Shopping for inventory is a crucial part of the staging industry when specializing in vacant homes and builders models. Many times I have been tempted to (and did) purchase an item based solely on the great deal I was getting, only to find that it didn't flow with anything else I had in stock therefore it was useless to me.
I had to come up with a better way to build a solid and cohesive inventory, because in most cases I do not have a ton of shopping time to pull a look together. It seems like the minute a client decides they want to have a property staged, you can't do it soon enough. So, I have found that if I have a complete accessory package ready to go I can quickly pick up any large pieces of furniture based on another system I have created for myself (more on that in another blog).
Since I am a color oriented person, this seemed like the easiest way to go about grouping my inventory. It also creates a more attractive model when the rooms flow together and are not broken up by contrasting colors. But, I found myself buying a bunch of things in one color and still not being able to pull a whole house together because I had no system for knowing what I had or what I needed - other than my quickly faltering memory. So, I came up with a basic list:
Bedding - King, Queen and Twin
Pillows - Sofa, Bed (x3)
1 Table Setting
2 Sets of Towels
2 sets of Bath Accessories
Artwork for 4 rooms
Ribbon
6 Accessories in that color
I always start with the bedding as a base for my color themes. I keep an eye out for great deals on bedding only and then purchase accordingly for the rest of the house. That way, when I see some great accessories on sale or clearance I have a theme in mind and am not making random purchases.
As a side note, I always keep keep an eye out for black, brown, white and cream bedding pieces and accessories because they are the most flexible and can be added to any color theme. If I find that a home has 3 bathrooms, I can stretch what I have by adding a 3rd set of white towels to the mix, etc. If a house requires an extra bedroom I will use a beige or white bedding set and add the chosen color by swapping pillow shams, etc.
Here are one example of a home accessorized in this way:
I found this bedding for a steal at a local grocery store of all places and loved the richness of the fabric and the color combination of chocolate, cream, sea glass blue and rust.
The chocolate brown chairs added to the sitting room in the master are dressed with a sea glass blue throw to further tie them to the bedding. Though you cannot see it in the photo, the plant stands used as side tables have a rusty hue to them that coordinates well with the bedding.
Sea glass blue and chocolate brown towels are placed in the master bath along with rust, blue and brown accessories. By adding greenery in a cream pot, it breaks up the color theme a bit and adds to the visual interest of the room.
The dining table is set with sea glass blue placemats, brown chargers, white plates and rust napkins. The rust and blue are pulled into other areas of the room through artwork, pillows and accessories.
Though I added navy in this room (because it was a beach house), I kept the sea glass and brown theme going to tie it to the rest of the house.
I will often carry a pillow sham from my latest bedding purchase with me to make sure I am getting the proper colors for the theme. I also keep the above list with me to check off as I go. By using this system and storing these purchases as groups, I have saved myself a lot of time, headaches and money.
Details Staging and Redesign is owned and operated by Kimberly Wester and is located in Valparaiso, Indiana.
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