MARY LOU TEAGUE'S BLOG

UGH! That's sounds painful to watch!!! You're absolutely right- staging is a job best left to the professionals!!!

Mary Lou- Those are for people who still decorate their homes out of the JC Penny catalog!!!

Elaine: Can't believe that JC Penney's would still have those. Sad part about the whole thing..this flipper was from the south...where I am from...

Mary Lou, I ask myself the same question when I go into my MIL's bathroom.  ;)

Mary Lou, one word, BARF!

Hi Mary Lou,  I'm glad the realtor told the flipper the truth and not just what he wanted to hear about his "matching" bathroom ensemble!  It's surprising, but in almost every occupied staging we have ever been hired for, the homeowners have these matching rugs and toilet seat covers.  We always tell them to remove them and opt for the "spa" look instead. 

Well at least they matched - some taste was shown!!!

I think if the homeowner saw a photograph of the bathroom, he may have changed his mind about the "toilet cozy."  I don't understand the appeal of carpeting the toilet.  When did this trend start?

Mary Lou, All I can say is YIPES!!!!

Mary Lou ~ The one item that's OK on your list is the silk plants.  We wouldn't want to use real ones as they require too much care.  But toss out those matching lid covers and toilet rugs -- YUK!!

I confess that in a previous life I had.....toilet cozies. What was I thinking? Aside from the tackiness, there's the whole hygiene thing. I even remember being frustrated by one toilet lid cover that prevented the lid from staying up. Maybe that was a good thing! Isn't it nice that we (well, most people) have progressed away from this dreadful practice?

Toilet covers?? didn't think they sold those anymore, gross, gross, gross!

Mary Lou, all I see on those nasty toilet seat covers and throw rugs is a big germ fest. Well I don't actually see the germs but you can bet that's what many home buyers are thinking. Have to disagree with the silk plants though, we use them in nearly every bathroom we stage.

That is REALLY scary....or sad...or scary...or both!  I truly did not know stores even sold those items any longer.  Crazy!

Maureen and Jackson...I also use silk plants when staging some rooms, however these were very noticeable plastic ( not silk ) and lots and lots of them, even hanging from the ceiling in a hanging pot....Not pretty. Guess the key words here was they were everywhere...I have to agree a little silk plants are lovely, ugly plastic ones are not...

Whatever happened to class!

The comments on this are great......really made me laugh.  You'd be amazed at all the stores that still sell those things!  My Mother will NEVER believe that they're out of style!  And yes, she buys the matching sets at Penneys!

Not my favorite bathroom accessory but for whatever reason some people do like them..... I haven't figured out why but they do.

I have another bathroom complaint- a basket of reading material beside the toilet.  Does this bother anyone else?

Kathy

FERNANDO : As always a joy to get your comments !!!! How do you download those great photos that you have ???

KATHY: I guess that some think that reading material is a must in the bathroom, I personally like to take my own !!!!

These shows leave mixed messages and often contradict each other.  If you watch a few hours, you'll see this and MORE!  Thanks for the funny bo true post.

That is great.  I needed some real estate humor.  We just got back from an REO property where the "staging" was from what a cat left behind. Gross, I know.

Not long ago I inspected a house that I just had to wonder what the "flipper" was thinking. They had a toilet seat the was clear plastic with gold colored coins etc, embedded inside. Classy right! You bet! There was one problem though. You see, the seat was well worn, and had actually cracked right down the middle (the doughnut part, NOT the lid), so they just used clear packing tape to patch it up. Good as new right? Maybe, except it was that nasty yellow color that comes with age, or.............

Anyway, I just had to shake my head on that one.

Jack, I think that one takes the cake...how funny !!! You know you just can't make that stuff up !!!!

Mary Lou all the fun pictures are free from http://www.dreamstime.com/ write a search word clic in the pic you like then copy and paste easy as 

 

Fernando..as always you came thru ..thanks so much, just hope now I can download them correctly !!!

I saw that episode! (I confess, I'm a Flip that House junkie) I too wish the Realtor and corrected the flipper when he said he had staged the house. The flipper decorated the house. Love silk plants, hate reading material and germ infested "toilet cozies". Who wants to cozy up to the toilet anyway?

 

Yeaaa.. I would say keep the toilet covers off your to buy list.

Wish you the best.

BB 

Mom has a toilet seat cover that's pink. It keeps 'things' warm on these cold winter nights. I have my home set up as "Staged To Live" and I often invite realtors and business networking associates over to see the place as a 3D demonstration of how I work. Whenever someone is about to come over, I run in Mom's bathroom and rip that pink cover off the toilet. Fortunately, Mom understands!

Thanks Mom. Thanks for understanding your Stager daughter and respecting her clients...and by the way, when my clients leave, I try to remember to replace that pink beauty so mom's tush will stay warm these long, cold winter nights!  ;=)

Well the one thing that the shows do is give job security for all the professional stagers out there.  This is funny, missed that one apparently.  UGH.  Am I dating myself, I do remember when we did use those toilet covers.  OH, but not sure any of you ever saw a pink haired cupie doll kleenex holder...before the high class kleenex holders came about.  Oh gosh, now I'm really dating myself.  Didn't Sheron Cardin once want to start a blog for 60's and 70's???  Guess I better go hunt that up.  T:-)

Mary Lou,  I was in the local mall today, saw this and thought of you!  They're sets!!  On sale too!  HA!

Sandy...and they are burgundy also !!! Just like the ones that they used !!! Can't believe that they stil lhave them.. I hope that everyone sees this photo..this is way to funny !!! Thanks for sharing and for thinking of me even if it was when you saw a toilet seat cover !!!!

Mary Lou - I toured an open house last year that had vinyl floor in the bathroom that was stained around the base of the toilet in the shape of the rug that used to be there.  Yuck.  At least they got rid of the rug.  But can't you just imagine what caused the vinyl to yellow?  Nasty.

There not only ugly, but I think a bit unsanitary...yuk!

Luckily here my homeowner clients agreed to replace their 'lovingly worn' blue plastic toilet seat...

 

I have to admit though, we had those plastic seats growing up and they were darn comfortable - well, until they got a crack in them!  Ouch...

Joanne - Even the lovely oak toilet seats that separate just a tad will bite you in the.................

Andrea: Yuk !! I don't even want to think about what caused the stains...

Joanne: Thanks goodness that the homeowner allowed you to change out the shower curtain also.

Oddly enough I was on line looking for toilet tank covers when I found this blog.

WOW what did you do, just google toilet tank covers and you got this ???

Pretty much,But not for me my Mother wants a new one She is 93.Your blog was interesting,I never realized that people staged homes for sale,Do you have to keep a warehouse of furniture available or just rent it?

Aloha Mary Lou,

You thought you were watching home improvement but what a horror show, yuck! Night of the living germ receptacles.

Peace,

All I FEEL is GERMS!!!!!!!!!   YUK....

Ken, Yes I stage homes that are for sale. I also do re-design work for homeowners who just want to update their homes. Were you able to find a cover for your mom ?

Not yet,My wife is going to try to use the old one as a pattern and make it

Mary Lou -- that is an excellent reason WHY we are so necessary!  It floors me every time I am watching our local "home channel" and I see listings that belong to agents who advertise that they do their own staging and I see so many BAD decor choices.

I am amazed at how often I still run across these while doing consults.  The worst part is that usually they have just purchased them!!  Our job of educating is far from over. . . .

Kim Dillon, Creative Eye Home Staging

Kim and Tori...You are both correct...the general public needs to be educated and I don't think that these staging shows are doing such a good job...THEY NEED US !!!

PERSONALLY I LOVE THE TOILET COVERS.  A TOILET IS SO UGLY SITTING THERE STARK NAKED TO  ME.  I LOVE THE CLASSY LOOK OF THE TOILET BEING COVERED IN MATCING COLOR OF YOUR BATH MATS.  IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE TRULY CARES ABOUT HOW THEIR BATHROOM LOOKS. JUST MY OPINION AND I AM STAYING WITH THE CLASSY COVERS.

 

PERSONALLY I DO NOT APPRECIATE BEING DICTATED TO WHAT IS WHAT.  I LIKE MY IDEAS ABOUT DECORATING.  I DO APPRECIATE SOME SUGGESTIONS NOW AND THEN, BUT LEAVE ME TO MY OWN IDEAS PLEASE.  I LOVE MY TOILET COVERS.

I GUESS INDIVIDUALISM IS GONE.  THIS HAS BECOME THE "DO AS I SAY" ERA.  WELL I BELIEVE IN MYSELF AND MY IDEAS.  JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE SAYS THIS IS THE WAY TO GO, IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST WAY.  JUST MARCH TO THE DRUMMER, NO WAY, THAT KILLS GOOD IDEAS.  COM'ON SHEEP, THINK FOR YOURSELF.TOILET COVERS FOR ME, YEAH!

Well fellow stagers it looks as if the commode covers are back in the post again...what with the nasty remark about my hair and now the commode cover jabs..Please see the remarks that I have gotten over the past couple of days...

WOW! i never knew these things were out of style until i started redecorating after a recent move.  there i was looking for my mathcing rug, toilet rug and toilet seat cover...only problem was, all the high end stuff didn't include all three, just the rug itself.

i did a little bit of internet research and what do you know! i've been "out of style" all this time.  i watch a bit of hgtv and flip this house, etc.,  but they never mentioned this.....who knew?!!

There are those of us who use the covers out of necessity. I happen to live in an appartment and the tank sweats. I  only use it because it was the least expensive rememdy. I wish they would come up with a classy looking one though.