What We’re Buying: Recent Faves, Steals, and Splurges (12/17/22)
TOP ROW (L-R): candle holder, rug, faux olive tree; MID ROW (L-R): dining chair, pouf, book; BOTTOM ROW (L-R): desk lamp, coffee table, basket
Continually refreshing our inventory is not only part of our business plan, it's pretty much a core value. Successful staging requires clean, crisp, and current inventory, so we're constantly buying new items to keep our stagings fresh and on-trend.
And while it all looks fun and pretty (and, it is), staging is a business. We need to be REALLY good at buying things that look way more expensive than they actually are. This is as much to control our clients’ expenses as our own. Additionally, our inventory needs to be strong enough to survive constantly moving in and out of homes. It’s a balance and it makes purchasing inventory a lot harder than it looks.
So, what are we buying right now that we are in L-O-V-E with? Read on, and click through to snag these gems for yourself Yes, some of these are affiliate links and we receive a small commission if you buy them - but think of all the time we’ve saved you from having to search for furniture and decor as awesome as these all on your own! This is us, giving you back the gift of your own time with an amazing home to boot. You’re welcome.
Our Favorite Recent Home Staging Inventory Purchases
Do we allow lit candles in our stagings? Um, no. My background is in insurance. Risk mitigation 101: no open flames in an Open House. However, candles are a staple of home staging decor because they suggest warmth, connection, and elegance.
What we love about these: The shape of these candleholders is fantastic! It’s just a little bit unexpected in a really good way.
2: FLAT WEAVE PERSIAN-STYLE RUG
We love to use Persian-style rugs. Are they technically traditional? Yes. Yes, they are. However, you can’t beat the warmth they bring to a space. Their rich colors and intricate patterns contrast nicely with the light, neutral tones and clean, straight lines of our modern transitional furniture.
What we love about this: This rug looks like a traditional Persian rug, but it’s flat woven (yet super soft) and light as a feather. Flat woven rugs are great for staging because they minimize tripping hazards. Also, rugs can weigh a ton - being so lightweight is such a bonus.
Oh, how we love faux trees!!! Faux plants have gotten so much better in recent years - so much so that we now use the word “faux”. Especially in vacant homes, our goal is always to bring life into an empty space, and nothing does this better than trees.
What we love about this: Faux olive trees are very on-trend right now. While we get the majority of our faux trees from a trade vendor, this one is from Amazon and, for the price, it looks pretty darn good.
4: WHITE SLIPCOVER DINING ARMCHAIR
Armchairs at the end of dining tables make the whole dining table feel more refined. Like adding earrings to an outfit, those little arms do wonders for the overall look and feel of a formal dining space.
What we love about these: Are they dining chairs? Are they living room chairs? Are they desk chairs? Yes, yes, and yes. These are incredibly versatile and can be used in multiple settings. A word of caution, however - while they’re a standard size at 18.5” from floor to seat, they sit lower than that when the cushion squishes down. Not a huge problem, but something to be aware of.
Poufs are one of the most versatile and overlooked pieces for living spaces. They can be stand-ins for foot rests, stools, and coffee tables. They’re awesome if you have kids. They’re lightweight and easy to move around. Don’t want them under foot (pun totally intended)? Tuck a pair under a console table for easy access when you need them.
What we love about these: These poufs are HUGE! What I said about being a foot rest above? Forget about it with these puppies - but they are perfect as seating around a fireplace or at the foot of a bed. And that texture is an A+!!!
This is the coffee table book to end all coffee table books. It’s huge. It’s bound in fabric. It comes in it’s own sleeve. It weighs as much as a Golden Retriever puppy. Open it to literally any page and find a jaw-droppingly beautiful photo. And, yes, it’s pricey. It just exudes luxury and elegance.
What we love about this: Read everything above. This book exemplifies the feeling of luxury we strive for in our stagings.
We used to have a hard stop on table lamps under 25” high. Impact lighting makes a huge difference in how luxurious a space feels, and bigger lamps naturally have a bigger impact. However, trends are changing and it’s critically important for us to be on-trend, especially with lighting. That being said, we have our limits. Will we use this lamp to stage a nightstand? No, no we won’t. Will we use it on desks and the occasional console table? Absolutely.
What we love about this: The shape and proportions are on point. It may be a little lamp, but it still has that “wow” factor that makes an impact.
8: ROUND BRASS + BLACK COFFEE TABLE
Round coffee tables are great for staging, but they still fall within the same rules as square or rectangular coffee tables in that a) they should be 50-75% the width of the sofa, and b) they should be within 2” of the seat height of the sofa. A is non-negotiable. B is somewhat flexible.
What we love about this: This is a very modern table but with a classic shape - it’s a perfect fit for our “modern transitional” aesthetic.
When we buy a tree (see above) we always buy the basket or planter to cover the pot at the same time. Woven baskets are great for this because they often have handles (making a big tree easier to move) and they have texture that pops in photos - and the photos are what brings buyers in the door.
What we love about this: This basket is big, providing a nice counterbalance to the fullness of the tree.
Interested in having us stage your next Greater Boston area listing? We’d love that, too! Click HERE to contact us today for your complimentary quote.