Home Staging vs Interior Design

What’s the difference between an Interior Decorator and a Home Stager? While both have a similar goal of improving the appearance of the home, they’re drastically different in almost every other way. Audience is the biggest difference, but they also differ in cost and materials used.

Interior Design

Interior Designers focus on personalization and meeting the client’s needs. Think of it like a home improvement project; not necessary, but nice. The purpose is to enhance the aesthetic of the home and increase comfort for the homeowner through color coordination, furniture choice as well as lighting options. This is where personality can shine, and unique taste can be embraced. The materials used are based on the lifestyle of the homeowner. Large Family? Use durable fabrics and already distressed furniture. No Kids? Enjoy your white sofa and glass décor. If a client wants a real cow hide rug, you go for it. This is more permanent which also means it is more expensive. You could be looking at 5 figures! Between hourly rates close to $100, the mark up charged on all items purchased and some even charge by the size of the room. It can add up fast.

Interior designers are not cost conscious nor concerned about return on investment. Personal touches are the epitome of interior design.

Home Staging

Home Stagers are looking to highlight a home’s best features. Unlike Interior Design, Home Stagers have free will, they can design as they see fit. Given today’s real estate market, pictures are important as ever! The purpose of Staging is to inspire and excite the prospective buyer. Think of a staged room as a window display. According to a HomeLight survey in 2019, “Two-thirds of top-performing agents from markets across the country believe buyers will pay more for a staged home, and nearly 83% say that a staged home sells faster than an unstaged home.” In terms of materials, the real question is “What will look best?” not “Is this practical?”. Smaller furniture is almost always better; large pieces can make your home feel small. Stagers can often incorporate your existing furniture and are not looking for “unique finds” they are looking for items that have “mass appeal”. Often you can pay under $1,000 for this service.

Neutrality is key. They work with the homeowner, or agent, to get the highest return on investment.

Why Home Staging is the Better Option

Some top agents provide staging as part of their listing, as an added perk to look for when choosing an agent. These agents realize the power of a staged home. It will serve you both well: selling the home quickly and at a higher price.
You can use some of your current furniture; the more furniture a stager has to source the more it will cost you. A throw blanket, lamp and rotating a sofa can make a room look completely different.
When selling a vacant or brand-new home, you can stage the important rooms without purchasing any furniture. The stager can either sell the furniture to the client or take it back to use at another home.

Morphe Home Staging

Morphe Home Staging is based in Katy, Texas and proudly serves the surrounding areas of Houston, Sealy, Brookshire, Fulshear, Cypress, The Woodlands, Spring, Tomball, Pearland, Missouri City, Sugar Land and Richmond. Morphe Home Staging knows that the first impression is critical and wants to make sure each potential buyer can imagine your house as their home. Through precise arrangement and styling with unique and creative insights Morphe Home Staging transforms homes with cost effective investments that benefit the homeowner, real estate agent or contractor. Every project is approached with integrity and expertise with honest recommendation and unparalleled customer service.

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Home Staging vs Interior Design