Staging 11 Homes for the 2024 Fall KC Parade of Homes: Behind the Scenes with Lemondrop Home
The Kansas City Parade of Homes is a marquee event for homebuilders, realtors, and interior designers alike. It’s where cutting-edge home design, construction innovation, and market trends collide to create a showcase of beautiful homes for the public to explore. This fall, Lemondrop Home, had the honor of staging 11 homes for this prestigious event. Each home presented a unique canvas, offering us the opportunity to design spaces that would inspire buyers, helping them imagine their future lives within these walls.
From Fieldstone Fine Homes’ luxury properties in Overland Park to the charming Aspen Homes in Liberty and Lee’s Summit, staging these homes required a mix of creativity, attention to detail, and an understanding of both market trends and buyer preferences. In this post, I’ll take you through the in-depth staging process, reveal design insights, and explore the tools and techniques that can make any home, from grand estates to cozy family homes, feel irresistible.
Understanding the KC Parade of Homes
Before diving into the staging details, it’s important to understand the significance of the Parade of Homes. This bi-annual event provides prospective buyers, designers, and real estate professionals with a first-hand look at the latest trends in homebuilding and interior design. Homes on display range from luxury estates to innovative, energy-efficient homes that offer solutions for modern living.
Staging plays a crucial role in these tours. It’s more than just filling a home with beautiful furniture. As a stager, I am tasked with creating and inviting atmosphere, highlighting each home’s best features, and addressing potential buyer pain points (such as small or oddly shaped rooms) through thoughtful design. The goal is always to connect emotionally with the buyer, helping them visualize their future life in that home.
The Staging Process: More Than Just Furniture
For the Parade of Homes, staging is an intricate process. Each builder has a specific vision for their properties, and my role is to bring that vision to life through design. The first step is always understanding the home’s architecture and layout. This includes identifying the key features that need to be highlighted—whether it’s an expensive open floor plan, a luxurious master suite, or a cozy outdoor living area.
But beyond the architecture, it’s about creating a lifestyle. Here’s a deeper look into the layers of staging that helped each home shine:
Fieldstone Fine Homes: Modern Sophistication with a Cozy Twist
8452 W 175th St, Overland Park, KS
3807 W 158th Terr, Overland Park, KS
3309 W 149th St, Leawood, KS
Fieldstone Fine Homes is known for blending modern design with approachable elegance. When staging their homes, I focused on enhancing their expansive layouts with furniture that complements the scale without overwhelming the space.
When staging homes for Fieldstone Fine Homes for the 2024 Fall Parade of Homes, the goal was to highlight the blend of modern sophistication with a welcoming, cozy atmosphere. Each of the living rooms features distinct architectural elements like vaulted ceilings with exposed wooden beams and floor-to-ceiling stone fireplaces, which immediately draw the eye and create a sense of grandeur. Let’s take a look how these rooms were styled to enhance their natural beauty and appeal to potential buyers.
This living room embraces neutral tones and earthy textures, creating a relaxed yet sophisticated vibe. The soft beige sofa is layered with neutral pillows in varying textures and hues, from linen to velvet, adding depth and a sense of warmth. A modern area rug with a muted floral pattern anchors the space, complementing the natural wood tones in the furniture and exposed beams above.
The stone fireplace is the room's focal point, with a large, abstract black-and-white painting adding a contemporary touch without detracting from the natural materials. The two sleek armchairs in woven wood, create an inviting, conversational seating area while maintaining the room's open flow. Minimalist decor, such as a simple white vase filled with greenery, adds a refreshing pop of color, balancing the room's natural warmth with a hint of modernity.
The second living room captures a softer, more traditional approach with pale neutral tones and elegant simplicity. A plush sofa and armchairs in off-white fabrics are carefully placed to create an intimate and comfortable space, ideal for family gatherings. To maintain a contemporary edge, an abstract black-and-white art piece is mounted above the sleek fireplace, which contrasts beautifully against the white shiplap walls.
The pale blue and gray area rug from Boutique Rugs adds a subtle pattern and warmth underfoot, while textured pillows and cozy throws soften the clean lines of the furniture. Light, wooden accents in the form of shelving and ceiling beams add a touch of natural warmth making this room feel bright, fresh, and timelessly elegant.
In this third Fieldstone living room, transitional style shines through with a perfect balance of modern luxury and rustic charm. The floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace makes a bold statement, enhanced by a large abstract art piece with dynamic brushstrokes that draw in the eye. Neutral tones are again the foundation, but with the addition of a cozy oversized sectional in a light cream fabric, offering an abundance of seating.
A sleek metal and wood accent table beside the sofa provides a functional yet stylish touch, adding contrast to the soft furnishings. The use of decorative objects, such as woven baskets and sculptural vases, along the built-in shelves injects texture and character into the room without overwhelming the space. A soft area rug featuring subtle geometric patterns grounds the design, whole the large glass windows bathe the space in natural light, emphasizing the airy, welcoming atmosphere.
Doyle Construction Company: Sleek, Modern Design with a Bold Flair
17321 Gillette St, Overland Park, KS
18604 Howe Dr, Overland Park, KS
Doyle Construction is known for their sleek, contemporary homes, so I embraces a minimalist approach in my staging, letting the bold architecture speak for itself. Staging the Doyle’s homes involved playing up the home’s modern architecture while ensuring it felt approachable and comfortable. By layering neutral tones, high-contrast accents, and various textures, this space was transformed into a contemporary retreat that prospective buyers can easily imagine themselves living in.
The living room of the Doyle Construction Company home on Howe Drive exudes a modern yet cozy atmosphere. This space features a combination of contemporary lines and organic materials. creating a beautifully balances aesthetic perfect for today’s discerning homeowners.
One of the standout features of this living room is its use of layered textures to create visual interest and depth. From the softness of the plush cream pillows to the delicate pattern of the area rug, every elements adds to the room’s overall comfort. The Loloi area rug introduces a subtle pattern of rich blues and muted blush tones, bringing an unexpected pop of color that enhances the neutral palette without overpowering it. Additional textures come from the woven rope accent chairs, which add a natural tactile quality to the room.
Furniture placement in this living room was designed to encourage conversation while maintaining a free-flowing layout. The low-profile sofa and matching armchairs are arranged in a way that created an intimate seating area without blocking the view of the fireplace or natural light pouring in from the large windows. Two cube ottomans positioned by the fireplace provide extra seating without overwhelming the space. These ottomans, in their soft off-white fabric, double as a decorative element, adding balance to the sleek lines of the surrounding furniture.
Lamendola Custom Homes: Luxury Elevated
18400 Monrovia St, Overland Park, Ks
For Lamendola’s luxurious custom homes, I wanted the staging to reflect the home’s upscale nature while steel feeling approachable. By staging this space with curated accessories, thoughtful furniture placement, and a harmonious color palette, we ensure each room feels both luxurious and livable, aligning perfectly with their high-end aesthetic.
This living room showcases the power of understate sophistication, where staging plays a key role in achieving a balanced, cozy aesthetic. The black accents from the ceiling beams and fan are carried through the room, particularly in the dark stained wood and black picture frames, creating visual rhythm throughout the space.
The off-white sectional sofa is perfectly staged to anchor the room, providing a soft neutral palette against which the deep-toned fireplace shiplap wall can truly standout. The positioning of accent chairs creates conversation zones, while the carefully selected throw pillows introduce layers of coziness and visual interest. Staging choices like a simple vase of greenery and small decorative objects on the console balance the fireplace and high ceilings, ensuring the space feels intimate yet open.
In this open-concept kitchen and dining area, the staging emphasizes balance and contrast, perfectly complementing the high-end finishes. The large kitchen island with its sleek white countertop stands as the centerpiece, framed by black modern bar stools that introduce a bold yet classic contrast. Staging elements, like simple white ceramic vases and greenery on the island, keep the space feeling inviting yet uncluttered.
The dining area is defined by a statement light fixture above the table, which plays off the dark accent ceiling for an eye-catching visual effect. The choice of minimalist, dark wood dining chiars with woven seats contrast beautifully with the light wood floor and light rug, grounding the space and creating warmth. The art on the walls, featuring neutral-toned birds, ties the space together with subtle elegance, adding life without overpowering the clean lines of the furniture.
In this serene bedroom, staging focused on creating a tranquil retreat by blending rich textures and soft neutral colors. The bed is the central feature, dressed in crisp white linens that contrast with the deep, earth-toned accent pillows. The combination of textures, from the velvet-like pillows to the grey chunky throw blanket, adds dimension and depth to the room.
The black nightstands on either side of the bed are simply styled with sleek lamps minimal decor to maintain a calm, uncluttered feel. At the foot of the bed, a warm wood with its rich muted tones, ties the entire space together, reinforcing the luxurious, grounded vibe that is both calming and sophisticated. The artwork above the bed is intentionally minimal, allowing the textures and materials of the furniture and textiles to be the true focus of the stating.
Aspen Homes: Rustic Charm with Modern Comforts
2164 Black Walnut Dr, Liberty, MO
2034 SW Harvest Moon Lane, Lee’s Summit, Mo
Aspen Homes’ properties have a more rustic charm, with wood features and farmhouse-inspired designs. My approach to staging these homes was all about balance- combining modern comforts with traditional touches.
In this bedroom we created a serene retreat that exudes comfort and sophistication. The centerpiece of the room is the bed, dressed in luxurious, layered bedding in soft neutral tones. A thoughtful mix of decorative pillows adds texture and visual interest, inviting potential buyers to imagine sinking. into this cozy haven at the end of the day. The headboard, upholstered in a muted green fabric, provides a subtle contrast to the light walls and bedding, anchoring the bed in the space.
Above the bed, a simple framed piece of art with organic shapes complements the room’s minimalist aesthetic, adding a touch of visual interest without overwhelming the space. The bedside area is elegantly appointed with a warm wood nightstand topped with a contemporary lamp the provides soft ambient lighting. The overall color scheme of soft grays and whites creates a tranquil atmosphere, allowing the room’s features and proportions to shine.
This space is anchored by a striking black fireplace, adorned with a large abstract artwork and simple decor on the mantle, creating a sophisticated focal point. A neutral color palette of white, beiges, and grays establish a calm and versatile backdrop, allowing potential buyers to easily envision their own style in the space. The furniture arrangement is thoughtfully balanced, with a spacious gray sectional sofa facing two elegant accent chairs, fostering an intimate conversation area.
Natural light floods the room through large windows, brightening the space and offering views of the lush greenery outside. This connection to nature enhances the room’s airy feel and adds to its appeal. Textural elements are skillfully incorporated through throw pillows, an area rug, and wooden accents, adding depth and interest to the design. The result is a harmonious blend of comfort and style that showcases the home’s potential while allowing buyers to imagine their own lives unfolding within its walls.
Staging 11 homes for the 2024 KC Parade of Homes was both a challenge and a joy. Every home presented a unique opportunity to create an experience for potential buyers-one where they could see themselves living and thriving. From accessing with plush pillows and luxurious throws to anchoring spaces with oversized rugs and choosing the perfect furniture, staging is about more than just aesthetics. It is about connection to the home. It’s that intangible feeling when they walk into a space and can immediately envision themselves hosting dinners in the dining room, cozying up by the fireplace, or unwinding in the beautifully staged master bedroom. Staging helps create that vision— it turns an empty house into a home that buyers want to be apart of.