The Scoop: Courtney Busacca, Stager

Meet Courtney Busacca, an interior stager and stylist that recently transplanted from Austin, TX to Santa Monica, CA. She has an eye for design and everything she touches looks impeccably curated and visually satisfying. Each time I step into one of her spaces I feel immediately compelled to touch and comment on EVERYTHING. Secretly, I’m trying to soak up all of her natural know-how so I can incorporate it into my own work (shhhh!). 

I sat down with Courtney to get an inside look at the staging industry. During our chat she pulls back the curtains on what ‘staging’ is and shares some helpful tips that you can use to freshen up your own home today. 

Let’s dive in… 

Q: What draws you to design?
A: Design is fun. I think everyone has a creative itch and for me it comes to life through furniture and décor. In staging, each room has a purpose and I love seeing them come to life and ‘speak’ by adding layers, color, textures, and artwork.

Q: How did you get into staging?
A: I was relocating from San Francisco, CA to Austin, TX and looking to change career paths. In my free time I looked up homes on Zillow and Trulia admiring the different home styles, layouts, and space planning. This led me to think real estate was my calling, until a friend of mine (aka Kristen Ford) visited my home in Austin and pointed out that everything had a specific spot using the term ‘staged’… she said ‘your home looks staged!” My OCD in styling suddenly became a career opportunity.

Following that conversation I landed a job with a staging company, received my Professional Staging Certification through the Home Staging & Redesign Association (HSRA) and became certified in Feng Shui Staging through Feng Shui Designs. Today, I’m an acting member in RESA, the Real Estate Staging Association and I’m currently working on my real estate license. I absolutely love being able to work with different homeowners, realtors, builders, and investors.

Q: For those who aren’t familiar, what is staging, why is it a thing that people need?
A: Home staging isn’t only about making your house look beautiful, it’s also about making it appeal to the highest number of buyers in order to sell quickly and for top dollar. Staging is a way to market your home to show off its key features while hiding sensitive sore spots.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you face in staging?
A: Explaining to homeowners why it’s important to stage. Homeowners, rightfully so, have a connection to their home — it is where memories have been made. Unfortunately those memories need to be washed away and their home needs to be depersonalized. Selling can be very emotional, so it’s hard to have that conversation. A potential buyer needs to be able to envision themselves living in the home, which means family photos need to be taken down. Political and religious décor need to be removed etc. It’s important for people to understand that there is rhyme and reason to what we do.

Q: Is there a mistake you’ve made staging? How did you resolve it?
A: On one of my first solo projects as a lead designer, I incorrectly measured the space during my site visit. Day of installation the furniture I planned on installing arrived and the scale was completely off. Immediately I had to come up with a new design plan on the spot and our team had to return to the warehouse to pick up the replacement pieces. As you know time is money, and I had wasted both. Lesson learned… ALWAYS check and double check your measurements in any space.

Q: What makes a project a success?
A: I would like to say I judge a successful project by offers and days on market. In reality, this doesn’t mean staging worked. Luxury homes will sit longer because of price point, older homes with no updates will sit, and of course, depending on the skills of your realtor, you may or may not get a lot of foot traffic.

Staging should always highlight the key rooms in your home (Living, Dining, Kitchen and Master Suite) along with any optional flex spaces such as a study or patio. These spaces should be staged with the appropriate size furniture, art, and décor as well as blending the correct style of furniture with the architecture of the home. Once this is completed, the realtor should have professional photos taken for MLS creating buzz for your property as well as hosting open houses. With any success story, the end goal should be met — your property sold and for top dollar!

Q: What is your favorite aesthetic? How did you bring that into your own home?
A: I call my style “modern bohemian”… I love mixing organics, wood, mixed metals, and textures with more modern designs. I think its key to always start with your larger pieces and build on top of it. I love an overstuffed sectional, but I will offset it with sleek and streamlined accent furniture. I am not afraid of color, but I don’t want to overwhelm a room. Ultimately, I like a space to feel comfortable and lived in. Kick your feet up and relax!

Q: What are your favorite stores / vendors for staging?
A: My top 2 favorite vendors are FourHands and Dovetail. I think their designers do an amazing job with staying on top of trends and starting trends! The furniture is beautiful and eye catching. I could live in a Four Hands showroom happily.

Q: What are your top 3 styling tips for readers that want to freshen up their own home?

1. Embrace what you like! Everyone gets caught up looking at photos on Pinterest or celebrity styled homes and think that is what they need to do or how their own home should look. Your home should express you and there is no wrong answer. If you like that yellow ceramic rooster in the kitchen, do it!
   
2. Play with an accent wall! Painting is an easy and inexpensive way to change the vibe of any room instantly.
   
3. Rearrange! Don’t be afraid to play around with your furniture and décor. Move items and change it up! If you want a cleaner and sleeker look, remove items that are smaller than a football. Play with heights and layers. Create the gallery wall you have been wanting. Color coordinate your books. Use the rule of threes. If you don’t like it… keep adding and removing items until it feels right. 

Check out Courtney’s stellar work below…