Staging a family home

This week we staged a completely renovated bungalow in Oakland's NOBE area. As usual, the developers did an amazing job reconfiguring and restoring the space to make it more livable, while keeping the original trim and charm.

Staging is all about literally "setting the stage" for potential buyers so they can envision themselves living in the home. Because this is a large, 4-bedroom house, we needed to stage it as a family home. This means making it seem comfortable and inviting for kids as well as their parents. Here's how we did it.

Strategic color choices
We chose bold colors to bring energy to the rooms that are specifically for kids. Check out the downstairs playroom, with the unexpected and bright combination of turquoise, orange, hot pink and green. It practically screams "Get in here and play!"

And in the kid's bedroom, we chose a sunny yellow with pops of color in artwork and accessories.

The nursery also boasts fun colors and an eye-catching stripe detail.

In the adult-centric living room and office, we worked with brighter furnishings against more neutral gray and white walls. The black and white additions add a bit of surprise.

Kid-friendly details
We sprinkled kid-friendly artwork and accessories throughout the home to make it clear that this is a place meant for families.

For example, we created a gallery on the family room's chalkboard wall by mixing hand-drawn frames with basic wood frames to showcase kids' artwork.

And check out one of the colorful collages by artist Mati Rose McDonough that we hung in the kids' room. Artwork makes all the difference -- in staging and decorating!

Our kids accessories also included a skateboard and play guitar, along with plenty of games and toys. When you stage (or decorate!) with the key audience in mind, you'll always get it right.

For those of you with kids, what do you do to make your own home family-friendly? How do you decorate with the kids in mind? Tell us in the comments below.

Thanks to Lisa Ratner for the photographs!