The Record Homescape 02-06-2020 | Page 4

4H ❚ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020 ❚ THE RECORD
Designed for Living
HOMESCAPE / ADVERTISING SECTION
Global décor rules in a New Jersey home
The
Designer:
Susan
Barbieri, ASID,
CID, Susan
Barbieri Interior
Design LLC,
Hawthorne, NJ
www.sbinterior
design.net
Susan Barbieri
The
Challenge:
To integrate the clients’ world
travel collection of textiles and art
into their everyday lifestyle.
the traditional Indian silk sari
fabrics that they had admired on
a recent trip. They enjoyed travel-
ing, especially to different parts
of India and Africa, where their
family had originated from, and
had collected all sorts of interest-
ing and unusual art, objects and
textiles.
Their request was for simple,
elegant drapery styles that would
not be overwhelming to live with,
and that would complement the
exquisite sari fabrics chosen. I
set to work, and we came up with
options for
each area
of the house
based on
their needs
for style,
privacy and
light control.
Some of
the window
treatments
were made
with a
brocaded
silk, which
The living room includes hand-blocked Indian prints used typically has
as a wall hanging and pillows, and simple, but elegant
embroidered
curtains crafted from sari fabric. The contemporary
metallic
wool-and-silk rug and the marble-and-wood cocktail table threads and
sit beneath a beautiful iron-and-fabric chandelier.
a more for-
The Solution:
mal appearance, and others were
The owners of this Edison
made with Tussah silk, a more
home contacted me initially with
textural silk in its natural color.
an interest in having custom win-
In addition to the draperies, the
dow treatments designed using
clients also wanted help in placing
some of the beautiful items
they had collected over their
years of travel, as well as help
with purchasing new items on
upcoming trips that would com-
plete each room. I discussed each
area with them, measured and
made a list of specific furnishings
that they might shop for.
I also drew up a scaled
floor plan for their family room
so that they could purchase the
correct size for an area rug. They
returned home from India with
a colorful and finely woven wool-
and-silk rug among many other
pieces of art.
Some of the other unusual
items they acquired included
a beautiful felt-lined zebra hide.
Zebra herds are culled in differ-
ent parts of Africa and are not an
endangered species. The animal is
utilized in its entirety, which helps
to sustain many businesses. They
also had a collection of handmade
African baskets in all shapes and
sizes which were placed through-
out the house.
Other interesting pieces
included wooden hand carvings,
masks and tapestries. A Kuba
cloth, which is decorative African
textile with abstract patterns
woven out of raffia, was placed
on a coffee table and topped with
a bowl of ostrich eggs. Beautiful
block-printed fabrics were framed
and hung on the walls, and also
used for pillows and bedding.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID NELSON/DIGITAL TOUR HOST
In the family room, the coffee table is dressed with a Kuba cloth, a
decorative African textile with abstract patterns woven out of raffia,
and topped with a bowl of ostrich eggs. The wool-and-silk rug is from
the clients’ travels to India. The window treatments are Tussah silk,
a textural Indian silk in its natural color.
Hand-block printing is an
ancient craft. Patterns inspired
by nature are carved into wood
blocks and then pressed and
repeated onto fabrics with veg-
etable dyes of different colors.
The family also had taken some
incredible photography on their
journeys. I helped them to group
some of the items for wall hang-
ings throughout the residence.
The display of these very per-
sonal objects throughout their
home has allowed this family to
capture and continually reminisce
about the wonderful and memo-
rable adventures they have had
together. There is also plenty of
room to add future memorabilia.
There is nothing more personal
and meaningful than to decorate
your home in this way; it’s the
true essence of home.
The New Jersey Chapter
of the American Society of
Interior Designers (ASID) offers
a resource for consumers inter-
ested in obtaining the services
of a qualified professional interior
designer. For more information
visit Find a Pro section at www.
nj.asid.org.
Renting Furniture: Lease terms, staging a home
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1H
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Anyone who has shopped for furniture
lately knows it can be a serious financial
commitment. For anyone afraid of making
a costly mistake, leasing for a short time
might be the answer. ”Some people use
rented furniture to try out a particular look
or piece; live with it for a few months; and
see if they like it,” says Newell. “Don’t like
living with leather after all? You can switch
it for fabric upholstery. Or maybe you want
to swap a sectional for a sofa. We give
people all the flexibility they need.”
McDonnell agrees, but adds, “It all depends
on the customer. People, especially when
they are moving to a new area have so much
going on, especially when it’s a move from the
city to a suburb or vice versa. So, we make it
easy for them. A six-month lease gives them
time to figure out what they want their new
home to look like and what will work for them
when they eventually buy furniture.”
HOW IT WORKS
Says McDonnell, “People rent on aver-
age for six to 12 months. If it’s a summer
lease, the contract is usually for three
months.” Adds Newell, “It’s about flexibil-
ity, so we’ll work with people who need to
rent for less, even a week.”
Companies typically offer lease pack-
ages, which you can find on their websites,
along with a catalog of their furniture and
accessories. You can get a quote online or
the old-fashioned way — with a phone call.
If you have questions, it makes sense to
speak with someone. For the budget-con-
scious, there are different levels of pricing.
”Leather, for example, would rent for more
than fabric upholstery,” says Newell.
You can also customize a package. “For
example, suppose you look at the couch
[offered with a specific package] and say,
‘You know what? I don’t like that one.’ We’ll
work with you to get it right. Then once you
sign a lease, it’s usually less than 48 hours
until we deliver. And you won’t have to
lift a finger. You show up, and the home is
ready for you,” she explains.
At the end of the lease, no worries. The
company will pack up everything and whisk
it away. Once gone, furniture will get a
rigorous inspection and cleaning so it’s up
to snuff for the next renter. Consideration
is given for normal use, but you could
be charged for serious damage. But both
Newell and McDonnell say that’s rare.
To keep furniture fresh and up to date,
rental companies typically have new
introductions coming in regularly, and they
retire inventory after three to five rentals.
“CORT has inventory flowing in and out
because we have furniture outlets where
we sell our products, Newell says. “The
product moves through our system; we
rent it several times; and then we pass
it through to our outlet centers. We do a
huge retail business and we sell at a very,
very discounted price.”
RENTAL FOR HOME STAGING
Furniture rental companies such as
CORT and Brook, also rent furniture for
home staging purposes. Professional home
stagers like Luci Terhune, however, have
their own inventory.
“Renting furniture is part of the home
staging service, says Terhune, owner of
Bungalow Home Staging, located in Nutley.
Her company specializes in staging homes
that are for sale. “We work primarily with
builders, investors, real estate agents, and
some homeowners.”
But home staging, she says, is about
more than bringing in furniture. “We’re
curating a look — with artwork, accessories
and furniture — to target a certain buyer.
We’re not just dropping off a sofa. It has
to be the right sofa, the right scale, and for
a targeted demographic. If the age group is
Millennials, for example, we stage a certain
way. It’s a curated designed space for them.”
Home staging appears to be a good
investment, too. According to the National
Association of Realtors, a staged house
will sell quicker and for more (on average
17 percent) than a non-staged house.
Terhune explains why. “Most people
can’t visualize how the room will look with
furniture. It’s like being naked; you see
all the flaws, the nail holes in the wall, the
scuff marks. Once furniture is brought
in and the art is on the walls, you don’t see
those imperfections. Staging brings the
focal points of the space to life.”
So that everything is always current,
Terhune and her team go to various furni-
ture markets each year, buying items that
are on trend. “And we retire our furniture
after four to five turns, meaning after
a year or two it’s gone.”
She also sells retired inventory.
“Four times a year, we have a warehouse
sale that’s become very popular.”
Terhune will also do pre-listing staging
consultations. She and her team will visit
the home, going room to room, making
recommendations about things such as
lighting and paint color, and changes a
seller can make to get more money. “If a
home needs some zhuzhing, we’ll do that,
too. We’ll bring in night stands or other
small pieces, but not pillows or upholstered
items. If the seller needs them, I’ll suggest
a furniture rental company.”
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF BUNGALOW HOME STAGING
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ments needed to create an attractive master bedroom for potential buyers to envision.
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