Styled, Staged & Sold

Bringing you the latest home design and staging trends. From REALTOR® Magazine.

Designed to Sell: Patterns, Texture, and Nature

Draw inspiration from the recipients of the Home Staging Resource's monthly "Best of the Best" awards, recognizing the work of stagers nationwide.

The Home Staging Resource kicked off 2022 with more recognition of its designers and stagers who’ve been making a big impact with their designs through its monthly “Best of the Best” awards. Check out some recent “Best of the Best” recipients to gather ideas for your listings.

Blank Slate to Show-Ready

TJ McArdle of Larimar Home Staging, LLC in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., helped completely recreate the look of this living space for a home in North Orange County. The sellers hired the Larimar Home Staging team to help guide them through the renovations, choosing paint colors, the millwork around the fireplace, lighting fixtures, and more.

BEFORE:

Living Room BEFORE

AFTER:

Living Room AFTER
Photo courtesy TJ McArdle, Larimar Home Staging, LLC

A Subtle Coastal Style

Madison Nelems of JKN Design Services transformed this once-vacant Hilton Head Island, S.C., home that had been lingering on the market. The design team “brought in neutral colors to offer some contrast and provide a modern coastal feel,” Nelems says. “They carried the blue from the kitchen into other rooms to make the design cohesive and intentional. Never underestimate the power of defining space and highlighting the unique features of a home.” After the home was staged, an offer from a buyer came in immediately.

Color Infused

Theresa Bouchard of TS Staging and Design, servicing York and Cumberland counties in Maine, was takes with staging this home in just four days. She used color pops strategically in this modern stage, including attention-getting blue velvet bar stools that matched an ottoman and complimented the blues in the area rug. Decorative pillows and artwork also tied in the blues.

Color-infused Room
Photo courtesy Theresa Bouchard, TS Staging and Design

Boho Chic

Gina Gailing with Big Style Staging in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., decided to stage this vacant listing with multiple patterns in a more neutral color palette. “We are known for staging with a lot of color, and this was the first time ever we tried a black-and-white bedroom,” Gailing says. “We love how it turned into a Boho chic look. The seller liked it so much that she hired us to design and duplicate the look for her new bedroom.” This house had lingered on the market for more than 90 days prior to being staged. The seller accepted a full price offer within 24 hours after staging, Gailing says.

Bedroom AFTER
Photo courtesy Gina Gailing, Big Style Staging

The Power of Decluttering

Jenny Bertagna, a real estate pro with Coldwell Banker Polaris in Columbus, brought on Addie Ashworth of Ashworth Home to stage an occupied home. “Every room in the home was touched,” Ashworth says. “We decluttered, removed personal photos, knick-knacks, etc. We added a few pieces of furniture—but most of their furniture remained. Eliminating extraneous pieces of furniture made a large impact on the space. We also removed worn rugs and pillows and added all new decor.”

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Living Room BEFORE

AFTER:

A Big Add-On

Kelly Sharp, who owns KD Designs in Tulsa, Okla., took on a remodel of her own home. She added 900 square feet, and her new dining room took the space where her back porch once was. She had an entire wall of windows removed and extend the patio to allow for more interior space. The remodel also added plenty of light via the addition of large windows in the back.

Living Room AFTER
Photo courtesy Kelly Sharp, KD Designs

Softening the Look

Kristen Brown and Amy Keeley, co-owners of Salt + Pine Home Staging, which serves Rhode Island, southeastern Massachusetts, and Connecticut, transformed a living room and dining room area. The homeowners did some advance prep work by having the home’s wall color toned down from a bold red to a more neutral tone and getting rid of all the furnishings. Salt + Pine brought in neutral, updated furnishings and rearranged the room to highlight the fireplace and two French doors. The home received multiple offers the first day it was listed and sold for over list price.

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Living Room BEFORE

AFTER:

Keeping the Charm

Laura Jones, who owns Home Harmony in Denver, worked to preserve the charm of this older property for a client who is an investor and real estate agent. They captured and highlighted the unique details of the original house, like the tile around the fireplace.

BEFORE:

Living Room BEFORE

AFTER:

Preserving 100-Year-Old History

Jackie Low, owner of Stage The Vibe in Waco, Texas, also wanted to preserve the charm in this 100-year-old mansion. Laura Flores, a real estate professional with Local Life Realty in Austin, Texas, hired Low to stage the property, built in 1920, in Hamilton, Texas. “The home has all its original long leaf pine floors, wooden doors, transoms, wainscoting, and floating staircase,” Low says. “We wanted to highlight the home’s original features while bringing in a few modern pieces as well. The dining room was the heart of this home and having full course meals was the norm, so setting the table using gold silverware to increase the elegance was a must. Then, there was the wallpaper in the bathroom that was a real showstopper.”

Bathroom AFTER
Photo courtesy: Jackie Low, Stage The Vibe

A Bright Hue of Blue

Sylvie Becourt of EZ Home Staging in Las Vegas wanted to grab attention with bold color in this home. From the cabinets to the couch and curtains, Becourt worked to tie all the blues together to make it memorable.

Blue Paint
Photo courtesy Sylvie Becourt, EZ Home Staging
Blue Decor
Photo courtesy Sylvie Becourt, EZ Home Staging

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