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. :)
