Preparing your property for the market while you’re still living in it can feel overwhelming. In this episode, Atlanta REALTOR® Judy Jernigan sits down with Karla Giltner, owner of Currie Rose Interiors, to demystify occupied home staging. They discuss how layout, color, light, and simple adjustments evoke the right emotions in buyers, helping you sell faster without turning your life upside down.
Psychology of home staging. Home staging is less about decorating and more about creating an emotional connection with potential buyers. As Karen Cervarich of KCD Staging notes, buyers aren’t just evaluating square footage; they’re imagining a lifestyle, and a well‑staged home helps them visualize themselves thriving in the space.
Declutter and depersonalize. Clutter and personal items act as psychological barriers. KCD Staging explains that bold artwork or family photos distract buyers from picturing the house as theirs; staging neutralizes the space while keeping it warm and inviting. Judy and Karla stress storing away personal knick‑knacks, children’s artwork and excessive décor so rooms look spacious and calm.
Light and layout matter. Bright rooms and clear walkways make a home feel larger and happier. Appropriately scaled furniture emphasizes functionality, and logical furniture placement helps buyers intuitively understand how to use each space. Judy urges sellers to pull back curtains, clean windows, add lamps and cut back shrubs to maximize natural light.
Color psychology. Soft, neutral colors give buyers a blank canvas to imagine their own décor and make rooms appear brighter and bigger. Blue shades create a serene retreat, green tones bring a sense of balance and a hint of yellow adds warmth. Use bolder colors sparingly to highlight features and remember that lighting changes how colors look.
Address smells, pets and cleanliness. Buyers are turned off by pet odors, moldy bathrooms and lingering food smells. Judy cites her own experience showing homes where bad odors were deal‑breakers, echoing home‑selling guides that recommend keeping litter boxes, pet bowls and food smells out of sight. Deep clean carpets, scrub bathrooms and air out rooms to ensure a fresh, neutral scent.
Be ready for showings at any time. Keeping your home “show‑ready” is inconvenient but essential. Sage and Grace suggests making sure dishes aren’t in the sink, bathrooms sparkle and there are no dust bunnies in corners. Maintain a comfortable temperature, tidy up before leaving and remove valuables.
Why sellers shouldn’t be present. Buyers need to feel free to explore and discuss the home openly; sellers hovering during a showing can make buyers uncomfortable or defensive. Judy recommends stepping out so the buyer’s agent can guide visitors and elicit honest feedback.
As owner of Currie Rose Interiors, Karla combines interior architecture training and staging expertise to transform lived‑in homes into spaces buyers connect with emotionally. She explains how to create flow with your existing furniture, why lighting and color matter, and how to strike a balance between livable and market‑ready. Follow her on Instagram for more inspiration.
Home buyers make emotional decisions quickly. A staged, clutter‑free and well‑lit home invites buyers to envision themselves living there. Research shows that bright rooms and logical furniture placement make a home feel larger and more cheerful, while neutral colors and minimal décor give buyers a blank canvas to imagine their own style. Staging is often less expensive than a first price reduction and can speed up your sale while maximizing your return. With guidance from professionals like Karla Giltner and Judy Jernigan, you can keep daily life intact while presenting a home that’s irresistible to Atlanta buyers.
10 Tips to Sell Your Home Fast – Advice on lighting, decluttering and being show‑ready, including tips to remove pet evidence and personal décor.
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Transcipt
[Speaker 2] Selling a home you're still living in might sound overwhelming, but with the right strategy and team supporting you, you can create a calm, inviting, and cohesive space that makes home buyers fall in love, often using what you already own. In this episode, we're exploring the art and psychology of home staging, how to highlight your home's best architectural features, while helping potential home buyers imagine themselves enjoying the beauty and comfort of each room. From small layout tweaks that make a big impact to the emotions great staging should evoke, we're covering it all. You'll hear practical tips, quick fixes, and expert insights that lead to faster sales, fewer negotiations, and stronger offers. All that and more coming up on the next episode of How to Sell Your Atlanta Home with Sage and Grace with our guest Carla Giltner. Whether you're planning to list soon or just beginning to prepare, we bring you the guidance every Atlanta homeowner needs to work most effectively with their realtor. Join us. Selling a home isn't just about putting up a for sale sign. It's about strategy, marketing, and negotiation. But how do you know if you're making the right moves? I'm Judy Jernigan, recognized among the top 5% by the Atlanta realtors and your host of How to Sell Your Atlanta Home with Sage and Grace, smart homeowner strategies, successful real estate sales. With a background in broadcasting, negotiation, and education, I bring a unique perspective to home sales, helping homeowners sell faster for top dollar and with less hassle while understanding not just the financial side, but also the logistical and emotional considerations of a move. This show helps you plan ahead, navigate the market, and work more effectively with a realtor like me. You'll get expert insights from my guests plus real actionable strategies to sell with confidence. Now here's the show moving you forward with Sage advice and grace. Carla is the owner and lead designer of Curry Rose Interiors, a premier staging and interior design firm based in Atlanta. With a background in interior architecture and an accredited master stager designation, Carla brings both the science and the art of staging together with a sophisticated and timeless style. She has a true gift for transforming lived-in homes into calm, cohesive, and inviting spaces homebuyers instantly connect with. Her firm is known for reducing stress, maximizing value, and making the most of what homeowners already own, all with a compassionate approach shaped by her own experiences with home sales and relocation. Today we're diving into the art and psychology of occupied home staging. I'm your host, Judy Jernigan and Carla, welcome to how to sell your Atlanta home with Sage and Grace. So your website says, and I love this, I'm going to read it. We work mostly with the furniture and decor you already have, rearrange and remove various items in order to create a calm, inviting, and cohesive space. You'll be surprised at what we can do with what you already own. I love those words. I think that is, tell me, tell me why you chose those words. Can we talk a little bit more about calm, cohesive, and inviting? [Speaker 1] Well, we understand it's very stressful for the homeowners to get their house ready for the market, to list it for sale, and we want to help them with the process and not create more stress and anxiety for them. So we do come in with a very calm approach, organized approach, and we really help guide them throughout the process. [Speaker 2] So you're going to be calm and organized to keep the home sellers, make the processes stress-free for them. And then as far as the spaces that you're creating, are you trying to create calm spaces? Is that like a visual aesthetic you're going for? [Speaker 1] We are. The listing photos are the first thing that the buyers are looking at. And so we want those photos to look beautiful, inviting, and also evoke an emotional connection to the buyers. And with that, does bring a sense of calm. [Speaker 2] Right. Yes. I love those words. And it's not something I hear used often enough that you want home buyers. We often hear you want them to imagine themselves living there. But beyond that, you want the home to make them have a sense of calm, right? And to feel inviting. So what are some of the ways you do that? [Speaker 1] Well, we're going to provide the guidebook on what the sellers need to do to prepare. A lot of that is pre-packing items that they own, of course, editing, neutralizing the space, and opening up the spaces as well. You know, we live in our homes differently than how we would prepare them for sale. So we're going to eliminate a lot of the items that are unnecessary for the sale. And with that brings calmness because we're sort of like spring cleaning. [Speaker 2] Yes. Spring cleaning can give you such a, I get attached to things. I have a five-year-old son and all of his papers and drawings. I'm like, oh, isn't this cute? I have trouble letting go of things. But it feels so good when you do declutter a bit, doesn't it? [Speaker 1] Yes. How do you, what are some ways that you help people do that? So we are full service in our business. And whichever way we need to help them, we can. So every property is different. Sometimes we need to assist a little bit more than others. Oftentimes we're in homes where maybe the sellers are not even in town. Maybe they're working elsewhere and we can go in and take care of everything for them. Or working hands-on with the family, helping, especially if they have a lot of young children in the home. We're going to set up a schedule that's realistic for them with having children in the home. Going in prior to the photography to make sure that they have that extra support, putting things away, and just helping them through the process. [Speaker 2] So how, as you're helping them through, and you mentioned creating a schedule. So a person's getting ready to sell their home, working with their real estate agent, they reach out to you, and what are the next steps? How does it work? [Speaker 1] So we will, when we're partnering with our real estate agents, we will follow their lead and their timeline. So we're always asking what the listing timeline is. That would be discussed between the agent and the homeowner. And then we're going to just work alongside everybody to help make it happen. [Speaker 2] Your first visit, what does that look like? [Speaker 1] The first visit would be the consultation. We go in and we have a beautiful report that we provide. It's handwritten and we leave it with the homeowner. So it's a little guidebook. It is such an easy way for them just to take control. If they're thinking about all of the things they have to do in their house, their mind is wandering, but our report is detailed room by room. So it's basically a checklist and they're able to just cross things off the list and just get it done. [Speaker 2] I love a good checklist. So is it prioritized? Like if you're only going to do two things in this room, start at the top of the list and check off as many as you can, but if you can only. [Speaker 1] Yes. I mean, we will, you know, we're going to make all of the recommendations, but we understand sometimes it may not be possible to complete everything on the list. And we'll talk through those. [Speaker 2] I'd like to talk a little bit more about the emotions of that we're trying to create for a potential home buyer. So what with staging any property, what emotions are you trying to create? [Speaker 1] So, you know, we, we want the, the buyers to see themselves living in that house and there, you know, by removing a lot of the personal photography or personal, you know, decor that the, the sellers have, it does help the buyers be able to visualize themselves moving into that house. And so that's a big part of it. If, if you're walking in and there are, you know, it's a console table full of family photos right at the front door, it's, it's a little more difficult for them to envision that. So we really walk through, yes, very distracting. [Speaker 2] Seeing the homeowner's family. [Speaker 1] Yes. [Speaker 2] What are some of the, do you create vignettes to paint a picture, like be at a coffee bar or a cozy blanket or some, some of the things that you can do to help suggest the lifestyle of living in the home? [Speaker 1] Absolutely. Vignettes in the kitchen, laundry room, even bedrooms and the outdoor areas as well. It's very important, spring, summer, fall, even in winter here in Georgia, that we can create those outdoor areas and make them very appealing. [Speaker 2] I have a home coming this week, a new listing, and it has a desk in the kitchen. And I think we're going to set it up as a coffee bar. I think people have, do you agree? People have this, this vision of loving to have their morning coffee station, though, in reality, at least with anything like my home, that desk is just going to be covered with my son's drawings that I mentioned. What are some of the other vignettes you try or, or areas that you like to really help tell a story? [Speaker 1] The bathrooms. We like our bathrooms to feel very hotel spa-like. So depending on what type of finishes are in the bathroom will determine what type of plants or florals to bring in. White towels, of course, always, you know, set the tone for a nice clean space. And the softness of the towels is very appealing as well. [Speaker 2] How does staging help home sellers start to emotionally detach from the home? [Speaker 1] Well, we do talk with the sellers about this. We educate them on the difference of designing to sell. It's going to be different than how they've lived in the home. So we're helping them sort of prepare for that. If we're coming in and let's say we're bringing in supplemental furnishings, they might come back and it's sort of a reveal. And they'll say, wow, I can't believe this is my house. So it doesn't feel the same to them. Sometimes they love it even more. Right. Of course, most of the time. [Speaker 2] Of course. Don't want to move anymore. [Speaker 1] Exactly. Yes. Why didn't we do this 10 years ago? But they're already at that point, already in that mindset that this is, this is the time to get it ready for somebody else. [Speaker 2] And it's no longer, it's no longer their home. It needs to be, they need to start moving on. It's something that's a new idea to me. The idea of getting your home pre-packed, removing the personal things can help you mentally start to get ready for your own move. Because moving is, always has big emotions that come with it. All of my clients, whether they're buying homes or selling homes, moving is not just a big financial consideration. It's also big emotional and logistical consideration. So I'm sure you're a big help to home sellers, not just to making things look good, but emotionally preparing and detaching from the home, which I think is not something we talk about much. How do color and light impact first impressions? [Speaker 1] The lighting is very, very important to us. Soft, soft, warm lighting is what we use when we're bringing in our light bulbs for our lamps. They're all the same. We, you know, those are the details that make a big difference and lots and lots of lamps really set the tone. We would rather have the lamps on rather than overhead lighting because that's going to make them feel more comfortable as well. And colors, you know, colors, we, we work in so many different types of homes, styles and areas. So sometimes there are, you know, bold pops of color within the home. We're going to work with that. If we need to remove some of that, we will, we'll talk to the seller about that. But depending on the area of town in Atlanta, it might actually be desirable for younger buyers that might be looking for something like that. So we really have to evaluate what area of town we're staging in, who the target buyer is and what they're going to be looking for. [Speaker 2] Let's talk more about that. How do you collaborate with the home seller and the real estate agent to figure out who the home buyer is? What are those conversations like? [Speaker 1] Well, we just talk about it. And, and also we, you know, we've been doing this for a long time now. So we, we have an idea, but we, we want to talk with the agent of course, and make sure that we are, are hitting the mark with their target buyer for that listing. So we'll just have that conversation and, and talk through it. [Speaker 2] It's so smart. It's an important conversation to have who is a likely home buyer. And of course we want to be open the exposure and draw in as many potential home buyers as we can. But sometimes it makes sense to help tell the story of maybe it's a family home or, or maybe it is some young, brightly colored loft. And that's what's going on in that part of town. Yeah. I love that. [Speaker 1] Yes. And also with our aging community, we've done work in aging communities for 55 and older. And we, you know, the aging population really does prefer more color. It's very desirable in that population. So if we are styling model homes, for instance, color and pattern in those communities are very, very important. [Speaker 2] Really? So the 55 plus communities, you're seeing more color and pattern. Yes. Wow. I didn't know that. That shows. Yeah. You're good at what you do. I want to repeat what you said. Lots of lamps and warm, soft, warm light. I feel like that's really, really important. And then what colors, so what colors are you liking now for, for, for different target buyers? [Speaker 1] With staging, neutralizing is always going to be very important, setting the foundation, having a neutral palette. If we're working in a very modern home, there will be, you know, bolder color patterns in that type of a home possibly, but blues and greens are always very complimentary. Whether they're brighter or softer, depending on the area of town, what type of home we're styling. But soft neutrals are typically going to work very well in the majority of the homes. Let's talk about the role of scent. [Speaker 2] What should home sellers avoid? What scents do you like? Do you think about smells, scents in a home? [Speaker 1] We do. If there are, you know, if there's a home with, with pets, we have to be sensitive about that. The buyer may not be looking for a home that has pets in it and may have some allergies. So we, we need to neutralize the scent and no scent is really better than any scent. But anything that's clean and fresh, of course, is going to be the best. [Speaker 2] Can't go wrong with just clean and fresh. Yeah. Let's talk about some common mistakes and easy fixes. Like for instance, I'm sure you've been called into a home that has been on the market listed for sale for a while and just isn't getting enough interest. And they're like, we need to up our game. What are some of the maybe DIY staging mistakes you've seen? [Speaker 1] Creating symmetry is very important so that when the buyers are looking at those listing photos online, they're seeing a nice symmetrical room. So sometimes, you know, there might be rooms that there are no side tables next to the bedrooms or maybe just one and one lamp. Adding to creating, setting up that space is just those details are really going to help that space a lot. The photos are going to look better and it's just going to be better when the buyers are walking through to see, see the room prepared that way. Symmetry. Brilliant. And also the, the walkthrough of the home, you know, when we're, we're thinking about spatial planning, when we're bringing in the furniture for each home, there needs to be a nice flow for the buyers to walk through different areas, maybe leading out to a patio door, different hallways. We need to make sure we're not obstructing those walkways because it will make the home feel smaller. [Speaker 2] Yes. Yeah. If you've got the sofa in the wrong spot, you can't quite walk through the room and the phone and the, yeah. And like you said, the photos aren't going to look as nice to you. What are some of the, is there one layout change that makes a big impact for, for photos and showings? [Speaker 1] We don't like walking into the back of a sofa. Right. Okay. Yeah. So if, if the front door, you know, is leading to a fireplace, we want to create an opening space there to just lead that eye all the way through and not block it. [Speaker 2] So smart. [Speaker 1] What, can you name some paint colors? Do you have paint colors you recommend? So we actually have our best whites that we have at a couple different Sherwin-Williams locations, but best whites for staging, you know, our alabaster. Creamy is becoming very important because it's, it's a warm, a warm white and the warm neutrals are, are really very desirable right now. Snowbound is a great one, but you know, just our best whites. We can help you with those. If, if buyers or sellers need color consultations, we do that as well. [Speaker 2] Right. Cause it does need to make sure it's the right color tone to go with the flooring and with the countertops. And, but we saw a lot of grays for many years, but now, am I right? Things are getting warmer. [Speaker 1] Yes. Yes, definitely. Warm, warm whites and, and beige is more desirable than gray. [Speaker 2] So when homeowners are thinking about getting their home ready to sell, at what point in the game should they have, should they reach out to you and their, their real estate professional to reach out to you to get involved? [Speaker 1] As soon as possible. We've worked with clients six months, nine months in advance, just giving them the initial consultation, talking through it and then coming back when it's closer to time for sale. But as soon as possible, we're, we're here for the entire process. [Speaker 2] I love that. So that when you give them the detailed checklist, they have as much time as they want or need to, to get all the items taken care of or as many items are as is practical for them. [Speaker 1] Yes. [Speaker 2] Are you there on photo day or right before photo day to make sure everything is as picture perfect as possible? [Speaker 1] Yes. Yes, definitely. We are there, whether it's the day of where we might be installing the day of photos or the day before, but we're there the entire process with them. [Speaker 2] What is something that surprises most people when you're working with them and helping them get their home ready? Is there something about the process of staging and prepping that people find surprising? [Speaker 1] I think that, you know, in their mind, they're, they're, they're worried about it, but once we come in and start talking through it, it's not as bad as they maybe thought in their mind. We really do try to make it as easy as possible. And I think the level of communication, the rapport we have with our clients, it just helps ease their mind. And it, it just happens a lot easier than they thought it might. [Speaker 2] I love that. Do, so if someone is on the fence and their staging is an investment, is there, you know, there's some costs behind it. If someone just isn't sure about the ROI, if they, that they want to invest, is there, what would you say to them? [Speaker 1] Well, I would say that, you know, have a, have a discussion with the agent, really talk through it. Staging is always going to be less than the first price reduction. I say always, most of the time, I'm sure it would be less than the price reduction. And oftentimes, you know, the, the homes that are staged are going for over asking price and they're not on the market for as long as they would be maybe without it. So it's definitely very smart to talk about the process of staging and see if it's the right fit for them. [Speaker 2] It's usually a very worthwhile investment and you get all a hundred percent ROI, if not more. It's in my experiences, it's good. The home's going to sell for more and sell faster. [Speaker 1] That's right. [Speaker 2] So your website says accreditation matters. Tell us about that. [Speaker 1] I love learning. I will always, you know, take more classes and learn more. [Speaker 2] Me too. [Speaker 1] I just love it. So anything that is, has been available for this level of staging, I have accomplished. So accredited ASP home stager, expert level, master level home stager, master color consultant, background in interior architecture. So it's, it just keeps going. I'm also a board member of our national or our, our chapter, RISA Atlanta chapter, which is our real estate staging association here, Atlanta. And, you know, just, it's very important that we continue to learn and be on, on trend with what the, the real estate market is requiring. [Speaker 2] Interior architecture. That is something I wanted to ask you about. You stress, and I think this is so important. So we've talked about, we want to help people envision themselves living in the home. We create little stories, be it. You're going to love having your morning coffee in this kitchen, or you're going to love, I'm sitting out here on this deck, but also I think you're really good at drawing people's eyes to the architectural details of a home that convey with the home. So be that the beautiful archways or the big windows, or just, could you talk a little bit more about how you do that and the importance of that? [Speaker 1] Well, you know, that those are the really the focal points of the room and the home. We're not selling the furniture, although we have been asked to buy the furniture, we're not selling the furniture, we're selling the home. So we're here to make the home shine and look as, as, as best as it possibly can. And, you know, by accentuating those features of the home that we're doing our job by doing it that way. Perfect. Where can we find you? You can find us on our website at curryroseinteriors.com, our Instagram at curryroseinteriors. Our phone number is on everything, and you can book appointments right off the website. What's your website again? Curryroseinteriors.com. Perfect. Thank you for being here today. Thank you so much, Judy. [Speaker 2] Thank you for having me. [Speaker 1] Absolutely. [Speaker 2] Thanks for joining us on how to sell your Atlanta home with Sage and Grace. I'm Judy Jernigan. And I love helping homeowners sell smarter with less stress and better results. Who do you know with real estate questions, please connect us so we can make confident, well informed decisions and get the best possible outcomes together. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like subscribe and leave a five star review. It helps more homeowners get the smart strategies they need for a successful sale. Head to sageandgracere.com to learn more about working with me and the Sage and Grace real estate team. Explore all our show episodes. And when you're ready, book a chat directly with me, Judy Jernigan, moving you forward with Sage advice and grace.