"The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen"

~ Frank Lloyd Wright

 




 

Christine Rae

ASPM, CASPT, IAHSP, I.R.I.S. ODDAA, W.C.R & IDS affiliate, IRN, CIM, P.Mgr

Operating from St. Catharines, Ontario, in the heart of the Niagara Region, Decorating Solutions (Niagara) Inc. is owned & operated by Christine Rae.

"After twenty years in Executive Business Management & Sales, it was time to pursue my passion for interior decorating. I am one of those people who have a natural flair for décor, have helped friends & family over the years, took courses and read books & trade periodicals, but had not dared to dream far enough, to think it could be a business. As they say "the universe will conspire to bring about those things which are to be" a series of events caused me to look at where I was in life and where I wanted to go.


My belief is, that most people know what they like; and or have nice things, sometimes they just need help bringing those things together, to make their home "feel" right. Martha Beck's book suggests the decor in the house is a direct reflection of how we feel about our life! I knew I could help people!

As a result I flew to New York to train with the pre-eminent Interior Designer, Lauri Ward. Lauri is featured in countless news & magazine articles, appeared on Good Morning America, Inside Edition & the Oprah Show, author of the best selling design book "Use What You Have Decorating" & "Trade Secrets from Use What You Have".

My business journey began.
Developing the business plan for Decorating Solutions, & moving beyond traditional decorating services, I wanted to offer a “move in” service to home buyers, which led me to think about helping people prepare their homes for sale. Researching the industry, I discovered there is only one place to train & certify; with the founder and creator of "Staging®" Barb Schwarz of Stagedhomes.com.

Training in North Carolina & Seattle I certified in the skill of preparing a property for sale (Staging®) and then looked at the opportunity to bring the Accredited Staging® Professional™ Course to Canada. Successfully completing an 82 hour intensive one-on-one instruction in classroom instruction, presentation skills, & curriculum content, to teach the Accredited Staging® Professional™ course, obtained the designation: Certified Accredited Staging® Professional™ Trainer.

In addition to continuing to build my decorating & Staging® business (Staged2Sell™ ); I now teach Realtors®, decorators/designers, & people wanting to start their own Staging® business, throughout Canada, the North Eastern United States & the United Kingdom. Decorating Solutions (Niagara) Inc as of November 2002, Carole Zwiers (Simply Designed by Carole) completed their certification as Accredited Staging® Professionals and will provide Staging® services through Stage 2Sell™. November 2003 saw the opening of a store location in Lewiston NY, where we plan to build a Staging® business with the help of Julie Dana ASP™, decorator/redesigner. Her business "The HomeStylist" will work with Staged2Sell™ to provide Staging® Services to Erie County.

Interspersed through out my education in this field I have gained knowledge and experience in the Chinese art of Feng Shui. I am continuing my studies to master certification level, with Feng Shui Master & teacher Jami Lin, in Fort Lauderdale Florida. The techniques learned are applied throughout my decorating & Staging® work."

- Christine Rae

Christine is writing a book & 2005 will see the introduction of new products and services to her business, including decorator training. "Throughout this journey I never cease to be amazed at the wonderful & talented people I meet, & the opportunities which are presented to me. I am grateful for every experience and look forward to the honour of working with you".

  • Certified Interior Refiner (CIR),
  • Accredited Staging® Professional™ (ASP),
  • Accredited Staging Professional Master (ASPM)
  • Certified Accredited Staging Professional Trainer (CASPT),
  • Graduate of the One Day Decorator programme (ODDA)
  • a (soon to be) graduate of the Sheffield School of Interior Design,
  • Certified in Management (CIM),
  • Holds a Professional Management designation (P. Mgr) from the Canadian Institute of Management.

Christine is also:
An affiliate member of The Interior Design Society
A member of The Interior Redesign Industry Specialist (I.R.I.S.)
A graduate of the Interior Refiners Network
A charter member of the International Association of Home Staging® Professionals on the Executive for the local Chapter in Toronto
A member of the Canadian Redesign Association; Redesign Directory, Association of Professional Organisers
An Affiliate of The Women’s Council of Realtors
The Director of localNiagara.com

 

A word from Christine about the Decorating Solutions Team

Linda Woodland
Executive Assistant

Linda provides exceptional customer service and administration at the Decorating Solutions main office. She is amazing the way she can juggle telephones, fax, email and admin happening all at the same time while remaining calm and courteous.

Clients & Students often comment to me how accommodating and helpful she is, that she is a great support to our company. Linda is more than a right hand, she is the backbone of the whole operation.

Decorating Solutions benefits by having Linda as a part of the team because she emulates customer obsession, a goal we strive for, always going the extra mile.


Ary Van Eyk CMA
Accountant

Ary has the most difficult job for a growing business. Ensuring dollars stay in the bank, taxes and bills are paid on time, and providing the balance a business needs most.

We are very fortunate to have his Accounting expertise and powerful negotiating skills available to us. He is kind, considerate, firm and very supportive.

Lee D Rae, ASP™
Road Manager & Assistant

Lee is our most recent addition; his main duties include driving to training locations, organizing location and set up for class, order product, inventory, helps with registration at the class, services the tools/ products table, assists class with "muscle" when needed. He is set-up man for Staging work too.

Lee's easy smile, customer service and willingness to be flexible makes him a valuable addition to the team.


Angela D. Brooks
Graphic Designer/Web Developer

Angela implements the marketing ideas of Decorating Solutions. She provides technical solutions making everyone's job run smoother and easier. From our extensive always changing website, to our marketing material, her web and graphic ability is incredible. She never ceases to amaze me.

In a nutshell: Solutions driven and customer satisfaction obsessed!

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