It's hard to believe both photos are the same room. Actually, it's hard to believe many things about the first photo, but let's not judge (for those naysayers, simply look at the canned lighting and ceiling fan in both pictures which show it's the same room). The task I was handed to complete in one day was to help these lovely homeowners clear their "stuff" and get it ready for a real estate photo shoot. With a somewhat overwhelming task at hand (and even more overwhelmed clients) I asked them to leave their home in my hands, and then graciously asked them to leave their home for a few hours so I could get to work. What I'm trying to show in this post is that anyone can do what I did for ZERO MONEY OUT OF POCKET...I didn't Trompe l'oeil a wall, hand paint intricate designs on the floor, install molding, cover a wall in fabric...in fact, I didn't even PAINT a wall or trim whatsoever. I simply organized the "stuff" by finding proper homes for lingering items, tossing empty boxes and re-arranged things the homeowners had in various rooms throughout their home. One obstacle the realtor saw was a strange ledge in this tiny nook. If the clients had more time and budget, I would either suggest building the ledge up and creating bookshelves or simply sheet rocking it in. Instead, I found an interesting piece of art and placed it right on top. The once messy, indistinguishable space has now become and interesting focal point in the room, and more importantly, the clients feel a sense of calm and relief with a cleaner, more organized space. As a kid I re-arranged my bedroom several times a year and each and every transformation, as big or little as it was, made me feel energized, happy and excited to live in my space. Give it a try, you might just be surprised by what's lurking around the corner!
