When you see photos or visit one of our properties in person, you will see layers of furniture and decor. There are also things you won’t see in our staged homes.
Because greenery brings life, colour and softness to a space, we use faux plants and trees in almost every room. What you won’t see is a tree left sitting in nothing but the small black plastic pot it came in. We always place our trees and plants in appropriately scaled pots or baskets. A seven-foot tree in a 6-inch plastic pot just looks silly. Scale matters, right down to the planter.
– You also won’t see rooms without art, with one practical exception. We do not drill into tile or stone, so if there isn’t already a suitable hanger in place on a tiled wall or fireplace, we may have to forgo art there – but certainly not by choice. Otherwise, we use properly scaled art in every home we stage. Art sells houses. Bare walls make even a beautifully furnished room feel unfinished and cold.
– On dining tables, you’ll see lovely centerpieces, but you won’t see tables formally set with plates, wine glasses and cutlery. We aren’t setting the table for an imaginary dinner party, and cutlery just isn’t something we use for safety reasons. This is something that is area specific, I understand. Many of my staging colleagues in the southern states are expected to set a dining table with plates and glassware. Even so, most of them don’t use cutlery for the same reason. We want our realtors safe when conducting showings.
– Rugs are another thing we use in our listings. We add rugs on hard living room floors to give warmth and to define a space, especially in open concept homes. But you won’t see a tiny rug floating under a coffee table. The right size rug should accommodate at least the front legs of a furniture grouping. Rugs add dimension, lessen echoes, anchor furniture, define how a space can be used and add softness.
-You’ll see beautifully furnished spaces, but you won’t see furniture that is wildly out of proportion in the room. Too much oversized furniture makes a room feel cramped, but furniture that is too small can be just as unhelpful. It leaves buyers wondering whether their own furniture will fit and can make a perfectly good room feel awkward.
-You also won’t see beds made from crates, tables, bins or other makeshift platforms no matter how realistic they can look. Staging may be temporary, but it should never be unsafe for a child to jump on or an adult to sit on. Our beds need to look convincing in person, not only from one carefully chosen camera angle. The other thing you won’t see, is a sign saying “Do Not Sit” or trays with cups. Our philosophy is to allow potential buyers to dream without a contrived vignette.
Accessories should finish a room, not take it over. So you won’t see bookshelves filled to the brim. Sometimes the thing a space needs most is a little breathing room. We love the lesson from Coco Chanel who used to get dressed and before she left the house, she removed one accessory so she never looked over done.
Most buyers won’t walk through a home consciously checking the size of every planter, rug or piece of art. But here’s the thing. They may not be able to explain why one home feels right and another doesn’t, but they feel the difference.
Professional staging isn’t simply about putting furniture into an empty house. It’s about scale, proportion, balance and hundreds of small decisions that make the entire house feel considered and complete. Like home.
