A Remarkably Marketable Home: Secrets of Real Estate Staging

Staging is the marketing of a home to a broad range of buyers. However, the design should also be uniquely geared toward the demographics of the potential homeowners purchasing in the area. When I am preparing for a full home staging project I ask the realtor about the buying demographic of that particular area. They have a wealth of information on this subject because their livelihoods depend heavily upon it. Next, I take into consideration the neighborhood. I ask myself what a person buying into it would expect to find. Finally, I carefully assess the style/layout of the home itself.

Starting with a clean slate is the most important component of staging. I like a super clean home to work with. Even a worn or dated home can shine and look well cared for. It makes all the difference. A light toned neutral fresh paint job lightens and brightens even a tired older space.

I primarily use a muted or neutral palette for the major furnishings and bedding. I avoid upholstery with oversized arms or backs. They simply take up too much usable space. A deep seated sofa with a narrow back and arms is preferable. The more inviting that sofa looks with a throw and accent pillows, the better. The duvet covers and quilts are almost always a neutral shade with four bed pillows on the bed as well for a soft and inviting look.

Pops of color or pattern come from armchairs, pillows, art, plants, and accessories. Those are areas where I can easily skew the staging towards the desired demographic. I recently completed the staging of two homes. One was in a 55+ community with a lovely garden and a more traditional home layout. The other was a town home in the center of Sonoma with a modern loft feel that attracted second home owners, or buyers with a busy life who were looking for minimal upkeep. This would again indicate a slightly older demographic. Despite the very different layouts and styles I chose to take a slightly more traditional route with both properties. However, the outcomes could not have been more different.

The first home was completed in a very neutral and light color palette with a mix of natural textures that played well with the light cerused oak floors, pale gray walls, crisp white trim, and garden views. The staging followed my standard rule book of interesting but minimal artwork and accent pieces, a few plants and plenty of pillows. I always want each home to have its own personality, but still allow the buyer latitude to envision themselves living in the space. That doesn’t mean that it has to be boring. The big face on the living room wall is a case in point. It floated around the house for awhile, like an awkward party guest, until it landed on the living room wall. Staging often takes a bit of moving things around until you find their optimal position. That is why I almost always allow at least two full days for staging even a small property. The first day is major furniture moving and the second day is me fretting over the details, carrying plants back and forth, and adjusting the design until I have convinced myself that I need to buy the property! That’s when I know that the home is ready.

The second home was more of a challenge. My first instinct was to move in a neutral industrial modern direction. However, once staged, it felt cold and uninviting. Those dark polished concrete floors, soaring ceilings, and rough hewn stairs needed some warming up. It was time to bring out the big guns…I mean big rugs. The warm russets and rich tones anchored the neutral upholstery, and the patterning visually defined the dimensional spaces. It instantly seemed spacious rather than cavernous. I increased the size of the console, side tables, coffee table, and dining table, then added a bookcase for some verticality. The accessories began to tell their own story and the artwork reinforced the sophisticated world traveller vibe that I was trying to develop. After a last minute shopping trip to my favorite consignment store, where I scored four incredible pieces for a gallery wall over the dining table, I reined myself in before I threw out my own rule book entirely. I knew that I was done because I was seriously tempted to walk over the to market and grab some noodles, then come back and curl up on the sofa with a good travel book. Mission accomplished.