Property styling has become an essential aspect in the marketing campaign of selling a home. Engaging the services of a professional property stylist increases the perceived value of a property, appeals to a larger buyer audience, and has a stronger visual presence online, in print and at an open for inspection. We sat down with Zenza Interiors director Melissa Gries to discuss creative inspiration, how the industry has evolved, finding her niche and her favourite current trends.
Zenza has been operating for nearly ten years. Melissa, who has a background in sales, marketing and account management, already had a good basis for running a business, when she saw a gap in the property styling market for a middle to high end offering. ‘Ten years ago, the conversation around property styling was more about ‘why would I do that?’ Now the conversation is more about what we can do.’
Armed with her understanding of work flow and sales processes, Melissa set out to offer a personalised service to clients. ‘We wanted to try and bring something different to the market, something a bit more unique.’ Rather than presenting properties with interiors that look like a generic showroom, Melissa and her team of twenty stylists, designers and support staff have developed an exclusive approach to property styling. ‘We import a lot of the furniture from overseas. We support local designers too, but what sets us apart from our competitors is that we travel the world to source furniture and accessories. We bring in new ranges throughout the year so everything is fresh and current with a contemporary edge.’
With an innate understanding of the Melbourne property market, Melissa’s unparalleled service offering has been designed to maximise the appeal of the property to the market and to propel the sale price. The team of six stylists at Zenza collaborate to ensure they maintain the unique element in each project. ‘We give everyone a lot of free reign and this helps us to get a really fresh look each time. We all draw from different inspirations.’
Melissa and her team take into account the target demographic, the style of the property, as well as current trends to choose furniture and accessories that suit the home. ‘We work in a couple of different ways, with four different stories. We do the contemporary Scandi look that’s very on trend – clean lines, functionality and sophistication.
We have a very luxe look in our collection too, which features lots of metals and velvets. ‘My Island Home’ is our Hamptons inspired collection, with wicker, whites and blues. Our French Provincial collection is classic and more formal, and is frequently used in homes around Balwyn and Camberwell.’
‘With an innate understanding of the Melbourne property market, Melissa’s unparalleled service offering has been designed to maximise the appeal of the property to the market and to propel the sale price.
