What Clients Say
“Barion Design virtually staged a $30,000,000 new home for me in Brentwood, Los Angeles. The market was hot and we did not want to wait for the actual staged furniture to arrive. The photographs were so compelling that we sold the home immediately and it was the highest-priced sale in Brentwood in 2020.”
— GARY GOLD, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT HILTON & HYLAND
“Ilaria transformed a rather bland, empty apartment on Park Avenue into a true designer showplace. Thank you for your great sense of style and taste!”
— JOHN BURGER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, BHS, NEW YORK, NY
“Ilaria Barion and her team produce virtual staging that is nothing short of miraculous and perfectly positioned for our luxury properties. Our first project together was a small residence for lease; those A+ results gave me the confidence to use Barion Design for a more important property for sale. In each instance, Ilaria’s consultative guidance resulted in an outcome that exceeded my expectations and delighted my clients. Potential buyers, their agents and others who viewed the finished product online often breezed right past the virtual staging disclosure and commented on the beauty of what they thought was physical staging. I have seen the work of other virtual stagers and there is no comparison in terms of the design aesthetics and execution. Great work is only of interest to me when the partner is a superb communicator and a reliable business partner. Ilaria is all that and more”.
—REBECCA SCHUMACHER, SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY - SAN FRANCISCO
“Ilaria Barion and her team designed an 8000 Sq.Ft. Fifth avenue property for me and from that day on she became my go-to-stager. She has exquisite taste, a fabulous sense of proportion and style. Not only was her work amazing, but her response time was also right on schedule. Ilaria is very pleasant to work with and I highly recommend her.”
— DANIELA RIVOIR, SENIOR GLOBAL REAL ESTATE ADVISOR COMPASS NYC, DC, VA
“Ilaria is my go-to stager for many years! She just did the luxury staging for my condo exclusive at 1049 Fifth Avenue #5C. The photos are beautiful, and the outcome was just amazing! In this very soft Manhattan rental market, I had 20 plus requests in one week to show the apartment and more requests just keep coming . I now have an accepted offer at the full asking price for a two-year lease. In addition, the renter agreed to pay the full broker commission. I highly recommend Ilaria Barion.”
—CAROL STAAB ASSOCIATE BROKER DOUGLAS ELLIMAN
“In contract 12 days from listing, and 1 week from the first virtual showing. The buyer never saw the space. They envisioned it in large part through your work. We had multiple bids. Happy clients all around. Thank you, Ilaria & team!”
— WENDY MAITLAND, ATELIER BY WENDY MAITLAND NEW YORK, NY
Ilaria, I wanted to thank you so much on your help with the sale of my listing in Orange,Ca. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me and help me see and understand how you and your company could enhance the photos and help me make the home fresh and inviting for today’s buyers. I had been on the market and was getting stale after 200 days. The new photos brought in multiple buyers and offers, and we will be closing at the end of this month. I appreciate your vision and teamwork helping me with the tools to secure a successful sale!
— KATHY LEIMKUHLER, FIRST TEAM REAL ESTATE ORANGE COUNTY, CA
I reviewed the pictures, and they are exquisite! You and your team are masters of your craft. I’m so impressed, I’m sharing your services with other top brokers, in Chicago. Thanks for a wonderful experience and brilliant result. Wishing you the best and looking forward to a future project.
— MICHAEL ROSENBLUM BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOME SERVICES CHICAGO
“Ilaria came highly recommended to us and we knew we had to use her for our exclusive listing. She worked closely with us to make sure our envision was met and completely transformed the space adding the perfect balance of modern chic and classical, paying attention to every fine detail. Ilaria is very pleasant, professional, and extremely accommodating to work with. I would definitely recommend her services to anyone!”
— CANDACE FRIIS, THE CORCORAN GROUP, DELRAY BEACH, FL
“Beautiful interiors! Thank you, Ilaria, I had seven showing requests the first two days on the market. A vacant room rarely gets noticed. Your selection of furnishings also gave this pre-war apt a fresh look - great job!”
— LINDA SHAUGHNESSY, SVP SALES JAMESON SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL, CHICAGO, IL
“I knew Ilaria and her team were going to be a fit for my listing from the first introductory phone call I had with her. Ilaria’s experience and eye for design are unrivaled in this field, and her work speaks for itself. The property she staged for me is a top tier beachfront property on the North Shore of Chicago and the goal was to highlight this home with luxurious, yet neutral furnishings that would feature the lake views from virtually every room. Not only was the work done to perfection, but Ilaria’s response time is absolutely amazing. The brochure I created from her images is worthy of a coffee table book. I look forward to working with Ilaria on all of my staging projects moving forward.”
— ERICA C. GOLDMAN – JAMESON SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY, WINNETKA IL
“I sold a property that Ilaria staged the first day it was on the market. The apartment had been on the market with another agent for months. Ilaria’s staging made all the difference. She has fabulous taste, and an unerring eye for scale, proportion, furniture arrangement, color and style, all the while listening to the type of buyer a particular property would attract. Ilaria is totally committed, works very hard, is extremely energetic and fastidious down to the last detail. Ilaria’s turnaround time for staging a property is the fastest in the industry.”
— LOUISE BEIT, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY, NEW YORK CITY
“Truly incredible! We are sending you guys all of our business. Thank you so much. ”
— THE SUKENIK TEAM - DOUGLAS ELLIMAN NEW YORK, NY
“Having met Ilaria Barion in person, I knew I would be in good hands with her and her team. She virtually staged a luxury 4,000 square foot vacant apartment in the $4M price range in downtown Chicago, so it was key that it be done appropriately and in an upscale manner. The attention to details and the furnishings used after discussion of the look I was hoping to achieve resulted in a beautifully staged apartment with upscale looking furniture. The turnaround time was excellent. Ilaria and her team exceeded my expectations and I would not hesitate to engage her services again.”
— JANET OWEN - BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOME SERVICES, CHICAGO ILLINOIS
“Ilaria, we just saw your finished results for us. Thank you. Amazing. Well done and very much a fan of your company and will always use your services.”
— GARY NORDHEIMER - REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT & INVESTMENT, PALM BEACH, FL
“You and your firm are the best – love them!”
— ALLISON HAYDEN BROKER ASSOCIATE BRIGGS FREEMAN SOTHEBY’S FORT WORTH, TEXAS
“Absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much for your efforts. I am always amazed as I see the care you take, and the little things you do that make the staging come to life.”
— SHERRY MATAYS SVP, ASSOCIATE BROKER THE CORCORAN GROUP, NEW YORK, NY
“I love the last photos you did. I’m very impressed with your talents and you captured the essence of why I choose to utilize virtual staging. Thank you and big Mahalo!”
— MALIA SIU, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY, HAWAII
“Ilaria, my pics turned out amazing! Wanted to personally thank you & the design team. I loved that you were all personally involved as if I was your only client. Well worth the expense. Not only will I tell my realtor friends, you have a customer for life!”
— ALLIE CULWELL, BROKER/OWNER DALLAS/FORT WORTH AREA
"The magic you perform with my empty apartments amazes me. It's like opening a delightful present when I receive your staged photos. Thank you!
— LAURA HEMBREE, THE CORCORAN GROUP, NEW YORK
“I sold my listing on the second showing for full price, cash offer! I had 9 showing requests right off the bat and I attribute it to the photos Ilaria Barion Design did for me. Thank you so much for all of your help and I am certain that is what brought the buyers through the door! I will definitely be using you again. "
— ELIZABETH BENNAN ELLIS, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY CHICAGO
“Ilaria, I'd like to thank you once again for your outstanding virtual staging service! Three days after posting the staged pics, we accepted an offer with two back up's!! Standing out above the rest is why I choose you time and again. Your scenes look the most realistic that I've seen and your choice of furniture is elegant and inviting! Your talent and commitment to your craft is evident. And your amazing customer service doesn't hurt either! "
— VIRGINIA GARCIA COLDWELL BANKER, NEW JERSEY
“Spectacular job well done, thank you for your great work, I could not ask for anything better with a challenging space. "
— RICHARD N. ROTHBLOOM, BROWN HARRIS STEVENS, NEW YORK
“I can't tell you how impressed my sellers were with the virtual staging that Ilaria did. Both of my vacant listings sold in record time! "
— BARBARA HEAD BROKER, @PROPERTIES CHICAGO
"They were great! Very timely and efficient and made the pictures look outstanding. The home was listed on the market for over 1 year, then we discovered Ilaria Barion Design ...the house sold within 30 days :) We were thrilled!"
— MOORE AND CO. REALTORS RUSSELLVILLE, ARKANSAS
“Ilaria, once again your work is brilliant! Thank you for your time and keen artistic eye. When we need virtual staging, we will definitely seek out your services once more."
— MARC QUADAGNO, KELLER WILLIAMS, NEW YORK
“Thank you so much Ilaria for helping me to sell my property in the Chelsea Mercantile. The loft was completely empty and many people cannot 'imagine' what furniture would look like in such a large room. Ilaria put the most beautiful furniture and fixtures in the living room and bedroom so that you can see what the possibilities are. It sold in 2 weeks flat! Many thanks to Ilaria Barion Design and I will most certainly use them again! "
— LINDA GERTLER, SVP, THE CORCORAN GROUP, NEW YORK
“I knew that Ilaria was great at staging apartments BUT I was "WOWED" with the incredible job Ilaria Barion Design did staging an empty and high walled penthouse terrace. They not only landscaped the space, but also incorporated outdoor furniture in all the appropriate places. I am still trying to figure out how they knew exactly how I wanted it to look. Ilaria Barion Design did an amazing job and Ilaria was a pleasure to work with. The turnaround time was very quick and I can't wait to use her service again!"
— AMY A. SINGER, SVP THE CORCORAN GROUP, NEW YORK
“Ilaria is simply the best virtual stager! She has such an incredible eye and understands balance and design. Ilaria Barion Design has top-notch customer service and incredible turn around time. It is always a pleasure working with Ilaria and her company. "
— LESLIE GLAZIER, @PROPERTIES, CHICAGO
“The virtual staging looks amazing! Thank you!"
— EVELYN FRED, JAMESON SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY, CHICAGO
“Fabulous. Fabulous. Fabulous. Thank you for showing the potential for an apt in need of renovation! "
— PAMELA MARCUS THE CORCORAN GROUP, NEW YORK
"There is only one name to know in staging and that is Ilaria. She transformed this empty huge space into a designer dream adding just the right amount of furniture paying attention to every detail which resulted in a sale in one day. I can't say enough about how wonderful she is. She is a professional and extremely patient and accommodating. Buyers have so much to choose from in this market and staging is key to selling a property. But the right stager makes all the difference. I am extremely grateful and would recommend her to everyone. My clients met with her and immediately felt the choice was clear and that they were in the right hands."
— GINA M. KUHLENKAMP, SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY NEW YORK CITY
"Ilaria staged a single-family home that had been on the market for over a year with the clients’ own beautiful furniture – just half of it. After de-cluttering, neutralizing, and re-arranging, I took new photos. A prospect saw the pictures a day after the change was up on all the search engines, saw the house the day after, and made an offer the next day. In the meantime, a couple who had seen it months before finally sold their home and made an offer as well. Two offers after 13 months, textbook results; exactly the way she said it would happen. I can’t say enough about Ilaria’s professionalism and market savvy. She knows instinctively what will appeal to a buyer and arranges furniture, lighting, everything for that initial impact. She’s very easy to work with and, most importantly, helps to make the sale. My recommendation: do the staging before listing, then the property will not languish on the market for months and months. I’m sold on Ilaria. Her staging works!!!"
— SUZAN BRAMSON, BAIRD & WARNER RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, CHICAGO
"As soon as Ilaria staged my listing, in Chicago's Gold Coast, which was no easy feat – the interest soared and offers began to come in. The property sold in a month – all cash – at almost $2,000,000. She has amazing vision – whether the property is small or large – Ilaria can make it into the "Buyer’s" vision of where they want to live. Anyone selling in this market must realize that it is a Buyer’s Market and if you truly want to sell, you will invest in the advice and guidance of the Top Stager in Chicago... Ilaria. Thank you, Ilaria... you have made my buyers and my sellers very happy."
— BETTE O’BANION KAHN, BAIRD & WARNER RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, CHICAGO
"Ilaria's taste level and quality of furnishings add tremendous value when preparing a property for sale by highlighting the best features of the home - we had multiple offers and a signed contract in the first 3 weeks on the market! She is professional, efficient and gets the job done!"
— STEPHANIE OLIVERO, VICE PRESIDENT THE CORCORAN GROUP, NEW YORK CITY
"I was selling an empty high-end loft apartment and it sat on the market for 6 months. Buyers had a hard time understanding where furniture should be placed. I encouraged our sellers to stage the apartment to help improve the marketability. Ilaria did an excellent job staging the apartment in a modern downtown style appropriate to the neighborhood and feel of the loft. Within a month we received three qualified offers at a price point that pleased our sellers. The excellent staging done by Ilaria helped to sell this apartment. I would definitely recommend Ilaria's services to anyone trying to sell an apartment or home."
— TRACIE F. GOLDING, COMPASS, NEW YORK CITY
“Absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much for your efforts. I am always amazed as I see the care you take, and the little things you do that make the staging come to life. "
— SHERRY MATAYS, THE CORCORAN GROUP NEW YORK
“I sold a property that Ilaria staged the first day it was on the market. The apartment had been on the market with another agent for months. Ilaria's staging made all the difference. She has fabulous taste, and an unerring eye for scale, proportion, furniture arrangement, color and style, all the while listening to the type of buyer a particular property would attract. Ilaria is totally committed, works very hard, is extremely energetic and fastidious down to the last detail. Ilaria's turnaround time for staging a property is the fastest in the industry."
— LOUISE BEIT, SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY, NEW YORK CITY
"Ilaria is a true professional with a keen marketing eye; her passion and expertise make her an asset to any endeavor. She is exceptionally creative and an all-around pleasure to work with. I am very grateful for her help."
— CAMPAIGN AID, HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT
"I was originally skeptical about the concept of staging, but especially in light of the bad market, my Corcoran brokers -- Vincent Falcone and Paul Gavriani -- recommended it and suggested Ilaria. I grudgingly gave her a shot. I'm a convert. Ilaria took a rundown, nondescript place and made it look chic and beautiful. In the worst economy in decades, the apartment sold after only 10 days on the market and for the asking price. Ilaria is creative, resourceful, and tenacious. She more than lived up to her reputation among real estate brokers as a talented artist with expertise in how to market an apartment. My brokers stressed that this never would have happened without Ilaria's staging job. I am eternally grateful to Ilaria."
— JOHN, HOME SELLER, NEW YORK CITY
"Ilaria is simply fabulous."
— JARED SELIGMAN, THE CORCORAN GROUP NEW YORK CITY
"Whether they are large or small, empty apartments can be difficult to sell. After using Ilaria for a small 1-bedroom and receiving tremendous response on it and a great sales price, it was an easy recommendation to make for my client to stage at 40 Bond. Ilaria has a great way of putting a light touch on her work that make homes feel complete, spacious, and easy to imagine yourself in. As a seller who is seriously looking for the highest price possible and a successful marketing effort, I think her services are invaluable."
— BEN GERNANDT, THE CORCORAN GROUP, NEW YORK CITY
"Ilaria, the three properties that you staged for me look wonderful. If a space is empty or doesn’t flow because of the furnishings, buyers are unintentionally distracted by trying to make a logical sense of the rooms. They’ll look at rather than experience the space. Before you staged my exclusives, people would walk in, look around from room to room, pause then leave. Since the staging, they walk in, feel the space, take their time, and imagine living there. This quality of experience for the buyer in the first look at a property is crucial and what we brokers seek to achieve."
— TONI SCOTT VICE DOUGLAS ELLIMAN, NEW YORK CITY
"Every once in a while, a real professional comes along who makes a broker's life easy and everyone look good. That has been my experience with Ilaria. She took an estate listing that needed a lot of help and vision and transformed it into an absolutely chic, mint property with great style and minimal expense. After Ilaria oversaw minor kitchen and bath renovations as well as clever staging with pretty antiques and contemporary furnishings, this tired estate listing literally sold itself within a week!"
— CHARLOTTE VAN DOREN, THE CORCORAN GROUP, NEW YORK CITY