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Snapshots For Sandy
The before picture below is the actual picture of the dining room that was in the mls when I purchased the house.
Below is the dining room now, with different furniture and paint. The stained glass piece in the landing window was made by my sister as a house warming gift.
Before:
After
Before:
After:
Before:
After
After:
The only things purchased, and installed by a handyman, are the two pendants and the chandelier. The pendants were $125 each. Not sure about the chandelier, but it wasn’t expensive. About $160 I think.
It’s amazing how you can “make a house your own” almost overnight. The front room with the turquoise triangle and green lower walls I painted by myself while the movers were bringing in the furniture. The lighter wall in the dining room, I just mixed the triangle color with some white and painted the back wall with that and the top left triangle wall in the dining room the same green as the square wall in the front for opposite effect. The colors accent the height of the ceilings, and the odd angles add an art gallery effect, which is the Kirkland “thing”. Lots of Art Galleries and artsy flair in vintage houses.
Enjoy. It’s a bit odd, I know, but it’s me. Just showing how you can make it your own place in a very short time and with very little money.
Posted: May 16th, 2007 under General Real Estate.
Tags: home, photos, Staging
About the Author: Ardell DellaLoggia
- Author's website: http://www.SearchingSeattleblog.com
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Comments
2.
Comment
from ARDELL
Time May 16, 2007 at 11:13 pm
It always amazes me when people complain about being depressed in Seattle and I go to their homes and every thing is as dark as a cave. Brightening up your surroundings goes a long way in this town 
3.
Comment
from andy capelluto
Time May 17, 2007 at 12:51 am
I have to agree, the place looks absolutely delightful, but remember that it is your style and your taste. Typically when we sell a home - we render it a light neutral color. People want a home that is ready to move right into, mainly because they are so busy. They don’t want to be bothered with repainting the walls and your walls, as fabulous as they look for you, might well not work with the color scheme and the style of the new home owner.
4.
Comment
from ARDELL
Time May 17, 2007 at 6:49 am
Andy,
We’ve been saying that for years, but I have to tell you, “Realtor beige” is just so “OUT!”. You would be amazed at how many homes sell quickly with every room painted a different “pottery barn” color. I had one listing that was “citrus” orange and yellow in the living areas, one blue bedroom, one green bedroom Adobe and cinnamon halls. I said, what the heck, let’s give it a try. It was tough to stage, but it sold at a record high price with five offers the first day. It was a condo.
When you are selling a “neutral” condo…they all look the same. Sometimes the one that stands out wins the prize.
5.
Comment
from ARDELL
Time May 17, 2007 at 6:52 am
Jillayne,
Before I closed escrow one of our agents said it had a beach feel, so I did it in beach colors. I just realized my light fixtures look a little bit like the Space Needle that you can see out the window at night
6.
Comment
from Jillayne Schlicke
Time May 17, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Hi Ardell and Andy,
I asked the listing agent, Bob Melvey about the bright colored walls in my home and he said the paint job was from the former owner.
There is a lot of emotion conveyed through colors. People connect with other people through emotion and they also make emotional connections with homes, when looking for homes to buy. I think colors can stimulate that process.
Yes, yes, it is also true that the “wrong” color for a certain person may make the opposite happen.
However, I think advising home sellers to paint over their colored walls with neutral colors may or may not be the best advice in all cases. Re-painting could cost quite a bit of money.
7.
Comment
from ARDELL
Time May 17, 2007 at 6:08 pm
We are, however, taking down the wallpaper in that Edmond’s listing Speaking of which, I’ll probably be there all day Saturday if you are around.
8.
Comment
from andy capelluto
Time May 17, 2007 at 8:30 pm
Actually - yes I definitely agree, Realtor Beige is dated, dreadful and definitely not the color I recommend at all. There are however colors that are trendier that present a wonderful a wonderful cancass onto which the buyer can add his own personality When we arrived in Seattle almost 9 years ago. While house hunting I noticed that every house we looked at was painted gray. In a city that was already grey I could not fathom why grey was such a popular color. I myself am a colorful person and a creative interior designer, and I LOVE color, but the point that I’m trying to make is that you are loosing part of your audience when selling a home painted with bold color - not everyone is like Jillayne who embraced the color she found and decorated around it. Many people are intimidated by too much color, especially if their own furniture won’t go with color scheme.
By the way - you can paint over wallpaper - removing it is really time consuming - for a quick fix - just paint over it. Hopefully it isn’t too textured, because painting wallpaper works best on flat wallpaper - of course you will see the seams.
9.
Comment
from Jennifer
Time May 21, 2007 at 10:41 am
Ardell,
Like you pointed out, this is a great example of how someone can easily - and inexpensively - make a new house a home. It’s a great asset to clients if you can show them how they can transform their new spaces to reflect their own styles and personality.
As for the seperate issue of staging; I agree the light and bright colors are going to bring in the buyers more than the plain white or dark colors. Most buyers have trouble envisioning what a room could like and need to see it “completed” even if it’s not really their style.
I must say, I am a details person and the idea of painting over wallpaper makes me cringe. If I brought buyers through a house with painted wallpaper it is certainly something I would draw to their attention. They don’t want to do the work either!
10.
Comment
from ARDELL
Time May 21, 2007 at 11:07 am
Jennifer,
Totally agree on painting over wallpaper. It says “what else is the seller ‘covering up”? Doesn’t it?
One of my clients is getting the house they just bought in shape to move in. Just a regular family with a tight budget and some elbow grease and paint, for the most part.
She has agreed to let me use the before and after photos in an article when she is done. That will be a great post. Can’t wait for the opportunity. Plus we can do the whole from beginning to end of a five month search for that house at the same time.
Stay tuned.
11.
Comment
from Jennifer
Time May 21, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Yes, exactly! It might look good in the online photos but the buyers will find out when they or their agent preview the home.
I got my ASP designation just a few months ago. It’s such a great tool to help clients out. I love seeing the before and after shots; can’t wait to see how yours comes out!
12.
Comment
from ARDELL
Time May 21, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Jennifer,
The ASP class was the most amazing class I have ever taken in my life. What an eye opener. And it was great fun as well. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
13.
Comment
from sandy
Time May 22, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Ardell, the pictures are awesome. Thats a dramatic transformation I love the choice of wall colors - cheerful for gloomy seattle
14.
Comment
from ARDELL
Time May 22, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Thanks for stopping by, Sandy! My lighting is very Seattle…flying space needles upside down
15.
Comment
from sandy
Time May 22, 2007 at 7:52 pm
wow that is so cool, i hadnt thought of it that way…love the stained glass as well..i learned to work with stained glass some time back myself
16.
Comment
from ARDELL
Time May 22, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I can see the space needle across the lake from most windows of the house. Out in the dark of night in the distance, the lighting looks quite similar.
The stained glass pieces are all free standing, like the vases on the shelf in the kitchen. I can even re-arrange them if I get bored with the current placement. They are on a thin track. My sister is a mega genius, so she needs hobbies to rest her brain. She’s into pottery right now. Not bright enough for me, but she keeps trying to get them to be more colorful. I’m partial to bright colored glass. It makes me happy.
I went to a client’s house today. She’s getting it ready to move into, and her walls were the light turquoise. I said, “Hey! You stole my color! Her kitchen will be yellow with white cabinets. She’s going to give us before and after photos for a post.
It’s so much fun helping people get their first house. We found that one in Seattle for only $368,000 and it’s really shaping up. The most amazing flowers are coming up all over the place. Apparently a previous owner used to work for the Arboretum.
You worry too much Sandy. I can give you accurate closing costs that will be right to the penny. I just guarantee the difference for my clients. Then the number is always right 
The only surprise I get, because the contract wording is so pspr, is the oil in the tank when there is oil heat. I’ll have to tighten that wording up from the boilerplate.
1. Comment from Jillayne Schlicke
Time May 16, 2007 at 10:54 pm
Hi Ardell,
When I walked into your house, I felt like I was walking into a California beach house. The colors on the walls are so vibrant and fresh. I think the paint really makes a huge difference.
When I walked into the home I now live in, I also fell in love with the colors. The living room is bright yellow, the kitchen: orange. The bedrooms were soft violet, orange, and turquoise. I absolutely loved the colors, and still love them.
I have no idea if the home was staged that way or not. I will ask the listing agent.