How to Stage Your Spare Bedroom
- Posted on April 22, 2016
If you’re one of the many homeowners with an extra bedroom, staging it can be a challenge. Here’s a simple guide on how to turn that extra room into a beautifully staged space—no matter what you’re using it for now.
If you’re using the room as…
A Storage Room:
Now is the time to go through everything in your storage spaces, get rid of as much as possible, and pack the rest away for the move. You especially need to clear things out if you have storage taking up an entire spare bedroom, because your buyer is not going to see all the great square footage: they’re only going to see clutter.
Your next step is to choose a use to stage it for. You can easily furnish your now-empty room as a home office or sitting room, either by moving furniture from other rooms or scanning sales and thrift stores for simple and attractive items. Or turn it into a simple bedroom with a bedframe, an air mattress, and some neutral bedding.
A Toy Room:
Toy rooms are notoriously cluttered. Invest in closed storage so you can easily get everything out of sight before a showing. Shelves with basket storage are a simple and attractive choice (and easy for kids to manage). And if you keep the storage around the outside of the room, you can make the room feel livable and inviting with a simple rug and a couple of comfortable chairs.
A Bedroom:
Remove extra furniture to show off how much space the room really has. All a bedroom needs is a bed, a side table (which you can top with bright accessories or fresh flowers), and one additional piece. Good choices are a simple vanity, an armchair, or a small dresser.
You don’t want a room that looks thrown together, so make sure everything fits a single color scheme. And if they’re not there already, add a headboard and curtains to up the luxury feel of the room.
An Office:
Clear your surfaces. That means your desk should have as few things on it as possible. And you definitely don’t want any paper clutter making the room feel disorganized. And just like a bedroom, you don’t want any extra furniture making it look cramped.
A Multifunction Room:
Simplify. A room that’s doing too much won’t just feel cluttered or cramped. It can even make your buyers feel like there isn’t enough room in the house to keep things neat and organized. So choose just one use for the room and put everything else away. A nice home office will be much more attractive than an office-fitness-media-toy room.
A Craft/Hobby Room:
Hobbies tend to be a bit messy, so your number one priority here is to declutter. Clear out any old materials that don’t need to be there, and make sure there are places to put everything out of sight. That way you can show off just how much room there is to work in.