New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Reality star has key to staging homes for quick sales
Taylor Spellman is the host of the Discovery+ and HGTV show “One Week to Sell,” in which she and her best friend, Kate Wasserman Dickens, stage homes in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, priming them for the best sale possible.
The trick is that they’ve only got one week to do it.
“That’s probably what I’m most passionate about, because you get to go in there, trust your gut instinct, come up with this plan in a super quick amount of time, under a lot of pressure, but you don’t have to answer to anybody until the end,” Spellman said.
Spellman and Dickens grew up in Wethersfield, where Spellman still lives part-time when she’s not in New York City. They now run an interior design company Taylor Spellman New York, which is how they were scouted for “One Week to Sell.”
Spellman took time out of her filming schedule to speak with Hearst Connecticut Media over the phone about “One Week to Sell.”
How did the show come to be?
We were just doing our thing in the city and in various areas outside of New York. We do it differently than everyone else. I think the way that it’s been done before — it’s called “staging” — you’d have, like, a beige couch and a cream rug and you make everything neutral. Whereas, my philosophy has been, you shouldn’t make it neutral. You should make it colorful and interesting and speak to who you think this potential buyer is going to be, and make sure that you know you have the demographic
in your mind, which is very possible to do.
When I first started doing that, people were like, “it’s too risky, it’s too colorful.” But then things were selling really, really quickly, and we kind of redefined how you do it. That’s why we call it “interior design for sale,” because staging is just a little stiff.
Eventually, HGTV approached us and said, “we love what you’re doing, let’s work this out.” And now we’re super excited to be on Discovery+.
DIY makeover and interior design shows have become so ingrained in American culture — even more so during the pandemic. Why do you think that is?
I think a lot of people in the past have talked about interior design as a luxury good. That’s how it’s treated in various parts of the country, but the bottom line is there isn’t one human on the planet who doesn’t want to come home and love their home, and feel lifted up by it and happy with it.
I think the interest is driven by sort of a universal desire. That’s why I love our show, because we’re doing a ton of stuff for under $10,000. It’s not that hard to do a really great renovation for half a million dollars, but to give people tips and tricks and tools to do something to do in their own home whether they’re selling or not [is our goal]. If you have this awful wood paneling that’s just been too difficult for you to even consider doing something with, we’re giving ideas that you can do for that for $50.
The desire to have a home you love is truly universal, and that doesn’t have anything to do with how much money you have. I’m a firm believer in going to the local Goodwill or a thrift store or finding something on the side of the road. There’s a million ways to make your home feel special and to make it lift you up. That’s been highlighted during the time of quarantine, because we’re having a completely different relationship with our homes and spending more time in our homes than ever before.
What is it like to be on an HGTV show?
There’s an element of fun, for sure, but it’s really hard work. We really are doing everything we say. So, if we’re turning around in four days for $7,000, that’s real. We’re painting and sanding and lugging, and it’s a lot of physical and mental work.
When you’re shooting a show, you aren’t just doing the project that you’re doing. We’re also thinking ahead of the next project because it’s next week. That’s a lot of physical and mental pressure, but I absolutely love it.
What kind of advice would you give someone who is looking for three quick ways to elevate the staging of their home?
I always think you should pretend that your very judge-y mother-in-law going to be coming over and judging your house, and kind of prepare like you would for her. Make sure everything is cleaned up, laundry is away, kitchen counters are clean and wiped and there’s not excess stuff around where she could make some snide remark.
Kids’ toys are really hard, because you never want to disrupt for kids’ lives. But try to keep that controlled, because often times when there’s toys everywhere — of course, we understand — it’s not helpful.
White bedding is key, especially in the main bedroom. If you have kids’ bedrooms, it can be a little more fun, but in a guest bedroom or in a main bedroom, white, clean, new, crisp bedding can really help someone see the potential of the room. That’s a subtle one, but it’s big.
Another tip is lighting: make sure that all your lamps have light bulbs and that all your overhead lighting works.
Watch “One Week to Sell” on Discovery+ or the Discovery+ app, and check out Taylor Spellman at taylorspellman.com.