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Be Proud .. of Your Own Work!

By
Home Stager with Beyond the Stage Homes

Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci created stunning works of art that still have the power to make people speechless.

Sadly, as a professional stager, the works of art that my partner and I create sadly don't have that type of longevity (houses sell too fast). We do however create beautiful staging designs that we have captured in photographs and which now grace the pages of our portfolio albums.

Bedroom "Before"

Bedroom "After"

We're proud of these pictures and of the unique designs we create for each of our clients. When we talk to new or prospective clients we encourage them to look at our portfolio because they are indicative of our style and different levels of staging services we offer. 

Our portfolio is also a visual journey of our work over the past few years. We all start somewhere but we feel its important  to display - and be proud of - the work we have done! 

This is why, when I come across a stager who is very obviously not portraying her own work, it makes me upset. Especially when its blatantly not her own work .. and the pictures are obviously interior design photos worthy of a magazine and not the work of a professional home stager. 

Misrepresenting the quality, calibre and type of work we do is one of the best ways I know to ensure that consumers don't trust us. And if consumers don't trust us or believe that the work we portray as ours, actually IS ours  - well, you know where I'm going with this .. its not anywhere good.

So regardless of whether you're a new stager or an experienced one I encourage you to honestly portray your work in your portfolio - and be proud of it!

Posted by

Heather Cook  is Co-Owner and Principal Staging Designer of the award winning Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design Inc. based out of Kitchener-Waterloo, ON.


 

Contact us today so we can help you create the WOW Factor in your home.

     

Comments(9)

Marchel Peterson
Results Realty - Spring, TX
Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Wow, It does not look like the same room.  It is amazing what a little paint and de-cluttering does!

Jul 06, 2010 03:36 PM
Heather Cook
Beyond the Stage Homes - Kitchener, ON
Delivering beautifully staged spaces

Marchel - That's what I say with every staging project! Its amazing what a dramatic difference paint, de-cluttering and then simple staging can do! 

Jul 06, 2010 03:59 PM
Cathy Lee
CL Design Services Home Staging - Danville, CA
ASP, IAHSP, RESA Danville, CA

Very, very nice work!!! Love the new paint color!!

Jul 06, 2010 05:15 PM
Lori Kim Polk
Premiere Home Staging : Home Staging Services - Roseville, CA
Home Stager - Roseville, Sacramento

Wow.. don't even get me started on this topic! You just keep putting YOUR pictures out there and don't worry about the other stager. People will realize that those are not examples of her work. Best of luck to you and your picture looks great, just try to get the same angle next time ;)

Jul 06, 2010 05:16 PM
Connie Tebyani
Platinum Home Staging, Inc. : RESA-Pro - Calabasas, CA
Platinum Home Staging, Los Angeles and Ventura County

Heather, there is a "Newbie" Stager that has come on the scene in recent months and I don't think there is a single photo on her website that was not purchased on the Internet somewhere of interior deisgn work - NOT of her Staging. There are MANY blogs here on AR that give great ideas on how to begin to build your OWN portfolio.

Recently I had a Client ask me if the pictures on my website were my own, and I proudly explained that they are ALL my own work and that I proudly display the True Photo Portfolio Logo on our website. 

Jul 06, 2010 05:44 PM
Fred Carver Real Estate Consulant
Retired BC Realtor - Victoria, BC
Accredited Real Estate Consultant

Hi Heather ....so true, Thank goodness for cameras, imagine being an ice sculptorist in a fancy hotel :O))

Jul 06, 2010 06:10 PM
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Heather ~ I agree with your post that all work portrayed on a stager's website should be their OWN work ... it's very deceptive and unethical when photos misrepresent someone's actual talent (or lack of it).  Anyone doing that will quickly lose their reputation because their work won't measure up to their photos.

Jul 07, 2010 01:32 AM
Heather Cook
Beyond the Stage Homes - Kitchener, ON
Delivering beautifully staged spaces

Cathie Lee - Its one of my favourite colours too .. BM Monroe Bisque! Love it!

Lori - I know this topic is a raw nerve for a lot of stagers very simply because we are so honest about our work and we know how much work is represented by 5 - 8 photographs. I appreciate your support and as to the angle of the camera .. the first shot is mine but I couldn't back up because there was so much stuff behind me (another picture altogether) and the second was our pro photographer who is obviously much better than I am! I gave him my shots and he tried to duplicate the angles!

Connie -  I will be adding the True Portfolio Logo to our website and watermarking all our photos. I know there are many blogs out there on how to build a portfolio - I just wanted to say my piece and hopefully inspire aspiring stagers to build their portfolio the right way. 

Fred - Great point!! I imagine being an ice sculptor is rewarding work but unless you live in a really cold climate it would be hard to enjoy the fruits of your labours for long! Pictures truly are worth a thousand words!

Maureen - You said it :) I have seen a few other local stagers do the same thing and all of them lasted only a few months in the business. 

Jul 07, 2010 02:11 AM
Sally Weatherley
EXIT STAGE RIGHT - Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Home Staging, Home Stager Vancouver, B.C

Heather - your "before & afer" shot makes me "smile".  Thanks for the reminder - I must remember to print out more of my before & after photos for my portfolio. 

Jul 07, 2010 02:28 AM