See How a Stager’s Small Tweaks Transformed This MCM Home into a Bright, Airy Space

Global real estate advisor Fiona Dogan ofJulia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty is no stranger to the process of staging a home to appeal to a buyer. Throughout her nearly two decades in real estate, she has come to understand how home staging affects not only potential buyers, but also the time it takes to get a home sold and the sale’s bottom line. 

For this recent project, a mid-century modern home in Rye, New York, Dogan applied some classic principles of staging and reaped the reward by getting the house sold within weeks after it had languished on the market for months. Because it was a period home, she needed to maintain a delicate balance between staying true to a home’s time period and character while also inviting contemporary buyers to imagine their modern lives within the space. Here’s how she pulled it off. 

“The goal was to make the space feel open and bright and true to its mid-century modern roots, shares Dogan, adding that they “kept the design clean and bright, using a neutral palette with simple furnishings and accessories to complement the architecture and attract today’s buyers.” 

A nod to the home’s history, however, doesn’t preclude more modern touches. “I updated the decor,” explains Dogan. “I incorporated more contemporary light fixtures, layered in soft textiles like pillows and throws, and removed rugs and excess personal items.” Indeed, when it comes to staging, the interplay between the home’s unique features and the incorporation of fresh items attracts potential buyers. “These swaps and additions played well off the home’s unique architecture while letting natural light shine.”

Whether it’s an open-concept kitchen and family room space that’s a dream for entertaining, the emphasis on indoor-outdoor living, or the impeccable original hardwood floors, highlighting the unique features of the home that’s on the market is key to attracting buyers. 

This home stunned Dogan not only because of its architecture, but also because of the natural light. “With high ceilings and walls of windows, light was the star of this home,” says Dogan. Highlighting this desirable trait drove much of Dogan’s staging strategy. “We focused on maximizing brightness, decluttering, and depersonalizing so buyers could envision themselves living in the space.” 

This house spent several months sitting through off-market promotion, but it didn’t move. Eventually, Dogan and her team decided that professional staging “would help buyers better connect with the home.” They put the sellers to work, encouraging them to purge personal items that they wouldn’t be keeping. 

Although hidden, this is a huge part of successful staging. Removing personal items makes the home feel “neutral,” and is the first step in enabling potential buyers to see themselves in the space.

This type of visualization kickstarts the emotional connection that leads to sales. In this case, two days of staging led to the home being under contract within just three weeks (compared to the several months of sitting that preceded it). 

As Dogan puts it, “Expert staging often leads to a faster sale at an over-asking price. Working with a professional stager is worth the investment.”