Home Staging: Top 10 Decorating Mistakes

1. Avoid placing large pieces of furniture across the corner of a room. Rather, place large pieces on an angle. Why? Your room will appear to have move visual movement. This will give a potential buyer the idea that your room might be a bit larger and easier to work with for their own furniture placement.

2. If your home features a vaulted wall, place large pieces of furniture close to the highest wall. This calls attention to the wall’s architectural interest, and creates balance in your room.

3. If your home features smaller rooms, remember less is more. An under-furnished room is preferable to an over-furnished room.

4. Change your lampshades. This “quick fix” can give any room an updated appearance – especially if you select dramatic black or textured shades.

5. If need a smaller room to seem more expansive, consider purchasing a large wall mirror. Mirrors definitely give the illusion of more space. Just be sure to take special care in placing your mirror. You want to be sure that what it reflects is a pleasing sight!

6. Add some texture! Throws, tasseled pillows, even an inexpensive area rug can create a warmer, cozier feel in any room.

7. Let there be light! Be sure your window treatments are in the “open” position, flooding as much light as possible into each and every room in your home.

8. Add some permanent florals and greenery. Don’t go overboard, but adding a silk tree in a bare corner, or a floral arrangement on a dining room table adds lots of ambiance to any room.

9. Go crazy with color… or not! When selling a home, neutral shades are always the best. It’s difficult for a buyer to see beyond the colors they see when they enter a room.

10. Re-accessorize! Your cherished mementos, while precious to you, might actually create a barrier in the mind of a buyer. Think about simple accessory plans with minimal clutter. Perhaps a display of leather bound books paired with small greenery, and a small picture on an easel.