Warm, Welcoming Design for a Vacant Home
I was recently asked to stage a sweet bungalow—vacant and full of potential. The homeowners chose to keep the original wall paint, which worked beautifully for this project. The warm tones added a natural coziness, and I leaned into that feeling by introducing brass accents throughout the living and dining areas. Brass brings an instant upscale quality to a space, and in this home it added just the right amount of polish without feeling overly formal.
Large statement artworks and mirrors helped amplify the rooms, bringing both personality and light into the bungalow. As a Toronto home stager, I often find that vacant properties need a balance of warmth and visual structure, and this home was a perfect canvas for that approach.
Living Room: Custom Textiles and Thoughtful Details
The living room features custom cushions I created using luxurious fabrics paired with vintage buttons. Handmade textiles bring a softness to staging that standard retail cushions can’t match, and the colour palette played perfectly against the warm walls. The overall effect adds warmth, texture, and a welcoming sense of quality—exactly what a vacant home needs to help buyers connect with the space.
Bedroom Staging: Three Unique Colour Stories
This bungalow has three bedrooms, each with its own distinct colour palette to make the online listing photos easy to navigate for prospective buyers. Clear visual differentiation helps buyers remember the rooms and imagine how each space might fit their lifestyle.
1. The Cream Bedroom: Soft, Fluffy & Serene
This is one of my favourite bedroom sets I’ve ever created. The overall look is creamy, soft, and irresistibly inviting—almost cloudlike. Huge walkout doors flood the room with light, so I kept the palette calming and warm.
The lamps were a fantastic find from a television set sale—where productions sell off furniture and decor used in filming. Later, while shopping, I spotted a vase that matched the lamps perfectly, and it became the finishing touch that tied the whole room together. Little discoveries like this are what make staging feel magical.
2. The Green Bedroom: Art, Heritage & Trendy Wall Colour
The smallest bedroom came with green walls—an on-trend colour that’s incredibly refreshing to stage with. I was thrilled to incorporate a beautiful peony painting by my mother-in-law. Including her artwork allows me to honour her talent and bring something truly unique into the space.
The bed features a Museum of Art canoe cushion gifted by my mother, and the end-of-bed cover pulls together the canoe tones and the green walls effortlessly. I also sewed custom Euro pillows to harmonize the complex colour palette. The result is a thoughtful, layered room full of personality and artistry.
3. The Navy Bedroom: Cool, Calm & Elevated
To round out the trio, the third bedroom follows a rich navy blue theme. Deep blue tones convey both sophistication and serenity, making the room feel grounded and restful. Using three distinct colour families—cream, green, and navy—not only enhances the photography but also showcases the flexibility of the property.
A Rewarding Transformation
One of the most satisfying parts of this project was hearing that the homeowners’ children were genuinely impressed with how the bungalow looked once it was staged. It’s always a good sign when even family members experience the “wow” moment—proof that thoughtful staging can truly transform a vacant home into something warm, memorable, and market-ready.