By the age of 14, Michael Templeman was already smitten with mid-century modern furniture. He loved the sleek elegance. The sensuous biomorphic shapes. Eames, Nelson, Noguchi, and Saarinen were more than furniture makers to him. They were designers—turning post-war materials and technologies into furniture that stacked, flexed, and folded in ways never before possible. The organic-shaped, low-slung furniture seemed to encourage conversation and relaxation and made possible the dream that every American could furnish their home beautifully.
After years of personal collecting, Templeman began to help buyers select pieces that would suit their personalities and enhance their living spaces. He opened Tomorrow’s House, a retro/vintage furnishings store located in the heart of the 9th & 9th neighborhood. Tomorrow’s House features mid-century modern originals while also bringing in fresh, relevant “now” pieces.
Tomorrow’s House 937 East 900 South
But the retail store was just the beginning. Joining forces with Johnny Duncan, operations and marketing specialist, Michael began using the store’s inventory to stage homes. The store allowed for a constant influx of new furnishings, which meant each home could be staged to make the most of its potential and improve its value.
Templeman and Duncan named the staging business “Case Study Staging” after the Case Study Houses built in the 1940s and 50s. The company stages entire homes or just a room or two, always with an eye to how they can customize the treatment to highlight the home’s unique features. Their full-service offerings include:
- Free initial walk-through and assessment
- Weekend open house stage
- Partial stage (living room, dining and kitchen)
- Full stage (living room, dining, kitchen, master bedroom, master bath and hall bath)
Homie first became aware of Case Study Staging when the team staged a condo in downtown Salt Lake. On the initial walk-through, Templeman and Duncan pointed out a few pre-staging projects to the owner. These projects were the kinds of things an owner stops seeing after living in a house for awhile, but that feel like a poke in the eye to potential buyers. The owner liked the suggestions and readied the house by painting, cleaning, and making a few repairs. Then it was time for staging.
This condo had a gorgeous view of downtown Salt Lake City. Templeman and Duncan knew they needed to draw potential buyers through the home and invite them to slide open those patio doors and step out to enjoy the view. So, they staged the patio for free.
At Homie, we always keep an eye open for professionals who can take extra good care of our customers and were impressed with Case Study Staging. Each home they staged was not simply a process of moving the same furnishings around from house to house. Rather, they constantly accentuated individual home features with new quality pieces, making each house feel unique and fresh.
If you’re considering selling your house on Homie, we encourage you to have Case Study Staging come out for an initial walk-through. These guys will see your home from the inside-out, recognize its strengths and weaknesses, and show you how to bring out its best shining self.
And for Homie customers, Case Study Staging offers a 20% discount, making their services more than affordable for any size home. Find them on Homie’s Provider Marketplace today.
