What an incredible day yesterday was! I just have to share it. This story may be long but it is worth the read.
We took on a new project last week, a large-scale redesign in the interest of future equity for the client, a young man in his early twenties.
I met this man two years ago, at a local nightspot. He asked me to dance, and after about a minute of chitchat, we realized we were related distantly on my grandmother's side.
A few short weeks after that, he was in a car accident. It was very, very bad, and no one expected his recovery. Some doubted his very survival. He was sent to a hospital in New Orleans, due to the massive head and body trauma he experienced. Lots of prayers were said by our small, rural community, and we would hear updates every few months.
Still in a coma.
In a semi-coma.
Said a word today.
Squeezed a hand today.
Last week I saw him for the second time in my life. He's out of the hospital now, living with his parents, wearing a brace, still learning to walk and talk, and getting on with the business of life.
We were contacted by his family to redesign the house he bought for himself, that he had been working on renovating right before the accident. His family wanted us to assist in completing his plans for the house, using his money still in savings, in anticipation for the day when the doctors say he can live unassisted.
This young man can answer yes or no, but cannot truly communicate in the capacity that our regular clients can. He gets frustrated. He knows what is going on for the most part, but he cannot really contribute his two cents. And here come these ladies who are going to be making big decisions and reinventing many aspects of his house over the course of the next six months, making areas more accessible, safe, functional, and beautiful.
Since the accident, change is a challenge for him that he struggles with every day. He is not wheelchair-bound, but movement is a very difficult and a slow process for him even still, and decisions about the layout are important. On the financial side, the investment he made in this home is crucial, as he is disabled now. This house is his main asset. Building up the equity is crucial.
We worked up some plans for him, and we created each room virtually, as it will appear when we are through renovating and decorating. Yesterday, we presented our plan as a slideshow. I personally was very nervous about whether or not he would like at all what we had in store for his house.
As the slideshow morphed each room in his house, he said "WHOA!" and pointed to some of the specific things we changed in each room and we could describe each item or reconfiguration of space. His face lit up with pleasure, and when he asked if he liked it, he nodded vigorously and said "Oh Yeah!"
It was very emotional for me personally, and I was never, ever so grateful for the time I have invested the past two years learning to Virtually Stage. I don't know how else he, or his family, or even WE could have made our way through this redesign without it with confidence of his approval. Seeing these images will help him internalize the changes we will be making to the interior and exterior and begin to the process to accept them, which is a huge challenge. We now know he likes the colors. We know he likes the furniture and layout. He understands we will change many aspects of his house, and he has approved those changes.
It was the best day for "Feature This... Real Estate Staging and Interior Decor" that we have ever had.
~Michelle
Certified Professional Stager, Feature This... Real Estate Staging, www.FeatureThisDotDotDot.com
Lead Virtual Designer, www.CurbAppealForDummies.com
President, Acadiana Real Estate Staging Association, www.AcadianaRESA.com
