I would like to introduce you officially to one of our newest Conceptual Staging Designers. She has undergone extensive training and has a large body of work to her credit, and will be at the Real Estate Staging Association's Convention next week in Las Vegas, Nevada!
Barbara Guilliot 
Barbara Guilliot is a Conceptual Designer who helps homeowners discover the equity in their property.
As veteran Real Estate Stager certified by the ODDAA in 2006. Ms. Guilliot was truly a pioneer on the frontier of the staging industry in those early days when very few folks had ever heard of it, let alone seen it performed on a listing.
Ms. Guilliot's experience as a Stager in the Lafayette, Louisiana market has helped her transition into a Conceptual Staging Designer for Feature This ... Real Estate Staging and Interior Décor and it's exterior staging division of CurbAppealForDummies.com.
Q & A with Barbara Guilliot:
Barbara, How did you come to work with Feature This... Real Estate Staging?
I met the Feature This... Team at a RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) Event in November of 2008. I was a freelance stager at the time. I was very impressed with Carol Hebert-Harper and her daughter Michelle Molinari, they had so much knowledge and experience and wonderful innovative ideas! I knew immediately that this was a company I wanted to be associated with.
We communicated a few times, when I indicated my desire to work with the Feature This team. Michelle introduced me to the the Virtual Design concept, and after trying it once, I was hooked!!
What kind of work do you do for Feature This?
I am a Conceptual Designer for Feature This... Real Estate Staging and Interior Décor and it's exterior staging division, CurbAppealForDummies.com. I help sellers stage their own homes, and help buyers see what gracious living possibilities the property truly offers.
In what ways do you help your clients?
I help clients visualize their home's potential with an equity-enhancing design plan. I work primarily from photographs, and studying the key information we gather about the property and the area the home is located. When a client has my completed report for their specific property in hand, they not only have a definitive color scheme, but a thorough landscaping plan and a guide for finding /creating the customized details that I know that will help their property really stand out.
Why does this work appeal to you?
Well, I love decorating and staging homes inside and out. By doing virtual staging and design work, I can see my visions come to life right before my eyes. I receive a great sense of satisfaction in showing our clients their home's potential. It is very rewarding. I love doing this type of work, it actually doesn't feel like work at all!!
Barbara, tell us, how and where did you get your training?
I have always had a passion for decorating and after decorating homes for family and friends, and always being told that I should do this for a living , I decided to give it a try. I was also always fascinated with real estate and how homes were shown. I knew that if I could get my hands on these home, they would just show so much better...that is when staging came into my life. I attended a staging training class in Texas, and received a "One Day Staging and Decorating Certification" with membership in the "One Day Decorating Alumni Association.”My training class was in 2006. The class was taught by Jennifer Keener under the direction of Joann Lenart-Weary of One Day Decorating. This was a hands on class that combined both classroom training and actual hands on application. We learned staging fundamen
tals and staged two homes during the class. As a stager, I had the opportunity to work for a local building contractor. My partner and I made selections for paint color, light fixtures, flooring, etc for his new construction homes.
I received my virtual design training from Michelle Molinari of Feature This in 2009. I attended her "Boot Camp for Conceptual Designers" and continued training with her via the web. This was a very in-depth and intensive training that required complete dedication. I spent countless hours on practice homes, before I could even qualify to receive my first assignment. To my husband's credit, he took over all household duties and homework duty (for my son) as I had my own homework assignments to do during my Curb Appeal training.
Do you have your own staging business?
I did, but now I work exclusively for Feature This... and CurbAppealForDummies.com.
Where are you located?
I am located in Lafayette, Louisiana, but can do virtual design work for clients anywhere. Because much of my work transacts entirely over the Internet, I am not restricted to one particular area.
What do you do for pleasure? I enjoy spending time with my family, I have a 10 year old son, who is active in sports, so I am always at the ball park, soccer field, etc and enjoying every minute. I also enjoy reading and shopping, (according to my husband, a little too much shopping!!) I come from a very large family and we enjoy having family functions. There are always baby showers, bridal showers, weddings etc. I enjoy planning and decorating for these functions. It keeps me on my toes!!
How do you Feel about attending the upcoming RESA Conference?
I couldn't be more excited! I can't wait to introduce myself to some of the very best stagers in the industry!
