See How a Home Stager Maximized the Views in This Brooklyn Condo

The minute you step into this penthouse condo in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, you’re greeted by views of the Manhattan skyline and nearby McCarren Park through expansive windows on two walls. But once you take your eyes away from breathtaking vistas, the rest of the two-bed, two-bath unit pales somewhat in comparison.

When the sellers, who had outgrown the 1,248-square-foot-space, tapped Terry Mainord of Terry Mainord Design in Brooklyn to professionally stage the unit, she wanted to play up the views and downplay the flaws. “The apartment was showing some wear and tear in the kitchen and bathrooms, especially the front of the kitchen island and the bathroom vanities,” she says.

Through a combination of carefully placed furniture, artwork, and accessories, Mainord hoped that potential buyers would be wowed by the vistas and overlook some of the unit’s less desirable qualities. “I wanted the staging to focus on those views by being neutral and modern,” she says. “I wanted my furnishings to let the outdoors come in.” 

To address that kitchen island, which was marred and scratched, Mainord had to get creative, as the budget didn’t allow for big repairs. “I suggested adding a fluted wrap-around cover panel,” she explains. 

She found a local company to supply and install the panel and then had it painted in a color complementary to the cabinets. “I think the result was really a great solution, which was a modern, on-trend, and cost-effective solution to the issue,” she notes.

Although there were many ways to configure the space, she wanted to stage it in a way that provided maximum functionality as both a dining and living space. But painting came first, bringing fresh color to the island, walls, and stair railings. “I had the stairway railings painted black for contrast and architectural definition,” Mainord adds.

Then, it was time to set the scene. She placed a low-profile sofa in a neutral hue facing the bank of windows, which Mainord believes helped frame — and not obstruct — the view. A textural cream-colored area rug grounds the seating area, complete with a modern coffee table and a coordinating accent chair.

Eagle-eye readers might notice that there’s no TV. “The sellers had a drop-down screen for watching TV and movies, so facing the sofa outdoors was not an obstacle to still being able to watch TV,” she explains. “To be honest, I think I would be looking outside all day with that sort of view!”

Keeping the sitting area small allowed for Mainord to design a dining space, too, including a round glass-topped table and gray upholstered chairs. A large piece of abstract art on the wall above the table helps define the dining area.

Her take on the Brooklyn condo, which was listed for $1.775 million, was clearly a hit with buyers. It took seven days for the winning offer to come in, which was $1.9 million.