Home Staging Tips
Whenever we go to stage a home for our clients, we first evaluate what the client has in terms of furniture, decor, and the design elements of the home (i.e. whether it is a modern home, new construction, or home that is in need of updating.)
If the home is empty, we call this “vacant” staging and we bring in everything required to furnish the home, such as area rugs, furniture, lamps, faux plants, decor, wall art, pillows, etc. If instead we are using some of the client’s furnishings to stage the home, we bring in only what we need to finish the room and make it feel complete. This could be anything from wall art, rugs, pillows, plants, towels, kitchen decor, etc.
While there are a lot of different aspects that make staging successful, we are only going to focus on a few of the major items for this article to help you understand what to consider if you stage a home yourself.
Furniture placement: Furniture needs to enhance the home, instead of make it look cluttered or small. Less furniture will typically make a room feel bigger. Simplify your furniture and make sure there is empty wall space. Also make sure the room flows and has very clear pathways to walk. Furniture should not close off the room or block doors, walkways, or openings.
Color Scheme: Neutral colors or warm earth tone colors will make the room feel updated and less personal. Depending on the style of home, bold colors might be too busy or distract from the home itself. We typically stage with white shower curtains and white towels to make the bathrooms feel clean and updated. We also use white pillows on sofas to brighten the room.
Area Rugs: Sometimes people underestimate the power of area rugs. Area rugs can really add texture and define a space. Rugs should be used to bring the furniture in the room together and make it look complete. Try to use big enough rugs were all the front feet of the furniture are touching the rug.
Faux Plants: Plants add greenery to the home and make it feel lived in. The greenery warms up the room and also adds texture. We always suggest faux plants instead of real so that it requires no maintenance or watering. Home Goods, World Market, and Crate & Barrel have great faux plants that don’t have a fake plastic look to them. We always do tall trees in the corner of a room to bring height to the room and bring a buyer looking up at the potential of the room.
Wall Art: Wall art also helps to bring height to the room and adds interest to the walls. It gives prospective buyers something to look at and makes the room feel complete as well. Not every single wall needs something hung on it, but well placed pieces will help the flow of the home.
These are only a few things we consider when staging and hope they have helped you understand a very high level of what is involved in case you ever need to stage a home yourself!