Lara McDermott is the owner of Living Well Design Home Staging, based out of the Boulder/Denver area in Colorado. Lara offers local homeowners a range of staging options including; consultations, vacant and occupied staging services. By offering different levels of service she is able to give homeowners with different budgets the opportunity to help the listing reach its fullest potential.
“I began this company after selling a home that my realtor convinced me to stage. The return on my investment was so great that I wanted to give other home sellers the same opportunity and at a reasonable price.”
Lara began her career as an interior design major at Drexel University. She then moved on to own multiple retail stores in Colorado for 12 years, creating displays for marketing in all locations and at trade shows. She has been fixing and flipping homes for the past 9 years in the Boulder/Denver area.
“I started as an Interior Design major back when I was much younger. I ended up leaving school and traveled a bit different path for a little while. I feel like staging has brought me back to my dreams of a younger me.”
Photos provided by Living Well Design
Learn more about Lara:
When I am not working I enjoy…
Skiing, hiking, biking and yoga. I also love a good binge-worthy TV series that helps me escape the realities of the day.
My goal is…
To build my business each year, adding new clients, and services for the Real Estate market.
My morning ritual is…
I wake up pretty early, before the sun. Usually yoga, a walk and one round in my massage chair.
When faced with a struggle…
I revert back to my team training on how to be a problem solver. After all, staging is all about solving problems to make a house look its best.
Photos provided by Living Well Design
My go to staging accessory is…
Ottomans. Whether at the end of a bed or to add seating to a living space. They are versatile piece of furniture.
Would you rather stage an occupied listing or vacant?
Vacant by far. When the home is a blank canvas, anything is possible. Within reason and staging constraints of course. I enjoy coming up with my own designs, putting them together and seeing the outcome.
My motto is…
Always give 110% in everything you do each day. You will never have regrets.
I love staging because…
The market moves so quickly where I can see the results of our efforts daily. Plus the warehouse full of fun furniture and décor is a blessing to enter each day.
Photos provided by Living Well Design
I am…
An entrepreneur who loves to start and build new businesses that provide a need in a niche market.
Right now I am obsessed with…
Remodeling my own personal home. I never thought I would buy another fixer upper for myself but here we go! A new kitchen with light textured cabinets, added family room with mountain views to the west, added laundry/mud room for functionality and a light comfortable design.
My favorite meal after a long day of staging is…
Fish tacos!
What do you think about when you are alone in your car?
Usually I am singing to some song on my Amazon playlist. When the car is quiet, I think about my family, kids, partner and ways that I can be more present for them. I think owning your own business can be somewhat all encompassing. I have to remember to take time and not work to enjoy the people around me. I have done that for the past two months, allowing my stagers to take on the projects and let go. They have more pride in their work now as well and my family loves seeing me more often.
Photos provided by Living Well Design
When you are in a rut creatively where do you go or what do you do to get out of it?
I love looking through Pinterest and Google search pictures. There are so many creative people out there. I love looking at what others are doing to give me the encouragement to keep moving forward. Other people’s strengths give me energy.
My personal aesthetic is…
Clean and comfortable. I live in Colorado, so I love the modern mountain aesthetic.
Who is your role model and why?
I don’t have a specific role model. I try to have many different people with different skills that I can lean on for what I need in the moment. I guess my last boss fits that role pretty well. She has created a business that I would love to mimic though in a very different industry.
Good staging should…
Always showcase the space in the best manner, keeping in mind scale, color, and balance.
You can learn more about Lara and her company by visiting her website https://www.livingwelldesign.com/
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