Jane Saidenberg, Waverly Staging + Design

Of course, there are countless ways to arrange furniture. Let’s start by hearing some of your top-line attack angles for mastering any floor plan. How do the wizards of Waverly place?

From model residences to private clients, Waverly Staging + Design excels at bringing elevated sensibilities into any space. Founder Jane Saidenberg — an interior designer by trade — reflects on her journey through inner space.

You also worked on the penthouse at One Waterline Square, which boasts a 980-square-foot terrace that quite literally elevates indoor-outdoor living to new heights. Tell us about your vision there and how you brought this surreal lifestyle into reality.

Well, with any outdoor space comes a whole set of questions: How concerning is the wind factor? What pieces and accessories do we bring that will survive New York City elements of weather and (to be realistic) soot? The terrace at One Waterline Square was so gorgeously unique because it quite literally felt like part of the interior, so the decision to install a TV over the fireplace helped us achieve that indoor/outdoor feeling. Also, how to set it up so it feels as special as it should while being practical? We chose organically shaped sofas and chairs, for example, that are incredibly durable and don't have many moving parts for blowing around.

Explore new development at Corcoran.

LEARN MORE

Mastering the floor plan is the key to every design project and my favorite part of the process. Without the proper layout, the room is, put simply, a fail. What does this room need to do? How many people need to be here and for what purpose? How do I solve that for the client? At One Waterline Square, the great room is "great" in that it’s quite large. But what's the story that needs to be told? It’s a remarkable entertaining space with the views and dramatic windows, but I felt it also needed to be cozy enough to make prospective buyers feel comfortable and intimate. How do we design the layout to best take advantage of the space? I always say scale and circulation are the most important elements of the success of any staging. This is why we stock so many furniture options and continue to shop for each project. What fits in one apartment won’t necessarily be the answer for another. What problems do we need to solve? Is there an area that is too narrow, is a seating area in the way of a door? By solving problems with furniture, the prospective buyers have a much easier time simply deciding if they are touring their dream home or not.

Waverly was born from your own real estate background, and you’ve staged over $1 billion in properties to date. Elaborate on how you work with developers and agents, and how your approach varies with respect to different markets.

Establishing relationships with developers and agents is so important because not only do you need them to trust your design vision, but also trust your ability to deliver the product on time, have your team be professional and discreet, etc. Because each project is a bespoke experience, we try to ask lots of questions so the process is smooth and the result has no surprises. The client should be able to walk into a finished staging and already know exactly what they're getting. Sometimes we achieve that through an extensive design board process, but sometimes our clients take a leap of faith — whatever the style and preference of the sponsor, team, et al. is what we make sure to deliver. We also think our attention to these details is one piece of the puzzle that sets us apart from other design firms.

164 E. 70th Street, a 20-foot-wide townhouse dating to 1901, was brilliantly renovated with PSA Studios and Kari McCabe. Jane's team was called upon to stage the stunning residence, which is currently listed for sale by the Cathy Franklin Team at Corcoran. Photo: Evan Joseph.

“There are design elements to a point to that feel trendy ... but it’s also fair to say ‘blame the designer not the design,’ because if you’re talented at what you do you, should be able to make pieces feel timeless regardless.”

The rooftop terrace at Gracie Green, composed of 21 two- and three-bedroom condominiums in the Yorkville section of Manhattan's Upper East Side. Photo: DDreps.

Jane's team championed every curve ball to furnish the penthouse terrace at One Waterline Square, which beckons sweeping and unobstructed views spanning from New Jersey across the Hudson River and over the twinkling lights of Manhattan's skyline. Photo: Evan Joseph.

TOP: The Waverly team infused warm modernity into this soaring living room at 82 West 3rd Street in Greenwich Village, represented by Corcoran agent Danny Davis. Photo: Rise Media. BOTTOM: A staged model residence at 35 Hudson Yards, the 92-story residential supertall designed by David Childs/Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Photo: Colin Miller.

Your scope covers both real estate staging and conventional interior design. What are some fundamental differences in staging a space to sell vs. staging a space to live in? How about a shared amenity space, like the lobby and roof deck you designed at Gracie Green?

Conventional interior design is about designing for a specific personal experience: the design decisions are based as much on emotion as taste preferences. We find that this requires a lot of time with the client, getting to know them and sometimes having to intuit what they need if they cannot express it. Staging a space to sell is much more fact-based. What are the comps in the neighborhood doing? Who is the potential buyer? What will buyers need to see in terms of bedrooms, or how many seats are at the dining table? They’re both based on analyzing how people will feel in the space, but staging a space to sell also involves visually solving problems, like working around a column or a low ceiling height, or selling a lifestyle. Amenities spaces are fun because they have to appeal to wide range of users. Many of the questions we ask remain the same: How many people do you need to service in this area, what will they be using it for? If you provide a dining table, do you have a grill? Amenities spaces have become such an important part of any new building, so they have to be practical and exciting to potential clients. Whether that space is extensive such as at One Waterline Square or more intimate like the roof at Gracie Green, they all need to be tied directly to the desires of residents and meet the expectations set by the marketing team.

How does the taste default of today’s buyers different from those in prior years? What’s a piece that’s cyclical vs. timeless vs. of the moment and never to return?

There are design elements to a point to that feel trendy — such as gold trim/details that were everywhere a couple of years ago that now feel dated — but it's also fair to say "blame the designer not the design," because if you're talented at what you do you should be able to make pieces feel timeless regardless. It's true that a cliche or trend does easily become a pet peeve. If your client is touring six or seven properties and they all have boucle chairs, then they'll start to blend together. Not to say I don't love a boucle chair, but the point is that each design decision has to be a blend of elevated taste, distinction, and quality, and then tying it together with accessories and art is really what makes a space go to the "wow" level. I would be lost without my incredibly talented styling team.

LEFT: The Waverly team infused warm modernity into this soaring living room at 82 West 3rd Street in Greenwich Village, represented by Corcoran agent Danny Davis. Photo: Rise Media. RIGHT: A staged model residence at 35 Hudson Yards, the 92-story residential supertall designed by David Childs/Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Photo: Colin Miller.