Ideas for staging a kitchen
The 5 Most Important Home Staging Tips for the Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the biggest selling points of any home. Home buyers want to fall in love with this space and it can play a major factor in whether they decide to put in an offer or walk away.
Of course, kitchens can be a big turn-off to buyers if they are outdated or unappealing. Most people are looking for a “move-in ready” home and don’t want to be burdened with what they think will be a costly renovation down the road. If they are torn between two houses and one has a nice kitchen while the other requires some work, chances are they will be swayed to go with the former.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to invest a lot of money to bring it up to par. Some easy home staging tips could be all you need to make it ready for the competitive real estate market.
Even if your kitchen is beautiful and brand new, there are a few things you can do to make it even more appealing to home buyers. It’s not just about the bones of a kitchen – it’s also about how a buyer will feel when they walk through it. Chances are, they will tour other beautiful kitchens in the same day, so to set yours apart you need to speak to a buyer’s psychology and make the space more inviting.
Here are our favorite kitchen staging tips that are sure to make this room in your home much more appealing to buyers.
1) Clear off the countertops.The #1 thing to do in any kitchen before putting your home on the market is to clear off the countertops. All small appliances, such as a toaster or blender, should be put away in a cabinet. Only a few select pieces of décor should be left out. Buyers love lots of countertop space in the kitchen, so keeping them decluttered will show yours off and make the kitchen feel larger as a whole.
2) Paint the cabinets & replace the hardware.If your cabinets are in good shape but a little worn down or outdated, a fresh coat of paint can make a HUGE difference.
There is no need to spend a lot of money on a costly renovation if the cabinets just need a little TLC. Paint them a neutral such as white, beige or gray to match your countertops. If your countertops are outdated or in bad condition, as well, then it would be smart to invest in some new ones. You can often find great deals on granite slabs if you shop around. To finish it off, switch out the old hardware with some pretty new doorknobs and it will feel like you have a brand new kitchen for the fraction of the cost of a full renovation.
A few simple pieces of décor can give your kitchen character, make it feel more inviting, and help it look newer by providing some style and contrast. It doesn’t take much since you want to keep a decluttered look, so less is more in this scenario. Some of our favorite kitchen staging décor ideas are a book stand with an open cookbook set in it, some fresh flowers in a pretty vase, or some apothecary jars filled with textured materials such as beans or noodles.
A lot of older houses have outdated lighting fixtures in the kitchen. Fluorescent lights went out decades ago, so if you have those or other old-fashioned fixtures in your kitchen, it would be wise to switch them out to more contemporary or classic choices. It will instantly make the kitchen feel newer and buyers will certainly notice. Stay away from bulbs that cast a yellow glow on the space, as well. Stick with daylight-style bulbs that will make the space feel cleaner and more open.
5) Set the island/bar.If you have a large island or bar area in your kitchen where you have bar stools set up, put out place settings for each seat to set the stage. This will draw attention to the great selling feature and make the space feel more inviting. You can also take this opportunity to bring a pop of color into the space by choosing a colorful placemat or charger for the setting and placing white dishes on top.
It doesn’t have to be extravagant to look chic.
To get even more tips on staging a kitchen, watch Megan’s free Home Staging Webinar: Kitchen Staging!
15 Staging Tips to Prepare Your Kitchen for a Home Sale
By Laura Gaskill, Houzz
A major kitchen overhaul can cost a huge amount of money — money you probably will not fully recoup when you sell. Instead of going for a full-on remodel, consider what small changes you can make to update your kitchen. Paint rather than replace cabinets, swap out hardware and roll out a rug. If the appliances are extremely out-of-date and you decide to replace them, don’t feel pressured to go super high end. A clean, fresh, bright kitchen that makes the most of the space will attract buyers and does not need to cost an arm and a leg. Here are 15 tips to prep your kitchen before you sell your home.
Photo by Signature Kitchens, original photo on Houzz
Know your goals.
Stage your kitchen with purpose by getting clear on your goals right from the start. A successfully staged kitchen:
● Looks, feels and smells clean and fresh
● Looks and feels spacious and light. There’s plenty of room inside cupboards and closets.
● Is tasteful and good looking — there are no glaringly bad or out-of-date features
● Looks welcoming; it’s easy to envision using and enjoying the space
● Shows signs of life but is not messy
1. Have your kitchen professionally cleaned. Having a pro thoroughly clean your kitchen is one of the best investments you can make when preparing your home to sell. Yes, you could clean it yourself, but would it really look as good? A sparkling-clean kitchen is one that looks its best.
2. Be hyper-aware of odors. Make sure all garbage, recycling and pet-related items are removed before showing your home, and take the time to clean inside and under the containers themselves. Run a lemon down your garbage disposal.
Nothing turns off a potential buyer faster than a bad smell.
3. Consider fresh paint. Aside from cleaning, painting will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Give your kitchen a new coat of paint in a hue that works with the color of your counters and cabinets — when in doubt, go with crisp white. Even if your kitchen was recently painted, take a close look at the walls and ceiling and touch up any imperfections, even tiny ones.
Related: How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets
Photo by Celeste Lewis Architecture, original photo on Houzz
News flash: A staged kitchen is not a practical kitchen. Staging your home is the first step in letting go … which is not always easy. If you are preparing your home to put it on the market, it’s time to make the shift from thinking about it as your home to seeing it as a property that is about to be sold. Staging, when done well, can help make your home more appealing to buyers and help it sell more quickly, and maybe even for a bit more.
Isn’t it better to make the best possible impression from the beginning, and not have to live through endless open houses before making a sale? Keep this in mind as you prep.
4. Keep windows clean and clear. Clean the kitchen windows, inside and out. If you have heavy window coverings, consider removing them — or at the very least, be sure window coverings are completely open when you show your home.
5. Clear the counters. A toaster and coffeemaker are just about the only things to consider leaving out on the counters. Put everything else out of sight.
6. Organize inside cupboards. Guess what? Potential buyers will be looking inside your cupboards. And if your cupboards are overstuffed, that gives the impression that there isn’t enough storage space in your kitchen. Remove excess stuff, mismatched items and anything that simply does not look good. If you still need to use these things, keep them in a box hidden on a high shelf in a closet during showings.
Photo by Neat Method San Diego, original photo on Houzz
7. Organize the pantry. Pare back the contents of your pantry until you have some open space on each shelf. Organize what’s left into a set of matching food storage containers or open baskets. This may mean removing a bunch of food — just remember that a staged kitchen is not necessarily a practical kitchen! As with items from your cupboards, keep extra pantry goods in a box out of sight during showings if you must.
8. Style open shelving. People have a sort of love-hate relationship with open shelving. It can look great, but it can also be a challenge to keep neat. If you have open shelving in your kitchen, your goal should be to show people how it can be useful and look great. Leave some open space on each shelf, and display only matching sets of everyday dishes. You can’t go wrong with a set of white dishes and clear glasses.
9. Set fancy hand and dish soap on a tray.
Get rid of the gross old sponges and goopy dish soap containers, and replace them with nice-looking dish soap, hand soap and lotion, all on a neat little tray.
10. Make the faucet shine. A pretty, gleaming faucet makes a good impression. And be sure to fix any leaks while you’re at it.
Photo by crbs co., original photo on Houzz
11. Accessorize the stovetop. A pretty pot or teakettle on the stovetop is a welcoming touch. Just be sure the one you choose is in perfect condition — no scratched-up old pans.
12. Add new tea towels. Brand-new tea towels should be a must on any kitchen staging shopping list. They are a great, cost-effective way to add a splash of color and pattern, especially to white kitchens that can come across as bland.
13. Set out fresh fruit. Anything perfectly ripe and beautiful is fair game. Choose a pretty fruit bowl or set your fruit on a cake plate.
Photo by Du Bois Design Ltd, original photo on Houzz
14.
Bring in fresh flowers or greenery. Like a fruit bowl, freshly cut flowers, branches or potted herbs will bring life and cheer to your kitchen. You don’t need to spend a fortune on fruit and flowers, though — take this kitchen, for example. Cheap and cheerful daisy-like flowers are plunked in a glass mason jar, and a row of lemons sits on a plain white platter. The arrangement is easy and inexpensive but looks great.
15. Stack your nicest cookbooks. Cookbooks are accessories that make a kitchen look appealing and useful. But do edit your cookbook collection — keep just one shelf’s worth and make sure each book is in good shape. If you don’t have a shelf, a small stack of cookbooks on the counter will work, too.
Read more on Houzz
12 ideas for arranging a modern and comfortable kitchen - INMYROOM
Manufacturers of furniture and appliances do not stand still, designers do not get tired of discovering new materials and decorative techniques, unexpected trends appear - we tried to put it all together and prepared 12 fresh ideas for you , which will be useful in the arrangement of a comfortable modern kitchen.
1. A fresh look at the configuration of the suite
A new trend in kitchen design - the maximum departure from traditional cabinets, shelves and the usual layouts. Global manufacturers offer to look at the kitchen as a residential, multifunctional space that involves something more than just cooking and storing dishes.
Don't limit yourself to the standard set of elements: start designing your kitchen according to your own needs. Add shelving, niches, hanging structures, showcases, consoles, chests of drawers - or, on the contrary, give up everything superfluous, leaving the most necessary. Design your kitchen exactly the way you want it to be.
2. Water purification system
A modern kitchen is inconceivable without health care and a built-in water purification system. This point should not be neglected: after all, the well-being of the whole family largely depends on the water that we drink and use in cooking.
3.
Concealed induction hob Induction hobs are becoming more and more popular due to their ease of use and high level of safety. However, technology continues to evolve - and now designers are offering panels that are almost completely built into the countertop (so that only controls are visible on the surface).
4. Smart Microwave
LG has taken a fresh look at the microwave with the new Smart Microwave NeoChef. The device surpasses all traditional ideas about microwave ovens and differs not only in technical advantages, but also in a minimalistic design that is relevant today. Instead of unnecessary details and buttons, there is a touch-sensitive intuitive control panel. By the way, it is thanks to her that using the NeoChef microwave oven is easier and more convenient than any other.
Also for the attractive appearance of the LG NeoChef microwave oven is the door made of solid tempered glass, without frames and joints, and for additional convenience in using the device - a rounded hidden handle.
With a glossy front combined with a matte finish for a stylish contrast, the NeoChef microwave oven will be a highlight in any modern kitchen. By the way, the model is presented in different colors and with different door designs - it will not be difficult to choose the “ideal” microwave oven for your kitchen.
5. Transforming kitchens
Another absolute trend in the interior of modern kitchens is the possibility of transformation. Work areas hidden behind sliding doors, a swivel bar counter, a retractable tabletop and all kinds of built-in appliances - all these techniques allow you to fit the set into the living space as much as possible and make the environment more flexible and comfortable.
Design: Branislav Varnicic
Design: Branislav Varnicic
Design: Philippe Starck
Design: Philippe Starck
6. New generation dishwashers
New developments of modern appliance manufacturers never cease to amaze.
So, there are already dishwashers that clean dishes using steam or ultrasound.
Steam dishwashers are more efficient at removing difficult soils, are quieter and more gentle on dishes. Ultrasonic, in turn, can boast of cost-effectiveness: they require neither water nor detergents, and they consume minimal electricity.
7. Sensory trash can
Technology has reached even such a seemingly unremarkable piece of kitchen furniture as a trash can. Manufacturers equipped it with touch sensors and gave us the opportunity to get rid of debris without touching the lid and without pressing any pedals. Which, you see, is quite convenient.
8. Non-standard kitchen apron
Arranging a modern kitchen requires a new look at many details, including the apron. The most famous world designers suggest using not the most familiar materials for this purpose: slate paint, natural wood, mirror tiles, pebbles, metal sheets.
Such a non-standard kitchen backsplash can perform a variety of functions, from practical to decorative.
Design: Inna Usubyan
9. Thoughtful interior fittings set
Dividers for drawers, additional accessories for shelves and cabinets, hooks, containers, boxes – a modern kitchen set is unthinkable without decent filling that simplifies storage and helps organize space .
10. Unusual facade materials
Furniture manufacturers are looking for ways to use new materials not only for backsplashes, but also for cabinet fronts. So, among natural wear-resistant actual materials, stone veneer, metal, tempered glass can be distinguished.
Design: Zoya Korolkova
Design: Jean-Louis Deniot
11. Waste disposer
A small functional detail that makes life easier for housewives and helps avoid blockages.
12. Multi-level lighting
It is impossible to imagine a comfortable modern kitchen without thoughtful multi-level lighting. The times of a single chandelier in the center of the ceiling are a thing of the past: today housewives need technical, general and local light.
Helpful Kitchen Ideas, Simple and Functional Kitchen Tips
Get it and do it, these are some of the easiest tips we've ever published.
Editor's note: A couple of times a month we show the best material from our archives. This one was published in August 2016, but has not become less relevant since then.
Sometimes the most interesting and striking solutions lie right on the surface, but we stubbornly ignore them. Fixing it! Here is a selection of unexpected and easy-to-implement ideas for the kitchen. Find yours
CaSA - Colombo and Serboli Architecture
1. Playing Permutations
Several rows of pegs in the wall and a couple of shelves will be needed to create an interesting design that will allow you to store kitchen utensils there and quickly diversify the situation by simply changing the location of the shelves. Among other things, unoccupied pegs can be used as hooks for potholders and towels.
Ossa Casa
2. To the sound of music
It is not always appropriate to watch TV while cooking, especially if you have to work a lot with a knife. But pleasant music is the very thing, but for this you need speakers, the installation of which never reaches the hands.
Advice: In order not to suffer from wiring, you can buy a wireless model. The price depends on the capacity of the battery, some can go months without recharging.
3. Working with the window
Someone will find this solution controversial: pans on the window? But if the kitchen is tiny, there is no room for a bar on the wall, why not use a “relaxed” window. The bonus of such a decision: the slightest speck on the dishes will be noticeable, and therefore you will wash it with tripled strength.
Read also ...
12 ways to fall in love ... in the kitchen life
Studio Maria Boyarovo
4.
Light at a different angle of
It would seem that nothing supernatural, but visually double -controlled lights are created by the playful, uninhabited, unreliable, uninhabited, uninhabited and at the same time mysterious. So if artificial light sources are not enough for you, then sconces fixed at 45 degrees are ideal candidates.
SEE ALSO
In a new light: Architectural light as the basis of the interior
. In addition, when stools are not needed, they can always be hidden. And it's better than rolling your office chair from the next room to the common table. Although, as they say, the master is the master.
SEE ALSO
Keep it simple: 31 hacks for a small kitchen It is logical to find a more practical place for them, and this place can be the bottom of a hanging kitchen cabinet.
It's not as crazy as it seems at first glance! Just glue the lids on the jars or screw them to the bottom of the cabinet to make sure you don't lose sight of your favorite spices.
And those who say that it is inconvenient to unscrew them can use magnetic strips and jars with metal lids.
Nina Frolova
Nina Frolova
7. Sudden landscaping
If it seems to you that an apron made of glass, marble or stainless steel is too ordinary, then meet the Dutch artificial grass option! On this green, splashes and drops of fat are practically not visible, and due to division into small rectangles and Velcro mounting, the entire structure can be easily removed and washed without problems.
Although if you are an ardent fan of fried foods and you have a frying pan on the fire around the clock, then it is better to abandon the greens in favor of more hardy and heat-resistant options.
Tip: Better get basket lids, otherwise you will have to store a fair amount of dust along with things.
Lauren Bryan Knight
9.
On the shelves
No one likes to rummage half-bent in deep bottom cabinets to find the right pot. In addition, it will definitely end up in the farthest corner ... But the stepladder for arranging pots will never “put you on your knees” again. At any time of the day or night, you can silently choose the right dishes, and the ladder itself looks quite original.
Ksenia Bobrikova. Xenia Design Studio
10. Transparent curves
At first glance, there is nothing special about a glass dining table, even if it is an unusual shape. However, the advantage of such “roundness” is that more people will fit comfortably here than at a regular-shaped table.
SEE ALSO…
Microtrends: Furniture that floats in the air
ricard galiana . architecture
11. Weighty details
Many people do not pay attention to the appearance of sockets, switches and other small details.
And very in vain! It is these little things that can become bright and unique accents that set the tone for the entire interior, as do the colorful yellow rosettes shown in the photo.
Andrew Snow Photography
12. Mysterious Door
It would seem, what can be done with an old and peeling door? But this faded turquoise has found an excellent use as a screen covering household appliances stowed in a small niche. The door is sawn into three sections: the top one is a microwave oven, the middle one is a refrigerator, and the freezer is hidden below.
Pavel Zheleznov
13. Versatile approach
When the kitchen is very small and there is simply no space for a table, you can sacrifice one of the lower drawers of the headset and leave the place under the countertop free (especially if there is a radiator), and into the empty space put up a stool.
In this way, the working area can quickly turn into a dining area and vice versa.
Andrew Snow Photography
14. Checking the perimeter
A very simple, but original and catchy trick is to use a plywood baseboard as a kitchen plinth. And when we finished with the bottom, do not forget about the LED lighting above the upper cabinets, which will visually raise the ceiling and additionally illuminate the kitchen.
HyggeLiG
15. Tactile contact
Want to update your kitchen set quickly? Replace old, obsolete handles with leather ones that are so pleasant to the touch. All we need is to cut the straps of the required length (about 17 centimeters), make holes in them and fix them with bolts. Choose the color of the skin at your discretion, depending on the color of the headset: it can be a classic black, brown or even a red shade.
Advice: There should be no problems with preparing all the necessary tools, but the main material can be searched in online stores for manufacturers of leather goods, there are almost two-meter leather ribbons just the width we need is two to three centimeters.
