Top 4 Differences Between Home Staging & Interior Design
Home Staging VS Interior design:
Audience: General Buyer vs. Specific Owner
One of the most important distinctions between home staging and interior design is the intended audience. Home staging is meant to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible. Interior design, on the other hand, answers to the specific aesthetics of an individual or family.
Example: Where an interior designer may recommend a bright, bold wallpaper in a child’s bedroom to personalize their comfortable space, a home stager will opt for neutral paint colors to appeal to more buyers and highlight the home strengths.
Decision maker: Professional Home Stager vs. Owner
Another key difference between professional home staging and interior design is in who makes the design decisions. An interior designer works to the homeowner’s final decisions but when it comes to home staging, it’s the professional stager who makes the call. Homeowner detachment is an important part of the home selling process, and while this is sometimes difficult to achieve, professional home staging helps.
Example: A home stager will replace a worn-out recliner with fresh, modern furnishings that appeal to buyer aspirations. An interior designer will incorporate the recliner into overall design if the homeowner insists on keeping it.
Focus: Asset Merchandising vs. Personal Lifestyle Functioning
The ultimate goal of the home stager is the quick and profitable sale of the home. In contrast, the interior designer incorporates specific functional and lifestyle needs in order to create a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing living space that suits the particular needs of the homeowner.
Example: A home stager might decide to present a bonus room as a multifunctional family space due to the home’s location in an area known for great schools. An interior designer will turn that same space into an exercise room, art studio, or man cave, depending on the homeowner’s wishes.
Speed: Days vs. Weeks or Months
By the time the professional real estate stagers enter the home, their process is in motion. They have already gathered the information (market research, current trends, neighborhood demographics) required to get started. The interior design process, on-the-other-hand involves a step-by-step decision-making process that often requires homeowner approval for each detail along the way.
Example: Professional efficient real estate staging teams might require 4 hours to stage a vacant 4-bedroom home that’s otherwise move-in ready, while professional interior design projects might need months just surfaces, furniture, flooring and accessory design depending on the project requirement.
