18th Century Colonial with a Modern Twist!

Recently we staged an 18th Century Colonial in Townsend, MA. When we tell you we were in awe with this home, we aren't kidding! You guys know here at JAD we love a historic New England home and this was just that, with so much character and so much charm throughout. As you guys may already know, our typical JAD style is antique modern - so you could say we were really in our element with this one! I mean come on... the original hardwood floors and the wooden beam ceilings - to die for! In modern day homes you don't see character like this anymore so we wanted to make it a point to highlight all the original beauty this gem had to offer.

We can't stress this enough, staging makes ALL the difference !! Over 50% of agents say that staging increases a home's value from anywhere between 1%-10%. When potential buyers step foot into your home, believe it or not, it only takes about 3 seconds for them to realize if they like the property or not. As the seller, first impressions of your home are everything! Staging uses design and functionality techniques to have the potential buyers be able to walk through your home and envision it as their own. It's all about creating a space that buyers can emotionally connect with. With that being said, it's important to create a light and airy feel in the space. First things first, declutter. Nobody wants to see a space filled with unnecessary junk. Second, depersonalize your space. We know family photos are what makes a home feel "homey" but, it's hard for buyers to envision themselves living in a space filled with photos of strangers. Lastly, refresh your walls and give them a fresh coat of paint (try to stick with a neutral color). We promise you, these simple steps will make all the difference in your home! Once that part is all done, the rest you can leave to the professionals! We know exactly how to decorate your spaces to appeal to potential buyers, so let us help!

Staging tip: contrary to popular belief, brining furniture into a space actually makes the room appear bigger! Of course, you don't want to fill the room with tons of bulky furniture and unnecessary clutter, but when you furnish a room with the right pieces the space will feel more open!

A picture is worth a thousand words, so take a look and see for yourself how we completely transformed these empty rooms into functional living spaces!

First glimpse at this living room we knew it had a lot of potential, it just came down to picking out the right furniture pieces to fill the space. We wanted the room to have a light and airy feel so we went with a light gray couch and a simple patterned beige rug. We wanted to match the warm tones of the rust walls, so we decided to incorporate these deep grayish blue accents chairs for a more subtle pop of color! As far as decor, we used a lot of greenery to breath life into the space. Last but most certainly not least is the floral art work, such a vibrant yet elegant piece! Everything tied together beautifully!

Next was this quaint little room on the second floor. This room made for the perfect office space, so that's what we did! This particular room had so much personality, from the corky little built in shelving, to the beautifully hardwood flooring. Our goal was to keep the simplicity of the room, and let the original character highlight the the space. Since the walls were a bright yellow, we decided to bring in a dark walnut desk to warm the space up a bit. We wanted to add a small seating area in the corner and this light gray ottoman was perfect! We simple added up deep blue accent pillows and a plaid throw and it fit the space flawlessly! We loved this matching fern art set, the gold frame was just the modern touch this office needed. Work from home? With an office space like this? Absolutely, sign me up!

Now check out this before and after - we saved the best for last! We're not going to lie, when we first walked into this bedroom and saw the deep green wall color we got a little nervous. Green is a risky color, and can often scare buyers off. Lucky enough here at JAD, we love a good challenge! This room was extremely dark, so a reoccurring thought when decorating this space was how can we brighten this space up? We decided to embrace the green and found colors that would pop, but still compliment deep green. We decided to go with teal and a light coastal blue, and we're so glad we did! The bed was for sure a focal point in this space, the crisp white bedding and the cool shades of blue! The lamps made such a big difference in this space, they brought light into the space (of course), but also from a design standpoint dressed up the room nicely. Again, when decorating this space we didn't want to take away from all the natural character of the home so we decorated lightly with some simple greenery and frames. We promise you, these little touches make all the difference!

Our goal was to add a modern twist to this home while still showcasing all of the historic charm, and we did just that! The homeowners were so thrilled when they saw the results, and when our clients are happy, we're even happier!

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As always, we appreciate any ideas, input, and feedback from our community and clients. So drop us a line in the comments below, chat with us on our Facebook page or email us at josh@joshuaallendesign.com! Don't forget to follow us on instagram (@joshuaallendesign) Twitter (@j_allen_design) and subscribe to our YouTube channel, where we post new design-related videos each week!