A Deeper Look
When traveling, most people tend to book a place to stay. Whether it's from Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com, guests always seem to find themselves surrounded by welcoming decor and the cozy vibe that these properties emanate. But does anyone ever really think about how much work it is to achieve that? Savannah, a Staging Captain for properties like this, wishes people understood how many variables go into it. Savannah is a 21 year old woman just getting into work like this. She has bright, piercing blue eyes, deep brown, curly hair, and pale, freckly skin. She wears her hair up in her favorite deep wine colored hair clip every day with a matching lip that asserts her confidence, several bracelets on both wrists that rattle as she does each task, and has a deep, warm vanilla aroma constantly around her. She radiates positive, productive energy that motivates everyone she talks to. She says, "When you look at a painting, no one thinks about how someone had to use a stud finder, laser leveler, and a three-step drill process just to hang it up." Savannah spends 5 days a week, 8 hours a day at these properties doing work such as assembling furniture, hanging artwork and photos, putting up rods and curtains, making beds, and organizing shelves and tables. With the overall goal of adding "feng shui," as she says. It's understandable to want guests to appreciate their stay.
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| Bedroom 1 |
Upon entering, eyes are first drawn to the several taped up brown cardboard boxes that take up the majority of the foyer. "Since we got more pieces today, our first job is to open and distribute each box to its designated room," Savannah explains. As the distribution begins, she quickly realizes there are many boxes to carry upstairs, which she mentions is the most challenging part of the job. Following that, since Savannah is the Staging Captain, she must personally go through each box to check for any damaged or broken products. If she finds any, she must alert her boss immediately.
She has recently been promoted to this position, and given these extra jobs, along with extra pay. This promotion means a lot to her, as out of all her coworkers, she is the most recent hire, as well as the only hire who needed training, since she had no prior experience, unlike most of the others. She says that this training is very informal, "My boss simply taught me how to use everything on the computer and use all the required equipment to complete each job," she explains. Although there are some challenging parts of the job, she finds herself excelling at this position and enjoys her daily tasks.
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| Family Room |
As she is going through each box, that "new" smell begins to flood the room more and more."Nothing like that new smell!" she says, in a way that insinuates disgust.Another stager, Eric, begins to laugh, adding, "Honestly, I really like that smell." Savannah responds, with genuine disbelief, "I think you're the only person I've ever heard say that." Laughter fills the room.
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| Bedroom 2, Figure 1 |
Once all the boxes are open, it is now time to set up any remaining pieces of furniture, hang up the last few art pieces, and finish the final touches on the house, as this is the last day planned day before listing. Savannah begins to set up the last piece of furniture needed, a storage ottoman bench (Figure 1). For this particular project, she only needs the tools it provides, but she explains the several other pieces of equipment this job may require. "Depending on the project, we may need a drill, tape measure, leveler, step ladder, pliers, stud finder, nail gun, sander, or power saw," she explains. After she finally finishes setting it up, she sits on it. "One of the most rewarding parts of the job is finishing a piece of furniture and sitting on it, knowing what tedious work I accomplished and what someone will get to enjoy," She says.
As she sits there, she receives a phone call from a client, which she mentions is something that happens rarely. She is asked for a few quick updates about the property, which she quickly answers and wraps up the short-lived phone call. She explains that she rarely ever meets with clients, as that is something her boss mainly does, but when it does happen, they are very particular, though always friendly. She says that the experience always reminds her of sitting in one of her high school classrooms as the principal walks around to supervise. She cleans up the garbage from the boxes and heads downstairs to see the progress, and to no surprise, everything is done.
Now that everything is done, Savannah walks through the house, as she finds looking at the finished project the most satisfying part of the job. The immediate warmth and personality the house now radiates is evident. The fireplace alone welcomes anyone who passes by the eye catching beauty. It seems easy to imagine glowing on a frigid evening, surrounded by a family simply enjoying the warmth and their time with one another.
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| Hand Painted Mural |
Imagine the soft glow from the fireplace rippling across the already beautiful hand painted murals that scatter throughout the house, highlighting the thoughtful and intentional imaging. In each room, vibrant, almost ocean like blues, sunlit oranges, and mossy greens are highlighted by the soft whites and greys, and deep navy blues that accompany them. Down the hall, a playful game room awaits use. Eyes, naturally, first land on the neon green sign that reads "The Ridge Club Room."
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| Game Room |
There are game machines, including Mortal Kombat and Pac-Man, as well as an air hockey and shuffleboard table. It is clear that adults and children alike will enjoy it deeply, offering something for every crowd. Right next to the game room is one of the two bathrooms. Upon entrance, the soothing scents of lavender and teakwood fill the space, and calming energy radiates throughout the room. All the unique rooms provide for a different mood one may be feeling, and they complement each other perfectly, giving opportunity to both rile up and wind down.
Each bedroom, whether for an adult or a child, seems perfect for whoever may find themselves there. The children's room feels like a joyous night waiting to happen, filled with toys, tipis, and bunk beds for a long, allegedly quiet evening of play. In contrast, the other rooms feel as if they will serve as a quiet place to relax for the night, considering the soft linens and the large, comfy bed that seems almost inviting. Once the walk through is complete, the house is ready to be listed on one of the websites mentioned prior. This house can easily be turned into a home for the extent of a guest’s stay.
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| Children's Room |
Although not every little thing that goes into each house is seen, there is reason to appreciate the houses that travelers stay in. The next time you are traveling and find yourself staying in something along the lines of an Airbnb, it may be worth doing a personal walk through, truly taking in what is being paid for, as well as utilizing what the house has to offer.
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