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Bad staging - Rooms designed to be photographed but not lived in
Been rolling this idea for a thread around in my head for awhile. When I look at decorator-staged houses, I often notice conflicts or disharmonies that I think are amusing... or would make me very anxious if I were a guest in that home. I've even seen Joanna Gaines do it in her staging on TV. When I decorate, I hope to provide people with places to relax and get comfortable in my home. These spaces below though, instead make me anxious that I would tip or spill something if I touch anything.
One of my frequent sources of angst revolves around things that are put on the coffee table or ottoman.
Particularly, things that are tall, unsteady, filled with water or coffee, or set on fire. Whenever I see this I think... these people obviously don't have children, pets, or even use this room or this ottoman for its intended purpose.
In the examples below.... the assortment of tall, precarious top-heavy candle holders on an ottoman is silly. Who puts that many tall things on their ottoman that people are going to walk around, or put their feet up on? You can't move that thing either, without some of those things toppling over. It's heavy and awkward and precarious. The whole thing would make me incredibly anxious to even be around.
And it's bad enough when they weren't lit. In the second picture, they lit it! I don't even want to be in the same room as all those lit candles, sitting on an ottoman.
In the next two pictures, they've involved beverages. And a vase full of flowers, again on an ottoman, on top of books. Obviously, I'm not supposed to look at the books or the magazine. Who puts a vase FULL of water on an ottoman, on top of books? With hot coffee? Or sets coffee on an open magazine on an ottoman?
Anyway... thought it might be an interesting thread. Does this make anyone else nervous when they see it, either in person or in advertising?
Last edited by Diana Holbrook; 02-16-2022 at 12:02 PM..
Is it "bad staging"? It's staging for a photo- and that's the intent; a photograph!
I'm quite sure anyone with half-a-brain would know that's not a practice for "everyday living".
Want to talk about "bad staging"... let's talk about "virtual staging"!
Yeah, pretty but not practical. Why old books piled up, titles in - is that all they're worth? Speaking of impractical, why all the white living room furniture in family homes!
But shouldn't the staging make people to think about living in the room?
Isn't it supposed to set a "stage"?
It just cracks me up when the staging doesn't make me think "ooh I want that!" it makes me think "that looks really dangerous!"
Here's another one. Maybe these people should just get a coffee table, since they can't use their ottoman and there is no place else to set a drink if you are sitting in this living room.
Last edited by Diana Holbrook; 02-16-2022 at 12:08 PM..
Yeah, pretty but not practical. Why old books piled up, titles in - is that all they're worth? Speaking of impractical, why all the white living room furniture in family homes!
Yes... another whole subject could be to ask who buys white couches.
Here's another one. Maybe these people should just get a coffee table, since they can't use their ottoman and there is no place else to set a drink if you are sitting in this living room.
There's plenty of space on the tray for drinks-
But you got to lay down to watch TV!
This can all be chalked up to designers that hock products from suppliers (they get paid for that ya know); and photographers who have to present those products in a matter that attracts the public's attention, and make that impulse buy that doesn't fit their own home. But it sure looked "purty in the picture"!
So many problems with this room, which *should* be comfortable, but isn't.
There's no place to set a drink in there. You come in and sit down and you're talking, where do you set your drink? On the ottoman, are two books, a strange round thing that will roll away if you touch it, a tall candle and a very tall vase. What are you supposed to do with that stuff? You can't read the books without figuring out where to put the stuff that's on them, you can't set your drink there... the ottoman is too far away from the couch to actually use anyway... and you can't sit on it or move it without tipping those items. It's just a room I couldn't wait to get out of if I were there. It makes me anxious.
I would assume that if there is a large tray the ottoman has been repurposed as a coffee table, and that it isn't intended to also be used as an ottoman. I don't know, I don't find it that odd.
I would assume that if there is a large tray the ottoman has been repurposed as a coffee table, and that it isn't intended to also be used as an ottoman. I don't know, I don't find it that odd.
Get that but is it safe to put tall top-heavy easily spillabe things on it and then set fire to them? .
Point is, it’s not that sturdy of a surface - it’s precarious to anyone who walks by it… Not to mention kids or pets.
I actually own a "cocktail ottoman" and I have a tray on it as well as a candle (but not a tall one like in the photos). And I light that candle, baby. But I also have occasional tables at the ends of my two sofas, and I have COASTERS out and by golly, put a drink down on anything in there, as long as you put it on a coaster! LOL
I totally get what you're saying, Diana. When I was working in real estate, and even before, when I was taking drafting classes or doing interior design, I always focused first on USAGE of a room. COMFORT. Comfort in sitting, eating or drinking, movement, you name it. If a room isn't comfortable and user friendly, then I do not like it. Nor do I want to live in chaos. Peace, comfort - to me a home is where we go to recharge.
Here's my cocktail ottoman and my living room:
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I don't even want to be in the same room as all those lit candles, sitting on an ottoman. 
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