Personalized or Partial Home Staging Can Help Your Home Stand Out

A home on the market should stand out. That’s especially true as so many listings begin to look alike and home buyers want more for their money. Some real estate and staging professionals say the blank slate look that’s been popular for a while may now be missing the mark. Houses that show more personality can connect emotionally with buyers. One way to make an impression is through personalized or partial home staging that creates warmth, showcases character, and helps a home feel like a home.

What’s Personalized Staging and How Can It Help?

Personalized or partial staging adds character selectively. Rooms remain buyer-friendly, but small curated details create warmth and are memorable.

“[Items in] a house should feel collected over time rather than feeling purchased in one go,” says Chelcie Eastman, cohost of the Magnolia Network series “Anything but Gray.” Rooms filled with matching furniture sets or overly coordinated décor tend to feel staged rather than lived-in. Books, color accents, and certain memorabilia may add to a lived-in look and be effective, depending on the buyer pool and context.

“Personal items and accessories can help create vignettes throughout your home to guide a buyer through visualizing the best use of the home,” says real estate agent Kelly Dellinger with Akers Ellis Real Estate in Charleston, S.C. “It’s not necessary to strip the home of all personality whatsoever,” she adds.

How to Use Personalized or Partial Home Staging

Here are four ways experts recommend showing some personality without going too far:

1. Personal items: A sports team jersey, a surfboard in the corner, “a framed poster of a popular K-Pop band” or even lifestyle cues like fishing tackle can spark instant recognition. “Some buyers and their families can even identify these things as ‘a sign’ that this may be the right home for them,” says Stephen Ngo a real estate agent with Illustrated Properties in Stuart, Fla. Helpful touches include a curated stack of books, colorful statement art, or color accents, says home stager Lindy Curtis of Consciously Curated Home Staging in Denver.
2. Color: Using one “striking” element per room so buyers remember it later, says broker Gerard Splendore of Coldwell Banker Warburg in New York, N.Y. Large colorful pieces against neutral backdrops create instant recall and can evoke a positive buyer response, he explains. That could be a statement shower curtain in the bathroom used along white or neutral towels, a statement bedspread in the bedroom against white walls or throw pillows or a colorful couch in the living room.
3. Accent wall: “Never underestimate the power of an accent wall, either color or wallpaper; it will always stand out, Splendore says. “Too many colors will be chaotic. Shades of blue or violet used throughout the same apartment or house will flow and be very positive.”
4. Whimsical detail: Broker Svetlana Choi, also with Coldwell Banker Warburg, recalls viewing a property with a porcelain replica of a spilled cup of coffee on a kitchen table. The unexpected detail amused everyone who toured the property — and made the home stand out.

Tips for Home Staging Balance

Aim for balance by following these tips for staging your home:

• Add character where buyers linger. Living rooms, dining areas, and cozy nooks benefit from color, artwork, and a few standout accessories. Eastman likes rich drapery panels in dining rooms and colorful vintage china to add formality and flair.
• Use lifestyle cues thoughtfully. A cookbook left open on a counter, binoculars by a window, or a yoga mat in a sunlit corner can help buyers envision their daily life in your home.
• Incorporate impactful accents. Think about adding eye-catching vintage art, says Gray Benko, cohost of “Anything But Gray,” Even a single bold piece can shift a room’s tone, he says.
• Declutter to keep the focus on the room. Small and curated details can enhance ambiance if they don’t distract from the space.

What Not to Include in Staging

Despite the benefits of personalized or partial staging, here are items to avoid:

• Family photos or personal portraits
• Political or religious décor
• Large hobby collections or themed knick-knacks
• Diplomas, awards, or children’s names
• Anything that feels messy, distracting, or overly specific

A Balanced Approach Feels Like Home – and Sells

A home can shine by blending clean presentation with curated personality. “Everyone is kind of tired of opening a front door and looking at a home that is exactly the same [as others],” says Benko. “Make your house different. I’m not saying put a disco ball in the living room, but make it feel like a home.”

When done thoughtfully, adding a dash of personality to staging isn’t a risk. It can be a powerful selling point.

Melissa Dittmann Tracey is an award-winning journalist covering the housing market. You can hear her weekly as the host of Real Estate Today. She is also the creator of the Styled, Staged & Sold blog and a contributing editor for REALTOR® News. Follow her on Instagram @housingmuse.

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