As the housing market becomes more competitive, the demand for professional home-staging is growing. Staging a house can increase its sale price by up to 15%, according to a December 2017 report by the National Association of Realtors.

Shelley and Pratt Barndollar, owners of Showhomes Houston, have used their expertise in interior design to help Houston residents sell their homes in just days after completing home-staging. “It’s our job to help expedite the home selling by taking a vacant house and transforming it into a livable, comforting home,” said Shelley.

While interior design trends are ever-changing, here are three trends experts Pratt and Shelley have noticed develop in the past several months that continue to stick.

Tile Flooring

“Hardwood floors will always be a staple, but we’ve noticed a lot more grey and porcelain tile flooring throughout homes,” said Shelley. “Tile floors match well with a lot of different wallpaper and paints and can be a lot easier to maintain than hardwood.”

Outdoor Spaces

Rather than using decks and patios for gatherings and cookouts, many homeowners are turning outdoor amenities into multi-seasonal rooms that families are able to enjoy regularly. “In a market like [Texas] where the weather is mild year-round, we’re seeing homeowners putting kitchen units and nice furniture in their outdoor porches and patios,” said Shelley.

Bar/Wet Bar

The open bar layout is becoming a staple, and is often showcased in the dining or family room. “Many bars now have added shelving so that if they’re a part of a bigger room, like the family area or living area, they can store additional items and add backlighting that can highlight certain art or design pieces,” said Shelley.

Houston-based professional home-stagers Shelley and Pratt Barndollar, owners of Showhomes Houston, are always looking for innovations in interior and exterior design to make their clients’ homes stand out in the marketplace. The Showhomes franchise system has helped realtors and homeowners sell more than 30,000 residential properties worth more than $10 billion by transforming high-end vacant houses into fully-furnished, inviting homes.