Home staging is not decorating. Home staging is the preparation of the home before introducing it to the real estate market. Proper home staging will showcase the best features and amenities of the home and distinguish the property from the competition.
While there are some principles that can be applied to both, the goals are very different. The home is now a product for sale, so the goal is to showcase the home, and not the items in the home.
Staging shows plenty of room in a home for the new buyer and their belongings, and is presented as a neutral pallete that they can customize. The opposite is true of decorating, as it is a very personalized service that emphasizes the personality of a person or family, and their lifestyle. Staging emphasizes the qualities of the home to make the buyer have an emotional connection to the home.