Nice colors!

Definitely no rug. Take one of the chairs (or another easy chair), and put it in the corner, the far left one..our eyes naturally go to an object in the room to measure the distance..if this object happens to be in the corner, it gives impression of a bigger space, because your eye goes on diagonal, which is longer as we all know)) . If it's a wall your eyes see the wall as being the closest object, and the room kinda "shrinks". All the sizes stay the same of course, it's our vision and mind that perceive things differently.

Put a small occasional table next to that chair. Maybe something small there-couple books? An "objet" as they say?

Don't put any holes in the wall if you don't want to-art definitely helps though. Can you lean something like a small painting on the mantel, and put a plant next to it? Something narrow and tall, something like an orchid maybe?

That's it, I don't think you need much more. It's a pretty room, buyers will appreciate it.

Thank you for your reply and compliments. I too was thinking of a chair in that corner to the left (left of the french doors) with a small round table with a book left on it. I could use one of the chairs you see in the picture and it has a matching foot rest as well. What about the space in front of the fireplace? The room (to me) would seem empty without a little something in front of or near the fireplace. I do have a photo I could put above that was there before and was wondering if I could use those plastic hanger pieces that have the sticky glue stuff on the back? Was thinking maybe that would work and not take off the paint?

You can put a plant(yes I know..can't stop with these plant suggestions)) next to a fireplace..or maybe a vase with blooming branches or something. Or to take that foot rest (for example), put a tray on top of it, put something on a tray. Don't center it to the fireplace though, if you decide to do something like that..off center it.

Yes, plastic hangers are supposed to work, without taking off the paint. But I wouldn't put anything heavy on them. Something relatively light..preferably not breakable.

BTW you can put nails in the wall of course, and take them out later when you move, patch the holes and touch it with paint . Or even not to take them out at all-it's nice to do that, but that's not a rule, that's just being a very nice seller))

But I understand..nice clean walls, I'd probably feel the same as you do about them.

I think I'm with LG.

If you can't show the potential of the room, then staging is counterproductive. Nobody is going to sit in those chairs with a roaring fire going. So I would not suggest it as a use.

For me that room would be great for art. Beautiful bold rug, bold colors on that serene neutral backdrop you have going there.

Good luck on the sale.

Either stage it completely to show how furniture fits the space or show it empty.

By today's standards I would configure this as a special entry hall and not try to make it feel like a living room. I'm assuming you have another family room if not den elsewhere in the house (or the sunroom is year round and can serve as a living room)?

I was thinking what LG said before I read the responses. The room has some nice features, wood floors, glass doors, nice trim, the fireplace, but it's small and if you don't have small furniture it will just help make the room look small. Just let the room speak for itself with all it's positive features and take the furniture out.

Thank you for the responses. Jn3344 Those chairs are not going to be there. I said in my original post they were there temporarily while we clean out rooms. The room is about 14'x18' not huge but not what I woudl call really small either.. We do have a very large living room off the dining room that is 20'x24' roughly. I read in several articles that it is good to show a room's usage and because of this odd set up of the room am afraid people will see it and not know what to do with it. I personally never used it. I had a love seat and chairs opposite the love seat set in front of the fireplace.Because this is the entry I am afraid to leave it completely empty as I want it to make a very good first impression. Do you all still feel it would be best completely empty?

No, I still stand by my words))

I remember how we did a final walk-around in our new place, after it was completely empty, and how sad and small it seemed to me. I knew it was just the effect of an empty house, and still my mood went down. Like, plopped.

The truth is, if you leave it empty-that's not a big deal. Homes are being sold being empty, and staged, and furnished.

We'll probably have to list our house when empty. But I know I'll stage it, even if very minimally. Just a hint of life.

The best thing would be to show it fully furnished of course. But my husband refuses to go through all this listing stuff until we finally move. Said he'd rather loose another ton of money..)) than his mind..

Showing a completely empty house works.

Forget the 'staging" and make sure everything is spotlessly clean.

I disagree. Empty rooms look smaller than they are because we have no visual reference.

Since it's an entry hall, I'd make it into an entry hall. Put a nice bench in, some pretty hooks, or a hall tree. How about another low bench in front of the fireplace so it appears that people can come sit while coming into the house. Add some logs in the fireplace, a large painting above leaning.

CPartist, it is not a hall but a 14x18 room. I appreciate your thoughts though!

No matter what one names it, it is an odd entry into a home. It's not a foyer, it's not a hall and it is not a very useable space... there are no empty walls to place furniture. I would do as Cpartist says and just stage it as an entry area... because that is what it is. You will not be able to fake buyers into thinking it is something that it is not.

Also, why is the top of the newell post not painted?

NC the railing attached and steps are hardwood that were also redone. Spindles are painted white. When we bought the home the newell post was painted black! I agree 100% that the room is not really a functional room. I wasn't trying to argue CPartist's point just wanted to explain it wasn't a typical entry foyer where people hang hooks with a bench underneath. I don't really have a wall where hooks would look good. It looks like a room despite it being a non functional entry! I am also not trying to fake out buyers but want the room to show well because this will be the potential buyers first impression! What would you tell me to do with it if this were your listing?

Based on the photos and the information you've provided I would make it a large foyer with a comfy chair in the corner by the sunroom door and maybe a round table with a vase of flowers in front of the fireplace. No rug. It may be 14x18 but because of the traffic flow around all areas of the room it functions like a hallway and most of the space needs to be set aside for walkways not seating. Buyers today do like houses with large foyers -- not just a place to hang up some jackets on hooks. Your room even has a closet in the corner. I'm guessing the room was originally the living room but there's been some remodeling and additions over the years that got it to where it is now? If you have other family/TV rooms in the house I think a buyer would resonate with this space set up as a large foyer.

Well I kinda disagree. It actually does matter how one names it, to some extent. I have no idea what is the style of the house and when it was built; but Victorians for example have this parlor in the front, and that's how they lived then. And it was not just an entry area as we understand it now. It was a room.These parlors are very challenging to decorate nowadays, because we, obviously, live differently; and I suspect our furniture is bigger too.

But if something is challenging to furnish-it doesn't mean it automatically becomes a strange entry. And it doesn't mean it should be staged like one.

I do agree with cpartist suggestions (since they are so close to mine, lol), but I would skip hall tree, hooks, etcetera.

Buyers will see not only this space; they will see the house as a whole. Make it look cohesive with the rest of the house, with something minimal and nice, rather than suggest to the buyers that all they can do in this relatively good-sized room-is to go through it.

Thank you Stan and April, I agree with you both. April you are correct, this was at first a cape with dormers that was the entry/living room, sun room, kitchen with two bedrooms upstairs and a bath. On the picture above that is the left side of the house. The sun room is located where you see the windows to the far left. Then you move to the right of the front door and they added a dining room and then added a two story addition which you see the the very right. This houses a big family room and bathroom downstairs and the master bedroom/bath upstairs. The house was built in the very early 1900's. I have no idea what year the additions were added on but they were early as well. Please disregard the mess on the front porch! It is a mess from moving everything around.My husband had to replace (and still is) over 2k nails on the porch to sink them so we can have the porch wood redone.

Context matters -- and helps. Staging is different form furnishing because you want to use what you have, can borrow or not spend a lot on as opposed to furnishing which merits more of an investment if needed. I am imagining how I would use the space if I were living in the home, so that would be a starting point and you could see how you would adapt staging to suggest similar use.

I would look at putting a pair of reading chairs in the left corner with a small (round if you can) table between them so they can enjoy the views out towards the sunroom, the porch and beyond and the fireplace. Not a full room for entertaining, but a nice place to sit and have coffee or a drink, do some needlework, read or do a puzzle kind of thing.

I would put something in front of the fireplace and figuring out what is hard from this angle. I didn't suggest the chairs and table there because it looks like it would impede traffic at the entry and towards the stairs and DR, but 14x18 room should be able to have furniture and function. Maybe the angle is deceiving. Anyway, I am thinking about a large round ottoman - something you could set down a coat or packages, bags on or sit to put on or pull off shoes or boots. Even warm up by the fire for a few minutes. If you were entertaining a full house, it could even be a spot where a guests might sit and chat.

As for the walls, I would lean a large picture above the fireplace and possibly hang one small piece in the corner to the left if it looked blank above the table and chairs, but a lamp (even a floor lamp in the corner) or a vase might fill the vertical space without anything on the wall. I would not use the command strips -- especially if that is fresh paint. I've seen them be difficult to remove or take off paint (my son was required to use them in a dorm and they peeled the paint). A small nail hole is easily filled and touched up with a dot of paint, but I wouldn't hang anything that required more than a brad sized nail, which means most standard picture hooks would be fine, unless you have absolutely no paint available for touch up. In which case, I repeat my caution on the command strips, even though they say they won't damage the paint.

Thank you so much for your suggestions!

Place to sit and sort your mail, take off your shoes in the far corner, and a

large round table to have flowers, drop keys in a pretty bowl.

And plants . Art work leaned against fireplace. I actually like the black and white pictures.

Nosoccermom's photos is exactly the idea I was thinking of.

Nosoccermom thank you so much for posting the pictures. It really helps to see what I could do with the entry way. I am more a visual person so it can be hard to visualize. Love the ideas.

I agree with Cpartist and nosoccermom.

A room that size is not really a hall. I would put a larger rug in front of the fireplace- in picture rug looks too small for room and makes room look narrow. Have loveseat and chairs or two loveseats facing each other perpendicular to fireplace with coffee table between them. Classic arrangement that is both cozy and good use of space. Fireplace needs something for height- tall vase with branches or tall candleholders on both ends. Agree that corner needs something but I would start with fireplace area. I have a family room that looks narrow and small empty but is actually not- definitely needs furniture to realize true scale. I think your room might be the same.

Do like nosoccermom's pictures also.

I still like the idea of a padded bench in front of the fireplace. And to stage it if you put an open book on top with a pair of reading glasses on top of the book. Here's a few ideas:

bench 1

bench 2

bench 3

You get the picture. :)

I like the table, but the photo made it look like you might feel too congested coming in the front door -- but a 14x18 room should have room. You have the advantage of being in the room and seeing if you can use a table, bench, ottoman or combination. And then there is the issue of staging -- picking from what is easily borrowed or repurposed to create a welcoming spot for pontential buyers. In my current home, I was nearly sold from the curb. The last house had the best curb appeal and had me sold when I walked in. You have the "curb" appeal, if not the curb.

Thank you everyone! PK I used to have that exact set up with a love seat and two chairs. I got rid of all of it because they looked dated. CP if I did use the bench how would I situate it in front of the fireplace? Sorry I am good with colors usually but not interior design. lascatx-thank you. Once everything is ready to go I will be planting flowers in the barrel by the front porch, having a hanging flower planter on the hook by the porch and spruce that all up. We have a nice porch wicker set that we ordered all new cushions for. Everything in this house should look brand new by the time we are done.

Situate it just far enough from the fireplace so someone sitting there could face the fireplace or face the opposite way. The idea is it's a place to sit for a short time either to chat with someone, or to put on some shoes, or...

Get a pretty wool or some other throw blanket to drape over the corner with that book and glasses.

I have a designer friend coming Thursday to help me figure it all out. I am going to wait to see what she thinks before sharing your ideas. Will let you know what she says.

The above pictures aren't the greatest as I used my cell phone. Stairs are looking down where living room is to the right at bottom of stairs. Dining room to the left.

2 bedrooms above living room and kitchen. Bathroom upstairs with two bedrooms. 1 of 3 baths only one not updated. New faucet, shower head, paint and lights.

Obviously rooms will look better when put on the market.

My interior designer/stager came on Friday. She felt for the entry/living room a small love seat with a low back and 2 small chairs facing it with a round table in between would be best for this room. She said you want to show people what they can do with this room. After that she may do something as well with the far left corner but with the french doors open there is not a lot of space.

The place looks pristine! Good luck. It should go quick.

What a pretty house! Someone above said it wasn't a big space, but 14x18 is bigger than my formal living room. I love the pictures nosoccermom posted and think you could easily go that route or as a formal living room.

Your house looks gorgeous.

Can you post pics once you've staged the entry?

Absolutely, be happy to! My designer friend and I will be going shopping next Wednesday. We discussed doing the renting thing but figure it may cost ore to rent than buy. Hoping I can find what we need at a cheap price!