Top Ten Staging Tips - #2

     Create conversation areas - How many times have you walked into a home and seen the furniture all lined up against the walls?  This does not make the room feel inviting and cozy. 
     The best way to dress a room with the furniture is to make conversation areas.  Pull the sofa and/or chairs away from the wall and make a conversation area.  Determine the focal point of the room - is it the fireplace or the view, etc.  Then place the furniture around/toward that feature.  For example, place the sofa across from the fireplace with a chair on either side of the sofa and facing each other.  The grouping is now inclusive of the fireplace and an intimate conversation area has been created.
     Every room has a different layout and focal feature so just keep in mind that you want to create conversation areas.  There should be one main area and, depending on the room, there may be space for another small area such as a reading nook.