Madison Area Builders Association Parade of Homes (June, 2020)
Premiere Stagers & Realty usually doesn’t stage Parade Homes. Why? Because I do staging, not interior design. What’s the difference? An interior designer chooses a particular demographic such as a family, an urban couple, adults over 55, a single young professional, etc., and then inserts furniture and accessories to that demographic, adding layers of items.
A stager, on the other hand, selects furniture and accessories to best fit the majority of people. There are just enough items (plus a little more) to enable potential buyers to visualize the size and scale of each room. Most Parade Homes require a full interior design. But this year (2020), due to COVID-19, Madison Area Builders Association rules were relaxed to accommodate staging or interior design.
Staging a Parade Home is a lot more work than a typical vacant home for sale. The expectation of perfection with selections can be daunting. Plus, for a new-build, the finish date typically coincides with the staging date. In this case, the finish crew was still working while we were staging. Parade Homes are also larger so the builders can showcase their skills.
My former business partner, Libby, was more than gracious in helping me with this stage. She was instrumental in thinking outside the box. Two examples: 1) she put a wall mirror flat on the dining table and created a beautiful centerpiece that is stunning; 2) she used a large canvas as a headboard. Two stagers create synergy, which results in a much better product.
Since the house was modern, with lots of black, browns, and natural woods, our color scheme was black, brown, yellow/gold, plus a punch of light blue. We carried these colors all throughout the rooms. I chose four light-blue chairs from IKEA for the live-edge wood breakfast bar. My intention was to add in a pop of color to break up all the blacks and browns, highlight the natural wood bar, plus show this area as an informal place to eat.
I am grateful to the builders, Victory Stone Builders for their beautiful design and their trust in my work. Although this house sold before completion (and before the Parade of Homes began), they continue to build efficient and well-designed houses in the Madison area.