Philosophers value its essence (“There is no place more delightful than one’s own fireplace” ~Cicero). Authors glorify it (“You are a king or queen by your own fireside, as much as any monarch on the throne” ~ Cervantes). Poets romanticize about it (“Flames dancing, Wood popping, Satin and lace, Love by the fireplace” ~ Lamar Cole).
And home stagers love the fireplace as a focal point. But we also often have a conundrum about it especially when the fireplace is in the family room!!!
How do you draw attention to the fireplace when the family room also should have a place for a television? If you stage the family room without considering the placement of a television then the buyer is left with questions about where their 48”-1080p HD set will go in that room. If you stage for the television as the focal point, odds are that the furniture placement obscures the fireplace.
What to do? What to do?
My solution is to keep the fireplace as the natural focal point. It provides architectural interest in the house. It can display interesting art that makes the family room come alive. And, the fireplace evokes the emotions of home and hearth in the imagination of the buyer.
I also make sure to show how a TV can function in the family room. For example in the Redbud project, I placed a console and large mirror (with a sign that read “Imagine Your TV here”) to the right of the fireplace and with sight lines from the furniture. The buyer can enjoy the beauty of the fireplace but also imagine the functionality of the family room as a center of activity.
As you know with a professionally staged house, buyers imagine living in that house and making it their home. A buyer will imagine their best selves living in the home. And if we do it right, buyers imagine the possibilities of sitting near the warmth of their fireplace while watching a Blue ray DVD of the latest blockbuster movie!!
Remember to dwell in possibilities!
Cindy
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