I was feeling more than a bit overwhelmed. I was swimming in a sea of paint chips. I stripped the wall paper off of the walls of the powder room over 2 weeks ago and there it sits….waiting for me to make a decision to made as to which color to paint the walls. I had become immobilized. It was time to get some help from a professional. And I am very happy I did.
I had a Professional Decorator/Stager come to my home yesterday for a two hour consultation. The reasons for this were many but mostly I wanted some advise on how to update my house with an eye towards re-sale. Now we are not moving anytime soon but my husband and I realize this is not our “forever” house and our kids are getting older and will soon be moving on. We have never lived in a house as long as we have lived in this one. Almost 10 years ago we had this one built and for the most part it has been perfect for us. But, after living in the same place for 10 years, I think some of the decorating is starting to looked dated and so some changes have to be made. And the thing is, we don’t want to have to make the same changes again in a few years. So, “Operation Neutralize” is about to begin.
It was important for me to talk with someone who stages homes so that I could be sure that the changes I was going to be making would help keep our house appealing to the majority of people who might be looking. So, for $99.00, I was able to have the undivided attention of a professional Decorator/Stager for two hours and we took our time walking and talking from room to room.
Overall, the experience was very reassuring. Many of my existing color/paint choices are still neutral enough and desirable. There are several things that need to be changed but now we can take our time making these changes so we aren’t scrambling at the last minute when it comes time to put the house up for sale. At least, that’s the plan. :)
Here is a photo of part of my kitchen. I have a lot of green paint on the walls of my house including in the foyer and the hallway downstairs….and it follows the wall into the hall upstairs. By having the foyer and these hallways painted a more neutral beige….many of my green rooms like my kitchen and our master bedroom can stay green.
I still like the shade of green we have in the kitchen. We will probably re-paint it the same color just because of the wear and tear it’s taken. A new coat of paint will help it look fresher and cleaner. Now, the trick is to find the name of the color we used 10 years ago! People! write your paint colors down and keep them in a safe place!! Some of the other changes that need to be made are upgrading the counter tops to granite, new sink, new light fixture, and a tile backsplash. The black appliances are still fine but as they “die off” we will replace with stainless steel. The sink faucet died a few weeks ago and so we got a start by replacing it with a new stainless set from Delta. I love it!
Here is our dining room. The “Roasted Red Pepper” walls have been enjoyable for us ( I remembered the name of this one :)) but I am ready for something a little less “bold”. I am looking in the beige/gold color family and have plans to replace the picture above the buffet with a nice framed mirror, new window treatments that are more neutral and the brass chandelier has to go. It’s broken anyway. Three of the lights on it don’t work.
Now, the powder room is still job one. The bare walls I hope to have painted next weekend. I am in no hurry and not planning on spending my Labor Day weekend painting. When I finalize on the color choice I’ll be sure to post pictures when I get it done. So, to answer to question “Am I happy with the consultation with the Decorator/Stager?” Absolutely. I have more of a road map on where to start now and we can take our time getting it all done. And there is a lot to to do. But that’s okay. It’ll keep me out of trouble and out of the bars. :)
10 comments:
When we lived in Arizona I had a red kitchen and loved it. BUT, it suited that house and I'm just not sure I will ever opt for that much color again. This house we are in now though is waaay too neutral, cool neutrals and I want to warm it up with more neutrals, but some that have more depth to them because the house seems too cold. Good luck with your choices!
Di
I would have loved to have helped you. I love to decorate and most people tell me I have an eye for it. I am trying to work on a post from the photos of our house that is up for sale.
You can look at those and maybe get an idea too. How far are you from me?
Oh yeah, I was going to say that you don't have to have 'neutral' colors ie. beige to sell a house. Every house that we have lived in and sold, they had color on the walls. I don't mean pink and purple but really warm colors that all flowed together. So that is something to think about too.
When we first moved into our home it was colorless. I painted several rooms with color but after a few years, I'm switching back to more of a neutral theme with pops of color as accents. It's a good thing paint isn't too expensive:)
My current project is the powder room ~ I'll be posting about it next week if all goes well.
Have a wonderful holiday weekend ~
Jo
Thanks for stopping by and entering my giveaway, isn't she fabulous? I must say though, I didn't see your name under followers, maybe I overlooked you!
I wanted to also say that I am a decorator and I don't believe you need to paint everything builder beige to get it to sell. My house sold in 3 days and I had a red dining room, a burnt orange kitchen, a lime green in my son's room and a purple blue with large polka dots in the playroom! The realtor wanted me to repaint and de-personalize and I said, nah I' m going to keep it like this.
I like to see personality in a home when I tour it, not a cardboard box!
Nice to meet you, I'll be back by!
Megan
I love the colors you have now. Love that dining room :)
I think you went the right route, Lisa. You would have gotten opinions and suggestions up the whazoo here and it was probably best that you met with someone in person, who could actually see your rooms with you.
I am thrilled that you posted about it though and how happy you were that you did it. I'm always open to working with people even if it's just for an hour or a few hours, but I think a lot of people think they need a major project before they can call a decorator, designer, stager, etc.
Hey Lisa! Looks like you have your work cut out for you. We've been making more of a slightly "neutral change" - or softer colors - here within the past couple years. After 15 years of a different color in every room, my head started to hurt! LOL It's taking longer than I expected, but I'm liking the calmness of it.
Good luck with your paint selections, and try to have fun! ;o)
My Sis in Law does business this in Dallas, and I have helped her and seen first hand how much easier to have a pro do this. I do not have that kind of touch to pick. Glad it worked out for you.
L
PS I am giving my Dad some of your recipe for homemade pickles for his 83rd birthday...perfect gift for the man who literally has everything!
That sounds like a great idea, hiring a designer for some ideas and also getting the work done now. You do all that work for potential buyers when you are selling the house and never enjoy it yourself. This way you can take your time picking things and doing the work-less pressure when it is time to sell.
BTW, I'm still not getting updates on my reader for you blog and a few others. This is strange. I'll just have to make a point to save you in my favorites so I don't miss your posts.
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