My company’s main client are sellers with vacant homes for sale. In addition to using my inventory, I purchase new items for every property I stage. People always say “I thought you already had everything to stage my house”. Well I do to some point. Every house is different. I have yet to stage two houses that are identical. What does this mean? It means that most of my furniture will work in most homes, but the artwork and accessories have to be chosen specifically for each home. There is usually a quick turnaround needed between the time I meet with the sellers, and the time they want it completed. So when I can’t find something I am looking for…….its project time! I have made slip covers, turned a coffee table into a bench, painted custom artwork and even made an upholstered headboard out of a door (see below)! Creating something for a house is probably one of my favorite parts of staging.
I had this hollow core door in my garage for a few years. Originally it was meant to be the top for a desk, but I was afraid if I pushed down on it to hard, or threw something down, I would put a hole in it. But I just couldn’t throw it away.
This was my first attempt at an upholstered headboard. I think it turned out pretty good for my first try! This project was so cost effective. I already had the door, leftover foam from another project, and the quilting batting. All I had to buy was the fabric, which was on sale for 50% at JoAnn’s!
Because I was using leftover foam, it didn’t quite fit. But nobody sees this part since its covered up. So it didn’t matter what it looked like. Next came the batting. I used a spray adhesive to attach the foam and the batting. Again I had to fit the pieces I had like a puzzle.
Then came the fun part; attaching the fabric. Even though I got it on sale, I didn’t want to make any mistakes and waste it. There isn’t a pattern but there is a visible weave so if I pulled it too tight on any side, it would show. I used a staple gun to attach the fabric. Because the door is hollow, the staples don’t like to hold very well. So it is best to also glue it down, after all of the staples are in place. I planned on adding fabric covered buttons to finish it off, but I couldn’t get the fabric to push down into the mold. The holes are already drilled through the door, so I can add them another time.
Here it is, finished and in place. It should be hung higher, but that’s a whole nother story. Something always seems to go wrong on staging day, and the headboard was the problem child on this one. The tables were also a project, but I forgot to take before photos. They were originally a dark wood with brass hardware. I had gotten the two end tables/nightstands from another staging project about three years ago. While shopping for this home I came across the console table at the end of the bed. It matched my set perfectly!!
Jamie Cochran 