More than once I’ve walked into a home with a formal living room that has the pool table sitting in it. The trick is to avoid turning the space into a total man cave.
Guys, no Scarface or golf posters, or alters to your favorite sports team. Gotta keep it classy, otherwise few women will go along with this idea. Add a nice pub table in the corner, a tall bookcase set up for liquor and barware, maybe a television mounted on a wall; just don’t junk it up.
Granted, this isn’t for everyone, but sometimes, access to the basement or its layout makes placement of a pool table impossible down there. But because the living room rarely gets used, a game area is a perfect solution if you’re trying to make good use of every room in your home.
Another memorable set-up of the formal living/dining room space was when the homeowners flipped the two rooms. Their large plantation table and cabinet wouldn’t fit in the smaller dining room. So, they moved it all into the larger living room.
Then, the smallish dining room was turned into a lounge, complete with two leather chairs, a bar, and their music station. There was a third TV room with seating, so every requirement was met.
When I arrived to stage these homes to sell, I left these non-traditional set-ups as they were. Here’s my rationale:
- This was not a unique home layout. Most buyers will have seen it a million times, and seen it set up in the more traditional way at the other locations.
- This home stood apart from the crowd. It was probably the first time that buyers would see a new way of using an otherwise tired layout.
- The set-up gave this home an edge. It was a way for this home to be remembered in the crowd of homes they would tour.
- Everything was impermanent. Once the furnishings left, the home could be used in a traditional way. A light fixture hanging over the pool table can be replaced by a flush-mount fixture, ceiling fan, or an unused plate.
Would you enjoy your very own mini-episode of HGTV’s Love It or List It? Call me to get a fresh set of eyes on your home and see how it could be repurposed to get what you need!
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Copyright © 2022 by Cynthia Gentry Black, Home Staging by Cynthia, LLC in Kansas City.
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