With school starting in the Northern Virginia area, many residents are refocusing their attention from a schedule that involved fun in the sun to conquering more productivity-based tasks. In order to feel more productive at home, whether for work or school, most people require a comfortable, quiet space to concentrate.
A work station or office space is important to highlight during the fall real estate market so buyers can easily imagine where to setup a laptop, make phone calls, store important paperwork, help with homework or even host small meetings.
An office space requires a place to not only work but to inspire and motivate creativity. It’s a multi-functional space that uses furniture to fit in with the style of the property, rather than evoke a corporate setting.
Many times the office is the first or second room buyers see upon walking into a property. When staging an office space, this room needs to connect with a homebuyer by not only showcasing its square footage but the potential functionality that creates productivity. Here’s what you’ll need to set up an office space, no matter what design style is inside a property.
Furniture Essentials
Start by choosing a secretary desk to place on the focal wall in the room to set the scene. Next, it’s important to find an office chair that’s comfortable, but stylish. No one wants to see stacks of paperwork all over their house or office equipment for that matter, so use furniture with a purpose. We like to pair accent chairs inside this room to provide an alternative to working behind a desk all day. Often times, our team at Staged Interior will use shelving to highlight vertical space and provide a spot to house books, accessories, office equipment and supplies.
Light Up the Task
An office requires proper lighting that includes overhead lights as well as task lighting. During an open house we suggest turning on all of the lights in this room and opening curtains to let in natural light. Our team usually uses three light sources strategically placed around the room to provide enough light.
Play Up Color
Many times our team will use a rug to anchor all of the furniture together. This not only defines the area, but this major accessory determines the colors we will choose for the room. Add the accent color to the room at least three times to create a cohesive look. As you can see in the image below, our team chose a creamy beige on the floor, as well as in the desk chair and artwork.
Other Accessories Worth Highlighting
When using accessories inside this space, chose ones that will help the home office look more like a den than a corporate office. Here are some of the items our team chooses to help make a “house” feel like “home” when it comes time to stage a property:
Wall Art – Try to display a unique piece on your wall, like a map or city, but make sure to keep the buyers in mind. You can play around using photographs, canvas artwork, mirrors, ironwork or tapestries on your wall to make a statement.
Sculptures – This accessory can be found in metal, wood or even ceramic to help define the story you’re trying to tell in a room. Consider adding a globe, magnify glass, hourglass or sculptured bookends to add personality to the space.
Clocks – An important accessory inside an office is a clock to keep you on task or let you know when it’s quitting time. Look for an interesting clock that can be displayed on your desk or shelf.
Throw pillows – A throw pillow can accentuate a color highlighted in another accessory, so choose one with a pattern or texture to set on an accent chair or in a conversation area.
Books – When displaying books, less is more. Pack away most of your books, especially paperbacks, along with any book covers from hardbound spines. This way your books will provide a cleaner appearance on a surface or shelf.
Plant Life – Nothing transforms an office spaces quite like a plant. Plant life invigorates the work environment and adds an organic touch from Mother Nature.
Need help staging your Metro Washington, D.C. area home office? Contact us today for more information about our staging services.
