We’re excited to welcome Cara Wilkerson of the blog Live the Home Life, which we recently discovered and can’t stop reading. Not only does it offer lots of design advice, it also brims with practical tips like the one in this guest post on redesigning a space to sell. Here, Cara shares her insight on using color to warm up a house for potential buyers. Check it out, then head over to her blog for more!
Thanks, Cara!
Redesigned to Sell
Few will argue that this living room is lacking potential. However, when shopping for their next dream home, buyers may have a tough time envisioning themselves living in a space in need of a little warmth and character.
With a few simple tweaks, this room will have buyers bursting down the door.
On to the game plan…
First and foremost, let’s send the lonely ottoman and rocking chair to storage. We have a few other tricks up our sleeve.
1. Paint & polish:
When prepping a home to sell, most turn to the almighty “neutrals” to lend a helping hand. While it is true that neutral colors tend to be more widely appealing to buyers, don’t be afraid to add a few strategically placed pops of color. For this room, warming up the space with a light, neutral wall color and bringing in an area rug, coffee table and wall art above the sofa will work wonders.
2. Frame it up:
Framing the windows with light curtain panels allow natural light to flow while giving the space a finished feel.
3. Accentuate focal points:
By painting the niche above the fireplace a shade slightly darker than the new wall color and adding a decorative vase, a buyer’s eye cannot help but be drawn to this living room’s centerpiece.
4. Show off your space:
The purpose of staging is to highlight a property’s best features and help buyers envision themselves living in a home. The area to the right of the fireplace is begging to be transformed into an inviting reading nook. Bringing in a cozy chair, side table, throw pillow and lamp will help a buyer visualize themselves relaxing with a good read.
January 20th, 2010
This post from a Little Rock blogger keys in on the trend for sprucing up a space with color and texture–a mini makeover rather than a full on reno. She went for yellow and blue/green too, which are top picks for 2010.
This post highlights a designer whose old world style has fresh appeal–quality, personality and a mix of antiques/new are all top trends.
Lots of ideas for combining high tech with good looks in this post from Things that Inspire.
A big trend is to add little personalized details and, if you like glamour, what better way to do that than with full-on silver leafed furniture? Since mirrored pieces tend to be more expensive, this DIY blog post fits the bill.
Check out this interview (scroll down and click play) with Academy Award-nominated Beth Rubino, who designed the beautiful homes in “Something’s Gotta Give” and, more recently, “It’s Complicated.” Her designs represent fresh takes on traditional decor. Very uplifting and light-filled too, both trends.
January 15th, 2010
Okay, I’m admittedly one of those people who, when it comes to home decor, absolutely loves the color white. (Remember this color personality test? My result was “White Spaces.”) To me, it creates a great canvas, allowing other elements in a room to pop. So, I of course have a huge crush on Ray and Carrie Bell’s monochromatic master bedroom, which was featured in our August 2009 issue, designed by Kevin Walsh of Bear-Hill Interiors and photographed by Nancy Nolan. The color palette is clean and fresh, so the vivid Stuart Holcomb painting can take center stage. And the lucite chair, in a traditional shape no less, is a hip addition to the space. Kind of like this look from the BCBG runway, the master bedroom’s playful mix of neutrals and brights makes it all the more interesting.
November 19th, 2009
The similarities between this Prada design and Kevin Walsh designed Little Rock living room really need no explaining. We’re loving the Sammy Peters painting in particular. Turn it into a dress and, voila! You’ve got one gorgeous spring 2010 look.
October 23rd, 2009
Our November issue, The Best of the South, will be headed to your mailbox and on the web shortly. As a sneak preview (drum roll please…), here’s the oh-so-beautifully Southern room that graces our cover.
What makes it so Southern, you might ask?
- It’s designed by Arkansas native Kevin Walsh of Bear-Hill Interiors, a Southern charmer if ever there was one
- The artwork above the mantle is by acclaimed artist Sammy Peters, another famed Southern soul, whose work is carried in Little Rock’s Heights Gallery. Here’s a link to more of his work: http://www.sammypeters.com/paintingsmain/page18/page18.html
- The room’s symmetry, traditional moldings and pilasters flanking the fireplace, all common in Antebellum Greek Revival homes
- Comfortable, gracious furnishings, loaded with personality: silk damask seats in raw silk French chairs (Southern nearly always has a touch of French…), velvet covering the sofa, and an Oushak rug. The room is as well dressed as a Southern belle.
- And of course, those magnolia branches, with perfect blooms
If you’d like to see other projects by Bear-Hill Interiors, click on the links:
http://www.athomearkansas.com/At-Home-Arkansas/August-2009/French-Dressing/
http://www.athomearkansas.com/At-Home-Arkansas/July-2008/Tone-on-Tone/
October 20th, 2009
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