How to style your home like a home staging professional
Professional home stagers are enlisted across the country to make a home going on the market feel like the ultimate escape, further enticing lookers to buy. And Meridith Baer is the cream of the crop when it comes to staging. She’s prepped properties for Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Jeff Bridges, Jimmy Kimmel and other celebrities.
Whether you’re getting ready to put your own home on the market or you simply want to take your home décor up a notch, Baer is sharing some of her secret tips with TODAY to make your house feel extra extravagant.
Pay attention to the bed
To make a bedroom that you might find at a five-star hotel, Baer first recommends choosing white linens for a clean, crisp look. Then add at least one down comforter and either a pillow top mattress or a really thick mattress pad to make the bed look plush and comfortable.
“Simple and delicious,” Baer says.
Don’t create psychological barriers
You may thing everything you have in your home is essential – but it’s not, and built-up clutter can get in the way of enjoying a room. Baer tells clients to clear out 75 percent of your stuff. Yes, 75 percent. That’s a lot, but test it out by putting the clutter in the garage, basement or an empty room for a week to see how different your home feels without it.
“If a closet is jam-packed, buyers will wonder if the space is big enough,” Baer says. “If it’s half empty, they’ll think that there’s plenty of room for their things.”
Lengthen your ceiling
Let those ceilings be their absolute tallest! To create an illusion of taller ceilings or larger windows, Baer suggests hanging curtains from as high as possible.
Layer the lighting
“Ambient lighting makes a room,” Baer says. She suggests placing floor and table lamps at different heights around the room instead of strictly using overhead lighting.
For rooms with hanging lights, such as pendants and chandeliers, Baer says to make sure the lights are high enough so that people don’t bump their heads.
Instantly tie a room together
There are a few simple touches to add to a room to make it more inviting. Some of Baer’s go-to details include:
- Placing a throw on the sofa to look inviting
- Plumping the pillows
- Opening an art book to a beautiful photograph
- Adding fresh flowers. “Whenever I put live white orchids in a room, it instantly looks fresh and inviting.”
