How did you balance showcasing your personal style while still appealing to a broad range of potential buyers during the staging process? The trick is to realize that personal style doesn't have to equate to personal taste. When decorating, I rely on what I refer to as universally aspirational — a space that feels like it has a point of view, but no one feels alienated by it. Rather than try to make neutral, inoffensive pieces that work for everyone, we start the design process with trend-forward styles that appeal to a lifestyle (not necessarily a demographic, or demographic-inspired aesthetic). For example, warm neutrals that layer on texture, organic forms and matte finishes — these are things that feel with-it but not with-a-vengeance, and have a sense of style that's stylish, but never "look at me," unique but not polarizing. What guiding principle helped you strike that balance? Design for feeling, not thought. This has informed most of my furnishing choices — for a luxury rental in Austin or a starter home in Cincinnati. Clearly people are going to have different ideas of whether they like a navy sofa or an abstract painting, but no one is immune to light, flow, and to a feeling of calm. But instead of asking "What do I like?" or "What's trendy right now?" we pose a question: "How do we want someone to feel when they walk in? Practically speaking, this means we shy away from making heavy-handed statements and instead deploy focal points — a sculptural light fixture or a gallery wall — to give character. And then we build around it with versatile, comfortable things. That approach has allowed us to repeatedly produce outstanding listings that convert viewers to bookers or guests.
I swing firmly in the direction of staging homes to sell. It doesn't matter what my tastes, the homeowners tastes, or even the eventual buyer's tastes are. I work hard to bring out the character of the homes we sell and to portray them in the best possible light, with an emphasis on versatility. Buyers pull the trigger when they can really see themselves in the home they're touring.
When staging homes, I always focus on creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere that invites people to imagine their own lives there, rather than spotlighting my personal style. My guiding principle is to keep things simple and neutral—think fresh paint, clean lines, and clutter-free spaces—so buyers see possibility, not personality. My aim is for every visitor, from young families to retirees, to walk in and instantly feel at home.
When I sold my last house, I kept a lot of my own decor for staging. The majority of it simply worked well for staging because it had a lot of widespread appeal. I took down things like family photos or anything that was unique to me or my family, but most of the rest of what I already had stayed out. That also made staging pretty inexpensive since not much had to be done. My guiding principle was really just to make the most out of what I had.