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About Face -- How would you stage for an outdoor view?

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Recently I spotted another stager's work at a house for sale in Marin County, and it got me thinking. Since I always appreciate your feedback and discussions here on ActiveRain, I'd like to know your opinion as professional stagers: when you stage an outdoor space with a breathtaking view (in this case a 180-degree view of the Bay, including the Golden Gate Bridge), do you arrange the outdoor furniture to drink in the view, or to face the interior of the house? (In this case, French doors to the Living Room are behind the camera.) Or are there other alternatives that you'd suggest?

Please understand that I'm not criticizing this stager's hard work in any way -- I feel that there's no hard and fast rule for furnishing these challenges. I'm just curious how you prefer to approach this staging choice.

Face the View, or Face the Living Room?

So what do you think? To face the view, or not to face the view?

Thanks for your comments and ideas!

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Leslie Olson, ASID, RESA

Leslie Olson Interiors Marin County, CA www.leslieolsoninteriors.com leslie@leslieolsoninteriors.com 415.233.2633

Posted by Leslie Olson - Home Staging and Interior Design - Marin County CA on 06/19/2009 07:12 PM

Comments (11)

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southern marin, golden gate bridge, richardson bay, views, staging for views, outdoor staging, furnishing outdoor spaces

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11 Comments on About Face -- How would you stage for an outdoor view?

JUN

I vote for not facing the view. The photo above shows the lifestyle of the property well and enhances the view.

I am staging the exterior spaces for a lakeside property that is being featured in a designer showcase for a United Way fundraiser. The furniture will be placed as in the above photo.

Looking forward to seeing the comments on this post. Good question and one that will draw a variety of answers.

In your particular case, I think you have enough pieces for two groupings; 2 chairs facing each other with a small table between at the left end of the balcony, and the sofa placed on the far right wall facing south, treated seperately with its own small table or ottomans. That way the viewer can walk straight to the balcony rail and look out without walking around furniture.

Looks like Tiberon...is it? I used to live on that hill across the bay ;-p

Leslie -- I'm in favor of not having the back of the furniture facing the house ... so I'd stage the seating arrangement facing away from the view, as in the photo above. However it might be interesting to take one or two chairs off to the left (outside of the camera range in this photo) facing the Bay. Potential buyers should be able to drink in that beautiful view either way.

I just see a very crowded grouping here. I do not understand the placement of the grouping and the rug and artificial tree?

I could see a bistro set here to enhance the view-but too much furniture here for my taste.

I would have faced it as shown here or broken up the setting slightly. The back of a sectional such as this when facing the house would "stop" the buyer dead in their tracks as they went through the French doors instead of "inviting" them out to the patio.

JUN

I would keep the view the same. It is the view for "selling" the property. However, if I lived there I would have the furniture face the view as that is what I would want to look at.

I think the furniture it too close together, however, the view will sell itself when the buyers walks out onto the deck. I would just break the furniture up a bit.

I would create an "alley way" to the view so that when people walked outside they would be drawn down the alley to the deck railing and the view. That would mean turning the area rug also.

If you are designing to sell, the furniture should be situated so that it is a welcoming beacon to the home shopper as shown, albeit a bit crowded. Designing to dwell, I would situate it so that residents can enjoy the view.

In my opinion, the island is the focal point, and, just like with a fireplace, you would not want to block it with furniture, especially furniture facing away from it. Pushing all the furniture into one corner isn't appealing to me at all. It makes perfect sense to rotate the couch (including the rug) to face the chair and keep them about 8 feet apart.

I enjoy reading all the different opinions!

JUN

Beautiful outdoor furniture Leslie. It would be a shame to look at the back of it. I like the way it is presented in your photo. This way you see the awesome view and the lovely seating arrangement.

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