The way the homeowner's arranged their son's room makes perfect sense. They maximized the floor space so that he can play on the carpet. However, even though this layout sort of works...it definitely does not for Staging. Allow me to elaborate.

Close your eyes for a second. When you open them I want you to look at the photo to the left. Tell me the first thing you notice in the room? I am willing to bet that most of you will say the area rug! It's geometric and bright and fun....but unfortunately not what I want buyers to notice first thing. My desire is for them to notice the quality/function of room itself first and foremost.

My second issue is the bed location. The entry wall makes total sense and I understand the reasoning. There is no other long wall without a window - and a bed can not be placed in front of a window...or can it? I argue that in certain situations  "Yes, indeed it can" - and so I did.

The other reason to support moving the bed is that the strong bead-board sides fight with my desired open, airy entrance to the room. Not to mention the fact that sleeping with your feet aligned with the door is the one feng shui principle that really freaks me out -so I adhere to it!

"Traditional Chinese feng shui school masters say that a bed aligned with the door resembles a coffin that is always taken away feet-first."

  Rodika Tchi - Feng Shui Consultant 

Yikes!

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Below: Lots of changes that, when put together, add up to an inviting space for both daily and guest use.  We didn't have to compromise style or color in order to make this bedroom A+

Get used to reading this phrase because you are going to read it often here- Styling to STAGE is different than Styling to LIVE. Case and point the little girl's room below. The space is functioning exactly correctly for the adorable five year old who lives here.  However, this space does not function well for an upscale, single family home going on the market for over $900k with the potential for multiple offers.

My task, as is often the case when not working with a vacant property, is to keep in mind that a family is "living through" the sale. {I.e. "living in the home during the selling process." } Some Home Stagers may not consider this aspect, but it is actually quite important to me. Sure, the goal is to sell right away, but what if it doesn't?  In my opinion, the homeowner still needs to be able to do just that...LIVE! {albeit without some amenities and comforts- I do make significant adjustments when necessary}

It was necessary in this little girl's room to make significant changes, but it was not necessary to create a space where she could not still enjoy her room for a few more weeks. Incidentally, she gave me two thumbs up for the space so I feel great.

Below: Major change, but way stronger for selling the home. The neutral wall color matches the decor of the house much better and the more sophisticated styling allows buyers to feel calm and notice the room itself.

With my ever present underlying life goal of bringing Musical Theater to the masses, I decided to title the initiating series on this blog "The Room Where It Happened." Yes, it is the title of a song from HAMILTON, which I still have yet to see, but I digress. Mind you, the title is the only part of the song that fits my purposes so don't go searching for Home Decor metaphors in the lyrics.

The Room Where It Happened Series will focus on sharing my process. The How and/orWhy I made the decisions I did when STAGING, ORGANIZING or REFRESHING a client's space. {caveat: when I remember to take before photos, which I forget...often} Everyone enjoys peeking behind the curtain, right?  Some choices I make you may love.; others you may prefer in your neighbor's house. But either way, I am simply hoping to share how my mind works, what is important to me during the planning and executing stages of my projects and maybe inspire you to look at your space with fresh eyes.