Aren't these contemporary Mercury glass vessels
from West Elm to die for? Here's my choice of the
best tutorial for hacking the Mercury glass look.
Sometimes you might finish decorating or staging a room and even though you can check off all the boxes, it seems to lack something.

It's time to add another box -- the bling box. When a room needs a lift, some shiny things are usually the answer. 

No matter what style or price point your home falls under, using shine will bring it to life and give it personality Maybe even a little glamor.

Here are my favorite sources for the kind of bling I am taking about.
  • Mirrors
  • Crystal and clear glass
  • Lucite and acrylic
  • Glass
  • Silver
  • Brass
  • Nickle
  • Chrome
  • Sequins, rhinestones, beads and other embellishments
  • Mercury glass
  • Glossy plastic and vinyl 
  • Stainless steel
You probably already own some of the bright objects listed here.  So, it should be easy for you to round up something that glistens for each room in the staged home.

Bathrooms and kitchens will be an easy place to add shine. Stainless appliances and ceramic fixtures quality. Glassware is a natural in these rooms. I'm picturing a large clean glass bowl of lemons in the kitchen, and apothecary jars of spa goodies in the bath.

Gleaming surfaces 

My favorite way to make a room glisten is to add mirrors. At least one per room. Large or small, depending.  And my favorite mirrors are beveled mirrors. Heck, you can pick up a 30 x 30-inch sunburst mirror at Home Depot for about $35, or a 36 x 30-inch wide-framed mirror from Lowe's for $60. That's a lot of bling for the buck.

Along the same lines, glass-covered prints in mirrored frames add serious wow to any room. I see these in vintage styles as well as sleek, contemporary styles.

These botanical images take on a modern vibe 
when they're placed in mirrored frames. 

The bathroom chandelier, done right! There are lots of 
hard surfaces in this room -- the tub, 
floor, window, tin backsplash, chrome faucet, 
and glass vases,that the wooden fireplace surround 
and door are a welcome counterpoint. Photo: DigsDigs.com

Stainless appliances are still popular. Whatever your 
opinion of stainless, it does add shiny  
surfaces to a kitchen, and in a dark or otherwise 
slightly dated kitchen, that's a plus. Photo: BHG

A glass-topped table and some clear seats almost disappear 
except for the shine they bring to the eat-in nook. 
The chrome legs are sexy. Photo: BHG

A chandelier is the ultimate bling thing. Look for a place
where a fancy light fixture might be a surprise, like a
closet or bath. Photo: Traditional Home
This bedroom by Sarah Richardson is layered with subtle shine: 
the glass door knob, ceramic lamp base, lacquered nightstand, 
mirror over the bed, nailhead trim on the headboard, 
a metallic vase, and some pillow textiles with sheen. 

A patent leather headboard like this one is going to make a bed the 
focal point of any room. This House Beautiful bedroom also features 
a mirror over the headboard and some metallic Buddha lamps. 

Do your homework. Hunt your home for sources of shine. Make them part of your staging mix. And don't forget that the existing fixtures you have in your house -- the chrome faucets, the ceramic lamps, the bathroom mirrors, the stainless appliances  -- should sparkle because you've cleaned and polished them. Do these things, and your home on the market will outshine the competition. 

Do you need more advice, inspiration and formulas for beautifully staging any home on the market? You need my eBook, DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar.  It's an instantly downloadable, 150+ page pdf guide to home staging.