Home Staging Tip #7: Bedrooms
You are listing your home and you have a mess of a guestroom/office/multipurpose room. It has worked just fine for you while living in the home, but now that you look at it from a buyer’s eyes you see that there is room for improvement.
Many office/guest rooms look like this, an old desk on one side of the room housing a lap top, a mountain of paper, a desk chair, maybe a file cabinet and a collection of who knows what; on the other side of the room is an old but functional futon, a night stand or end table with a single lamp, maybe even a few of the kids toys and an ironing board thrown in for good measure. Am I right?! Don’t despair. This room is not lost…it just needs a little love and creativity for not so much money….unless you want to spend a lot of money. In that case, we can work wonders.
Let’s start with the futon. If replacing the futon is not an option 
then updating the fabric is a quick and inexpensive fix. Slipcovershop.com makes custom covers for futons that fit like a glove. Since these covers are not made until they are ordered it is important to give yourself time before guests arrive. Consider recovering your futon with a luxurious velvet fabric to give your room a face-lift or create a newer, more modern look adding panache and interest to your otherwise uninviting office/guestroom. This simple change alone can give your room the facelift you are looking for and the boost to then rearrange a few items to give it a nice flow. Replace a tired lamp or if it is in good shape, paint it and replace the lampshade. (In case you haven’t noticed, I will point out that I am a strong advocate that paint can cure just about anything.) Organize your desk area with file drawers. Nightstands can also provide extra storage for important documents. Select a nightstand with deep drawers and install a lock to keep out curious visitors. Already have two nice drawer file cabinets? use them as your nightstands to create more room in your office area and a nesting place for a reading lamp by your futon. I will also mention here that locks on all file drawers and cabinets are essential if you are showing your home. Many people have been victims of identity theft because they did not secure sensitive documents during open houses. But I digress…
Another economic solution is the platform bed with storage drawers. Excellent web sites to check out are Wayfair.com, Amazon.com, Overstock.com, Pottery Barn and Ikea.com. I like the IKEA beds because they provide for a deeper drawer that can be modified as a file drawer for your office. The Brimnes line includes wardrobes, night stands, headboards, dressing table that could also be used as a desk and best of all, IKEA prices. For about 3X’s the price, Pottery Barn offers a beautiful platform bed with four deep drawers, optional headboard, dressers and night stands to coordinate your room.
If your room is small and you can’t fit a queen bed but need more than a twin the daybed with a trundle is a nice option. Daybeds can be purchased just about anywhere, save space in a small room, can be used in just about any room, including a large hallway. It can be dressed to look like a sofa giving it multipurpose in a den, office/guestroom and even a screened porch. My grandmother had one on her screened porch and it was my favorite place to read when visiting her. In some cases a daybed can even fit inside a closet to give a nice hidden sleep area in a room that serves as an office. Conversely, building your office in the closet in an otherwise guest bedroom is also an option.
My absolute favorite prescription for an ailing office/guestroom is the Murphy bed cure. Multipurpose rooms are more and more common as more people are downsizing or just starting out. The Murphy bed is seeing a huge comeback and now there are more beautiful and creative options from high-end to DIY kits than you can imagine. There are also an endless number of creative design ideas from barn doors to built-in desks, book shelves and wardrobes. Since those reading this article are probably looking for a quick fix to de-clutter a room for a showing, take a look at Costco.com. Costco sells inexpensive Murphy beds or wall beds that can clean up a room in one afternoon. If you already have the bookshelf, desk, file cabinet but it all looks rather cluttered, start with de-cluttering, getting rid of everything that is not useful, filing the rest and paint everything to match. The Murphy beds come in white, of course, and several wood grain shades. Sunset Trading offers a beautiful bed that includes an interchangeable desk with drawers and book cases with drawers. Where you place the desk simply depends on the layout of your room. The high end Murphy beds tend to come in beautiful solid wood choices and also offer many accessory pieces to complete a room. Murphy beds also come in a horizontal pull down to allow more space in your room. Take a look at Bestar, BredaBeds, and for a custom bed and storage set look at California Closets. A Murphy bed solution can be either sold with the house or you can take it with you to your new home.
No matter what solution you chose, keeping your room clutter free is the key to showing your home to a prospective buyer; and this includes your closet. To keep your floors looking pristine, you may want to invest in a new vacuum cleaner like one of these – https://www.bissell.com/vacuums/upright-vacuum-cleaners/. There is a wealth of organizational tools on the internet, at your local Office Depot and Home Depot stores from modular drawer trays to organize your drawers to coordinating file boxes and professional periodical upright files and, must I say it, PAINT!
Contact me if you need more information or confused about your next step. I am happy to answer any questions you may have.
Has this information been helpful? Give us your feedback. Let us know if there is a topic you would like for us to address. Do you need assistance from a professional Stager? Contact Vicki Grant, CEO of Grant Home Staging Services, grantstaging@gmail.com or (305) 394-9201, staging Key West homes since 2009.
