Young Professionals Find A Nest

To stage a historic building in Charlestown MA that was renovated into 8 condo units, my working partner and I needed to take into consideration that the staging would need to be broken down and moved from unit to unit as the model unit sold. We also took into consideration the potential buyer of the units so that we could create a look and feel to appeal to him/her.

Most were two bedroom condos with all the modern fittings and finishings, lots of light and open spaces and stairs. The developer and real estate agents rightly expected that the buyers would be young professionals, possibly with one child, who enjoyed the history, sense of community and proximity to Boston that Charlestown provides. AHA...Ikea!

The brand's bold graphics, bright colors, complex textures, good design, right pricing,lightness and easy mobility make it popular with young nesters. We added a number of Ikea elements to our inventory and voila! The look was fresh, bright, clean and, as each staged unit sold, it was an easy job to move everything to the next unit. See the results for yourself in these photos.

Notably, it was the staged units that sold even though buyers had their pick of the building. I'm happy to report all units sold quickly. Staging works!

A Real Real Estate Staging Challenge

I and my working partner were called in to do a staging of an older home for sale in Charlestown MA. The place had great bones, a great location and, well, very personal color choices. A cherry red dining room, golden living room, mustard yellow stairwell and dark hunter green office instantly dated the house and could be a complete turnoff to many prospective buyers. Working with the homeowner, we shifted a turnoff into a turn on and the house sold in 4 days!

I advised on new paint colors for the stairwell and office that were sophisticated and urban yet strong enough to stand up to the golden living room and red dining room. We used the red and gold as repeat colors through the entire house to give energy, warmth and sass. We quickly re-upholstered a sofa for the living room, sewed a cloth for the dining table and a throw for the sofa, crafted a headboard for one of the bedrooms, directed a clean up and planting in the garden and filled the entire house with eclectic furnishings to continue the theme of color, individuality and personality.

Here are the photos of the finished product. It's a great example of what can be accomplished with a few changes and creative flourishes.