Staging Spaces: Should You Diversify into Real Estate Staging or Stick to Interior Design?
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Summary
Real estate staging offers interior designers a potential new revenue stream, faster project turnarounds, and industry networking opportunities, but it also comes with less creative freedom, logistical challenges, and market dependency. If you thrive on fast-paced, market-driven design, staging might be a great addition to your business. However, if you prefer deeply personalized, long-term projects, staying focused on interior design may be the better fit. Not sure? A hybrid approach—offering staging consultations or partnering with stagers—could be the best of both worlds.
Reflection Questions
Do I enjoy quick, high-turnover projects that focus on broad market appeal, or do I prefer long-term, deeply personalized design work?
How would staging fit into my current business model—would it complement my interior design services, or would it shift my focus too much?
Am I prepared for the logistics of furniture storage, fast turnarounds, and market fluctuations, or would I prefer a more stable, structured workflow?
Journal Prompt
Imagine you’ve taken on your first staging project. Write about the experience: What excites you? What feels limiting? How does it compare to your interior design work? Based on this reflection, do you see staging as a natural extension of your skills, or does it feel like a detour from your creative vision?
As an interior designer, you’ve built a brand around creating beautiful, functional spaces that reflect your clients’ unique needs. But what if you could leverage your skills in a new way? Real estate staging is an adjacent but distinct field. It could offer you the opportunity to expand your business, increase cash flow, and even establish relationships with realtors and developers.
But is staging the right move for your business, or should you focus on deepening your interior design expertise and clientele? Let’s take a look.
If You Don’t Already Know…Here’s the Difference Between Interior Design and Real Estate Staging
At first glance, interior design and staging may seem quite similar, but they serve fundamentally different purposes. Interior design is a long-term, client-focused process in which the goal is to create a functional, personalized space tailored to a homeowner’s lifestyle or a business’s needs.
Every decision is made with the client’s unique aesthetic and daily routines in mind. Ultimately, both fields require a strong eye for design, but staging is rooted in marketing and sales psychology, while interior design prioritizes functionality and personalization.
What’s the Deal with Staging?
Real estate staging, on the other hand, is a short-term transformation designed to make a home sell faster and for a higher price. The focus is on broad appeal, creating a neutral, inviting atmosphere that allows potential buyers to envision themselves living in the space. Rather than reflecting the personality of one homeowner, a staged home is curated to resonate with as many buyers as possible.
However, luxury or uniquely designed properties often allow for a more tailored approach. In high-end markets, staging may involve sourcing statement art, high-quality furnishings, or even bespoke pieces to highlight the property’s architectural features and exclusive appeal. In these cases, staging can feel closer to interior design, blending broad market appeal with elevated aesthetics.
What’s the Deal with Design?
Beyond the intent of the design, these fields differ in client base, timeline, and business model. Interior designers typically work with homeowners, business owners, and developers, whereas stagers collaborate with realtors, home sellers, and investors. Interior design projects often take weeks or months, while staging jobs are completed in days or weeks.
Designers work with custom-ordered or client-owned furniture, while stagers rely on rental furniture or their own staging inventory. While interior design revenue comes from service fees, product markups, and long-term projects, staging generates income through quick-turnaround fees and furniture rentals.
The Pros and Cons of Expanding into Staging
Pros of Adding Staging to Your Services
One major advantage of real estate staging is the quick turnaround and faster payments. Unlike interior design projects, which may span months or even years, staging jobs are completed swiftly, meaning invoices are paid more quickly, keeping cash flow steady.
Staging also provides a new revenue stream that can help balance an interior design business’s financial ups and downs. Since interior design projects tend to be high-investment and long-term, adding staging allows for smaller, consistent projects that help maintain stability.
Another benefit is the opportunity for industry cross-pollination. Staging connects you with real estate agents, home sellers, and developers, which can lead to valuable networking opportunities and even high-end interior design clients in the future. Many homeowners who sell a staged property later seek full-service interior design for their new home, creating a natural pipeline for new projects.
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Staging might offer a refreshing contrast if you find yourself exhausted by emotionally intense design clients who stress over every detail. It involves lower emotional investment since staging is about making a home look appealing for sale—not creating a deeply personal space. Homeowners are less attached to specific design choices, allowing for a more straightforward process.
Staging presents a unique opportunity for designers who already own furniture, decor, and styling pieces to leverage inventory for additional income. Instead of letting furniture sit unused, you can rent it out for staging, turning existing assets into a recurring revenue source.
Cons of Adding Staging to Your Business
One potential downside of staging is the lack of creative freedom. Since the goal is to appeal to a broad range of buyers, stagers often stick to neutral colors and minimal personalization. This might feel restrictive if you thrive on creating unique, highly customized interiors.
Another challenge is storage and logistics. If you plan to own and rent out furniture, you’ll need space to store it and a system to manage inventory, delivery, and maintenance. This added complexity can be a drawback for designers who prefer a low-overhead business model.
Staging also operates on fast-paced turnarounds. Homes often need to be staged within days, leaving little room for sourcing, problem-solving, or adjustments. If you prefer the slow, intentional interior design process, the high-speed nature of staging may feel overwhelming.
Lastly, staging is market-dependent. When the real estate market is strong, demand for staging services is high, but when sales slow down, staging services may no longer be a priority for sellers. This can make staging a less stable business compared to interior design, where demand is often less affected by market fluctuations.
Should You Diversify or Stay Focused on Interior Design?
Deciding whether to expand into real estate staging or stay focused on interior design comes down to your business goals, creative preferences, and logistical capacity. Staging can give you quick-turnaround projects and steady cash flow, while interior design allows for deep customization and long-term client relationships. Before making a shift, be sure to assess whether staging aligns with your skills, interests, and the way you want to run your business. What’s your best path forward?
Staging Might Be Right for You If…
✔️ You enjoy fast-paced projects and want to increase cash flow.
✔️ You have relationships with realtors or home sellers who need staging services.
✔️ You’re open to using rental furniture or have the means to store and manage your own inventory.
✔️ You want to establish a broader presence in the home industry, possibly leading to larger interior design jobs.
You May Want to Stick to Interior Design If…
✔️ You love customization and storytelling in design.
✔️ You prefer working directly with homeowners rather than realtors and developers.
✔️ You don’t want the hassle of managing furniture storage and logistics.
✔️ You thrive in long-term, detail-oriented projects rather than quick transformations.
What About a Hybrid Approach?
If you’re intrigued by staging but not ready to fully commit, consider a hybrid model that allows you to test the waters without a major business overhaul. Instead of managing full-scale staging projects, you could offer staging consultations, providing sellers with walk-through advice on how to enhance their home’s marketability.
Another option is to partner with staging companies, lending your design expertise without taking on the logistics of furniture storage and rentals. Staging can also generate leads—many home sellers eventually become design clients after they move, making it a strategic way to expand your client base while maintaining your focus on interior design.
Final Thoughts
Expanding into staging can be a lucrative way to diversify your income, but it requires a different mindset and business model than traditional interior design. If you enjoy fast turnarounds, real estate partnerships, and broad appeal design, it could be a perfect fit. But if deep creative work, long-term projects, and highly personalized design are your strengths, staying focused on interior design might be the best path.
Top Tip for Your Business Growth: Before committing, test the waters by offering a few small staging projects or consultations to see if it aligns with your strengths and business goals.
We would love to hear—have you considered expanding into staging, or do you prefer to stick with interior design? Let’s discuss!
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