As an art director, interior designer and millennial, one of my favourite hobbies is scouring the listings on Rightmove, the US equivalent Zillow, or the pages of the property pages in the Financial Times' House & Home section on the weekend. One thing that never ceases to amaze me, is the state in which properties are presented and photographed for sale. From the lower end of the spectrum (if such a thing exists anymore) to multi-million pound properties, there seems to be an almost complete vacuum of style and personality in the world of property staging and photography. If most homes are sold on a “vibe” aka “a feeling”, then a lack of personality cannot hope to help the sales process.
During the pandemic we spent so much time in our homes that a major pastime was focusing on how to improve it. How do we add a work space into our living room? How do we make our bedroom feel “higge”? ‘Tablescaping’ and ‘shelfies’ reached their peak (hopefully) and I was under the impression that putting care and considering into our homes in order to make them truly livable spaces was on the up. The world of real estate seems to have been left behind.
The Lucan, London - a world of grey - yours for £19.5 million
Is beige really neutral?
The question I asked myself whilst looking at £20million + properties in West London. Admittedly I am not the target audience, but even so, why does a property have to be decorated without any colour, pattern or personality in order for a potential buyer to envision themselves there? Personally, I find a world of grey and beige off-putting. It feels dated and drab - lifeless in fact, which is the opposite of what a home should be. This made me wonder – when did ‘neutral’ became a selling device? Yes, white or light coloured walls make a space look bigger (although how necessary this in in these properties I’m not sure) BUT I think we have reached peak griege and it’s now feeling decidedly dare I say it, BASIC. Yes, keep your walls neutral if you so desire, but furniture and textiles are an easy (and temporary) way to bring some life into a space - and a future life is what we’re in the market of selling.
Even virtual staging is lacking in personality
So if not beige, then what?
CONTRAST
Imagine an art gallery. The walls are white in order to make the paintings/sculptures inside stand out from the background. Think about your interior staging in the same way. The space is the backdrop for your furniture and lighting pieces - you can dare to be bold, just make sure everything has space to breathe.
Also consider the building - what period is it from? What area is it in? Is the landscape outside green and lush or is it built up and urban - and how can you play with emphasising and contrasting these elements? Not everything has to match!
CONSIDER YOUR AUDIENCE
Now think about your audience - what do they do for a living? How do they spend their time? Where do they go on holiday? Think about how they will spend their time your space. For example – if hosting dinners seems like a pastime, invest time in setting a beautiful dining table to help them envisage this. If the view is amazing, set a seating area facing outside, and ideally photograph/do viewing at sunrise/sunset. Remember, you are selling an idea of a potential future - it can be interesting and playful, but it should also feel calm. The two things are not mutually exclusive!
So who is doing it well?
Rather than looking to staging companies, let’s look to real people and their homes. Magazines such as Apartmento are good for inspiration, or Architectural Digest's ‘Open Door’ series .
Villa Colluci in Puglia, rennovated by HAY founders Rolf and Mette Hay and their friends Barbara “Bibi” Husted Werner and Martin Werner.
HAY’s Villa Colucci in Puglia is a great example of eclectic, modern interiors that contrast with the classical architecture, feels like a home. Liveable, with personality but still cohesive. This, my friends, “is a vibe”.