Need decorating help, FAST! (agent, realty, price, furniture)

[hammy5]

My agent hired a professional photographer to come and take pictures of my house. I just got notice he wants to come tomorrow. I am not going to argue that because to me, the sooner the better. Anyway, I need to do some decorating FAST and don't know what to do. Can you help? I did just purchase some sconces that I put on the wall in my great room with some really nice candles on them and I put some books on the bookcase.

Here is where I think I need something but don't have any ideas.

#1. On my kitchen table

#2. on top of the bookshelf that seperates greatroom from kitchen

#3. On the able in the great room.

#4. I feel like my kitchen is to bare but don't really know what to put there and where to put it.

#5. Something over the headboard in my bedroom.

Any other things that I am missing?

Here is my listing
http://kathrynhammerseng.edinarealty.com/Public/Listing/ListingDetail.aspx?Listing=32573119&Image=1 (broken link)

[scone]

#1. On my kitchen table: set the table with placemats and napkins, as if for a nice lunch. Put a bowl of fruit in the center. Make sure the whole thing has a coherent color scheme, such as yellow and blue, or blue and red.

#2. on top of the bookshelf that separates greatroom from kitchen:
Something large but lightweight, like a picture leaning against the wall, with a cluster of ceramics or antiques beside it. You want a group of 3 or 5 because that's more interesting to the eye.

#3. On the table in the great room.
Stacks of books and magazines, a large bowl with flowers, a bowl with something else in it, such as wicker balls. An antique toy, a collection of artifacts, etc. for accent.

#4. I feel like my kitchen is to bare but don't really know what to put there and where to put it. If you have a new-looking cutting board, or a pretty mixing bowl, put that on the island with some utensils and a colorful, new kitchen towel to show you're about to make something tasty. You could also have a "flower cutting" set-up that makes the same idea.

#5. Something over the headboard in my bedroom. A large picture or mirror, or a pair of pictures, side by side. Big fluffy pillows on the bed.

Any other things that I am missing? I'd have the picture of the back yard taken at a lower angle so it doesn't look like you're staring right at the neighbors. In fact, I'd go to the garden center, buy some young trees, and plant them to obscure the view and give a sense of privacy. Good luck.

[Racelady88]

As a buyer I don't give a rat's a s s about your decorations. I want to see the house, not your furniture or artwork or silk flowers. Your house is gorgeous and does not need a bunch of fluff to impress a buyer.

[tamitrail]

Really, keep it neat, clean and uncluttered. That's it.

[gentlearts]

It's a great house and and the spareness of the decor is a good thing. This being said, here's my 2 cents.
1. Put something colorful on the kitchen island
2. Live flowers on the kitchen table always look good, but your vase of flowers is too tall and doesn't have enough "mass". If you put lower flowers in a nice heavy crock it would look better. My house is for sale, and I've tried to keep a tin trough of purple pansies growing on my kitchen table.
3. The picture over the mantle with the little clock looks pale and puny. Either get one larger and bolder picture for that spot (and get rid of the other stuff), or remove the clock and picture and place both of those flower pots together at one side of the mantle.
4. Place a stack of colorful hand towels next to the sink in the bathroom.

[crazyma]

IMO -If any thing, take stuff away....less is more!! Your personal posessions are not important. The photographer should know how to take pics of the various rooms that will highlight their size and features. They will look at each area from different angles in order to capture the most revealing shot. You want the buyer to 'see' their stuff in there.
Each room should have the bare necessities that show its purpose....bed in bedroom, table/chairs in dining, sofa in living, etc.
Clean, beds made neatly, ,well lit and simple...can't go wrong with that.

[Silverfall]

I have found with nicer homes like this one, that decor does matter. Your decor helps to set the tone for the photos, so while buyer's don't care about your personal possession it does impact how well a photo looks. The better a photo looks, the more likely a buyer is to pull that as one of their choices.

In your living room photo, the round coffee table appears to be too close to the fireplace which is the focal point. I would stack some books on the table and put a candle or decorative item on top. I would also rearrange the bookshelves as they aren't visually balanced (ie items only on top two shelves and not bottom one). Stagger the photos with groupings of 3-5 books for more visual appeal. I would also consider moving the TV above the fireplace for the photos.

I agree about removing the small picture in your family room photo over the fireplace. It does not balance out with the windows.

In the kitchen a bowl of fruit on a cutting board can be very simple. A grouping of three different sized candles. Just remember that odd numbers for grouping are more visually appealing.

Set your patio and kitchen table. Get rid of the hot pink flowers as they are visually distracting from the other colors in the kitchen. Go with a tamer color. Deeper colors rather than hotter colors is better for your kitchen colors.

Otherwise you have some other good ideas from other people on the forum.

While I do realize that you aren't selling your decor, your photos need to be eye catching. With so much inventory, a home has to be visually appealing. That visual appeal is what makes people stop and put the home on their showings list.

[ShaneSA]

Set the table or island in the kitchen with placemats and napkins. small plates on each place.
Keep the rest clear and clutter proof.
Do not put alot of foo foo stuff around. Buyers want to see the house not alot of clutter. i always think it's better to remove stuff and leave it clear and plain. also remove any family pictures, buyers do not care who lives there.
the more plain and clutter free the better.
Let us know what happens.

[Nelly Nomad]

Bottom line, the house is gorgeous. Personally, aside from the aforementioned bowl of fruit on the island and moving the round glass table away from the fireplace, I wouldn't change a thing. Wouldn't add anything and wouldn't take anything away. For me, accessories serve a purpose in a home like this one: they introduce warmth to the rooms and keep the home from looking sterile.

The key is to not have too much, to strike a nice balance. I think you've done so!

One quick note, is that a dog's head and tail in the picture of the little sink (I think it's a basement photo, picture 7 of 10?). If so, if it were me, I'd see if it could be cropped out. For me, as a non-dog-lover, any evidence of dogs means an automatic price drop. Even if it isn't a dog (perhaps it's the corner of a sofa), it looks like it *could* be a dog. Is there any way to crop it out?

Anyway, the house is lovely and you've staged it quite tastefully. Good luck!