Presenting my biggest staging and remodeling project to date. We were getting this home ready to list for sale. Since this project was in Florida, we enlisted 3 realtors to interview, get feedback and ask what they would list it for. They all came back in the low $600,000’s and if you know me, I was bound and determined to break a record.
This home hadn’t been updated since the early 2000’s with golds, reds, browns and lots of Tommy Bahama-type accessories. It was a no-brainer to go with the “coastal” look since we were actually on the beach. So we updated everything in the colors of nature – soft blues, greens and taupes. We also repainted the entire house from yellow to Behr’s Arid Landscape with Elephant Skin accent walls.
Here’s what we did. Please keep in mind the before photos were mostly taken in the middle of the de-cluttering and organizing phase. Read more about this stage on my blog post here.
Before – Living & Dining Rooms
As you can see, the miss mash of country-style oak furniture, yellow walls, a gold sofa, red oriental rug, jungle prints, monkey lamps and lots of knick-knacks.
After – Living & Dining Rooms
These rooms are the most dramatic difference with a new sofa, artwork and accessories. We kept some of the furniture that fit the scheme like the dining room table with wicker seats, the sea grass looking coffee table, the light leather chair and the Crate & Barrel bookcase. We added a new Pottery Barn rug, pillows and throw blankets mostly from Wayfair, artwork from Crate & Barrel, beachy accessories, Pottery Barn lamps, and painted the armoire Duck Egg Blue from Annie Sloan chalk paints. The dining room got a brand new trendy chandelier from West Elm that looks and sounds like sea shells when the ocean air blows in.
Before – Study
This room also had outdated colors plus hodge-podge of furniture that included a faux wood bookshelf. To keep cost down we kept the desk and leather chair. We removed the small sofa since it blocked the lovely french doors to the Lanai.
After – Study
We rearranged the furniture, added white bookcases, a muted neutral rug, new lighting, art, a trendy marble accent table and accessories.
Before – Foyer & Staircase
The foyer had an oversized table, sisal rug, and more outdated artwork plus was a catch-all for everything. The staircase was a drywall pony wall with old oak railing which really made the staircase dark. It also was in need of some new artwork.
After – Foyer & Staircase
What a dramatic improvement! We removed the drywall staircase railing and opted for a gloss spindle railing all the way up. This really brightened and modernized things up! The entry got a properly scaled table and mirror from Pottery Barn. The mirror not only reflected more light but has the look of another window. We also added some cool artwork from Crate & Barrel.
Before – Lanai
The Lanai is a beautiful enclosed “sun room” overlooking the garden and pool. It had clutter in the dual-sided fireplace, big black leather wing chairs, a blue oriental rug and a bar top table.
After – Lanai
While not a big fan of that table, the owners wanted to keep it since it was a serene place to have their coffee in the morning. We switched out the leather chairs for wicker, added a shag rug the color of sand, accessorized with bright pillows and cleared out the clutter in the fireplace.
Before – Master Bedroom
The dark paint, a floral valance, boring bed, more monkey lamps, lots of small cluttery cabinets and a tiny hidden closet door were a disaster.
After – Master Bedroom
The transformation was miraculous with bright white bedding, soft grey and blue accessories, and new lamps with linen lampshades. Take special note of how we removed the mini closet door and opted for a statement with the barn door. Read more about Styling Your Bedroom like a Pro here.
Before – Master Bathroom
Normally one wouldn’t remodel the bathroom just to stage it but this was the last room of the house that had never been touched and original was from the 80’s. You can see it was quite sad. You should have seen the kitchen beforehand.
After – Master Bathroom
This remodel is stunning with its Carrera marble countertops, white shaker style cabinetry, glass tile and new fixtures. Its fabulous and looks like a model home!
Before – Guest Bedroom
This room had too much furniture and all in a heavy wood. It was decorated with outdated artwork and a red oriental rug.
After – Guest Bedroom
Now its fresh and bright with all fluffy white bedding, no rug and a new print. We also removed a bulky dresser. Now it feels like a guest bedroom sanctuary at the beach.
Before – Den & Office Bonus Room
This room was a first floor addition that was divided as an office, den, and sleeping area complete with a bathroom. It had become somewhat of a storage area. Now its an organized, cozy, dual purpose living space that anyone would want to hang out in.
After – Den & Office Bonus Room
The clutter was removed, the hodge podge of furniture was removed, it got new bookcases and accessories.
Before – Exterior
The exterior is a very important part of the home. Its your potential client’s first impression when they pull up. I go into curb appeal in another blog post here. This backyard was a little overgrown and forgotten. It was winter when we first started and now its spring so all is forgiven. Read my blog article about preparing the exterior of your home here.
After – Exterior
All the landscaping has been trimmed and new flowers planted including some new pots near the entry. The pavers and garage were power washed. The house had been repainted about a year ago. Now its a picture perfect Key West style Florida home.
A Few Projects
We got a little creative in order to update a few things but save money. We painted the armoire in the living room that was previously red, a Duck Egg Blue from Annie Sloan paints as well as the cabinets in one of the bathrooms. We also tried a lot of paint colors before we got it right with Arid Landscape and Elephant Skin by Behr. Read my blog post with easy updates to increase the value of your home here.
The Finale
The entire project took about 5 weeks but this included installing the new staircase and the bathroom remodel. The de-cluttering and organizing took about a week, ordering furniture and accessories took about 3 weeks and putting it all together about a week. We spent about $13,000 total with the bathroom and staircase remodel but the rugs, lamps, bedding, accessories, and artwork were about $3000. Now they are all set with trendy furnishings and accessories for their next home!
I am proud to say we listed it at $725,000 which is feasible within this community. There hasn’t been an offer yet but its showing like crazy and I have faith that there will be soon.
Stacy Sheeley Homes
I am a Las Vegas Realtor and have 18 years experience as well as a design and staging accreditation. I have helped a lot of clients maximize their home’s selling potential. On average, my listings sell for 9% higher than other real estate professionals and I attribute it. Call me if you would like to discuss listing your home. My staging assistance is free to all of my clients and we’ll get you on a winning plan!
