After my recent post on the quick makeover on my mothers kitchen, I wanted to follow up with another room makeover, this time one of her favourite spots, the sun room. However, this room was also a place for my mothers large upright freezer, 2 sofas, three chairs, a coffee table and lots of ornaments and pictures. Looking beyond the clutter I could still see the perfect extra living space that would help sell her home.
When re-decorating a place to sell, think, "de-clutter", which was the first thing I did in respect of this room. I know my mother wouldn't like me using the word clutter, but seriously when most of the surface area has either furniture, vases, pictures or ornaments, there is only one word "clutter." I began by removing 80% of the items and left approximately 20%. I decided to paint the dark faux wood panelling a neutral white (Resene Ricecake) to create a sense of more space. I painted the ceiling and woodwork around the windows in Resene Alabaster. The dark stained cupboards got a coat of sealer, two undercoats and a top coat of Alabaster this also helped create a sense of space. The interior of the cupboards kept their original dark stain, this added contrast and cut down on painting time. The existing floor tiles worked well, remember this makeover was to help sell the property, the floor tiles were in good condition and I knew they would be enhanced by the complete makeover.
After the room had a fresh coat of paint I had to determine what to do with the area where mum had previously kept the upright freezer. This area was slightly elevated off the floor, it had originally been a cupboard where the doors were removed when she needed a place for the freezer. A simple solution was to disguise this odd space by filling the area with something that would draw the eye to the item not the space. My kind neighbour had a large woven basket which was a perfect solution, alternatively I could have used a large plant. When styling I placed a few branches in the vase which filled up the empty wall area above.
If you look back at image one you will see a sheer curtain valence at the top of the window. I removed the valence then realised, there was a piece of timber across the outside of the window which they had been hiding. My simple solution can be seen in image 2, ready made bamboo blinds purchased at the warehouse for about $40. The blinds were hung on small metal cup hooks screwed onto the window frame, one at each end and one in the middle. This gave a more contemporary look and could easily be dropped down for some added privacy.
Keeping the existing cane chairs I removed the dated scatter cushions and replaced them with contemporary blue and white cushions which determined my colour scheme. I removed the dated glass lampshade and replaced it with an inexpensive, paper lantern. A large blue and white lamp placed in the corner gave a more lived in feeling. On open day I added a few other accessories but kept these down to a minimum. I won't ramble on "a picture speaks a thousand words". Again I apologise for the before photo as it was during the process of sorting and packing. Note: the old freezer in the corner. Oh! and that little blue door you can see by the fridge, I completely removed it and used the space as a magazine shelf (as seen in image 4).
I was really pleased with the overall results and it certainly helped to get a quick sale. When you are selling a home remember, less is best, make the most of a few good pieces. I hope this post inspires you to update a space in your own home without having to spend lots of hard earned dollars.
I will be sharing this post with the following blog parties:
