Speaking Up about Home Staging

These are beautiful units in Cambridge Commons, Mt. Pleasant, SC staged by Bevin Harmon-Googer of First Impressions Home Staging & Interior ReDesign

Only $349,000 and Up

I love my job!  I really really do!  One of my favorite things is getting emails from agents and sellers letting us know how quickly a home has sold and how happy they are!  This one came in my inbox over the weekend....

"Thanks again for your staging advice.  We had our first showing today, and we did everything exactly as you suggested.  They made an offer!  This could potentially be a quick sale.  You and Michele [Reneau] make a great team!" 

Greg Larson - Homeowner, Tanner Planation, Hanahan, SC

List date:  10/14/08,

Under contract 10/20/08... DOM 6 days!

This is a home that all in all looked pretty good on it's own.  The agent, one of my best, uses me for every listing.  While she is incredible about knowing what to look for, how to talk to the client, etc, she knows that sometimes I have ideas or notice things that she doesn't.  After all, that's my job - That's why I'm part of her team. 

Despite all of the talk of housing slumps, crisis on Wall Street, fear of election results, etc, homes are still selling..... Well, the good ones are!  Homes must be prepared properly.  They must look good (condition), be a good value (price) and then they must be marketed well (agent).  Having a quality listing agent who works with a professional stager is simply one of the must haves when putting your home on the market. 

If your favorites in the Primary, Secondary and Acrhomatic Colors were:

Then you are The Crusader!

Karen Dembsky & Tammy Lankford.... this blog is for you...

"Discover Yourself:  You bring out the best in people.  You help them accept their limitations and abilities. Giving them a good dose of reality keeps them grounded.  Your crusade is to develop people's self-awareness and make their dreams a reality.

Work tips:  Appreciate the power you have and stay on the lookout for what you and those around you need to be successful.  You must feel that what you do somehow provides supportive structures or tools for others.  Hands-on jobs in the medical field like a nurse or doctor or in the human resources field like teaching or managing, will help you to better understand yourself."

Please let me know if you would like me to list your color selections next....

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This information is based on the book by Dewey Sadka, Embrace the Hue you are.  You can also learn more information about your color selections (main colors and color combinations) and how they relate to your business and professional life by picking up the book or taking a Dewey Color Course. 

Dewey Sadka profile: With his intuitive people skills and motivational ability, he created a multi-patented system that is now the world's first scientifically valid, color-based personality test.

Why you should know about color: 

When a person surrounds themselves with their preferred colors, they are in fact subconsciously encouraging their hopes and aspirations. Non-preferred colors irritatingly give them the courage to see what they have a tendency to avoid.

Classes begin in Charleston, SC January 2009!

If your favorites in the Primary, Secondary and Acrhomatic Colors were:

(Wow, how pretty and autumnal that looks, right?)

Rita with Kenna & Co, this is for you....

If these are your colors then you are The TroubleShooter!

"Discover Yourself:  You're the one who makes sure that everything is working, whether it has to do with the lives of friends or with something mechanical, such as a noisy engine.  You have the ability to see the needs of others and understand just what you are capable of doing to help.  When you are committed and loyal to someone, you help him or her recognize their strengths.

"Work tips:  You clearly understand people's contributions.  Use your ability to recognize the doers from the talkers.  No matter how anyone tries to get the emotional edge on you, that's not going to happen.  Use your exactness to ensure that the facts are the primary consideration.

You'll thrive at jobs that allow you to concentrate on the nuts nd bolts and to fix things.  Avoid work environments where you are forced to deal with abstract concepts."

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This information is based on the book by Dewey Sadka, Embrace the Hue you are.  You can also learn more information about your color selections (main colors and color combinations) and how they relate to your business and professional life by picking up the book or taking a Dewey Color Course. 

Dewey Sadka profile: With his intuitive people skills and motivational ability, he created a multi-patented system that is now the world's first scientifically valid, color-based personality test.

Why you should know about color: 

When a person surrounds themselves with their preferred colors, they are in fact subconsciously encouraging their hopes and aspirations. Non-preferred colors irritatingly give them the courage to see what they have a tendency to avoid.

Classes begin in Charleston, SC January 2009!

If your favorites in the Primary, Secondary and Acrhomatic Colors were:

Then you are The Generator...

Vicki Styons and Michele Reneau - this blogs for you....

"Discover Yourself:  Your concerned awareness gets attention wherever you go.  Others see you as a curious character who needs to know about everything.  You constantly attract opportunities.  New people and situations stimulate you.  You have the power to spice up others' lives.  They boost your spirit and give you new perspectives that help you learn and grow.

Work Tips:  Focus on careers where you can analyze your environment, see what looks promising, and then persue it.  it's easy for you to define yourself by what you do.  You're a natural at jobs where you can generate enthusiasm for a product or design a better way of doing something.  You can use talents and resources beyond what is normally viewed as their ultimate purpose."

Please let me know if you would like me to list your color selections next....

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This information is based on the book by Dewey Sadka, Embrace the Hue you are.  You can also learn more information about your color selections (main colors and color combinations) and how they relate to your business and professional life by picking up the book or taking a Dewey Color Course. 

Dewey Sadka profile: With his intuitive people skills and motivational ability, he created a multi-patented system that is now the world's first scientifically valid, color-based personality test.

Why you should know about color: 

When a person surrounds themselves with their preferred colors, they are in fact subconsciously encouraging their hopes and aspirations. Non-preferred colors irritatingly give them the courage to see what they have a tendency to avoid.

Classes begin in Charleston, SC January 2009!

Sorry, but I was away at the IRIS Conference and have been trying to catch up ever since.  This particular color grouping happened to be the most common, so I am posting it first....

If your favorites in the primary, secondary and archromatic colors were:

Then you are The Pioneer!

Elaine Manes, David Moon, Liz Kennedy, Mary Riley and myself fall into this category....

"Discover Yourself:  You think about why people do what they do.  By understanding the motivation of others, you seek to create a better world.  Changing the world around you through personal achievements is your everyday challenge.  The constant investigation of feelings, thoughts and ideas is your passion.

Work tips:  Use your big-thinking to develop new markets, new ideas, and new businesses.  You see what is missing and know what is required to get things done.  You are a great motivator who needs to make an impact and express new ideas.  Your dramatic flare helps initiate action.  Creative fields such as advertising, marketing, sales, design, trial law or any area that allows you to investigate the unknown will make you the happiest."

Please let me know if you would like me to list your color selections next....

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This information is based on the book by Dewey Sadka, Embrace the Hue you are.  You can also learn more information about your color selections (main colors and color combinations) and how they relate to your business and professional life by picking up the book or taking a Dewey Color Course. 

Dewey Sadka profile: With his intuitive people skills and motivational ability, he created a multi-patented system that is now the world's first scientifically valid, color-based personality test.

Why you should know about color: 

When a person surrounds themselves with their preferred colors, they are in fact subconsciously encouraging their hopes and aspirations. Non-preferred colors irritatingly give them the courage to see what they have a tendency to avoid.

Classes begin in Charleston, SC January 2009!

One of the reasons that I wanted to attend the IRIS Convention in San Diego was because there would be so many SIF members!!  I would love to thank all of you for walking up and saying, "HI!" and also for those of you who took my edu-sessions. 

Shell Broadnax & me

Elaine Manes & me  (Thank you again for my wonderful bumble gift!!)

As you can see by this point we were getting a bit worn down - it had been a long day but I'm sure you'll see more photos by the end of the week from other IRIS members who attended.

I wish that I had thought to take more photos....

This year I decided to submit for the 2008 IRIS photo contest held at the Riding the Wave Conference in San Diego, CA.  I entered a few of the categories, but honestly, I don't redesign and I rarely do owner occupieds anymore.... I refer those to my team.  I had a slight struggle deciding what photos to submit for the vacant home staging living room category (the only one that allowed vacant staging).  I have this tendency to forget to take the before photos (shame on me) and then there is a problem of making sure they are the exact same angle (which was clearly stated on the entry form). 

Finally I decided on a home I recently staged....

AND I WON!!!!!  It is the first time that I have entered photos to this contest.  It was very exciting!!!  Unfortunately it will be the last time I'll be able to enter it.  Now that I am an instructor we will not be allowed to submit our photos.  That said, we have discussed adding a 'class project' to the contest, so now I'll be able to enter rooms that my students have done!  That means that they will all have the opportunity to become award winners too!!

So.... for all of those of you who voted for me, THANK YOU!!!

That's right, our national training website, www.StagingAndRedesign.com has a fresh new look!  Bevin and I have been working really hard at this for the last few weeks and it was finally debuted last week at the IRIS Conference.  We opted to redesign the website because we wanted it to feel clean and fresh.  We wanted to showcase our work without any stock photography (our old one was also stock free) and we wanted to make it easier to navigate.

I hinted at the renovation in my blog Taking a Closer Look at Staging.... I think you'll see how we utilized some of those photographs in a fun way that really showcases what we do as professional stagers. 

I would love to hear what you think about the look of the new site... if you have any suggestions to make it better, please share....

This is the last of our color choices in A Color A Day.  Next week I will begin revealing what the color combinations (Primary + Secondary + Achromatic) say about your personality.  Because there are so many, I will only be listing those who have posted their combinations.  So, if you haven't listed your color combinations yet, be sure to list them in the Acromatic Color Choice blog. 

This blog is for those who chose brown.  In case you don't remember, it wasn't about this being your favorite color.  It was about being the color your eye was uncontrollably drawn to.  If you picked it because it was 'your favorite color' this may not apply to you.  Go back and look at the three achromatic colors and notice which one you are drawn to.....

Key Words:  Aware, Authentic, Compassionate

Power:  To understand Reality

Motivation:  To experience the sensations of life

"You are down-to-earth.  By recognizing your superficial aspects, you become authentic.  For the most part you do not believe in an afterlife, divine judgement, or cruel fate.  Things just exist.  Everything else is vanity.  You are able to weigh all the available options, thinking twice before making a decision.  Others might see you as intuitive.  But in reality you are simply free of illusions and well aware of the consequences of your actions.

You prefer to live in the moment and appreciate the pleasures of life.  You are inspired by the charms of the world.  The more you experience your environment, the more you express yourself.  Doing is existing.  Activity makes you feel more complete.  You are constantly looking for new sensations to spice up your life."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This information is based on the book by Dewey Sadka, Embrace the Hue you are.  You can also learn more information about your color selections (main colors and color combinations) and how they relate to your business and professional life by picking up the book or taking a Dewey Color Course. 

Dewey Sadka profile: With his intuitive people skills and motivational ability, he created a multi-patented system that is now the world's first scientifically valid, color-based personality test.

Why you should know about color: 

When a person surrounds themselves with their preferred colors, they are in fact subconsciously encouraging their hopes and aspirations. Non-preferred colors irritatingly give them the courage to see what they have a tendency to avoid.

Classes begin in Charleston, SC January 2009!