Occupied Home Staging in the East Village

Owner-Occupied Home Staging Advice

BEFORE, the living room and view, across the dining area, to the kitchen

This open-plan two bedroom apartment has soaring ceilings and exposed pipes, the perfect combination for people who want to live in the trendy East Village. With a wall of windows facing fourth Avenue, the main-living-entertaining space should be awash with light, sun streaming in at all hours of the day. Alas, that is not what welcomed us when we were called to this East Village property to prove an occupied home staging consultation.

occupied home staging consultation

AFTER, the living room bookshelves are pruned back and the leather sectional repositioned to make the living area open to the dining area.

There were 6 oversized frames tapestries lining the walls.

apartment staging NYC

BEFORE – Yes, this is urban living, but storing a bicycle in the dining room just makes the apartment feel cluttered, cramped and not aspirational.

By reducing the framed tapestries to only two, buyers are able to focus on the exposed brick, the high ceilings and the large, open space itself.

NYC home staging

AFTER, the addition of a sideboard creates a more graceful entertaining layout. As for the bike, it finds its way to temporary out-of-sight lodging during showings!

For this occupied home staging plan, we rearranged the living room sectional which opened up the entertaining space and created a direct path to the dramatic wall of windows.

A thorough cleaning of the unit as well as fresh accents in the form of decorative pillows, vases and statues, bed linens, towels and candles added a well deserved layer of color and warmth to the rooms.

Master Bedroom

BEFORE – comfort trumps style

Master BR ndel

AFTER – comfort AND style prevail in glorious harmony!

Occupied Home Staging Tip

The challenge with an occupied home staging is devising a plan the homeowners can live with – for as long as it takes to sell the apartment. We think the key to a sustainable plan is to keep the layout as similar as possible but minimize the personality, the clutter, the particulars that take buyers’ focus away from the space.  Of course, the most difficult part is keeping the property tidy, clean and ready for an imminent visit from….your mother-in-law?  A seller who is serious about releasing his property understands. In the case of this East Village apartment, the seller cam home from a business trip and absolutely loved what we had created.  Thankfully, he still wants to sell it!

Whew.

 

 

 

 

Long Island City – A Look Inside Just One Of Many Renovated Buildings

Home Staging in Long Island City

Flickr – c/o daydaygonzalez

Long Island City was “put on the map” in 1990 when Citibank built One Court Square. Fifty stories of green glass with 27 elevators, this structure was the lone ranger, towering above the warehouses and 2-story buildings that comprised its skyline.  No matter what your status on the Citi corporate ladder, you relied on the 7 train to get you to the glass tower.  It took 12 minutes from 42nd St. to One Court Square.  After your meeting, you jumped right back on the 7 to Manhattan.  There really was nothing else to do or see while in this section of Queens, despite its close proximity to the Big Apple.

Long Island City was one of the first areas outside of Manhattan to develop. The “evolving Queens, New York, neighborhood seems to change from block to block—a short walk takes you from desolate, early-20th-century industrial streetscapes to the gentrified “main street” vibe of Vernon Avenue and the urban riviera created by gleaming high-rises fronting waterside Gantry Plaza State Park.”  [TimeOut’s introduction to their neighborhood guide of some great bars, brunch places, restaurants and local hole-in-the-wall stores with surprising finds.]

BHome Staging by Debbie Oulveyut perhaps you really know that a neighborhood has moved up the residential status ladder when a high-end, Manhattan lifestyle stager is called upon to create a fun, urban and sophisticated lifestyle, one that, in former years, might have only been considered for a townhouse in Brooklyn Heights or the Village.

Long Island city Duplex with staging

Main Level
Main floor living -dining space. Left empty, even the most sophisticated, experienced buyer would be challenged to see the possibility of entertaining and dining in this room.

Long Island City Duplex is staged for sale

Staging in Long Island City

 

The Master Bedroom is huge and can easily accommodate a king bed, a lounge chair and a dresser. But all the buyers focus on is the window that overlooks the street.

Debbie Oulvey Staged this Master Bedroom

The Lower Level
We transformed this room that leads to the yard into an inviting, comfortable and fun TV-Family room. While parents entertain upstairs, the kids can come down to watch movies, play games and be loud!

Staged duplex in Long Island City

In this next photograph picture is a narrow bedroom with a nice walk-in closet. We added 2 daybeds, a dresser, pops of black and green and lifestyle accessories, turning it into the bedroom of an aspiring artist and thespian! One of Long Island City most well-known venues is a theater called The Chocolate Factory.

children's room staged

 

It’s not every urban oasis that has a lawn to mow!

Backyard

And lest you think Long Island City hasn’t hit the big time yet, this home is listed at $2,350,000.  That’s getting closer than 12 minutes to Manhattan pricing!

Floorplan

 

 

Home Staging A Starter Greenwich Village 1BR

home staging greenwich villageLocated on the “mezzanine” level of a post-war building in the heart of Greenwich Village, this “starter” apartment needed a jump start.  We repainted the walls in a pale blue-gray with white moldings and trim.  New light fixtures were installed to provide a generous amount of light in the rooms.  A furniture plan that blended with the walls and trim creates a soothing oasis.

repainting is a home staging nyc tactic

When home staging a starter home,  our goal is to demonstrate that here is where true “living” can begin. You own it so the walls don’t have to be white.  You can buy real furniture. You can even buy fun, funky touches like the shaggy, sheep pillow.  We want to inject fun, lively and playful touches as well as providing that sense of zen calm that you are finally home. We make every inch of the 863 square feet count – with a dining area and a office just inside the bedroom.

home staging greenwich village

This painting is actually a 30″ x 30″ square… so you see the space is really quite generous here.

The bedroom is large enough for a king size bed.  With this much space, it is always good to be able to tuck a desk into a quiet corner.  By adding functionally defined nooks we create the sense of walking from “room to room”. We put two large wenge armoires in the space for additional clothing storage.  It looks fabulous!  The Juliet balcony at the end of the Living Room adds an air of sophistication, amplified by the chunky chair rail molding.  The kitchen, with stainless steel appliances and sleek contemporary cabinets, blends the best of old and new, character and technology. By keeping our color palette connected throughout the unit, we create a harmonious flow.

NYC home staging

 

A reading chair, in comfy black leather, is a tempting spot in which to curl up with a book.  The broker thought the finished look was pretty “amazing. That’s what we like to hear! 🙂

To have your starter home look like an Amazing Space,
please call 917-428-3965 and ask for Debbie.

PS — here’s the official write up as follows:

This spacious (863 SF), fully renovated one bedroom apartment is situated on the second floor of a full service condominium. It is ideally located in the heart of Greenwich Village overlooking tree lined Thompson Street. The apartment offers an open kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a Juliet balcony off of the living room, home office, king – sized bedroom, high ceilings, and beautiful floors throughout. This sophisticated and well proportioned home is full of character and a true gem. The Condominium has a 24- hour doorman and laundry on every floor. This friendly building allows pets, subletting and Pied-A-Terres. It is located near several subway lines, and is just a short distance from NYU, exciting night life, great local shops and restaurants. Experience the vibe of Greenwich Village.