I also think it looks great. I put pillows on my couch to add color and make it look more inviting. I think the stager achieved that with your couch as well.

Looks good to me! I thought by your description of the pillows on the couch that there would be more. The only thing I would do differently is perhaps remove what's on the coffee table and put the DR centerpiece on it by itself (with no cloth underneath). But, then, I'm not sure what you would put on the DR table instead - maybe fresh flowers that aren't so tall?

Gorgeous house!

qdognj, the house in the East Bay, in the Bay Area in California. It is listed at $1.5M.

Considering all the time and money we spent on remodeling the bathrooms, replacing the HVAC system, painting inside and out, and the work on the yard, I think it should be listed at $1.6M. But, our hope is that at $1.5M, the house will generate more interest and should sell more quickly.

The houses in our area are 20 to 30 years old and most of the houses at our list price have not been remodeled.

Wish us luck!

It looks nice, the dusting is going to be murder though...
BTW- a VERY nice home, I've seen staged homes and they look it. I always ignore the staged stuff and move to the nitty gritty...nice natural light, a shower to die for, and gorgeous kitchen...which you already have.

Good luck selling your home.

It looks pretty nice to me too - the roosters, coffee table stuff and the dining room table items could go, but otherwise what she did looks very nice.

Oh, please. There's not that much stuff there to dust! I think it looks fantastic. Very spacious, clean, inviting, chic ... I think your stager did a wonderful job!

Well, I'm surprised but I like it too (sorta). I don't like the coffee table. Looks to me like it interfers with conversation...I'd have to peer above or around those candle thingies? I rather like the rooster "butts" but I think the bread cookbook is over the top staged. The bathroom is very nice (great design & use of natural light!) but it also looks staged...nobody actually puts little balls on top of their towels, do they? The fabric on the dining room table is there for what reason??? That's really the only thing I don't care for. It seems just wrong to my eyes. I agree about the pillows...not too many & look nice. Are your shelves in the living room always that bare? If so, why do you have them? Just curious...not sure if this is a minimalist thing or just "depersonalized"?

Looks like a beautiful home. But, I didn't see a thing the stagers did that is going to make a difference in selling the house. I also didn't see anything that might be a negative for sale so, I guess, my reaction is, "Tell me again why your realtor did this?" I repeat from my earlier post...Aren't you glad you aren't paying?!

Wishing you fair winds & safe harbor.

/T

triciae, the shelves in the living room are bare because we had to pack everything away that was in it, so we could move it, so we could paint the room. We haven't had the energy to unpack the stuff, then think about having to pack it again when we move.

And I am with you, I don't see anything that would make a difference in selling the house, except maybe to make it more inviting. And I am very glad I am not paying for it.

I do wonder what the psychology is behind the staging stuff. I just don't get it. I understand decorating, but this is not decorating. Staging has nothing to do with living in a house or with using its features. Who would have rooster sculptures placed exactly where you need some counter space when you are working at the stove?

I have to admit that the pillows on the couch do look pretty good.

Thank you, everyone, for your supportive comments.

Beautiful home......which does not seem to even need "staging".

IMO...the coffee table candles have to go...they don't work with the rest of the room...and they are too large. I also agree that the fabric on the D/R table needs to follow the candles...and the plant as well as the roosters are also oversized...and wit the roosters, its one too many.

IMO...the stager needs to follow the jewelry rule....once done, always remove one piece....in this case, from each "vignette"Â.as IMO your home style is better showcased with the less is more philosophy.

That said....I believe that your home shows very well despite the staging.....in other words, I don't think the staging will make any difference one way or the other...

I'm curious how much the stager was compensated...as I can't really see anything that was done that warrants much of anything other than payment for time spent in the home.

I dont think the "stager" understands modern (clutter free) decor. Your furniture is beautiful....great looking house. Fire the stager!

I don't like it. Every one of those items could go away, and your house would still look phenomenal.

I especially hate the centerpiece and the roosters--they draw attention AWAY from the home, and they are too specific to a style--not generic enough.

I don't know that it would turn me off the house, but that's more about how great the house looks, and how uncluttered, and less about them being innocuous.

If it were my house, I'd put them in a box and drop it off at the real estate agent's. if only so I didn't have to look at them, or deal w/ them, or live around them, in the meantime.

What I would do is, take the "balls" off of the towels, find a nice glass dish, put them on the living room table. I would then take the candles from the living room table & put them on the dining table, minus the fabric - the fabric I don't get, nor do I like for that space. I would take the orchid and put it in the bathroom where the 2 towels are that have the balls on them, then hang the towels. I would get rid of the tassel on the one towel.

Otherwise, I like what was brought in, but not exactly where it was put. Who knows, it may look better in person, but for photos, that's what I would do.

I love your kitchen! I may print it out to use for what ever we decide to buy.

roselvr, here is another picture of the kitchen

Thanks for the suggestions.

Thanks so much, I have them saved!

I forgot to say I love the house and think it will go quickly, very appealing. I love what you did to it. I googled the designer, and think that out of all of the photos I ran into, yours appeals (to me) the most. The decorating fits the house.

For the roosters, how about on the counter to the left of the stools?

Oh, Eichler is did not the builder of our current house. I have kept the handle from our last house, which was an Eichler.

This was our Eichler:

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Beautiful house. I don't see the need for staging.

The chickens are weird and so is the cloth on the table and the balls in the bath. I would eighty-six that stuff.

Ah! I thought I saw someone ask in the other post, and you said it was. lol

I agree that the house is very nice without having needed the stager - good that it isn't your money wasted. In fact the stager has made the house look "too staged". Does anyone really pile 2 plates and a bowl on the table when they entertain?

I would also pack that monstrosity lighthouse candle holder thing and you can use the cloth from the dining room table to wrap it in!

Wouldn't you like to see what the stager's house looks like???

I can explain the balls (having done staging for years). Believe it or not, there are people who will tour your home and feel free to use the "facilities" and wipe grimy hands on your spotless "staged" linens. Then, if you haven't been home to catch it between appointments, the next people touring get to see the balled up dirty towels on the counter. Those balls indicate that those towels are NOT to be used. I have seen stagers use duct tape to hold towels in place and toilet seats down. Personally, I always included a lovely tray of paper guest towels and an obvious basket for disposing of them

pattiem93, thank you for the info. I totally thought that stuff had no purpose at all. Reading your post we went, "Oh...".

(BTW, we found out that the stager cost $600)

Too funny! Amazing the little things that would never occur to us...LOL
Pattie

Lovely home. I think everything looks beautiful-except the roosters....To me they look out of place.

~Dawn

except the roosters....To me they look out of place.

Could it be because of the side that faces the photo??? LOL

The pillows are the *only* thing I like. Your decor is mid-century modern and she added Pottery Barn/Pier 1 stuff. Ick.

It won't hurt the sale, but it would bug me to have that junk in my beautiful home!

I think it all looks great! Any serious buyer is going to be able to see pass the decorations.

The thing about the roosters is that they're huge. Way too big for the space. Plus, they're ugly, but so many things ppl find attractive are....

Same thing w/ the coffee table things. They're way oversized.

I like roselvr's rearrangement. (I'd think anyone determined to use the potty would just move the balls aside to use the towels.)

I think things have gone over the top overall for selling our homes. My girlfriend who's looking for a house says they all look like 'Stepford Houses' and bought the one that still had a shred of personality.

The house we just bought still had the owners southwest collection of things all over the house, and I could care less, I look at the layout of the house, the size of the rooms, the hard flooring, the 14 acres of forest, the river view, the size of the bathrooms and things that would be really hard to change. Cosmetic changes are easy, and even the ugly blue tile in one of the bathrooms won't stop us from purchasing.

Perhaps people need to get back to reality and realize they are buying a home, not a house that no one ever lived in.

I think it looks great, and that the staged details add warmth and interest.

Are they right for the space? Well, no -- But thay add warmth and visual interest and aren't offensive or tacky. For example, the candlesticks -- You wouldn't really live with them there because they would get in the way of a nice conversation. But for people walking past, they're not too tall at all. Without those details, I think the space might come off feeling too cold, empty and impersonal to the average buyer.

Love the Eichler! It's not in Pleasanton by any chance? (my former stomping grounds...)

that's a fabulous house, chicken butts or not, I think you've got a winner-it just looks so clean, bright, and warm.

I am a stager too, so definitely see the benefits of staging. However that center piece on the dining table is absolutely dreadful. Needs something the same length, but much lower without the material.

I also don't believe in setting the table - looks too unnatural - but most stagers have their own opinions on that.

I would nix the table arrangement. Less is more.

I think the chicken butts are a good idea. See then the wife can say to the husband (or vice versa) "Honey, lets make a bid on that house I like." "Which one, you liked several?" "You remember, the one with the chicken butts, What were they thinking, do you suppose?"

See, it sticks in your mind.

Diane, LMBO!!! Good point!! Think I'll run out and buy some chicken butts for my own house! LOL

LOL, I've viewed 150 houses in the last month, and I can tell you that chicken butts will stick in your mind. Even now my husband and I refer to houses we saw as, for example, the "hot sauce house"-- copious decor all with chili pepper theme (right down to the shower curtains... culminated with a two hundred jar collection of various hot sauces in the kitchen). And the "dog smell house", and .... well, you get it.

By the way, I love the house, staged or not. I didn't look too hard to see chicken butts but just got the overall "feel" and I think it's fabulous. Stager or not, you'll sell this house. It's awesome!

I would definitely remove the dr centerpiece..........

sweeby, the Eichler was in the Oakland hills, not too far from Pleasanton. There is a small development of them there. They were some of the last Eichlers as they were built right around the time that Eichler Homes went into bankruptcy.

I am glad that everyone is getting a kick out of the chicken butts. We can always use a hook to make the house memorable.

As to the staging items, since the realtor paid for it, I am not feeling it would be right to remove the stuff. I don't want to hurt her feelings since she did make the effort to have the stuff put in. And since the consensus is that it won't be doing any harm, what the heck. At least we have something to joke about.

One of our friends asked, "What drag queen died on the dining room table?"

I am not caring so much anymore. Now that we are on the market and people are looking at the house, it does not really feel like it is ours, we just live there.

I loved your home....but would definately remove that piece of material on the DR table...use a lower centerpiece and move that plant to the bathroom. I didn't think it was over-done....but as far as rosters...that looks "country" to me and that is not my personal taste.

phoggie, you just responded to a thread from July 2007. One would hope that the OP has sold and is no longer in need of any decorating advice.

The only thing that really bothered me was the dining room centerpiece. You could move that to the bathroom or the kitchen (the bar could use a touch of color for me), but not if it fights the chickens/roosters.

Roosters are supposed to bring good luck in the kitchen. Things could be worse -- and at least she didn't use one of those pigs holding a chalkboard. Sorry to those who have one, but I've seen too many.

Those towers are too large for the coffee table (bad taste!) and a nice bowl or something else would be more appropriate.

I didn't care for the roosters, those horrible candle holders on the coffee table and the center piece on the dining room table is a real disaster. Looks like something you'd see at a wedding reception.

I don't mind viewing a staged house, but it has to be well done, or in my opinion, it doesn't help at all.

I can't believe that people are still commenting on a year old thread!

LOL terriks - they are doing it after it's been pointed out once already too. I can see the one before that missing it, but ...

Did this house ever sell? Close to asking price? Just realized how old this thread was!! Do tell/ Did it sell inspite of those pesky roosters?

Good thing the realtor paid for the stager. I know I wouldn't. Not my taste at all, and I would probably use the money for a stager on something more practical like paint or new microwave,etc. Not fluff and pillow arranging. NancyLouise

THIS THREAD IS A YEAR OLD.
STOP RESPONDING TO IT.
THE ORIGINAL POSTER HAS SOLD HIS/HER HOUSE AND IS LONG GONE.

Wow, Graywings...you have a point but...wow...

Maybe I need to work on my HTML skills . . . :)

So what if the post is a year old. If people want to give their views on the staging or what they would do differently more power to them. No need to shout. NancyLouise

OMG! The bow on the towel, that's what one real estate agent wanted us to do on a house we sold in the 90s! I laughed then and laugh now. Yeah, I'd definitely buy a house because of the rumpled up fabric on the table, LOL! I don't know where these ideas come from. I'd rather see a house empty, so i can really SEE it. The house appears uncluttered and clean, that's good. I also think the thread is worth continuing because of all the crazy things people are doing now to get a buyer.

Sorry graywings if I offended you by bringing this old post back up, but I certainly did enjoy reading it even if it was "old news".