Staging a House 101 - Part 3

On this visit to the house, I accompanied Rhonda. Joan was swamped at The Barn and I was invited to help out — not with my design sense but with my ability to carry, move, measure and snap photos.

Upon our arrival, I couldn’t believe the transformation of the kitchen…really amazing! We brought everything in from Rhonda’s car and put it on the kitchen table. To me, it all looked like a bunch of really nice stuff but I had no idea where or how it was all going to work.

The first thing Rhonda did was move an antique wine-tasting table into the kitchen…putting it between the two loveseats in front of the fireplace. “The table will add warmth and function to the kitchen”, she said, “especially while entertaining guests and cooking.” And it did…I could just imagine someone behind the counter doing last-minute dinner preparations chatting with their guests sitting at the table having some wine and cheese. Perfect!

Next–the dining room. “How do you like the mini stack?” she asked, referring to the small wheat stack on the console. “Well… “, I said. Rhonda laughed, “I know it’s baaaaad! It’s too small. And, I’d like to add a Cherry Bark mirror over the console. But isn’t the Pear decanter gorgeous on the dining table? (It’s handblown from Gilmor Glass in Millerton…more on them later in a separate blog!) It really reflects the light in the dining room on the Nadia Dining table finish.

And, I love the simplicity of this framed Pear tree picture above the Coleman sofa…it fits just right. The lime green pillows add “pop” to the room and play off the rug. I just love this room!” I noticed the Kilim ottomans under console table. “Those look great” I said. “Yes, and from there they can be moved anywhere you need a footstool — like in front of the sofa or even in another room.”

On to the Living Room - Rhonda: “The contemporary tripod lamp adds interest paired with a traditional Ingrid chair and gives needed light to an area of the room for reading. It’s fun to put unexpected elements in a room that is so traditional. There is a lot of shelf space in the living room, so I’ll try to make key shelving interesting to the eye, since the wood work tends to darken the room. This is also why we took down the drapes, which I felt took away from the view as well as block out some light in the room. If I had an endless supply of books I would have carried through the arranging throughout the room.”

The New and Improved Entry: Wow…what a difference!! The view of the entry from the living room was incredible. Once again, Gilmor Glass “made” the table and the room. Rhonda said “the blue and green hues pick up the William Morris design rug placed in the entry way, a wonderful intro to the home.”

After a few more books and pictures were placed, it was time to head back to the Barn. I’d taken a lot of photos (which you can see more of below) but on our way out on the mile-long driveway I asked Rhonda to stop for one last picture for the day.

Click photos below to enlarge: