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Positives: Built-in bookcases and original woodwork.
Negatives: Too many knickknacks and poor lighting.
The study in this Cedar Lake-area home in Minneapolis normally would be considered a great bonus space, but with so much to look at, it was difficult to find the positives.
"The space felt very cramped, cluttered and dark," said Lori Matzke of Centerstagehome.com. "We wanted to create a brighter and more visually spacious room to give potential buyers a better idea of how livable the space could actually be."
Here's what she did:
Rolled up the area rug to give buyers a better look at the carpeting and to lighten up the mood of the room. Removing area rugs also creates visual square footage and shows a buyer that you have nothing to hide.
Matzke moved one of the three blue velvet occasional chairs to the living room to create more space.
The remaining two chairs were angled in opposite corners to open a pathway through the room and to create a sense of balance.
The dated office chair was put in storage to make room for a white upholstered wingback chair that had been blocking the entrance to the living room.
Two-thirds of the collectibles on the display shelves were packed away to focus attention on the room, not the stuff. Matzke reserved a few of the larger, brighter pieces and arranged them to brighten up the space and keep the buyer's eye moving through the room with bright shots of turquoise and gold.
The room was too dark, so Matzke removed the shades from the vintage light fixture and replaced the low-wattage bulbs with high-wattage bulbs to brighten the space.
The fixture, left in place for an upcoming estate sale, was dusted and cleaned. Matzke also replaced the desk lamp and its black shade with an antique brass lamp with a brighter shade.
Clutter on the desktop was packed away, the carpet protector was removed and the wastebasket and clutter under the desk were tucked into a far corner to hide them from view.
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