Secrets to turning ultra-luxury mansions into livable homes

Ultra-luxury properties get plenty of screen time, with spectacular kitchens, impressive grand rooms and infinity pools with world-class views. But beyond the showplace mansions, selling luxury is also about humanizing a property of overwhelming size and scale.

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As the leading luxury home staging company in the country, we’ve been fortunate to work with agents on some epic homes – the kind of properties that eye-candy reality shows are made of. It means we get a front row seat to some of the most remarkable homes on the market.

Our standard projects are already twice as large as the average American place of residence – currently 1,800 square meters – but it is only when we are commissioned to design the more than 15,000 square meter estates that the full breadth of what we do comes to life.

So the challenge is how to make something so monumental feel inviting and human in scale. Here’s how we do it.

The timeline: 2-3 weeks to transform a mega villa

If real estate is about location, staging is about timeline. Most large-scale projects must be conceived, planned, fabricated, installed, refined, and photographed within a two- to three-week timeframe. That requires exceptional coordination between designers, white-glove professionals, builders and the luxury real estate agent, not to mention the property owners.

Stradella Court: Transformation of a large building of 22,000 square meters

In the case of Stradella CourtPictured here, hosted by Vesta Senior Creative Director Kiel Wuellner and represented by luxury real estate agent Aaron Kirman, the staging began with conceptualizing the potential buyer.

Wuellner saw the owners of this house as ‘world traveling collectors who collected objects during their travels’. That feeling of a home that is curated rather than simply furnished is essential for adding warmth and balance to architectural statement homes.

Strategic furniture placement creates intimacy within vast spaces and suggests the conversations, activities and events that might take place in such a space. The design silently guides how people move through and interact with the space, even if they don’t realize it. That adds to the experience and helps them imagine their life there.

Because the outdoor spaces and 360 degree views are such an important aspect of what makes this home special, the exterior here has been just as thoughtfully designed as the inside. After all, nothing says ‘LA dream lifestyle’ more than a great outdoor space that’s ready for close-up.

9 secrets for furnishing large spaces

Image by Nils Tim courtesy of Vesta Home

Whether you’re staging on your own as part of your marketing preparation or working with a professional stager, here are some of the most important things to consider when staging a large space so you can make the scale work for you.

1. Anchor extra large rooms with appropriately sized furniture and artwork. Go for custom options if possible.
2. Create smaller zones within large cavities. Think cozy seating areas designed for intimate conversations, large gathering areas for larger groups, and private alcoves for quiet reading or reflection.
3. Low textures to add warmth and visual interest while counteracting the impact of a sterile open space.
4. Usage lighting at different heights to focus attention and change the atmosphere as desired, with options that enhance the space at different times of the day.
5. Add subtle, lived-in moments that warm the space without clutter. A book and reading glasses on a side table or a dog bowl in the kitchen make the space feel ‘real’.
6. Stay away of too many points of interest. Give the eye a specific place to go when it first enters the room.
7. Prevent hyper-minimal interior design that feels cold, austere and, if done poorly, unfinished.
8. Skip accessories that compete with architectural features and the style of the house.
9. Resist staging that looks more like a furniture showroom than a real house.

Selling a high stakes property is not for the faint of heart. It requires a clever mix of psychology and design drama, usually at a twisted speed. At its best, staging creates a buyer’s imagination ready to step in, making your listing stand out while bringing it to life.

Julian Buckner is the founder and CEO of Vesta Home. Connect with him Instagram And LinkedIn.