How to Create an Ecletic Look in Staging

One of the biggest challenges when Staging a house for resale, is making the homeowner’s furnishings blend with the Staging props. Most buyers want a new and modern look but in reality, most homes are not like that. It’s my job to update the homes while still keeping the integrity of the homes and use as much of the homeowner’s furniture and accessories to keep everyone’s costs down. It’s a hard juggling act to balance and create an eclectic look.

Antiques Versus New

The homeowners had already moved a lot of their furniture out of the home but they left a few pieces behind for me to use. I automatically noticed the silk custom drapes, the stunning original artwork and the high quality Persian rugs. How do I make this very sophisticated house appeal to the masses?

Buyers definitely have trouble visualizing how their furniture will fit when they see an empty space. You might notice this is the same sofa and love-seat that we rented from the last house that I staged. Since that house sold in the first week, we were able to have the furniture rental company deliver it to this house instead of taking it back to the warehouse. We were able to use the homeowner’s coffee table and end table. The remaining antiques were put in storage. We brought up the blue leather chair from the family room so buyers could see how much seating there could be.

The rental sofa and love-seat instantly transformed the room and made it feel more current while still blending with all the luxurious items.

Even I was surprised how much furniture could fit in this room, and I do this for a living! The neutral sofas are similar to what the masses typically have, so this will appeal to buyers. Bringing in lamps and greenery make the house feel like a home.

Since there was so much colour in the room already, I kept the accessories neutral. The large scale of the accessories also update the look.

Area Rug is the Colour Inspiration

These three colours might not be your typical colour combination but they were all pulled from the area rug for a cohesion look. It looked fabulous! You will notice all the homeowner’s artwork is in this colour palette as well.

I love adding silk and velvet for a luxurious feel as we enter the colder months.

Defining the Zones

We rented a glass dining table to keep the room feeling spacious. The black chairs added drama and worked well with the Asian inspired artwork.

Because the glass table has a unique base, I kept the center piece simple. I did however want the orchid to be tall enough to be seen above the chairs as you walked in the living room. The orchid pulled just enough colour from the artwork.

The Perfect Chandelier

The dining room didn’t have a chandelier and I felt it was very important to help define the spaces. I was very excited to find this one from a new collection. It was hard to find one that was modern enough for the masses but also elegant enough for the décor and within a certain budget. The black iron tied in with the black chairs and the crystals gave it just the right amount of formality. I didn’t want to hang a solid drum shade or it would block the stunning artwork.

The chandelier was perfect for this room!

Every Square Foot Counts

In a smaller home, you need make sure the entire house looks it’s best. That includes the foyer and hallways. You still want the colours to flow from one space to the next.

The front entrance is your first impression and sets the tone for the rest of the house.

Adding some black metal artwork ties in with the spindles and the light fixtures.

When you hang art on the exterior walls, the eyes go to the full width of the house instead of your eye stopping at the staircase.

Big, Bold and Beautiful

It can very hard to justify replacing ‘good quality’ artwork, but when you’re staging your house, you need to go BIG with artwork. The artwork gives more colour and interest. Offending homeowners is always risky. I just hope they understand once they realize ‘why’ I do certain things.