Stage your home to sell

Bostondotcom: Taniya Nayak, Bostonian and designer from HGTV's "Designed to Sell" will be joining us at 12 p.m. to answer your questions on how to jazz up your home. Please submit your questions now!

danzo__Guest: what are some of the hot interior colors for the home this spring and summer

Taniya_Nayak: I am a huge fan of soft earthy tones...so what does that mean exactly? I like taupes, sages, and gray tones. These colors are great to have as a base and then you can punch up the space with your accent colors. Use window treatments,accent pillows, furniture, etc to add vibrance. A couple of my faves for color choices are Benjamin Moore's Camouflage and Sag Harbor Gray. Punch it up with vibrant orange or fuschia, even a little white. Have fun with the colors!

ruthanne__Guest: I have a family room 16x16 walls are light yellow, furniture is crimson red couch, with yellow chair. Walls I have paintings that are red/black and yellow, but it doesn't jump out

Taniya_Nayak: Hi Ruthanne-

Taniya_Nayak: It sounds like you have the right idea going on, but a little too much competition with your colors. In order to get something to stand out, you may want to soften up and neutralize the wall color a bit. this will help your crimson couch and the paintings really stand out!

meg__Guest: I have a fixer-upper with lots of things to fix and is being sold as-is. What are the things I should focus on in order to make it as presentable as possible?

Taniya_Nayak: Hey Meg-

Taniya_Nayak: Great question! This is right up my alley with the show. Focus on the fixtures! Update light fixtures, faucets, cabinet hardware, and give the place a fresh coat of paint. These little things will really help spruce up the place and give it a more updated look. The best part is, it won't cost you a fortune!

nutella14__Guest: I've got a living room with orange walls, burnt orange raw silk curtains, and some silk pillows on the floor. But my furniture is more classic than than ethnic. I need an easy chair and a media center -- where can I go to find pieces that will add to this Moroccan/Indian look I'm trying for?

Taniya_Nayak: My favorite store ever is Nadeau Imports. They get crates shipped in from India, Morrocco, and Bali. They are open to the public only once a month and the prices are wholesale. For more info: www.nadeauimports.com

Taniya_Nayak: ABC Carpets in NYC has some great stuff as well as World Market.

Taniya_Nayak: I find lots of cool ethnic styled things for the show at Marshalls and Home Goods too!

ruthanne__Guest: Do you have any suggestions on how to soften up my walls. Ruthanne

Taniya_Nayak: Try a neutral tone. Like a beige to help the other pieces really stand out.

hwc__Guest: i'm selling my 1200 sq. ft. condo and need help jazzing it up.

Taniya_Nayak: It is great idea to have your place staged for the open house. Homes sell about 30% faster when they are staged. Staging helps to give a buyer a real vision of the potential of the space. You can look up a local home stager, ask your real estate agent for advice, or try it yourself. Good luck with the sale!

crunch__Guest: Taniya, I live in an old house that has original douglas fir woodwork. The fir was originally covered in shellac but it looks very beat up, what do you feel is the best way to bring back it's original charm?

Taniya_Nayak: It sounds to me like the best thing to do to restore it is to call in a professional refinisher. Have someone come in and sand it down and refinish it to bring it back to the beautiful finished look it once was. It may cost a pretty penny, but it sounds like it'd be worth it.

weymouthrules__Guest: aren't you from the jewel of the south shore...weymouth massachusetts?

Taniya_Nayak: Why yes! I am. Do we know each other? I graduated from Weymouth High...not sure if I want to tell you what year, haha!

jc_2__Guest: I have an issue with my finished basement. It was previously "finished", though we are still cleaning that up. It used to have 2 different types of flooring (half vinyl and half carpet) and 3 differnt types of lights (seriously? it's just one space). Anyway, it's fairly large. We painted the room providence olive and the trim was already white, so we left it for now. The floors are now a dark wood laminate. The room gets lots of light, as it's a walkout basement. We have it set up with one corner living space, one corner child safe play, and eventually want to add an adult bar area. The problem is that we have a spare (white) refridgerator in there. It didn't stand out so much on the vinyl floor - but now it seems ugly. How would you suggest we deal with it? I'd prefer not to move it - the only other options would be the garage or a spare room/office. Thanks.

Taniya_Nayak: Who has room for an extra refrigerator? :)

Taniya_Nayak: I'd say send it to the garage and use it as a meat freezer.

Taniya_Nayak: If it is a matter of it being white, you could try painting it with an appliance spray paint. It comes out much nicer than you may expect.

Taniya_Nayak: BTW- I love Providence Olive. Sounds like your place turned out great!

Taniya_Nayak: Have you all checked out our east coast version of the Designed To Sell? We are having such a blast shooting. I think it was about time we got to show off the houses here on the east coast! :)

jc_2__Guest: you should make a show that has a designer come to your house and just rearrange your furniture. I love what I have, but never feel that I arrange it in a way that really makes it special. any tips?

Taniya_Nayak: There is a show! Its called FreeStyle on HGTV- that is the show that I started on before Designed to Sell. It is a show about using what you have and getting Style for Free. Check it out on HGTV.com for listings.

gabadoo__Guest: What is the one thing people overlook when getting their homes ready for sale?

Taniya_Nayak: Thanks for asking this. CURB APPEAL. Your home becomes a product in a very competitve market. Spruce up the front of the house, paint the door, plant some flowers, refresh the pavement with concrete paint or acid stain. Get buyers in the front door. Make the first impression a lasting one!

meg__Guest: I also have wallpaper, which I know is a no no for open houses. I don't want to spend the time or money stripping and painting it...it's in good shape, can I just paint over it? What do you suggest?

crunch__Guest: When or will you be accepting new applications for individuals to be on the east coast show?

Taniya_Nayak: We are always accepting apps. Go to HGTV.com click on "Be on a show" (top right corner I think)and find the show you want to be on. It will give you all of the info you need! Hope to see you on Designed To Sell!

cece__Guest: Can you recommend alternative backsplash without using tiles?

Taniya_Nayak: Absolutely! Depending on what look your are going for, here are some suggestions.

Taniya_Nayak: Wainscotting (or beadboard), Plexi glass (even try painting the back of it for color), Ikea has some cool stainless steel backsplash boards. If want a french bistro effect, try paining it with black chalkboard paint. If none of the above are your cup of tea, paint the backsplash area a different color than the rest of the kitchen.

varsha__Guest: Hi Taniya, congrats on you and Brian!! Had a question about hiring a colorist. We are building a custom house which is scheduled to be ready by July and are in the process of picking colors for the various rooms. Do you think it is a good idea to hire a colorist to help us pick out the paint colors for the various rooms?

Taniya_Nayak: Hi Varsha- Thanks!

Taniya_Nayak: If colors are a tough thing for you to pick, it wouldn;t be a bad idea. It will help give you piece of mind. If you want to give it a shot on your own, try using an inspiration piece to pull colors from, like a piece of art or a throw rug. Use the most neutral tones on the larger scale rooms and accent it with the brighter colors. Smaller rooms like bathrooms and dining rooms are always fun to add vibrance. A great tip to keep the flow going in your home would be to use one strip from a color book. It usually has about 5 or 6 different shades of the same color. paint each space using a different color from that same strip of color chips. Hope that helps!

cece__Guest: Do you come to Boston often or stay on location where the show is being shot?

Taniya_Nayak: I am home every few weeks. My hubby (just got married last week!)is still in Boston while I am here in DC shooting the show. Boston will always be home to me.

NeedToMove__Guest: What is the verdict on painting rooms? On one hand, it's nice to have some color on the walls to make the home look homey. On the other, nice white walls suggest a clean palate for the buyer.

Taniya_Nayak: I feel that white walls are a big misconception. Reason being, if you have white trim and/or molding, it will get lost within the white walls. Keep it neutral, but be sure to pick a color that will show off those architectural details that will really help to sell the house!

salmon__Guest: What type of painting, priming, and sealing needs to go into painting a front door?

Taniya_Nayak: Just give the door a light sand. It is not always necessary to prime the door but it can't hurt either. At the back of those paint chip books, you'll see paints that are EXT RM. These are exterior paints. They will hold up better with this crazy weather we have been having. If you have any troubles selecting, the people at the paint stores are incredibly helpful!

urban_pup__Guest: Hi, Taniya - any design tips for small living spaces? I live in a small Boston condo, and while I've tried to keep pieces smaller rather than larger, use creative storage solutions, etc., it never quite feels as pulled together as larger spaces.

Taniya_Nayak: I hear ya! Small spaces need extra TLC on the storage and organization department. I would recommend getting your closet cutomized like California Closets or a do it yourselfer from Home Depot. make sure everything has a place. Boost your bed up on those plastic bed risers from Linens-n-Things for added storage below your bed. Trunks for coffee tables are cool and stay away from anything overscaled. I see alot of people putting in crazy big entertainment units with the notion that it will keep things organized. Nix it. Keep the space as open as possible. The more shelving we have, the more stuff we tend to fill it with.

Lori__Guest: Hi Taniya, I plan on selling my home when I retire in about 7 years. I need to update my kitchen and bath but I am afraid the improvements I make may not stand the test of time when I am ready to sell. Any tips for cabinet style & color that will boost my homes appeal for today and for future resale as well as tips for keeping the cost down for the remodeling? Also where do you find your inexpensive finds for your remodeling for the show? It would be great if HGTV would post where you purchased the items. I love the show and tape all the episodes. Thanks! Lori

Calvin__Guest: Taniya I am not looking for advice at the moment, just to let you know I like your work on HGTV.

Taniya_Nayak: Thanks Calvin! Its always great to get feedback!

Taniya_Nayak: I am glad you are thinking about this now. We often spruce up our places right before selling and never get to enjoy them ourselves. With 7 years, you can do things gradualy and enjoy it as well. Maybe save new cabinets for the year or 2 before selling. In the meantime, consider painting your cabs and adding new hardware. The color depends on your countertops and other things in and around the kitchen. If you have a dark granite, pull a lighter shade from the stone and paint the cabs that color. Use a semi gloss paint for an easy wipe off surface.

Taniya_Nayak: I buy my stuff at the stores we all can access. I shop at Marshalls, Home Goods, TJ MAXX, Home Depot, Lowes, World market....the list goes on! :)

Yo__Guest: Whats the best way to fix broken stone steps? Can other types of material be laid over them - like wood or concrete?

Taniya_Nayak: Hi Yo-

Taniya_Nayak: Broken steps are must-do fixer upper. We don't want buyers tripping and hurting themselves on their way in...doublt they'll be in the mood to buy if they are limping around in the house. :)

Taniya_Nayak: If the repairs are minor, hire a mason to come and fix it. If the stairs look like they are ready to be updated, you may want to consider having wooden pressure treated steps or poured concrete. Good question!

NC__Guest: I have a family room that flows right into the eat in kitchen. Do I need to paint the family room and kitchen the same color?

Taniya_Nayak: If there is any type of division that seperates the spaces, you may want to use 2 colors that are next to each other on the color charts (just one or two shades apart). Otherwise, painting it all the same will help keep the flow and it will make the space look larger!

mr__salesguy__Guest: what will finishing a basement add for value to a home when you go to sell it? Will you recoup your investment?

Taniya_Nayak: A refinished basement is always a bonus, but not a necessity. If the cost to refinish exceeds you budget, a few smaller things can go a long way. Paint the concrete white. Or just start a few projects like flooring. There is no doubt that having it refinished will add real usable square footage and square footage equals dollars.

Taniya_Nayak: Hey everyone!

Taniya_Nayak: I just want to thank you all for hanging out with me this afternoon. Great to chat with my fellow Bostonians! Sorry if I was unable to get to all of the questions. Keep watching Designed To Sell! Catch us on weekdays at 8pm on HGTV.

Taniya_Nayak: Big Hugs! Taniya

Bostondotcom: Thank you for joining our Big Move chat with Taniya Nayak. Please go to http://www.boston.com/realestate/bigmove/ for more tips to sell your home.