When you are upsizing for the first time it’s all a bit of a mystery and you are not sure what you need to do, if anything, other than instruct your estate agent. Your agent is part of the marketing process because, after all, when selling your home you are selling a product just like a car, a dress, or a sofa. Infact you are selling a dream – a dream of what life is going to be like for the buyer.
Think about looking through an interiors magazine. You read the story about how the homeowners transformed the property and you see the photos. Those images will demonstrate the home owners life – a line of wellies lined up in a hallway, a cosy corner with a comfy chair draped with a throw, a tray with tea things on a coffee table. It’s similar with adverts for luxury cars. Who are your target market and what kind of life do they aspire to? One area of the home where you can create this aspirational feel is in a bedroom. With people traveling widely even for mini breaks the “boutique hotel style” has become increasingly popular. For these tips I’m taking inspiration from this Superior Grade room at the London Mandarin Oriental.
Décor
The décor is understated with soft grey walls, grey curtains and wooden flooring which provides a neutral backdrop against which the other elements stand out. This works perfectly when selling because the neutral setting allows your buyers to imagine themselves living in the property and can easily be changed to suit their tastes. These Compton eyelet headed curtains from John Lewis have a textured finish with sheen that gives a fabulously glamorous feel. In the Mandarin Oriental, gilded mirror artwork has been used to form a feature behind the bed, but a wallpaper would give a similar feel and when a design has been discontinued a couple of rolls can be bought cheaply. The rug softens the wooden flooring for walking on and introduces an element of colour for interest.
Furniture
This particular room features a desk with chair. You might not need a desk but a console table and chair which could be used as a desk or a dressing table is a nice touch if you have room. A small occasional chair is somewhere to sit and relax. A feature of the hotel bedroom above is the statement headboard and matching bench style seating. This teal blue upholstered headboard by Mercury Row at Wayfair has similar impact. However, one very cheap and effective trick is to use a piece of stunning fabric such as the Velika Velvet range by Harlequin pictured below to cover a plain headboard using a staple gun. Use the same fabric to cover the lid of an ottoman at the foot of the bed.
Finishing Touches
A beautifully dressed bed is an essential component of the look. Start with plain white bedlinen of a good quality (remember you will be taking it with you so it’s worth investing, I like The White Company) and dress with a bed runner or throw. I think cushions stacked at the head of the bed are a nice finishing touch although they haven’t been used at the Oriental. A pair of bedside tables with lamps provides symmetry and positioning a book and small bud vase with a few flowers and perhaps a scented candle creates the lifestyle, viewers can picture themselves relaxing with a good book before going to sleep.
Although the bedroom at the Mandarin Oriental is definitely at the luxury end, it is certainly possible to develop the same ambience on a more modest budget appropriate for when you sell.
Like what you’ve read and need some help? Call now on 07745 876182 or e mail info@homestyle4u.com. I cover Wirral, Cheshire and the North West
