Donna Ross – Specialist ‘Use What You Have’ Redecorator & Home Stager

Room Remedy Interiors is actually me, Donna Ross. I’m a professionally trained redecorator and home stager (in Australia some people call home staging ‘property styling’). My office is based in my home in the Yarramalong Valley on the NSW Central Coast.

I’ve worked as a full time redesigner & home stager since 2008

I started Room Remedy Interiors (originally called Great Impressions Home Staging) in 2008 after successfully adding value by staging my own home for resale. Like many people who sell their homes, my family and I lived in the home whilst it was being marketed for sale. So this meant hiring furniture was not what we needed. Instead, I simply made better use of the things I already had. I edited some things, tweaked some and spruced others up. I had my place appraised before and after the staging and added $30,000 to the asking price according to the agent. I could see that many sellers already had what they needed to make their home’s more sellable, so helping sellers like me do that without spending money on rental furnishings seemed a natural path to take.

My clients are all very different

Since then I’ve helped people redesign or stage homes of all shapes and sizes between Sydney and Newcastle using the furnishings they already have. I’ve worked in modest 2 bedroom units and luxury estates. All my clients are after the same thing – to make the absolute best use of what they already have.

I solve all kinds of decorating dilemmas

My clients call me to help them solve any one of a number of decorating problems, which is fun. I help them solve whatever decorating problem they have. It might be choosing a colour scheme, downsizing, pulling together a style of their own, getting ready for resale or pinpointing the problem in a room that feels somehow uncomfortable.

I’m successful because…

I love what I do. I’ve loved houses and the furniture in them since I was a child. I know what makes a room a success for living in and what makes it appealing to buyers. Sometimes that’s different, but for the most part, the two have more in common than not. Decorating a space to be used by real people in real homes is about more than pretty cushions, vases and paint colour. For a room to be successful it must be attractive and harmonious, but above all it must be functional and suit the lifestyle of the people who use it (or will use it after the sale is complete).

I redesign every single room

I work side by side with all my clients in their homes. I chat with them about what they like about their space and what they want to change. After all, the room redo is going to be a reflection of their taste and the way they live.  Some things about redecorating can seem complicated or overwhelming to many and I make it my goal to see that my clients never feel that way about redecorating again.  To put it another way, my approach is to involve, inform and inspire.

How much do I charge?

I charge a flat rate per room depending on the size. My redesign fee starts at $150 for a standard sized room. I don’t work by the clock, I like to take as much time as is needed to make sure my clients have all their questions answered and are clear about everything I recommend. When I come to your place for a ‘use what you have’ makeover you can expect that we will spend some of our time together making simple changes to create your new look room. Any long term recommendations are written down and given to you in your design plan so you’ll be feeling totally organised.