Staged Spaces is a home staging business I started with my partner, Jacen Crehan. Jacen grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and has been a trusted real estate advisor in the area for the last 15 years. When I met Jacen, I was coming out of a career in entertainment and looking to focus on projects that utilized other parts of my creativity. In 2015, home staging fell into our laps due to one of Jacen’s real estate connections. Over time, our business relationship grew into a personal connection that has become our partnership in work, non-work, and co-parenting four great children. A few years ago, Jacen and I were able to buy a home together. Our renovations have been a source of laughter, tears, and many memories. Staged Spaces is not your typical staging company. We focus on the story that connects buyers to spaces. We provide a seamless staging experience for our realtor partners because of our efficient systems and proven track record of success. Apart from beautiful home staging, we are possibly more known as an emerging content creator in the Home Staging and Real Estate world. Our cinematic and approachable style caters to stagers, realtors, and home enthusiasts alike.

I love our home! However, the 80s were not known for astounding residential architecture in Southern California. Needless to say, our home lacks a vibe, so we intend to update every space! And, of course, we have a million ideas, but exciting trends are always shifting, and right when I'm ready to pull the trigger, I’m looking at my concepts with doubt. Sometimes, I just feel creatively exhausted. One thing is for sure: the kitchen and bathrooms will continue to be our next priority. The other boxy rooms can shift as we raise these kids and eventually become empty nesters.

The look of an elongated backplate just says “sophistication” to me. The Keep Long Plate and Knob combo reads like a reclaimed artifact that has been lovingly restored. It's not modern, nor is it retro… It's just timeless. Ageless Iron was the only supplier with a tall back plate that accommodated our pre-drilled doors. When we installed the knobs, I was thrilled, but when the hinges went up, I nearly lost control. Our doors have such a moody and chic presence now.

We first choose a consistent color for all the interior doors in our home. We wanted them to feel like a thread that pulled you through the house. Once we painted them a dark artichoke green, I first thought of adding brass. And for a moment, I loved the idea. After about one week of looking at the sample, I knew I had to change it. That’s when I stumbled upon Ageless Iron, and the rest is history. Once I received the products, we upgraded 13 doors in our house in half a day. The instructional videos on Ageless Iron’s YouTube page were all we needed to install everything ourselves with the tools we already had!

Now that I’ve found a product that checks all of my style boxes, it is very likely I will be using it often. I can see these knobs working in so many kinds of spaces. They are definitely my new go-to!

When Jacen and I ordered our door pre-drilled, we thought we were saving ourselves some time and money. Little did we know that so many hardware options would need to be ruled out because of it. It's definitely something other renovators should be aware of. We also found that using a tiny square of painter's tape over the tip of our screwdriver when installing the finishing screws for strike plates makes for a flawless finish.

My design style shifts like my mood; it's just everywhere all the time. So that's why it's so hard for me to choose important pieces that aren’t upgraded often, like door hardware! Incorporating style into our home is a journey of what we can afford, what we can ge, and what we both like. I think it's like almost any couple. The fact that we work in the design industry doesn’t make collaborating any easier.

I find a great deal of inspiration from my home staging peers. There are many kinds of stagers, some of whom are real design titans. They take a space to new places and boldly color outside the lines. Other stagers I know are much more harnessed. They know how to create that look we all think we want: honed and magazine-cover perfect! I'm always in awe. Also, nothing allows you to experience your surroundings like a vacation. I love to take in design while not in my normal environment.

I wish I could say my design process has a good structure. Working in real estate always creates limited timelines, and budget is always at the top of the list. I usually build a list of the elements I need to source. After I find my products, I hand the project over to a homeowner, a seller, a realtor, or my partner, Jacen. I do not often get involved in the production aspects of our projects.

Like most people, we found our house online. It was far more expensive than we could afford…about $200,000.00 over our maximum. Fortunately, the house was NOT staged and had terrible photos online. When the listing went stale, we were able to purchase the home within our budget. We needed lots of space for our family of six. Of course, I wanted to love the style of whatever we bought, but our priority was space and proximity to our work.

The timeline and budget are the most important things to consider before undertaking a large renovation. Both need to be known upfront, but you also need to be able to be flexible with them later on. Until your budget and timeline are nailed down, it really doesn’t matter what color you want to paint anything or what kind of tile you like.

Transformations are misleading because of their name. When you hear “transformation,” you think of something instantly changing form or appearance. Realistically, room transformations are more like room evolutions. They are slow. They take time due to lots of factors: money, time, space, and manpower, to name a few! When designing, we sacrifice elements that don't fit the schedule, budget, or means… so other options must be found. Changing a space can take time and energy.

We are renovating a client’s home in Altadena, which has some very special features. We are helping her renovate, stage, and sell this fantastic estate so she may use the attached land to build the home of her dreams next to her children. In a normal month, Jacen and I work on projects that utilize our skills beyond home staging. Jacen loves the renovation process and thrives in an environment where we can be pragmatic and creative. I have far less stamina for long renovation projects and love jumping onto the next one! We have a great partnership because of that.

We plan to grow our video-creating and design work. One day, Jacen and I plan to run our businesses from afar and spend time focusing on our personal projects. What will come of this? Who knows? And it's so exciting not knowing!