How I Transformed this Cluttered Living Room with Home Staging

Libby
Dec 17, 2025
2 min read

As a specialist in occupied home staging, my goal as a stager is to use as much of the homeowner's furnishings as possible. Staging the space affordably is also important. This homeowner's living space had great natural light and high ceilings, but potential buyers were distracted by the crowded furniture and loud paint colors.

During the initial Home Staging Consultation we addressed these challenges and I created a staging plan so the house would show in its best light. The goals for the space were threefold:

Make the open spaces more cohesive with an edited color palette

The first thing that needed to be done was a more neutral paint color on all the walls. The main areas were color blocked with bright yellow and purple walls which were not welcoming when you walked in the front door. We used a neutral warm grey for the living, dining, and kitchen to make these spaces more cohesive.

a before and after of a living room with bright colors in the before and neutral colors in the after.

Make the space less cluttered

The next challenge that we tackled was the amount of furnishings crammed into a small space. We removed furniture and decor items that were crowding the space and didn’t fit into the warm color palette we were going for.

Rearranging the furniture layout was the next step to make this space more functional. The couch was previously set on an angle, which looked awkward and was blocking the entryway. Turning the couch to be parallel with the wall created a nice walkway when you enter the room. It also put the seating area’s focus on the fireplace, highlighting that as the focal point of the room, and drawing attention away from the TV.

A before and after of a living room with a lot of furniture in the before and things organized in the after.

Update the space with the homeowners own furnishings.

The owner was still living in the house at this time, so while they were open to removing some furniture, we were limited to use the remaining furnishings and decor that the homeowner already had. We added a dining room table, pulled in a few throw pillows from other rooms, and moved the large artwork over the fireplace to emphasize the focal point.

A before and after with a cluttered living room in the before and a clean, well staged living room in the after.

Tralala Interiors offers home staging consultations in and around Asheville, NC. This service is perfect for real estate professionals with listings that could benefit from a little TLC or the homeowner who wants expert advice to prepare their home to sell for top dollar.

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