We Gave a Professional Home Stager $100—Here’s What She Bought at The Container Store
While a professionally staged home might look so chic that it belongs in the pages of a glossy magazine, a picture-perfect aesthetic isn’t always enough to sell a property.
“Our goal with staging is to truly make a home feel like a home,” said Kirsten Blazek, creative director of A1000XBETTER, a staging and interior design company in Los Angeles. “We choose decor elements that really help add to the emotional connection a buyer will make with a home.”
But who says that emotional connection can’t come from a big box store? Many professional stagers—Blazek included—are huge fans of The Container Store not just for its organizing products, but for its decor as well.
We asked Blazek to put her money where her mouth is by spending $100 on home staging essentials from The Container Store. Here are her picks. (She went 6 cents over, but we won’t split hairs here.)
(Note: Even though some of The Container Store’s physical stores remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, you can still order products online for home delivery or use its Free Contactless Curbside Pickup program for online orders. Check here for participating locations.)
Woven storage bin
“We love to use natural textiles in our stagings to add depth, warmth, and texture. This basket could have so many uses: Instead of a plant pot (just don’t forget the water tray on the bottom) or to fill or soften an awkward angle or corner in a room. We’ll often drape a throw blanket or place a throw pillow in a basket like this as well as put it on a fireplace hearth with firewood in it.”
Butcher block top
“In the kitchens we style, we like to add layers and dimension. A great cutting board like this adds a different height as well as warmth from the wood tones. We would style it flat with objects, books, fresh fruit, and vegetables and could also use it to create a little mini bar area. We will also place cutting boards upright against a backsplash—again, just to play with dimension and layers.”
Buy: Elfa Butcher Block Tops, from $27.30
Hook rack
“We like to create softness in an entryway area or a laundry room, and this coat hook could be great in either area. We like to use beautiful Turkish towels and great-looking hats and purses on coat hooks.”
Buy: Umbra Driftwood 5-Hook Flip Rack, $29.99
Bathroom set
“Making a bathroom beautiful in a staging is so important. After all, it’s usually bathrooms and kitchens that sell the home. We like to get creative in bathrooms and always add in dried or fresh greens in addition to pretty textiles. It’s also helpful to have neutral staple pieces, like this bathroom set. The tumbler could even be used as a vase.”
Buy: Nomo Countertop Bathroom Set, $12.78 total ($7.19 for soap dispenser; $5.59 for tumbler)