Kitchen Staging Ideas: Too Far vs. Not Far Enough
Kitchen Staging Ideas proliferate, but it takes a delicate touch to get a kitchen exactly right. The whole scenario relies on how you treat the counters. The biggest mistake we see home owners make is in clearing the counters off and leaving nothing there at all. This bare presentation leaves potential buyers with nothing to look at, nothing to imagine with, beyond the grout lines… which is rarely the most interesting nor the most perfectly constructed part of any kitchen.
Here’s a few of our Kitchen Staging Ideas,
for when we at Chicagoland Home Staging stage homes for sale in Naperville, Wheaton and Glen Ellyn, etc.
1. We make sure the kitchen is clean and in good repair. Obvious, right?
2. We create vignettes – small clusters of items – to break up the counter top’s long lines and add a little interest to the corners. This accomplishes several objectives. It
- emphasizes the length of the counters,
- gives buyers something fun and colorful to look at
- moves the eye around the space
- offers the photographer focal points and framing for better, more artistically appealing photographs
In the example above, for example, a buyer cold imagine making fresh lemonade, poaching pears, flower arranging… lots of domestic arts, that this particular kitchen lends itself to. It looks like it could be fun living there, don’t you think? Below, we’re going to do some serious Italian cooking… and maybe a little bread-making, who knows?
3. Variation. We like to the vary the height of of our little scenes, and vary the textures, so that there is a pleasing mix. Where we might have used just cloth napkins, glass and china, now we’re mixing in organic items and interesting metals. And of course, fruit. We all need to eat more fruit, particularly in the winter months. Having fruit on the counters is one of our fundamental kitchen staging ideas. It inspires thoughts of health and prosperity, which, of course, is exactly how we want buyers to feel when considering living in the home.
4. Color. We like to stay within the color palette we’ve established for the home. This way the space feels unified, and more complete somehow. A startling pop of red is rarely the way we stage, though there are industry leaders who play that note beautifully. Our look tends to be soothing and elegant. [For inspiration, why not check out a few “designer tested color schemes” at House Beautiful.)
5. Think 5 Star Hotel. Think simplicity, luxury and the barest essentials. The best article someone shared with me on this topic of kitchen staging ideas come from Laura McHolm who owns a moving company and periodically writes for The Huffington Post —
“unless you’re a minimalist five star concierge, chances are your house still needs to be staged to sell.”
So, call in the pros. We’re here to help.
