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Ashley Whittenberger

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Diplomacy is key...

07-29-09
Ashley Whittenberger

I just happened across the website of a designer/stager today and saw something that I found a bit surprising. In her gallery of photos, she highlighted a photo of a kitchen redesign she completed for a home that was having trouble selling. In her verbiage, she said "The client was told by her real estate agent that she would need to install granite countertops and tile floor in order to sell quickly. We disagreed and made the above changes and the house sold within 3 weeks of the first Open House!"

I was shocked to see that this stager was openly advertising that she disagreed with her clients' Realtor. I'm not shocked that it happened, as on occassion a Realtor and stager might have a differing opinion on a staging strategy -- but to advertise that does no good for our industry, or her staging business.

Just for the record, if you're a Realtor reading this, a good stager's talent should go far beyond their design expertise and their real estate knowledge. Diplomacy and people skills are key. A key part of a real estate stagers job (or any vendor a Realtor recommends) is to help Realtors grow and strengthen their business. That doesn't always happen through the act of staging. It also happens through the facilitation of relationship and trust building between the seller, the Realtor and the stager. A happy seller/client = strong businesses, more referrals and a rewarding experience for all involved. I know that I hold each and every vendor we hire to the same standards as I would an employee we hire. We have mutual trust, respect and a common goal. The same holds ture for the Realtor/Stager relationship.

I'd love to hear about some experiences from Realtors or Stagers who have had a situation in which they had a difference of opinion and how the situation was handled!

13 Comments
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I.C.U. Pays it Forward...

07-20-09
Ashley Whittenberger

Hi Active Rainers -- I just wanted to let you all know that we've created a scholarship program for The Interiority Complex University and we are now taking applications. Though we strive to keep our courses extremely affordable, we realize for many who are struggling to keep their doors open or start their businesses, even our low cost options are not affordable. We want to help as many designers, stagers and window covering retailers as possible in launching and growing a successful business, so we're now offering the I.C.U. Scholarship Program.

If you know of a new stager, or a stager who has hit a road block and needs support, please pass this along. More information and the online application can be found here: http://www.theinterioritycomplexuniversity.com/ScholarshipApplication.html

If you would like to participate as a scholarship sponsor so that we can open this up to more stagers who are new to our industry or those who are struggling to keep their doors open, please e-mail me directly ashley@theinterioritycomplex.com .

We are also offering free online classrooms with great content which will provide useful and relevant information for all involved in our industry. If you'd like to have access to our free classrooms, e-mail you request to: university@theinterioritycomplex.com and we'll pass the info. along to you. (Again, if you are interested in sponsoring a free classroom, e-mail us about that as well! Support our industry -- we'll support you right back!) :-)

8 Comments
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Hand painted Vahallan Paper Project...

07-08-09
Ashley Whittenberger

Just some pics from a decorating to dwell project we recently did. I don't know what was more fun... spec-ing out Vahallan Papers for this client, or making a collage of the before and afters...

Vahallan Papers

Of course, wouldn't recommend investing in wallcoverings for staging to sell, but to dwell, heck yes! These are lots of fun.

P.S. How about that Longhorn? Yeeeha! Only in Texas! (Funny thing is, this client is originally from the Midwest.)

4 Comments
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Fun and smelly facts...

06-26-09
Ashley Whittenberger

Did you know?

Consumers today are using scent to decorate, adding an individual touch that represents their personality and tastes. Companies are branding scent to create an emotional connection with the brand, evoking a mood or memory, so why shouldn't homesellers do the same?

Here are a few interesting scent-related facts...

  • The decorative fragrance market has surged in recent years, and will grow to an estimated $7.2 billion by 2010, according to Euromonitor.
  • According to Scent Technologies, LTD, the sense of smell is the most powerful human sense as it has a direct trigger to the brain invoking instant reaction.
  • According to the Sense of Smell Institute, a recent study indicated that pleasant odours do in fact increase lingering time in stores and museums, so of course, we would expect the same to hold true in a home!

According to our research at The Interiority Complex University, the most popular home scents among consumers are consistently:

  • Vanilla
  • Fresh Linen
  • Gingered Pumpkin/Pumpkin Spice
  • Lavender
  • Cinnamon/Apple Cinnamon

Please share these facts with your sellers the next time you're talking about the importance of "smell-appeal"!

If you want more stats, facts, favorite paint colors and decorating tips, visit the Staging Stats and Design Tips section of our website!

ICU Logo

P.S. Attention Texas Stagers...

cowgirl up

15 Comments
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The Importance of Networking Volunteerism: An Interview with Shell Brodnax

06-13-09
Ashley Whittenberger

I thought I would share an interview I recently conducted with Shell Brodnax, President and Founder of the Real Estate Staging Association.

Shell coined the term "Networking Volunteerism" and lends some great networking tips in this one-hour interview. My big take away from the interview was when Shell said, "Show up, and be amazing!" I've adopted that as my new mantra recently -- not only with volunteer work, but also in life!

I hope this interview inspires you, as it did me. I joined two local civic projects since conducting this interview, and have met some AMAZING people and am having a wonderful time while helping those in need in our community. My 7-year old son is even involved in one project and it's been a rewarding and bonding experience for us both. I've also accepted a position as the Texas State Chapter President and am busy helping to launch the Central Texas Chapter of RESA. I am having lots of fun meeting with and getting to know all the stagers in the Lone Star State! With that said, I encourage you to "Show up, and be amazing!"

Click here to listen to the interview.

By the way, you could always start by joining RESA...

If you are a Texas area stager or Industry Professional, by all means! Cowgirl/Cowboy Up and get involved with our Texas Chapter! E-mail me if you need more information: ashley@theinterioritycomplex.com.

6 Comments