Are you addicted to decorating? Do you find yourself wanting everything you see in the store? Luckily, you aren’t the only one.
I teach and train individuals who want a career in the decorating industry. When you start a career in this field, one of the things you need to learn, believe it or not, is how to shop. After 17 years of doing this, I know a thing or two about shopping! š
Here are some shopping tips from a professional to help youĀ enjoy your trip without losing sight of the end goal!
1. Focus, Focus, Focus: To those of you who are addicted to shopping and decorating, listen up! When it comes to shopping for your home decor, take it one room at a time. Otherwise, you’ll becoming overwhelmed and give up. Make a list of what you think you will need so you don’t get distracted along the way.
2. Work Large to Small: We always want to start with the accessories, right? Wrong! Meanwhile our furniture is not in the right place so we are buying things we may not even need. After you have your furniture and it’s arranged correctly, then you can better determine if you need a rug. If you buy the rug first and the furniture is not arranged, you may end up needing a different size. Now is the time to make sure that everything you purchase functions. Can everyone sitting around the couch put down a glass or a cup of coffee?
3. Lighting: Overhead lighting is not enough. You need at least three lamps to successfully design a room. Once you finish with lighting and the other items at the top of the list, then you can purchase artwork and accessories.
This is a guest post from The-DSA Master Trainer Carol Bass of The Practical Decorator. Check out our DSA class schedule to register forĀ redesign and staging classesĀ with Carol!
Author: Sandra Racz
Sandra Racz operates Signature Redesign LLC and The Decorating and Staging Academy. She has been a professional real estate stager since 2004. Racz, services Scottsdale, AZ and Denver, CO. Sandraās successful career and happiness in the industry inspired her to help others turn their love for decorating into a business. As the Executive Director of The Decorating and Staging Academy, Sandra also offers training in Color, Home Staging, and Interior Decorating, Seasonal Decorating and Event Planning. Sandra was recently voted One of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Real Estate Staging, by The Real Estate Staging AssociationĀ® (RESAĀ®). She has won national awards in the categories of Interior Redesign, Interior Decorating and Real Estate Staging. She has been featured in numerous magazines, local newspaper articles and has trained and lectured to thousands of decorating and event professionals. Sandra is a firm believer in giving back to the community by coordinating projects for Habitat for Humanity, the Cancer Society, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Autism Speaks and serves on several boards. Sandra holds a B.S. in Marketing from Florida State University and a M.B.A. from Troy University. She has held multiple positions in marketing and advertising and taught college-level business classes.