Leslie Olson - Home Staging and Interior Design - Marin County CA

You've remodeled, renovated and refurbished. You've streamlined and polished to glow. You've staged to perfection, the photos are grand -- the home is now ready to show.

But...ummm...how are your guests are going to get in?

Yesterday I attended an Open House in Marin County, and spoke with the Realtor as he was closing up the property. He wrangled with the key and struggled with the lock, his face reddening as he worked with the ill-tempered deadbolt. I can only assume that it was just as difficult when he originally unlocked the door when he entered.

I smiled with recongnition. While staging homes through the years I've also struggled with ragged door keys or stubborn locks (often in the dark, with no porch light on). Last year when placing our own family home on the market, I had to return to the store four times until the new key copies properly unlocked the front door. What seems like a simple concept can really derail interested buyers' access. It's just too easy for them to turn around and visit the next property.

Please don't leave Realtors and potential homebuyers pressing their noses against the windows of your lovely home. You've worked so hard for this moment to arrive!

Thank you for stopping by!

Leslie Olson - ASID, RESA

Leslie Olson Interiors Marin County, CA www.leslieolsoninteriors.com leslie@leslieolsoninteriors.com 415.233.2633

Providing Home Staging, Redesign and Residential Design Services for Marin County and surrounding areas north of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.

The contractor shook his head when he heard that, to ease the budget, the family was going to continue living in the house while the dreaded popcorn ceilings were going to be scraped, a multiple-day process filled with grime and swirling dust that wouldn't clear out for months. You sure?

Uh-huh.

At least there was no asbsestos in this vile popcorn texture (the husband referred to it as "ceiling snot"), so it would be more inconvenience than safety hazard for the homeowners. You sure?

Uh-huh.

Warning the clients that it would be unpleasant at best, and living hell at worst, they agreed to work together. The contractor braced himself for surly clients, but after returning from the first day's work he was greeted by...

He tried to clean up the dust as best he could that day for the clients, but grainy dust swirled everywhere. The following morning as he reached to open the window for ventillation, he found...

Intrigued by the mysterious heiroglyphics, the contractor continued with the dusty work, clouds of dust covering the images with every hour. He worried about the family who must be at their wits' end by now. They had suffered days where the only running water was in the upstairs bathtub. In the evening they scrubbed away at stubborn wallpaper that should have been removed 20 years ago. To top it off, the new school year had begun, and the family was trying to maintain some normal daily structure, while living off Taco Bell. They were probably ready to devour their young by now.

But the next morning he was greeted with...

Much to the contractor's amazement, the daughter maintained her cheerful disposition throughout the weeks-long remodeling project, and they got along famously. She enjoyed watching the remodeling process evolve, and didn't complain once.

The dusty work was done, and more remodeling followed. But there was one hurdle to cross, and the contractor mulled over it for a long time before calling the daughter and her family in to the her room, which he was painting. He told her his idea, which she absorbed with solemn silence, then nodded. She took final pictures of the wall next to her doorframe, then he handed her the paintbrush.

Then, with a quiet sense of ceremony, she painted over several years worth of pencil marks on the wall, tiny hatch marks celebrating the increments of her growing height.

To this day nobody believes that the family survived happily through the Popcorn Scraping Episode. But they're still grateful for the privilege of working with such a kind and thoughtful contractor.

Leslie Olson, ASID, RESA

Leslie Olson Interiors Marin County, CA www.leslieolsoininteriors.com leslie@leslieolsoninteriors.com 415.233.2633

I would like to interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you something that I know that you need. On a cold cheerless January day, you could use a few transformative rays of sunlight...

You may now stretch like a cat and return to your normal duties.

Thanks for indulging me on this foggy, drizzly day! Anyone else care to share their unexpected rays of sunshine?

Leslie Olson, ASID, RESA

Leslie Olson Interiors Marin County, CA www.leslieolsoninteriors.com leslie@leslieolsoninteriors.com 415.233.2633

As promised in my recent blog Staging an Eichler-Designed Home in Marin - Before and After Photos - Part 1, I'm including additional before and after photos of this Upper Lucas Valley home in San Rafael, California designed by prominent architect Joseph Eichler.

The original post featured before and after pictures of rooms surrunding the central open-air Atrium of the mid-century modern Eichler home. This post shows before and after photos of the four bedrooms in the house, as staged by Leslie Olson Interiors of Marin County.

Before staging, the vacant Master Bedroom hinted at possibilities, with outdoor space beckoning. But unfurnished, prospective homebuyers would quickly sum up the empty room and move on.

Muted plum and coral tones of the bedding compliment the stone wall and pristine hills beyond, viewed from the floor-to-ceiling windows. By drawing the eye outside, the space is visually enlarged.

Additional accessories inside and out compliment the Master Bedroom. leading to the Patio, and Office.

Before, the Master Bath seemed unexceptional.

After staging, the Master Bath harmonizes with the Master Bedroom. Natural light from the skylight illuminates the space.

Additional bedrooms staged in this four bedroom home now compliment the architecture, and emphasize the indoor-outdoor spaces. Before staging, Bedroom #2 had an open view to the open-air Atrium, but while vacant had no warmth or personality of its own.

Staging transformed the room into a serene Guest Bedroom, enhanced by the Atrium view.

Vacant Bedroom #3 showed potential with natural light, but wasn't inviting to future homebuyers.

The newly-staged "Girl's Room," as the original homeowner referred to it, now shows its own personality.

Finally, Vacant Bedroom #4 looked tired, indeed.

Spunky modern bedding, lighting and accessories enliven this now contemporary bedroom.

For further information on Eichler-designed homes, check out http://www.eichlernetwork.com/ENHist.html. The black and white photograph at the bottom of the page is an example of the popular Atrium model, which is the design of the property listed here.

This MLS listing number for this active property is 20838561. Agents listing this home are John Ewing (415-246-2220) and Julie Mendonca (415-328-0147) with Bradley Real Estate.

Staging an Eichler-Designed Home in Marin - Before and After Photos - Part 1

Modern Architecture Staging Photos - Marin County Staging

Mill Valley Film Festival - Smith Rafael Film Center - Before and After Photos

Marin Home Staging - What a Difference a Door Makes...

Thank you very much for your interest!

Leslie Olson, ASID, RESA

Leslie Olson Interiors, Marin County CA www.leslieolsoninteriors.com leslie@leslieolsoninteriors.com 415.233.2633

Recently I had the opportunity to stage a vacant home in the Upper Lucas Valley area of San Rafael, California, north of San Francisco. The house was designed by prominent mid-century architect Joseph Eichler.

The original homeowners contacted Leslie Olson Interiors to professionally stage the home in preparation for its sale. We were delighted that not only is this neighborhood featured prominently throughout the book Eichler/Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream by Paul Adamson, but in showing the book to the homeowner who grew up in the house, we found that he recognized photographs of his young brother playing in the neighborhood!

Shown below are Before and After pictures of several of the rooms in the home. Each of these rooms overlooks an open-air Atrium in the center of the design. Before and after pictures of the home's four bedrooms can be viewed in the blog, Staging an Eichler-Designed Home - Bedroom Before and After Photos - Part 2.

The Atrium before staging -- not exactly showing the best features of the space:

After Staging by Leslie Olson Interiors: Lively colors and outdoor furnishings appropriate to the tone of the architecture lend a playful note to the open-air space.

The Atrium after staging -- an important area, as it is viewed from most of the rooms in the house.

Before staging, the Family Room/Kitchen area seemed sparse and cold.

After lightly staging the Family Room with furniture and original art (paintings by Dawn Winter), this cozy room basks in natural sunlight.

Across the Atrium, this vacant room lacked a clear purpose for future homebuyers.

Now transformed into a light-filled Office, showing that Professional Staging can highlight the architecture of a home to its best advantage.

For further information on Eichler-designed homes, check out http://www.eichlernetwork.com/ENHist.html. The black and white photograph at the bottom of the page is an example of the popular Atrium model, which is the design of the property listed here.

This MLS listing number for this active property is 20838561. Agents listing this home are John Ewing (415-246-2220) and Julie Mendonca (415-328-0147) with Bradley Real Estate.

Original paintings by Dawn Winter

For more of Leslie's blogs regarding Modern and Mid-Century Modern Staging, check out:

Staging an Eichler-Designed Home in Marin - Bedroom Before and After Photos - Part 2

Modern Architecture Staging Photos - Marin County Staging

Mill Valley Film Festival - Smith Rafael Film Center - Before and After Photos

Marin Home Staging - What a Difference a Door Makes...

Thank you very much for your interest!

Leslie Olson, ASID, RESA

Leslie Olson Interiors, Marin County CA www.leslieolsoninteriors.com leslie@leslieolsoninteriors.com 415.233.2633