Welcome back to my blog, it’s been a busy spring and I can’t believe it’s almost summer! Perhaps you’ve spent the spring “depersonalizing your space” and “fixing what’s broken” Now you’re prepping your home for market – add some pop! In this segment, we get into the fun stuff… the decor!

Prepping Your Home for Market – Add Some Pop

Once you’ve edited the contents of your space and fixed up the bits & pieces, you’re ready to stage your home for the housing market. This means making it appealing to a wide range of buyers. The aim here is to bring in more potential buyers who will find your home more attractive than your neighbours house!

Neutral doesn’t have to mean boring

We hear a lot about keeping a space neutral, but that doesn’t mean it has to be beige. Neutral is a term we use to keep things simple, to create a consistent sense of style, and to appeal to the majority of buyers. But don’t confuse neutral with boring! If we’re talking colour, keeping a neutral base makes it easy to add a few statement pieces. While prepping your home for market – add some pop! Choose accessories in the seasons hottest colours to add some style & feeling to a room. Mix up materials so you have different textures and surfaces to add interest. Most buyers at any given time are educated on current trends and materials, so try to include some of the hottest styles to spice up your space.

Achieve the look

Let’s say we’re styling a living room. The room has been painted white and the wood flooring has been refinished so it looks almost new. The furniture is a mix of antique and contemporary pieces, in wood, glass and brown leather. The white walls have really brightened the space, especially since the furniture is on the heavier side. Start by adding a good sized piece of art or a large rug to make a statement. It should carry some of the colours from the room, and also add something a little brighter. Try some greens, blues or yellows. Whatever colours you choose, they should come from a similar palette. Great summer colours can lend a vibrant and peaceful tone at the same time.

Keep it simple

Once you’ve found a nice statement piece, pull the colours from that piece and accessorize. Try adding a few throw cushions on the sofa, maybe a couple of solid colours and a patterned one, all in similar tones but in different fabrics. Find a couple of larger accessories, maybe a large vase with greens, that also features one or two of the colours you’ve chosen. Keep decor to a minimum, but add a little character. Animal accessories are still trending at the moment, so why not stand a white owl atop a small stack of blue & green books. A yellow glass decanter can hold some freshly cut peonies. A golden obelisk will add warmth and an item of interest.

Grouping the accessories

A good rule of thumb is to group objects in odd numbers. 3 is usually the magic number but 5 works if the space is slightly larger. For example, a bay window can be shown as a window seat and an area to display decorative items at the same time. Stand a couple of pillows on one end of the window seat, and place 3 items towards to the other end to show the decorative aspect of the window. It’s a good idea to choose items that have some similarities, but are slightly different. Maybe 3 blue & white vases that have different textures or patterns, and are all different shapes & sizes. Stock them with some simple greens and you’ve made a vignette that is decorative and universally appealing! You’ve also shown the bay window has more than one function, so it will appeal to more buyers.

The Final Touch

Remember, keep it simple! It’s easy to get carried away when you’re shopping for fun items like pillows and accessories. Don’t go overboard by using too many colours or textures, or too many items. A small amount of pop goes a long way!

Share your decor tips on how you add a little pop to your space!