Home staging is the act of preparing a property, be it an already furnished or empty home for the real estate market. Furniture, accessories, carpet, lighting are all brought in or rearranged to create a ‘model home’ appearance. The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and potentially for more than the asking price. However, when it comes down to preparing for it, there are a ton of questions clients have but often, find answers difficult to come by. To ensure you are armed with the right information to get you the best deals, Mark Luther Design has answered some of the most frequently asked questions about home staging.

1. What type of furniture is used?

As an accredited Interior Designer, Mark Luther Design will visit the property and review the architectural detail. This will be the springboard to pick the furniture and accessories. It is important to note that staging a home is based on the style of the home and not ones personal taste. Mark Luther Design has often staged homes where the buyers have purchased entire rooms.

2. What if the home is occupied by a family?

Home staging often occurs when clients live at the property. This type of staging is a bit more sensitive as the client listens to what you say and you need to educate them about the approach you are taking and why you are ‘editing’ down their personal items.

3. When considering designing a room where do you start?

The best advice when considering redecorating a room is to hire a professional. A designer will put together a schedule so that a client is not wasting money. I have seen clients paint a room before the furniture and carpets have been chosen. It then needs to be repainted after the furniture was purchased.

4. What type of window treatment should I buy?

This is a tough question to answer as it is done specifically for each room. How is the room being used? Do you want a formal or informal setup? Is it for an office, privacy or for sleeping/eating? Blinds come in many decorative styles and serve a multitude of purposes, from sun filtering to privacy to blackout. Decorative drapery rods, used with panels make a clean updated look. More formal rooms, lend themselves to custom made valances and draperies.

5. What are the current kitchen color trends?

Although current trends lean towards white cabinets, gray and white counters and gray backsplash, it seems the color gray and white in a kitchen is being overused. Kitchen cabinets are now coming through with beautiful soft color stains, making an ideal choice for a center island. Many kitchens are now being shown with white upper cabinets and solid stain or painted lower base cabinets and center island to match.  Before you take on the kitchen project consult a professional kitchen designer.

If you have any more questions about preparing for home staging, get in touch with the experts at Mark Luther Design. We’re a group of professional interior designers dedicated to fulfilling your idyllic vision of the perfect home by developing interiors that are the embodiment of comfort, taste and your unique sense of style. To learn more about our design services, please click here or contact us by clicking here.