The Staging Life: Window Treatments and Natural Light
By Nan Johnston, Southern Staging & Redesign
When listing a home to sell, one thing to keep in mind is to have as much natural light streaming into the room as possible.
Cleaning the interior and exterior windows is a must to create great light, but what about window treatments.
This subject can be a double edge sword if you’re not careful. On the one hand, having simple white or cream window panels is a great way to update and lighten up a room … on the other hand, custom-made window treatments can work against you.
Custom-made vs. ready-made panels, let’s face it, it’s about you the seller. It says, “I invested a lot of money in these treatments and created my entire decorating scheme around them, and I’m NOT taking them down or painting MY taste specific walls.” I’ve actually been told this a number of times during a home staging consultation. (Notice the faux treatment on walls.)
Ready-made panels, in a neutral color or an updated currant fabric, tells the buyer, hey look – these can fit right in with your decor and let in natural light. These window treatments almost disappear but add softness and natural light into a room. Buyers will be able to relate to this a lot better and they don’t take over the room.
Curtain Rod Hanging Tips
Hang the rods as high as you can and make them wider than the window, so that the fabric isn’t blocking the window.
Adding shears (white or cream) will add a small amount of privacy but also let in some light. If you are going to use sheers, consider using a double rod to keep the hardware at a minimum.
And the No. 1 thing to remember, is to open the window treatments before every showing. Dark rooms are not buyer friendly.
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Nan Johnston is a professional home staging consultant from Newnan with over 30 years experience in the real estate industry. Check out her website for some interesting before and a fter photos at www.southern-staging.com. Feel free to contact her at [email protected].
