Staging a House 101 - The Final Episode

It was with both excitement and sadness that I returned to the house with Joan.  I could hardly wait to see the final touches but was a little sad that this would probably be the last time I would see the inside of this beautiful home. 

When we came through the front entrance, I remembered what it looked like the first time I walked in.  “The whole feel of the house is different”, I said to Joan.

“Rhonda and I set out to give this house a spirit and a soul…I think we did it”, she said.

As we went through the house it was amazing what a difference just a few simple changes made.  Of course, you have to know what those simple changes are…and that’s what Joan and Rhonda are so good at.

What I noticed first was the new artwork on the walls.  When it came to artwork, Joan knew right away after seeing the house that she wanted to feature the work of  Steven Sorman.   Steve is a local, internationally-respected artist who has made mixed media a central part of his repertoire.  He constantly experiments with media, layering materials and images to create fluid shapes and sinuous lines along with seductively beautiful color.  “Steve’s work is modern”, Joan said. “but like the pieces from Gilmor Glass, there is something classic about it and it works beautifully with the elegance and simplicity of everything else.”  She was right — Steve’s pieces were the icing on the cake.  The fireplace in the living room now looked complete.

The challenge in staging a home according to Joan, is to not impose too much “design”.  “All kinds of people with all kinds of taste are going to be looking at the house and they need to be able to imagine their furniture…their art…their family…their lives in here.  But at the same time, you also want the house to look warm and lived-in…it’s a real challenge and a learning experience”.

Once again, I was particularly impressed with the transformation of the kitchen.  Remember this plain-looking bar area?

Here’s what it looks like now.

“What’s amazing”, Joan said, “is that we had everything in our stores and it only took us 3 weeks…and the owner was thrilled with the final result!”

“The other thing I learned in this process is how simpatico Rhonda and I are.  We really appreciate each others’ skills and tastes.  It was a lot of work….but we had a great time doing it!”

The house is in Millbrook “Hunt Country” and sits on over 100 acres.  Contact Joan at joan@hammertown.com if you want Realtor information.

For more about Steve Sorman, visit his website: www.stevensorman.com

For more information about Gilmor Glass, their website is: www.gilmorglass.com

Click the images below for more photos…