7 Staging Tips a British Designer Swears By

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Staging solely takes up a sliver of Franky Rousell’s time, however that’s what makes her the proper particular person to go to for recommendation about it. In addition to a slew of hospitality and residential tasks, the London-based designer and founding father of ​Jolie Studio tackles anyplace from 5 to 10 staging jobs every year. And her method doesn’t change: Rousell’s enterprise is predicated on interesting to the 5 senses, so she combines supplies, colours, fragrances, and sounds to create an immersive, lived-in expertise. In different phrases: she’s acquired the key recipe for attracting patrons. 

One of her many staging sizzling takes: “You can completely transform a space through light touches alone, keeping the furniture exactly the same,” she shares. For starters, her recommendation is to take stock of what you’ve acquired, take photos of these issues, and lay them out in a doc so you possibly can mess around with contemporary combos you hadn’t considered but earlier than bodily shifting something. “Treat it like you are shopping your own collection in the same way you may shop your own wardrobe,” says Rousell. 

We talked to the British designer about her greatest low-lift adorning journeys and so they’re price jotting down, whether or not you’re on the brink of promote or simply wish to revamp your private home with out spending a fortune. Here are seven staging guidelines she swears by.

The Bigger the Art, the Better

While you’ve most likely heard that taking down household photographs is a staging rule, the identical doesn’t apply to artwork. Filling empty wall house with a big piece could make a house really feel extra alive and expertly curated. The similar goes for outsized floral preparations. But securing large-scale works isn’t all the time low cost. Oftentimes, when Rousell is engaged on a funds, she’ll fee native artists, typically even artwork college students, to create bespoke items at a fraction of the price of working with a longtime artist. You might additionally go the DIY route and paint an summary canvas your self or wrap one in a cool tablecloth you by no means use.

Finish Making the Bed with a Lumbar Pillow

Striving for that cozy boutique lodge vibe? Rousell’s recommendation is to line the again of the mattress with two to 3 extra-large sham pillows after which add two normal rectangular ones in entrance. From there, you possibly can both add a easy lumbar cushion with a pleasant trim (the designer suggests one thing like this) or two rectangular patterned cushions (she finds reasonably priced ones on Etsy). “I think the lumbar really adds that elegance and finishes off the interesting shapes nicely,” she says. 

Group Objects in Odd Numbers

Whether she’s styling bookshelves, a espresso desk, or a whole room, Rousell seems to be for alternatives to collect gadgets in teams of three, 5, or seven as a result of odd numbers end in vignettes that really feel balanced. “They resist symmetry and create a sense of intentional imperfection—something that feels more organic and less staged,” she explains. On a shelf, which may appear to be a stack of books alongside a small sculpture and a trailing plant. In a front room, it might play out with a settee and two armchairs. On high of a espresso desk? Try a cluster of tall flowers, a low tray, and a candle. 

Picture a Triangle When Arranging Items in Threes

Speaking of the ability of strange numbers, when Rousell is arranging three gadgets, she makes positive they’re all various heights—a tall vase, a medium-sized candle, a low bowl. In different phrases, she makes it a “triangle.” “It’s a classic stylist’s trick,” she says. 

Play with Unexpected Proportions

You’re most likely noticing a theme right here: large is best. The rule that applies to paintings hanging on the wall additionally goes for different parts like timber and flooring lamps. The entire thought is to finish up with a focus. 

Place Contrasting Textures Next to Each Other

An unglazed ceramic vessel subsequent to a shiny lacquer tray or a chair wrapped in floral upholstery up towards a plaster wall—typically it’s not about what room one thing goes in, it’s about what you set subsequent to it. “It can really play with the eyes and give a warmth to an otherwise harsh finish,” says the designer. 

Embrace Negative Space

Staging isn’t about filling each nook, in actual fact it’s about letting issues breathe. Leaving gaps between furnishings, decor, or architectural options permit the attention to relaxation and allow you to double-down in your precise focal factors. Rousell typically references the “theory of Ma,” a Japanese idea that celebrates the house between issues, in her work. You can apply that to a big expanse of uninterrupted wall; an open space between rugs; a pendant hanging freely with no competing lighting round it; or a spot between a settee and a aspect desk. “By balancing negative space with focal points, you create a sense of calm, luxury, and intentionality,” she shares. “It’s often what makes a space feel elevated rather than cluttered or over-designed.”