A few accessories placed strategically in a room can upgrade a space and take it into the luxury realm. Real estate pros and stagers Katie Miedler and Amy Burke, owners of Ambiance Decorators and sales associates with Coldwell Banker in Nutley, N.J., show how this design treatment can brighten up your listings.

Take this blank canvas. 

Starting with this empty space, Burke and Miedler brought in a modern dining room set with neutral upholstered chairs. 

Then, it came down to accessorizing to bring the space to life. 

  1. Decorate the tabletop. “A beautiful runner, arrangement of flowers, and a few candles created a classic centerpiece” to the dining room table, say Miedler.
     
  2. Haul in a stylish rug. “We added a rug to ground the dining table and add a soft touch,” says Miedler. They like to ground furniture arrangements with a rug. Tip: “In the dining room, the chairs should always be on the rug even when the chair is pulled out,” Burke notes. “This is a good guide when determining fit the rug is too small.” 
     
  3. Top it off with timeless artwork. Art was the last item they added to their design. “We often add in artwork to complete the look of the room but we make sure that it does not distract buyers from focusing on the space,” Burke notes.

Here’s the result: 

A dining room after renovation, stated with tables chairs and rug.
Photo Courtesy Ambiance Decorators

Here are those same design tips used again in another dining room setting:

BEFORE

AFTER

A dining room after renovation with dressed window in view, white rug, hardwood table and white chairs.
Photo Courtesy Ambiance Decorators

An extra tip: Leave out the chairs at the head of the dining table. “This prevents your eyes from stopping at the back of chairs in a photograph,” Miedler says. 

Have a great staging makeover story to share with Styled, Staged & Sold? Contact writer Melissa Tracey.
 

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