Using art in Staging

The goal of any home staging project is to create an environment where the greatest number of potential buyers will fall in love with a home and imagine themselves living there.

It’s important to remove diplomas, wedding and baby photos and religious items from all walls. These distract buyers and remind them they are walking through someone else’s personal space.

Many homes, regardless of price range, don’t have any art to speak of. As a home stager I bring in art to help showcase the property. The art should complete the look, making a room feel comfortable, open and inviting, not become a focal point or distraction to home buyers.

I stick to pretty “safe” or traditional art that enhances a room while staying somewhat in the background. Landscapes, still life, botanicals and some more contemporary abstracts. Depending on the house, I sometimes use reproductions of Van Gough, Kandinsky, Monet, Miro, Matisse, Warhol, Rothko, O’Keeffe, Seurat, Klee, Wyeth. Black and white photos in dark black frames also work well.

I avoid religious art, most nudes, and edgy contemporary art with subjects that might upset home buyers. In most cases, the art is there as a backdrop to support the beauty of the house itself.

A really high-end modern home with tons of walls and high ceilings might call for more original and interesting art, but average homes do not. For these I would go to galleries or directly to artists to arrange rentals of original works or giclee prints on canvas.

Most homeowners hang art too high, place groupings too far apart, put small pieces on large walls and vice versa, creating a sense of imbalance. A good home stager will know how to fix these problems.

By the way, the photo above is from the very first home I ever staged. I remember rehanging their art (and deciding where to put the 10 other paintings I rented) was one of my favorite things about the whole project.

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