A Stormy Staging Experience!

Recently, North Carolina was hammered with an unusually heavy snowstorm that left most of us snowbound for a few days!  Rare snow events of this magnitude happen here in central North Carolina only once or twice each decade, so I relished every moment of this one!  I thoroughly enjoyed spending that first snow day relaxing on my sofa and watching the snow fall for an entire afternoon, into the evening hours!  The following day, my son and I sledded with our good friends for most of the day and again, by candlelight, that night!  What fun!

However, today's blog is about a storm of a different kind that I experienced just a few days prior to that beautiful snowstorm.  It began on a Friday afternoon, when I received word that my proposal to stage a home in our town had been accepted, and I would be expected to have the home ready for photographing by the following Friday.  I spent most of Saturday feverishly shopping for furniture, art, accessories, and rugs. Then, on Sunday morning, rumors of a big snowstorm moving in on Thursday began to circulate, and I felt a little uneasy about finishing the job in just four days, but I remained fairly confident that I could finish on time!  By Sunday evening, however, the forecast was changed to snow on Wednesday, and suddenly, I had two short days to finish shopping for furniture, moving everything in, and setting up the house! To say I was more than a little nervous about how I was going to pull this one off, is a gross understatement!

I am certain that, under these snowy circumstances, the realtor and the homeowners would have understood if I had postponed the staging until the following week, but I wanted to be able to enjoy this rare snow event!  I did not want to have even one thought concerning the how-to and the what-if challenges that are part of every installation that I complete.  I felt if I put my nose to the grindstone, I could get this job done in time to enjoy the impending snow days with my young son!  So, for the next two long days, I shopped, painted, arranged, rearranged, hammered, and drove many miles back and forth between Raleigh and Greensboro, determined to get the job done! And at 10:00 pm on Tuesday night, I put the finishing touches on the house and vacuumed my way out the front door, feeling completely exhausted, yet relieved and satisfied that I had given my very best effort to finish the job.  After a quick trip to the grocery store, I made it home just in time to savor every beautiful moment of the next two snow days!

Here are the before and after photos from that stormy staging experience:

Master Bedroom

 

 Master Bedroom Before

The headboard, nightstands, lamps, bench, and framed art were
consignment store finds.

Master Bedroom After

The Bachelor's Chest was a nice Craigslist find.
I purchased this lamp from Target.


The Dining Room

Dining Room Before

Dining Room After

My friend helped me paint these dining chairs and reupholster their seats.  I got them for a great deal at my favorite consignment store.
The table was from a wholesaler in High Point, NC.  Tuesday Morning had just received a shipment of rugs on Tuesday morning, and I snatched this navy trellis pattern one for a song!

The Family Room

Family Room Before

Family Room After

The chairs, the table, and the lamp are great consignment finds!

The sofa and the framed art were more great consignment finds!  The coffee table
and the side table were purchased from a High Point wholesaler.

The Sunroom

Sunroom Before

Sunroom After

The Reading Room

 Reading Room/Office Before

Looking back through the window as I headed home!

Reading Room After
The chairs and oval table were purchased
from the consignment store.  Baskets were a fun Tuesday Morning find.
The console table was from High Point.
  Hobby Lobby had a half-price sale on
their posters, making nice, inexpensive artwork!