Staging a condo: Part 1. The Blank Canvas

I have a new listing coming up soon. It’s a  gorgeous three bedroom in The Gardens, which is a very prestigious building in downtown Ottawa. It’s empty now, and since I do my own staging, I’ve been running around looking for furniture and other items to accentuate this wonderful space.

Here’s the blank canvas I have to work with. Gorgeous dark hardwood floors and marvelous views of the Gatineau Hills.  We’ll be taking down those drapes and rolling up the mini-blinds to show the amazing views. We’ll also be painting the antique white walls a soft beige called tapestry beige that has a slightly grey-green undertone; Jeff and Dave start tomorrow.

While the kitchen has black granite counters, high end stainless steel appliances, and a wonderful curved granite-topped island, it has no backsplash. (You’ll have to forgive these pictures: I took them with my Blackberry and I can never figure out how to set the focus.)

The new backsplash will be made out of small glass tiles with a hit of nickel. It wasn’t easy to find tiles that matched the colour of the cupboards and had that hint of metal I wanted; I found one tile I loved, and needless to say, it was discontinued. But these should be fine. (They look even better without the plastic wrap!)

I’ll also be replacing those pendant lights with cylindrical ones that hang a little lower (the new ones are white opal glass and brushed nickel). I had to order the pendant lights from the US when I discovered they were on back-order here until June. The good news is that not only were they cheaper in the US , even with the higher dollar, but I should have them by early May.

Those hits of nickel on the backsplash and lights will work well with the bar stools I found at HomeSense to show off the island.

These may just be the cutest bar stools I’ve ever seen and they were only $149 each. They’re beautifully upholstered.

Note the front piece between the legs. It’s plated with brushed nickel, picking up that nice metal accent. I’ll show you what I have in mind for the rest of the open dining room/living space tomorrow. Stay tuned!