6 Tips for Staging Historic Homes

Kristi My husband and I sold a 1920's Tudor in Memphis a few years ago right at the beginning of the real estate crunch. We had completely renovated the kitchen and bathrooms because they were not salvageable. We removed about 1/3 of our furniture and most of the decorative/personal items. Then we played around with new furniture placement. It was so nice and open afterwards that I didn't want to leave! Luckily, sold within 2 weeks. Everything you have listed is exactly right.

feeny Having bought two historic homes and sold one, I totally agree with your advice. I would add making sure to show off the wood floors (rip up wall to wall carpeting and refinish wood floors if necessary) as buyers of historic homes are usually attracted to wood floors and want to make sure they have been well cared for.

olldbobbi I love that bathroom! Until you pointed out the homeowners painted the underside of the sink and tub, I didn't even notice it, but you're right, it does draw attention. The bedroom by Kristie Barnett is sumptious!

aussiehjk I agree that the use of color is very important as is the declutter of rooms. We renovated a 1920's Craftsman bungalow where space was a premium. Don't forget the attention to detail...after spending a lot of money on the big ticket items many people forget the little things. It is also imperative that you ensure that everything works. If its broken fix it or completely replace it. Last but not least, remove fixtures (hinges, handles etc.) when painting. Nothing worse than showing off that new paint theme with paint all over the handles and hinges. You would be surprised at what prospective buyers notice.

hinsan Agreed on all points. I love the fact that this period-home doesn't look PERIOD with all the modern touches added! Last year we sold our 1900 victorian era home of 25 years in one week--actually a little too fast to leave a home I had loved so much. A new kitchen definitely helped, as did the fact that with every renovation project we added more shelves, closets and built-ins -- something older homes are known to lack. And with little yard space in the suburbs, it helps to add porches and access to outdoor living spaces.

Annette Jordan All your comments just nail the staging process. The best one is show off the architectural elements. As a retired stager, this is the most common mistake for any homeowner. Their personal things they love hide all the major characteristics that were built into the home whether it be 50 years ago or today.

jshrauger Loved all of the staging examples that beautifully show off the various period homes's assets. My home is Southern Traditional from the exterior with an open concept inside. I will definitely use some of these ideas to refresh my home although I have no plans to sell in the near future...Betsy

janahyde If you have a historic home with beautiful floors, remove the rugs so your buyers can see the floors. It's a pain to live with while you are selling the house, but will make the house appear less crowded, bigger, and brighter (depending on your floor color). Buyers LOVE to see all the wood floors.

leekeekanoo I would soooooo love to see some 70's ranches staged effectively. Not the high end, spacious kind with lots and lots of windows - the standard run of the mill one level that has little personality. Methinks a historic home would sell just fine empty and clean! It's the middle of the market that needs the most help.

Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist Leekeekanoo: Hmmm, that's a great idea with so many 1960 - 1970's era homes on the market! Gotta think more about that :)

Transformations Historic homes - especially high-end ones - do require sensitivity to the period of the home but also updates to make it fresh. Here's a link to one of our Portland staging projects that received multiple offers the first week it was listed for around $1.5 Million.. With Before and Afters http://transformationsdesign.com/portland-home-staging-occupied-historic-property

kbakshi I designed and flipped a historic (by California standards) bungalow from 1912. I kept all the trim white, but used non-traditional (non-Arts & Crafts) colors in the rooms. The fresh colors brought a modern feeling to the home, but we respected the bones and history of the period construction. See photos here:
http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/album.sfly?sid=0AatGThy5ZsmLaFg&startIndex=0&fid=91ae64550ca0c51e6d9889752d9a603c

PaintColorHelp.com Dallas These are some good basic tips. As someone who shopped probably 100 houses before finding the 20s Tudor I restored, I feel it's important to preserve as much of the original home as possible. Condition and function permitting, of course. The houses whose interiors had been virtually gutted lost all their personality. Those with brand new kitchens and/or baths of a totally different style looked disjointed. And what was all the rage in 1987 when they "updated" it now looked sadly out of fashion. Keep in mind, most buyers seek out old homes specifically because of their vintage. If renovations are done with a nod to period style, they will always stand the the test of time.

Laura Zender Design, Allied ASID We have sold two historic homes by owner and currently live in a 1920's Tudor. When showing your home make sure to closely edit all closets and storage areas. Try to show closets about 1/2 empty to creat the illusion of more storage space. We love our old homes but most do not live up to modern standards for closet space!

lynettewood Good tips. I'd suggest a bowl of green apples or yellow lemons in the kitchen. Also in the photo of window treatments, they have several pieces of art on the chest. This is a new decor style and too cluttered for a historic home. On the bed a breakfast tray with a few lovely things on it is appealing. 2 historic photos of the city or the home, well framed, is a good addition too.

chaslin I agree with the comment about keeping window treatments simple. Our windows have gorgeous muntins and I searched for window coverings with a minimal "stack". The window coverings are inexpensive and are strictly used when we need privacy. Day in and day out, you don't really even see them.

cactuspat217 In 1985 we bought an old, run-down farmhouse situated on 50 acres that had been built in 1912. We were fortunate in that we were only the fourth owners, and none of the previous owners/tenants had ever painted the beautiful red oak woodwork that filled the first floor. After living there for 26 years, we sold it in just ten days. One of the comments we received from people who viewed our house was that everything looked as if it belonged there. To achieve that look, I went to auctions and purchased period-appropriate bedroom sets and other items that fit homes built in that era. While we did update the kitchen and bathrooms, we always maintained the integrity of the original home.

Jana Miller I'm a Realtor specializing in vintage homes in Denver, CO. One of the key aspects to marketing a vintage home is to have your agent hire an architectural photographer who can showcase a room as well as its beautiful details, such as vintage hardware, windows, tile, etc. The importance of photos cannot be over-emphasized in today's internet-based marketplace. Virtual tours with 2+ dozen photos are a must and allow you to show off a home's beauty.

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel Nice tips and beautiful examples.

Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist Cactus Pat: Wow, what an amazing home! Glad you preserved its history for the future :)

jfeenick This is great - shared with me by a client that is readying her home in Somerville, NJ for sale. This is a community that has many historic homes and I'm quite sure she will benefit from this advice.

cactuspat217 Here are some additional photos of bedrooms decorated in a style appropriate to an old country home. I made quilts and matching draperies and accessories for each of the bedrooms to add to the old-time feel. One of the realtors who toured our home told us our home was "perfectly staged." Little did he know that that is the way our home had looked for 26 years!

cactuspat217 When selling your home, don't forget the outside! That is the first thing prospective buyers see; and if it is not appealing, many will never inquire about the inside. My husband made a porch swing as well as adirondack chairs, which suited our old-time porch perfectly and showed it off as a perfect spot to relax. When sitting on the porch, everywhere you looked there was something beautiful to see.

cactuspat217 When prospective buyers looked at the yard of our farm house, they saw blooming flowers and little areas of whimsy scattered everywhere. We were careful, however, not to overwhelm the yard with plantings, which would have detracted from the overall look. Attached are photos of some of those areas. It made a huge difference, and we received loads of compliments. Maybe that is part of why we were able to sell our farm in just ten days.

Verlene Madrid Beautiful work, I was impressed with the bathroom, it has a great feel to it.

ALPINE CONSTRUCTION I am a 3rd generation renovation contractor and from generations before, ive learrned to love the victorian era, more so appreciate it. Now because of generations of knowledge and (besides a few exceptions literally being involved in countless 100 + y/o renovations) i have learned that #1 its not always about keeping it 100% accurate to its era alot of people love to blend modern themes and keep key features of the home accurate "ie. box gutters and sheet metal work, carpentry/mouldings especially features like the staircase or for instance an original butlers pantry, in cincinnati "Rookwood tile" i even have request to install Rookwood tile today, key features like this are timeless and will never go out of style regardless of all the new green/modern trends sweeping over metro areas like a tornado. Just remember its all about the audience/customer your trying to sell or please. 100% accurate renovations are costly and only appeal to a limited clientel so just make sure its there before you take it that far(just my advice/opinion if you have the resources and $ to back it by all means run with it)

Pamela Rosenberg I have an older home that we have lived in for the past fourteen years and we will probably be here another five but I am already thinking ahead towards downsizing so I found this very helpful. Thanks for posting.

ALPINE CONSTRUCTION more pics

jenberry72 #1--edit and declutter. #2--too much "neutral" paint can look bland in a historic home. They need some color to go with their character. #3--if you have hardwoods, remove most of the rugs so buyers can see the floors (I kept the one in my dining room because there was a bad spot on the floors!) FYI, that bookcase in the dining room is a door that leads to the downstairs bath and laundry...so COOL!
Here are some pics of mine that I sold in 3 weeks without ever listing, at the end of 2011. It's a 1902 Shirtwaist. Now I'm in a 1916 Craftsman.
Love me some old homes!

frenchdecor Here some tips, hope useful, regarding window treatments, as it's hard to imagine century house with all bare windows. Sheers add softness and allow in light, while opaque fabrics add warmth to a room. Keeping simple is the key. I would suggest couple of options. 1, Plain sheer trimmed at the bottom with light brush fringes (longer better), or delicate lace at the bottom 2, Plane white sheer trimmed with ruffles at the bottom (about 18" long formed from double- triple width of main panel) connected with main part with lace or fringes topped by lace 3, panel drapes trimmed along side with fringes (always coordinate weight of fabric and fringes weight (flexibility) 4, add flare where you feel appropriate with rosettes, bows, tiebacks, tassels...

Amy Bly Keep the furniture on the traditional or even a bit on the transitional side, not modern, since most period-home buyers seem to prefer classic furniture styles -- again, more in keeping with the look of the home.

lizzie520 Very interesting and this article is a good lead-in to a related question. What do people suggest for staging a NEW house that has a traditional style, and is in an area with a lot of old houses?

We will be selling our new-ish (under 10 years old) house next year. It is a traditionally-styled cape in rural New England, in an area where almost half the homes are at least 70 years old. We already incorporated a lot of your tips into our every day decorating style - the windows are bare to expose the trim and divided lights, the walls are a palette of traditional colors with very little hanging on them, the wood floors are exposed. HGTV and such, though, would have us believe that we need to have a lot of really simple modern furniture, mass-produced artwork, and IKEA-type throw pillows. Instead, we have quite a few antiques, including some furniture which has decorative painting, and a lot of book cases (with books!) We've kept the rooms relatively spare, and the furniture is not heavy, but it could be seen as taste-specific. To me, having grown up in the region, making our new house feel like an older house (an old house with no repairs needed!) will make it more appealing. But I know that a lot of the realtors in this area are not particularly competent or knowledgeable about the market and I worry about a one-size-fits all approach influenced by HGTV.

And speaking of books... what DO people think of books? I have hundreds of them, neatly arranged in bookcases. To me it says, 'this house is for a smart, intellectually-engaged person," which *I* would find appealing when buying a house. But do they turn people off? The advice always seems to be to remove most of the books and fill bookcases with various "objets."

Rio Brewster I like hardcover books as long as they are neatly arranged and not stacked.

A bunch of paperbacks will look messy no matter what. And yes, I have so many books that my home has a library. ;^)

simps214 These are some great tips and those images are just lovely!

Still, as a lover of historic homes, I'd cringe if I saw that all the woodwork was not only painted but painted green!

Rio Brewster Love the living room with the fireplace. That's a great example of making a classic room modern. I don't think I would've had the guts to paint the moldings green (I'm a "never paint wood" kind of girl) but I love the result.

lisahassler I love your suggestions and the photos. Respecting the architecture, but mixing in fresh colors and some modern accessories, like lamps, really makes a difference. I specialize in historic real estate on cape cod and I find that many times home owners have fussy, busy, patterns on their sofas. A cream slipcover and some fresh, updated pillow makes a huge difference.

Austin Home Restorations Great ideas! It's simpler than you think to stage a historic home. We tell our clients to think classic and simple. These tips fit right into that!