DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.
Issue link: https://www.southbaydiggs.com/i/435332
CLIFFSIDE DRIVE HOUSE CLIFFSIDE DRIVE HOUSE [ A C O N V E R S A T I O N W I T H M E R I D I T H B A E R ] and I rearranged them regularly. [I spent my time] searching for treasures and rearranging my furniture, even changing the purpose of each room. SBD: How did you make the leap into home staging? Was there a defining moment that sparked the idea? MB: At this point, the owner of my rental home came to town, saw how much time and money I had put into his home — and asked me to leave! He saw that he could make money on what I had done. Not knowing where I could store all of my plants and furnishings, I suggested to a friend who was selling a spec home that I arrange them all at his house to show the lifestyle. It turned out beautifully, in fact photos of my work were published in magazines. But more importantly, the house sold within days for a half million dollars over asking price after multiple offers. My phone started ringing. Other brokers wanted me to move my stuff to homes they had for sale.And the brokers started calling it "staging." It was fun! I said yes, but they'd have to pay me up front. In the beginning it was pure hustle and 18-hour days. SBD: How do you think your Hollywood connection has helped your business? MB: I don't think it helped me, other than I was so frustrated by the entertainment business — by how hard it was to get anything made [from my screenplays], and even if it got made, it didn't look anything like what I wrote — that I seized this opportunity to make something happen fast and feel realized. SBD: That must have been a big shift. MB: Instead of dealing with show biz agents and producers, I was now dealing with real estate agents and property developers. But there was a connection to my previous career. People pointed out to me that what I was doing was staging. And I realized that as I brought rooms to life, I was imaging who would ultimately be living in those rooms. I'd always been told I had a great eye for design, but what I liked was telling stories. Now I found myself telling stories through design. Interestingly enough, many top show business people bought homes we staged, hired us to stage their homes, or hired us for interior design. We're even asked to do movie sets. SBD: As a pioneer in the field, how do you think this niche has evolved? Where do you see it going? MB: What I did in the beginning and what we continue to do now is create beautiful spaces that tell a story, a story of how the buyer can live in the home seamlessly. For me it was never just "staging." It was never just filling spaces without attention to the quality of the design and furnishings. The details of what makes a house a home are what matter. Over the years, expectations about the level of design have radically increased. Homes now need to be staged in a particular style according to the architecture, value and location. The design has to be current, what you see in your favorite magazine. Art and rugs have to be geared towards the expectations and/or aspirations of the buyer. It is not uncommon for us to put $400,000-$500,000 of inventory into a luxury home. 150 ARCHITECT | DESIGN | BUILD 12.19.2014