Rules are (sometimes) meant to be broken

Rules can be the enemy of self-expression, and as many of you know, being a self-employed creative empowers us to live outside the box. When I first started my staging career, I was wary – I had to remind myself that I was going to do this MY WAY, which meant releasing any “rules,” about how to design that would stop me from representing myself authentically through my work. Goodbye, stuffy staging ideals of the past – helloooo, happiness. 

1. “You can’t put rugs on carpets.”
Seriously, who made this rule up?! Rugs are LIFE. They can bring in personality and colour to any room, and they’re the best way to define and ground a space. Rugs are the truest of trendsetters – they set the tone and style of the space around them. I’ve got a new rule for this one: Never be afraid to use a rug, even if there is wall-to-wall carpet.

2. “Don’t forget to style the dining table or breakfast bar with place settings!” Umm, does anyone actually live like this? Probably not – and therein lies the problem. Our secret to staging is that the property shouldn’t actually looked staged! We say a big ol’ NO to place settings. A beautiful centrepiece is all you need.

3. “Make sure the colour palette matches every room.”
We all know the dated staging technique I’m talking about – that not-so-subtle pop of colour carried through to every room on the property, typically red or teal. Noooo thanks. Each room can have it’s own vibe and feel – when you’re done with it, STYLE is what will tie the property together!