Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Stupid Staging Credentials

Certified, credentialed, accredited, trained, educated, graduate, licensed (just heard that one last week) - all fancy words used in the home staging industry to tell everyone that you are special and professional. But do you need a fancy word or some ornate string of letters behind your name to tell the world that you’re a home stager - NO.

There are no formal regulations or certification program(s) regulated by the state you live in, nor the country. Anyone can print some business cards and tell the world that they are a home stager.

In the past decade the home staging field has grown, thanks to a real estate boom, a ton of HGTV style TV shows and lots and lots of marketing from home staging education companies. But home staging has been around forever - done by savvy designers or realtors. A few training companies started educating in the late '90's.  In the early education years, it was combined with Interior Redesign training as a supplement service. I took my certification training 13 years ago through the IADA which is now disbanded which started back in 1995. The founding mother of Interior Redesign and the grandmother to staging is a women named Lauri Ward who has been around since 1981. Home Staging training companies, associations and seasoned professionals that offer education and mentoring now boast probably 50 different programs. From on-line training to specialty advanced education certificates -  Each program, company, association  has its own certification.

And what’s with those Certificates? Do they mean anything, do they hold any value, aren’t they kind of stupid? Well YES and NO.  The over abundant fancy titles seem kind of silly, seeming to parallel the in-fighting and competition on that TV show “Toddlers and Tiaras.” But as silly sounding as the title "Ultimate Grand Supreme" sounds, there is some substance in a fancy title.

Should you take a class, workshop, training, school or forum to become certified in home staging? YES - and here’s why.


Home Staging is completely different that anything you know about decorating or your innate sense of style. You can be fabulous at color, awesome at accessorizing or wiz at window treatments – and YES, those things apply in the art of home staging, but there is a whole other side that outweighs your decorator gene – Psychology, sociology, demographics and the economics of marketing a home and dealing with the people involved. And I’m not even getting into managing the business side, which I’ll post at a later date.

Let's backup a bit and I’ll give you a little back story on my own road to Home Staging. I read a little article in Better Homes and Gardens in 1995 about a new breed of designer emerging. They used what the owner had, rearranged, re-purposed and reinvented a space, rather than strolling in and declaring "let’s toss it all and start new." These designers were called Interior Arrangers/Redesigners and a small group had banded together to start an association and offered training. Since I was nursing a child as I read the piece, I sent away for information and set a goal to make this my new career after my days of nursing were well behind me. By the time I took the training, HGTV was a budding network and they had a show that featured the One Day Makeover pros called "Decorating Cents." Because of my training through this association, I got to be on that HGTV show! And because I was listed on the association’s web site, I got calls from reporters doing articles on Home Staging and made front page news. When I need advice, a sounding board and wanted to make my business better, I had a network and family of other business owners that did the same thing as me.

I was very happy to pay for training and add a fancy word and a few initials to the back end of my name. 

Now 13 years later I'm still that new breed of designer and run a very successful business. I'm no longer just a home stager/interior redesign professional, I've grown, become more educated and morphed my business. I now offer everything from traditional interior design services to entertaining advice. Although my association I trained with is long gone, I founded a new one The Interior Stylist Network that embraced us morphed home stagers.

Is taking a certified class today going to land you on HGTV or get you a front page story in a newspaper - Maybe.  But more importantly, home staging certification training will give you the foundation of a business model, priceless techniques, procedures and tips from a well seasoned veteran of home staging. Most staging trainers have had years of experience, know-how and savvy.  These are people are right from the trenches of the home staging industry and they’ll prepared you for the REAL business of home staging  - because what you see on HGTV is not what happens in the real world!

Should you take a class, workshop, training or forum to become certified in home staging? YES - and here’s why.

1.) Home Staging deals with a thorough understanding of sociology and demographics of the real estate you are preparing. Who are you selling this home to? What is the demographic looking for in a home? A great trainer will give you the rules and guidelines to the business of packaging the home for the ideal buyer, arranging & styling it.

2.) Home Staging deals with a keen understanding of the economics of the home for sale. When profiling the ideal buyer, you’re trainer will grant you the understanding of suggested whole home improvements, updates, quality of furnishings and details that are optimally necessary to showcase the property, attract the perfect buyer - keeping in mind what will support the market.

3.) The business of Home Staging is uniquely different than decorating or design. From client types to business strategies, getting a full understanding of this business model will allow you to set your path correctly and accordingly.

4.) Having a credential gives a new home stager a nice self confidence boost when first starting off. From intro sentences, to press releases to marketing, an initial or two, or a fancy word boosts a new business’ self worth.

5.) In turn, a credential gives the public a sense of legitimacy to your expertise. From the media to a wary client – Having some Initial(s) ammunition surely helps.

6.) Running a home staging business is not an easy path. Many communities have yet to embrace the necessity for Home staging services. Having been trained in proper marketing and client psychology tactics will give you an edge.

7.) Camaraderie, mentorship and friendship. The group or trainer you’ve trained with is your lifeline as you grown and develop your business. Once established, your group is your community and business family.

With so many to choose from -So what training should you take?  Well that's up to you. You need to research your choices, make some phone calls and do some investigation. Do your homework! See what program, title, business plan works best for you and what fits with your goals.  You're building a brand and investing in your new business.  But in the end,  all the certification initials in the world behind your name will not make you have successful business – YOU DO.




Tuesday, November 29, 2011

IRIS Members - An Invitation to Join InteriorStylist.org


The Interior Stylist Network
With the dissolving of IRIS, the members of InteriorStylist.org thought that this was a great opportunity to grow our Network. The Interior Stylist group is presently a small collective network mainly in the Chicagoland area. We aren't just home stagers or interior redesigners, we something else... If your business model reflects the below qualities, we'd love for you to join our network. We invite you to take a look at our Network site: http://www.interiorstylist.org/ and see the requirements for Membership.


The Interior Stylist Network is...

We are a creative collective of design professionals that specialize in Home Staging, Interior Redesign, Decorating & Lifestyle Design.  We offer Progressive Design Services - From beginnings to celebrations, large projects or just a tweak - We're progressive designers and lifestyle experts that can help homeowners with all their projects and events.

Interior Stylist network members are progressive thinkers, highly skilled and seasoned professionals. With multiple talents, they work with their clients on every aspect of their home. Whether their needs are a one-day room makeover, making a home beautiful for a special occasion, creating one-of-a-kind window treatments, or helping stage a property for sale - Their creativity and expertise make for a fabulous end. The result is a happy homeowner that has fully embraced and celebrated every aspect of their home!

Our network is small, exclusive and just outside the box - And we like it that way.  We consider ourselves a select niche, a unique blend of interior design  and lifestyle skills. 

Our motto is "We Celebrate the Soul of Your Home."

Our philosophy is: Our homes are our havens and a reflection of our souls - A Certified Interior Stylist is The New Generation of Designer that embraces and celebrates everything about your home.


What Our Network Members Say...

"I'm not the 'club' type.  I don't wear a name badge... The Interior Stylist Network is a perfect place to share information, be inspired and our creative, laid back, non-competitive nature and fun events (plus great food) are why I belong."  Denise Lough - TheRoomDesigner.com

"The people in our group are the 'Real Thing!" Its an organization of fellow designers, of like mind, professional and equally talented." Susan Powell - InFocusDesignonline.com

For more information, visit us at http://www.interiorstylist.org/, our training site http://www.interiorstylistprogram.com/ or email us at info@interiorstylist.org.  We welcome your questions.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Home Staging Skill Set - Make sure you're shrink wrapped!

Back in the day, when I had just started my new business, Reinventing Space I struggled with defining my bio for my brochure. Yes, I had taken specialty redesign & staging training, yet I didn't have a degree in Design, but rather a degree in Psychology. My naivety pressed me to think that my degree would be meaningless to my prospects.

Little did I know that one of my greatest assets in the success of my business has been my wonderful degree! And because I quickly discovered that what I did for a living, yes, required me to have great decorative creative, and business skills - more importantly was my aptitude and understanding of the psychology of people and their needs.

...I'm not a home stager, I'm your house shrink!

I can't stress the absolute significance of refining your skills to include an in-depth education in understanding your clients and prospects. Whether you are meeting with a Realtor as a potential associate, conducting a staging evaluation, coming up with your staging plan, or talking to a reporter on the phone - One of the main components to your trade success - is that you understand the needs and personality types of not only your clients, but those associated to your business.

How do your honed skills benefit your business? The list is endless...

•· We are in the business advising and consulting homeowners regarding the most expensive purchase they ever made, and likely a majority slice of their net worth; as well as their safe haven and emotional grounding- board. Knowing their personality type is a crucial element in not only conducting one-on-one business with them, but also how you creatively and productively provide your services for them.

•· We are in the business of understanding what the latest trends are in consumer spending and needs in the Home & Garden arena. Having sharp listening, communication and trend spotting skills allows you to be on the cutting-edge of your industry and serve your clients well.


  We are in the business of  offering home staging services that update, rejuvenate and capture the essence of the home's soul and re-package  it for the new family that will be moving in - Allowing the prospective buyer to emotional connect with the home.

•· We are in the business as being a reliable and educated resource for our Business Associates, helping them create a better revenue stream and professional image. Understanding your associates' personalities, how they conduct business and how you can morph your skill and service set to benefit their business style is a crucial component to your business philosophy and plan.

•· For business success, one has to been able to network and promote themselves in the community and media. Understanding how to effectively pursue these key associations, and create a long term relationship with them allows you to become the go-to resource - Keeping you in the Public's Eye.


How do you refine these skills? There are so many resources available.

•· Learn through industry mentoring and additional training.  Find someone in the industry that is an expert in this area, and learn from them. The best education is to be educated by someone just like you.

•· Take courses in psychology and use your to-the-trade only resource partners' educational forums. Many of your business or industry partners have wonderful education workshops on this subject - One of my favorite ones came from a window hardware company!

•· Be a voracious reader - Take the time to be a student of text. I dug up an awesome Doctoral Thesis on the psychology of the home buyer as it pertained to model homes, and found in its bibliography an eye awakening book on the social psychology of home decorating and design.


Since 1999, interior stylist Julea Joseph has owned Chicago area based design and staging business - Reinventing Space.  Your can see her work on HGTV or in the news giving homeowners expert insight on how to refresh, style and celebrate their space -Whether prepping their home to go on the market, just settling in, or just in need of a change.  Julea also offers her expertise with educational and mentoring  offerings to Realtors and Home Stagers in the industry. Visit her site, http://www.julea.com/ for more information.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Interior Stylist 101 - How to Stage a Mantle

Whether you’re dressing your home to sell, or making a stylish statement, here are some tips and techniques on how to stage your mantle.

1.) Please use the principles of Scale and Proportion.

Take a look at your mantle space - Consider the overall size of the entire unit; wall space on either side, height of ledge to the average eye, the space above the ledge to ceiling, depth of the ledge and most importantly the height and size of your room.

These cues will give you an idea of the type and size of décor you’ll need to use (Remember in design, size does matter.)

Would you change anything?


2.) Gather a collection of décor and accessories for mantle placement. Shop your home 1st (an Interior Stylist must,) before running out for retail. Collect the products, keeping in mind how the items relate to each other, have a common thread or play into the season, a whim or holiday.

Lay them out on the floor to create a practice vignette - It will be less stressful for you do major tweaking once the things are up on the mantle.

3.) Tips on shopping:

a. Be careful of mirrors!  Although mirrors can make a space look larger, brighter and come in fireplace scale appropriate sizes - Mirrors should reflect something lovely, not your ceiling fan, upper staircase rails or angled ceilings (especially the view is dangerous when leaning – You do not want your guests feeling like they have vertigo...

 Please do use mirrors over fireplaces when they’re architecturally decorative, are reflecting some thing lovely, less reflective (with an aged patina,) or are the back drop to a spectacular accessory mantle-scape.

How's this working for you?
b. When shopping your home for your centerpiece picture, make sure it is in large scale detail, and can be viewed and appreciated from a far (example. A landscape is a great choice.)


Lovely Landscape Painting.
 c. Look for mantle accessories that are different heights, are in-tune to the overall scale of the mantle, a combination of shapes, and even better - are in odd numbers.


4.) Arrangement: If selling a home, simplicity is best - The accessories are not there to reflect your personal taste, but instead to market the luxury of the fireplace.  But do be creative, boring doesn't sell a home...


Besides being forgetfully boring, the accessories are not to scale.

b. A good rule for staging is the Center Focal formula. Center Formula is using a center piece (i.e. Painting,) flagged on either side (symmetry) or one side (asymmetry) by scale appropriate objects (i.e. topiaries, candle sticks, etc…)



Center Focal formula arrangement
Using what's to the left of the mantle to help you make accessory choices.


c. Whether selling or decorating, if you have an angled ceiling line, use that line as your cue of painting placement, as well as accessory height placement.


Using the ceiling angle as your guide.



d. When wanting to make a stylish statement, try to jump outside the box a bit. Why not use the Center Focal formula for the largest piece (i.e. Painting,) but for the mantle ledge accessorizing, use the Golden Section formula. * This is achieved (see below diagram) by offsetting the center point (B) and arranging the accessories using this offset center point.

*The golden section formula has been used extensively in architecture, painting, and sculpture (see above landscape painting.)


Golden Section Formula

5.) Lifts and Levels – When creating a mantle-scape, make sure that all the objects are not at the same height and visual weight. Try using books, low and long pieces, different shapes pieces and layering pieces.




A fireplaced layered with accessories showcases and creates visual interest.


By using these tips and techniques, building your mantle-scape step by step and layer after layer, you too can dress and style your mantle perfectly.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Never a One Hit Wonder - My Progressive Service Menu

As an Interior Stylist I define myself as a progressive designer (just like a progressive dinner, but for your home.) My a la carte service menu offers  appetizers right through dessert - From the staging evaluation right through helping out the harried hostess when she hosts her 1st party.

I'm there to help you celebrate your home no matter which chapter you may be on.

Fall marks a rotation for my services. The Real Estate market is slowing down here in the Midwest, so home staging services get put on the back burner, and on the front burner fall marks the commencement of my residential design and lifestyle consultation rush (definitely the main dish!)

From home remodel projects left undone due to summer fun, to a finalized family conversation exclaiming "It's Your Turn to Host This Year" -Fall starts my business rush for redecorating, redesigning , shopping and accessory rotation (aka Holiday/Seasonal Decorating.)

Don't be a One Hit Wonder!

Offering a broader array of services is a very important factor to your business productivity and revenue income. Yes, offering one or two services you got from your initial training may be fine when you 1st start off, but once you've established yourself, are you closing the door to color consultations, personal shopping assistance; and more lifestyle driven services such as seasonal decorating, party redesign, and hostess consultation help?  By tapping into and getting the needed education on these additional services, you can offer a full service menu to your existing clients, and have a marketing edge to new ones - All your burners will be on all the time!


Once you've expanded your expertise - As far as marketing these services:

  • Newsletters are a wonderful tool - By keeping in touch with clientele and business associates, you not only remind them of what your services are, you can let them know of other services you may offer.
  • Write an article for a local paper, newsletter, blog or publication. Many papers would be thrilled to have to have your ideas added to their line-up, especially the small local or FREE ones.
  • Send out press releases - Newspapers are always looking for new ideas.
  • Consider workshops and speaking engagements - A fabulous opportunity to showcase your expertise. From Real Estate Offices to Church groups, speaking can be a fantastic marketing tool.
The Interior Stylist Program offers workshops, education, and certification programs for both the Interior Redesign, Home Staging and Decorating professional.  We want you to discover and fully appreciate our most cherished possession - The home.  It is the Interior Stylist Program's mission to guide and enlighten you to fully embrace everything about a home - From curbside to back fence and create a retreat within. Visit us...

Thursday, September 30, 2010

The "Glamour Don'ts" of Staging and Redesign

Dont
Just like our favorite magazine, we home stagers/redesigns have our own list of pet peeves when it comes to our craft. Here are a few....








•1.) Faux Greenery/Silks in Odd Areas. Always place trees or greenery in areas that they could actually GROW! Their sole purpose is to give the illusion they are real, therefore need photosynthesis to grow. Oh... and placing ivy as a window valance or China cabinet topper went out when Dynasty went off the air.

•2.) Floating Art. When hanging art over a sofa or a case good, associate the height to the item to retain good visual contact. The display will not look right if it seems to float too high  above the object - it needs to be grounded. 18" from the back of the sofa is a good rule of thumb. And slightly above the smallest arrangement for the case good.

•3.) The Rug Scale to Conversation Area Faux Pas. A rug can create and define a conversational grouping. Make sure that the scale of the rug is in-tune to the scale of the furniture/objects associated to it. A sofa should either be sitting on or no more than 8"away from a rug.  Just about the same size as the cocktail table is not a scale formula for rug size.

•4.) Accessorizing with Evens. When accessorizing or creating vignettes, the golden rule is "Always in Odd Numbers."

•5.) Forgetting the Focal Point. Every space has a fabulous purpose or emphasis. Focusing on the purpose and/or emphasis of the room will allow you to set the mood and arrange the furnishings and accessories properly.


•6.) Forgetting the Stature of the Home or Room. Wicker doesn't belong in formal living rooms, nor does a Big Lots ficus tree in a Tony Tudor. Make sure the things placed in a room or home go with the  stature of the space.


•7.) Flood Window Treatments. Traditionally drapery panels are set 1/2 in. off the floor. 1" is pushing it and 3" off the floor is creating a Capri.


•8.) Being Light Challenged. Every room should have at least three light sources for the function of space. Ceiling lights do not count. The perfect formula is to have them placed in a triangle pattern around the room; which will create movement and flow to the space.


•9.) Table Short. Anywhere someone sits in a functional space should have a table in reach of a seated person. The exception is a transitional space such as a foyer or hall.


•10.) A Mirrored Mess. Mirrors over fireplaces, sofas, or lonely on a wall oh my... Mirrors should always reflect something beautiful - Not a ceiling fan, walk rail or wall. You can be excused if it is a decorative mirror that shows as art rather than function.

•11.) Oddly Angled Furniture.  Don't think your being creative if you put it on an angle.  Angles instantly slice through visionary planes, can make people psychologically feel uncomfortable, can eat up floor space and can render the piece or room functionless.

dont2

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The Secret Recipe of an Interior Stylist

Ingredients:
Understand your client’s needs, appreciate their lifestyle, value their taste – Core ingredients to having satisfied clients.

Directions:
Help choose a color palette that enhances the home’s bones, embraces what they already have, and creates the style & mood they’ll love to come home to.

Create a floor plan that honors the room’s function, carefully considering traffic patterns, activities and focal points.

Offer creative and cost effective solutions to re-invent, re-purpose or relocate difficult, tired or hidden gems.

Don’t conceal your favorite hidden shopping haunts; instead, invite them to take hand on a shopping expedition or explain a room-by-room shopping wish list to complete.

Be full service and express your textile talents with a full understanding of how to dress a space with fabrics and window wardrobes.

Complete the home with detailed accessorizing and styling expertise to help evoke conversation, celebrate the 5 senses, stir interest and celebrate the room’s personality.