It's not easy choosing from so many talented home stagers and designers when we award the Best of the Best Award. What I love most is the stories behind the photos since so many times these were homes that were sitting on the market and going to take much less in price. Here's a handful of our winners and their stories.
Tamra Pfeifer of Set the Stage Interiors serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Texas area is “beyond excited and feel so honored to be awarded this!!!!!!! It's truly a dream to be doing what I love, and it never would have happened without Audra's incredible training and continued support from her, her staff and the encouraging Stagers Connect group!! Thank you, thank you!!”
“This staging job was one of my absolute favorites! It was done for a couple that bought the home to flip it after it had burned in a fire. They spent 2 years of literal blood, sweat and tears redoing it and were worried because to make some money on it, they needed to list it for several hundred thousand dollars over the comps in that neighborhood. The realtor suggested having it staged if they wanted to even come close to that, so they called me, I staged it, they listed it for 200,000 over the area comps and did in fact, very quickly get what they were asking! A success story that I was honored to be a part of making happen!”
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Ashlie Burgess of Home Buzz Staging & Redesign serving the Palm Springs, California + surrounding cities in the Coachella Valley & Riverside County did a fantastic job with her use of color in this stage, really making the transition from indoor to outdoor seamless.
“This particular vacant staging was located behind the famous El Paseo area of Palm Desert, CA and the home ended up selling for $75,100 ABOVE the asking price! This was within the first week of being on the market! The home had a mid-century modern vibe and a gorgeous wall of windows overlooking the pool. I kept this staging sleek and simple by using black & white as the base while adding yellow & green as the primary pops of color. Those colors carefully curated with wood, glass, velvet, and leather furniture choices created the perfect recipe for a subtle glam mid-century modern design. Applying that same aesthetic to the pool area created a smooth transition from inside to out. Definitely my favorite home staging design I’ve completed to this date!”
TJ McArdle of Larimar Home Staging which serves the Rancho Cucamonga, California area used such a beautiful combination of color and texture in this stage, it’s no surprise the house sold in 4 days for $91,000 over asking price!
In my HSR stagomg certification training, I provide a TON of materials, Canva Templates and how-to for creating agent partnerships that last lifetimes...it's all about helping agents look great and I love this best staging photo winner's story. Laura Martin of Laura Lynn Interiors is thrilled to be doing something she loves, and it shows in her work!
“Thank you so much for the recognition! It is an honor being acknowledged by HSR amongst so many talented stagers. So much inspiration and support in Stager’s Connect is encouraging and motivating. Audra has given her course a bonus by having the FB page as a place to share and ask questions with others with the same passion.
This stage was in the Great Hills area of Austin. The home had some renovations done before going on the market but was vacant and could benefit from staging. This living room was a bit of a challenge with no blank walls. It was surrounded by built in cabinets on two sides plus a large fireplace, as well as a closet that had been converted into a wet bar. Large windows and a sliding glass door filled the largest wall, and the fourth was open to the kitchen and eating area. Placing the furniture in the middle of the room in a conversation arrangement showed potential homeowners how they could live in the space. I felt it was important to embrace the shelves since they took up a significant part of the room. Empty, they looked overwhelming, but with some styling it showed how they could be utilized and bring character to the space. The bar was a bonus, so it was important to highlight for entertaining guests. Neutral colors were chosen to play off the stone in the fireplace and give it all a cohesive look. This was the first stage I did for a realtor who hired me from a referral. The house sold quickly, and the realtor was thrilled! I now have a working relationship with him and staging homes on a regular basis for his agency. How cool is that!!”Green is the HOT color this year and Sherri Rampy of Standout Interiors, serving the Dallas/Fort Worth, Mid-Cities, and surrounding areas did an amazing job using the color in her client’s living room, well done!
“I am so excited, extremely grateful, and ever so humbled to be selected as one of the Best of the Best. This job was a complete kitchen, living room and laundry room remodel for a sweet young couple. I developed a design plan, took down a 20-foot load bearing wall separating the kitchen from the living area to give them an open concept living space. I decorated the space in one day and revealed the space to my clients at the end of the day. The wife screamed when she first saw it and said, “Is this really my house?” She is a two-time Metastatic breast cancer survivor. I wanted to give her the home she had been dreaming of. I absolutely love helping others and this project brought me pure joy!”
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Jackie Hill of Stage The Vibe serving Waco, TX and the surrounding areas is thrilled to be a “3rd time winner and my goal was to win it as many times as possible this year because coming from Audra means the absolute world!”
“This stage does have an interesting story…most of my stages have been flips and I really enjoy that.
A lady who had bought her first flip (Dwell and Flourish Homes) was looking around on Instagram to find a stager for when she was finished. She saw my pictures on social media and was comparing my work to other stagers in my area and reached out. She said she loved what she saw and talked with me about the property and what she would want. It turned out beautifully and she has since bought her second flip!
This one was tough because of the small living area when you first walk in but so cool with that stucco fireplace! Staging the entry as an office area with so many people working from home was a hit and the home got an all-cash offer in 6 days!”
Amy Titus Torres of About Town Staging which serves the McKinney, Tx area knocked it out of the park with this vacant stage, love this photo!
“This photo is from a vacant job we did with a client who was a contact I made through this group!! She works for a Realty company that does several “concierge flips” for homeowners and because of this relationship our company has reached a new record high!
I am so thankful to Audra for this course, her continued mentorship through this group & the amazing contacts continually made.”
Laura Jones owner of Home Harmony which serves the Denver, CO area made this living room go from drab to fab! Her use of various materials in the furniture and textures really make the room come together.
“This Highlands Ranch 4 bed/3bath home was purchased 2 years ago and the sellers hadn’t made any updates. They were looking for a new home for financial reasons and weren’t comfortable listing their home until they found a new one. I met with the agent and sellers, developed a staging plan and was ready to get to work when the owners found their new home. It was a wild week, but this strategy paid off. They sellers found their dream home, went under contract on a Monday for that home. They let me know it was a go Monday afternoon. We helped them completely clear out their home on Tuesday, did a full stage on Wednesday, professional photos were taken Thursday morning, the home was listed Friday, and they went under contract with multiple offers on Sunday. Although it was a wild week, the sellers and agent were so thrilled with how quickly we prepared the home and the amount of traffic the staging brought to the listing.”
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Heather A. Odean of Karis Home Solutions which serves Charlotte, NC and surrounding areas is so appreciative of this award and I, along with the developer/realtor think she is very deserving of the win!
“Thank you so much for choosing my work for this great award.
This was a flip and was placed on and off the market several times, each time, taking the feedback and adjusting the renovations. This final time the developer and builder decided to stage it. This home does have a challenging layout with the dreaded “L shaped” living space, so took a lot of thought on how to show it at its greatest potential. I moved the dining room to the renovated sunroom and made the small dining room which is connected to the kitchen into a keeping room. I also wanted to show the flexibility of the L shaped space, so in addition to the dining room, I wanted to show the possibility of having a separate space for kids, so that they could be in the same space, but have their own space within the larger space. The home received several offers and was under contract within days of hitting the market.
The developer/realtor was thrilled sending me this message - “Just an update- we had strong showings since going active on Friday with several positive comments on the staging. A few that had seen the home prior to staging and commented on how staging helped them visualize the floor plan. We received multiple offers and have accepted an offer. So overall nice job with the staging!”Jalpa Papaiya of Berkeley Home Staging and Decor is “truly humbled by this nomination, as staging and decorating is truly my passion.” They serve the Berkeley Heights, NJ [Northern and Central New Jersey] area and completely transformed this family room!
“Family rooms are where it truly happens - where all those memories take place. When I saw this family room and its gorgeous fireplace, I instantly had a vision. We started with a fresh coat of paint using my favorite neutral color combination (SW Accessible Beige on top and SW Alabaster on the wainscot). Next, we replaced the dated carpet with laminate "wood" floors. By bringing in huge couches that could be re-arranged, massive coffee table and floor pillows, the room instantly boasted a super comfortable space, whether it be for game nights or hosting parties or just a movie night. I also tapped into that classy feel by incorporating a beautiful white bookcase (timeless piece) and a perfect swing chair with a pop of color. Bookcases are beautiful and underutilized in my opinion - it instantly adds that classy mature look and you can decorate it with different pieces throughout the year to celebrate holidays, hold family pictures/treasures and of course - books! This was by far my favorite and an ultimate transformation without any demo.”
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Christy McGriff’s reaction to winning the BoB award is why we love to give out this award! “Oh, my goodness! This is amazing!” She owns Home Styling Studio, LLC in Johnson City, TN (Serving Tri-Cities). I adore her use of color and texture in the bedroom.
“As I was looking through my artwork to select the best canvas to fit the style, lighting and colors of the walls and flooring, I just knew this turquoise succulent was the one! This beautiful, unique canvas was the inspiration for the entire design. Pairing this accent color with the brown accent chair and pillow created a bit of a modern farmhouse, shabby-chic, sophisticated design with a pop of color. This home had been on the market for a few weeks with little activity and interest. Upon completion of staging, this home went under contract the first day back on the market!”
In my Expert E-Designer training I walk people through starting the design process using a design board, so clients can visualize and SEE what they want BEFORE committing to the purchase. This really helps to connect the right textures, scale and colors within the design plan to avoid mistakes!
I just LOVE Mitch Bage’s use of multiple colors, patterns, and textures in this stage, he’s really embracing the fall season! His company’s name is Maison de Campagne and they service the Galveston / Houston, Texas, and surrounding communities.
“Thank you so much for the consideration! Receiving these emails is always rewarding to us here at MDC. Our inspiration mood board was created in anticipation of the coming fall weather and hot design trends that are making a splash on the design front. Warm tones, varying textures, greens, and neutral statement pieces provide a long lasting and welcoming feel. A big thank you to the Stagers Connect family for the continued support and inputs.”
"We look at each staging project as an opportunity to elevate the homes appeal. We ask if the design will strike an emotional connection with buyers and have them begging to linger during their showing.
The power of staging is limitless! The stage dubbed “Blue” had been on the market for a month with no solid interest, the homeowner reached out to us, and the staging was completed. Two days later, an open house was held by their realtor and that night, two offers (one being a full cash, two weeks close). Our clients were instant fans and de stressed all at the same time."
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