Stager of the Month – Renee Elliott, Re:Creative

My background is in fashion and I worked full time as a sales agent representing a ton of cool brands for over 6 years. It was a fun job right out of college that involved travelling, working with designers and store owners and learning a ton about being a lady boss. The owner of the agency, Alyssa Kerbel, was and still is a major inspiration to me and continues to guide me through business decisions. Alyssa went on to build a children’s clothing brand called Mini Mioche and I designed the store(s) for her and have been doing the window displays ever since – I even just got back from a trip to Vancouver with her to open a new store for the brand.

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I always knew that one day I would like to have my own business and with a combination of timing and courage I started Re: Creative. At the beginning I was working on store designs, window displays, interior styling projects and product styling and after a few years I added Real Estate Styling to my services and that is now my sole focus. A year ago I hired my first team member Jasmine who has been such an incredible addition. It’s been a wild ride and I love every minute of it!

1. A condo staging you’ve recently done had been featured on Breakfast Television, you go girl! How did it make you feel seeing your work on television and how has it impacted you to work on future projects?

Thanks to the Condo Chicks (those ladies rock!) our work appeared on Breakfast Television a few weeks back and it was very exciting to see! Any praise or recognition we receive for our work feels great and inspires us to always put forth our best work for every project we take on.

 It was the encouragement of my best friend and superstar Real Estate Agent Aleksandra Oleksak that pushed me toward staging. At the time I was mainly working on projects for brands – store designs, window displays and product styling, but I was ready for a new focus. I started staging Aleksandra’s listings and after a lot of trial and error we figured out the logistics of staging. I eventually added staging to my services and it has now become the main part of my business. I love that I am able to add a fresh new look to the staging industry and implement my personal style into each space I design. It never gets boring and it constantly keeps me on my toes!

I started staging listings for my best friend about three years ago, but officially it’s been two years since I added Real Estate Styling to my services and started working with other agents. I found Lux after hunting for modern staging furniture and they are my go to each time. I absolutely love working with their team!

 Cole! Ok well, I haven’t actually used it yet since it’s brand spanking new to the Lux inventory but I cannot wait to get my hands on this chair. It’s the perfect combination of timeless and modern.

I would recommend looking for someone who knows the market and who has great design sense. You want someone who can add some personality to a space, but who can also appeal to the masses. The idea is that the end result doesn’t actually looked staged. We always design and style a space as if it’s for a magazine shoot so the end result is curated, styled and practical.

 I would say the biggest mistake homeowners make is not knowing how to style the space. Most people know to declutter and clean, but lack the styling skills to make it stand out from other listings. A perfectly placed vase, the right pillow or the correct height of artwork can go a very long way in taking a space from average to amazing!

 

My biggest piece of advice is to always be authentic. Be original and develop your own signature style that will set you apart from the crowd.