You might think an outdoor deck would be the selling point for a one-bedroom condo in Chicago’s vibrant Lakeview neighborhood. But when said outdoor patio is bigger than the interior living space, it could turn out to be a challenge instead. Luckily Molly Marino, the expert home stager and designing real estate broker of Home by Molly Marino, was hired to help.
“A fellow agent asked me to help him stage this space, as he was worried that the size was going to be problematic for the list price,” Marino says.
Despite the super-cool factor of the location — the building is an old movie theater that was converted into loft condos — the property was priced rather high for the interior square footage, at $319,000. Then, there was the issue of the bedroom not having a fully closed-off wall. “Those don’t often command high prices here, because you want privacy,” Marino explained.
The property was already vacant, so Marino got to work. Her main task: Flip the configuration of the living room to make better use of the space. “I really had to show that the living space could be gracious,” she said, noting that the orientation of the space “didn’t make any sense.”
She arranged a full-size sofa and two side chairs, and then she moved the TV to the wall above the fireplace. Instead of watching TV with the city view behind the homeowner, the view of the city would now be to their right. Marino says the new arrangement “pulls your eye to all that exterior light and exterior space you have.” It’s what makes the otherwise neutral modern boho aesthetic more interesting, she explains.
To create more balance in the living room, Marino added a plant to one side of the fireplace. On the other side, she added some decor to the floating shelves. Although the gray wall color was dated, she created a modern boho look by adding a rug and decor in shades of gray, cream, and beige. Throughout the condo, she hung black and white artwork to complement the “industrial vibe” of the exposed ductwork. The decorative plates on the wall in the living room cover up the original TV wall mount.
In the kitchen, Marino added a small round table to create a dining space. Even though there was room to sit at the bar stools at the peninsula countertop, she wanted to demonstrate that there was space for additional seating.
As in the living room, Marino flipped the configuration in the long, narrow bedroom. The bed’s headboard had originally been up against the far wall, but it made the bed hog most of the space, she says. Instead, she flipped the headboard to the curved wall and added two nightstands and a Z-shaped console.
“I think people see this configuration less,” she says of the bedroom’s new layout. “They wouldn’t think to do it this way.”
“You’ve got to show people, even if it’s not the way the space was intended, how it can work,” she explains.
Normally, Marino would have staged the outdoor deck to show what could be done with the vast space. The simple reason she skipped it? “It’s winter in Chicago,” she said. Rather than risk damage to furniture and decor, she simply turned the two existing chairs toward the view of the city.
Had it been warmer weather, Marino would have certainly recommended staging the deck as well. Although the staging would have come at a premium, she says, “It probably would have netted them more in the end.” Although she’s not a huge fan of virtual staging, she did recommend it to the agent to show off just how expansive the deck was.
In the end, any concerns about the condo sale turned out to be unfounded. With Marino’s staging, the apartment was listed at $319,900 and sold at $324,900 after just seven days on the market. Given that her staging cost $2,500, it was well worth the investment.
