We Gave a Home Stager $100 — Here’s What He Bought on Bed Bath & Beyond
When it comes to preparing a house for sale, home staging plays an important role in the overall rebranding effort. From ditching a dog’s hair-covered pet bed to saying goodbye to the framed photos from your grandma’s birthday party, a stager’s role is to create a fresh space where potential buyers can imagine themselves living. Certainly, that means clearing out plenty of personal items. However, an empty home is also unlikely to allow potential buyers to envision their life there, and that’s why stagers bring in new items that create a warm, welcoming environment with a delightful slice of style.
In the spirit of freshening up a space for the winter we have ahead of us, I recruited Boston-based stylist and stager Sean William Donovan of Sean William Styling to go shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond (fka Overstock). I asked him to fill his virtual cart with $100 worth of items he’d pick to transform a space to maximize a seller’s return on the investment and spark a bidding war in no time. He may have gone $5.50 over budget, but we won’t hold that against him. Here are the picks he went with.
Overstock Home Stager Under $100
“As the weather has gotten colder (at least here in New England) why not spring for some new bedding to make the most of those seasonal depression naps?” Donovan says. “I love this classic white and gray striped queen duvet set, which will add some interest to any space without getting too crazy.”
He also notes that this fresh cover set will pair well with crisp white sheets or with a variety of gray linens. “Amp up the 'cozy' factor with a coordinating blanket or throw, which you can either layer under your duvet, or casually drape it across the foot of the bed for those extra-chilly nights.” Another plus is that the duvet cover has ties in each corner to secure the duvet, so it doesn’t flop out while it sits on your bed.
“I am not sure if 'shelfies' are still a thing, but I am certainly embarrassed for even typing it,” jokes Donovan, who loves to spice up a property for sale with some colorful hardcovers in diverse textures. “Regardless, any bookcase could use a good set of bookends to either manage your unruly reading materials or to simply add texture and interest.”
“While this bowl is shown in blue, it is available in black and surely packs a good look for less,” says Donovan, who recommended layering this bowl on top of a stack of coffee table books or next to a taller decorative object. “Or simply on its own to amp up the designer vibes of your space,” he adds. “I also love the blue option, which is a very hot color at the moment.”
