Angela Arnold is the President of one of our newest chapters,The RESA® Indianapolis Chapter, and owner of Elephant in the Room Home Staging. She has been staging homes since 2007 as a part of her families real estate investing business, and because of that has a background in advertising, marketing and public relations that help in her role as the RESA® Indianapolis Chapter President.
We invite you to get to know Angela a little better!
- Do you have any morning routines or rituals that help start your day?
Full disclosure – I’m not a morning person so my routine is in the evening. I’m a paper planner type person and use a wonderful planner that has a space on each page for a daily gratitude. At the end of each day I find something I’m grateful for that day and fill the gratitude box. In the morning, I like to connect with nature. Weather permitting, I love to have breakfast outside and think about the day ahead. I know this sounds corny but I believe it’s important to focus on what’s going well and why that matters. It connects the dots on why we do what we do.
- Is there a current design/staging trend that you absolutely love or that you wish would just go away?
I can find something to appreciate in all design trends. It’s like music – I like all types of music but I’ll rotate what I listen to depending on what mood I’m in at that time! I’m not sure if I would classify it as a trend, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE texture! When I shop for staging decor and accessories I touch everything – it’s a little creepy. However, I do it because there’s nothing worse than being attracted to the texture of something, like a fuzzy pillow, and when you touch it, it’s scratchy instead of soft. Ugh.
- How would you describe your sense of style?
I’m 75% Coastal with 10% Global and 15% Traditional. My home is a mixture of the classic Ralph Lauren inspired palette of Navy and cream with gold accents for the coastal influence. I have lived internationally and have visited quite a few countries so I bring those experiences into my home with decor pieces, art, or photos. The traditional influence comes from antique furniture pieces I have inherited from my grandparents. I love that when I look at those pieces I have memories attached – they mean something. It’s not just furniture.
- What happens in your initial meeting with a client?
I listen to them. Of course, I ask questions as well. I find out where they are in terms of experience – in the business, with staging, etc. Sometimes what they’re NOT asking or saying can be more informative that what they are telling you. Then, after really, truly actively listening to them, I set expectations around the process, policies as well as what staging is and is not.
- What should someone starting a staging career know?
You have to be a business person as well as a stager. It’s not enough to be great at staging, you have to be great at running your business as well. If that’s not your strong suite, then partner with someone who has more business acumen or hire someone. I heard this a few years ago and it has stuck with me – If you’re not making a profit – it’s a hobby, not a business.
Learn more about the RESA® Indianapolis Chapter here.
Learn more about Elephant in the Room Home Staging & Redesign here.
Felicia has a background in production design and studied at Academy Of Art University where she had a focus in Motion Pictures And Television. In her free time you can find her reading about the latest marketing trends or hanging out with her husband in Disneyland.
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