Charlene Storozuk - Burlington Ontario Home Stager

[Photo from HGTV's website]

As the old saying goes, "all good things must come to an end". That was exactly the case last night with HGTV's The Stagers' final episode of the season. I was glad to see that the season ended on a high note with Matthew at the wheel. Alongside Matthew for this project was Rakiya, who has previously assisted him on other assignments. Great news: Rakiya has moved up the staging ladder to Stager-In-Training. You go girl! She will now be accountable if a client doesn't like the end result.

The property in the spotlight this time was listed at $830,000. The homeowner had recently spent $150,000 in renovations, so the team had a tight budget of $3,800 to work with; a far cry from the budgets in previous episodes - now we're talking!

A number of Home Stagers have told me that they would like to see the show do an enhancement with existing furniture since that happens a lot in the staging industry. They got their wish this time, more or less. A few pieces had to go, I certainly understand why. For the most part though, they worked with the client's furniture. Can the team pull off the transformation when they don't have a warehouse full of Dekora's furniture at their disposal?

Here's a run-down on the finale:

Day 1

We see Matthew arriving at the very yellow, but not so mellow property. Matthew is greeted indoors by yet more yellow. Oh, I nearly forgot; the homeowner was there as well (he was paled in comparison to the walls).

Matthew goes on a tour of the property and comments on the very bright purple and pink chairs in the living room. "Now that's pimpin'". Okay, I can't take the credit for that quote. You guessed it; another Matthewism. He recognizes that the chairs won't work in the space so they will have to go. Hey, not every piece can be used in an enhancement. These chairs certainly wouldn't have brought anything to the party so to speak.

The homeowner is given a little Home Staging 101 about neutralizing the space and is asked if he would be willing to paint the hallway. At least that way, potential buyers won't be smacked in the face with yellow the minute they walk through the door. The homeowner agrees to paint the hall.

We are now brought into the dining room where we are greeted with a very large office desk underneath an equally large ceiling pendant. Well, that just won't work now either, will it?

Rakiya arrives at the property to see what she's in for. In the kitchen we find outdated kitchen cupboards which the homeowner announces were just modernized two years ago - oops! The kitchen has a small eat-in area. In there is a large wooden table and chairs that eat up too much space. The wood also clashes with the cupboards. Not a wise choice to enhance the kitchen. Matthew tells Rakiya later once the homeowner is gone that he is "going to sneak a table in here if it's the last thing I do".

We find that the second bedroom is being used as an office. Matthew explains to the homeowner that it needs to be set up as a bedroom. Surprisingly enough, he comes across a Barcelona chair and ottoman in the office. This could come in handy.

The purple chairs are removed from the living room and the team starts rearranging the rest of the furniture. They are having trouble putting the room together as they are working with contemporary furniture in a more traditional home. They agree that they will just have to make it work although they recognize that the furniture belongs in a 1996 condo.

Day 2

The team is at Dekora's warehouse looking for a few pieces of furniture and artwork. Matthew is frustrated by the lack of budget. Ron, the Staging Manager, explains that the staging budgets are driven by the client. Matthew schemes with Rakiya to sneak in a couple of chairs along with the dining room set.

While looking through the warehouse, they come across a small glass bistro table and chairs that would work perfectly in the kitchen and scoop it up for their project. Some inexpensive artwork had just arrived back at the warehouse so they grabbed that as well. It will work perfectly for their project.

Meanwhile back at the property, the homeowner is having the hallway painted. He tells the painter "I didn't realize Matthew knew what he was talking about." Was there ever a doubt?

You're wondering where the problems are, aren't you? Well, here's the first one. Susan at Dekora receives a phone call from one of their movers. He has injured his arm and will not be able to report to work.

Day 3

Matthew is at a lighting shop looking for a pendant light to replace the existing one in the dining room. He has just found out that they are short one mover and that Duane, their other mover, will have to do the work of 2 men.

Rakiya is at the property but her hands are tied. She can't do anything until the unnecessary furniture is removed and the new pieces are in place. Duane is now 1 hour behind, so the entire process is stalling.

Duane now arrives at the property and finds out that some of the furniture has to be put down in the basement. You guessed it. He can't do that on his own, so he places a call to Dekora. They scramble to find another helper for him. Staging Assistant, Tracy, arrives along with another mover as they need all the help they can get now. The shortage of a mover has had a domino effect on the whole project.

Matthew and Rakiya have another look at the living room. They aren't happy with the furniture layout, so they do some re-arranging again. The dining room furniture arrives so that gets staged next.

Are you ready for the next problem? You know there has to be another one. The glass bistro set for the kitchen was never put on the truck.

Day 4

This is the final day and the team has 4 hours before walk-through with the homeowner. Matthew goes out looking for end tables while Rakiya and Tracy are cleaning up at the property.

Meanwhile, Duane is back at the warehouse trying to locate the missing bistro set. Apparently the team did not put their name on it, so it went to another job. Matthew is now back at the property and his stress level rises another notch as the client will be there in 1 hour and he still has no table in the kitchen. Enter Duane and the bistro set. He manages to get the set back and saves the day.

The homeowner is now at the property for the reveal. He absolutely loves it!

End Result: Listing Price: $830,000 / Staging Cost: $3,800. At the time of airing, the property was still on the market. Apparently the homeowner was still taking offers.

My Final Words

The curtain has drawn on The Stagers for Season One. There have been a few blips along the way on certain episodes. If you've been following my reviews, you'll know the ones I'm talking about. Overall though, I think this show has assisted in the promotion of our industry and it has definitely helped to educate the consumer on what it is that we, as Home Stagers, do.

The show was presented, for the most part, in a professional, interesting and humorous manner. I'm sorry to see the season end.

If you loved the show as much as I did, and you would like to see it picked up for another season, I encourage you to contact HGTV. Let them know your thoughts and don't be afraid to include your likes and dislikes.

Will there be a Season Two? I guess only time will tell.

Dezigner Digz is a home staging and interior decorating company located in Burlington, Ontario and servicing Ancaster, Hamilton, Aldershot, Burlington, Waterdown, Stoney Creek, Bronte, Oakville, Milton and surrounding areas. The owner, Charlene Storozuk, is a member of the Real Estate Staging Association and is the founder and current President of the Halton & Hamilton-Wentworth Real Estate Staging Association. For more information about us, visit our website at www.dezignerdigz.com.

[Photo from HGTV's website]

I watched this episode of The Stagers while wiping beads of perspiration from my brow. My hands were clammy and I found it difficult to grasp my pen for note-taking as I had a slight tremble. Wondering why? This was the second last episode of The Stagers for this season. What's a person to do? Just kidding of course, I'm not quite that hooked, but I will be sorry to see the season end.

The Scenario

Matthew Finlason was the featured Stager for this property, and what a property it was. A place I would certainly like to call home; especially once Matthew was finished with it. He had 4 ½ days to stage a 2,500 square foot penthouse loft listed at $3.3 million.

Here's a day-by-day glance at what took place:

Day 1

Matthew approaches the building and makes note of its curb appeal - great location and loads of exterior architectural features. He goes up to the homeowner's penthouse suite. Although not shown on T.V., Matthew would have arrived there by way of private elevator. That's right; this beauty had its own personal elevator. No awkward elevator conversations in this joint.

Matthew meets with the homeowner for a tour where we, the viewers, are shown the starting point of the project. There was a definite masculine feel to the suite with lots of hard edges, animal skin rugs, and a large, carved Indonesian headboard in the master bedroom.

It wouldn't be the show it is, if Matthew didn't add some of his special brand of humour. I have come to look forward to his little quips. My favourite one this time around was his comment after seeing the property: "I'm feeling Afghan warlord." Where does he come up with this stuff! He also makes note of the fact that there wasn't a lot of furniture, yet there was a large piano in the room giving it a "007 feel" -another Matthew analogy.

Now on to the yoga room - yes, a special room just dedicated to the practice of yoga. Here we see Matthew lying on the floor (in his business suit) rolling on a bollster. His spontaneity carries through into his staging as well. It keeps things interesting.

After completion of the tour, the homeowner says his goodbyes and is left with these parting words from Matthew: "I will love it, I will take care of it - best of all; I'm going to sell it." If only all Home Stagers on television had that much respect for the property. I think it shows in the finished product as well.

Enter real estate agent, Lynn Johnson, recipient of the Top Producer Award of Excellence 4 years in a row for the Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board. She is also a Member of Who's Who In Luxury Real Estate. During her meeting with Matthew, Lynn talks about the value that staging can add to a property. Could her belief in the worth of home staging be a part of her success? I'm thinking so. Matthew really wants to impress her with this job and rightfully so. Was he able to pull it off? Read on.

Matthew and Lynn discuss the project. The homeowner had a very large carved totem pole in the suite which I thought was stunning - not painted, just natural wood. Apparently this totem pole had to be lifted into the suite by crane from the exterior. Lynn acknowledged that it was specific to the market, but was keen to have it removed. Since it came in by crane, you guessed it; the totem pole would have to go out by crane. I would be curious to know if the removal was built into the overall staging budget, because I can imagine it was quite costly. We're talking one huge totem pole!

Day 2

Morning of Day 2 and Matthew is at Dekora's warehouse. Matthew is met by Sarah, his Staging Assistant for this project and they begin to select their furniture. Sarah is put in charge of selecting bedding and drapery. She must also instil a girlie feel into the space.

Discussion takes place on removal of the totem pole. Sarah agrees with Lynn, the agent that it should be removed. Ron, Dekora's Staging Manager, explains to the team that removing the totem pole will be a logistical nightmare since all of the furniture will have to be removed in order to get it out. I don't know. If it were me, I would have liked to work with the totem pole. Of course I realize that I'm speaking as an armchair critic. It's easy to give suggestions when you aren't physically in the space, but I thought that the totem pole would have made such a striking statement. As a big fan of west coast native artwork (I have a few pieces myself, but of course nothing of that magnitude) I have a pretty good idea of its worth. I think if positioned correctly, it would have spoke volumes as to the luxury and opulence of the space. I guess this would have been my "risk piece" on the project. Matthew has one of his own that we will find out about later as well.

Matthew and Sarah are now at the property and are getting things underway. Matthew voices his concern that he hasn't thought of artwork yet and that there is barely enough in the budget to cover artwork for the kitchen, let alone 2,500 square feet of space. Matthew has heard that Lynn, the agent, loves art so this is troubling for him.

Day 3

The day begins with Matthew lamenting about the artwork. He phones Jay who is a fellow Dekora Stager and also happens to be an artist which I wasn't aware of. Matthew leaves Sarah at the property to start staging the bedrooms while he heads over to Jay's place to see if he has any art available.

I have to say that I was very impressed with Jay's style. He is one talented artist for sure. I think Matthew called in a favour on this one, I'm not sure what Jay charged them to rent the pieces, or if it was pro bono. Jay even went so far as to join Matthew at the property and assist with the install of the pieces. I have only seen Jay on I believe 2 other episodes and I found him to be quite quiet. He opened up to the camera this time around and made a great addition to the team. If the show gets picked up for Season 2, I hope to see more of Jay.

While Matthew was out with Jay, Sarah makes the call to switch the beds in the 2 bedrooms. It was a great idea, because the bed with the carved headboard was then put into the smaller room, leaving the master bedroom open to becoming more feminine with lots of throw cushions, drapery, etc. The gamble paid off and Matthew was pleased with the outcome as well. The rest of the day is spent staging. They work so well together.

Day 4

Sarah is at the property supervising the removal of the totem pole. The homeowner was there as well to assist.

Matthew is still in need of one major piece of artwork for the entryway. Off he goes to the gallery. He finds an abstract piece with bound hands. It's the right size for the entryway but he feels that it's a risky piece to choose. After a lot of thought, he decides to go for it and states that it's his biggest risk in staging to date.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, so to speak, the totem pole is now gone. Sarah goes shopping for draperies and accessories.

Day 5 - Reveal Day

There is still a lot to be done before the homeowner arrives. What to do with the flat screen T.V.? It finds its home in a closet; probably a wise decision. The team applies some feng shui principles to the space as they feel some negative energy.

There wasn't a chandelier in the dining room, so Sarah comes up with a fantastic idea to use several crystal candleholders on the table with long, tapered candles. It was like a reverse chandelier or candelabra. Sarah fittingly named it the "tableabra". It was a very effective centrepiece.

The homeowner arrives along with Lynn, the agent. She feels that the painting in the entryway is too risky. I have to say that I agreed with her. Matthew referred to it earlier as a triumphant piece. I guess this is where artwork is such a personal thing. Everyone has their own take on it. It was definitely an interesting piece, but I found it somewhat unsettling and thought it was a big chance, especially for the entryway where that all important first impression is made. I'm assuming that the artwork was changed out.

Lynn was thrilled with the transformation, whereas the homeowner was in shock. Matthew says: "We've erased your life. You can forgive me once we sell it." The end result was a very big departure for the homeowner from his design style, but as time went on he warmed up to it.

End Result

The homeowner postponed selling to do some minor renovations. The new projected listing price was going to be $3,500,000 ($200,000 more than the original list price). They didn't state what renovations were going to take place. The staging cost for this project was $6,000.

Did the homeowner warm up to the point of not wanting to move? At airing time, the property had not yet sold. Matthew's last words were "I think he doesn't want to let go."

My Final Thoughts

When I wear my Home Stager "hat", I'm very interested in the technical part of the show. They did a great job of detailing their course of action, for example, the removal of the totem pole. I was glad that they left in some detail about that as those are the things that I want to know about. This episode was also interesting for those watching that are not in the industry. There was enough drama and humour in there as well as some great tips to keep them entertained as well.

If you can keep the interest of both the general public and your industry peers, you've hit the mark as far as I'm concerned. This episode did just that.

Dezigner Digz is a home staging and interior decorating company located in Burlington, Ontario and servicing Ancaster, Hamilton, Aldershot, Burlington, Waterdown, Stoney Creek, Bronte, Oakville, Milton and surrounding areas. The owner, Charlene Storozuk, is a member of the Real Estate Staging Association and is the founder and current President of the Halton & Hamilton-Wentworth Real Estate Staging Association. For more information about us, visit our website at www.dezignerdigz.com.

[Photo from HGTV's website]

Well, I have to say that I have been really looking forward to this episode. This was the only pairing of Matthew and Bridget for a staging project this season. I'm sure a lot of feathers were ruffled off-camera but things went well in spite of it.

The home in need of some TLC this time around was built in the 1930's and was approximately 5,000 square feet in size. The asking price for this one was a mere $2,988,000 (not outrageous I suppose by Vancouver standards). The team had 5 days to work their miracles.

Here's a brief look at what happened.

Day 1

Bridget arrives at Dekora to meet with Ron, the Staging Manager, to find out who will be working with her on the project. This time around, to her shock and dismay (so it seemed anyway), she finds out that she'll be teaming up with Matthew. As they joke back and forth about who is assisting whom, Bridget announces that "there'll be some handling". She got that right. Matthew handled her beautifully.

Matthew and Bridget arrive at the property for a walk-through with the homeowners. They discuss the pros and cons of the space and give some idea as to what they each see as their vision. The homeowners leave and the team get down to measuring and taking photos (after Bridget puts Matthew in the closet). Well, we do need to have some comic relief after all.

Day 2

We find the team at Dekora's warehouse. Everything needs to be chosen by the end of the day for move-in tomorrow.

On a side note, I was thrilled to seem them use a chair that I have in my staging inventory. As a matter of fact, they used 2 of them: one in the living room and one in the bedroom. Here it is, my favourite chair:

Day 3

Augustin (Bridget's Staging Assistant on previous projects), meets Matthew at the property to accept the furniture. They await Bridget. In true Matthew fashion, we see him pick up a peacock feather, hand it to Augustin and say "You tickle and distract her, I'll club her and we'll get the job done." I'm sure as the project went on; Matthew probably wished he had followed through on his idea as things get a little heated between the two of them. Artistic differences start to develop as well as Bridget's need to be in control of the situation.

Matthew and Augustin get down to work and start staging the property. Matthew mentions to Bridget upon her arrival that he is not happy with the table that was selected for behind the couch. He also points out his issues over the choice of and positioning of lamps.

Day 4

Matthew and Bridget are at the gallery midday to select artwork. They don't have a lot of time as they have to be back at the property for another delivery. Matthew orders a glass sofa table without Bridget's knowledge which arrives at the property. Bridget launches into steamroll mode and has to be reigned in by Matthew who tells her to stop barking at him.

The homeowners walk in unannounced and state that the living room doesn't look comfortable. They voice their concerns over what has been done so far, and tell the team that they haven't made the best use of space. Matthew diffuses the situation by explaining that too much furniture will eat up the space. He adds that certain death occurs at open house if people start bumping into the furniture. The homeowners leave and decide to acquiesce to what Matthew and Bridget feel is best.

This was a tough day for the team as personalities were clashing. However, there was nothing unprofessional shown in front of the viewers. Kudos to Matthew and Bridget as well as the editing team as I can well imagine there were some moments that did have to be removed.

Day 5 (Reveal Day)

Matthew arrives at the property with a floor lamp. He explains to Bridget that it will work better than the two lamps she selected for the sofa table. She concedes and admits that his vision works better. The team then wrap up their finishing touches as the homeowners will be arriving in one hour.

The homeowners are now blown away with the transformation. They admit that they were "seeing it unfairly before without everything there".

End Result: Listing Price: $2,988,000 / Staging Cost: $8,529 / The property was still on the market at time of editing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Not only was the property turned into something worthy of its price tag, but things were kept on a professional level even though there were some obvious clashes. There was a lot of humour instilled, which I'm sure the two of them needed to diffuse things. Hats off to Augustin as well who is just so calm. He probably helped to buffer a few issues. There was an educational component to the episode as well which was great.

Well done team. P.S. Matthew, keep that feather in your back pocket for next season. You just never know when you may need it. ;-)

Dezigner Digz is a home staging and interior decorating company located in Burlington, Ontario and servicing Ancaster, Hamilton, Aldershot, Burlington, Waterdown, Stoney Creek, Bronte, Oakville, Milton and surrounding areas. The owner, Charlene Storozuk, is a member of the Real Estate Staging Association and is the founder and current President of the Halton & Hamilton-Wentworth Real Estate Staging Association. For more information on us, visit our website at www.dezignerdigz.com.

The Aldershot Community Festival will be taking place on Saturday, May 31st from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Hidden Valley Park. There will be over 20 crafters and vendors on hand as well as an all day BBQ in support of the United Way. The Field and Stream Rescue Team will be holding their annual rubber duck race. It sounds like a great day is planned for everyone.

If entertainment is what you are looking for, Canadian rock band The Kings will be performing. Remember a few of their hits like Switchin' To Glide and this Beat Goes On? What a blast from the past!

Also performing will be up and coming artist Annie Marleau who will be performing in various venues across Burlington over the summer.

The Aldershot Community Festival sounds like a must-do event. For more information, visit www.aldershotfestival.com

Charlene Storozuk, Dezigner Digz, Proud Aldershot Resident

Dezigner Digz is a home staging and interior decorating company located in Burlington Ontario and servicing Ancaster, Hamilton, Aldershot, Burlington, Waterdown, Stoney Creek, Oakville, Milton and surrounding areas. To learn more about us, visit our website at www.dezignerdigz.com

Dezigner Digz is proud to be an exhibitor at the 21^st Annual Designs For Living Home Show at the Hamilton Convention Centre. The show is running from March 14-16, 2008.

Celebrity presenters include Glen Peloso from the popular television shows Restaurant Makeover and Take This House & Sell It as well as Jane Lockhart, star of Colour Confidential on the W Network.

Bringing the kids with you? No problem. Show organizers have looked after that for you. Take the kids to the KidZone to play while you enjoy the show.

Stop by and visit Dezigner Digz at Booth #338 and enter our draw for a floral arrangement designed by our Lead Design Consultant. There will be another draw for a complimentary staging consultation which is open to real estate agents only (business card required please).

Starting a decor project at home but want a second opinion on colours or fabrics? Bring along your samples. We'll try to answer some of your questions while you are at the show. We look forward to meeting you!

For more information on the show visit www.thehomeshow.ca

Dezigner Digz is a full-service home staging and interior decorating company located in Burlington, Ontario and servicing Ancaster, Hamilton, Aldershot, Burlington, Niagara Region, Bronte, Oakville, Milton and surrounding areas. Lead Design Consultant, Charlene Storozuk, is the founder and current President of the Halton & Hamilton-Wentworth Real Estate Staging Association and was recently awarded Local Chapter President of the Year for North America. To find out more about us and our services visit our website at www.dezignerdigz.com