Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Blocker.
Hi Shelby, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always been interested in how spaces affect one’s mood and mindset. My roots are in theatre where I practiced using sets, scenic artwork, and lighting as tools for storytelling. I also have a BFA in Acting, so a person’s motives for what they do and their background story are immensely interesting to me. The common denominators about where I started and what I do now, in my opinion, are a love for storytelling and a love for people. It used to be that I analyzed a character or a set by asking the standard, ” Who, What, When Where, Why etc.”, but this same method has been a large part of my business strategy as well. When I meet a new Client, it isn’t just about making their space look “pretty” or “universally appealing”. A Client’s home can be those things, but can also reflect their style, culture, values, etc.- in fact, I would say that they should! I can design things that are nice to look at all day, but it is only when I gain a perspective on what will make a Client feel at home that I fire on all cylinders. It wasn’t until the pandemic that I realized what I thought was a large range of interests were actually just well-developed building blocks for what I do now. Fresh out of school I was a scenic artist, working as the Lead Scenic Painter for many of the theaters in Houston such as Catastrophic, 4th Wall, Classical, Dirt Dogs, Stages, Mildred’s Umbrella, Main Street and more. After some time, I landed a full-time job as a scenic painter and carpenter for one of the main shops in Houston and was given the amazing opportunity to study under Drew Hoovler, the former Shop Forman of the University of Houston. He encouraged me to start designing my own sets and it wasn’t long until I was acting as Scenic Designer for the same theaters I had just been a painter for. I made friends on and off-stage who also opened new doors, such as stag for the DIY network’s “Texas Flip N’ Move”. Shortly after finishing a season on the DIY network, A. D. Players offered me the job of Properties Master. I was able to lead my own department and use all of my painting, carpentry, and theatre history background to do my favorite thing- tell stories. The DIY and ADP jobs both involved thinking about the sets with immense detail (where a prop came from, how it would be shot or “read” on screen or on stage etc and those experiences were my first taste of what is in my current field is considered “staging”. I worked at A.D. Players and freelanced for a semi-blissful 2 1/2 years and then- COVID. Much like many other Americans, my entire world stopped. No friends, no stable schedule, no foreseeable income. So, I took what I knew and ran with it. I took the classes required at HCC for Interior Design and became a Certified ASP ( Accredited Staging Professional). These classes combined with my wealth of hands- on experience allowed me to start my business with confidence. Now, much to my delight, staging is my full-time job. I design and stage residential spaces (both to live in and for houses going on the market) I have had the opportunity to stage and design some commercial spaces, and have served as a wedding stylist. All of these experiences involved a lot of work, a lot of back and forth, and a lot of patience, but seeing the look on a Client’s face when their space is finished makes it all worth it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say getting my feet under me and building up my Client base was actually the “easy” part. For me, work-life balance has been the biggest struggle. I worked 30 hours a week at a high end furniture store and then another 30 hours (or more) creating floorplans, design boards, and renderings for my own Clients. I didn’t have a weekend off from Nov 2020-April 2022, so there were definitely times I felt overwhelmed and discouraged. My personal relationships suffered due to my work schedule as well. The pandemic mixed with my new commitments meant no date nights, girl nights, vacations, or even family dinners for a long time and there was a period where I felt like an empty shell. It felt like I was drained of creativity and used all my spark on my Clients so by the time I was home there was nothing left. I am glad the work has paid off thus far, but- yeah- I wouldn’t call any of it easy.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
What I do: I am a Lead Designer for Sensible Redesign, a remodeling, redesign, and staging company in Houston. I am also the owner of my own business, Blossom Staging & Design LLC. I work on residential interiors exclusively with Sensible Redesign, but also offer other design services through my business such as wedding design and styling, event planning, commercial staging (such as window displays), staging for theatre, and commercial staging for pop ups.
What do I specialize in: I would say I specialize in helping people figure out what it is they want. That is a big part of the job- Clients come to me and often know what they want to change or know what they like, but don’t know how to translate that information and executing in a way that will transform their space. I of course have a ton of experience actually installing the furniture and staging decor, etc. so from a work experience standpoint, that is also a large part of what I do, but I think what sets me apart is my ability to design based on the Client’s perspective. To me, especially with commercial design or interior design/redesigns having an understanding of what the Client likes and what they want to communicate to the world with their space without leaving too much of my own thumbprint on it is something I shine. I create a vocabulary with my Clients early on in the process to be sure we are on the same page and it saves everyone a lot of time and money. It also brings me joy to be able to go shopping for people and have confidence that ” so and so would like this because, xyz” instead of just picking things out strictly based on being aesthetically appealing.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I consider myself a relatively cautious person, but I have definitely taken risks. The biggest personal risk would be taking space away from the theatrical community to focus on designing residential and commercial spaces- it meant not really being “in the loop” or seeing and working with a lot of the people who had been my social network for a decade. However, the world is very big place- Houston alone is a very big place, and thanks to COVID, I was kind of kicked into it lol I took risks with my health and relationships working 60- 80 hour weeks for two years in the hope all that work would evolve into something sustainable. I took a huge risk when I signed on with Sensible Redesign, signing a non-compete and working as an interior designer exclusively for them, but without taking those risks, I wouldn’t be where I am today. And where I am today is so much better and further away than what I would have imagined pre-pandemic. So for all of these risks and challenges I am grateful.
Pricing:
- In-Home Consultations: $250-300.00
- Wedding Styling Consultations: $150.00
- Virtual Consultations: $150-250.00
- Styling & Accessorizing Packages: Start at $500.00
- Commercial Window Display Consultation: $100
Contact Info:
- Email: blossomstaginghtx@gmail.com & shelby@itssensible.com
- Website: https://www.blossomstagingandesign.com ( wedding styling, commercial staging, events) & https://itssensible.com (interior design, remodeling, staging for houses going on the market)
- Instagram: blossom_staging_htx & SensibleRedesign
Image Credits
Tasha Gorel
Natasha Nivan Productions
