Have you ever been walking through a store and found some decor you really liked? But your next thought was: Where would I put it? or What would I do with this? or Would this even look good in my house? Then you looked at the price and decided it was too much anyway. Not everyone can look at something—a piece of decor or an empty room—and see the potential behind it. The lack of that particular talent is why many people hire designers. But, everyone can copy what someone else has put together.
There are some clients who feel it is important to have top of the line everything. And there are some clients who don’t care at all. But everyone wants the end result to be beautiful. I have a rather unique view of design, largely because I started home design by staging houses for sale. Staging is different from interior design because staging is all about a quick impact achieved through creating a look out of inexpensive and super easy to move pieces. I became quite good at creating high-end decor with low-end prices. And because I also staged houses in the lower price ranges (starter homes), I know some very valuable hacks.
Not every staging company will take the time and effort to stage the lower end houses, but I do! All sellers and buyers deserve the best, and every home has beauty just waiting to be revealed. Several last minute ‘panic’ runs in the wee hours of the morning introduced me to the decor goods available at a 24-hour Walmart. I am not a decor snob. If I can get the same look from Hobby Lobby that I saw in Pottery Barn or Country Living magazine, it is a win for everyone involved. And if someone asks me how much I spent, I look them straight in the eye and ask them: How much do you think I spent?
I have included many of my shortcuts and hacks in my home staging book, 7 Seconds: How To Leverage The Seven Second Rule In Your Home Designs and Real Estate Investments Second Edition. You can pre order this beautifully illustrated book to see before and after pictures from houses I have designed and/or staged myself. You can also learn how to maximize the assets and minimize the flaws of your own home. Order today!
Finding the potential,
Karen Conrad Metcalfe