Choosing Paint Colors and Accessorizing Your Home

Well, it’s me Steve again going on about home staging. I hope someone out there is enjoying reading my blog as much as I enjoy writing it! You can sign up to “follow” my blog so that you do not miss any important tips! And as a side note, we staged a home several weeks ago who’s major complaint from potential buyers was that that the rooms seemed small. Now that the rooms have furniture in them including king & queen beds, no one seems concerned with room size. Empty rooms can be quite deceptive.

Well… where were we? Oh yes, we have talked about organizing and removing clutter and about how cheap and effective paint can be. However, paint alone may not get the total job done. What I am talking about is how to choose and use color. Remember, a neutral palate is best but accent colors can add depth, warmth and a little drama and glamour to an otherwise dull space. My recommendation is to start with a color that already exists in your room, be it upholstery, draperies, throw pillows, an area rug or even strong color in a painting or flower arrangement that give the room a “spark”. Say for example you have a relatively new sofa that looks good in the room, the right size and proportion and it has a great patterned fabric, use this as your starting point. Choose a nice neutral color that will create the ideal “background” for this furniture piece.

Choose a dominant color in the sofa and use this as your secondary color. If this color is not too jarring, think about painting one wall of the room, preferably the dominant wall as you enter the room, with this color. It provides great connectivity and will make a room more intimate and cozy. It is often interpreted by buyers as “a designer touch”.

Arrange the remainder of the existing furniture to insure the room is not crowded or that traffic flow in not impeded in any way. You may choose throw pillows on other furniture that re-introduce the color to create a cohesive feel or perhaps place an area rug that ties the seating group together. Never hesitate to place an area rug over carpeting. It can add great character and anchor the furniture and can often be purchased relatively inexpensively.

Inexpensive drapery treatments can add great perceived value also, particularly if the view or lighting the windows provide is not optimal. They can be used to add color, texture and pattern to a room. In uncarpeted areas, they serve to deaden the “hollow” sound hardwood or tile floors can create.

Lastly, make your accessorizing deliberate. Place groupings, whether pictures or an assortment of plates, books or object d’art in groups of three. Pairs give symmetry, odd numbers give interest. A simple vase of French tulips picking up the wall or upholstery color can make a big difference. Red roses or calla lilies can add color and drama. Less is always best when accessorizing. My mother always said that a “good piece of well placed jewelry could make a cheap dress look like a million bucks”. The same rule applies to accessorizing your home.

Go and tour some builder model homes. You will find many uses of color in the way I describe and also it will give you some ideas on furniture arranging.

Well, enough for today. I hope I will hear from someone out there that has a suggestion or needs a little help with home staging. Bye for now.