Staging: How My Passion for “Home” Inspires Me

After a long day on site, and after countless meetings with clients, the one place in the world I want to be is at home with my husband and kids. Despite the many different seasons I’ve experienced over the years, the rhythms of home remain mostly predictable. Slipping off my shoes, I catch up with my family, pour some white wine in a stemless glass, and put dinner on the stove. The sounds of country music playing softly in the kitchen, my kids share their high school happenings, and I faintly hear our neighbors’ doors open and shut, as they too, return to their sanctuaries.

Dorothy was right, there is no place like home.

This love affair I have my with own space is what propels me forward as I stage homes. When a family walks through a home, I want them to imagine their own bliss. I want them to visualize their kids sitting in the dining room, and their pets lounging in the living room. I want them to start daydreaming about hosting friends for appetizers and cocktails in the kitchen, and long summer nights of laughter in the backyard. As I pick pieces of furniture for staging, and add final details to each room, I treat the house as a home, never a museum. I firmly believe that where we live can be beautiful, clean, and inspiring, while also being “lived in” and “loved on.” Some of the principles I adhere to as I stage are things I also utilize when I host friends and family in my own home. Special touches like beautifully scented candles in the bathroom, and brightly colored flowers in a vintage milk glass or mason jar on the kitchen windowsill, are all little ways to show your guest, or buyer, that you want them to feel at home.

This attention to detail best shines, when the foundation is taken care of. A candle and plate of cookies in a home that has been slapped together, or is lacking the necessary fundamentals, is like putting makeup on a pig: a waste of good sparkle. Creating homes that are truly beautiful and timeless, from the ground up, is an immovable core value for my husband, Adrian and me. Ultimately, this is what Varos stands for. We are committed to building and selling homes that will last for generations, still standing above the rest after years of wear and tear. We care about pouring excellence into every job, because excellence is what has made our home, home. We believe in its staying power, and we know that hard work will never go out of style. As I stage, I love admiring the big and small ways we have maintained the integrity of a home’s history, while also making it better than ever. Hanging some airy curtains, and placing cozy throw pillows on the couch, is just adding the cherry on top.

In each corner, you will see a marriage of old and new. I love mixing vintage, refurbished pieces with modern details and patterns. When clients ask where I’ve purchased something, or start taking pictures of furniture, I know I’ve got their design wheels turning. What a privilege to be inspired, and in turn, inspire others! This is really where my passion comes alive. For as long as I can remember, I have been a “DIY” girl (before that acronym and Pinterest even existed)! I’d pick up a piece of furniture on someone’s curbside, spray paint it, sand up the edges, add mix-matched vintage knobs, and boom! I’d have a gorgeous, “like-new”, and completely unique piece for my home. As I’d experiment, I became familiar with my own style, and braver with new ideas. I firmly believe, and have experienced in my own life, that a home can feel like brand new after a coat of paint, and some thoughtful rearranging. These countless years of fixing and decorating my own homes and the homes of friends and families, unknowingly prepared me for this very important element in my Real Estate career.

As I finish writing this, let me leave you with this thought. If you staged your own home, what would you change? What would you move around, and what would you add? Staging homes throughout my career has increased my passion and commitment to my own home, and has kept me tending to the details that make it so comforting. May you find the inspiration you need to make your home into the haven you would so willingly create for others, and may we be filled with joy and gratitude as the roof over our head continues to care for our hearts.