Model Home Furniture Ideas

A model home should be designed to attract a variety of buyers. Whether a buyer has children, pets or is single, it should be easy for the person to imagine living in the home. A model home that appeals to the masses will sell faster than a home designed for certain niches. Does this Spark an idea?

Neutral Colors

Neutral colors are the key when dealing with model homes or previously owned homes for sale. A wild red couch may look nice, but for some buyers it will be all they see and all they remember. When you're trying to sell a home, buyers need to see and remember the entire package.

That's not to say color should not be present. Light shades of cool colors work best, such as light blues and greens. A light-blue rug and a light-green throw with coordinating vases and artwork go well with neutral pieces of furniture. A tan couch, brown coffee table, white lamp shades and black mirror are all examples of neutral items.

Minimalist Approach

A minimal amount of furniture should be used in a model home. An average family has four people--two adults and two children. Therefore, a model home should ideally have furniture arrangements to fit four people.

For example, a living room should have enough seats for only four people. Typically there is a three-seat couch with one chair, or a love seat with two chairs for a conversational area. There does not need to be a recliner in the corner for grandpa or a beanbag in front of the TV for when your son wants to play a video game.

Don't Get Personal

Wedding photos, baby pictures and travel souvenirs have their place--and it's not in a model home. When potential buyers are looking at a house, they need to be able to see themselves living in it. That is to say, they need to see it as their own from the moment they walk into the home. Photos of children they don't know and weddings they didn't attend will only distract them from the real reason they are there: to see their new home. Instead, use non-personal accessories like artwork, vases with flowers and sculptures to accent your furniture choices and other decor.

Matching Pieces

Matching is easy with neutral colors, especially with fabric pieces like blankets, throw pillows, couch covers and rugs. Woods and metals also need to match.

If, while rearranging and minimizing furniture throughout your model home, you find that you have a mishmash of pieces like coffee tables, end tables, desks and bookcases, there is an easy fix: paint.

A black coffee table with brown end tables doesn't work. Paint all of the pieces one color. Even if the pieces are different brands or have different carved patterns, painting them the same color will make them appear cohesive and a buyer will likely not notice the small differences.

Couch Covers and Tablecloths

If you're selling your home, buying all new neutral furniture is not always an option. Try your best, and when all else fails, get creative with covers. There are plenty of neutral-tone couch and chair covers available in stores and online. This also works well for coordinating mismatching pieces.

A table runner, tablecloth or simple doily can work wonders with tables of all sizes. An antique wooden side table might not match your temporary coffee table for staging purposes. By covering the side table with a tablecloth or doily, the mismatch might go unnoticed.