Leanne Zumbrunnen is the Principal Stager for Showhomes of Kansas City. Her passion for decorating has been lifelong but was never a career interest until she found out it could help people selling their homes.
“12 years ago I stumbled on some information about staging which I hadn’t heard of at the time. Since I had always had an interest in interior design, I mentioned it to my husband and he thought it was a good fit as well.”
Learning that home staging was a burgeoning field in 2008, Leanne dove right in and landed her very first job staging a vacant home. She utilizes all of her skills to combine traditional and contemporary style to make a home comfortable and inviting to prospective home buyers.
“My brother-in-law had just started flipping homes a few months prior. When I mentioned that I was considering staging, he called me 3 days later with my first job! I did several jobs for him after that which also led me into some design work for their flip properties. I help them for floor plans, paint, tile, flooring, light selections, etc.”
Learn more about Leanne:
My motto is…
Do unto others as you would have done to you.
My personal aesthetic is…
everything! That’s why choosing something for myself is more challenging than choosing it for staging or other peoples homes.
When I am not working I enjoy…
Creating printed books with family pictures on Mixbook. I have created 4 so far and currently working on 26 years of family pictures into 26 yearbooks. Some people think I’m a masochist but it is enjoyable…but time consuming.
Before I was staging…
I was a graphic designer and seamstress.
My favorite meal after a long day of staging is…
Chicken piccata with artichoke
My go to staging accessory is…
Artwork…it fills up wall space and sets the tone for the whole room.
When you are in a rut creatively where do you go or what do you do to get out of it?
Pinterest is my go to…I guess it was magazines before the internet…seems so long ago!
If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be?
Lip balm (I truly believe there is an addictive chemical in them), my hair dryer, my laptop, my car… and of course chocolate!
What project are you really excited about right now and why?
I have been working on the side as a designer for flippers. I just started my newest house. I love turning ugly ducklings into swans and reworking the layout to a more appealing floor plan is one of the most rewarding parts to me. Of course staging after it is complete is the frosting on the cake.
Would you rather stage an occupied listing or vacant?
Vacant…because if a client’s home needs staging, it’s usually because they don’t have the right furniture and accessories.
You can find out more about Leanne and her company by visiting her website https://www.showhomes.com/kansas-city/
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