I was asked by a reporter today, of all my home staging photos, which was my favorite. She didn't want to know which was my favorite project. She wanted to know which home staging photo I liked the best. I reviewed my home staging portfolio and I chose this one:
This was the livingroom of a home I staged in Los Angeles (Valley Village). It was a very nice cottage, but really nothing about it really stood out, as home staging projects go. I didn't have a lot of time to choose the rug, so I chose this one, which happened to be on the top of the pile. I grabbed some red throw pillows and some red accessories and tossed them in the van as an afterthought.
After staging and photographing the home, I downloaded the photos and realized magic had happened. In the past I avoided strong colors and mostly stuck to a palette of creams, tans and browns with a few brighter colors to accessorize. Never anything this bold. I think this photo epitomizes my ability as a home stager to make a home come alive.
This photo had a big impact on the way I stage now. I use a lot more color, which I think makes the homes I stage more energetic and exciting.
By the way, this home received multiple offers after the first open house and sold over asking.
Do you have a favorite home staging photo? Feel free to post it in the comments below.
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2010 RESA Professional Stager of the Year
Michelle has staged hundreds of Los Angeles homes, many of which have sold with multiple offers, above listing price.
She works with home sellers, listing agents and asset managers to prepare homes for sale throughout Los Angeles.
Moving Mountains Design provides vacant home staging, occupied home staging, color consultations, corporate and executive relocations, move organization, redesign, and interior design. We also stage model homes, REOs,foreclosures and auction properties for real estate investors and asset managers.
For more information about our Los Angeles home staging services, contact Michelle at (626)385-8852 or by email.
Click here to see our Los Angeles home staging portfolio
Click here to go to our Los Angeles home staging blog
Click here for more information about home staging in Los Angeles and how we can help sell your home faster and for the best price
Michelle,
Congratulations on your work. It is vibrant and inviting. Thanks for sharing this with us.
That room feels so peaceful and elegant .. GREAT JOB!!!!!!!
That room feels so peaceful and elegant .. GREAT JOB!!!!!!!
Michelle: I love the rug! It's very similar to the one I have in my dining room. Needless to say, I am a huge fan of red and the color palette of this room is just beautiful!
Thank you, Ron & Alexandra.
Thanks, Pippa!
Cari: I didn't used to use a lot of red in my staging, but now I love it. Thanks!
Hmmmm OK, I have 2 favorites. 1 recent, 1 not-so-recent but still a favorite;
and my "password" is avocado: how appropriate!
Connie: Recent or not, your photos are beautiful. No one said your favorite photo had to be done in the past 6 months. You are working that avocado!
Michelle, I would have guessed that you would select yours with the white and blues (the one on your AR profile and your website)...which I LOVE by the way. BUT this one with the reds is also great. I will look for mine...hmmmm.
I will have to look and see which one of mine I like the best...I love yours and the vivid colors...
Make sure you post your pics, Ginger & Mary Lou!
You have inspired me Michelle. I am trying to be a bit bolder with color as I tend to stick with soft natural colors most of the time too. It is amazing what a real pop of color can do though!
Be not afraid!!!
Oh...This is one of my favorites. No big pop of color but definately serene!
Wow Valerie, beautiful photo! Thanks for sharing it.
Michelle- yours is a favorite of mine because I love the pops of red and the rug. I am so happy to see "beige/bland" going away and the colors coming back!!
This is one of my favorities because of what it captured, the essence of the condo staging. (wish I'd used more red!!!)
Kathy: your photo is beautiful and I like the serene colors. Thanks for posting it.
Truly beautiful. I would want to live there.
All of you have that special uniqueness about you..... all of your work is "always" so relaxing, inviting and what people are looking for!! My hats off to each of you!!! Since I'm the newby here still I don't have a huge selection to choose from, but here is my favorite so far........
Hey, I'm at the beach.... what did you think??? LOL Hope everyone has a GREAT day/weekend!!!
Thank you Kate;
Randy: I love the colorful Adirondack chairs and Mr. Crabby on the wall. Your photo makes me want to put my feet up and enjoy a glass of tea on the balcony. Thanks for sharing.
Julia: I can see why you liked this photo. It reminds you of your success. The mirror is beautiful.
Hi Michelle, I would be hard pressed to select just one "favorite" photo, but I love the one you chose! I agree that color always photographs well. I love the rug you selected, too. Great job, as always!
Thanks, Diana!
Hi Michelle, this photo has even more meaning... I really just want to personally thank you for allowing the RESA-Dallas Chapter to have the represented staging photo above on our first ever Chapter banner (your company watermark is included)! To make it as equitable as possible we chose to use a photo, with your generous permission, that reflects excellence in staging without singling out one company in Dallas, and who better than to show that representation than the 2010 RESA Staging Pro of the year?
We just voted this week on it! I'm attaching the final one here for you to see:
Wow, Karen, I'm honored (and flattered). I think its a good idea not to use an image from a local stager in your chapter banner so no one feels slighted. Thanks for thinking of me, and I love the banner, BTW!
You're always thought of =)
Michelle....LOVE that red...it looks sooo chic and sophisticated!! Somehow I've gotten into orange lately....here's a recent orange favorite...
And then I do love these from a home I post about this weekend...Eichler home makeover!!
Very pretty, Kathy. I really like the way the orange candles play against the red/orange in the artwork. And I love the blue brown combo in the bottom pics. Very chic!
Michelle, first of all, what a fun exercise! I love that you invited us to look at our photos and think about what our favorite is.
Secondly, your photo is a great photo. I love the use of color in your staging and how great it made the photo look.
Here's my photo. I think I like this the best because it has a pop of color from the coral throw pillows and projects serenity and elegance. It had to project elegance. It's the living room in a $10 million NYC townhouse!
I love your photo too, Donna. It is very elegant and I think you hit a bullseye. Wow, $10M! I bet that big balcony had something to do with it! I like the coral pops too.
Michelle, thanks. That's actually the backyard, not the terrace. It's a 4 story private townhome on the fringes of the SoHo area. NYC real estate - the prices are crazy, though you probably encounter the same thing in California.
We could not decide so we picked 2 ;))
Very nice, LKP and tres chic!
hmmmm .. so many pictures to choose from but I think I need to illustrate the "before" so you get why I love the "after" ... bear with me ...
Before
After
or as my second choice
and the "After"
When magic happens I often feel it throughout the home .. although sometimes certain spaces do catch me by surprise when I look back at the pictures. Staging always creates a tangible difference but from the pictures I have viewed above from the other posts to the ones I have posted myself .. sometimes the staging faeries are sitting on our shoulders and whispering in our ears ..
Michelle,
I am a fan of your work. Always first class.
Re: favourite photos of staging: this is one of my favourites as the bedroom went from dated wallpaper that made viewers dizzy to a serene room through the use of a soft blue wall colour & a wall decal of cherry branches.
When I saw this FP, it was painted a glossy beige & I thought it was phoney & would have to be taken out? It was also off balance as only 1 side is finished. With flat black paint, the carving stood out and there was now balance.
The fireplace was now the focal point it was intended to be.
My favourite FP screen dressed up the focal point, along with original art above the fireplace from one of the Coast's best artists
Wow, Heather, quite the transformation. That red wall paper was a little scary! Lovely photos!
Sharon: I can only imagine how that fireplace looked before you got hold of it. I love the wall decal! How fun! and the bedding looks very fresh and lively. Pretty!
NOT designed to SELL... but redesigned to LIVE - Redsigend bedroom repurposing details from previous living room setting
I'm in transition, after being in RETAIL as a Visual stylist - director - merchandiser for over 25 years... and looking to get into property presentation (home staging) in the Miami / Ft. Lauderdale area.
CASH CAB posted on RateMySpace (over 131, 000 viewed) and featured on the HGTV show.
Thanks for opportunity to share... Great photos featured from the "Stagers" here on activerain! =)