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    • ◊ BELMONT HEIGHTS ◊ EST 7 MAY 2002
    • ◊ BLUFF HEIGHTS ◊ EST 13 JULY 2004
    • ◊ BLUFF PARK ◊ EST 29 JULY 1982
    • ◊ BRENNER PLACE ◊ EST 1 JAN 1994
    • ◊ CALIFORNIA HEIGHTS ◊ EST 29 AUG 2000
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    • ◊ ELIOT LANE ◊ EST 9 SEP 2003
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    • ◊ LINDEN AVENUE ◊ EST 5 APRIL 1994
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    • ◊ NEHYAM NEIGHBORHOOD ◊ EST ?15 OCT 2019?
    • ◊ MINERVA PARK PLACE ◊ EST 7 NOV 1989
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  • LONG BEACH HISTORY | 1784 to 1988
    • IMPORTANT DATES IN THE HISTORY OF RANCHO LOS CERRITOS
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    • ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT DESIGN
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    • MOST HOMES HAVE A PAST …
    • LEVELS OF HISTORIC DESIGNATION
    • MILLS ACT
    • HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF LONG BEACH
  • LONG BEACH MEDIA
  • STAGING 1,2,3
  • Home
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Billy OBrien, REALTOR®, Calif.
Century 21 Award, Calif.
562-726-4183
DRE 01952648
hello@iambillyobrien.realtor
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inception-app-prod/M2M5Y2M0ODMtM2YxZC00NzY1LThmY2YtNzhhNjhhOTgwYmFj/content/2020/10/lisalbhh-logo-orange-and-olivev2-2.gif
  • THE POWER OF THE BRAND
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT BILLY
    • CONTACT BILLY
    • CERTIFICATIONS
    • OUR COMPANY
    • OUR BLOG
  • SUCCESS STORIES
  • WHAT’S MY HOME WORTH?
  • BUY WITH CONFIDENCE
  • GET YOUR LOCAL MARKET DATA REPORT
  • SCHEDULE A BUYER OR SELLER CONSULTATION
  • SCHEDULE A HOME TOUR
  • HOMES FOR SALE
    • MORE ABOUT THE 18 HISTORIC DISTRICTS
    • LONG BEACH HISTORIC HOMES
    • ◊ BELMONT HEIGHTS ◊ EST 7 MAY 2002
    • ◊ BLUFF HEIGHTS ◊ EST 13 JULY 2004
    • ◊ BLUFF PARK ◊ EST 29 JULY 1982
    • ◊ BRENNER PLACE ◊ EST 1 JAN 1994
    • ◊ CALIFORNIA HEIGHTS ◊ EST 29 AUG 2000
    • ◊ CARROLL PARK ◊ EST 24 JULY 1990
    • ◊ CRAFTSMAN VILLAGE ◊ EST 27 OCT 1992
    • ◊ DRAKE PARK / WILLMORE CITY ◊ EST 28 APR 1998
    • ◊ ELIOT LANE ◊ EST 9 SEP 2003
    • ◊ ROSE PARK SOUTH ◊ EST 7 AUG 2001
    • ◊ SUNRISE BOULEVARD ◊ EST 20 DEC 1990
    • ◊ WILTON STREET ◊ EST 1 AUG 1995
    • ◊ WRIGLEY ◊ EST 12 DEC 1989
    • LONG BEACH HISTORIC DISTRICT VIDEOS
    • CLIFF MAY HOMES
    • LEISURE WORLD SEAL BEACH
    • POMONA, CALIFORNIA HISTORIC DISTRICTS
    • HISTORIC HOME TOURS & RESTORATION VIDEOS
    • ◊ LINDEN AVENUE ◊ EST 5 APRIL 1994
    • ◊ LOWENA DRIVE ◊ EST 11 FEB 1992
    • ◊ NEHYAM NEIGHBORHOOD ◊ EST ?15 OCT 2019?
    • ◊ MINERVA PARK PLACE ◊ EST 7 NOV 1989
    • ◊ ROSE PARK ◊ EST 9 SEP 1997
  • OLD HOMES RESOURCE GUIDE
    • ANTIQUE METAL REFINISHING
    • APPLIANCES
    • ARCHITECTS
    • ARTWORK
    • BLOGS
    • CLOCKS
    • CONSERVATORIES
    • COPPER WARE
    • ELECTRICAL
    • FABRICS AND TEXTILES
    • FIREPLACE TOOLS
    • FURNITURE
    • FURNITURE REFINISHING
    • GARAGE DOORS
    • GATES
    • GENERAL CONTRACTOR
    • GLASS
    • HARDWOOD FLOORING
    • HISTORIC HOME RESTORATION
    • HISTORIC PAINT COLORS
    • INTERIOR DESIGN
    • KITCHEN CABINETRY
    • LANDSCAPING
    • LOCKSMITH
    • NATIVE PLANTS
    • LIGHTING & HARDWARE-PERIOD & REPRODUCTION
    • SALVAGE
    • STYLE
    • TILE ◊ REPRODUCTION, VINTAGE, SALVAGE, COLLECTIONS, REPAIRS, HANDMADE, BRAND NAME
    • WALLPAPER
    • WINDOWS AND DOORS
    • WOODWORKING
    • PAINTER
    • PLASTER/STUCCO
    • PLUMBING
    • POTTERY
    • PRINTING
    • ROOFING
  • PREFFERED LENDER
    • LENDER PAPER WORK 101
    • Mortgage Calculator
  • LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
    • SEARCH LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOLS BY ZIP CODE OR HISTORIC DISTRICT
  • COMMUNITY WATCH STARTER KIT
  • LONG BEACH RESTAURANTS, PUBS & BARS
  • LONG BEACH TRAFIC SIGNAL BOX ART
  • CITY OF LONG BEACH HISTORIC LANDMARKS
  • LONG BEACH HISTORY | 1784 to 1988
    • IMPORTANT DATES IN THE HISTORY OF RANCHO LOS CERRITOS
    • VIDEOS ON LONG BEACH HISTORY
  • THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT AROUND THE WORLD
    • ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT DESIGN
    • ERNEST A BATCHELDER
  • GREENE&GREENE
    • ADELAIDE TICHENOR HOUSE
    • JENNIE A REEVE – TOWNSEND HOUSE
  • GUIDE TO RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
  • TED WELLS
  • PRESERVATION
    • MOST HOMES HAVE A PAST …
    • LEVELS OF HISTORIC DESIGNATION
    • MILLS ACT
    • HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF LONG BEACH
  • LONG BEACH MEDIA
  • STAGING 1,2,3
  • Home
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The One Feature a Pro Stager Always Paints to Attract Home Buyers

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Lydia Geisel,03/6/2022
a stylish doorway leading to a dining area

Photography by Alex Zarour; Staging, Styling, and Design by A 1000x Better; Design by Meredith Kleinman Design; Listed with Cari Field, ACME Real Estate

Kirsten Blazek knows that nice furniture only goes so far when you’re selling a home, so when the founder of A 1000x Better is asked to stage a space, she comes prepared with a list of light renovations, and painting is always nonnegotiable. “It’s about getting people to make an emotional connection with the property,” says Blazek.

Crisp white walls or a contrasting trim is often all it takes to capture a buyer’s attention (plus, these simple fixes make for better real estate photos). Blazek’s latest staging project, a just-listed home in Los Angeles with a celeb pedigree, is the perfect example of how far a fresh coat can go. Here she shares five ideas for getting your soon-to-be-sold space in shipshape. 


Set Your Sights on the Trim

a sunlit dining area

Photography by Alex Zarour; Staging, Styling, and Design by A 1000x Better; Design by Meredith Kleinman Design; Listed with Cari Field, ACME Real Estate

If you’re only going to paint one thing in your home before listing it, tackle the baseboards and windows. ”I cannot believe the difference it makes,” says the designer. “It never ceases to blow my mind.” In older homes with lots of character, Blazek will do the borders in a contrasting color; something that draws the eye to the molding, like a dark olive green. When she wants these features to blend into the background, she’ll opt for a light gray or a hue that is just one or two shades darker than the wall color. 


Make the Exterior Pop

a brick patio

Photography by Alex Zarour; Staging, Styling, and Design by A 1000x Better; Design by Meredith Kleinman Design; Listed with Cari Field, ACME Real Estate

“Curb appeal matters when you’re selling,” says the designer. As long as a house isn’t bright purple, Blazek will try to save money by just touching up the shutters and trim around the roofline. For this LA home, which was white to begin with, she carried the olive green color that she used inside out, applying it to the French doors. Then she painted all the previously white shutters black for added definition. The most important thing is that the color doesn’t clash with the roof. “That’s always my first consideration when picking exterior paint colors. After the facade, it’s the next thing you notice,” she says.


Modernize the Cabinets 

bold cabinets

Photography by Alex Zarour; Staging, Styling, and Design by A 1000x Better; Design by Meredith Kleinman Design; Listed with Cari Field, ACME Real Estate

dining area with bold colors

Photography by Alex Zarour; Staging, Styling, and Design by A 1000x Better; Design by Meredith Kleinman Design; Listed with Cari Field, ACME Real Estate

A dated kitchen is a must-fix during the pre-staging phase. “If a buyer feels like they have a massive renovation to do before they move in, it can really put them off,” she says. Paint can get the cabinets to the point where they feel cleaned up. In this space, it was a matter of going from navy blue (a popular choice five or six years ago) to a classic black. “It was a more elegant option for the existing brass lighting and fixtures,” says the designer. Sanding the doors and refinishing everything is an expensive undertaking, but it can save a potential buyer the headache of pondering a gut job. 


Pick Whites Based on Warmth 

bedroom with warm colors

Photography by Alex Zarour; Staging, Styling, and Design by A 1000x Better; Design by Meredith Kleinman Design; Listed with Cari Field, ACME Real Estate

Bold wall colors definitely have their place if they feel cohesive. (Blazek wasn’t opposed to this home’s coral library and cornflower blue bathroom because they had other thoughtfully designed elements like wallpaper and stone going for them). Still, a blank canvas lets buyers picture themselves in the space. Blazek chooses her whites depending on the style of the home and the tones of the floors. For mid-century modern places, she prefers a crisp option like Benjamin Moore’s Super White and for Spanish-Mediterranean houses and even some ranches, she’ll go with a softer white, such as Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams. 


Add Definition 

an open living room with ceiling beams

Photography by Alex Zarour; Staging, Styling, and Design by A 1000x Better; Design by Meredith Kleinman Design; Listed with Cari Field, ACME Real Estate

There is such a thing as too much white. In fact, that was something Blazek was looking to solve in this home. (The ceiling beams, doors, and windows were all white). “It had beautiful architecture, but none of it was highlighted,” she recalls. So, in addition to doing the French doors and windows in olive green, she anchored the open-concept space by painting the fireplace black. “It’s an easy weekend job if you’ve got a quality tape,” says the designer. “Maybe don’t cover up one from the 1920s, but you can hide ’70s brick.” 

Lydia Geisel might live in New York but Philadelphia (usually) comes first. Passions and idols include, but are not limited to: Tracee Ellis Ross, spontaneous antiquing, John Baldessari, very salty edamame, and seaside cottages.

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