Hamilton Real Estate Today!

Special to "Hamilton Real Estate Today" by contributing Blogstress, Professional Stager and fellow Realtor

" Rachel Vanderveen"

Now that we’ve spent so much time cleaning and shining our little piece of Hamilton Real Estate, it’s time out amongst the rest. We’re going to do some decorating. Well, to be totally honest, in most cases we’ll be undecorating, but much of it will be moving some of your pieces to accentuate the focal points that we’re going to create today.

So what are focal points and how do they work? Focal points are the places where one tries to direct the eye through decorating (or to give it that little extra something---that little bit of something that makes your Hamilton MLS Listing stand in our case, usually undecorating). It’s a natural place for the eye to rest when a visitor first views the home. It’s important that we try to keep to one focal point per space, for the purposes of home staging. Having more than one focal point can leave one feeling flustered or overwhelmed. It’s too much for the eye to take in at once, and it makes the space appear to be cluttered and over-stuffed, even it’s not.

So how do we set up a focal point? The best way I can tell you is through examples. In the master bedroom, for example, your focal point will likely be the bed, which is why I so strongly advocate for people to invest in a bed-in-a-bag. These sets are very inexpensive to buy and can instantly modernize a space that was previously drab and dated looking. Be sure to get the type that comes with a few throw pillows to dress up a bed. My favourite place for that is Winners or Home Sense. To dress up the space even more, add a feature mirror above the bed, or a decorative item that spans the width of the headboard. If you don’t have a head board, buy one or make one.

The focal point in the family room or great room should usually be the fireplace. So dress down the rest of the room, meaning magazines, figurines, boxes of Kleenex, and general bric-a-brac (love that word) should be packed away. Around the fireplace you may choose to get a tall thin urn and place a single orchid in it, or place a feature mirror, or framed neutral photo above the mantle. If you have an older brick-surround fireplace, it may be time to think of painting it white to make it stand out.

Your sofa should be on the longest wall in the room, and should (hopefully) be pointing at your fireplace. Get some brightly coloured throw-pillows (only ONE bright colour, mind you) and place them on the sofa so that the point actually points towards the focal point.

A nursery would usually have the crib as the focal point. You may want to put a feature above the crib that naturally draws the eye. Perhaps you want to take a pair of junior’s shoes and hang them neatly in a line above his bed in the ascending sizes, from newborn to…however old he is now. (They grow so fast, don’t they?) Or perhaps you may want to put a frame with a neutral print above the crib. Have the change table and dresser frame the crib if possible and point towards it.

Focal points work so well to set up spaces that are unforgettable! Take the time to walk into each of your rooms today and find out where you can focus all the attention. Good luck!

Until Next Time…

Blessings

Rachel Vanderveen is a Calgary Christian Realtor specializing in Calgary condos, South East Calgary Real Estate, home staging , Calgary Real Estate Investment, and Auburn Bay Lake MLS Listings.  But more importantly she is a mother to four adorable children, a lover of Auburn Bay Real Estate, and an avid writer of Auburn Bay Community News blogs. For more information on Calgary mls.ca, or searching mlslistings.ca, visit her website here.