Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Harrison.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 1986, I graduated from Baylor University with a bachelor of science degree in Interior Design. While I was in college I interned at an architectural firm. Upon graduating, I married. Even though I was ready to take on the design world, I found it to be difficult because my husband’s job meant we moved frequently. I decided to go into education and relegated interior design to a part time gig. By that I mean that I worked during the day and came home and built a house at night. My husband and I reaped the benefits of building, remodeling, and flipping before HGTV. We were shiplap before shiplap was cool. Wherever we landed, I always found some way to plug into the design world. I began to get interested in home staging long before staging had a name, Staging was an easy way to stay connected to the design world and I embraced the connection between design, real estate, and business. After retiring, I decided to take a leap of faith and established Design Solutions DFW. I have been blessed at how my business has taken off. I get to work with realtors from Southlake to Celina and from Fort Worth to Rockwall. I am also getting to meet some wonderful families all across the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and help them create designs that are timeless and functional.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The major struggle I faced was moving from place to place. Designers establish themselves in a market and develop a brand within a selected community. I didn’t have that opportunity. Even though I didn’t follow a traditional path, I feel that the experiences I have had helps me in my unique business model. I have had to learn the culture within the places I have lived. Within those cultures, you find the influences that affect design. I grew to appreciate colonial architecture and can get wildly excited when I see a Chippendale chair expertly crafted in Philadelphia because I had the opportunity to live in the Delaware valley. I can also appreciate the unique aspects of our own Texas traditional architecture. I appreciate art, architecture, and design elements not because they fall into a category, I appreciate them because they are the framework we live in day in and day out. How can one style be better than the other?
Another struggle all designers, including myself, face is that people outside of the industry do not appreciate the contribution we bring to a project. No one questions the value of a lawyer’s time or expertise, but designers often have to defend the cost of their expertise.
Design Solutions DFW – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Design Solutions DFW is an interior design and home staging business serving the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. I provide home staging services to realtors. I offer a variety of design services to families ranging from redesign and new construction projects. What sets me apart from other designers is that I take a business approach to design. For realtors, I offer staging consulting. I work with potential buyers to help them understand that there is a formula to follow to get a home sold quickly and for the most money. Buying a home is an emotional experience. You are buying a house and creating a home from that investment. Selling a home is the reverse. You remove the personal connection to a property and create a product that potential buyers will want. It’s simple supply and demand. What most homeowners do not understand is that staging can save you thousands of dollars in the long run. If you want top dollar for a property, you have to give the buyer a property they are willing to pay top dollar for.
In the design component of my business, I do not try to convince a homeowner to allow me to design a room for them, I work alongside a homeowner to educate them on space planning, and help them select things for their homes that create both beauty and function. I help them define a style that works with their unique lifestyle. One of the greatest compliments I just received is from a gentleman who said, “I have spent 5 years in this house. I wish I had done this when I moved in because I love coming home. I won’t ever make that mistake again.”
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me means that I bring a service into someone’s life and that service enhances their circumstances in some way. Being a former educator, I look for ways to “teach” clients how to develop a sense of design. Creating spaces that are sanctuaries from the stresses of the day or developing a space that family can gather and enjoy time with one another is really what defines success for me. My company name defines who I am as a designer. I want to help be the design solution for my clients.
Pricing:
- Home Staging is $100 for up to 2 hours of design service
- Design Consultations are $50 an hour
Contact Info:
- Website: http://designsolutionsdfw.com
- Phone: 817-233-6621
- Email: designsolutionsdfw@gmail.com
- Instagram: designsolutionsdfw
- Facebook: @contactdesignsolutionsdfw
Image Credit:
Shoot 2 Sell
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