Meridith Baer built an entire business around a pretty simple truth: people don’t fall in love with rooms — they fall in love with how a home makes them feel.
Back in 1998, she had an idea that almost seemed too basic to be a real business. Houses that sit empty don’t sell very well, so she decided to bring in her own furniture. That house sold not just quickly, but above its asking price. Just like that, what started as an experiment turned into a career that would help shape what we now know as home staging. Nearly thirty years later, Baer has staged thousands of homes, grown a national design company, and become a standout name in the world of styling homes for sale.
Courtesy of Meridith Baer Home
Courtesy of Meridith Baer Home
Courtesy of Meridith Baer Home
Courtesy of Meridith Baer Home
Courtesy of Meridith Baer Home
Courtesy of Meridith Baer Home
Courtesy of Meridith Baer HomeNow, she’s collecting everything she’s learned into a book.
Her debut monograph, “The Making of a Home,” comes out from Vendome Press in October. The hardcover features more than 200 photographs — showcasing waterfront mansions, cozy retreats, hillside estates, and even Baer’s own house in Los Angeles.
But the book goes beyond just pretty pictures. Baer breaks down her process: how she decides where to put furniture, how color shifts the mood in a room, what lighting does for a space, and why the smallest details can make the difference between a house that’s merely decorated and one that actually feels inviting.
That’s been her main focus from day one.
Courtesy of Meridith Baer Home
Courtesy of Meridith Baer Home
Courtesy of Meridith Baer Home
Courtesy of Meridith Baer Home
Courtesy of Meridith Baer Home“After staging and designing thousands of homes over the years, I’ve learned that people don’t fall for a floor plan or a room count,” Baer said. “In The Making of a Home, I wanted to show that it’s really the feeling that hits you when you walk in — that’s what matters, and it’s what I’ve always tried to create.”
This mindset has worked especially well in the luxury real estate market, where the difference between a forgettable space and an unforgettable one is hard to measure, but easy to feel.
Courtesy of Meridith Baer Home
Courtesy of Meridith Baer HomeAfter that first success in 1998, Baer launched her company, Meridith Baer Home. What started as a strange idea has become a staple of selling houses. Now, her team stages thousands of homes each year, handling everything from high-end residences to massive development projects, out of offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and the Hamptons.
To learn more, visit meridithbaer.com.