Want to make the task of choosing colors for home staging easy?

Just go with the ultimate color combination that's not technically about color at all -- black and white.

Don't be scared off by decorators telling you that white is sterile or black is depressing. Forget your old notions of black and white being the stuff of silent movies, funerals and institutional bedding.

When using this color combo to homestage, white is usually best used as the predominant color -- walls, appliances, bedding, window treatments --  and black is what adds the punch and contrast. 

The beauty of simplicity

White goes with everything. It's clean It's classic. The trick is to pick a white that works with the non-change-able fixtures of your home like that white refrigerator, the white carpeting, the white-painted trim, the white toilet. All these fixtures can be creamy white, or greyish white, or blueish white. Look for those undertones and bring home samples of white paint color chips to match what won't be removed when you sell. Once you make your decision to go with the correct white, you're on easy street.

Consider painting things like mismatched furniture, vases, and frames shiny black. Slipcover your sofa with white. You can add curtains in a black and white print. Buy new white towels and duvet cover. Put white shades on all your lamps. Now you're getting somewhere.

The formula is a starting point   

It's perfectly fine to add some color as long as black and white predominate. There are bound to be touches of wood, and greenery, and metals here and there. If you need photos to guide you on your way, here's encouragement.

The only color in this room is what the two floral arrangements add,
 and in the painting over the bed. Yet, the room is
interesting because of the details, textures and layers.
Design: John Meeks. Photo: Douglas Friedman:
 
Some rich green and deep blue accents give additional
personality to this living room. Black furniture and lampshades, a
 sisal rug bordered in black, and some black and 
white patterned pillows -- it all adds up to a winning formula.
Photo: Jessica Sample via Lonny and Looks Like White
Black and white photography contributes to the modern look
of this simple dining room. The walls are pale grey, almost white.
Greenery in the vase and a large wooden centerpiece
bring some warmth to the scene.
Photo: Fashion Square, Carolina Engman
This would be a simple look to imitate if you want to stage
a home office with limited furnishings. Don't assume everything
needs to match style-wise. The color scheme ties things together, and the 
plants fill space and add a fresh touch. Photo: decor8blog  
  
If you are staging an all-white kitchen, one novel place
to add a dash of black to the mix is with 
hardware and flooring, the way designers here did.
Photo: dustjacket-attic
I love this look. It would make a great entrance in a home
for sale! For more samples of buffalo check
decor, visit my Buffalo Checks Pinterest Board. 
Photo: Basilandtate 
When you go with black and white, walls don't have to be pure white.
Here, designer Gregga Jordan Smieszny gave the walls a
lustrous grey finish. I like the black wall sconces.
The two average-sized photographs take on added importance
when given wide frames and mats. Photo: Desire to Inspire.

No matter what the architectural style or age of your home for sale,
there's a black and white pattern that's a perfect fit -- polka dots, checkerboard,
houndstooth, buffalo plaids, zebra stripes, chevrons, key motifs,
pinstripes, diamonds, wide stripes, paisleys, toile -- all classics.
Read about mixing patterns here.
Photo: Marimekko.

Don't let the simple, versatile popularity of black and white pass you by. Instead, harness its appeal to help sell your home. I've written about pastel color schemes and blue and white color schemes. Take your pick, and get staging!

Get the look, get the book  

For more tips about color and style selection to make your home sell, download my staging eBook, DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar. It's loaded with helpful advice, easy-to-follow advice that lets you stage your home yourself to appeal to home buyers.