Staging is a term used to describe the way you pull together all the elements of your home and present it. You’ll often hear the term used by real estate agents when selling a home, and even home design specialists when working with you to create a wonderful space in your home. If you want to understand a little more about staging, read on – we’re going to go through lots of little ideas you can use in your home.
DECLUTTER
The first step to adding that final flourish to your home is to declutter everywhere. And when we talk about decluttering, we mean emptying your jam-packed cupboards and drawers and ensuring everything is spacious, tidy, and easily accessible. Grouping items together in different drawers or areas is a wise move, as is investing in lots of hooks for hanging items and storage solutions such as shoe boxes or toy containers.
STREAMLINE YOUR DISPLAY
Don’t forget to look at all your surface areas while decluttering too. Ask any interior designers residential or otherwise and they will tell you the same thing. Try to edit your surface displays to one or two main items, and avoid overcrowding. Stop using surfaces to pile up papers and correspondence, and make sure your surfaces are as clear as possible. You’ll find that when your displays have room to breathe, so will you.
HAVE A FOCUS
OK, so now we’re getting to the nitty-gritty of staging. Every room will automatically look better and more organized if there is a focus. For some people, this could be a TV hung on the wall. For others, it could be a grand fireplace. It could even be a small nook or cranny that has heaps of character and is unique to your home. The point is to find that ‘thing’ that screams everything about you, your home or your interests and make a big deal about it.
INVEST IN BETTER LIGHTING
Once you have your area of focus, light it up. You can arrange lamps or spotlights to brighten up your area of choice. Also, consider adding some lighting warmth to every room by positioning lamps of different brightnesses at varying levels. Doing this will create a warm atmosphere, and also give you some interesting lighting effects – especially if you start using coloured bulbs.
BE INVITING
A good living space should be somewhere that draws people all the way in. You can do this by adding plants and flowers, of course, but also by upgrading your pillows and seating areas. Artwork hanging from the walls, small areas of cosiness and a sense of warmth in your decor are all brilliant home staging tools, so use them. Don’t forget, it’s not just the indoors where you need to be inviting – it’s outside too. Line the pathway from your drive to front door with plants. Create conversation points around the front yard area. And finally, why not give your external walls a coat of paint to freshen up and add some curb appeal?
Any more tips to add? Let us know in the comments.
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This has been a collaborative post. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are not my own
