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In a recent article, we provided a technical explanation of what an home stager is and why they have become a crucial figure in the sale and rental of luxury properties. Given the central importance of this profession, we interviewed four home stagers from the Luxforsale team to gain an even deeper understanding: Simona Ferri, Monica Maselli, Fosca de Luca, and Marina Ghedini. Through their words, anecdotes, and experiences, we have painted a more complete picture of the home stager, analyzing the role from different angles to explain and understand all the nuances of this work—as complex as it is fascinating.
Simona Ferri: “I don’t prepare houses; I create the conditions for someone to choose them”
Our first interview is with Simona Ferri, who has turned her passion into a career.
Hello Simona, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
“I am an Home Stager and Property Stylist with over twenty years of experience in real estate (since 2006) and European certification (CAPAC, Lombardy region). I reposition high-end properties by highlighting their true value to encourage a more consistent, rapid, and qualified sale in the luxury market. With my team at Atmosfere Distintive, I support owners, investors, and professionals in the strategic preparation of residential and tourist properties through light, balance, and the intentional choice of spaces. My mission? To bring out the best in every property and deliver concrete results to those who trust me.”
“I am an Home Stager and Property Stylist with over twenty years of experience in real estate (since 2006) and European certification (CAPAC, Lombardy region). I reposition high-end properties by highlighting their true value to encourage a more consistent, rapid, and qualified sale in the luxury market. With my team at Atmosfere Distintive, I support owners, investors, and professionals in the strategic preparation of residential and tourist properties through light, balance, and the intentional choice of spaces. My mission? To bring out the best in every property and deliver concrete results to those who trust me.”
How did you get started in this field?
“I was immediately fascinated by home staging because it is interdisciplinary and perfectly encapsulates the experiences I have gained over the years. This ranges from my fundamental marketing studies at university (later deepened into neuromarketing) to my real estate experience with my own company; from my title as a Technical Director of a Travel Agency, earned over twenty years in tourism—which allows me to anticipate the needs of foreign tourists—to the study of the relationship between the human psyche and the home environment. It also includes necessary organizational skills (I am a Professional Organizer and decluttering expert) and efficiency acquired over decades as an entrepreneur. All of this is complemented by an innate personal sensitivity to harmony and a lifelong interest in everything concerning the world of the home.”
“I was immediately fascinated by home staging because it is interdisciplinary and perfectly encapsulates the experiences I have gained over the years. This ranges from my fundamental marketing studies at university (later deepened into neuromarketing) to my real estate experience with my own company; from my title as a Technical Director of a Travel Agency, earned over twenty years in tourism—which allows me to anticipate the needs of foreign tourists—to the study of the relationship between the human psyche and the home environment. It also includes necessary organizational skills (I am a Professional Organizer and decluttering expert) and efficiency acquired over decades as an entrepreneur. All of this is complemented by an innate personal sensitivity to harmony and a lifelong interest in everything concerning the world of the home.”
What is your initial approach when making a home more “desirable”?
“When I enter a house, I don’t just see rooms or furniture. I see suspended stories, hidden possibilities, and potential waiting to be revealed. This is the essence of Atmosfere Distintive: transforming spaces into experiences and bringing out what often remains invisible. I don’t prepare houses; I create the conditions for someone to choose them. Every light, every color, and every object has a purpose: to convey potential and spark desire. It’s not about changing what is there, but about reading and interpreting it. Confused spaces become understandable environments; empty rooms transform into scenarios of a possible life. My work is a balance between aesthetics and strategy, sensitivity and the market: every intervention tells a story consistent with who will live in that house and who will choose it.”
“When I enter a house, I don’t just see rooms or furniture. I see suspended stories, hidden possibilities, and potential waiting to be revealed. This is the essence of Atmosfere Distintive: transforming spaces into experiences and bringing out what often remains invisible. I don’t prepare houses; I create the conditions for someone to choose them. Every light, every color, and every object has a purpose: to convey potential and spark desire. It’s not about changing what is there, but about reading and interpreting it. Confused spaces become understandable environments; empty rooms transform into scenarios of a possible life. My work is a balance between aesthetics and strategy, sensitivity and the market: every intervention tells a story consistent with who will live in that house and who will choose it.”
Is there a particular anecdote or episode that has stayed with you?
“An apartment in Milan, intended for sale after years of neglect. Dull rooms, dim light, no identity. After my intervention, the spaces began to breathe, the light enhanced every corner, and the rooms found a rhythm again. The owner walked in, stopped in the living room, and looked around. Then, with an uncertain smile, he said: ‘I didn’t think it could become like this… maybe I don’t want to sell it anymore.’ In that moment, I realized I had done more than just value a house. I had made desire tangible.”
“An apartment in Milan, intended for sale after years of neglect. Dull rooms, dim light, no identity. After my intervention, the spaces began to breathe, the light enhanced every corner, and the rooms found a rhythm again. The owner walked in, stopped in the living room, and looked around. Then, with an uncertain smile, he said: ‘I didn’t think it could become like this… maybe I don’t want to sell it anymore.’ In that moment, I realized I had done more than just value a house. I had made desire tangible.”
In terms of work and marketing, what is your project?
“My project is to create environments that evoke emotion, spaces that communicate their value, and stories that stay in the memory. Moving away from trends and standardized protocols, I work so that every house speaks for itself, with authenticity and refinement. Every intervention is a dialogue between my sensitivity and that of the person who will live in the house. Because, ultimately, substance defines form.”
“My project is to create environments that evoke emotion, spaces that communicate their value, and stories that stay in the memory. Moving away from trends and standardized protocols, I work so that every house speaks for itself, with authenticity and refinement. Every intervention is a dialogue between my sensitivity and that of the person who will live in the house. Because, ultimately, substance defines form.”
Monica Maselli, Expert in Tourist Home Staging: “True luxury? The courage to have a vision and realize it”
We then interviewed Monica Maselli, an expert property manager and architect who works mainly in the tourist Home Staging sector and has transformed the concept of hospitality through a rigorous method of property enhancement.
Hello Monica, how would you define Home Staging?
“Home Staging is now well known as a powerful marketing tool that allows houses for sale or rent to achieve strong positioning and excellent results. But for me, it represents something more specific: it is the perfect synthesis of all the skills I have acquired over my career. It is the ideal ‘match’ between my twenty years of experience as a property manager, my studies in architecture, and my Master’s degrees in marketing and revenue. In my work, which focuses exclusively on the tourism market rather than sales, communication, enhancement, and professional management converge to create a complete offer for those wishing to enter their property into the luxury short-term rental circuit.”
“Home Staging is now well known as a powerful marketing tool that allows houses for sale or rent to achieve strong positioning and excellent results. But for me, it represents something more specific: it is the perfect synthesis of all the skills I have acquired over my career. It is the ideal ‘match’ between my twenty years of experience as a property manager, my studies in architecture, and my Master’s degrees in marketing and revenue. In my work, which focuses exclusively on the tourism market rather than sales, communication, enhancement, and professional management converge to create a complete offer for those wishing to enter their property into the luxury short-term rental circuit.”
How did you enter this world?
“The need arose from my direct experience in the field as a property manager. At one time, any house put on the market generated profit regardless of aesthetics; it was normal to accept properties exactly as they were offered by the owners. Over time, however, the market became extremely competitive and crowded, leading to a drop in rates and what I call the ‘price war.’ The result was unsatisfactory for everyone: owners earning less, complaining guests, and me working under great stress. I decided to change the rules of the game: I would only manage beautiful, identity-driven, and highly attractive houses, with the goal of maintaining occupancy over 70% with high rates.”
“The need arose from my direct experience in the field as a property manager. At one time, any house put on the market generated profit regardless of aesthetics; it was normal to accept properties exactly as they were offered by the owners. Over time, however, the market became extremely competitive and crowded, leading to a drop in rates and what I call the ‘price war.’ The result was unsatisfactory for everyone: owners earning less, complaining guests, and me working under great stress. I decided to change the rules of the game: I would only manage beautiful, identity-driven, and highly attractive houses, with the goal of maintaining occupancy over 70% with high rates.”
And what did you do to make this vision a reality?
“I didn’t want to limit myself to a simple selection; I wanted to help owners transform their homes to elevate them to the premium or luxury segment. Despite my five-year degree in architecture, I knew I needed specific tools: it wasn’t just about interior design, but marketing. I studied for about a year, moving from one course to another to find every missing piece, and then I started putting my method into practice with a clear condition for owners: ‘Either you stage your house, or you cannot enter my circuit of premium villas.’ ‘Staging’ is the technical term for the process of enhancement through home staging.”
“I didn’t want to limit myself to a simple selection; I wanted to help owners transform their homes to elevate them to the premium or luxury segment. Despite my five-year degree in architecture, I knew I needed specific tools: it wasn’t just about interior design, but marketing. I studied for about a year, moving from one course to another to find every missing piece, and then I started putting my method into practice with a clear condition for owners: ‘Either you stage your house, or you cannot enter my circuit of premium villas.’ ‘Staging’ is the technical term for the process of enhancement through home staging.”
How did the owners react to this new approach?
“It wasn’t easy at first. Many didn’t understand this shift and I lost them, but I moved forward with those who believed in the project. Today, the results and the market have proven me right: those who do not propose a valuable offer risk becoming invisible; there is no longer room for DIY.”
“It wasn’t easy at first. Many didn’t understand this shift and I lost them, but I moved forward with those who believed in the project. Today, the results and the market have proven me right: those who do not propose a valuable offer risk becoming invisible; there is no longer room for DIY.”
What is your current approach and what are your priorities?
“I define my service as ‘luxury,’ not just for the prestige of the villas, but for the excellence of the support I offer: it is a ‘tailor-made’ service where the client is heard and followed through every phase. My absolute priority is to build trust and exceed client expectations, dedicating all the necessary time to each individual project without any approximation.”
“I define my service as ‘luxury,’ not just for the prestige of the villas, but for the excellence of the support I offer: it is a ‘tailor-made’ service where the client is heard and followed through every phase. My absolute priority is to build trust and exceed client expectations, dedicating all the necessary time to each individual project without any approximation.”
Do you feel you have ‘arrived’ after these successes?
“Absolutely not. The road is still uphill, but I have a clear vision and a team of competent and motivated collaborators. I believe strongly in strategic partnerships, such as the one with Luxforsale.”
“Absolutely not. The road is still uphill, but I have a clear vision and a team of competent and motivated collaborators. I believe strongly in strategic partnerships, such as the one with Luxforsale.”
Certamente! Dato che non hai ancora incollato l'ultima parte, ecco la traduzione delle sezioni dedicate a Fosca de Luca e Marina Ghedini, basata sul testo integrale dell'articolo di Luxforsale:
Fosca de Luca: Transforming Properties for Competition
Fosca de Luca is a benchmark in the Italian Home Staging sector. She has personally managed the preparation of over 700 properties for sale and enhanced more than 350 homes for the short-term rental market, transforming their image to make them more competitive and attractive. [1]
Fosca, what is your approach to home staging?
"My goal is to improve the image of a property to make it stand out in a crowded market. Whether it's for sale or for tourism, the focus is on creating a professional look that speaks directly to the target audience. It’s about transforming a house into a product that sells." [1]
"My goal is to improve the image of a property to make it stand out in a crowded market. Whether it's for sale or for tourism, the focus is on creating a professional look that speaks directly to the target audience. It’s about transforming a house into a product that sells." [1]
Marina Ghedini: "Empathy and Kindness are my Strengths"
Based in Modena, Marina Ghedini is an Home Stager, Interior Designer, and teacher of Interior Design.
Marina, how do you integrate your design background into staging?
"Empathy and kindness are my strengths, and I find them to be fundamental—though not always common—qualities when entering someone's home. My work combines the technical aspects of interior design with the emotional impact of staging. It’s about more than just aesthetics; it’s about creating a connection between the space and the person walking through the door."
"Empathy and kindness are my strengths, and I find them to be fundamental—though not always common—qualities when entering someone's home. My work combines the technical aspects of interior design with the emotional impact of staging. It’s about more than just aesthetics; it’s about creating a connection between the space and the person walking through the door."
