Case Study #3  Single Family Home     A few simple changes…good to great!          BEFORE:  This beautifully sunlight dining space was under utilized originally.  The formal dining table was folded down to its smallest square, with nothing else in the room.  You might think that this would create the illusion of more square feet, but it had the opposite effect.  The room seemed more like an overgrown hallway, than a spacious dining room.                  AFTER:  By opening all the leaves of the dining table, we are showing potential buyers a sense of scale-WOW, a dining room that can easily seat 12.  Ideally, we would have placed the dining room table in the center of the room.  However in this case it would have interrupted the traffic flow through to the sliding doors and patio.  The table is set  a little away from the wall, to lend a sense of ease to the space.   To balance the room, and hint at its other use as a family sitting room, we moved an upholstered chair into the corner.  The floral curtains were removed and replaced by a simple monochromatic valance to highlight the paned windows.                           Before:  Just a few too many things distracting your eye from the simple beauty of the wooden floors, sunny windows and neat  living space.           After:  This living room was almost show-ready before we arrived.  We pared it down just a bit: removed the small display shelf under the window, an extra pillow, and the knick-knacks on the end table.  We added a floor lamp and ottoman to make a threesome with the rocker in the corner.  The red book is the first “eye stop” in the room as you enter,  next  is  the red pillow on the couch to draw the eye into the room.  We also wanted to make the entrance open and roomy, with a clear path into the living room.                     Before:  These bedrooms are small, and looked even smaller with the beds backed right into the corner(s).  Also, the more things on the floor, bed, dressers and walls shrink the feel of these rooms.  Here less is really more.  In the master, the bed itself lacked a focus.  In the spare room, the bed was overcrowded and too busy.                         After:  We moved the bed(s) away from the wall(s).  This creates a shadow which creates the  illusion of ease.  We stored extra books, stuffed animals, bedding, area rugs and and wall prints to streamline and simplify the rooms.  We brought in a blanket and pillows from the living room for a pop of color on the double bed.  We flipped the comforter on the twin bed to a more subdued pattern.