Professional home stagers abhor clutter. If they have a golden rule to showing homes to their best advantage, it is to pare down piles of belongings and expunge knickknacks. That’s obvious. But in the photo gallery below are some less-obvious tips from ambiance artists, along with some visually arresting inspiration from the homes of Bighorn.
More All the Home’s a Stage Residences for sale benefit from a professionally styled ‘lived-in’ look
Window on the World
Keep window treatments as sheer and open as possible when you have a good view. Consider removing heavy window treatments or blinds altogether. Conversely, when there’s a bad view, screen it with plantation shutters or a more opaque window treatment.
Courtesy Bighorn Golf Club
Alive With Possibilities
Add live plants and fresh flowers. Live (not silk or plastic) flowers and green plants make a house feel fresh.
Courtesy Bighorn Golf Club
Unified By Design
Consider replacing your eclectic, mismatched furniture with furniture and accessories that have a unified design theme. Stagers often have storage units full of neutral furniture or shop at consignment stores to find a coordinated look.
Courtesy Bighorn Golf Club
Warm and Inviting
Create a warm, personal environment with books, artwork, and accessories. But be careful of items, such as pinball machines or baby furniture, that make the house seem too keyed to a particular lifestyle.
Courtesy Bighorn Golf Club
Less is More
Use fewer pieces of furniture. The more open space in a house, the better it feels. If you have both a dinette and a dining table, for example, consider jettisoning one to add more space.
Courtesy Bighorn Golf Club
Let There Be Light
Bring in plenty of lamps to add light from multiple sources. Too much overhead lighting makes a home feel like a retail showroom.
Courtesy Bighorn Golf Club
Peak Experience
Arrange a room’s focal point to draw the eye to the most positive feature. If there’s a killer view or a fabulous fireplace, maximize the experience for every seating position.
Courtesy Bighorn Golf Club
To Scale
Scale the furniture to the rooms. Oversized beds, sofas, and chairs may be comfy, but they can make rooms seem claustrophobic and create awkward traffic patterns.
Courtesy Bighorn Golf Club
Sparkle and Shine
Make sure the house is sparkling clean, from the comforters on the beds to the wine glasses on the counter.
