Photo taken by Ann Marie Casey Photography, LLC
By Debbie Correale
Recently I had the privilege of being interviewed by a college student who was writing a paper about women in business. She was a great interviewer, and I loved her questions and thought I would share my experience with you. I want to thank my interviewer for the amazing questions you really got me to think!
How long have you been in the business?
I have been in the interior redesign and home staging business for most of my life. My company has been in existence for over 10 years.
What is a common question you frequently receive?
Am I expensive? We are neither expensive nor cheap. We are affordable because we start all designs with what the client already owns and loves. We work as much or as little as the client is comfortable with, and we work within budgets. Decorating your home should be fun!
What do you wish potential clients knew about you?
I have been told by many clients that I am not a “scary” decorator; I make decorating a person’s home educational, affordable and fun.
Tell me about one of your all time favorite designs.
I actually have two.
- I was hired to stage a high priced home that had been on the market for over a year. It was a gorgeous home but did not show well. We staged every room in the home, and it sold within 30 days for the asking price. The person selling the house hired me to design her new home. The person who bought the house hired me to decorate the home using her things! After a few years, this person sold the house and hired me to decorate her new home! This business is truly about relationships and giving people more than they expect.
- My other favorite design is one of the most touching designs I have ever been involved in. I was asked to redesign a bedroom for a terminally ill lady. She was a wonderful lady, and we were all touched by her on many levels. My design team decorated and designed her room comfortably and surrounded her with all her most precious treasures. It is a design that I will never forget, and still carry in my heart.
What advice would you give someone who wants to get into this profession?
Follow your passion, go for it and believe you will be successful. Take courses, read a lot, get certified. I would shy away from the “internet†programs that offer certification after taking a test. Generally people who love interior decorating are spatial and tactile people who need to touch and feel to learn. (Our certified program is designed with classroom and hands-on training.)
You really have an incredible enthusiasm for your profession it is almost contagious!
Thank you. I love what I do. There is nothing better than working in a home all day, redesigning and creating beautiful spaces for a client. At the end of the day, the client comes home for the big reveal. Typically, they grab their heart, jump up and down, crying with joy! There is no better way to spend a day and make a living!
I believe that continuing to love what I do is a sign that I made the correct career choice.  I have had the opportunity to meet many quality people and cannot wait to do my next home redesign or staging job. I love my students and thoroughly enjoy helping them follow their passion and dreams with my Interior Redesign and Home Staging Classes.
If you are interested in learning more about my training classes, click here. To find out more about my home staging options, click here. I look forward to working with you!
Upcoming Interior Redesign and Home Staging class schedule with Redesign Right, LLC:
- April 7-11
- May 12-16
- June 9-13
- July 11-13, 19, 20 (Split weekend class)
Click here to register for one of these classes! Contact Debbie@RedesignRight.com with any questions.
Debbie Correale is founder and owner of Redesign Right, LLC. You can learn more about her at www.RedesignRight.com. Find her on Facebook.com/RedesignRight, Twitter @RedesignRight, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Houzz and Google+.