Why is it that some people can make a cow shed look like a castle? What is it that causes them to see the world, and especially the space around them in a colorful and different way than the rest of us?

I have a friend, Christa Hall, who transformed her 1930’s bungalow into a magical space with colorful prints, floral tablecloths and a variety of colors on the walls. She saw things that I would have never thought of, so I thought I’d pick her brain about her process. Here are a few of the tips she had to make your house into a magazine worthy home, and get the best price possible when you sell.

Don’t be afraid of color.

Don’t be afraid of mixing different patterns together.

Mix and match different wall hangings but look for a central color scheme

Furniture & Pictures size should match the size of the room and walls..

It doesn’t have to be expensive to look good.

Find focal points in the room

Find things that you love, unless it’s universally disliked. (We’ll talk about that later.)

Let’s talk about color. There is a theory that you should paint your home in a neutral color before selling and sometimes that is good advice, especially if the home will be vacant when you list it, but if you are still living there, let’s make the best impression possible and color can be your friend. Even dated colors like Forest Green or Mauve can be trendy if paired with the right wall prints and patterns.

Prints and Patterns…. When I was younger it was considered gauche to mix a floral pattern with, let’s say a checkered pattern, whether it was clothing or furnishings. Everything was matchy, matchy and this is what dates your home. Now, you can mix and match as long as you have a common theme or color amongst the furnishings. This also applies to wall prints. As long as you have a common color that runs through the prints, photos or paintings you can pair them together.

Size matters when you are furnishing your rooms or decorating the walls. I know what it’s like to go to Furniture Row and pick out a matching set of living room furniture in beige, complete with the large overstuffed sectional, dragging it into my 1950’s ranch style house where it looked like an overstuffed sausage. I forgot that living rooms in the 1950’s were much smaller and accommodated things like a divan or davenport, as my grandmother called it. For some of you that are too young to know what that is, it’s a couch.

When you are getting ready to sell your home, evaluate the size of the room with the amount of furniture you have placed in there. You might decide to take a few of the pieces out and store them, or better yet, sell them. Another mistake people make is putting every piece of furniture against a wall which leaves a huge space in the center of the room. It’s awkward, much like the pause I get when I ask for real butter for my pancakes at a Denny’s. Moving furniture away from the walls creates a more cozy atmosphere and allows more options for placement. It will also make the room appear larger.

When placing pictures or a gallery of pictures, take note of the size of the wall in comparison to the size of the picture. A 5 X 7 picture on a 13 foot wall will sit there like an unwelcome guest, alone and pitiful. Also, framed paintings or pictures should be at eye level. Don’t place them over the hole in the wall where your old air conditioning unit used to be just because you don’t want to fix the problem. I can tell you from experience that people will notice.

Want to find something unique? Go to a flea market. You can pick up interesting pieces for your home without spending a mint. Again, have something in mind along with a color that might add a little jazz to your room. You can mix something old with something new and create a fun look.

Focus A focal point can be anything from a gallery of pictures, to your fireplace. This is where you want the eye to travel when they enter a room. If you have a mishmash of everything scattered about, or worse, nothing to look at, the room can feel unfinished.

Buy what you love!

Keep it to yourself if….

What are the biggest irritations in decor? What drives you crazy?

I’ll start. Farmhouse signs telling you where to eat, sit, laugh, love, pray, etc. I’m going to get pushback because it’s very popular along with gray vinyl plank flooring, but I’m ready to move on.

Christa Hall is a busy American National Agent in Springfield. She is also an avid gardener with a flair for decorating. I listed and sold Christa and James home last year, and received multiple offers over asking price. The home and yard were impeccable and all of the credit goes to Christa and James.

If you are thinking of selling your home and would like some tips for getting the best price, I would be happy to help. If you are starting the process of buying a home and would like to know what are first steps, I can help with that too.