Designer Insider: Tips from a Pro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you as amazed as I am at who you can meet in the online design community? Not only is there a plethora of wonderfully talented people in cyberspace but they are usually kind, and down to earth! And that is exactly who Kristie of StoneBrook Staging is! We met through house tour comments on Apartment Therapy! And she is actually a fellow Nashvillian. We became facebook friends, and read each other's blogs.  I invited her to my Holiday party and she came with her husband. They are the sweetest people I have ever met!! Its been a delight to get to know Kristie better (she is uber chic and stylish along with being a truly dear person). So I would love to share her with you now.... Here are her secrets to being stylish!! (ps. she also writes a design blog so you can keep up with her fabulousness daily!)

 

 How long have you been in the staging business and how did you get started?

1.  I've been staging homes to sell for about 5 years now.  Oddly enough, I have two graduate degrees in psychology.  After having a couple of children and taking a break from psychological testing, I decided it was time to pursue my creative passions.  I've always been interested in how people live and in the psychological bonding that occurs between people and architectural spaces.  In how physical spaces impact emotions and how people express themselves in the way they choose to live in a space - I like to think I have a unique psychological perspective on design.  I believe that creating a space you love can change your life.

 What are your favorite projects to work on?

2.  I love the variety in my work.  The low-end, the high-end, the staging-to-sell, the redecorating projects.  In staging, I loverearranging furniture and art in a creative way to create a space that is more welcoming and interesting.  In decorating, I really like working with clients who know what they love but need a designer to give them the confidence to go for it.  But I also like helping clueless clients develop a style unique to them. Oh, and I love creating new color palettes for a client's home.  I guess I just love it all!

 What is your biggest decorating challenge?

3.  Staging homes with severe design flaws.  I recently staged a home where there was no dining space and no storage.  I created two closet spaces out of architectural niches and found a way to incorporate an eating space into a small living area.  I added a narrow drop-leaf table with pull-out seating behind the sofa that could do double-duty as a sofa table and a smalldining table.  In staging, it is imperative that you are able to come up with creative solutions to correct or improve perceived design flaws.  If you can't do that, you can't sell the house!

I've heard that you try to use what your clients have in staging their home, do you have any helpful hints for those of us trying to decorate on a budget?

4.  Although I have an inventory of decorative accessories, art, lighting, etc. that I often bring into a staging client's home, I definitely use everything I can that they already own - I pull things out of basements, attics, closets, drawers.  My best advice would be to find a way to decoratively use what you love, even things you wouldn't normally think of displaying.  And rethink your floorplan - trade your living room and dining room space, convert your dining area to do double-duty as a library/office and eating space, or repurpose rooms that get little use.

How would you describe your personal style?

5.  My personal style is very different than most of the staging/decorating work that I do!  I personally love vintage and period decorating, but I certainly don't push my own style on my clients.  I feel that my job (and calling) is to help people develop and showcase their own unique style -  hopefully, style with a lot of soul that can survive decor trends.

images: making arrangements blog, stonebrook staging

Comments

[Elizabeth]

fun use of the shell back chairs at the dining room table! I have a pair and haven't figured out a place for them. i might borrow your idea.

and i think it's really interesting that you use your background in psychology to craft nourishing living spaces. what a fantastic (and practical when you think about it) mixture of disciplines.

[Heather]

thanks for sharing yourself with us kristie! and i agree with you elizabeth. I love her approach to interiors! it seems like a natural fit for her.