Home Staging Turns Into a Fresh Interior Design for House of Cards Actors

Actor Jayne Atkinson and husband actor Michel Gill had decided to sell their home. Their son was launched and they were ready to move on to new adventures. Jayne’s realtor, Leslie Chesloff of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Real Estate, recommended that Staged Ryte come in to advise on changes and updates, such as painting. We immediately hit it off with Jayne. (Honestly, who wouldn’t…she’s so warm and charming.) Staged Ryte transformed the interiors so well that Jayne and Michel decided to love their home and not put it on the market. A first for us!

Dawn sat down with Jayne in her refreshed 1920s home in the Hill Section of Great Barrington and had a conversation about the home staging process and outcome. Watch the video! Jayne says, “I know you staged the house so that it would look good but somehow you captured my whimsy and brought in gorgeous color. It just helped me relax. Staging it gave it this crisp, clean new look.”

Jayne especially loves the orange-hued throw pillows. The living room colors tied in with an orange and blue rug in the primary bedroom that Jayne never knew quite what to do with.

Atkinson and Gill may be most recognizable from their roles as Secretary of State and President on the popular Netlix series, House of Cards. Both are seasoned performers on stage and in television and movies. Atkinson loves the Berkshires and supports theatre companies and cultural institutions. She most recently appeared in WAM Theatre’s “Miscast Cabaret” benefit at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in July.

Actor Jayne Atkinson played Secretary of State Catherine Durant; Michel Gill played President Garrett Walker.

“Jayne was ready to sell! We walked through the house together - room by room - and identified furniture and accessories that should be edited or removed," says Dawn. "Then we made recommendations on paint colors and trim, brought in furniture, bedding and accessories to supplement and to help prospective buyers understand what their lifestyle could be like in the home." The dining room was completely transformed - piano, dining table, rug, chairs and accessories removed and replaced.

This was the first time a Staged Ryte client decided to keep their home based on its staging. They even purchased many of the staging furnishing, artwork, and other accessories. Trachtenberg says that it’s not unusual for home buyers to see a staged home and ask to certain buy pieces.

Watch the lively conversation between Dawn and Jayne on Staged Ryte’s…and please subscribe to our new YouTube Channel.