Color (Colour) Theory 101, Some Basics on TAUPE and Paint Selections

As I visit open houses which have been staged I see mistakes with paint color selections 99% of the time.

Errors can be made for a variety of reasons. Some examples would be lighting, direction of natural light entering the room, the colors present in the room (flooring, cabinets) but the most frequent mistake I see is due to no formal training in color theory. More on this later!

First the primary colors...I'm about to blow your mind here!

• Yellow, Magenta and Cyan: are a more accurate reflection of the artists color wheel than the 'red, yellow, blue' we where all taught in primary school.

Taupe and brown are in the same 'hue' or family of color.

Take a look at the color wheel...notice true 'taupe' and 'brown' are NOT on it. They are part of the neutral hue or family; from the centre of the wheel.

White, black, grey, brown and tan are not colors on the color wheel but are made up of varying percentages of the primary colors.

• Definition of HUE: color (in color 101!)
• Taupe and Brown are a combination of the 3 primary colors
• Contrary to popular belief, the primaries combined in equal parts do not make black but a neutral brownish/black color. Neutral being a key word here.

Taupe does not show grey but red, orange, green hues as undertones. Taupe has more tint than a brown.

• a tint means: the value of colour is lighter (English please? White has been added)
• a shade means: the value of the color is darker ( English please? Black has been added)
• a tone means: the value of the color is mid-range between tint and shade (plain English: Gray has been added)

A friend of mine in the States was recently told by a stager she hired not to use taupe's on the walls as they usually show grey.

As you can see from the brief lesson above, my friend's stager was wrong. Not surprising, turns out she has no training in theory only practical in staging.

What follows is some tips on adjusting an undertone you were not expecting!

What to do if your taupe shows:

• 'pink'. 'peach' or 'red' (your' and my eyes see the undertones slightly differently)? Add GREEN to neutralize the red or red/yellow undertone coming through.
• 'green' add: red!
• 'grey' add: personal choice - Decide where on the color wheel you'd like it to go and adjust with the appropriate primary colors.

If you are wondering what the variations would be my suggestion is to break out the paints (primary only) and experiment. BTW, this is the best advise you'll ever get. By experimenting you will be learning much more than you'll ever learn from reading.

Paint selection can be daunting so a professional should be consulted to avoid the feeling of something not being right with the color and having no understanding of what the problem is or how to fix it.

Dane Caldwell is the Lead Consultant with Toronto's 2 Hounds Design + Home Staging and is a professional Decorator with a background in Design and Styling.

2 Hounds Design - the idea resource

http://www.2-hounds.com/
(416)418-5919 GTA

(905)240-6565 Durham Region

No Portfolio? Building your professional portfolio one room at a time

Judy Kincaid recently wrote a great post on her blog: No more Ms. Nice Gal...the kid gloves are coming off!

Tina Parker had a great suggestion in her comment on Judy's blog. Tina suggested blogs on how to get started as a stager when you have nothing.

So I thought I'd get the ball rolling with this blog.

As a new stager you have to understand the service you are selling is purely subjective. You are selling your talent. Always keep this in mind and when you are making decisions on how to promote yourself ask the question; 'is this a true representation of my work & talent'.

Potential clients will contact you based on the work you display on your website and in your portfolio. They do not ASK if it is your work...why? Because you are showing them your portfolio...why would you misrepresent yourself (lie) to them.

To start your career by misrepresenting yourself...well think how you would feel if someone misrepresented themselves to you when you were paying them good money at a stressful time in your life.

As a new stager as at any point in our career: DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CLIENT'S TRUST OR NAIVETY.

So you have nothing to put in your portfolio but the photos taken from your training? Should you use them for your portfolio? The answer is that depends. Ask yourself the question: 'are they a true representation of your work & talent'? For the most part, likely not.

• Did you select the furnishings, accessories, paint colors etc?
• Did you make the decisions as to where to place the decor?

If you can not say yes to BOTH of these points, then do not use them in your portfolio.

On the subject of 'supplied' portfolios; ask yourself some simple questions.

1. Would any University send it's Literature or Art graduates out in to the world with 'supplied' portfolios?
2. Would a College send a Machinist out to the work force with examples of projects done collaboratively as a class?
3. Does a writer send a copy of a manuscript written by someone else to publishers - as an example of what their style of writing is?
4. Is a training company and it's instructors who tell you to use their 'supplied' photos trying to help you or help themselves? Are they conducting themselves as an institute of higher learning would?

But you want to get started in promoting yourself you say! Your eager! You want to work! Then get to work on your portfolio! There is no excuse not to take the time to create a portfolio and even less of an excuse to use photos that are not your own.

Nor is it an excuse to say that it will take too long and you'll be disheartened or your 'belief begins to wane, and frustration sets in'. This is a professional business and we are adults. If you can't financially or emotionally deal with taking the time to create a professional portfolio you are in the wrong industry. Do you know what you will be doing once you have a portfolio up and available? WAITING, GETTING DISCOURAGED, SECOND GUESSING YOURSELF....

Merchandising, property presentation, staging, no matter what you call it, is a business and it is not going to happen immediately for the vast majority. Just like the ads on TV and in magazines for weight loss programmes with amazing results, when you see comments about a stager who was successful instantly, there should be fine print saying * not typical results!

This is a tough business to be in. You will be up against adversity throughout your career. It is tough getting work when you are starting out, it is tough work...how many told you that?! (BTW, by creating your own portfolio you will learn some extremely useful skills and lessons...more on that later). There is nothing easy about being a Professional Stager. If you think you've found an easy get-rich-quick job think again. Nothing in life is that easy; remember if it seems to good to be true it is? Applies aptly to staging.

So yes, it is tough and you have to be tough and persistent. We have all had times of frustration, disappointment and thoughts of walking away. Those of us who are still here are survivors and deserve to be successful. If you have to make excuses for taking shortcuts...think again, because honey, you'll be exposed either by your own work, a former client, or local stagers trying to prevent 'short-cutters' from destroying consummer's trust in Stagers and Staging in general.

So how to get that all important portfolio:

• get at least 3 before and afters as well as some detail (close up) shots
• 3 most important rooms: kitchen, master bedroom, main bathroom - then add from there
  stage rooms in your own house (this is what most new stagers do)
• tell everyone you know about your new career...you'll be surprised how many offer their home to you
• those that you tell about your new career...will tell others...so you've helped get the word out about yourself as a stager (that's called 2 birds with one stone) you are now steps ahead of your classmates!
• clear a room out to get a 'vacant' before and after then filter out the decor to stage if for sale
• practice taking pictures - AR has tons of advice on how to get great Real Estate photographs
• carry your camera with you...you never know when you can 'work your magic'...think Home Depot and their kitchen displays...add some decor and voila! great detail shot...and you styled it yourself

Myself, I staged for friends and family as well as a room of my own in order to build my portfolio. Where they moving? No, but they were excited to see the changes I made and extremely happy to have been a part of my success. For this I can't thank them enough.

By creating your own portfolio you will garner so much useful information about yourself, staging and yourself staging! Trust me, without doing this you will be so completely lost, and by doing it...so completely ahead of your classmates who use the 'suplied' portfolio.

Here is a partial list of what I discovered about my work by building my portfolio:

• I'm a very quick shopper so I quote 1 hour per room (all bathrooms together are counted as 1 room for myself)
• To stage to the level I feel is required: a room in a starter home requires $300 per room in additional decor.
• I am extremely slow at ironing (much faster with a steamer)
• I realized just how much ironing/steaming is required...wow!
• I realized I need to learn how to install different types of wall plugs
• I learned just how important of a roll lighting plays in my before and after photos...I'm still working on this!
• I discovered my camera was not sufficient for my work
• I learned how long it takes to stage a room, multiple rooms and a whole house ON MY OWN - way too long, I'll be hiring an assistant for my vacants now that I can afford to.
• I learned how long it takes to walk through a house for consultations (then add 1 hour if the homeowners are home...they ask lots of questions)

Take a look at the most successful stagers here on Active Rain. What will you find? An enormous amount of talent, advice, support, hand slapping when required (always done with grace and caring by these stagers) and individuality. The only way any one of us can hope to get to that position is to show OUR talent, provide great advice, support and of course individuality.

So get excited at the opportunities provided by creating your portfolio and know that you are on your way to earning the respect of every stager on AR, your potential clients and your own self-respect...you'll be glad you did!

P.S. I know you can do it! So get as excited as I am and show us what YOU can do!!

Hardware - A Little Bling Never Hurt!

If you want your house to stand out among the hundreds for sale, or just want to upscale the image of your house, look at the hardware you currently have.

Hardware includes:

• door knobs


• cabinet/drawer pulls and knobs


• door bumpers


• levers


• faucets


• hinges


• push/kick plates


• hooks


• switch plates

Determine the finish (e.g. bronze, chrome, brass, iron, stainless, nickle...) that best complements the house/condo. Ideally you want the finish to be consistent throughout, although some different finishes can complement each other if not overdone.

Old pieces can be restored or purchased at architectural salvage shops, or new hardware can be purchased, the point is to make them an upgrade from the norm.

Traditional, transitional, contemporary, modern...select a style and add that bling!

Dane Caldwell, Toronto Decorator and Home Stager, specializes in Renovations and staging for Toronto Vacants preparing for resale.

2 Hounds Design + Home Staging's FEATURE HOME

During the summer we were extremely busy staging...and we thought this would be a slow summer, boy were we wrong!

Our feature home which sold in August...enjoy!

Yes, the house is staged. Don't hold it against the seller, thank them!

As a stager, I occasionally hear people will avoid a staged house when buying, because they feel the 'wow' factor of a staged home is to keep them from looking at the condition of the house.

This is absolutely not true. While there will always be some who's intent is questionable, these individuals are few and far between.

Staging a home is to showcase the features of the house not to distract one from poor quality or workmanship of the house. Often people living in a home forget about or lose the features of their homes through everyday living. Too much furniture, too many photos, kids toys, collectibles all become distracting to buyers. My goal as a stager is to unearth the lost features; a home's archaeologist you could say!

How many of you:

• currently have your T.V as the feature of your family-room, with all the furniture facing it rather than the fireplace or view out a window?


• place a couch or love-seat directly in front of the fireplace?


• bought your current house because of a feature you've forgotten about through day-to-day living?


• painted every room in your favorite colours: teal, raspberry, peach etc?


• not painted since the seventies or eighties?

You love the colours, but unless the colours are up to date and 'on trend', likely no one else will.

If only 1 out of 100 potential buyers likes your colour scheme, why list without painting to appeal to the maximum number of buyers? Who knows, that 1 potential buyer who would like your colours may not even be in the market for a house.

We all want the best odds of selling fast and getting asking.

Without preparing a house to sell, it is guaranteed, buyers will be complaining about the work to complete before they can move in.

You don't want potential buyers starting a list of negatives. If they do, forget about an offer, or lower your expectations because the offer will take into consideration the cost to have a professional make repairs/repaint.

So when a stager goes to a house to stage it and has it repaired, painted, faucets updated, extraneous furniture removed, opens all the curtains, adds paintings and accent pieces that complement and create a nice flow...are we trying to dazzle you into not seeing potential issues in the house?

No! In fact, we are making it easier for you to notice them if they exist, or repairing them so they are no longer an issue. Staged houses should be bright, airy, spacious and welcoming and repairs should be complete. Stagers are making it ready for you to move right in and get on with your life!

You spend more time in our staged houses then if they weren't staged.
Can we help it if buyers are so in love with the house they don't rush through quickly complaining about how dark and small it is and how they could never live there?

If you are a home seller and agree call a stager. They will get the work done quickly, professionally, and it will cost much less then a price reduction.

If you are a buyer don't avoid a staged house for fear you might love it; go see it because you're sure to love it!

Home stagers are here to take the stress out of selling and buying a house.

Essential Oils Just Make Good Scents!

One of the last things I do when staging a home is walk around with my essential oils. If I have my faux lemon or limes out, they get a little splash as well, but you have to be careful...just one drop.

I fill the all the sinks with hot water and add some of the essential oils, my favorites are orange blossom with pink grapefruit. I'll let it sit for a minute or two then just pull the plugs, for the next couple of days, walking past the sink is HEAVEN! If the house is vacant, I'm sure it would last twice as long.

Using the essential oils leaves a very light fresh scent that lingers much better than anything room freshener I've spritzed around.

I always recommend my clients use water, white vinegar and a fresh scented essential oil for washing the floors. Again, when this is done, the floors are streak free, need no rinsing and the house smells amazing.

I'm toying with dropping some in paint...I'll let you know how it goes! (It better work, or I've wasted a gallon of Farrow & Ball!).

Just a quick post before I forget. I came across this information that I think many may find useful.

It turns out the Desperate Housewives sets are painted with Benjamen Moore paints. Below is a list, by house, of the colours used. Enjoy!


The Paint Colors of Wisteria Lane...

Bree
Hathaway Peach HC-53
Butter Pecan OC-89
Arizona Tan 2162-50
Wythe Blue HC-143
Wickham Gray HC-171
Durango Dust 2165-60

Edie
Northampton Putty HC-89
Shaker Beige HC-45
Mauve Blush 2115-40
Cherry Malt 2104-50
Whisper Violet 2070-70
Touch of Pink 2008-70

Lynette
November Skies 2128-50
Strawberry Yogurt 2104-70
Rose Silk 2104-60
Cherry Malt 2104-50
Melted Ice Cream 2095-70
Beacon Gray 2128-60

Susan
Pink Pearl 2005-60
Hollingsworth Green HC-141
Sweet Salmon 2167-60
Crisp Straw 2157-50
Whisper Violet 2070-70
Provence Creme 2021-60

Gabrielle
Beeswax 2157-40
Acorn Yellow 2161-40
Dark Beige 2165-40
Summer Peach 2167-70
Soft Pumpkin 2166-40
Annapolis Gray RME-70

The Three Design Principles...Guidlines for Decorating - Rules for Staging

The Three Design Principles...Guidlines for Decorating - Rules for Staging

The three design principles are extremely important to staging, but when decorating you can take more liberty with them.

The three principles are:

Simplicity: As Coco Channel said, less is more. Limit the amount of furniture and accessories you have in a room. Too much and the room becomes 'noisey'. When selling a house, you want buyers to feel relaxed, calm, comfortable, not overwhelmed or 'edgy'. No one takes their time in an overwhelming room. The only thought going through buyers' minds is to get out and move on to the next showing. As a seller, you don't want this to be your house's lasting impression!

• remove all family photos, artwork and magnets from the fridge, clear all countertops, tables of clutter and minimize what is in you closets, bookshelves and cabinets.
  

Proportion: If you have small rooms, make sure they do not have too many big pieces of furniture. While you can have large pieces in small rooms, you can not fill the room with too much. 99% of houses for sale have far too much furniture in them to show well. The last thing you want is to have large scale furniture in a small room or a large room with small scale furniture. When proportion is off it is extremely difficult to imagine the possibilities of a room.

• Reorganize furniture to ensure furniture is proportionate to each room.


• Take out the extra leaves from the dining room table if it is a smaller room.


• Make sure any artwork is proportionate to the room, it's surrounding pieces


• Don't fill a side table with overwhelmingly large accents.


• Make sure your baseboard and crown moldings are proportional to each other and the room.

Suitability: When selling you want the furnishings to complement the architectural details of the house. If your home is traditional in it's architectural details, don't fight it. You want the furniture to complement the rooms. While it is nice to see a mix of contemporary with traditional, it is awkward to be in a traditional room with wood paneling, ornate fireplace mantles, herringbone wood flooring and a chandelier furnished with ultra modern furniture. While you may like the conflict this creates, buyers won't.

With these 3 principles in mind, and in your new home, you can use them as guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Until your current house is sold though...follow these rules to ensure you leave the 'I could live here' lasting impression and not the 'not in this lifetime' sentiment!

Dane Caldwell is the Lead Design Consultant with Toronto, GTA and Durhams Region's 2 Hounds Design + Home Staging. http://www.2-hounds.com/