I always say that the relationship between “home staging” and “redesign” is like two sides of the same coin. They are very similar services but the “WHO” of the design element for the redesigner is very different.
What separates staging from redesign is whether we are designing the space for the buyer demographic or the home owner?
What’s the difference between interior design and redesign (or home styling)? Redesign always starts first with using what the home owner already has and loves to enhance the space. In fact, a great redesigner can literally work miracles in just a day in the home!
So why should a home stager also be trained in the art of redesign? Here are 5 great reasons along with some fantastic redesign photos done by Debbie Simril of Debbie Simril Interiors…

Family Room BEFORE Redesigner
Statistically, sellers are much more inclined to spend money on the home they are moving into rather than the home they are moving out of, so it’s a much easier “sell”. You’ve just staged the seller’s home to sell, so they already know you, trust you and like you. This should be a no-brainer for home stagers but I find that they just are not “positioning” their redesign business correctly, so they are missing out on huge income returns!

Family Room AFTER Redesigner
We all have had those client’s we just LOVE, so why not keep the relationship going and work with them on their next big project? Focus on quality relationships rather than quantity while building your design network of great referrals!
Remember to have a special business card you can hand to your favorite client’s as a thank you for being so wonderful to work with. In the example I created below, you can put your business information on the back and hand write the discount/message you wish to give your clients.
Yes, I said it…you will make more money if you position your business for BOTH staging and redesign. Redesign projects tend to last longer and have higher dollar amounts then the average staging project. I’ve been training stagers for more than 10 years now and I can comfortably say that my long-time veterans are now doing more redesign/design than staging (unless they focused on a niche). Why is that? Because they positioned their business to market first staging then second, redesign. They followed my business model of doing both staging and redesign!

Dining Room BEFORE Redesigner
Yes, the career outlook according to a recent Houzz survey shows that the design industry is feeling more confident than ever! This isn’t a huge surprise because it mirrors what is going on in the staging industry…when home values rise, so does home improvement spending.

Redesigned Dining Room After
A lot of stagers who join my training program tell me that they were always slow in the fall/winter season since their business reflected the real estate industry lulls. Ironically, redesign and design picks up in the fall and winter as people decorate for the holidays, so having a business model that incorporates redesign and holiday design makes for a well-hedged business model.
Finally, this is what Debbie Simril who after 15 years in the design industry decided to take the plunge and sign up for our HSR Certification in Home Staging and Redesign:

I just got back from Las Vegas and the RESA Convention and my ears are buzzing with all the excitement and enthusiasm from home stagers across the globe. I’ve been doing staging training for almost 10 years now and I can truly say there has never been a better time to start a home staging career than now! Here are my 7 quick reasons why this is the best time to start a home staging career but I’ll have more to report on the RESA Convention in coming blogs:
Yep, the general consensus from the over 350 professional stagers at the RESA Convention is that they are BUSY. Their phones are ringing and they are staging and doing redesign like crazy. This isn’t too surprising because of the next handful of reasons but to say that 2014 was a good year for starting a home staging career, as well as staging statistically is an understatement.
When you look at the RESA Industry Awards and the amazing work these stagers do every day, you will truly become a believer in the benefits of staging. Michelle Minch, a Los Angeles Stager and 2006 Home Staging Resource Graduate, was the overall winner in 2015 for her gorgeous vacant work which is sampled below:
When stagers do amazing work, real estate agents, home sellers, home builders and everyone else take notice. The listing photographs stand out and these homes get the best price!
When I started the Home Staging Resource almost 10 years ago I knew that I needed to add Redesign training as well…great staging turns into move-in redesign. I was the only staging trainer at the time (and even currently I believe) who incorporates both certification in staging and redesign into the training business model which is essential. According to a recent Houzz Survey of 6,500 home professionals over 90% expect their business to grow!
Those of you familiar with my blog know that we polled over 350 home stagers and 3500 homes sold worldwide and asked them (and their agents) two critical questions: Are professionally staged homes selling for more than not professionally staged homes? At what percentage increase on average are they selling higher? While the responses varied, on average the homes that were professionally staged in 2014 sold for 10% more than the homes that were not professionally staged.
The training for staging and redesign has never been better! In fact, did you know that almost every one of the staging award finalists in the US categories (and some in the Canadian) are part of my Staging Mentors program? We now have so many wonderful, generous mentors I don’t even list them all on the site. The Staging Mentors program which is the third package in the HSR Certification training won for most Innovative Product or Service of the Year in 2015 at the RESA Conference!
Here’s a picture of me hugging my award at the Conference…
Not only has my training improved over the years, but I know that others have as well because we keep each other sharp and motivated. Most of all, we love to see our students succeed! I love what beautiful Kristi Barnett is doing in her psychological staging and tricky space trainings! Here’s a photo of us on the red carpet:
Okay, here’s where I may be a bit biased but I have to say that home stagers as a whole, are a very fun, hard working, innovative, kind group of people with hearts of gold! There is an enormous amount of respect we give to each other and our clients. Stagers are fueled by their passion in design and their perfectionist personalities. Here’s a photo from the RESA Conference of some of the HSR Grads over the last 10 years who I’ve had the honor and privilege to be a part of their training. As you can see, we are still having fun up on stage chit chatting…
Here’s another of some of the gals who missed the photo up on stage:
And another fun photo of our yearly HSR networking event where I buy drinks for all my grads prior to the conference. Even the bartender commented on what a nice, fun and cool group of people we are:
I would be a fool if I didn’t acknowledge that the rise and popularity of HGTV and websites like Houzz give people motivation to put beauty into their homes and buyers a “vision” of what they want to see in their next home. The professional home stager is the person who makes that vision a reality!
XOXO – Happy Staging!
Hope to hear from you!
1-888-563-9271
Not all professional stagers are equal! Our HSR Certification training was the first and one of the only staging and redesign training programs that has been third-party, accredited by the Real Estate Staging Association, so invest in the best!
Another year went by in a flash and I’m taking a moment reflecting on what can help me to slow down time, be very intentional in my planning and focus on my “calling”. The reality is that everybody has a “calling” and your job should be finding out what that “calling” is for your life. In Stanford’s graduation ceremony this year, Nike founder Phil Knight said something very profound to the young, excited new grads:
You see, when you find what you were meant to do, what gets your blood going and keeps you up at night thinking excitedly about…you will succeed. Money usually always follows passion because it doesn’t become “work” at that point and training yourself daily in your passion helps you be become “the expert”. A key to finding a calling that can become a career is following these important 4 steps:
What is it that you know about and are good at? What is it that people are constantly complimenting you about? Make a list, if you need to organize your thoughts. For some ideas, consider your ability to achieve, adapt, analyze, arrange, communicate, compete, connect with people, develop, empathize, focus, learn, etc…Knowing your strengths will help you to understand how to pathway your career.
What is it that you love to do? What really gets you excited about life? What gets your blood boiling? Make a list of the things that you do in your free time, when nobody is watching, and consider whether or not there may be something deeper to that desire. Many times the things you love to do, correspond to the talents that you have, so look for connections between what your talented/strong at and how it corresponds to what you are passionate about.
Step Three – If Fear and Money Were Not A Factor What Would You Do?Okay, here’s the tough part…taking fear out out of the equation. How do you do that? You need to face the fears and break them down in you mind. What is the worst that can happen if you pursue your “calling”? Is the consequence of inaction, better than the risk of trying? I love this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Step Four – Take Action and Get Busy!Just sitting and dreaming does not make things happen. Take the first steps you need to move closer to your calling for 2015. The good news is that you have the Internet and so many ways to explore and learn about new things. Make this year the year you grow, learn and create!
If you love design, know that there is a home staging industry that would love to take that talent and help you do something GREAT with it! At the Home Staging Resource, we are focused on giving you the tools, strategies, forms and training that allows you to never reinvent the wheel and focus on what you’re great at…staging and design.
I just got this email from Pramiti of BlueGrape Staging who has just been nominated for the RESA Rising Star Finalist of 2015:
XOXO – Happy Staging!
Audra Slinkey

Hope to hear from you!
1-888-563-9271
Not all professional stagers are equal! Our HSR Certification training was the first and one of the only staging and redesign training programs that has been third-party, accredited by the Real Estate Staging Association, so invest in the best!
I love to share stories of personal growth and business success because I know it touches on our basic, core needs: to learn, be needed and to do something important and of value.
Nancy’s story touched me because she was not only surprised by her growth, she was able to truly help a house flipper turn a property that was sitting on the market for 5 weeks into something that sold immediately after she staged it. According to the recent 2014 home staging statistics, this is no surprise! Here’s her before-and-after photos and her story:
Thank you Nancy, for your story! To see more photos by Nancy, go to her website at: http://www.nancythestager.com.
Bring HSR your natural decorating talent and we’ll show you how to make a successful business out of doing what you love AND are good at!

I get this question a lot, “how can I start a home staging business working full time?” I understand the fear and anxiety that those folks feel because they want to be their own boss, follow their passions and their true talents BUT they need an income…I get it. Starting a home staging business is not easy!
Here’s a story of someone who was able to go from a full-time management position with guaranteed income to a successful home staging entrepreneur along with her amazing before and after photos…
Hi Audra, Sorry for the delayed response…The good news is that I was super busy working on a couple large staging projects when I received your email. I struggled with the decision to make my career change for years and I am so happy that I did!
Susan Batka, Professional Home Stager and Redesigner for Aerie Interiors based out of Alpharetta, GA
Educational background: Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Career: 17 years in the Medical distribution field. Most of my time was spent in Management of the Customer Service Team and later the Sales Team, during the interim of those positions, I ran a successful Sales territory. I was working full time when I started the HSR Certification Program.
I completed my training while still working with my former employer. I took my time going through the materials and refer back to them often. I felt that HSR prepared me very well to start up and run my own staging company…In fact, I believe that my sales background paired with my HSR training helped me confidently go in and secure my first staging job.
It is critical that you go in fearless and confident even if you are shaking in your boots! My first appointment was with a Real Estate Agent who was looking to sell his 7000 square foot home that he had designed and built! No pressure there! He still does not know that he was my first client and that is the way it should be!
I am now just starting to Market my company. My current clients have found me through my website or from word of mouth.
I have had a very busy Spring so far and anticipate it to get busier because my clients have been so excited with the results and have asked me to redesign their new homes!
Nothing, I am the happiest and more fulfilled than I could have dreamed of!
Yes, very much. I would not change a thing!
Believe in yourself, be confident, let your passions be your lauchpad!
That is the beauty of online training versus traditional classroom style learning. It allows you to “hit the rewind button” and refer back to the online classroom throughout the course of your business!
There could be a good month or two between your training and the moment you get your first staging consultation, so being able to go into the online training area and watch the consultation videos again is critical to confidence building!
Thanks Susan for sharing! If you’re thinking of taking the plunge into becoming a home stager, there’s never been a better time to do it! Here’s a quick video on becoming a stager if you’re interested…
What a lot of home stagers don’t realize is that agents want different things in different real estate markets. For instance, in a “buyers market” which was 2007-2011 agents just want the property to sell and not sit on the market like their competitions. In today’s seller’s market, the savvy agent wants to get the best price (and sell quickly) but price is king. Why? Because the smart agent knows that if they can be the “high price” leader in their market, then people will give them their listing (instead of their competition).
I love this story told by Lori Murphy who was recently awarded a 2013 Best of Houzz award and nominated for the RESA Rising Star of the Year even though she essentially just completed her HSR training and started her business last year! At the end of the story, I give my three tips on what agents want right now…
Hi Audra,
He continued to tell me how he wants someone who will give the seller the “bad news” so that he doesn’t have to, because he wants to keep his relationship with the seller.
The stagers they’ve been using seemed to just want the seller to like them. He said, “I need someone who will explain to sellers “why” and help them understand it is important in preparing the house to sell. I’d rather postpone putting it on the market by 4 weeks, if when it is listed it’s ready . . . every thing’s done.”
As I sat there listening to him, (he went on for an hour . . . I’ll try not to), I realized something.
At first I shook my head agreeing with him and thinking to myself, “well, of course, that’s what we do” . . . and then it hit me . . . I was trained that way. But it became suddenly clear that because not every stager in Columbus, Ohio received their certification from the Home Staging Resource . . . . well, let’s just say the advantage I have became crystal clear.
Eventually it did make a little sense, and then a little more, and then came the first staging job . . . .and then it really came together! lol
Audra, I’m so glad I made the choice to sign up with HSR! And YOU . . . over the last year and a half, I have never felt that I was in this alone.
Cheers to all the talented home stager’s out there! Any more tips you would like to add to this post?
XOXO – Happy Staging!
Audra Slinkey

Hope to hear from you!
1-888-563-9271
audra@homestagingresource.com

The nominees have been announced for the RESA Home Staging Industry Awards 2014 and I’m so proud and impressed with every one of those amazing staging and redesigners! If you haven’t checked out each of their entry pages and viewed their transformations, make sure you do that at http://homestagingindustryawards.com. Each one of these individuals works tirelessly to perfect their craft and in doing so elevate our industry.
I’m particularly proud of the fact that half of the US nominees in the Pro-USA category and the Rising Star category are HSR grads or HSR Staging Mentors!
I wanted to personally congratulate each one of them below because they each have inspired me through the years, are incredibly talented and generous to the industry and are wonderful people…you ladies rock!




One of the critical reasons to stage a vacant home is to give perspective to buyers. Empty rooms are lifeless question marks in buyer’s eyes, so merchandising the space becomes essential! Here are seven staging tips I think you will find extremely helpful in your next staging project…
Donna Dazzo of Designed to Appeal, a New York City based staging company was given one of the toughest vacant staging assignments I’ve ever seen, so I just had to share it. This 3-bedroom, 4,000 square foot loft in Tribeca was on the market three months without an acceptable offer.
The loft sold at FULL asking price 22 days after Donna staged it!
This was the loft space as you walked in the home and as you can see the large columns are distracting and overwhelming. The space appears dark, lifeless, cold and definitely not easily able to arrange furniture around!
Strategically using area rugs, Donna separated the large space into groupings. A central living and seating area between the columns draws the eye to the seating area and away from the columns.

Entryway/Living Room After
The large and well placed mirror brings the eye further into the room immediately while extending the more narrow space. Using a light palette, reflective surfaces and mirrors, the space appears more open, light and inviting.
Here is a view from another angle where you can see how open the space was and how difficult it would be to fit all the represented living spaces in this one great room.
Not only did she fit a living grouping but a dining area off the kitchen as well.

What do you do with a small, seemingly un-useful space off the living area when you’ve already established plenty of seating arrangements?

Separating the space with a bookcase, it becomes an office with a view!

Filled with large, empty space this loft needs properly scaled furnishings to first “fit” between the beams in the living/entry area and now larger pieces to match this large space below.

The cabinets are artfully arranged to add color and symmetry.

Since the buyer demographic for this space was a family, Donna incorporated that lifestyle in her merchandising by turning this cold Den space into a bright, kids play area.

Notice how the brick wall in the vacant space appears to be a detraction while once it’s staged becomes an asset.
“Artful staging can turn even negative architectural elements into positive assets!”

At this point you’ve probably noticed the amazing artwork that serves to elevate the space and give personality right? Well Donna cleverly partnered with an art gallery to complete her staging vision.
This bedroom is tricky because all you notice is the long, unsightly heater under the windows.
Second Bedroom Before
Using a highly textured area rug, soft textiles and amazing artwork the space becomes a girls dream bedroom!

Second Bedroom After – Girl

Third Bedroom Before

Third Bedroom After – Boy or Guest Room
Frankly, any kitchen unstaged with cleared countertops will look cold, sterile and bring the eye to the worst architectural feature (in this case the overhanging light on the island). The “cleared counter top” look is NOT a staged kitchen!

Color was essential to move away from the hospital feel and the contemporary barstools draw the eye away from our light fixture while providing the sleek, cool feel associated with this space.

Empty bedrooms add nothing to a buyers decision. They become quick “walk-on-bys”

Add the color, textiles and life…now the buyer lingers.

Another view of the master bedroom and incredible artwork!

Thank you Donna for sharing your talent! Staging is essential for buyers to really “see” the value in a home…otherwise the seller is leaving cash on the table.
Not all professional stagers are equal! Our HSR Certification training was the first and one of the only staging and redesign training programs that has been third-party, accredited by the Real Estate Staging Association, so invest in the best!
Every year I go to the RESA Convention and every year I get ten times more done in my business the months following that inspirational event because it is so motivating! I really can’t say enough about this event, so I thought I’d bullet point some key reasons to attend (and use to convince your spouse the importance of you going!)
For past and present HSR Grads, I have a special video invite just for you…