Creating A Dream Inventory Without Breaking The Bank
One of the most common questions I’m asked by aspiring stagers is HOW in the heck did I build my inventory, and how do I manage it long-term. I get it – it seems unfathomable to go from 0 to full-home-staged in no time flat, and truthfully, it requires a lot of thought and intention when it comes to when, how, and what, I purchase. Here are a few of the most valuable inventory building tips I’ve learned along the way:
1. Don’t buy everything all at once. Intentional buying means staying true to YOUR design aesthetic, only purchasing items that work with other items in your inventory. Practice foresight (I knowwww this is easier said than done in the face of flashy design and great sales) and don’t make purchases on impulse just because it’s a good deal.
2. Throw it in neutral. Purchasing items in neutral colours will take you SO much further, especially once you start staging multiple properties at once (the dream!). Trust me on this one. If you’re a sucker for a pop of colour, integrate it thoughtfully with the addition of art and pillows.
3. Wholesale, baby! Shop wholesale to cut down on costs, but only IF wholesale is the most cost-effective route. Crunch numbers (ew, right?), and make sure the item you’re buying makes sense from a wholesale perspective. In my experience, furniture tends to be a safe bet with wholesale, while accessories can add up more quickly.
4. Keep it freshhhh when it comes to bedding and towels. I purchase all the SAME bedding & towels, and always in white. White is fresh, simple, NEUTRAL, and gives that lux hotel vibe we all want to visualize ourselves living in. I purchase all the *same* styles, because if something goes missing or gets damaged (because, life) you don’t have to toss an entire set of something – you can just pull from another, and it will still work.
Staging is about style, hells yes – but it’s also about being resourceful, intentional, and realistic when it comes to honouring where you’re at, and building toward where you want to be.
