Eye-Catching Interiors

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Staging to Sell

Common Cape Cod Decorating Missteps

Whether you’re fixing up your home to sell it, rent it, or simply enjoy it more yourself, here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

• Don’t go overboard with nautical décor. Yes, living on Cape Code means wonderful proximity to coastal beaches and/or fresh water areas and other natural habitats. But resist the urge to introduce too many seafaring items. An oar hung on the wall, a model sailboat perched on a shelf, a glass-topped canoe coffee table, or a glass lamp base crammed with seashells are decorating clichés. It’s okay to display some seafaring items, but please don’t drown an entire room or home in nautical knickknacks.

• Resist the “bargain” white wicker stuff. A local household goods retailing chain — whose heritage is Cape Cod but which will remain unnamed here — is the source of too many cheap furniture pieces deployed in Cape homes. If you own a flimsy white wicker rocker or matching chest of drawers, you know the retailer. Please get rid of this manufactured-cheaply-in-China merchandise and replace it with furniture that is more likely to endure. Hyannis now boasts some new furniture chains with much better offerings.

• It’s okay to mix the ages. Don’t be afraid to pair an antique trunk with a modern sofa, or place contemporary upholstered dining chairs around a traditional wood table. It’s fine to mix period pieces, as long as the color scheme or other underlying design element pulls together the overall look.

• Light up your lifestyle. Good lighting makes a huge difference, especially during the late fall and winter. Many older homes lack sufficient architectural (built-in) lighting. If you’re reluctant to bring in an electrician to rewire the house, then increase the number of floor lamps, table lamps, or other portable light fixtures. There is an array of great lighting solutions that don’t require hard-wiring, such as reading lamps that can be easily affixed to the wall above your bed, or under-cabinet kitchen lights that are simple to install. And energy-efficient bulbs can help increase the available light without overloading the monthly electric bill.

• Watch the scale. I’m not talking about your personal weight. Rather, make sure the size of your furniture is appropriate to the overall width, depth and height of the room. Often I encounter a condominium with an oversized cabinet or hutch stuffed into a modestly sized room, thereby dwarfing the space. The converse also can occur: small furniture pieces that look lost in a great room with an elevated ceiling.

• Hire a professional painter. Let me say first: local paint contractors are not paying me to write this. But too often, I meet do-it-yourselfers, determined to save money, who paint their interior walls themselves and do a careless job. The result: the new paint, unevenly applied and spilling over the lines, distracts from the look. If you’re not going to spend at least as much time prepping the walls as you will painting them, then pack away your brushes and hire a professional. This is especially important if you’re getting ready to sell or rent your home. And please, no sponge-painting!

Last updated: December 16, 2008