Unmasking | The Staging of Accessories

Our scope of work at Paris Forino includes many different kinds of projects– including a fair share of development properties. The design needs for these clients can range from sales centers, lobbies, amenities, and the designing all the interiors from start to finish (which is often the case for our firm). One particular area that we typically have at least a few in the works is model apartments. The building developers rely on these model apartments to help sell units so their marketability is always a concern.

The process of staging the accessories for these projects is not always as glamorous as it would appear. We're in charge of sourcing and buying all the decor, objets, books, linens, florals, toiletries, knick-knacks, etc. to make an unoccupied apartment feel more like a home.

Many designers may choose to do all their accessory shopping online, which would definitely be the easiest route, but we prefer to take advantage of this amazing city we live to explore stores in person to see how things look and feel in person. It's important to see how things look together, work together and how they can contribute to the whole aesthetic in person. Some of our favorite NYC sources include The Future Perfect, Atelier Couvert, Barneys, ABC Carpet & Home, and Strand Bookstore. There's really nothing quite as glamorous as schlepping heavy books, vases, and shopping bags from store to store during the one to two days allotted to stage a model apartment.

Clients rely on us for the artwork as well– being mindful of budgets we sometimes have to get a little DIY and crafty with creating pieces that will suit the dimensions and look of the space.

In the pictures featured here of a recently-completed luxury high-rise model apartment you can see our entire vision come together, including the small details of thoughtfully-placed books, fresh flowers and beautiful accessories.