Who is a top home staging company in Los Angeles?

Songbird Home Staging is a Los Angeles staging and interior design firm that has staged more than 1,900 homes for agents, homeowners, and national builders, founded by designer and recording artist Lysette Titi.

How much does home staging cost with Songbird?

Vacant staging is priced per square foot based on list price, logistics, and scheduling, with a project minimum of $3,600 and terms of 60, 90, or 120 days.

Can I pay for staging when my home sells?

Yes. Songbird offers Pay at Close, giving clients access to up to $75,000 for repairs and staging, paid at closing.

Does Songbird stage hospitality and event spaces?

Yes. Songbird furnishes and styles VIP suites, guest and talent housing, lounges, and event spaces in Los Angeles, including for major sports and entertainment events.

Where does Songbird Home Staging work?

Songbird serves Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, with projects in Washington, DC and Atlanta.

← Home Staging Advice

Room-by-Room Guide

How to Stage a Kitchen to Sell

A practical way to make the room buyers inspect most closely feel clear, cared for, and easy to picture using.

Bright staged kitchen with warm wood cabinetry, marble island, and leather counter stools

A kitchen carries an unusual amount of the listing story. Buyers look at the cabinetry and appliances, of course, but they are also trying to understand how the room works. Is there usable counter space? Is there enough storage? Does the room feel bright, clean, and maintained? In listing photography, those questions are answered in seconds.

The goal is not to turn a working kitchen into a showroom or suggest that an older kitchen is something it is not. It is to remove visual noise, handle the small maintenance details that draw attention, and let the room’s most useful features come forward. The National Association of REALTORS’ consumer guide to staging a house for sale makes the same point: staging is about presenting a home’s strengths so buyers can picture themselves there, not following a trend or remodeling for its own sake.

Staging isn’t rocket science. We’re the space experts.

Begin with what buyers need to understand

Before clearing a counter, stand at the kitchen entrance and take in the room as a buyer would. Notice the first thing that catches the eye, then notice where the eye travels next. It may be a generous island, an open shelf, a view through a window, a run of cabinetry, or a clear connection to the dining or living area. That is the part of the kitchen the preparation should protect.

Then make an honest list of what competes with it. A crowded counter can conceal workspace. A refrigerator covered in papers can pull attention away from cabinetry. A dripping faucet, a dark bulb, worn caulk, a sticky cabinet door, or a lingering odor can make a buyer wonder what else has been deferred. None of those issues need dramatic styling. They need a clean, practical response.

Keep the decision-making grounded. If a repair involves plumbing, gas, electricity, moisture, or a significant appliance issue, get appropriate professional advice. Staging should never cover up a condition that ought to be addressed or disclosed. The strongest result is a kitchen that feels straightforward to assess, not one that asks the buyer to look past obvious work.

Deep clean the surfaces buyers will inspect

Kitchen staging begins before any decorative detail arrives. Clean the range, backsplash, sink, faucet, refrigerator front, cabinet faces, pulls, baseboards, and floor edges. Degrease the hood and the areas around handles. Polish stainless steel consistently rather than leaving streaks that catch the light. Empty the trash and recycling, wipe the inside of the microwave, and make sure the dishwasher is empty if buyers are likely to open it.

Look closely at the features that appear in photographs. Water marks around the faucet, crumbs in a drawer, cloudy pendant shades, smudged glass, or a tired dish towel can take over an image far more quickly than they do in day-to-day life. The National Association of REALTORS’ seller preparation guide specifically points sellers toward cleaning visible surfaces and storing clutter before showings. In the kitchen, that work gives every later decision more credibility.

Do not stop at eye level. Buyers may open a pantry, pull a drawer, or look beneath the sink. You do not need to make storage look empty, but it should look organized enough that its capacity is easy to understand. Remove expired food, duplicate containers, loose bags, and anything that suggests there is no place for normal kitchen life.

A refined staged living room with warm seating and a view toward the dining area

Clear the counters until the workspace can lead

Counter space is one of the kitchen’s clearest signals of usefulness. The coffee maker, toaster, blender, charging cords, knife block, dish rack, paper towels, mail, grocery bags, vitamins, and cleaning products may all be reasonable in daily life. Together, they make the room read as smaller and busier than it is.

Start by taking everything off the counters. Clean the full surface, then return only what earns its place. In many kitchens, that is one simple grouping: a bowl of fresh fruit, a wood cutting board leaned against the backsplash, a small plant, or a restrained tray. Use the existing finishes as the guide. A warm wood kitchen may need nothing more than a pale bowl. A crisp, modern kitchen may look best with an almost completely open island.

Small appliances deserve a deliberate decision. If the espresso machine is beautiful, compact, and central to the buyer the home is likely to attract, it may stay. If it crowds the only clear stretch of counter, store it for photography and showings. The purpose is not to make the room feel unused. It is to let buyers see how much room they would have to use it.

At the sink: remove sponges, drying racks, dish soap bottles, and towels that look worn.
At the island: protect as much uninterrupted surface as possible.
At the range: remove cooking oils, utensils, and heavily used pans.
At the refrigerator: take down magnets, calendars, children’s art, delivery menus, and personal notes.

Use light, scent, and sight lines with restraint

Light affects whether a kitchen feels open and well cared for. Replace burned-out bulbs, clean fixture shades, and make sure bulbs within the same fixture do not clash in color. Open window coverings enough to bring in daylight while keeping the view tidy. If an island or peninsula blocks the path into the room, remove stools that feel oversized or leave only the number that makes the seating clear without closing the circulation.

Pay attention to reflections. A mirror-like refrigerator, glossy backsplash, or glass pendants may reflect the photographer, a pile of objects in the next room, or an unflattering view. Stand where a photograph is likely to be taken and make small adjustments. Close a pantry door, straighten a stool, or shift a plant rather than adding another decorative piece.

Scent is part of the showing experience, but it should not announce itself. Empty the trash, run the disposal if appropriate, air the room, and avoid strong candles, plug-ins, or food smells that make buyers wonder what they are meant to cover. Clean and neutral is enough.

Make an older kitchen feel cared for, not disguised

An older kitchen may still be functional, generous, and worth showing well. Start by identifying the difference between a small presentation correction and a larger renovation decision. Replacing a cracked switch plate, tightening loose hardware, touching up a scuff, re-caulking a visibly tired edge, or replacing mismatched bulbs can improve the read of the room quickly. Replacing cabinets, counters, or appliances needs a separate conversation with the listing agent about budget, timeline, local market expectations, and return.

Do not use staging to pretend fixed features are different. Keep dated cabinetry clean, remove clutter from around it, and make sure the room is evenly lit. If the appliances are mixed, show them honestly while making their surfaces spotless. Buyers can evaluate an older kitchen with more confidence when they can see its layout, storage, and condition without distraction.

For broader context, Songbird’s home staging checklist for listing photos is useful before the photographer arrives. The kitchen version is simply more exacting: every visible surface, appliance front, fixture, and sight line needs a final pass.

A refined staged dining area with warm natural light and clear circulation

Style for the kitchen you actually have

A compact galley kitchen, a family kitchen with a large island, and an open-plan entertaining kitchen should not be styled in the same way. In a small kitchen, clear counters and a bright sink area do more than accessories ever will. Keep the floor open, remove extra stools, and avoid anything tall on the counters that breaks the room into smaller pieces.

In a larger kitchen, the island usually has to do the most work. It should show enough open surface to suggest preparation and gathering, while still giving the room one controlled note of warmth. A low bowl, a quiet tray, or a simple branch can be enough. Set dining stools evenly and make sure they tuck in at a height that preserves the counter line.

Open shelving needs particular discipline. Remove mismatched packaging, chipped ceramics, and extra collections. Group a few useful pieces by material or tone, leaving enough empty space that the shelving reads as storage rather than display. A kitchen is more convincing when it still looks capable of daily life.

Prepare for photos, then create a showing-day reset

The night before photography, finish the cleaning and move daily-use items into a bin, cabinet, or car. Just before the photographer arrives, make the last ten-minute pass: empty the sink, wipe the counters, turn on the lights, align the stools, close cabinet doors, check appliance fronts, and remove any packaging or personal papers that have reappeared.

Stand at the entry. The room should feel bright and easy to understand immediately.
Check the counters. Leave clear work surface, not a collection of small objects.
Inspect the sink and appliances. They should look clean at close range and in reflected light.
Protect the path. Stools, bins, pet dishes, and rugs should not make the kitchen feel narrow.
Make the reset repeatable. Keep a small kit ready so the room can return to this condition before every showing.

This matters because the photographs set an expectation. A buyer who sees a calm, organized kitchen online should encounter the same feeling in person. A simple routine makes that possible without turning the listing period into a daily production.

When a complete staging plan gives the kitchen more context

A kitchen can be prepared on its own, but its effect is often shaped by the rooms around it. In an open plan, the kitchen needs to connect naturally to the living and dining spaces. In a vacant property, it may need nearby furnishings that make the island, breakfast area, or transition to the dining room easier to understand.

Songbird works with agents, homeowners, and developers on vacant home staging, as well as commercial interior design, furniture procurement, and project management. The work starts with the rooms that carry the listing, then gives the property a coherent visual direction rather than treating each room as a separate project. For a vacant home, the vacant-house staging guide explains how that larger plan helps buyers understand scale, function, and flow.

A final kitchen staging check

Visible repairs, loose hardware, damaged caulk, and burned-out bulbs have been addressed.
Countertops, sink, appliances, cabinet fronts, fixtures, and floors are clean from close range.
Personal papers, food packaging, cleaning supplies, and everyday appliances are out of sight.
There is enough open counter and floor space to show the kitchen’s real usefulness.
Lighting is consistent, and the clearest feature has room to lead.
Any finishing details feel simple, fresh, and proportionate to the room.
The setup can be restored quickly before the next showing.

A well-prepared kitchen gives buyers fewer reasons to hesitate and more room to understand the home. Clean the room thoroughly, resolve the small issues that pull attention, clear the surfaces that communicate function, and let the kitchen show what it can do.

Frequently asked questions

What should I remove from my kitchen before selling?

Put away small appliances, dish racks, cleaning supplies, refrigerator magnets, personal papers, pet items, food packaging, and anything stored on top of cabinets. Leave only a few deliberate details so buyers can read the counter space and finishes clearly.

How much should be left on kitchen counters for listing photos?

Keep counters almost clear. A single tray, bowl of fruit, small plant, or wood board can add warmth, but the kitchen should still look useful and spacious. If an item makes the work surface feel smaller, remove it for photographs and showings.

Should I update an old kitchen before listing?

Start with cleaning, repairs, working lights, fresh caulk where needed, and a careful edit. Major work is a separate pricing and timing decision with your agent. Staging can help buyers see a well-kept kitchen clearly, but it should not disguise material defects or unfinished repairs.

How do I keep a staged kitchen ready for showings?

Create one simple reset routine. Store daily appliances and personal items in a bin or cabinet, wipe the sink and counters, empty the trash, and return the few finishing pieces to their place. A restrained setup is much easier to maintain than a heavily styled display.