This month we also feature Interior Designer Jayne Morgan: the talented (but modest) owner of The Finishing Touches.
Communicating without words
Jayne’s home staging and interior design work revolves around creating an immediate emotional response with potential buyers.
Before working in, then becoming the owner of The Finishing Touches, Jayne was living in Auckland when she left a completely unrelated industry, to study for a Diploma in Interior Design. The knowledge gained from that, is invaluable.
“I often use residential interior design elements and principles, when I’m staging homes,” says Jayne. “Home staging is more complex than it may appear and about far more than adding furnishings, accessories and art.”
Jayne explains some key aspects of interior design that come into play when The Finishing Touches are staging a home:
Complementing a home’s style
Creating an emotional connection and choosing the right style for home staging, is about creating a mood, and harmony in a space.
“When I first look at a home, I also play close attention to the finishes, the configuration, windows, doors and window treatments … Which helps determine the style we’ll focus on for the home staging,” Jayne says. “And because every property is unique, we carry a huge range of furniture, art and accessories to suit a variety of home styles.”
Manipulating Colour
“We often manipulate colour, by adding other colours to a space – for example, to lessen the impact of an existing element in a room, which we can’t change; like brightly coloured curtains, carpet or walls, ” explains Jayne. “It’s amazing how they can look so different, when you add the right colours!”
Pattern, Proportion & Space
Jayne says using pattern well, creates movement and cohesion when staging home interiors. The Finishing Touches team also looks at the space and proportions of rooms, and what they’re trying to achieve overall, with the layout.
Working off Floor Plans & Photos
Jayne also has the experience to plan home staging when she only has Floor Plans (and sometimes photos) to work off. This can happen for short listing turnaround times, and/or when having tenants there makes it difficult to view a home.
‘I have been using The Finishing Touches from the very beginning and would never consider going anywhere else to have my homes dressed. Jayne does an excellent job and styles the homes with enormous flair.
Deb Harvey – Harcourts
All of my owners have been absolutely delighted with the way The Finishing Touches change the feel of their home, define the spaces and make the photos look so much more appealing. I often find that the purchasers want to buy the furniture package because the home looks so good. Thank you Jayne, you are fabulous! ‘