When Steph Thornborrow styles a home, people fall in love with it.

Through her Pint Size Property Styling business, which has been operating on Phillip Island for three years, Steph takes a blank canvas – houses to be put on the market for sale – and turns them into a must-have home for would-be buyers.

“I take an empty house and from scratch provide an aspirational lifestyle through interior styling,” says the Cowes mother-of-three.

“People want to see the potential in a home they’re going to buy. Research shows homes that are staged sell faster and also sell for more.

“You only get one go at making a first impression and so if you want people to fall in love with a space, it’s a good idea to style it.”

Given she lives and works on the island, Steph describes her staging style as “contemporary, relaxed coastal”, able to make homes “lighter, brighter and larger”.

“I use lots of natural textures and neutral colours to appeal to a broad audience, also working around the style of the house.

“What you’re trying to do is de-personalise it, even though it’s tailored and not a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s about showcasing a space to the best of its ability.”

For 26 years Steph worked in TV production, especially commercials such as ANZ Bank, and Gazman, with a general love of all things creative.

Most recently her creative eye was showcased in the coffee table cookbook, Over the Bridge, capturing beautiful images of farms and restaurants across Phillip Island.

She spends hours pouring over interior magazines, Pinterest and Instagram.

Steph says staging homes is a concept that has been popular in Melbourne for years, and while there are local interior designers, there was a gap in the market for real estate staging on the island.

Coastal chic

At the rear of her home she has a shed brimming with furniture, in addition to three storage units, the result of constantly collecting targeted items.

She has about 10 sofas, 20 beds, artworks, rugs and a beautiful array of pure linen bedding because “I love dressing beds”.

As such she can only stage about four homes per month, also working in with her part-time role as Newhaven College’s marketing and communications manager, as well as her charity work with St Vincent de Paul.

Steph will initially visit a home, take photos and send through a proposal to a vendor before taking a day to move in furniture and style, working with both real estate agents and sellers.

A sale campaign lasts for six weeks and starts at about $3000.

Steph has completed a floristry course and is a big believer in using botanicals to bring a styling project to life. She offers a free service to update foliage every two weeks as part of the package.

Ray White Phillip Island agent Bec Anderson agreed styling increases a property’s saleability and helps photography.

“Steph’s eye for detail has helped transformed many of my listings, and I believe has assisted in better sale prices for the property owners,” Bec says.

Steph added staging now was paramount, giving an advantage over homes that aren’t styled.

“Given the real estate market has slowed down it’s more important than ever for more than one buyer to fall in love with your property.”

Details: https://pintsize.com.au