We were lucky to catch up with Heidi Gammarano recently and have shared our conversation below.

Heidi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a time you helped a customer really get an amazing result through their work with you.

Back in late January of 2024, I was contacted by a potential client through an online lead generation platform I occasionally use. This particular platform had not been incredibly successful for me in the past so I didn’t initially have too much hope for this turning into an actual project. But, we exchanged a few messages and set up a consultation. At that consult, I was aware that I was not the only designer they were interviewing, I picked that up from a few comments, and they had a couple of tile samples there. And then I did what I always do…be myself.

I pride myself on being relatable, easy to deal with, and having the ability to create great rapport with people pretty quickly. When they called me about a week later, they had me on speaker and said they needed to ask me a few questions, and then went silent for about 5-10 seconds, and then they started cracking up and were cheering “you got the job!” to me. I knew right then that we were going to be a good fit, I love working with people that are also funny and easy-going.

The project was major, for me. I am a small, boutique design business. There are larger companies out there that may have considered this a medium project, but this was going to be a very important project for me. The overall scope included replacing flooring throughout the house, designing, fabricating and installing a fireplace feature wall, design and installation of display cabinets in 4 areas, and then various design elements including wallpaper, furniture, wall treatments, window treatments, artwork placement, and working with their existing items.

Blending new, modern pieces with existing antiques and historical paintings and mosaics was a massive part of the challenge in this project. We wanted to modernize the look and feel of the home, but highlight the unique antique treasures.

In the end, the mixture of new, high-end pieces with the existing museum pieces and collector’s items worked. The home feels thoughtful and intentional. The new pieces complement the old, and each seems to highlight the other, equally. The use of bolder colors really worked to modernize the feel of the rich wood tones, and this is my favorite project to date.

Heidi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Even when I was a little kid and people would ask what I wanted to be when I grew up, I answered “interior designer”. I was always rearranging my room, and set myself on the path to go to design school. I graduated with my degree in Interior Design and found my first job working in the Home Staging industry. The company I worked for staged for real estate and model homes, which is where I got my first taste of the staging world. Staging and Interior Design are different disciplines, and most people do one or the other. But, in my case I studied Interior Design and then working hands-on in Staging so I have the ability to do both. And, although I will maintain that they are different, they do bleed into eachcother in my case, I will admit.

Home Staging is for a purpose, to highlight the homes best features and get buyers to see the potential. Empty homes are hard for people to walk through and “see what it could be”. And overly cluttered homes that really show the personalities and taste of the sellers are equally as hard for buyers to see themselves moving into. Therefore in staging, depending if it is an occupied or vacant property, the goal is to make it look like something that pretty much anyone that walks through the door would be comfortable living in. Where my design background comes in, is that I practice a more “lifestyle staging” style than a lot of stagers do. I don’t really love everything being super neutral. I don’t think most people actually live that way. So I tend to pick up a color theme, or an overall design theme and weave it into my stagings. They’re more appealing visually to most people and I maintain the cohesiveness throughout.

Interior Design on the other had is super personal. I take my time to learn about how my clients live, what they need, what is annoying to them in the current home and how to remedy that. What colors they love, what colors they hate. The furniture is not just for show (as it is for staging) so it has to be comfortable and stylish at the same time. The finishes need to be durable, and stand the test of time from a ‘looks” standpoint too. I tend to go more neutral on floors and walls, and punch it up with color in select areas. I do love color, but it doesn’t work if you have too much either. I love to bring in a bold wallpaper, but it has to be done in select measure. Too much, is too much. And the staging part of my work creeps in when I accessorize for my design clients. I take how I would stage, and place art, accessories, plants etc. the way I would in a staging, and then I add in personal effects that they would like to have included in the design. So it still looks polished and clean.

What I provide for my staging clients is a home that feels real, and is depersonalized without feeling sterile. And what I provide for my design clients is a home that feels personal and intentional to them, while also having a bit of that “model home” look and feel.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I started my design business in 1997, sort of by accident. I was young, fresh out of college, working in a home staging firm in Orange County (where I grew up). I was approached by one of the builders we were doing work for, to do a small design job that didn’t compete with my work at the firm. I said yes, and that was my first solo design project. Things snowballed as they do and I was able to leave my job and work full-time for myself.

Then, the housing market crash came along and destroyed everything for me. My jobs evaporated into thin air, I had clients credit cards being declined, check payments to me were bouncing. I was also getting divorced, so adding that to the stress of the business being majorly impacted by what was going on the world of real estate and finance, let’s just say it was not a good time.

So, I had to pivot.

I needed a change of scenery to start, and there was nothing keeping me in Orange County any longer. I moved to Oceanside and got a fresh start. I continued to try to keep the design business alive while the economy did its thing and started to turn around, and I also worked in a more stable part of the design industry simultaneously. Even when the economy is down and people view Interior Design as a “luxury service” – they still need doors, floors and windows. So, while not the most exciting type of design work, I was able to remain in an ancillary section of the interior design industry. This was part of Corporate America of course, new to me. Having been self-employed for 14 years already, it was definitely a change of pace.

So, I had to pivot again!

And came back full circle. I am providing the same services I did when I started out all those years ago. I love working with clients to help them clean up and sell their home through my staging services. I get a lot of design clients, from staging! Many times, when I finish staging a home, especially an occupied home, the seller ends up hiring me to help them get settled into their new home. They liked what I did with the staging and want to emulate that in some ways. Being able to help people that are in either situation is really wonderful. I love that I am able to pivot between staging and design work, I get to enjoy doing all kinds of projects, It makes my day-to-day a very enjoyable experience.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Back when I got started, there was nothing in terms of online resources. Now that we have them, I find them incredibly useful. In the olden days, I had a physical portfolio, I pored over magazines for inspirational photos for projects, I sketched the ideas that came out of my brain. Now, there is a never-ending source for anything you might possibly want or need, so I take advantage of what is out there, because I remember what it was like before.

I urge my clients to save photos and create those Pinterest boards. Not that I am going to necessarily follow that exact path, but it gives me a really great understanding of their taste, style, likes and dislikes. And quickly. I can have a look at the pictures they pulled together for me and get a pretty quick read on them, and start forming the design we might be reaching for. It’s incredibly useful for me. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.southerncaliforniadesignandstaging.com
• Instagram: @socal_design_and_staging
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/heidi-ingersoll-gammarano

Image Credits

Allen Carrasco