Real Estate, Staging, Color and Design Trends Archives - HSR Home Staging Certification Training
Category Archives for "Real Estate, Staging, Color and Design Trends"

Real Estate Trends, News and Statistics

Home Staging Props for An Easy Update

Essential Home Staging Props for Every Room of the Home

A key part of home staging is modernizing and the most effective way to modernize a space is to add some key staging accessories that help to update each room.  Usually the home stager after the walk-and-talk consultation will create this home staging props shopping list for the seller.  Better yet, the home stager can simply shop on the seller's behalf to purchase items that will go a LONG WAY in updating the home and attracting that best offer possible.

My Expert E-Designer has curated a 20-page, shopping list of essential home staging props for each home that goes on the market inside the Expert E-Designer HSR Template Library, so if you're one of my Expert E-Design students, go ahead and add it to your account.

We've also added this curated client presentation with shopping links to the home staging course under the Successful Consultations section.

Let's take a look at the essential home staging props room-by-room...

Home Staging Props Every Seller Needs

Every home can benefit from a new door mat, more greenery, mirrors and what I call "staging trays".  

The 62 inch circular mirror can work in any home and multiple spaces to add additional light, use over a fireplace, in an entryway or go over a bathroom vanity.  At only $60 bucks at Target, this mirror which has over 1000 five star reviews is a steal!

The banana fiber pouf or stool is another extremely versatile item that can add much needed texture to any space for a mere $30 bucks at Ikea.

Essential Kitchen Home Staging Props

Most kitchens lack warmth and personality because they are filled with hard finishes.  Never clear every counter and try and sell a bare kitchen!  Since the kitchen is a huge selling opportunity for the home seller it becomes even more critical to carefully stage counter vignettes that add texture and warmth.

I personally love the look of layered cutting boards sitting upright on a kitchen counter, a bowl of fresh fruit and brand new woven dish towels.  White accessories denote cleanliness, so using white home staging props will help to make the clean connection for buyers.  These small, inexpensive additions go a long way in creating a clean, natural atmosphere.

Check out how these simple kitchen home staging props along with paint completely transform this kitchen my sister's staging company, Pacific Home Design in Santa Cruz designed:

BEFORE STAGING

Essential Bedroom Home Staging Props

Bedrooms are so personal, that it can be discomfiting walking into another person's boudoir for a buyer...especially if the bedding is old and tired looking.

Adding white bedding enlarges the space and gives it a fresh, clean feel in any bedroom.

Essential Bathroom Home Staging Props

Bathrooms are similar to bedrooms in that they are intensely personal, so using white and having it immaculate will never scare off buyers.  Use a tray to anchor a vignette on the counter.  Fresh white, fluffy towels stacked by the tub and greenery gives the space that spa feel.

This luxury white towel set for under $35 bucks is an essential for every bathroom in the home and with over 1300 positive reviews as an Amazon Prime Choice, it's a steal:  https://amzn.to/2Af5yCA

Perfect Coffee Table Vignette Home Staging Props

Building beautiful vignettes or what I call "emotional connection points" in each room of the home takes an extreme eye for design.

In our Staging Essentials Client Presentation that we've just added to both the Expert E-Design Training and the Home Staging Certification course, we built a perfect coffee table vignette that is easy for clients to purchase and build on their own.

Home Staging Props for Living Spaces

What room can't benefit from a large jute rug, fresh new pillows, more lighting and fiddle leaf tree?

These simple, yet updated staging accessories are usually the missing  piece in a living space.  Make sure to go large on the floor rugs, so that every front leg of your furniture touches it.  This rug on Overstock is priced right at $200 while the 5 foot fiddle leaf tree with great reviews on Amazon is under $100:  https://amzn.to/2ZGZk9k

Etsy is my go-to place for awesome pillows, so have fun exploring various shops for that perfect, pillow combination.  This Etsy shop had this luxury set of pillows for sale for only $115 which is a steal for this kind of quality and size.

Even if the home seller is on the tightest of budgets, these many items valued in total at around $2000 will make a $20000 difference in the value of the home.

Buyers are looking for stylish decor and statistically will pay more for homes that have updated decor, so spending a bit on these versatile accessories will be an investment in the sale of the home.

If you're an HSR Member, go ahead and download the full Client Presentation with Shopping Links and add that to your Consultation for your home sellers...cheers!

If the idea of shopping for all these great things to use to help sellers get the best price for their home interests you...then consider becoming a home stager by taking my free course below...

Could Home Staging" be a Career for You?


Don’t miss this..!!

  • 7 Key Questions to Ask Yourself
  • What the Cost is to Starting this Business
  • Do You Have the Personality for This Industry?
  • How You Know If You Have the Design Talent?

Some More Recent Stories from Home Stagers...

Essential Home Staging Props for Every Room of the HomeA key part of home staging is modernizing and the most effective way

Read More

This April 22nd Virtual Happy Hour video continuing our series on how to pivot your business and do remote design and staging

Read More

We are in Week 5 of our Virtual Happy Hours where every Wednesday at 3pm, we drink, laugh, learn, inspire and create

Read More

In our April 8th, Virtual Happy Hour I gave a detailed presentation PLUS resource links and "copy and paste" scripts on exactly how you

Read More

In my last Virtual Happy Hour (free Wednesday, learning happy hours I've been doing since this crisis hit that you're welcome to

Read More

In the March 25th Virtual Happy Hour, I did something a bit different and that is I created a one-hour workshop on

Read More

As promised in my earlier letter providing staging business advice on how to handle Covid-19 (Coronavirus), we held our first "Virtual Happy

Read More

I've thought long and hard on how to approacheverything we are seeing on the news regarding Covid-19 in a positiveand productive email

Read More

I just finished a live webinar on "How to Make Money Doing E-Design for Clients" and the response was AMAZING!  If you

Read More

Part of being a Total Design Freak (TDF) means you love, love, love to see gorgeously staged homes designed to sell...right?:-)In this

Read More

This post contains a couple Amazon affiliate links:-)

How E-Design Can Get You Sales

2019-9-Edesign-post-new

There's A LOT of confusion when it comes to E-Design and the simplest way to explain it...is to say that 

E-Design is simply technology helping you get your vision across to clients that much easier, better and more beautifully!  

How does E-Design do that?  Well, the best technology allows you to clip and save whatever you're searching online for in a "project" with a direct link and product price/information, so that while you're shopping or sourcing for clients it's being recorded into that  client's project folder...

Example Outdoor Space with inspiration room and all the products

In the past, designers would try to explain the vision they had to clients verbally or even tediously create a hard copy "mood board" but now technology gives us the tools to simplify, pass the vision along easily and even give clients the direct links to shop for themselves if they wish.

Here Are 3 Not So Obvious Ways E-Design Can Grow Your Sales...

1

E-Design Boards Allow You to Communicate Your Vision MUCH Better than Your Competition

Lia Rogers or Reinvention Intentions was trying to break-in to an investors group to be the preferred stager/designer with little luck UNTIL she used an E-Design board to visually SHOW them the work and materials she would plan on placing into their homes...that got her business!

2

E-Design Boards Help to Upsell Your Design Services Easily

Shannon Christianson of Staging PDX told me at the last RESA Convention that not only does she use E-Design boards to show her staging clients the planning that can be done BEFORE they move into their new house, she also uses the boards to quickly give her staging clients a shopping list for the staging project.

Become an Expert E-Designer!

Check out the training now!

3

E-Design Boards Set Expectations, Value and Budget

Have you ever had a client not super happy with what you bought for their home?  Of course you have but using E-Design technology allows you to streamline the shopping expectation, so that clients can see it ahead of time and let you know.  This saves you time, sets the expectation up front and allows clients to stick to their budget!

There's so much more you can do with E-Design technology, so if you want all the answers to how to incorporate E-Design into your staging or design business, click to join me on a workshop about it below...

Essential Home Staging Props for Every Room of the HomeA key part of home staging is modernizing and the most effective way

Read More

This April 22nd Virtual Happy Hour video continuing our series on how to pivot your business and do remote design and staging

Read More

We are in Week 5 of our Virtual Happy Hours where every Wednesday at 3pm, we drink, laugh, learn, inspire and create

Read More

In our April 8th, Virtual Happy Hour I gave a detailed presentation PLUS resource links and "copy and paste" scripts on exactly how you

Read More

In my last Virtual Happy Hour (free Wednesday, learning happy hours I've been doing since this crisis hit that you're welcome to

Read More

In the March 25th Virtual Happy Hour, I did something a bit different and that is I created a one-hour workshop on

Read More

As promised in my earlier letter providing staging business advice on how to handle Covid-19 (Coronavirus), we held our first "Virtual Happy

Read More

I've thought long and hard on how to approacheverything we are seeing on the news regarding Covid-19 in a positiveand productive email

Read More

Color and Staging Trends 2019

3-color-new

Oh how I LOVE to talk color, design and staging trends, as well as how they relate to our staging industry in the form of AMAZING before-and-after photo transformations!   Here's my take on the Colors of the Year 2019 for Behr and Sherwin Williams thus far and how you will see them in staging trends within homes over the next year.   Let me know what you think about these color and design trends for 2019...

Let's start with the Behr 2019 Color of the Year 2019, Blue Print

Blueprint which is a stylish mid-tone blue described by Behr as being an honest and approachable color. Behr's in-house color expert, Erika Woelfel, believes Blueprint is universally appealing, as it's "warmer than denim and softer than navy." Blueprint is able to work so well with other colors that you can layer in a second or third color to your decorating.

I've long been saying the blue is almost like another neutral in that it's become VERY livable and likable.​

In the staging realm, it's a very safe color to accent a home with...especially any coastal home to bring in the ocean views.   My AMAZING STAGING sister, Corrine McKendrick uses it quite often in her Santa Cruz staging projects because so many of the homes she stages are ocean front...

After Staging by Pacific Home Design

This Behr blue is so univeral that even Donna Dazzo, uses this faded denim like blue in a luxury New York City staged apartment in both the art and rug...

How CRAZY is this before and after photo?!​

Living Room Before...

After Staging by Designed to Appeal

Holly of Gray Staging and Design in Indianapolis accents with blue chairs and matching pillows in this after photo below...

Staged by Holly Meyers

 

Here's another doozy of a staging before-and-after by Gail Emlaw of Gail's Staging and Design in Cape Coral, FL...what a HUGE transformation!

Do you ever get tired of looking at before-and-after photos?​

BEFORE STAGING

AFTER by Gail's Staging and Design LLC

All in all, I think Behr picked a VERY safe color that we can expect to see a lot of in the staging and design world.  Since staging trends tend to follow the color trends and the paint companies are at the forefront of this, let's look at another newly announced Color of the Year...

Sherwin Williams Color of the Year 2019, Cavern Clay​

Courtesy of Sherwin Williams

No, you are NOT going to see this color on very many walls of a home EXCEPT in maybe an office space. 

You will see this color in accents of leather, wood tones, clay pottery, amber glass and pillows.  Personally, I love the leather chairs Stephanie White used in this AMAZING living space before-and-after...

Living Space BEFORE

After Design by Stephanie White Interiors

The Sherwin Williams color choice was a bold one but they know the pulse of color trends which is trending towards muted colors...both the Behr and Sherwin Williams Colors of the Year fit that trend.

In fact, both of those color choices are complimentary in nature especially with similar muted tones...what do you think?

 

This 2019 Colors of the Year Mood Board was created in our E-Design Training account that all of our Expert E-Designers have access to use, share, blog and post on.   If you're interested in learning how to create cool vision e-design boards for clients, then join me in this upcoming webinar...

You know you're on the right color trend track when you see it mass produced...

The Hearth and Hand with Magnolia collection at Target is making a big statement this season following these color trend combinations.  I was SHOCKED to see very little color in their items EXCEPT for our Behr Blueprint and Sherwin Williams Cavern Clay:

Magnolia Home-Target

These small accessories in Blueprint and Cavern Clay tones make a big impact and will liven up any table setting.  Pairing the natural rattan woven chargers with the blue glass plates and glasses brings out the contrast and just the right pop of color. Cavern Clay can undoubtedly turn heads with its eye-catching color through décor made of wood, ceramic, leather and rattan while Blueprint shows off it’s color best in fabric, glass, linen and paint. You can spruce up any kitchen or dining table by sprinkling in these colors for a lasting impression.

Magnolia Home Target

 

Two good color picks that go well together...it's almost like both paint companies coordinated their picks!  It almost makes me expect to see the Pantone Color of the Year 2019 as a Mustard Yellow.

Oh how I LOVE to talk color and design trends, as well as how they relate to our staging industry in the form of AMAZING before-and-after photo transformations!   Here’s my take on the Colors of the Year 2019 for Behr and Sherwin Williams thus far and how you will see them inside homes over the next year.   Let me know what you think about these color and design trends for 2019…

4 Staging Trends to Follow

I love what these Santa Cruz home stagers did to this million dollar vacant listing!  This Santa Cruz Home Staging company, Pacific Home Design merchandised this space so well...I'm building an article off the work they did about staging trends I'm seeing in the industry...

4 Hot Staging Trends You Can't Ignore...

#1

Navy and White Are Here to Stay

Before Staging

After - Pacific Home Design

After by Pacific Home Design

In a 2014 Staging Trends post, I named the color navy as a staging color trend you will see more of in the coming years and I'm happy to say that three years later...I'm not tired of it.  You can see how these Santa Cruz home stagers (Chrissy and Corrine) really tap into the design vibe of the city of Santa Cruz in that their staging design enhances the view and creates a "lounge like" feel.

#2

Merchandising Every Space is ESSENTIAL!

Before...

santa cruz home staging

After by Pacific Home Design

Part of the art of staging is "merchandising" the space.  The definition of merchandising is "displaying a product in such a way that it stimulates interest and entices customers to make a purchase."

The two photos above show this concept beautifully!

A buyer would go onto the deck and marvel at the view in the unstaged, empty deck photo BUT the buyer who goes onto the staged deck will sit in the chair and imagine spending sunsets with their partner over a glass of wine and teaching their children the constellations in the evenings...do you see the difference?

In my staging and design training, I call this building "Emotional Connection Points" in the home, so that buyers feel home in the each room...

#3

Staging Outdoor Areas is a Huge Trend

Staging by Pacific Home Design

For the first time in the 2017 National Association of Realtors staging statistics they mention the importance of staging outdoor areas, so this is a trend we are going to see grow in the coming years!

2017 home staging statistics

 

#4

"White" is the New Gray for Staging

Don't you hate how fast color trends seem to change?:) 

After staging by Pacific Home Design

Expect to see more white walls in the staging realm since this trends is growing.  Having said that, it takes extreme, design expertise to work with white walls since "white" needs lots of white furnishings and texture to work well.

Luckily the Santa Cruz home stager gals at Pacific Home Design had taken my Certified Color Expert (CCE) training course, so they knew the right way to work with white on the walls in this home!

More Gorgeous Photos from Their Staging Project...

santa cruz home staging

After by Pacific Home Design

Santa Cruz home stagers hit the mark on the hot new staging trends I’m seeing and the photos of their work will inspire you…

2014 Home Staging Statistics

home-staging-statistics-infographic-1

We just completed the largest home staging statistics survey ever taken of over 3500 homes sold in 2014.  The home staging statistics show that on average, professional home staging by an HSR Certified Home Stager increases the value of the home over 10% of unstaged comparables!  Spending around 1% on the “professional” staging of a home resulted in HUGE returns for the 2014 home seller.  In fact, we saw direct correlation between staging dollars spent and increase in sales price.

Speed of Sale vs. Getting a Better Price

It’s not just about “speed of sale” in today’s housing market but about making the most money out of your most valuable commodity.  While staged homes are selling quicker according to the RESA stats, I wanted to survey whether they were selling for more than the unstaged, neighbor’s home and boy did we get great results!  I’ll be sharing more about these results in the coming weeks.  Here is a quote that is good to keep in mind and pass along for the next selling season if things continue on their current trajectory:

staging-statistic-quote

Interestingly, our International HSR grads posted fantastic gains upwards of 15% which was not surprising since they are pioneering staging in their markets.  The midwest housing market had a bit less in return than the rest of the country which was also indicative of those markets being a bit behind the California, Texas, New York rates.

Overall these numbers don’t come as a big surprise since the popularity of HGTV and sites like Houzz, create an expectation for buyers when they are searching for the right home…they want the model home look and professional staging is the best way to achieve that.

1 2 3