Top 10 Staging Accessories

Staging is an art and a science. So much intentional design goes into a well-staged home. To stage a home, you must have accessories. Not only do accessories finish the look in your home, but accessories also help draw the eye around the room and bring attention to features a seller wants to highlight. According to a 2021 National Association of Realtors survey, almost 1/3 of buyers will overlook property faults when a home is professionally staged. We all know that a buyer buys the home, not the stuff in it. But, having modern, updated accessories absolutely affects a buyer’s decision to make an offer or not.  Staging helps the buyer visualize themself living in the home and creates emotional connections. These are my recommended Top 10 Staging Accessories that will help your home look its best.

 

 

Pillows are one of the must have Top 10 Staging Accessories

 

Pillows

Adding pillows as part of your home staging plan is always one of the recommended Top 10 Staging Accessories. Pillows bring in texture, add softness, create contrast, and enrich the furniture on which they’re placed. If you add an extra layer of accent pillows to your bed, you will create an enhanced feeling of luxury. When you add a few extra accent pillows to your seating areas, you will bring in a cozy vibe. Too many pillows will make a couch feel crowded, but too few will look sparse and uninviting. Try to find the right balance of improving the look and feel without making it too overwhelming.

Creating a well-balance staged home can be tricky. As an HSR Professionally Trained and Certified Home Stager, I can help! A Discovery Call is always Free.

 

 

Books are great to use for Home Staging

 

Books

It is so easy to incorporate books into your spaces! Books can be used for so many things other than reading. Use books to create different elevations for accessories, add visual interest and balance shelves, finish a vignette, or eliciting an emotional connection as a bedside prop. Books can be used in vignettes in kitchens, bedrooms, offices, living rooms, family rooms, and even entryways. They come in all shapes and sizes with many different colors and offer great title names, interesting subjects, and can be fun talking points for anyone walking through your home.

 

 

Plant and Flowers are one of the most important Top 10 Staging Accessories

 

Plants and Flowers

Nothing brings a home to life faster than adding greenery. When you incorporate plants and flowers to any space in your home, you create freshness and help draw the eye around the room. Adding real or artificial plants will subtly boost the mood of anyone entering the room. Having fresh flowers on hand during showings has proven to reduce the feelings of stress and helps people feel more relaxed and secure. Plants make a room feel cozier and more welcoming. All great benefits when selling a home, and one of my most important Top 10 Staging Accessories! Don’t overlook the greenery!

 

 

Mirrors are a fantastic accessory to use when staging a home

 

 

Mirrors

A staging trick with mirrors is placing one at the entry of the home. Anytime future buyers are passing directly in front of a mirror, it allows them to literally see themselves in the home. That’s exactly what a seller wants! Mirrors have many benefits like bouncing light around a room, making a room feel bigger, bringing good energy to the space, hiding imperfections, and becoming a statement piece. Mirrors add sparkle and interest. You cannot go wrong when using a mirror to decorate a space.

 

 

Using art is a great way to finish a space when staging a home

 

Artwork

Carefully consider the art, or lack of art, you have in your home. Artwork should be neutral and shouldn’t profile you in any way. As a Professional Home Stager, I always recommend removing anything personal, political, and religious. Give the buyer a neutral canvas and don’t let them get hung up on anything they may not agree with. Consider replacing a giant family portrait with an inexpensive neutral canvas instead. Pre-pack all your religious art and décor and stick with a tasteful landscape. If you have bold statement pieces that are risqué, or may not appeal to the masses, put them in storage and swap them out for art that quickly releases the eye so your buyer can focus on the architectural features of the home they will be buying. When you don’t have any art, a home can feel sparse, unfinished, and unwelcoming. All negatives when enticing a buyer to make an offer. Invest in some large, inexpensive pieces that are either abstract or nature inspired. Then you’ll have some nice new items for your next place!

 

 

Throw Blankets are a versatile staging accessory

 

 

Throw Blankets

Another great way to introduce texture and layers is by adding throw blankets. Throws are versatile staging accessories that move easily from space to space and add an element of interest and coziness. Consider adding a contrasting color to your sofa, or end of your bed. If you have an odd, empty space in your living room, a basket with a couple of throw blankets will give it a purpose. When you artfully drape a throw blanket over a tired sofa and add a few neutral pillows, the sofa will become an afterthought to the updated accessories.

 

 

Another Top 10 Staging Accessories to include are decorative objects

 

Decorative Objects

Anytime you can add a vignette to an empty kitchen or bathroom counter, the space will feel more put together. If you have bookcases loaded with books, a person can feel underwhelmed with the lack of storage in the space. When the eye doesn’t have a place to rest, it will determine a room is chaotic and elicit a negative response in the buyer. By adding simple decorative objects to bookcases, it will break up the crammed feeling. When you add visually interesting pieces to the entry console, the buyer will be intrigued and want to see more. Decorative objects complete the picture and establishes a lasting impression in your buyers. Want a bit more direction to create a vignette? Check out my blog post on Coffee Table Vignettes.

 

 

Use baskets and tray as staging accessories

 

Baskets and Trays

We all have little bits of clutter in our lives. TV remotes, car keys, mail, shoes at the door just to name a few things. Trays and baskets can help organize the clutter. Consider a small basket on your entry console to catch keys and loose change. Or, add a tray to your coffee table to collect the remotes. Trays are a great way to anchor a vignette too. When you add a table centerpiece in your dining area, consider placing it on a simple tray. Add a tray under your kitchen soaps to define their space and purpose. A basket is a great way to store extra throw blankets, or to fill an empty space near the fireplace. Baskets can be used on bookshelves in place of books on the top and bottom shelves. When you use baskets in your pantry to organize mixes or packets, the overall look will be more appealing to anyone checking out the space.

 

 

Lighting should be considered a staging accessory

 

 

Lighting

It is so important to consider lighting in each space when preparing to list your home. Natural light is the best for your listing photos, but what if you have a room with very little light coming through small windows? When you layer lighting by adding lamps to the available natural light, you increase the bright and airy feel people are drawn to. Consider changing the lightbulbs if the wattage is low. When you open the curtains and blinds, be sure to clean the windows. Dirty windows block a lot of natural light and dark rooms give the impression of dirty spaces. No one aspires to live in a dungeon and it’s important to remember that a light, bright home will sell faster than a dark home.

 

 

Rugs are a must have staging accessory

 

Rugs

The last of my Top 10 Staging Accessories are rugs! Rugs are the easiest way to define a space. When you have a long narrow room, a rug will separate seating areas and give purpose to the different areas. Rugs add texture, incorporate color, bring in personality, anchor a space, and enhance visual interest. If you have a room with tired carpet, layering a rug will help distract from that negative. An entry rug should be clean and welcoming. If you have an eat-in kitchen nook, a rug is a great way to visually separate it from the rest of the room. Rugs are another fabulous way to finish a space.

 

These Top 10 Staging Accessories are a must when getting your home ready to list. Do you want to make the most from your home as possible? Do you want to be proactive as you prepare to list your home? Does this feel a little overwhelming? I can help! Schedule a Free Discovery Call, and let’s chat about your home before you list it. As a Professional Home Stager, I love helping homeowners get the most from your biggest investment! A Home Staging Consultation is the best way to start your home selling journey. During a consultation, a Professional Home Stager will analyze the current furnishings and finishes and make suggestions to create the most cohesive look. For more information, click here.

 

Enjoy!

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