"Mid-Century Modern Industrial"

A before and after story....

One of my favorite things to do is to style properties for sale, also known as staging.

Collaboration with the real estate professional on the buyer profile, the location, and current trends in both the market, and in interior design come into play when creating a staged property. I am one of the select few staging pros who use this formula to create unique and beautifully appointed listings and photos.

This one-bedroom apartment is located in a large high-rise building in the fabulous Downtown Brooklyn, NY neighborhood of Boerum Hill. It is close to all forms of public transportation. Features include a 24-hour doorman, high ceilings, parquet wood floors throughout, has three huge closets, and gets great natural light with southern exposure. Sounds like a dream, right? Maybe...

As seen in the before pics, some of the challenges were that the space was a bit shabby (not in a chic way), and had no personality, the ceilings were covered in "popcorn" and the kitchen and bathroom needed updating. The perfect blank canvas! The project budget was also modest, which required that the work to be done had to be prioritized.

The large combination living and dining room was given a complete Brooklyn-style mid-century modern, glamour makeover. This included new paint, in an eggshell finish to maximize the distribution of the natural light; waxing the floors, and painting the overhead beams in matte black to emphasize the ceiling height, and add an industrial, modern vibe to the space. A mid-century inspired light fixture from one of the big box stores adds polish without breaking the bank. The furniture and accessories are a combination of new and vintage, and the art is rented from a known fine artist.

The bedroom was transformed into a personal oasis. A large upholstered bed with extra tall headboard, luxury linens (Ralph Lauren from Ebay!), Asian-inspired art, large, plush rug, and a big comfortable chair to sit in! The sputnik light fixture (also a big box store find) adds to the mid-century feel, while drawing your eye to the 14-foot ceiling height.

This property was then photographed in a style similar to what we see in the design magazines, and posted on the real estate broker's social media. This listing stood out from the sea of white washed and sterile, generic staged apartments in the same classification. The first open house was well attended, and the real estate professional received rave reviews! Several offers were made, and the property is now under contract.

Well-staged properties sell for higher prices and spend an average of 15 to 30 days less on the market, while non-staged or poorly staged properties remain longer. The cost of working with a staging professional is often considerably less expensive than your first markdown at 60 days for lack of interest.

For more information on the products used, or on styling your own property for sale, contact me directly. Stay tuned for more success stories...