PROPERTYSPARK ARTICLE

10 Interior Design Tips for Display Homes

Display homes are the showpieces of new property developments. As a home that will be visited by dozens of potential buyers, the interior design is crucial. The decor and styling must stand out, make spaces feel welcoming and help buyers envision their dream life within those walls.

Here are 10 top suggestions for styling a display home that will have buyers gushing:

Play With Colour and Pattern

Display homes are the perfect canvas for bold, creative decor. Don’t be afraid to use vibrant colours, striking patterns and varied textures throughout. Paint internal doors a bright accent shade or choose colourful artwork. Upholster furniture in eye-catching prints. Use patterned cushions, rugs and window treatments. This type of decor makes spaces feel curated, contemporary and exciting to potential buyers.


Zone Areas Clearly

Use your interior design to delineate living zones distinctly. For example, make the lounge room feel cosy with soft furnishings and warm lighting while the study feels crisp and modern. This differentiation helps buyers envision how they would use each space. If you can get their imagination firing in this way, they’ll soon be picturing themselves living there. Use changes in flooring, ceiling heights, lighting and decor styles to define specific areas.


Maximise Natural Light

Display homes should feel bright, airy and spacious. Maximise natural light by keeping window treatments light and minimal or removing them altogether. Position mirrors near windows to amplify the light. Use pale coloured walls and flooring to prevent rooms feeling dark. Install skylights or solar tubes to let more sunshine in. Accentuate high ceilings with pendant lights. All of this showcases the home’s best assets.


Create “Vignettes”

Vignettes are styled nooks that bring together decor elements to create a mini-scene. For example, style bookshelves with ornaments and books or create a reading nook with a comfy chair, patterned cushion and floor lamp. These vignettes make rooms feel curated and give buyers creative ideas for their own homes. Vignettes are particularly effective in living areas and bedrooms.

For those looking to enhance their vignettes and add a touch of elegance to any room, consider incorporating stylish shelves that offer both functionality and aesthetic appeal. These shelves can serve as a focal point or complement other design elements in your space.


Choose Multi-Functional and Emotive Furniture

For display homes, opt for furniture that offers multi-functional appeal. Think of coffee tables with hidden storage or raised tops for dining; beds with built-in side tables; and modular sofas with chaise extensions. Furniture with a dual purpose suits buyers with limited space. This is more important than having lavish furnishings. Clever, adaptable furniture is a crowd-pleaser, as is furniture which imbues a room with a particular feeling.

For this reason, consider investing in mental health beds, available from Knightsbridge Furniture here. These beds are aesthetically pleasing but can also add a layer of comfort to any room. Threading the needle between utilitarian and impressionistic furniture can be difficult, but when you pull it off in your interior design, it will pay dividends.


Style for Buyer Demographic

Research your development’s target market. Are you catering to young singles, families or perhaps retirees looking to downsize? Tailor your styling to suit their needs. For families, incorporate kid-friendly decor. For retirees, ensure there is space for hobbies and accessible, easy-care finishes. When buyers can picture themselves living there happily, you’ve nailed the brief.


Focus on Lifestyle over Trends

Interior design trends come and go. For a display home that will impress long-term, focus on showcasing aspirational lifestyles over ephemeral trends. For example, create a home office space commuters will envy versus installing on-trend brushed brass finishes that will date quickly. Use your design to help buyers connect emotionally with the feelings a home can evoke.


Amp Up the Accessories

Accessories make all the difference in display styling. Use abundant cushions, throws, candles, plants and artwork throughout. Style coffee tables with beautiful books and objects. Add baskets and trays everywhere. Use feature lighting like pendant lights and standing lamps. Display homes should brim with accessories that buyers will find inspirational for their own decor needs.


Optimise Floor Plans

When designing display home floor plans, optimise them for buyer appeal. For example, open plan living is highly popular, offering exceptional flexibility which buyers love. Consider movable partition walls or sliding screens to allow multi-use spaces. Create benchtops and island benches with extended overhangs for casual dining. Buyers want to see how spaces can be adapted to suit their lifestyle vision.


Use Neutral Finishes

While you can go bold with colours and prints, use soft, neutral finishes for display homes. Light-coloured timber floors, stone benchtops, painted cabinetry – these provide a timeless, appealing backdrop buyers can envision adapting. Avoid very dark or glossy finishes that polarise personal taste. Go for easy-care finishes like vinyl flooring that appeal widely too.

By incorporating these interior design tips, you can style display homes that truly wow potential buyers. Homes that create an emotional pull and help them fall in love with the life that could unfold inside. These tips allow buyers to see past “four walls” and instead envision a beautiful, welcoming home tailor-made for their lifestyle dreams.