The space: A small secondary bedroom in a 1950s rambler in south Minneapolis.
What works: Lots of windows and large built-in closets.
What didn't: The space was being used as both a guest room and an office, leaving potential buyers with the feeling that the house wasn't big enough for both.
Stager's take: "The owners had already turned another bedroom into an office space, so it really wasn't necessary to present them with two," said Lori Matzke of Centerstagehome.com. "We wanted to show buyers that not only was there room for an office, but a good-sized extra bedroom, as well."
Here's what Matzke did:
She moved the extra desk and chair to designated storage space on the lower level and put extra filing cabinets and books in a larger bedroom across the hall that was being re-purposed as an office.
Centering bed on the windows makes the room feel larger because it opens space on each side.
The dresser was moved down the wall to make room for the bed and open up the room.
An original black leather Eames chair and footstool that had been taking up space in the master bedroom were moved to this secondary bedroom to help balance the space and make it feel furnished but not overstuffed.
Leaving the drapes wide open allows more natural light into the room.
Throw pillows dress up the deep-orange bedding.
Simple accessories -- a Nigerian tribal bust and a clay pot full of lush greens -- were chosen because the room itself is fairly simple.
JIM BUCHTA