Selling Furniture Online With Great Photos

Pictures are a crucial element to making a sale on our favorite online by-owner sale websites.  As an avid craig's-lister and secondhand-furniture-hunter, I've got some thoughts about basic dos and don'ts for posting pictures that will get your item sold!

DO!
Use natural light: All things look better in natural light... except for light shows or night clubs I guess... almost all things look better in natural light!  Give buyers the chance to picture your item in their own sunny happy place, not your sad basement apartment (not that you have a sad apartment, I'm sure it's beautiful actually.)

Clean the area around the item: No one wants to have to guess what you're talking about or worry that your not listing damage hidden by the clutter.  Give your item the spotlight!

Clean the item:  No one wants to bring a dirty item into their home.  Even if you're bringing it out of your basement and it's a "diamond in the rough," wipe off the dust and grime.  Your piece will go twice as fast.

This isn't a terribly unique chair - I have one - but the area is clean, full of natural light, and the chair looks beautifully polished.  The chance of this chair selling is hugely increased with these pics.

Take pictures of important details and damage: Words aren't always enough.  I don't know you - why would I trust that the scratches aren't that bad or that the detailed carving is beautiful?  Lemme see it!

Use multiple angles: Again, don't leave things to your buyers imagination.  What does the profile of the end table look like? What about the legs of that desk?

This chair would look very boring at a distance and against a beige wall.  Not only did this owner choose a great location to take these pictures - lots of light and a great color - but, they showed off the carvings and the cane seat with closeups.

Style the Item:  Don't go crazy here, but people are looking to make their space better with your piece.  Show that it has the potential to be chic and stylish with a little accessorizing.

Beautiful, minimal, and modern styling for this coveted armoire.  They didn't cover any details, but let me imagine how great it could look with little accessories in my home.

DONT!
Post a sideways picture:  Why?  Why?  Seriously, why?  It takes two seconds to rotate your picture before you post it.  Posting a sideways picture is just annoying for buyers.  Why try to schedule a pick-up with someone who can't even manage to rotate their picture?

This person tried - there's some natural light and multiple angles, but come on...

Here we go.

Post a blurry picture:  I know this can be a challenge sometimes.  You might not have a great camera and it might be dark, but there is no point to posting a blurry picture.  None.  Wait for enough natural light or borrow a camera.  Posting a blurry picture = posting no picture = your item probably won't sell.

This might be cute (I love bentwood), but I can't tell and I'm not driving to Salem to find out.

Obscure or cover details or damage: It looks shady.  Don't forget that you're a stranger to your buyers.  Be transparent and honest and people will buy your things.  Be evasive and tricksy and people will walk away from your things or waste your time by changing their mind when they discover they aren't buying what the thought they were.

Jam a bunch of items onto one picture:  I know I know, posting a million items is a huge pain.  I've been there.  BUT cutting corners isn't going to help anyone.  Take the time you need to make quality posts and your things will sell.  What? Craig's List only gives me four spots for pictures you say?  Link to a Picasa or flickr account or just make more posts.  EXCEPTION: If you're advertising for a yard sale, I am of the opinion that it's fine to post pictures jammed with stuff.  It makes it look like there's a lot for sale, which is exactly what you want to advertise.

They want $40 for this chair and I can't even see it.  Sorry buddy, there are two dozen other chairs on CL for less and with more details.  I'm not going to waste my time.

Only post vendor pictures:  When a seller only posts vendor pictures it makes me wonder - what horrible shape is their item in?  It's so common - especially with Ikea furniture.  I'm a big fan of posting a vendor picture to clarify the look of your piece - those pictures will almost always be more clear than yours, but do yourself a favor and add your own picture.  Even if it's not as clear, you won't look like your hiding something - always a bonus.

Ok yeah, but what will MY chair look like?

Let's apply your new skills with these real posts of chairs for sale on Craig's List!
What do you guys think these posters did right and wrong?  Are there other picture tips I've missed?

Colors I'm Crushing: Gold, Blue, and Red

Sometimes you just look up and bam "oooh that's quite nice."  My pillows were a mess and this little inspiration was the result!

I'm really digging these colors together lately. Gold, tan, and browns are a happy glowey neutral while the pops of red and blue keep things from getting monotonous. Of course the texture and pattern doesn't hurt either. Right now my living room is a palette of green and gold with grey as a neutral, but my next living room might have to go this direction :)

Drips? Slips? We've got it: How to Fix or Hide Painting Mistakes

I think many of us have been here - confronted with the battered walls of sloppy tenants of yesteryear. Drips, streaks, paint on the trim, paint on the ceiling, and of course, the ugliest color you could imagine someone choosing.

(Not an abstract, just badly painted walls)

Now you want to make the room fresh and all your own, but yeesh, where to begin?

Well I have some thoughts. As you might have guessed from the existence of this post. Had to build the drama... thanks for being patient...

HERE WE GO!!

The two most common problems you'll be confronted with!

Drips :..(
There are two ways to deal with drips as far as I see things.

1. Sand Them: This would be the "best" and "right" way to do things.  Take the time to prep properly and sand those obnoxious drips away.  It may take a good deal of time, but if you have the patience it will really pay off long term.  WARNING: If you have textured walls, be careful with the sanding.  If you sand your texture off you will have a funny bald spot on your walls.  Of course, you can fix it with spray textures, but you will have given yourself more work and spent more money.
2. Mask Them: This is a much easier solution.  Don't actually fix the drips, but minimize their visibility by using flat or eggshell finish paint. The lower the gloss in paint (flat is the lowest and high-gloss is the highest), the less light can reflect off of all the imperfections in your wall.  Light reflecting = spotlight on the ugly.  SO, use less glossy and less reflective paints to avoid the spotlight.  WARNING:  Because apparently all of my methods have scary consequences I have to warn you about... Flat paint scuffs easily and isn't good for rooms like your bathroom, kitchen, or mudroom that get a lot of rough usage.  For help choosing paint finishes read Carol Nafie's great post: Choosing the Right Interior Paint Finishes.

Paint Where it's Not Supposed to Go
Oh so annoying.  Paint on the trim, ceiling, floor... someone wasn't very careful....

1. Touch Up Mistakes:  Match the color of the part that shouldn't be painted and paint over the little mistake parts.  This the cleanest and longest lasting way of doing things, but it can also be time consuming and costs a little more money.  On the bright side, if you make a mistake, you can touch it up too - it doesn't just have to be for former tenants painting mistakes. HINT: Most ceilings are painted flat pure white.  WARNING: Trim is often painted bright white BUT can also be any number of other whites, so be sure to match carefully.  Also, be sure to match your finish.  Trim is usually semi-gloss or high-gloss.
2. Mask Mistakes: If the existing shade on the walls is fairly light and the shade you've chosen is darker, you can mask existing mistakes with a little illusion.  Just paint the room as perfectly as you can, while ignoring the existing mistakes.  When you look closely the mistakes will still be there, but at a distance, they won't be very noticeable.  Here's a visual... (clearly I have used this sneaky method)

Looks like a nice clean line to me....

Oh snap! There's a bunch of sloppy blue there! I was tricked!

So there you have it folks. Good ways and crafty ways to outsmart all of the messy people before you. I believe I described them as from yesteryear. Just don't get to use that word enough...

Homeless Housewares: Adopt a couch!

Blue Velvet Sofa - $75

Oh such a hot couch.  Love the tufting, love the velvet - oh so cozy and beautiful.  If a velvet couch wouldn't act as a giant lint roller for my cat's hair I would snatch it up today.  That and the fact that I'm moving cross country...

Oh oh, one red flag for all of you craigslisters out there - those sad little throws and blanket make me think there might be rips or damage.  Red flag...

If you list a couch like this - show off the tufting!!  If you want to buy a couch like this - ask about damage before you make a long drive to pick it up!

White Vanity - $50

Ohmygosh so cute.  So imagine: bright teal spray paint?  Such a happy piece :)

Art Deco Headboard - $20

This could be a great centerpiece for that special bedroom.  Tip: If you show up and this is ratty you can a) refinish if it's solid wood and the damage doesn't look too brutal or b) paint it with a couple of complementary tones that highlight the super great details!  AND you don't have to paint the whole thing - this kind of piece can totally handle a mix of wood tones and paint.

Mahogany Library Table - $175

Mmhm yes please.  This definitely has some damage so it needs the love of an owner with vision. Since this is solid wood, some elbow grease in the refinishing department would do wonders. Then again there's always paint. Bright pink??  Beautiful white?  White top with wood legs???


*to find these pieces search the Boston craigslist using the titles above.  Hopefully you can snatch these up before someone else does!

My First Place

I was digging through my computer and happened to stumble upon pictures of my first apartment - Tampa, FL. Oh the memories… weekly wine tasting with my roomie, dealing with our other roomie’s dirty dishes, life without television, gunshots at night…

It actually wasn’t too bad of a place and I was able to really make it my own.

• $351 a month including: 
• electricity
• water
• cable/internet
• central air
• a private porch
• on-suite laundry
• my own room
• an assigned parking spot

Boston, get your act together. This is real.



If it looks a little like a funhouse, it’s because in my young wisdom I spent hours pasting a bunch of pictures together to make these two.

As you can see, the room was inspired by my quilt. I still love the quilt and I was really proud of the room. My college friends all loved it :)

I had a huge mirrored closet, which I loved even though I know some people hate them. It made the room look a lot bigger, brighter, and was nice for getting ready. Many a fashion show before a party took place in front of that mirror.

The desk, bedframe, and chair by the keyboard were part of the apartment’s furnishings, but I used my own chair (inherited from my Grandfather - a red leather beauty), a vintage side table (inherited from my parents - not dead, but very generous), my keyboard for aural theory (I am a cellist after all), and added some Target floating shelves for height.

Probably my favorite item is what looks like 4 coke can airplanes. Bad news is there is actually only one. Good news is it’s just as cool as four.

So that’s it, my first try in my first place. Maybe someday I’ll show you my childhood bedroom. I think I might need a few drinks first ;)