By Leia T Ward
Staging a home correctly is key when trying to sell high-end properties. As a professional home stager, I treat every property individually and make sure it is staged to appeal to the targeted buyers’ demographic rather than to the owner’s personal taste. The seller may have lived in the house for 20-plus years, but the buyer might be a young family with an entirely different set of needs and sense of style. I always remind my clients that staging is not interior design.
Buying a home is an emotional experience; you want the buyer to fall in love with the property and make an offer. Staging can help increase the perceived value of your home and lead to a quicker sale or higher offer.
The bedroom here has great bones and beautiful light. It is one of two in an apartment in New York’s Flatiron district, on the market for $4mn. With a little help, it could really shine.
Show off wood floors
A seller should emphasise all of the architectural details that the buyer will be getting when they purchase a home. In this case, the beautiful oak floors are an important and valuable detail, so rather than distracting from them with a patterned rug, I would use a more solid rug to create a cosy layer. This woven wool and viscose rug, available from Dash and Albert in various sizes ($1,758 for 8ft x 10ft), would add texture without grabbing attention.
Embrace negative space
Just because there is a blank space on a wall does not mean you have to put something there. Negative space is important because it gives the eye a chance to rest and take everything in. I would remove the artwork above the bed in the apartment to allow the natural light to steal the show, and replace the small throw pillow in the centre of the bed with two 22in pillows. Painting walls in a neutral tone, such as Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace (from $46.99 per gallon), adds to the effect.
Go green
Adding a natural looking element of greenery always makes a space feel more inviting. An olive tree, such as this artificial one from OKA (£425), is a great option because it is open and airy so would add a nice layer without taking up too much visual space, or being a distraction. Many people are still working from home, and adding greenery creates that connection to the outdoors that many of us are craving these days.
Add layers
Staged homes should feel warm and inviting, no matter how modern they are. The way to accomplish this is to add layer upon layer of various textures to create a feeling of depth in the space. Here, I would add more layers of bedding such as a linen duvet folded back with a cashmere blanket underneath. The colours remain neutral, but the varied textures would create contrast. This Swans Island Solstice throw ($625) would be the perfect addition to add layers and textures to this bed.
Replace small with large
When buyers are glancing quickly at online photos of a property for sale, we want a place for their eye to land. Images that have a lot of small accessories or pieces of furniture tend to have less impact. In this bedroom, I would add one or two oversized floor vases by the window, which would create both a bold design element and a place for the eye to quickly rest. This 19th-century clay pot ($159 from 1stDibs) would work well when arranged with larger vases.
Photography: Andrea Carson; Mayfair International Realty
