Designer Joel Bray Proves This One Item is a Staging Must!

My partner, Joel Bray, has a few tricks of the trade that he uses to stage my real estate listings. One trick is bringing in a particular piece of furniture that he found at a thrift store in Glencoe, Ontario. The piece cost Joel $5 and he had it reupholstered for $250. That’s money well spent, we say!

This mid-century modern chair was a great vintage find. I mean, $5? Come on! Joel had it reupholstered in a navy fabric to freshen it up a touch.

“Mid-century pieces are great but sometimes the upholstery starts to show its age,” says Joel. “This new navy fabric honours the chair’s classic shape while bringing it into a new decade.”

One of the great things about a classic armchair in a neutral upholstery is that it works well in many of my clients’ houses. In my 32 Trolley Crescent listing (above) the chair nods nicely to my clients’ mid-century sofa. Long lost furniture siblings, you might say!

When we think about staging a living room the sofa is obviously very important. What’s also key is creating a ‘Conversation Circle’.

Prospective buyers (and anyone with a living room for that matter!) like to envision sitting around with their friends and chatting. By adding the armchair to the corner of this living room Joel created a cohesive conversation circle and further played up the blue tones in the room.

Fun fact: Our client originally had his wood bar cabinet in the corner where we put the blue armchair. Relocating the cabinet to the nook with the blue wall really opened up the living room. This stager knows what he’s doing!

Chairs like this blue armchair are perfect for filling up dead spaces, like corners. “Many people like having an armchair in their bedroom,” says Joel. “It’s a place to drape clothes or somewhere to put an overnight bag while you’re packing.” It also makes the room feel cozier and more complete.

See what we mean about this armchair working well in the corner of a bedroom? Steal a move from Joel and drape a throw blanket over the back of your own armchair for an added layer of cozy style.

While we use this chair a lot in staging photos, this shot above is actually from Joel and my old condo! This chair truly has lived 9 lives. Speaking of which, there’s our kitty Salem manning the sofa.

If you’re interested in selling, rest assured Joel stages all of my listings so you know the listing photos will look like a million bucks! - Andrew Dunn