home staging

A Victorian Christmas

December 19, 2011 By Kristie Barnett 7 Comments

The Christmas festivities have begun – my family and I travelled to my husband’s aunt and uncle’s home yesterday for our annual family Christmas get-together. I just have to share a little of my aunt and uncle’s historic home.

DSC 3040 A Victorian Christmas

They have lived in this lovely Victorian home for the last 20 years, and it has been a popular Bed and Breakfast for several of those years. It even has it’s own fancy name: Academy Place – named for the girl’s school it used to house a century ago.

One of my favorite things about this home is the amazing fireplaces in many of its rooms.

DSC 3015 A Victorian Christmas

Small Changes, Big Impact

April 29, 2011 By Kristie Barnett 14 Comments

I staged a home yesterday for sale and thought I’d share with my readers how small changes can make a big impact. Most of the changes here involved removing and pairing down tired accessories and furnishings, then adding a few on-trend accessories.

Beautiful Brick Home for Sale by Realtor Jim Allen with ReMax in Brentwood, TN

This is how the entry looked prior to staging with The Decorologist:

Entry Before Staging

Nashville Home Stager: How to Save $$$ When Selling Your Home

April 15, 2011 By Kristie Barnett 10 Comments

I did a Staging Consultation with a couple who were already making improvements in order to put their home on the market. Very honestly, they admitted to me that they had not planned on hiring a Professional Stager because they needed to save money. In the end, they became overwhelmed and called me in to assist in picking out finishes.

DSC 6143 Nashville Home Stager: How to Save $$$ When Selling Your Home

staged home

The husband thought it was necessary to replace the expensive screened door on the back of their home. Because it was broken, a home inspector would surely insist that it be replaced ($$$). [Read more...]

Filed Under: Design Intervention Tagged With: home staging, how to save money with staging, nashville home stager, nashville home staging, nashville stager, nashville staging company, painting light fixtures, staged bedroom, staged dining room, staged homes, staging, the decorologist

Faith in Staging

March 11, 2011 By Kristie Barnett 33 Comments

My least favorite part of staging and decorating homes is selling myself and my vision to the homeowner. I realize it is absolutely necessary, but I know they can’t see what I’m seeing in my mind’s eye and that can be frustrating. My best days are those when I do a staging (or decorating or color) consultation, and my client says, “OK, I trust you. Let’s do it.” That’s exactly what this homeowner said to me when she hired me to stage her home for sale.

The ranch-style home had a living/dining room combo that wasn’t working very well – it was primarily used as an office space and repository for “stuff.” My client had to trust me when I told her the wallpaper and sponge-painting had to go, and that the rooms had to be repurposed.

before

Staged to Sell, People!

February 25, 2011 By Kristie Barnett 16 Comments

I’ve been working with a great couple getting their house ready to go on the market. Yesterday was staging day, and this home looks FABULOUS (if I do say so myself).

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Design Intervention Tagged With: green hills real estate, home staging, staged home, the decorologist

Change is in the Air

October 4, 2010 By Kristie Barnett 9 Comments

I’m sure you know I love a good make-over, and this time I’m the person getting one! My decorating blog, as well as my staging and decorating business, will henceforth be known as The Decorologist. New name, new logo, new look. I really hope you’ll like what you see.

DSC 9721 Change is in the Air

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Filed Under: My Decorology Tagged With: decorating, home staging, the decorologist

What NOT to Do When Trying to Sell Your Home

September 1, 2010 By Kristie Barnett 19 Comments

I’m a Home Stager, and I’ve staged all kinds of homes over the last 5 years - from small condos to multi-million dollar mansions. Did you know that staged homes sell for 10-17% more in 1/3 of the time of unstaged homes? Good staging is a must in today’s difficult real estate market. You have only one chance and about 15 minutes to make a prospective buyer fall in love with your home. With fewer eligible buyers, you have to make every showing count – bigtime.

DSC 6185 1024x684 What NOT to Do When Trying to Sell Your Home

The following photographs are “befores” of some of my client’s homes. All of my clients are wonderful and talented people – but everyone needs a little help to make the sign in the front yard go from “For Sale” to “Sold.” Names are withheld to protect the innocent and the unstaged.

home for sale sign 300x224 What NOT to Do When Trying to Sell Your Home

Staging Homes in the Twilight Zone

June 24, 2010 By Kristie Barnett 10 Comments

Yesterday, I had a fairly straight-forward home staging gig. The owners had already moved out and needed to get this puppy sold ASAP. I had helped them pick some good paint colors and they had the house ready to go. So I headed over to get it “show-ready” with one of my lovely assistants, Taylor. On the drive over, Taylor commented that she was born in this particular Nashville suburb and lived in a house here with her family as a young child. She couldn’t recall much about it and had no idea where it was.