Staging Style Blog: Staging A Great Looking {Photo Ready} Bed.

There's something special about walking into a bedroom with a well made bed. When it's time to sell your home, having a nicely made bed is a no-brainer. But did you know there are some simple tricks to make a bed photograph better? Not only does it photograph better, it can actually make the room look bigger. If you're selling your home and considering making a new bedding purchase, keep these five simple staging strategies in mind before you buy.

White is the best backdrop for bedding. Most hotels use white bedding for a reason; it looks clean and germ free. Buyers shopping for a home are into that vibe too. Even though a Buyer knows they won't be sleeping in your bed, that clean and germ free impression translates to a bigger picture of how well you take care of the place. Hotel bedding sets the perfect stage for a great bed. It comes in many color variations and typically comes in a set of duvet + shams.

Serena and Lily is has taken the design world by storm with their chic and colorful style. The photo above, {via their website} is a great example of what adding a pop of color can do to a bed. Pick a color that is friendly with the rest of the room. Don't go too crazy with a theme, but use color as a nice compliment to the features of the room you're staging. You can use a patterned top sheet or add a blanket over the top sheet but under the duvet. {example}
Defining the room is always key. So for example, if you're trying to show a "guest" room, keep the color sophisticated and gender neutral vs. hot pink or too childish.

ETSY SHOPS: Willa Skye Home / Pop O Color / sparkmodern / Pillow Time Girls

Step 3 is to get your pillows on!
Etsy is my favorite resource for pillows because you can typically find a perfect match and get them shipped quickly. You only need a couple of decorative pillows to really give a bed some "Oomph". Speaking of "Oomph", the standard pillows should also look puffy and perky. {Don't worry, you can still sleep on your old faithful pillow.}
You can get an inexpensive standard pillow anywhere from Kmart to Homegoods. Just be careful of pillows that have a pattern because it will show through a white pillowcase.

Pottery Barn (above) is top notch when it comes to merchandising a great bed. They can take any pattern and somehow neutralize it with layers of monochromatic decor. For now, let's stick with your white duvet on top.

In step four, folding back the comforter/duvet is a simple trick to make the bed look great. Fold it 1/4 down, and pull your top sheet up and over the duvet. (Your top sheet must be up-side down)

Again, Pottery Barn is a great example of this. Adding an additional layer at the end of the bed, whether a blanket, comforter or a throw works great. Since many of us, especially with kid's themed bedding, have a patterned duvet, this is a nice way to keep it in your room. Narrowing the busy pattern makes the room look bigger too!