin's egg blue, but a vibrant, dark, electric blue.  Wow!  Not that there's really anything wrong with that.  If you want to live in a room that has pink, purple, acid green ceilings, knock yourself out.  However, when putting your home on the market, you need to be sure that personal decor is toned down or eliminated, if it's too distracting.

In this case, not only was the blue on the ceiling dominant, but light colours recede, and dark colours descend.  I felt as if I was being squashed down by this heavy, blue coloured ceiling.  Not to worry.  The problem was very easily solved by suggesting the home owners hire a painter to paint out the ceiling white.  The difference was night and day.  Once the ceiling had been repainted, the whole feeling of the room lightened up and felt larger.  The home owners were great and very motivated to follow any suggestions I had.  Their home sold very quickly, and they have now moved on. 

MASTER BEDROOM BEFORE HOME STAGING

MASTER BEDROOM AFTER HOME STAGING

A Head-Banging Experience - Up on the Roof

We bought our home 10 years ago, and had a home inspection done at the time.  Our home inspector advised us that we'd need to replace the roof in about 5 years.  Fast forward to present.  Every year we'd have the roof inspected, and each time, the roofer would say we were good for one more year.  Well, I'd finally had enough.  Everyone needs a good, solid roof over their heads, and I was tired of worrying about possible leaks etc.  It was time.  I bit the bullet, and hired Absolute Roofing to replace our tired roof. 

Actually, I've never really liked our roof.  It was light grey, flat, and didn't seem to go with our turn of the century home.  I chose a black tile that looks like shingles, but is really made of Fiberglass Laminated Shingles: To quote Absolute Roofing's website:  "These shingles have a base core of fiberglass mat. This is then coated with asphalt and then granules. The fiberglass core has superior strength and does not absorb any moisture. Thus, there is no curling effect".  They also look really amazing.

As a Home Stager, I also know the importance of resale.  If I put the house on the market in a year or two, I know that it was worth investing in a new roof.  Home buyers tend to overestimate the cost of repairs.  It is more economical for me to replace the roof before selling, rather than leaving this job for a future owner.  Also, my house looks so much better now - it looks better maintained and cared for.  The saggy, baggy elephant has had a facelift!

 THIS IS A BEFORE PHOTO - NOTICE THE FLAT, BLAH ROOF. 

I think the black roof now ties in with my black front door and makes a much better first impression.  If you're putting your house on the market, I would definitely advice doing major repairs.  It will pay off in the long run.

ROOF ALMOST COMPLETED - OK, I KNOW, NOW I NEED TO PAINT THE HOUSE!

HERE'S A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ROOFING TILES.  NOTICE THE RAISED SHINGLE LOOK

THIS IS THE BACK OF THE HOUSE, ALMOST COMPLETE.  THE NEW GUTTERS ARE ALSO GOING TO BE INSTALLED.

Home Staging Tip - Space Planning is Important - Home Staging Vancouver

My company, Exit Stage Right, was hired recently to prepare this cute bungalow for sale.  This home has a lot of great features, including beautiful, refinished, hardwood floors with inlay, and a wood-burning fireplace.

When I first visited the home, it was clear that two young children had invaded the space with all their toys, bouncy chairs, cute baby pictures, sippy cups etc.  This is life with young children, and completely understandable.  However, when selling the home, the "day care" look had to go!

The other item that immediately struck me upon entering the living room, was that the focal point, the fireplace, was almost completely covered by a big, leather lounge chair.  It was almost as if the most important feature in the living room, the fireplace, was being ignored as an after thought. 

All these obstacles to a quick sale can easily be rectified by an experienced home stager.  By space planning, we were able to remove the children's furniture, place the sofa under the window, and relocate the large, leather lounge chair to the far wall.  This completely opened up the space, leaving the fireplace front and centre, and creating more space for the dining room table.  The room suddenly opened up and appeared much more spacious.  Buyers want space, so we gave it to them!

Don't be afraid to rearrange furniture.  Move pieces around until you feel you have the best layout, both in terms of space, and in terms of being able to have a conversation with the person seated near you.